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< Back Tracey Smith Where's Grandma? A Child's View on Loss, Grief and Bereavement Jordyn looks for her grandma, but cannot find her anywhere. Her bed is empty, her wheelchair is abandoned, and her place at the table unoccupied. Jordyn’s mommy tells her that her grandma has ‘transitioned’, but Jordyn does not know what that means. Her mommy explains that Grandma is now in heaven with other family members. Jordyn misses her grandma and remembers good times spent with her, singing and dancing for her, watching movies together, and playing games. She remembers how her grandma like to spend time with the family, and cook big family dinners. Jordyn’s mommy encourages her to focus on happy memories of her grandma and turn tears of sadness into tears of joy. Jordyn knows that whenever she misses her grandma, she can look back at old pictures and videos, and remember the fun times they spent together. Where's Grandma? A Child's View on Loss, Grief and Bereavement is a heartfelt and touching picture book by Tracey Smith about a little girl named Jordyn who faces the loss of her beloved grandma. Struggling with sadness, Jordyn finds it difficult to understand where her grandma has gone. Her mom helps her to cope by gently remembering the happy times they shared. Through these memories, Jordyn discovers that although grandma is no longer there, her love will remain in her heart forever. The author handles the subject of death in a sensitive way that is suitable for young readers. The book includes helpful notes to help parents talk to children about their grief. Star rating: 5 Stars Summary : A heartfelt and touching story about grief, and a valuable resource for families who may have experienced the death of a loved one. Purchase here

< Back Joseph L Licari Mia's Mouses Mia and her mouse friends learn about plural nouns. Mia is a curious little girl who loves to dance and play. One day, Mia meets three little mice, she names Squeaky, Nibbles and Speedy. When Mia calls her new friends ‘mouses’ her family explain that the correct plural of a mouse is mice. Mia is keen to learn more about plural nouns, and with a little help from her teacher she learns the rules for making nouns plural. Miss Jess explains that for some nouns, you simply add an ‘es’ or ‘s’ to the word to make it plural (like girl to girls, or fox to foxes). But, for other nouns, it is a little more complicated (like child to children, or mouse to mice). Mia enjoys learning about plural nouns and practices every day, as she dances and plays with her new friends. Mia's Mouses is a sweet and delightful picture book by Joseph L Licari that follows the adventures of a little girl as she discovers the fascinating rules for changing singular nouns to the plural forms. Written in rhyme, with cute and charming characters that will engage younger readers, this book introduces regular and irregular plural nouns in a simple, accessible and memorable way. The illustrations by Victor Nieto are vibrant and fun, capturing Mia’s playful and inquisitive nature. Both educational and entertaining, this book is a valuable resource for parents, carers and educators, and would make a great addition to any home or school library. Star rating: 5 stars Summary : An educational and entertaining picture book, with charming characters that make learning an enjoyable experience for young readers. Purchase here

< Back Jessica Dailey My Tiny Pet Elephant A fun picture book about a little girl and a most unusual pet, by author Jessica Dailey If you could choose any type of tiny pet, what would you choose? A miniature pup? No! A miniscule kitten? No! A teeny rabbit? No! How about a tiny elephant? An elephant so small it can fit in your hand. Yes, yes, yes! For one little girl, her wish is to own a tiny elephant of her very own. An elephant so small it could fit right in the palm of her hand. An elephant so small she could take it in her pocket to school. If she had a tiny elephant, she would play hide and seek with it, she would build him his very own tiny village, and she would read to him at bedtime. The best thing about owning an elephant is the tickles, cuddles, and kisses. Everyone needs a tiny elephant, they make the best of friends, but be careful, even though miniscule in proportions, they still make an enormous mess! My Tiny Pet Elephant by author Jessica Dailey is a sweet, playful, and funny picture book, about a little girl with a vivid imagination. Young children are naturally curious and often ask the most random and unusual questions. This book will spark children’s imagination and encourage further creative conversations. If you could choose any type of tiny pet, what would you choose? With further fun facts and interactive activities at the end of the book, this is a great resource to help parents, carers, and teachers, keep children active and engaged. The illustrations by Gabby Correia are stunning, colorful, and funny. The characters are adorable and will delight younger readers. Star Rating: 5 Stars Summary: A sweet, playful, and funny picture book, that will spark children’s imagination. Purchase here

< Back R.G. de Rouen Books For Benjamin Benjamin would rather read about adventures in a giant peach than eat one! Unlike his family members who are happily munching away on scraps, Benjamin is a different kind of worm. He loves to read. Yet, all he finds are old newspapers and magazines full of tomato splotches. Not one to give up on his dreams, Benjamin sets off on a quest to find “real" books. Witty illustrations by Uliana Barabash are a great accompaniment to this delightful story written by R.G. de Rouen. Join Benjamin on his book-hunting adventure and watch your little ones search for Benjamin’s famous signature in their books! Purchase here

< Back August E. Allen I Love Dandelions The difference between a weed and a flower is a judgment. It is a lovely spring day and Theodore W. Mouse is keen to go on an adventure all by himself. His mom wants him to stay close to home and asks him to take along his little sister, Mirabella (Bella for short). The siblings go out into the field and see millions of droplets of golden sunshine in the grass, as far as the eye could see. Theodore is curious and plucks at the stem of a golden light. He takes the droplet home to show his mom, who explains that it is a dandelion, a beautiful golden flower that is often called a weed. Dandelions are natures magic, explains mom. A few days pass and Theodore and Mirabella still don’t understand why dandelions are natures magic. So, the siblings head out into the field one evening and discover the droplets of golden sunshine are gone, but there are millions of little moons floating in the sky. Theodore plucks at the stem of a little moon and takes it home to show his mom. Mom explains that the moon is the magic. But there is more magic to come, when the little moons burst into millions of sparkly stars. I Love Dandelions is a magical illustrated picture book by author and illustrator August E. Allen, about mouse siblings, Theodore and Mirabelle, who go on an adventure and discover the wonderful metamorphosis of the dandelion plant. This is a cute story, with a sweet message about the beauty and wonder of nature, told through the eyes of adorable mouse characters. It shows that beauty is in the eye of the beholder - what is a nuisance weed to some, is a beautiful spectacle and nutritious food for others. The book will encourage young children to explore nature and see the beauty in all living things. The illustrations are exquisite, and I was drawn to this book by the stunning front cover. If you are not a big fan of dandelions, you will be after reading this delightful book! Star rating: 5 Stars Summary: A magical illustrated picture book about the wonderful metamorphosis of the dandelion plant, with adorable mouse characters. Purchase here

< Back Kim Adams Billy Be Kind: My BIG Feelings Billy Be Kind helps a young girl manage difficult emotions. A young girl named Olivia is sad that her best friend, Maya, is moving away. Olivia hugs Maya and begs her to stay, but Maya has to leave with her family. Olivia’s feelings grow and grow, until she ‘blows’. She stomps on the floor, throws things to the ground, and cries, cries and cries. A tiny mouse named Billy Be Kind plays a game with Olivia to help her name her feelings. Olivia describes feeling angry, worried, sad and bad, and acknowledges she screams and shouts to let the anger out. Billy helps Olivia to breathe, count and calm down. By naming her feelings, and taking time to breathe, Olivia learns how to understand and better manage her emotions. Billy encourages Olivia to write a letter to Maya, and to remember all the good times they had together. Billy Be Kind: My BIG Feelings by author Kim Adams is an illustrated picture book about a little mouse, Billy Be Kind, who helps a young girl named Olivia to name, express and manage her emotions. Olivia is distraught and angry when her best friend moves away, and Billy provides Olivia with a range of tools and techniques to cope with difficult emotions. The book is a valuable resource for parents, caregivers, or educators, to help young children recognise and manage their emotions in an accessible and age-appropriate way. Written in rhyme and complemented by bright and dynamic illustrations, the book is an engaging guide to emotional literacy. The book will encourage young children to recognise and acknowledge their emotions, and provides practical tools to help them cope through difficult times. Star rating: 5 Stars Summary : A valuable resource and an engaging guide to emotional literacy, with practical tools and techniques to help children cope with difficult emotions. Purchase here

< Back Ken Waldecker Princess Ella and the Great Squirrel Chase One day, Princess Ella is playing on her swing in the grounds of the castle, happily enjoying the sucker her daddy bought her. When suddenly, the sucker flies out of her mouth and gets stuck in a tree. Poor Ella cannot reach the sucker. She sees a little squirrel and asks him if he can get the sucker out of the tree. Mr Squirrel climbs the tree and grabs the sucker. But rather than give it back to Ella, he starts to eat it! Ella chases the squirrel all over the castle grounds and through the forest, but the squirrel is way too fast. When Ella finds a net, she finally catches the squirrel. But, after the squirrel has drooled all over the sucker, maybe Ella doesn’t want it back after all! Princess Ella and the Great Squirrel Chase is a sweet and funny illustrated picture book by author Ken Waldecker. The book tells the story of Princess Ella, a little princess who enjoys playground adventures and even more so, sweet treats. Princess Ella is a cute and curious little princess, with a fun and bright personality. Young children will enjoy the colorful illustrations and reading about her adventures. Star rating: 5 Stars Summary : A sweet and funny illustrated picture book, with a charming protagonist and a very naughty squirrel. Purchase here

< Back Christine Tussing Detective Stan the Crayon Man and the Missing Birthday Cake Can Detective Stan solve the mystery of the missing birthday cake? Detective Stan’s pink crayon glows brightly, which means there is an emergency in Colorful County. He races over to Pretty Pink’s bakery and finds Pretty Pink in distress. Someone has stolen the cake for Mellow Yellow’s birthday party. Detective Stan begins his investigation by interviewing all the crayons, but there are no signs of the cake, or the thief, anywhere. He searches the bakery and looks for clues. He finds messy sprinkles and purple drippy drops on the floor. He heads to Polite Purple’s home, but it can’t be her, as she was at the hair salon all morning. Detective Stan looks at all the different color combinations that make purple and considers whether two crayons worked together to steal the cake. Will Detective Stan find the culprit and solve the case? Will Mellow Yellow get a cake for his birthday party? And will Detective Stan get home before his mom notices? Detective Stan the Crayon Man and the Missing Birthday Cake by author Christine Tussing is a charming illustrated picture book. The book, written by the author when she was just eight years old, is a unique, creative, and playful story about a little boy who loves his crayons and loves to solve mysteries. When his crayons glow, he knows they need help, and he goes on an amazing adventure to Colorful County to help the crayons. Each crayon has a name and character based on their color, and the mystery clues are based on color-combinations. Young readers will enjoy following the clues and solving the mystery. The book will spark young children’s imagination, and will also help them to learn colour combinations. The illustrations by Izzy Bean are delightful. I particularly like how the two different worlds are represented – the real world where Stan lives; and the fantasy world of the crayons. I would love to see more adventures of Detective Stan! Star rating: 5 Stars Summary: A charming and fun illustrated picture book that will spark young children’s imagination and creativity Purchase here

< Back Charly Froh How to Solve the Mystery of Crying Space-robot Novo travels to earth to solve a mystery, by author Charly Froh Space robot, Novo, from the planet Infinita, is back for another exciting adventure. His week starts with shopping at the Martian Market, but on his way home, Novo is caught up in a space storm that destroys his venus-bot flowers, and causes liquid to leak from his laser eyes. Novo tries everything to make the liquid stop, but nothing will stop the drip-drop dripping. His only option is to contact his earthling friends. They will know exactly what to do! So, Novo whistles for his scooter, vrooms towards earth, and is reunited with his earthling friends. The earthlings explain the liquid is tears from crying, and people can cry when they are happy, joyful, angry or frustrated. But, Novo still cannot explain his tears as he feels neither happy, joyful, angry or frustrated. The earthlings listen to Novo’s story, how the space storm destroyed his precious flowers, and how he feared the rain would rust his body, and then suddenly the tears stopped. With a little help from his earthling friends, Novo realised his tears were tears of sadness, and that talking about his sadness helped him feel much better. Novo returned back to Infinita to share his news with all the other space-bots. How to Solve the Mystery of Crying by author Charly Froh is a cute and funny picture book about an adorable little robot who travels to earth to solve the mystery of his leaking eyes. This is a delightful book and Novo is a sweet and adorable character, who will appeal to younger readers. The book deals with a complex topic in a really simple, engaging and age-appropriate way, and will encourage young readers to share and discuss their thoughts and feelings with others. The illustrations by Zuzana Svobodova are bright and engaging, and with lots of interesting and funny details, will keep readers entertained for hours. Star rating: 5 Stars Summary: A delightful picture book about a sweet and adorable robot character, who goes on a space-tastic adventure to solve the mystery of crying. Purchase here

< Back D Burton Smith Quoth the Raven Author D. Burton Smith offers a fascinating insight into the world of a young raven. Named after an Edgar Allan Poe poem, Quoth the North American raven lives high up in a nest on the edge of a cliff, overlooking the ocean. He is one of three chicks, and his mom and dad take good care of him and his siblings. They keep their nest fresh, clean, and tidy, and bring food for the chicks every day. Until he is two or three years old, and finds a partner of his own, Quoth joins a rowdy group of young ravens, called the unkindness of ravens. He enjoys dropping and catching objects from the sky, and he catches small animals, like mice, to eat. He likes shiny things, and often picks up objects that have been left by humans. One day, he meets a raven named Viola. After courting for many months, Quoth and Viola build a nest together and prepare for their own chicks. Quoth the Raven is a delightful and beautifully illustrated picture book by author D. Burton Smith, about the life of a North American raven, named Quoth. The book follows his journey from before he was born, his life as a chick and a young adolescent, until he meets a life partner of his own. Burton Smith describes the behaviours and habitat of this beautiful, and often misunderstood, bird. While often associated with death and illness, raven’s are one of the smartest birds in the world. They can use tools, play games, and mimic animal, bird, and even human sounds. Ravens can even recognise people and hold grudges against those who have wronged them! The illustrations by Paul Hock are stunning. Each page is a work of art, with vivid colours and intricate details that bring Quoth’s world to life. Written from the perspective of the raven, this is a charming story that will engage readers of all ages. While primarily aimed at children, the illustrations and story make it a pleasure to read for adults and children alike. Star rating: 5 Stars Summary: A delightful and beautifully illustrated picture book, that will spark children’s curiosity about the natural world and this magnificent species. Purchase here

< Back Jacqueline Crann Being Different Is The New Cool Maddie learns to accept and celebrate her differences. A little girl named Maddie was born with a birthmark on her face and a white streak in her hair. Maddie’s unique features make her stand out, and sometimes people stare at her. Maddie loves to dance, but when she goes to dance class, she wears a hat to cover her head and hair, to avoid people asking questions or saying mean things. One day, when practising her dance routine, her hat falls off her head and onto the floor. Some of the children start laughing. The dance teacher, Miss Cherry, explains that everyone is different and the importance of treating people with kindness and respect. Miss Cherry reassures Maddie that her birthmark and hair streak make her cool and unique, and she should be proud of herself. When Maddie’s baby sister is born, Maddie discovers she has the same birthmark as herself. Maddie promises to teach her baby sister that being different is the new cool. Being Different Is the New Cool is an inspiring picture book for young readers by author Jacqueline Crann. The book follows a little girl named Maddie who has a condition called Poliosis, which causes a streak of her hair to turn white. At first, Maddie worries about what others will say and wears a hat to hide her hair, but with support and reassurance from her dance teacher, she soon learns to accept and embrace her difference. The arrival of her new baby sister also makes Maddie more determined to celebrate peoples’ unique qualities and attributes. The book is an excellent resource for parents and educators to open up discussion about diversity and self-acceptance with young readers. Young readers will learn the importance of equality, diversity, and inclusion, and of accepting people just the way they are. Star rating: 5 Stars Summary : An inspiring picture book for young readers, and a wonderful celebration of diversity. Purchase here

< Back Ariel and Brandon Blackwell The Beat In My Head Brandon finds belonging through beats, by authors Ariel and Brandon Blackwell Brandon loves to hum and tap along to sounds and beats in his head. Wherever he is, whatever he is doing, he can make music out of sound. But when he starts to hum and tap along to the sounds in the classroom, his teacher thinks he is not listening and is distracting the other students. The teacher calls his mom, and his mom worries something might be wrong, as Brandon doesn’t have many friends or talk very much. But Brandon is happy, music makes him feel happy and safe. Brandon’s mom takes him to see a therapist and the therapist thinks he is just a little shy. The therapist encourages Brandon to try sports and get involved in new activities. So, Brandon tries a number of different sports, soccer, karate and golf, but he isn’t a natural athlete and discovers sport isn’t for him. Everything Brandon hears, the thwack of the ball and the smack of a kick, distracts him from the game and creates music in his head. Brandon’s mom doesn’t know what else to do to help, but takes him to a music concert, to let loose and have some fun. While dancing and singing along to the music, Brandon notices a guy with headphones, focused on a console and bobbing along to the music. He learns the guy is a sound engineer, who blends and balances music to make it sound good. Later, Brandon meets the sound engineer, Mr Davis, at his church and becomes fascinated by his work. Mr Davis teaches Brandon how to work the audio console, and Brandon discovers a passion for audio engineering. The Beat in My Head by authors Ariel and Brandon Blackwell is an inspiring picture book about a young boy who struggles to find his place in the world. He is only happy when he is listening to music, and making beats in his head, but his behaviour is seen by others as unusual. Through audio engineering, Brandon is able to express himself through music, and he finally finds a sense of purpose and belonging. The book is based on the true story of how the author, Brandon Blackwell, found his vocation and became a successful audio engineer. It will inspire other young readers to be creative, and to express themselves in any way that makes them feel happy. Star rating: 5 Stars Summary: A wonderful and inspiring picture book, about a young boy who finds a sense of purpose and belonging through music. Purchase here