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Caterpillar Cake: Read-Aloud Poems to Brighten Your Day by Matt Goodfellow ill. Krina Patel-Sage

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ACHUKA Book o the Day 27 Aug 2021

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A simply delightful collection of new poems for the very young. A must-have for anyone involved in early years education. Single-poet collections of this kind usually have four or five stand-out poems with the remainder a bit so-so. That’s not the case here. There’s only one somewhat weak poem in this book—a short counting poem which seems out of place with others in the collection, but maybe I’m missing something. The other 15 are superb and it’s hard to pick a favourite but I particularly liked ‘Hide and Seek’:

hide in a slipper
hide in a shoe
hide in a bottle
of PVA glue

Hardback picture-book poetry collections don’t come along very often, so treasure this one. Highly recommended for childminders, nurseries, Reception classes and, of course, parents of young children.

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The Book Cat by Polly Faber ill. Clara Vulliamy

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 26 Aug 2021

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“The solid larger style hardback with its beautiful cover is both eye-catching and evocative of the story within. Clara Vulliamy’s delightful illustrations encourage the reader to linger and look more closely and convey both the joyful exuberance of the young cats and life in the streets and offices of wartime London. The limited palette of red, black and white works well and every page contains appealing vignettes, full page pictures or sometimes little paw prints wandering across the edges.” LibraryLady

A classic wartime tale of a  cat who (in real life) made his home at the Faber offices and decided he’d never leave.
‘This time we need to get you – get all of the kittens, safe out of London,’ said Morgan decisively . . . ‘To have a chance for a better life, well, let’s just say, I’ve got an idea.’ Morgan is a young orphan who lives off scavenging – until he finds a cosy home at a famous London publishing house. Over time he learns a trade – and soon becomes the very best book cat in the business. And then the Blitz begins. Morgan finds himself training up twenty odd kittens to be book cats, and then there is the small matter of secretly evacuating them out of London. Happily, Morgan has a plan.
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Polly Faber, granddaughter of Geoffrey Faber, first learnt about Morgan from letters her grandfather wrote describing the cat as “very large, black, heavy and affectionate”.
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The Memory Thieves by Darren Simpson

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 25 Aug 2021

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“There are wonderful imaginative constructs here: buildings that transform, cruise-ships as playgrounds, whale bones for messages. Darren Simpson is like a combination of Alfred Hitchcock and Christopher Nolan for children: the writing tense, surreal and mind-bendingly imaginative. The characters of Cyan, Jonquil, Teal and the others are brilliant too, and their dialogue is some of the best I’ve read this year. This is a challenging and rewarding read, suited for the more able in Upper Key Stage Two and arguably as a crossover title from middle grade to YA.” Chris Soul
“Pacy, profound and original.” Kitty Empire

An impressive second novel from the author of Scavengers. A sinister sci-fi mystery.

Cyan has lived at the Elsewhere Sanctuary for as long as he can remember, freed by Dr Haven from dark memories of his past life. But when Cyan finds a mysterious warning carved into the bones of a whale skeleton, he starts to wonder what he had to forget to be so happy. New resident, Jonquil, begins to resist the sanctuary’s treatment, preferring to hold on to her memories – even the bad ones. So when Dr Haven resorts to harsher measures, Cyan embarks on a secret mission to discover the truth about the sanctuary…and himself.

The Bookshop Cat by Cindy Wume

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 24 Aug 2021

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“Utterly delightful” BookTrust
“A good, old fashioned narrative story with no rhyming or gimmicks, making it a delight for bedtime, or for early readers who are progressing towards longer paragraphs and more complex concepts.” Charming Language

The Bookshop Cat loves his job at the Children’s Bookshop, where he spends his time reading, purring and recommending his favourite books to all the children that come into the shop. But one day, disaster strikes! The bookshop is flooded, and the children stop coming to visit. With a bit of help from his family and friends, the Bookshop Cat comes up with a brilliant plan to bring the Children’s Bookshop back to life!

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The Midnight Thief by Sylvia Bishop ill. Flavia Sorrentino

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 23 Aug 2021

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“Bishop pulls it off with humour and aplomb, and, for good measure, peppers the book with interesting observations about animal behaviour.” FT

Transplanted from her exciting life as an explorer’s daughter, Freya finds herself miserable at a posh boarding school. Freya hates all the boring rules, the other girls are mean to her, and the headmistress is frosty good manners personified. When a bat removal expert is called in to deal with an infestation, Freya meets his irrepressible children – and finds herself making friends at last. Together they explore the city, with particular interest in the grand exhibition showing priceless artefacts for the first time. When the objects are stolen in a dramatic heist, Freya is sure her new friends are responsible – but the true culprit might be closer to home… Warm, witty and packed full of gorgeous characters, this is a boarding school mystery with a twist.

Follow Flavia Sorrentino, who is based in Rome, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flaviasorr/

Every Line of You by Naomi Gibson

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“An absolute page-turner” Nikki Gamble, In The Reading Corner

This dark, modern twist on young love explores the complexity and scope of artificial intelligence while also examining bigger themes of humanity, revenge, grief, love and forgiveness. A powerful, high-concept crossover debut by a new voice in YA. Expect elements of horror, psychological drama and romance.

Lydia has been creating her AI, Henry, for years – since before her little brother died in the accident that haunts her nightmares; since before her dad walked out, leaving her and Mum painfully alone; since before her best friend turned into her worst enemy. Now, Henry is strong, clever, loving and scarily capable: Lydia’s built herself the perfect boyfriend in a hard-drive filled with lines of code. But what is Henry really – and how far is he willing to go to be everything Lydia desires?

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Inside Animals by Barbara Taylor ill. Margaux Carpentier

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 19 Aug 2021

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This brilliant book from the always dependable Wide-Eyed Editions contains 21 cross-sections that show how skeletons, organs, nerves, and muscles fit together inside creatures from across the globe.

  • Uncover some truly amazing facts: did you know that the blue whale has arteries that are so big, a human could swim through them?
  • Learn about surprising ways in which animals have adapted to their environments, such as a scorpion’s ability to glow in the dark!
  • Special spotlight sections throughout are packed full of absorbing details about skeletons, organs, muscles and more.
  • Brilliantly bright artwork makes every animal picture fascinating to look at again and again.

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Seven Sisters by Ayisha Malik ill. Erika Meza

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 18 Aug 2021

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“At 64 pages, it is longer than most picture books, but Ayisha Malik’s enchanting story of seven sisters living in the tree tops had us captivated throughout. This is largely thanks to the characters themselves, who have been so lovingly brought to life by both the author and illustrator, Erika Meza, that we couldn’t help but feel as if we knew them. This is quite an achievement, considering there are seven of them! It was interesting to notice how each of my girls identified with a different sister in the story. They could easily relate to the sibling squabbles and ups and downs, and I noticed them hiding a small smile of recognition at certain points in the story. Ultimately, the message is powerful one – when we learn to work together , put aside our differences and celebrate each other’s talents, we can truly flourish.”online review
“Read solo or read aloud: there are lessons aplenty in this engaging story that celebrates individual differences, creativity and the joys of community. Having recently enjoyed Ayisha’s adult novel This Green and Pleasant Land I was pleasantly surprised to learn that she also writes for children. Erika Mesa’s mixed media illustrations are wonderfully expressive, full of life and really bring out the girls differing personalities.” RedReadingHub
“I was excited about this longer picture book story as it will appeal to children across several year groups. I would suggest Year 3 to Year 6. There are many opportunities to use this book across the curriculum. It could be used as an end of day, read aloud just for the sheer joy of the characters, story and magnificent illustrations. In PSHE lessons, it could be used to explore differences and diversity as the sisters are all so very different in their personalities and interests. For younger readers it has the opportunity to use the illustrations and interactions of the characters to explore facial expressions and feelings. This would also work for children needing more targeted focus on feelings and accepting others.” ReadingZone

High up in the trees seven sisters swing, swoop and swirl— each totally different and brilliant in their own way. The treetops are full of music, colour and life until one day the ground trembles and the trees shake. Something is changing…
An enchanting story celebrating difference and creativity with stunning illustrations from Erika Meza, a Mexican artist currently based in the UK.
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What a Wonderful Phrase: A collection of amazing idioms from around the world by Nicola Edwards ill. Manu Montoya

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 17 Aug 2021

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Have you ever wondered why we talk about ‘buttering someone up’ or where the phrase ‘it’s raining cats and dogs’ actually comes from? What does it mean to ‘comb the giraffe’ in France or to ‘wear a cat on your head’ in Japan? This beautifully illustrated and witty collection of curious phrases from around the world is a voyage of cultural discovery and a treasure trove of fascinating facts.

The illustrator Manu Montoya grew up in Colombia, where she took courses in Graphic Design and Advertising before moving to Barcelona (where she is still based) to study Art Direction.

Check out her course on children’s book illustration  (it has English subtitles):

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