Featured children’s book – Page 9 – Bookmonitor

Tutankhamun’s Tomb

An amazing visual adventure through the tomb of Egypt’s most famous Pharaoh, Tutankhamun. This hard back book is full of inviting flaps and pop ups as you journey through the Kingdom of the Nile and the Valley of the Kings.

The journey with the archaeologist, Howard Carter in 1922 takes place as he discovers the steps leading down into the tomb, which had not been walked on for over 3000 years, and as he glimpsed the treasures that lay in the tomb of Tutankhamun.

Written by Jen Green and Julie Renee Anderson and published by QED, this book is a real gem of a book for design, information and readability.

Each page is packed with facts in intriguing layout of the text, there are lots of opportunities for learning and adventure. The book would be an invaluable tool for KS2 work on the Egyptians or as a book at home or in the library for an avid explorer.

My favourite page was about Sailing across the Heavens, and a pop up model of a boat that was in the tomb for Tutankhamun to use to sail into the heavens. Sailing was important for the Egyptians and they believed that even the gods sailed in boats.

Packed from start to finish the information in the book will give those who read it a real interest and understanding about Tutankhamun and the Ancient Egyptians.

We recommend the book for 8 years to adult and beyond!

Sue Martin Dolphin Booksellers and Books Go Walkabout

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Busy People Series

It’s a busy day for Frank the Firefighter. There’s a fire at the school, the guinea pig is still inside!

This is a great series of books from publishers QED. From firefighters, teachers, vets and doctors, the words and the pictures are very clear, easy to follow and have a good story line too.

The text is well laid out and with enough space between the words and on the page for early readers to be able to follow themselves.

They are a great reassurance too for children when they have to meet ‘busy people’ and will take away some of the worries that can happen.

They are a great resource in nurseries and schools.

QED publishing has an amazing range of titles for schools, libraries and for reading at home. They sell their titles across the world and produce books that are good quality and great fun .

We recommend the Busy People from QED series for 2- 5 years.

Sue Martin Dolphin Booksellers – the best in children’s books always on line

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Cezanne and the Apple Boy

This is a story of a father and son and their relationship, and a story about a genius with a new style of painting, Cezanne and the Apple Boy.

It is the seventh book in Laurence Anholt acclaimed Anholt’s Artist Series and is published by Frances Lincoln.

The illustrations are really engaging, romantic and expressive and as Paul the son finds Paul, his father, they live off apples as he paints scenes in the mountains.

Eventually the work of Cezanne became recognised as a new style and as the work of a genius even though he was never a person to live within the normal confines of society. He preferred the mountains to the towns.

His son became a picture dealer and sold his father’s paintings all over the world.

A truly remarkable story about Cezanne with information about his life as a painter and a story that will stay in your thoughts.

A great book for anyone and for schools and libraries. We recommend it for children ages 7 – 11 years.

Sue Martin Dolphin Booksellers – the best in children’s books always on line

Tiger, Mog and Pink Rabbit
– a Judith Kerr retrospective

Juidth Kerr exhibit The Judith Kerr exhibition had been held and produced by Seven Stories and was available to view in the Jewish Museum, London.

Fortunately for me I had a few hours to spare and couldn’t have found a better place than this exhibition. There is something about Judith Kerr in her work and in her expression of her life that is so wonderfully understated, but yet so powerful in evoking the characters and the settings for the stories.

The Tiger who Came to Tea, just has so much appeal and his appetite for all the food and drink was insatiable! There is a life size model in the exhibition amongst a chaotic kitchen.

Mog, of course, is just everyone’s favourite cat, and is the perfect pet at times and at others shows how contrary all cats can be, ie Mog at Christmas. Also in the exhibition was my favourite place, a huge cat basket with books for reading. Just right for curling up within!

And When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, the pictures from Judith’s own drawings and paintings at the time were on display, and some of the events that were happening around her, and just why they had to flee from Berlin.

She is quoted as saying, ” If we had tried to leave Germany a day later, if I hadn’t been stopped from asking questions on the train… I can never forget how lucky I am.”

I could have spent a whole day here, but had to catch the train, homeward bound.

Sue Martin Books Go Walkabout and Dolphin Booksellers

Let’s Talk about Art
at The Royal College of Art

On a wet and windy autumnal evening I walked into the Royal College of Art for the making and creating of the book, The School of Art, published by Wide Eyed Editions.

Hosted by Ibby and Books for Keeps, this was a wonderful way to spend the evening.

Professor Teal Triggs and RCA graduate, Daniel Frost were sitting on the floor of the podium in front of the poster,I was early, and it was a good chance to take a photo and have a pre chat before the event.

With a glass of wine in my hand more people started to join the group and the lecture started.

Both Teal and Danny had a strong sense of enjoyment in developing the book, and the magic of the book was shown in their love of portrayals of the professors of different aspects; Professor of Ideas, Professor of Senses, Professor of Making and Professor of the Planets.

The design for the Professor of Ideas in a cloud with her ideas around her in the very comfy chair,was inspired by Daniel.

Teal said that the characters led the narrative and the concept for Professor of Ideas, for instance, was of an Edwardian woman ‘who knew her own mind but was not afraid to wear a string of pearls.’

Publishers Wide Eyed Editions have another success in this book, for the inspiration for the idea and the creating of such a beautiful book, with especial praise for Jenny Broom, editor.

Recommended for children, 7-9, 9-12 years by

Sue Martin Dolphin Booksellers and Books Go Walkabout

City Atlas by Martin Haake and Georgia Cherry

30 Best Loved cities around the word are brought to life in this wonderful fact finding atlas, the layout, illustrations and text are really engaging.

It is so much more than an atlas, the text is full of bite size pieces of information about the city and the images are unique. It’s a really large book too and is very tactile cover. Take a look at…

Istanbul‘s page- look out for lamps at the Grand Bazaar, make a wish at the Basilica Cistern.

Mexico City – Rent roller skates in Mexico Park, put a trip to the ancient city Teotihuacan at the top of your list.

There are also things to find on each page, which will get you and the children searching through the illustrations.

City Atlas, from one of our favourite publishers, Wide Eyed Editions and written by Georgia Cherry and illustrated by Martin Haake

We recommend this book for 7- 9 years.

Can be bought on the book link for £16.99

Sue Martin Dolphin Booksellers and Books Go Walkabout

Rooftoppers
by Katherine Rundell

Rooftoppers is fast becoming a classic in children’s literature and is compared to the likes of Roald Dahl and Eva Ibbotson.

It’s a fantastic story and beautifully imaginative with visions of different areas of Paris, as seen from roof tops. The main character, Sophie, has been lost and is found by Charles Maxim as she floated as a baby, in a cello case in the English Channel.

Despite being told that she was lost in a shipwreck, Sophie thinks otherwise and with Charles, finds herself in Paris with Matteo, a boy who walks tightropes and lives in the sky.

A beautiful story about pursuing your dreams and never ignoring the possible.

Published by Faber, Rooftoppers was winner of the Blue Peter Book Award and the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize and short listed for the CILIP Carnegie Medal.

Katherine Rundell is an author to watch and her other children’s story, The Girl Savage was her first book.

Available to buy through Dolphin Booksellers, Amazon link at £5.24

We recommend this book for 9 – 12 years.

Sue Martin Dolphin Booksellers and Books Go Walkabout

Though My Eyes: Emilio
by Sophie Masson

I started the book, Emilio, and was unable to put it down!! Three hours later I made it to the end, through adventures, family kidnapping, and dealing with drug cartels, all through the eyes of Emilio.

In Chapter Two, Emilio hears the bad news.’

The Federal policeman said, ‘My name is Raul Castro, and I am an officer of the PF here in Mexico City….I regret to inform you that I have bad news.’

Emilio learns that his mother has been kidnapped.

Author Sophie Masson deals with real life issues for a young person in an area of conflict. It is excellently written, and is part of the Through My Eyes series published by Allen and Unwin with series editor Lyn White.

As well as being a great read it has information about the languages used, the areas of drug cartels and a timeline of drug conflict in Mexico and provides a good teaching resource for use in schools.

We recommend this book for 9 – 12 year olds.

Sue Martin Dolphin Booksellers and Books Go Walkabout

The School of Art by Teal Triggs and illustrated by Daniel Frost

This large and impressive looking book is full of surprises and I have spent simply ages finding out so many different aspects about art and being an artist.

It starts with the introduction to five professors and their talents, then goes to the 40 lessons to explore new and different ways to make your own creative work.

There are loads of activities to look at flat shapes and three dimensional, patterns and colours…

There is a section, for instance on repetition and rhythm in art, making patterns that are aesthetically pleasing. I loved the section on experimentation and being creative.

Written by Teal Triggs illustrated by Daniel Frost, published by Wide Eyed Editions

This book is well worth the money, it isn’t expensive at £14.99 and would make an excellent present, be a great book in school, for the art room or the library and in the home bookshelf.

But don’t be surprised if it spends more time on the coffee table than on the shelves!

Sue Martin Dolphin Booksellers – Best Children’s Books always on line

Take a Shape

New series by Britta Teckentrup, published by Words and Pictures, part of the Quarto Group.

Four beautiful books about shapes, circle, line, square and triangle. The books are well laid out for young children and the pictures are engaging and give some good text to support the pictures.

They will support young children in developing language and context about shapes and will be a valuable addition to the classroom and also in the home.

Britta lives in Berlin and is a graduate of the Royal College of Art and has published over 60 children’s books in 20 countries. A real achievement and her work can be seen on her website.