Engaging reads for children, from Books go Walkabout

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Mr Badger and the Magic Mirror by Leigh Hobbs

Mr Badger and the Magic Mirror

Get this great book here…

Mr Badger is a portly badger who gets into scrapes and adventures in Boubles Grand Hotel, where he works very hard.

 Mr Badger and the Magic Mirror, is the fourth in the Mr Badger series from Australian Children’s Laureate, Leigh Hobbs.

One day a mirror is moved from the room of Sir Cecil Smothers-Carruthers to a place above the stairs.

But something is not quite right, Mr Badger inspects the mirror, and ends up falling straight through it, a magic mirror! The adventure has started and Mr Badger finds much more than he had bargained for!

A brilliant books with characters emerging from every page, illustrated with line drawings and bringing the book and Mr Badger to life.

Really good for children from 6 – 8 years,Mr Badger and for sharing with adults, who may just end up reading the book to themselves!

Leigh visits the UK regularly and we are pleased to work with Leigh for any events in the UK.

Sue Martin

Books Go Walkabout

The Family with Two Doors by Anna Ciddor

Buy this great book here…

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 book is an engaging read about life in the 1920’s, written by Anna Ciddor and published by Allen and Unwin. 

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

Books Go Walkabout

Little People, Big Dreams from Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

Frances Lincoln Children's BooksA 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.

Little People Big Dreams Rosa Parks

Rosa Parks, an inspiring read…

Rosa Parks is written by Lisbeth Kaiser and illustrated by Marta Antelo.

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 Pankhurst is written by Lisbeth Kaiser and illustrated by Ana Sanfelippo.

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 Hepburn

Little People Big Dreas Audrey HepburnIsabel Sanchez Vegara (Author) and Amaia Arrazola (Illustrator)…

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 and UNICEF Ambassador

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

Books go Walkabout, stories across the world

Ehsan Abdollahi at The House of Illustration

 

Ehsan AbollahiEhsan is an award-winning illustrator of children’s books, his work is published through Tiny Owl Publishers.

He teaches at Tehran’s top Honar (Art) University and he is currently in the UK to attend the Edinburgh International Book Festival and other engagements.

On Thursday 10th August he joined a discussion panel at The House of Illustration  in conjunction with Tiny Owl Publishers.

The panel was made up of James Mayhew, Erica Jarnes, Beverley Naidoo, Azita Rassi and Delaram Ghanimifard.

Discussion was fascinating and there was a strong focus on the initial refusal to entry and visa for Ehsan, a ban! After considerable pressure and public energy from many people, including The Bookseller and The Guardian, this was overturned and Ehsan was allowed entry into the UK.

But what does it mean to be ‘banned’? And who is affected by the ban? The panel felt that a ban meant that not only the person was banned from the country but also the children and recipients of the books were also banned from listening to Ehsan and his work, creating an apartheid situation.

Banning affects us all as we are not allowed to hear or take part. In effect it stops dialogue.  A dialogue, in this case where children can share an understanding of cultural differences, through books.  Where they experience a greater  understanding of a global world, sharing lives and concerns, knowing similarities and differences and valuing both.Ehsans colouring materials

Ehsan had also run some workshops for children, creating passports of peace and hope and, ‘using a poem as a springboard to explore how you might change the world and what colours you would use.’ Tiny Owl.

His books are amazing, the illustrations depict life in colour and style, they have a beautiful expressive feel about the images and tell the stories, often with no need for words.

When I Coloured the World‘ and ‘A Bottle of Happiness‘ are both wonderful books to have and to share. They tell more than the story written in the words, they are moral stories and full of meaning.A Bottle of Happiness

As picture books they have a place in libraries for children of all ages and adults too. By sharing the books with parents and teachers, there is much to discover in words, pictures and meaning.

 

 

At Books Go Walkabout, we are keen explorers of books in different places, reaching out across the world, using books and stories in a global dimension.

We are delighted to share Ehsan’s work and that of Tiny Owl Publishers with the world. We do this directly when travelling to the other side of the globe and through our blog which is read across Australia, South East Asia and in Europe.

Sue Martin

Books Go Walkabout

 

 

 

A Bottle of Happiness by Pippa Goodhart and Ehsan Abdollahi

A Bottle of Happiness - cover image and web link

Buy this book from BgW 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

Books go Walkabout, stories across the world

 

Pet Dragon – Dare to Care by M.P.Robertson and Sally Symes

Dare to Care Pet Dragon

Buy this book on-line 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.

The idea was conceived by M.P Robertson, and written by Sally Symes, and finally published by Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, who have a brilliant knack of spotting a great book potential.

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

Books go Walkabout, stories across the world

Maya Angelou – Little People, Big Dreams

Maya Angelou, Little People, Big Dreams

Buy this book on-line here…

Maya Angelou, is a remarkable story of the woman and the girl.

Born in St Louis, Missouri, she faced much unfairness about the colour of her skin. At eight years of age she was attacked by her mother’s boyfriend and stopped speaking for 5 years!

She became many things… dancer, singer, writer, producer, teacher and an activist for civil rights, as well as a mother and grandmother. She wrote a book called I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, with memories from her childhood. She read from her collection of poems at both the White House and United Nations and she is remembered for her message of hope for all people.

The book, Maya Angelou, is written by Lisbeth Kaiser and illustrated by Leire Salaberria. It is part of the Little People, Big Dreams series from Frances Lincoln, part of QuartoKnows, discovers the lives of outstanding people,from designers and artists to scientists. All of them achieved incredible things, yet each began life as a child with a dream.

Other books we have featured in this great series: Agatha Christie and Marie Curieread more here

Beautiful hard back books, written in a highly illustrated copy, to engage readers of all ages and for children who want to find out more and explore without thousands of words. Good for older children with ESOL too.

Sue Martin

Books Go Walkabout

What on Earth? Bees

What on Earth? Bees

Buy the book 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

Books Go Walkabout

Brian Alderson donates rare children’s book collection to Newcastle University and Seven Stories

Brian Wouldhave Alderson, a Freeman of the City of Newcastle and a renowned children’s literature scholar, is donating his extraordinary collection of children’s books to Newcastle University and Seven Stories: The National Centre for Children’s Books. Believed to be the largest privately-owned children’s literature collection in the UK, it is made up of more than 20,000 books, dating from the 17th century to the present day.

Source: Press Release –  Newcastle University

Books Go Walkabout is delighted to be visiting Seven Stories in Newcastle upon Tyne and sharing this good news with our contacts in different countries. The collections will be a wonderful resource for children around the world.

Works come from the United States, France, Germany and Britain, and the collection includes original illustrations and papers related to Brian’s diverse career. Brian is a respected author, editor, critic, and scholar who has curated many exhibitions and is a former children’s books editor of The Times (1967 – 1996).

”His interest in children’s books  soon became a passion. The donation is a mark of Brian’s long-standing and ongoing support for both Newcastle University and Seven Stories. He was awarded an honorary degree by the University in 2016.

He said: ‘With the University’s scholarly interests in children’s literature and historic children’s book collections, and with Seven Stories being the national home of contemporary children’s books, I am delighted to be able to augment the City’s prominence in fostering interest in what is an unduly neglected subject.”

Jill Taylor-Roe, Acting University Librarian at Newcastle University, said: “The Alderson Collection enhances and extends the University Library’s unique and distinctive holdings in Children’s Literature, and together with Seven Stories’ holdings, will create an incredibly rich resource for anyone interested in the history and further development of children’s literature.”

Sarah Lawrance, Collections and Exhibitions Director at Seven Stories: The National Centre for Children’s Books, said: “We are immensely grateful to Brian Alderson for the generous gift of his collection, which includes many rare and unique books – now to be made publicly accessible for the first time – and complements the holdings of Seven Stories and the Philip Robinson Library perfectly.”

The donation of the Collection jointly to the two organisations is a key outcome of Seven Stories’ and Newcastle University’s Vital North Partnership, funded by Arts Council England.

The two organisations are marking Brian’s generous donation with a free exhibition of some of the highlights from the Collection at Newcastle University’s Philip Robinson Library, opening in June 2017 and running throughout the summer”.

Sue Martin

Tiny Owl

The Elephants Umbrella cover image and web link

View, review or buy this book here…

Tiny Owl is an independent publishing company committed to producing beautiful, original books for children.

They were established in 2015, and believe in global children’s books and about building bridges across our world. Two  of their latest books are  The Elephant’s Umbrella and Alive Again, are both full of vibrant illustrations and intriguing text.

The Elephant’s Umbrella is a tale of generosity, and full of opportunities for conversation and reasons to smile. The elephant has an umbrella and his friends join him where it is cosy and dry. One day the umbrella blows away and the other jungle animals try to use it themselves, but don’t feel like sharing!

” If I become yours, where will you take me when it rains?” asks the umbrella to the bear. But the bear only wants the umbrella to help him get the honey!

Laleh Jaffari is the author, born in Iran she has written over 25 children’s bookss and is also a TV director.

Ali Khodal has illustrated over 80 books and won national awards in his home country of Iran.

Alive Again - cover image and web link

View, review or buy this book here…

Alive Again explores what it means to be alive and how words can express the meaning of ‘alive’, but yet they don’t hold the quality of being alive only. This book has lots of hidden depths and the illustrations will help teacher, parents and children to think and puzzle and wonder.

Ahmadreza Ahmadi is the author and is an Iranan poet and children’s story writer. In 2010 he was shortlisted for the Hans Christian Anderson Award. Nahid Kazemi is the illustrator.

Books Go Walkabout enjoys Tiny Owl books and shares values in vision of creating bridges through children’s books across the world.

Sue Martin

 

 

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