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Astro Girl cover image
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Astrid loves stars and space and whilst her Mum is away, Astrid and her Dad have fun acting out some of the challenges that an astronaut might face in space.

In a near zero-gravity environment many things are different; does your food stay on the plate, where do you leave your clothes or do they just wander through the space with you?

Fortunately, Astrid feels she is very well prepared and can do all the things that her Dad asks her about,

‘What about eating food out of a tube or a packet every day?’

“I can do that,” says Astrid, munching a cereal bar.

At the end of the story, there is a great surprise for Astrid when she goes to meet her Mum as she returns home. She is dressed in a space suit and carrying a space helmet,Astrid is dead impressed when she learns her Mum has been in space?

The last page in the book gives some facts about space travel, such as astronaut comes from two Greek words, Astro meaning star and Nautes meaning sailor! It includes a number of women who have travelled in space and this is probably more than you would think.

Astro Girl is a great book for sharing and for young children to look at over and over again, the illustrations also by Ken Wilson-Max are brilliantly appealing and colourful. Published by Otter-Barry Books, Astro Girl is part of a number of books that are great fun to read and excellently presented.

Space, adventure, love of our planets and solar system are all of huge interest to young children and to adults too. This book will enable children and parents to talk with each other and build stories and pictures around all sorts of space travel…. And who knows some of it may just happen one day!

Sue Martin

 


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


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The Flute, cover image and web link
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This is the flute, it sounds like yellow. Easy and mellow...  The Flute is the newly released second book (publication date March 2019), in the series of Children, Music, Life from Tiny Owl Publishing.

Ken Wilson-Max and Catell Ronca bring the flute to life as  words whisper and dance across the page and illustrations reflect colour and life.  You can feel the magic and lightness of the flute on every page.

The series explores different musical instruments from around the world,  how they make you feel and move, their character and sounds, the music they bring which can make you dance, and sing. The first book, The Drum, is also written by Ken Wilson-Max and illustrated by Catell Ronca.

The Drum, cover image and web link
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Ken Wilson-Max, lives in London, originally from Zimbabwe and has illustrated more than 60 books, including The Drum which is shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Award 2019. He publishes a newspaper for children called Chicken! He is an amazing story-teller, visiting schools and spending time with children.

Catell Ronca lives in Lucerne and studied at The Royal College of Art, London and has a huge range of art projects including children's book illustrations.

Tiny Owl Publishing has a unique place in children's books, bringing diverse voices and an amazing skill in creating beautiful and readable books for children and adults too. They also have a range of resources which are useful for teaching.

The books are perfect for Early Years and can encourage conversations between child and adult, can be an excellent sharing book at bedtime. The Flute can also be a starter for further learning about music, instruments and making music, but also about feelings, inner thoughts, ourselves and our choices, much to explore through the start of a life with music with The Flute and the series Children, Music, Life from Tiny Owl Publishers.

Buy these great books here!

We thoroughly recommend for ages in Early Years from babies to beyond!

Sue Martin

 


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


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The Perfect Sofa cover image and web link
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‘I think we need a new sofa, ‘said Panda. 'This one is too old’.

Penguin and Panda are the best of friends and share everything, including the sofa!

Their journey through the book is a wonderful way to make choices together. Penguin and Panda are engaging and delightful, the book encourages everyone to enjoy what we have.

In the end of course, they discover that their original sofa is the best one for them both, and the book finishes with two exhausted characters on the patched up sofa, with all their things around them.

Fifi Kuo is from Taiwan and has studied in the UK at Cambridge receiving an MA in Children’s Illustration at The Cambridge School of Art. She has already been shortlisted for awards and gained Bronze in the Macmillan Prize.

...with free delivery

The Perfect Sofa is to be published in the UK on 11th April by Boxer Books.

 

It follows Fifi’s amazing title of I Can’t/Can Fly.

Fifi has a brilliant way of using illustration to convey meaning and her use of characters like Panda and Penguin show enormous loveable characters.

A great book for young children and for parents too!

Recommend for ages 2- 22!!

Sue Martin


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


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Digger - cover image and web link
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Digger is the story of one toy kangaroo, one Australian soldier,  Annie and Colette, set in two countries engaged in a world at war.

It is an amazingly poignant story and beautifully portrayed in text and illustration. 

It is  a tribute to the French school children who tended the graves of Australian soldiers and a quiet reminder of the casualties of the battle for Villers-Bretonneux in April 1918.

James goes off to war, leaving his homeland Australia behind and takes with him Digger, a toy kangaroo which Annie,  his sister, has lovingly repaired and named just for him. The pages turn over to show images of a soldier who is keen to help and fight for his own country and for others. He faces everything with courage.

Digger is always with him and  they both even survive a blast in the trenches.

Colette in France, helps to repair Digger and one day he is brought to Colette without James. He is sent back to Australia repaired and with a note for Annie...

Mike Dumbleton is the author and illustrated by Robin Cowcher another great book from publishers Allen and Unwin, Australia.

Buy this book - button image and web link

With tears in my eyes on the last page, I believe this book is truly amazing and will be a sad but good read for anyone, whether they are coping with loss, learning about the effects of war or just as a brilliant picture book.

Sue Martin


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


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Grobblechops - cover image and web link
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What kind of monster is lurking under your bed? Grobblechops is one of those monsters that just becomes more frightening by the minute.

An old tale by Rumi, a 13th century poet and Sufi mystic, which is given a new take by award-winning author, Elizabeth Laird.

Grobblechops looms large in each of the stunning illustrations from Jenny Lucander, it is spiky and brown, with teeth as large as you can imagine and eyes that keep on staring at you.

'But what....' asks Amir at every answer given by his parents to his worried and questions. ' But what if my monster's got a Dad too?'

...with free delivery!

Eventually, Amir is persuaded that his monster might just like to play. And so he does and so does the monster's mother and father and life can calm down once again.

Brilliantly told tale and Elizabeth Laird has an amazing way of making the words on each page just right for the images.

Or maybe it's the skill of illustrator Jenny Lucander to create the pictures that fit so amazingly well with the words? Either way publishers Tiny Owl have another excellent book to add to their collection.

Watch a video from publisher

A great book to have, recommended for ages 3-7 and older too!

Sue Martin

 


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


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Tiger Walk - cover image and web link
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One day Tom draws a tiger, it turns out to be the beginning of a magical life-changing adventure as the tiger helps Tom to overcome some of the biggest fears.

Tom feels the tigery breath against his cheek.

" Let's go for a walk", the tiger purrs.

" But it's night time. And it's very dark!," whispers Tom.

" Tigers aren't scared of the dark. Besides there's a moon. Climb up. Hold tight."

And so Tom ventures off with the tiger into the night and into the forest.

Buy this book - image and web link
...with free delivery here...

A stunningly beautiful book by Dianne Hofmeyr and illustrated superbly by Jesse Hodgson, from the publishers Otter-Barry.

This book will help to dispel fears, bring pleasure to dreams and children will love the pictures. The tiger manages to look powerful, determined but safe and helpful. Whether you could put all your trust in him... well that's what makes this story magical.

Great new book and recommended for many nights of reading.

Sue Martin

 


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


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Cinderella - cover image and web link
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Cinderella - a magical book complete with  wand from Sanna Mander,an award winning author from Finland.

This classical fairy tale comes to life with music and sound effects, all you need to do is to wave over the page and magic will happen.

On a more serious note... many fairy tales have a darker side, Cinderella is an iconic tale of unjust oppression which teaches  kindness, forgiveness and the value of making good choices in the face of adversity.

Sanna Mander's illustrations and text are beautiful and evocative of a fairy tale world. As an illustrator she won the Cannes Young Creatives in 2006 and Junior of the Year in 2007 at Finnish Best of Year.

Buy this book here - image and web link
...free delivery

Another beautiful book from Lincoln Children's Books.

So, with a 'swirl, a twirl and a puff of starry smoke...' start reading and waving the magic wand.

A great fun book recommended for ages 3-5 years

Sue Martin

 


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


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Silnet NIght - cover image and web link
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The world's best-loved carol celebrated in this wonderfully illustrated book by Lara Hawthorne.

UNESCO declared this iconic song an intangible cultural heritage in 2011 and this book brings you more than the carol as it winds its way through the verses, with illustrations that will bring joy to you this Christmas.

 

The story of the nativity is shown and you can follow the journey of Mary and Joseph to the stable where Jesus is born, and the arrival of the guests; the shepherds, the animals and the wise men.

Buy this book here - image and web link
...with free delivery

Above all the book presents the spirituality of the nativity, as the world welcomes Jesus quietly into the world, Christ the Savior is born!

I remember Silent Night from my school days,as our music teacher was so in awe of the carol that we were never able to sing it, in case it brought tears to her eyes! I have tried to sing it quietly ever since!

There is a page at the back of the book about the carol and some of the history. It was written in 1818 in Salzburg, Austria by Joseph Mohr - a curate in the town especially for the Christmas Eve service.

It was later sung on December 25th 1914, during the truce period of the First World War by soldiers on both sides of the trenches.

Lara Hawthorne, the author and illustrator is based in Bristol and has many titles to her name, including The NIght Flower and Huberto. Lincoln Children's Books part of QuartoKnows includes this title in their portfolio and it has a special place as we approach Christmas.

HIghly recommended for children of all ages.

Sue Martin

 


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


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There's room for everyone - cover image and web link
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'Hope in a Scary World' is a new series of books launched by  Tiny Owl publishers as part of the International Day of Peace in September 2018.

'There's Room for Everyone' is the first in this new series, which aims to reassure children and bring positive messages in response to on-going world events.

These are difficult topics including anti-war messages, the global refugee crisis and social issues such as Brexit, Trump's Muslim ban and the separation of children from parents at the US border.

Buy this book here - image and web link
...with free delivery

Picture books are a way of allowing children to explore and talk about difficult topics in a non threatening way.

" We cover children's eyes and their ears and hope they won't see and hear: but they do see and they do understand. So we need books for children, in their own playful way, to show them what's wrong with the world and how they can fix it! And that there's always hope!" Delarem Ghanimifard,  Tiny Owl Publisher.

There's Room for Everyone, which is written and illustrated by Iranian Anahita Teymorian,  looks at spaces from a child's point of view and how some spaces can be too small. It ends with an image of people looking out of windows and the words, " If we are kinder, and if we love each other then in this beautiful world, there's room for everyone".

A wonderful book with a message of amazement that our world sometimes just does not see that love overcomes everything.

Recommended for all ages and especially 3-6 years

Sue Martin

 

 


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


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Please Mr Magic Fish - cover image and web link
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Jack and his wife can't believe their luck when the Magic Fish gives them a pretty little cottage, food to eat and a blue teapot on the table. But they never say thank you and they always want more.

Eventually the fish gets angry with their demands and the sea rages. Jack and his wife should have stopped asking for more because eventually it doesn't go well. Find out what happens, click on the image to buy the book.

Please Mr Magic Fish - image and web link
...with free delivery

This is a beautifully written and illustrated  tale with a fresh and lively re-imagining of this old folk story, by Jessica Souhami. She is an excellent storyteller and artist, using bold colours and characters that leap through the pages.

Published in August 2018, by Otter-Barry Books, this book will make an excellent buy for home and nursery, ages 3-5 years.

Sue Martin

Dolphin Book Sellers - great children's books always on-line

 


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.