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Tag: children’s book illustrations

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Magnus the Arctic seal wakes up one morning, puzzled by a strange sound. What's that noise? Hare, Owl, Fox and Bear don't have any idea.  Magnus goes to investigate; through the frosty forest, on top of the snowy rocks, across the melting glacier and by the icy river, but still no idea!

Walrus has an idea. Magnus dives into the freezing ocean and eats all the little shrimps he can find. The sound stops, well for while... but what is that rumbling sound?

A beautifully illustrated picture book of animals from the polar regions. Arctic hares, polar bears, Arctic Fox and Walrus.

Naomi Howarth, author and illustrator creates books which capture the imagination and tell stories of our world through the animals she bring into the books. In 2015, she was shortlisted for the Waterstones' Book Prize and she has exhibited work in National Gallery of Scotland.

Otter-Barry Books are the publishers and What's that Noise? is definitely a book that children will love and it will make a difference to their understanding of the world around them.

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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Bethlehem has never been so busy, Leah is the innkeeper's daughter and is rushed off her feet.

Then in the starlight miracles begin to happen.  This is a beautiful , fresh, new telling to the Nativity Story through the eyes of a young girl. It brings wonderful humanity to the Nativity story. In Bethlehem today, there will be young girls just like Leah walking through the streets star gazing.

"Leah reached her own street. But suddenly, she stopped quite still. A great silver star was shining right above her home."

The story is written for everyone and not just for those who believe in the Nativity story. There is a message of hope, peace and love, threaded throughout, and we all sometimes need to find that in a little space, whether  a stable or somewhere else.

The author Margaret Bateson-Hill is a famous children's author , including her series of Dragon Racer. The illustrator Karin Littlewood has a huge collection of children's book illustrations including The Colour of Home.

Alanna Max are the publishers and have a fantastic portfolio of beautiful books alive with diversity.

The last page in Leah's Star has a powerful message of love and knowing ...but I will leave that for you to find.

Happy Christmas from the Dolphin Book Blog

 

 

 


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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A beautifully illustrated, well told story...

"Deep in the jungle lived a fearless tiger. No other animal was as strong and powerful as he was."

But for all his boldness and strength he could not outfight the cunning human hunters.

He was brought back to be kept in a cage and stared at by inquisitive eyes.

A moving, thought provoking story, superbly illustrated by Petr Horacek, award winning picture book creator, a fable for our time.

It is a moving story about freedom and it addresses conservation and animal rights issues. The glowing, expressive artwork is a powerful imaginative stimulus and is an absolute joy to turnover each special page.

Petr Horacek was born in Prague and moved to England in 1994 after graduating at the Academy of Fine Art. He has created numerous high quality, award winning picture books.

Petr has an interesting article on his blog about inspiration and converting ideas to art work- really great!

Otter-Barry Books is an exciting imprint which publishes amazing books, just like The Last Tiger.

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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Three outstanding new books from Tiny Owl, beautifully presented and stories and illustrations to set your imaginations alight!

The Secret of the Tattered Shoes - cover image
A beautiful book!

The Secret of the Tattered Shoes written by Jackie Morris and illustrated by Ehsan Abdollahi.

A fresh interpretation of the Brothers Grimm Fairy Tale about twelve dancing princesses who are locked in at night, yet whose shoes are worn down by morning. But unlike the original story, this soldier seeks a different ending. Jackie's dark and poetic text updates this well known tale and intriguingly shows how stories adapt and change.

Beautifully illustrated by Ehsan Abdollahi  with a style that encapsulates the beauty and melancholy of the story.

Fair Shares - cover image
A tale, beautifully illustrated, with a message too!

Fair Shares is written by Pippa Goodhart and illustrated by Anna Doherty.

Hare and Bear would love some juicy pears. But the tree is just too tall. So Hare finds some chairs to help. Hare has two chairs but Bear only has one. " That's not fair!" says Bear.

But a little friend teaches then that being fair isn't always everyone getting the same thing...

 

Quill Soup - cover image
A heart-warming story, not prickly at all...

Quill Soup by illustrator Dale Blankenaar and written by Alan Durrant

The third in the series 'One Story, Many Voices' series from Tiny Owl.

Noko the porcupine is very hungry. On arriving at the village, he asks the other animals for food and shelter. But despite their full bellies, they say they have nothing. So Noko sets about making soup from the quills on his back, which is so tasty that even the king likes it. Once the villagers hear of his plan they all want to share with him.

Three wonderful books a pleasure to read and to share.

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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‘Hmmm,’ said the marsupial studying the map.

Quite doable, but we’d better get going right away.’

Mr Chicken was always ready for adventure, so off they went.

A wonderful book from Leigh Hobbs of all the places that Mr Chicken could have possibly have ever visited in that huge country of Australia. Never daunted Mr Chicken just gets straight on in there, visiting, stopping for lunch and dinner, going to all the famous places and many others beside.

From Wallaroo to Pinnaro, from Goondiwindi to Mataranka (spell check can take a break here!) and of course Sydney, Queensland and Tassie (that’s Tasmania to you and I from the UK!) and did I mention Melbourne, or isn’t that where Mr Chicken is from?

This is a great book and makes wonderful reading for children and adults too, with the amazing illustrations, which are true Leigh Hobbs style, published by Allen and Unwin

The book is dedicated to the many children, teachers and librarians Leigh Hobbs met as the 2016-2017 Australian Children’s Laureate.

Thoroughly recommended for children of all ages and for adults too. In the school, library and at home this a wonderful read and an adventure across Australia.

So join Mr Chicken on his latest adventure and be sure to book your ticket on Qantas!!

 

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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In our loft office on the edge of Cambridge, UK, I always look forward to receiving new books to review from Allen and Unwin of Australia. Two brilliant new picture books arrived in mid September, just right for starting our school year in the UK.

Our Little Inventor by Sher Rill Ng is about Nell, who wants to save the planet from extinction. She has a new invention that she is sure will save the world. But no one believes her.

"We don't have time to look at a child's toy," she is told at an important meeting in the city. But eventually, when no one can breathe anymore she is able to clean the air.

Beautiful story written and illustrated by Sher Rill Ng, who is based in Melbourne. Her illustrations are beautifully atmospheric and hew website if full of her images and stories, amazing!

Ivanhoe Sweet Left Home at Six by Jane Godwin and A.Yi is the adventure of Ivanhoe who decided that he needed to see the world and set off with a sandwich, a kite and how map of the world. The illustrations are full of a sense of a future and Ivanhoe eventually sees that once he has finished hos sandwich, crossed the river and found the edge of the sea that maybe it is time to go home!

A great book for reading aloud and for children to follow their own dreams of adventure.

Recommend Our Little Inventor and Ivanhoe Swift Left Home at Six  for ages 3- 7, children at home and in nursery and schools, libraries 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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Getting ready for Pre- School  Kindergarten is a big thing! Lulu is  more than ready, or so she thinks. She has a brand new bag for all her things and a special water bottle. She would like to wear her very frilly party dress but Mum says, " Maybe not!"

Lulu's First Day is just the book to have for the start of life in education and learning. The illustrations are delightful and the text is just right for young children to hear and understand. It also makes a good start in finding words at the early reading stage.

Anna McQuinn is the author of Lulu's First Day and other books in the series and has a real talent for knowing which words to choose the important things for all young children.

Rosalind Beardshaw has some beautiful images in this book and they are warming and engaging.

Beautiful book from Alanna Max publishers, who are a small  independent publishers and have a very exciting and appealing portfolio of books for young children.

Recommended for ages 2-4 years and for parents of any age!!

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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Everyone Can Draw  celebrates the artist within us all. It encourages a discovery of our own unique way to draw and and to be successful in creating pictures.

If you are interested in drawing of any kind, from doodling to creating images using different mediums, then this is a great book to have and share with young children. The message is simple; that we can all draw and just need encouragement to pick up a pencil or a crayon and get drawing. Or we can use other things like needle and thread, our finger prints and paints...

The book was published in July 2019 by Boxer Books, who are very successful in publishing some brilliant picture books with a wide reaching portfolio.

Fifi Kuo is from Taiwan and graduated with a Masters in Illustration at The Cambridge School of Art. Her illustrations in Everyone Can Draw are beautiful and will capture imaginations for young children and older too.

Everyone Can Draw is already on the shortlist for many awards, including Cambridgeshire Libraries Picture Book Award- Read it Again 2019. Fifi has 3 previous titles which are very successful; I Can Fly, The Perfect Sofa and The Magic Hug.

Recommended for ages 2- 6 and adults will love it 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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Did you know that there are 20,000 ways to be a butterfly? That's a lot of butterflies. Maybe you need to have a long curly proboscis, or lay your eggs in  just the right spot, so the caterpillar babies can eat as soon as they hatch.

One thing you will need, is to have dazzling, bold colours, which look fantastic when you fly or are just staying still. And two antennae to smell for the flowers pollen and to help with balance. Some butterflies are very large with long wing spans. Another fact is that if your antennae are fuzzy, that means that you are not a butterfly but a moth!

Laura Knowles is the author of this exceptional book and she manages to choose just the right words, albeit just a few, to show diversity, interest and a real joy in the natural world.

Catell Ronch is the illustrator and her images of a number of coloured butterflies are stunning, each image is a true representation and in bold detail.

Words and Pictures are the publishers, part of Quarto Knows, and have an excellent way of publishing a great range of non fiction books which will appeal and interest young children.

We recommend for ages 2- 7, and especially early years, but How to Be a Butterfly will be a book that an adult will also pick up at the end of the day and not put down.

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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Dare to dream BIG... and help others speak out for what is right. An inspirational picture book full of messages of empowerment, encouragement and of daring to be the best person you can be.

'Dare to speak out when others won't.'

'Dare to sing and dare to dance'

'Dare to be a shining light'

They sound simple messages, but that is only if you live in a society that allows children to be brave, or live in a family which allows confidence. and love.

Dare, is full of positive images and will be a great book to have at home, nursery and at school, it will provoke many conversations. A picture book full of message and inspiration.

The author, Lorna Gutierrez is from America and enjoys her visits to London and Tiny Owl, the publishers, who have an incredible diverse book list for children.

The illustrator, Polly Noakes whose love of illustration started a long time ago at Cambridge School of Art where she recently returned and completed the MA in Children's Book Illustration. Her images are full of character, we love the faces of the cats and dogs especially.

Dare is a great favourite already with me, just buy  the book and find out, that's a recommendation for anyone, young and older.

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.