The Rabinovitch family lived in Lublin, Poland. There were so many of them in the family that they had two apartments with two front doors. There were nine children and they grew up in the 1920’s as a devout Jewish family, with their father as the Rabbi.
The Rabinovitches include: mischievous Yakov, bubbly Nomi, rebellious Miriam, solemn Shlomo, and seven more! Papa is a rabbi and their days are full of intriguing rituals and adventures. But the biggest adventure of all is when big sister Adina is told she is to be married at the age of fifteen – to someone she has never met.
Although I expected the book to be about problems and issues, it wasn’t! It dealt very easily with a proposed and arranged marriage and was empathetic to a good family life. It is written carefully and with lots of fondness around the authors experience and makes an excellent read.
It is based on the author’s real family. The Rabinovitches dance, laugh and cook their way through an extraordinary life in the 1920’s. The biggest adventure is the preparation for the wedding of Adina to Mordechai, which was arranged, but nevertheless a happy affair.
At Books Go Walkabout, we are now selling books directly on-line, so just click on the link, and buy through our secure portal and we will send you a copy of The Family with Two Doors.
Sue Martin
Bookmonitor is our news source for reviews and project information.
Books go Walkabout is our international books and literacy project - connecting authors and illustrators with children and young people around the globe.
We use Stripe to handle your e-purchase. Buy with confidence from BgW. Customer FAQ's here.
A brilliant series of books about the lives of women who have made a difference.Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, part of Quarto Knows, have produced eight books in this series, published in hardback, with stunning illustrations and aimed at children from around 6-9 years.
At Books Go Walkabout we know they also make excellent books for older children in schools around the world who are translating from their own language into English.
The three latest books, released in August 2017 are Rosa Parkes, Emmeline Pankhurst and Audrey Hepburn. If you would like to purchase them, we have an online purchasing system or you can contact us direct for larger quantities.
Rosa was the ‘Mother of the Freedom Movement’ and an inspiring activist for civil rights in Alabama in the days of segregation on public transport.
Rosa refused to give her seat to a white person…read more here…
She knew that many of the rules just weren’t right and one day when travelling on a bus she refused to allow someone else to take her seat just because she was a black woman.
As a result she was taken from the bus and jailed. The rest is history! Rosa made such a difference to people’s lives. She remained a activist for the rest of her life and was an inspiration to many people.
Emmeline was one of the famous suffragettes in the early 20th Century protesting against the government for the vote for women, as up until 1918, women had no rights to vote.
‘Emmeline and her daughters became the leaders of a new group of women, a group that would stop following the rules and would fight for their rights. People called them suffragettes.’
Emmeline Pankhurst spoke to many people.
The text is appealingly written and gives a good idea of how life was in the early 20th Century. The illustrations are delightful and add hugely to the impact of the book in portraying life at that time.
Audrey is an iconic figure from the 1950’s but her life started in Holland during the World War 2, she experienced hunger and became very ill. When her mother finally was able to come to England Audrey pursued her dream of acting and dancing starring in Gigi and Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
Later, when she had retired she became a Goodwill Ambassador with UNICEF and travelled the world raising awareness of children needing food and medicine, something which she had experienced first-hand.
Audrey Hepburn UNICEF Ambassador
The text is good to read and accessible for children from around the ages of 6, and the illustrations are beautiful, bold and full of character.
Little People, Big Dreams… an apt title for this series of books which will bring to young children the lives of people who have made a huge difference. Alongside the story there is a time-line and further historical context. Great little books in the classroom and library.
Sue Martin
Bookmonitor is our news source for reviews and project information.
Books go Walkabout is our international books and literacy project - connecting authors and illustrators with children and young people around the globe.
We use Stripe to handle your e-purchase. Buy with confidence from BgW. Customer FAQ's here.
Not many lectures start with a cartoon of the anticipating audience and the back of the presenter’s head on the large screen! An intriguing way of getting the messages across, and amazing to see book characters come to life before your very eyes! Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse, the first in the Goth Girl series, evolved in the screen in front of the audience at Homerton College, Cambridge
An exploration into the development of the book itself was a joy to listen to, so often we hear of the ideas behind the book but Chris was keen to portray the business of getting the book into print. A meeting with the book development side of the publishers meant that Goth Girl books have plenty of book bling, deep blue, silver foil, varnish effect and above all sprayed edges. At the back of the books is a tiny book in an envelope attached to the back cover; further information about Ishmael the mouse. Brilliant idea!
The book then travels to the ends of the earth (that may mean China, I suspect!) and back to our country for sale.
The Age of the Beautiful Book was much more than a lecture about illustration in children’s books, but about how that precious book does become beautiful, something to keep and treasure.
Chris talked a little about his own childhood, as the son of a vicar, and how important books are in exploring new worlds; he talked about finding worlds in wardrobes or indeed down rabbit holes. He has a warm and reassuring tone and when he mentioned that he had, ‘ a vague and reassuring feeling that God doesn’t mind that he doesn’t believe in him’, there were many quiet nods and mmm’s.
This empathy with people is shown throughout his illustrations and he has some ingenious ways of bringing books to life. Now, as he is thoroughly into social media, he has a good way of illustrating characters in all sorts of books and then sending photos to gain many, ‘ little blue thumb likes’! ‘Pictures turbo post words’ he said.
Chris is also an advocate for the real book, the attraction to the senses, tactile, the smell, the sound of turning the pages and being a feast for the eyes. Reading is a pleasurable thing to do and should not be turned into a grammatical exercise only. He wants children to draw for fun and for expression and we had some amazing cartoons on what would happen if education ever created assessments for drawing; ‘analyse the makeup of the graphite, the ergonomics of pencil sharpening… it would suck the life joy out of it!’
An enthralling lecture, this Philippa Pearce Memorial Lecture on Friday evening September 8th with Chris Riddell will be remembered for its engagement, fun and how to bring the best in children’s books alive through beautiful books.
Sue Martin
Bookmonitor is our news source for reviews and project information.
Books go Walkabout is our international books and literacy project - connecting authors and illustrators with children and young people around the globe.
We use Stripe to handle your e-purchase. Buy with confidence from BgW. Customer FAQ's here.
The Age of the Beautiful Book is the title of the 2017 Lecture which will be given by Chris Riddell, a multi award winning illustrator and political cartoonist, who was the Children’s Laureate from June 2015 – June 2017.
The series of lectures was established in 2008, as a living memorial to celebrate the achievement of author, Philippa Pearce, who lived close to Cambridge. Philippa’s most famous book was Tom’s Midnight Garden, which won the Carnegie Medal in 1958. There were many more books, including The Minnow on the Say. You can find lots of resources and information on The Philippa Pearce website.
Chris is going to talk about words and pictures working together for a reader both on the traditional page, and in a digital age. He will explore how books are ever more covetable as objects in their own right, as well as valued for the words and illustrations inside, plus how libraries remain vital as repositories for these beautiful productions.
Chris has now published his Laureate’s Log as a book with PanMacmillan and is a beautiful journey of his time as Laureate.
This will be an excellent opportunity to explore the interests and ideas of an esteemed author working in illustration and the value of books in their own right for children.
In today’s world, we are surrounded by media, in digital and paper and formats. Often the value is only seen in what we can instantly gain and attain from reading and looking at the books. There is much more to be developed in the ongoing level of cognitive interaction and illustrations in books.
At Books Go Walkabout we work with illustrators and authors across the world, including Leigh Hobbs, the Australian Children’s Laureate, who was recently in conversation with Chris at The Children’s Bookfair in Bologna.
Looking forward to the lecture, exploring the Laureate’s Log and listening to further tales.
Sue Martin
Bookmonitor is our news source for reviews and project information.
Books go Walkabout is our international books and literacy project - connecting authors and illustrators with children and young people around the globe.
We use Stripe to handle your e-purchase. Buy with confidence from BgW. Customer FAQ's here.
On one side of a big mountain the people were rich and worked hard to become richer, but they were not happy.
On the other side of the mountain, people were not rich but shared things, including stories and they were happy. A small boy climbs the mountain to find the other side is full of wealth.
He returns one day with a bottle and brings the riches of happiness into that community. The moral is, share with others and you will have riches in abundance.
A story about people and getting on with each other, a fable with meaning and a positive ending.
Created and published by Tiny Owl, who are a very exciting new, independent publishing company, established in 2015. They believe in having stories which act as bridges. They have a number of books from Iranian authors.
They have a programme of intercultural projects where authors and illustrators from different countries work together in creation of a children’s book.
A Bottle of Happiness is written by Pippa Goodhart and illustrator is Ehsan Abdollahi. The text and illustration matches the idea behind the story.
Pippa has also written over a hundred books, including Winnie the Witch. Ehsan works as an illustrator of children’s books and newspapers as well as teaching at university in Iran, He recently was initially refused entry to the UK, when booked to deliver an event at Edinburgh Festival 2017. After much support and pressure Ehsan was granted a visa into the UK. Hooray!!
This is a beautiful book and a heart-warming story. Recommended for homes, sharing, libraries and schools.
Sue Martin
Bookmonitor is our news source for reviews and project information.
Books go Walkabout is our international books and literacy project - connecting authors and illustrators with children and young people around the globe.
We use Stripe to handle your e-purchase. Buy with confidence from BgW. Customer FAQ's here.
Seven Stories is the National Centre for Children’s Books. Nowhere else in the UK matches the uniqueness of Seven Stories.
There are collections from authors with titles galore and notes of their work as it progressed. There are amazing original pieces of artwork from illustrators, as well as the printed book.
Seven Stories are custodians of the only collection in the world of British authors from 1930’s to present day.
Children’s books change the lives of those who read them, they capture thoughts and feelings, they create adventure and exploration, they help children to face and understand the world.
The centre has many roles and activities, including workshops, events for children of all ages, connections with schools in the North-East. It has a wonderful bookshop and a café for lunches, with a view over the Ouseburn river.
Exhibitions have a big place in Seven Stories. The two exhibitions running now are about Bears and Comics. There are also exhibitions with material from previous exhibitions, archived digitally and accessible as a resource. Once the exhibitions have finished at Seven Stories they often go on tour around the country, such as the recent Michael Morpurgo exhibition, on tour this year.
Always worth a visit to Seven Stories…
The Comics exhibition, is showing until Summer 2018 on the fifth floor and once you enter, you are immersed in the world of comics, old and new.
Comics, illustrations, graphic novels, adventure, showing a whole world of characters and story. One page of a comic would lead you into another world with weekly episodes keeping you on the edge of your seat. There are many favourite characters, heroes and superheroes, good guys and bad guys.
The exhibition is set out to show the different aspects of comics; story, character, setting, props and power, and style. As you journey through the exhibition there is a really good sense of the components of creating a comic adventure, with characters and plots larger than life! The quality of the illustrations and huge amount of time involved in creating a page with many panels of sketches is enormous.
Ahoy there?
A story for a comic is generally made in a series of panels, with each panel including some words in speech bubbles or a displayed text, but often there are no words at all!
Characters can be anyone really, monsters, jokers, friends, people you know or even yourself. The exhibition shows how you can define your character in clothes, height, features and special powers.
Other areas are Props and Power; an amazing collection held in some drawers of destiny and a wardrobe full of ideas or possible impossibilities!
Alongside the comics with superheroes and other characters were also some well-known novels, made into comic or graphic style. My favourite was Tom’s Midnight Garden, which looked amazing and also Moomin on the Riviera, The Snowman, Guardians of the Galaxy and Asterix.
Would you enter the wardrobe?
This is a fantastic exhibition and we could well have spent a whole day there.
The team at Seven Stories, who collate and present the exhibitions, have real professionalism and flair in the creation of this amazing space, especially the interactivity of many of the displayed artefacts.
Maybe one day soon, I will go back and wander into the Wardrobe of Impossible Possibilities. If you visit the exhibition and find the wardrobe you may discover new solar systems, characters and stories within.
A visit to Seven Stories and the Comics Exhibition is a must for the school holidays or at any time.
Great archive and news stories on a theme, featured links at the exhibition.
Image Credits: With thanks to Seven Stories for the images of the 'front door' and the magical wardrobe...
Bookmonitor is our news source for reviews and project information.
Books go Walkabout is our international books and literacy project - connecting authors and illustrators with children and young people around the globe.
We use Stripe to handle your e-purchase. Buy with confidence from BgW. Customer FAQ's here.
Have you ever wondered how to look after your dragon? Once caught and living with you, looking after a dragon is not an easy pet option!
From choosing the type of dragon to assisting in learning how to fly… this is the book for you!
The illustrations are captivating and appealing and dragons of all sorts and all colours and kinds are shown in detail of scales, fiery tongues and flames with boxes of text to read and enjoy.
If you are feeling brave… visit M.P Robertson website and you can find ways to draw and do more with dragons.
But first, we recommend that you buy the book and then when you have your dragon, let us know how.
PS Warning !! Never feed your dragon Brussel Sprouts!
Sue Martin
Bookmonitor is our news source for reviews and project information.
Books go Walkabout is our international books and literacy project - connecting authors and illustrators with children and young people around the globe.
We use Stripe to handle your e-purchase. Buy with confidence from BgW. Customer FAQ's here.
Explore, create and investigate with this wonderful book written by Andrea Quigley and illustrated by Paulina Morgan.
Are you busy as a bee? Bees are the hardest working insects on our planet and without them the world would be a very different place. From looking at the different types of bees to making honey flapjacks, this book takes you on a journey into the life of the bee, bees around the world, making honey, life in the hive and being a bee keeper.
It is packed with facts in this very intriguing style of text and illustration, both working cleverly to enhance the interest and develop a real sense of enjoyment, understanding and learning.
As part of the What on Earth series published by QED this is a great book to have in your home or in the library. I can think of many children from ages 6 -10 who would enjoy finding out more about bees using this book as a guide.
At Books GoWalkabout, we are working with schools in Hong Kong. For students who are learning English, this is a wonderful resource to use for students from 11 and upwards. We will be promoting this book in Asia.
Sue Martin
Bookmonitor is our news source for reviews and project information.
Books go Walkabout is our international books and literacy project - connecting authors and illustrators with children and young people around the globe.
We use Stripe to handle your e-purchase. Buy with confidence from BgW. Customer FAQ's here.
An amazing anthology of poems from Wendy Cooling, beautifully illustrated by Piet Grobler. The poems are compiled to do two things; to celebrate the beauty of the world and to notice the dangers.
Wendy Cooling, MBE, is well known in the world of children’s books, in the UK and beyond. She has contributed enormously to supporting the provision of books for young children and is also a celebrated anthologist.
She hopes that at least one of the poems lingers in the readers mind.
Poets are taken from different periods of time, and space, from Christina Rosetti to Benjamin Zephaniah.
Two of my favourites are; The Prayer Tree, Anon, ‘I am the beam that supports your house, the board of your table, the bed on which you lie... and The Old Windmill by Paul Bright, Catch the wind, just for an instant,Catch the wind , then let it go…
The illustrations are superb and involved in the words and lines of the poems, cleverly created by Piet Gobler in watercolour washes of subtle colours which support the poems in thought and feeling.
A recent release from Frances Lincoln Children’s Books and an excellent addition for any library, home or school.
Bookmonitor is our news source for reviews and project information.
Books go Walkabout is our international books and literacy project - connecting authors and illustrators with children and young people around the globe.
We use Stripe to handle your e-purchase. Buy with confidence from BgW. Customer FAQ's here.
Take Flight is the courageous and true story of the Wright brothers, the pioneers of flight!
Two brothers of humble origins who never gave up their childhood dream of being able to fly. In Dayton, Ohio in 1878, two boys stood in their backyard, mesmerised by their new toy; a helicopter that can hover in the air. “One day, I’m going to fly like that,” they agreed.
Written by Adam Hancher, an illustrator from London, Taking Flight tells in detail in words and images how two people followed their dream and managed to conquer problems and create a new way of travel. The book is a real insight into discovery, and although many years ago, this new experience is now part of so many peoples lives.
It is the first title in a new biographical series on inspirational figures called Dare to Dream, published by Frances Lincoln Children’s Publishers. The series will be dedicated to inspirational figures throughout history who can teach children that with courage and determination you can make dreams a reality.
We thoroughly recommend this book for children, especially for ages 6-9 years.
Sue Martin
Bookmonitor is our news source for reviews and project information.
Books go Walkabout is our international books and literacy project - connecting authors and illustrators with children and young people around the globe.
We use Stripe to handle your e-purchase. Buy with confidence from BgW. Customer FAQ's here.
