When the Stammer Came to Stay by Maggie O’Farrell, illustrated by Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini, Walker Books
Sisters Bea and Min share a bedroom right at the top of their tall, narrow house. In many ways, the sisters are opposites. Bea is neat and tidy; Min is messy. Min loves to chat; Bea loves to listen. Bea likes to keep her shoes polished; Min likes to wade through ponds full of frogspawn. But their differences, noted by everyone, are inconsequential to the girls. They love each other, and that is that. Then, one day as Min is chatting, she feels her tongue suddenly lock and her words just won’t come out. She finds it difficult to make sense of what’s happened to her but there’s nothing she can do to bring her words back. Looking in the mirror, she sees a creature on her shoulder. It’s the creature who’s seizing her words as she tries to speak. Together Bea and Min try to discover what this creature is. At first they hope to get rid of it, but perhaps a better resolution might be to make peace with it. This is a poignant tale of two sisters striving to live alongside their demons, and the transformative power of acceptance, of your loved ones, and of yourself.
Mr Santa by Jarvis, Walker Books
I love the look on Mr Santa’s face when he realises he’s been discovered by a little girl as he’s about to fill her stocking. In her excitement to meet him, the girl ambushes Mr Santa with a barrage of questions. She introduces him to her pet fish, plays him a tune on her recorder, feeds him gingerbread. But it’s Christmas Eve and Mr Santa is, of course, very busy; he’s got a sleigh to catch. Perhaps there’s just enough space on board for his new friend. And off they go on their adventure. I love the warmth between these unlikely companions. If you were ever lucky enough to meet Santa, I like to think he’d be just like this. This charming book is a Christmas dream, and Jarvis’s illustrations of the glowing, snowy night are perfect.
Milo’s Hat Trick by Jon Agee, Scallywag Press
Poor Milo the Magnificent is a hopeless magician, and now it’s his last chance. If he doesn’t pull a rabbit out of his hat soon, the theatre manager is sending him out on his ear. When Milo goes off in search of a rabbit to use in his trick, he mistakenly catches a bear. Luckily for Milo, this bear has hidden talents, and he might just save Milo’s career. Surprising, funny and satisfying, this underdog story unfolds beautifully. Milo and the deadpan bear are drawn with great character and they both make brilliantly unassuming heroes.
Where to Hide a Star by Oliver Jeffers, HarperCollins Children’s Books
Publication of Where to Hide a Star marks 20 years since Jeffers’ first book How to Catch a Star. In this new story, the boy, the penguin and the star are back, and here we find them playing hide-and-seek. Their game goes the way of many a game of hide-and-seek with young children, with the boy always counting (he is the only one who can), the star being not so very good at hiding, and the penguin preferring to hide in his favourite place each time. From this familiar jumping off point, the story takes a perilous turn, and we see the star, placed carefully in the boat by the boy, drifting out to sea. When will the boy and the penguin notice, and will they be able to save it? This is a lovely story, full of heart and humour, that communicates so much about friendship without an ounce of didacticism.
How Far Are the Stars by Sabine Bohlmann, illustrated by Emilia Dziubak, translated by Polly Lawson, Floris Books
Cats are known for their curiosity, and in this story, the little cat is full of questions for Mama cat. Together they set off to find some answers. As they explore the world around them, Mama cat answers the little cat’s questions as best she can, and the little cat learns how the Earth spins on its axis to give us day and night, why stars look so tiny in the sky, how each of us is part of the world and the world is part of us. I love the questions children ask when they’re trying to understand complex ideas they are beginning to wonder about. And they’re not always easy to answer, but guided by a loving adult, they can be fun to try to work out. This book helps us think about the vastness of the Universe, while feeling safe and loved within it.
There’s No Such Thing as a Silly Question by Mike Rampton, illustrated by Guilherme Karsten, Nosy Crow
This large, hardback book poses and answers 213 “weird questions”. Though the questions might seem silly when you read them, each one is treated seriously and is given a full, interesting, and often amusing, answer.
Some things you may have wondered before: “Are teeth bones?”* “Can a Venus flytrap bite your finger off?” “Is teleporting possible?” There’s a huge range of subjects covered including science, technology, maths, evolution, zoology, social history and more. It’s fascinating and compulsive and I love the bold layout and illustrations.
(*Teeth are not bones. Bones are made of living tissue, “which means they can heal themselves”. Teeth are not, “so any damage done to them is usually permanent”.)
How We Share Cake by Kim Hyoeun, translated by Deborah Smith, Scribble
The three sisters and two brothers in this story have developed sophisticated ways to share everything with exacting fairness. They can split almost anything into five. Apples, packets of crisps, cartons of drink: they’re easy. Though when it’s broccoli, their concern for fairness suddenly loses some of its intensity. But it’s not just food. They’re just as practised at sharing a scooter, the bathroom, a fan when it’s hot, their uncle. This is a gorgeously funny book about the timeless struggle for fairness and justice between siblings. It captures the delightful quirks of family dynamics – the way siblings must jostle along together most of the time, and how special it is when, every now and then, each person gets their time in the sun.
Body Detective: Decode Your Sensory Signals by Janet Krauthamer, illustrated by Christiane Engel, Barefoot Books
We’ve covered interoception (the awareness of your body’s signals) quite a bit in JUNO recently, so I was interested to see this book that helps young children understand the concept and recognise what their own bodies are communicating. The book demonstrates how to recognise when you’re feeling hungry, thirsty, when you need the toilet, when you’re cold, hot, nervous or tired. Interactive tabs and flaps make the subject engaging for children and positioning them as ‘body detectives’ works really well. They have to guess what’s beneath the flaps – what the body signals described might be communicating – just as they are encouraged to tune into their own bodies to discover what’s going on. I also like the way the book reassures us there are no good or bad signals: “They all help us take care of our bodies.”
____
Reviews by Alice Ellerby
Published in issue 94. Accurate at the time this issue went to print.
