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Reviews

Dear Mr President
by Sophie Siers & Anne Villeneuve

Sam shares a bedroom with his older brother and he’s really not happy with the situation. As he watches his sibling break the rules by playing on his phone late at night, he recalls something he saw on television eariler that day. The President of the USA had been talking about building a wall – perhaps this could be the answer to all of his problems?

Told through a series of letters, the story follows Sam as he explores the idea of building a wall through the middle of their bedroom so that he no longer has to deal with his brother. He posts updates to the President every day and we get to watch as the idea evolves in his mind. He thinks about how he will construct his wall, he researches famous walls from around the world and he discusses his thoughts with his parents and friends. The big question is – will the wall ever be built or will he and his brother find a way to work together for a brighter future?

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Please Stay Here – I Want You Near
by Dr Sarah Mundy & Rachel Millson-Hill

Did your child start school or nursery this September? If so, I’d love to hear how they’re getting on. We’ve been experiencing a little bit of separation anxiety here over the last few weeks and have found this particular book really helpful.

Written by a Consultant Clinical Psychologist, the story follows young Bartley Bear as he navigates some big emotions. He’s feeling a little bit apprehensive about going to school and he’d really rather stay at home with Mum. Poor Bartley makes excuses when they try to leave the house, pulls back when he reaches the classroom door and really wants Mum to stay and play instead of go to work.  However his teacher and friends rally around him and soon he is having fun making space rockets and riding around the playground on a shiny yellow bike. Mum is back before he even has a chance to miss her and he learns that he really can be ok without her by his side.

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Bear & Mouse Start The Day
by Nicola Edwards & Maria Neradova

This adorable board book follows best friends Bear and Mouse as they start their day. We follow along as they wake up, make plans, cook breakfast, get dressed and head out for some fun at the park.

Every page features a slider or flaps for little hands to play with. Your child will be able to help Mouse do his morning stretch, make toast pop out of a toaster, do up Bear’s coat and help the friends go up and down on a little red see-saw.

There are also lots of questions to encourage children to think about the structure of their own morning. What do they like for breakfast? Can they dress themselves? What are their favourite activities?

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I Really, Really Need A Wee
by Karl Newson & Duncan Beedie

Bush Baby needs a wee. In fact, she really, really needs a wee. She definitely didn’t need to go before she left home (sound familar?!?) but now the situation is really quite desperate and there isn’t a toilet in sight. What on earth is she going to do?

First she tries to think about something else – but that doesn’t work. Then she sets off in search of a loo but ends up being chased by a bear! Now she needs to wee so badly that she’s jiggling up and down and it looks like everything is about to go badly wrong…

Suddenly, she spots a public toilet in the middle of the woods and she whoops with delight. But there’s one small problem – there are at least a hundred animals in front of her in the queue! Will she be able to make it to the bathroom on time?

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Coming to England
by Floella Benjamin & Diane Ewen

Hands up if you’re old enough to remember watching Play School when you were a kid? I loved it and just seeing pictures of Dame Floella Benjamin makes me feel all warm and nostalgic! When I saw that she was releasing a children’s book I was very excited and I am so pleased that it is utterly wonderful.

Coming to England is a very personal story about the author’s own experience of the being part of the Windrush generation. The stunningly illustrated pages follow a young Floella as she makes the journey from Trinidad to England in 1960 to start a new life with her family.

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My Family Fart Book
by Buddy & Barney Ltd

Hopefully by the time you read this you will have finished your dinner as this review is all abourt farts. And not just any old farts – we’re talking about smelly ones!

My Family Fart Book is a scratch and sniff board book which is guaranteed to make little ones giggle. Someone has emitted a large bottom burp and it’s up to your child to track down the culprit. Was it Grandad, Grandma, Dad, Mum or even the dog? Lift the flap and scratch the patch to find out…

Fortunately all of the smells featured are pleasant so there are no nasty surprises here! The gassy emissions we encounter smell like mint, cherries, coffee, apple, strawberries and chocolate cake, depending on what each family member has been eating.

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Layla’s Happiness
by Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie & Ashleigh Corrin

Everything about this beautiful book is joyful – from the sheer poetry of the text through to the bright and bold illustrations. I love stories which focus on specific emotions and this one is really special because it looks at happiness from the point of view of a child.

If you ask an adult what makes them happy then the answers are generally unsurprising – their family, their friends, travel, a good book, a hot drink on a cold day – but kids see the world differently and their answers reflect that.

Seven year old Layla loves life and as we follow her through the pages of this story she shares all of the things which make her happy. She loves the night sky, eating spaghetti with a fork and climbing trees. She loves to listen to her dad tell her stories about his childhood. She loves dancing in the garden, feeding the chickens and picking vegetables to sell at the farmer’s market.

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Wanda’s Words Got Stuck
by Lucy Rowland & Paula Bowles

Wanda’s words have a sneaky habit of getting stuck. Whenever she tries to speak, the words just won’t come out and this makes her feel nervous and small in front of her teacher and the other children. Everyone else just seems so confident so why can’t she be the same?

Wanda struggles along until one day a new girl joins her class. Flo looks nervously at her new classmates before dropping her eyes to the ground and blushing. In the playground Wanda gives her a little wave and a smile and soon the two are playing quietly alongside each other. They slip into an easy and comfortable friendship where few words are needed. The two girls just seem to ‘get’ each other.

Later that week their teacher announces something which terrifies them both – a school magic contest in which they will have perform a spell in front of the class! Flo and Wanda decide to work together but when the big day arrives they are both dizzy with nerves.

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Under The Great Plum Tree by Sufiya Ahmed & Reza Dalvand

I am a tiny bit fascinated by the animal fables which have been passed down through many generations and cultures. I love trying to piece together the moral at the core of the story and the fact they’re often accompanied by traditional illustrations in bright and bold colours.

This particular book is a modern reworking of ‘the monkey and the crocodile’ which comes from the Panchatantra, an ancient indian collection of fables which dates back to 200-300 AD.

Miss Bandari is a monkey with a heart of gold who befriends an old crocodile called Mr Magarmach. He is hungry and tired so she lets him rest beneath her tree and she throws down juicy red plums for him to eat. The pair become best pals and they spend many hours together, sharing tales of adventure and enjoying each others company.

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Oscar Seeks A Friend
by Pawel Pawlak

Oscar has lost a tooth and he’s worried that this will stop him from making friends. It’s tough being a skeleton at the best of times, but surely no one will want to play with him now when he looks so dreadful? Sad and lonely, Oscar resigns himself to the fact that his dog will probably be the only friend he ever has.

But then one day he spots a little girl burying a tooth in the ground. She has heard that doing so will make her dreams come true and what she wants more than anything is to find a friend. She agrees to give the tooth to Oscar if he will help her on her quest, so they join hands and set off together on an adventure.

Oscar and the girl spend the most wonderful day together, discussing what they would do if they each found a friend.  The girl shows him a rainbow and her favourite meadow. They smell the cut grass and talk of family and the seaside. Then Oscar leads her in to his own world which is dark and mysterious. They watch skeletons skate on the ice and listen to a strange creature with pointy teeth play the harp.

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