Dolphin Book Blog for younger readers

The Great Big Book of Friends

The DolphinApril 23, 2018April 24, 2018

In this fifth book in the internationally best-selling and well-loved,Great Big Book series, Mary Hoffman and Ros Asquith celebrate friendship in a funny and honest way. It is a great way to start a conversation with children about what makes a good friend.

The presentation and layout of the book are instantly appealing, with questions and answers and ways that children often think about friendships. It goes further too, and has some great sentences on other sorts of friends, not just people, the bear on the bed or someone who asks you to a party. Maybe even..." A cat's best friend is a laundry basket." and "Being there when needed".

Lots of opportunities for conversations, curiosity and reflection. It makes a great book for schools and also for home. The Great Big Book series is sold in over 21 languages across the globe and has already had some amazing reviews. Read Booktrust's interview with Mary Hoffman.

Mary Hoffman is an internationally acclaimed author of over 100 books for children, with famous titles such as Amazing Grace, which together with its sequel has sold over 1.5 million copies.

Ros Asquith is a world-famous illustrator and cartoonist, plus a writer and poet as well as being a Guardian cartoonist for 25 years. She is also currently poet in residence at UCLH. Her books for young people total over 90 titles and translated into over 21 languages!

Frances Lincoln Children's Books are part of The Quarto Group, delivering quality books across the world.

We thoroughly recommend The Great Big Book of Friends for children from age 5 upwards and there ar many times that adults too can dip in and find something helpful about being good friends.

Sue Martin

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Life on Earth: Ocean

The DolphinApril 10, 2018April 11, 2018

Ocean is part of the great new series of Life on Earth, from Wide Eyed Editions Publishers, with 100 questions and 70 Lift-Flaps.

The board book is sturdy and appealing to all young children. The illustrations are brilliant and the intriguing flaps reveal comprehensive answers to the questions...

How do fish breathe?
Why is the ocean salty?
Why is a whale not a fish?

Embark on an epic journey under the sea looking for fish and other ocean creatures beneath the waves, learn what shells are for, find out which sea creatures are the most dangerous, and take a closer look at a coral reef. This fascinating fact-filled book is the perfect introduction to life under the sea.

HEATHER ALEXANDER was born in New York City, and now lives in New Jersey. She began her career editing children's books such as Goosebumps and Fear Street, before moving into writing. She has written over 40 books for children.

ANDRES LOZANO is an illustrator from Madrid, who currently lives in London. He lists his inspirations as nature, architecture, Franco-Belgian comics and film noir. His work is characterised by overlayed colours, textures and strong line work. He has worked with The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Sunday Times, and Anorak.

Recommended for children ages 5 - 8 years

Sue Martin

ABC Mindful Me

The DolphinMarch 28, 2018March 28, 2018

Mindfulness starts at the very beginning. ABC Mindful Me helps to find peace and happiness using rhymes and wonderful illustrations.

Happiness is a great attribute to have and helps concentration, emotions and dealing with some of life's problems.

'Joy is all around you! Find it in the little things and feel the happiness it brings!'

There is also a section at the end of the book which explains mindfulness and awareness of our world, helping us all to be compassionate and to have a positive attitude. Try the emotion rocks and paint faces showing how you feel, or create a nature collage and use sticks and cones to paint in shapes and patterns.

Christiane Engel is and award-winning author and illustrator, her two previous titles in this series are ABC Love and ABC Yoga, both of which are really successful.

QuartoKids, the publishers have included ABC MIndfulness in their new titles in March 2018 and we are sure it will be highly successful.

Sue Martin

The New Baby and Me by Christine Kidney, illustrator Hoda Haddadi

The DolphinMarch 23, 2018April 4, 2018

A new baby is on the way! What will it be like? A book which is wonderfully illustrated with text which mirrors children's thoughts, about a new arrival into the family.

The author is Christine Kidney and it is illustrated by award-winning Hoda Haddadi. It celebrates the importance of individuality and imagination, especially when welcoming a new sibling.

Will the baby be an explorer and together with his brother will find new lands or maybe he will be an artist and together they will paint the world. But there is a surprise ahead!

A perfect book for a family waiting for their new baby, and a great book to read and share with siblings. Much to talk about and the illustrations give wonderful starting points to explore and plan.

Christine Kidney graduated from Cambridge University and also has her own editorial consultancy, this is a great start for her own books.

Hoda Haddadi is an Iranian illustrator and has won many awards including gold prize winner for Best Illustrator at 2017 Moonbeam Children's book contest.

Tiny Owl Children's Book Publisher are committed to producing beautiful original books and have many which are from Iranian authors and illustrators.

Sue Martin

The Alphabet of Alphabets

The DolphinMarch 1, 2018March 25, 2018

Search and Find, the Aphabet of Alphabets — Get your copy from The Dolphin here...

This is a myriad of alphabets! 1 book, 26 alphabets and 676 incredible things to find. Take and exhilarating ride through 26 fully illustrated alphabets,each one with an A to Z of things to spot and search for.

A great book for observations, a great book for facts and knowledge seekers, and a great book for just spending time looking at thousands of amazing illustrations.

The book is written and created by Mike Jolley and Amanda Wood with illustrations from Allan Sanders. A great team in the production of this alphabet extravaganza. One of my favourite pages is F for Forest, where we have jackdaws, logs and bears and also dragons and knights.

It is another beautifully presented book from the Wide Eyed Editions, part of the Quarto group.

A great book for a present, or for schools and libraries and for sharing at home.

Sue Martin

The Carnivorous Crocodile

The DolphinFebruary 22, 2018March 25, 2018

The jungle animals find that an extremely carnivorous crocodile has claimed their waterhole for himself! Not even the elephants, giraffes or monkeys dare to argue with the crocodile.

But the flamingos have a cunning plan! They tell the crocodile that if he eats them he will get hiccups. We all know that crocodiles can't stand hiccups.

And so eventually crocodile learns to share and the elephants, monkeys and giraffes learn that they too can frighten a fierce crocodile.

A great story about sharing, togetherness, being brave and the environment.

Jonnie Wild, the author has been involved with forest conservation for many years and works at the University of Leeds. This is his first children's book and a great start to a new venture.

Brita Granstorm, the illustrator has won many awards and has been shortlisted twice for the Astrid Lingren Memorial Award. Often working with her partner Mick Manning, they have recently completed Books! Books! Books.

Otter-Barry Books has an extensive range of children's books on their lists and is making a difference, pushing boundaries and publishing books which children love!

Sue Martin

15 Things Not to Do with a Puppy by Margaret McAllister and illustrated by Holly Sterling

The DolphinJanuary 18, 2018March 25, 2018

This is a great read to share with young children and anyone who has ever had a puppy, or thinking about it. Young children will love the illustrations and the sense of trying hard to tame a puppy in difficult circumstances.

What shouldn’t you do with a puppy? Well, don’t take him to the library that is a seriously bad idea! Don’t try and take him for a walk when he is asleep, because he won’t budge an inch! Definitely don’t let him have the remote control, because you’re going to have some seriously amazing programmes and a very soggy remote!

Margaret Mc Allister has written this hilarious follow-up to 15 Things Not do with Your Granny, it is a very warm and great book to read and teaches just how to love and share time and fun with a puppy.

Holly Sterling is a new illustrator in children’s books, but already her style is well received. Previous books, like Everybody Feels in 2016, and Hiccups, her first book that she has written and illustrated are great successes.

Frances Lincoln Children’s Books are part of the Quarto Group and publish really excellent titles.

Sue Martin

Dolphin BookBlog

The Snowbear by Sean Taylor and Claire Alexander

The DolphinDecember 8, 2017March 25, 2018

The Snowbear cover image and weblink — Buy this book on-line here...

The Snowbear is a spellbinding story about the magic of snow and the power of a child's imagination. With a simple text and beautiful illustrations, it will be read and enjoyed again and again.

Written by Sean Taylor and illustrated by Claire Alexander, The Snowbear is published by Words and Pictures.

The snow came in the night and in the morning Iggy and Martine went out to make a snowman.

"Make a snowman if you want. But be careful because the hill is very slippery." warns their Mum.

A snow bear is made and the children have fun in the snow. But then they decide to slide down and down the hill in their sledge, so fast and so far that they can't stop! Alone with only the eyes of a wolf in the trees they are scared.

lolloping down the hill the Snowbear scares the wolf away. He picks up the children and the sledge and carries them home, safe and sound!

Beautifully written and enchantingly illustrated, a perfect gift for Christmas and winter months.

Sue Martin

Up the Creek and The Busy Beaver by Nicholas Oldland

The DolphinNovember 10, 2017March 25, 2018

Up the Creek.

There once was a bear, a moose and a beaver who were the best of friends, though they often disagreed.

A journey up river is not the best time to argue about who is steering and who is rowing, as these chums set out on a journey across rapids and fast flowing currents.

They finally agree and make the journey in the canoe to the end of the rapids. Once out of the water they have lunch and decide on the best route home, that's by walking!

A great story about friendship, cooperation and adventure. Nicholas Oldland is the writer and illustrator and the characters come to life in the pictures and the words.

It is from a new publishing house, Pikku Books, based in the UK, with a Finnish background. They are an engaging team with a passion to share in good books with good stories, and new writers, often from afar.

The Busy Beaver also by Nicholas Oldland and published by Pikku Books is part of the Life in the Wild series.

The beaver is so busy working and cutting trees down he doesn't notice all the damage he has made. That is until one day when he finds himself on the wrong side of a falling tree. Landing in hospital with bandages and wounds makes him think and he decides to do things differently.

He hauls off trees which were strewn across the fields, he used broken branches to fix leaking dams and he planted saplings to replace the trees that he has felled.

A delightful story and the Life in the Wild series would make a great purchase for home and school, lots to talk about and share, lots to do research on and explore the worlds of beavers, moose and bears.

Books can be bought direct from Dolphin or through Pikku publishers. We are really pleased to be working with this new publishing team in promoting good quality books that you can't always find in the stores.

Sue Martin

We Travel so Far by Laura Knowles and illustrated by Chris Madden

The DolphinOctober 30, 2017March 25, 2018

We Travel so Far cover image — Buy this book from The Dolphin

Small stories of incredibly giant journeys. However far you have travelled these stories will surpass your longest journey.

The whales, birds, butterflies, turtles, fish and eels of all shapes and sizes make the most amazing journeys imaginable.

We Travel So Far is a book which will capture your imagination and set you off on a journey to find out more.

I was intrigued by; the Caribbean Spiny Lobsters which travel at the bottom of the sea in a long line, and the Arctic Terns which journey from North Pole to the South Pole. I have often watched them as they fly close to the water on the North Norfolk beaches.

There are so many journeys and so many different ways of travelling across the globe. Laura and Chris have made the pages intriguing, with a combined use of text and beautiful colour coordinated illustrations. From Whooping Cranes, as the ghostly white fliers, to the African elephants, the giants of the savannah, each page gives an insight into a world full of movement and travel.

At the end of the book, there is a page on migration data and also a page on people as travellers. We travel for adventure, to find food, to find freedom and much more, but we all travel.

Great book! Well written by Laura Knowles and illustrated by Chris Madden, published by Words and Pictures part of the Quarto Knows group.

Sue Martin