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Honey on the Page: A Treasury of Yiddish Children’s Literature ed. & tr. Miriam Udel ill. Paula Cohen

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 23 Oct 2020

An extensive collection of Yiddish literary texts for children translated into English, this anthology contains works from familiar as well as not so widely known Yiddish language writers… [A] comprehensive and valuable set of stories and poetry.
KIRKUS 

Arranged thematically-from school days to the holidays-the book takes readers from Jewish holidays and history to folktales and fables, from stories of humanistic ethics to multi-generational family sagas. Featuring many works that are appearing in English for the first time, and written by both prominent and lesser-known authors, this anthology spans the Yiddish-speaking globe-drawing from materials published in Eastern Europe, New York, and Latin America from the 1910s, during the interwar period, and up through the 1970s.

With its vast scope, Honey on the Page offers a cornucopia of delights complemented by whimsical, humorous illustrations by Paula Cohen, an acclaimed children’s book illustrator.

Miriam Udel is Associate Professor in German Studies and the Tam Institute of Jewish Studies at Emory University

Waterstones
Amazon

 

Skunk And Badger by Amy Timberlake ill. Jon Klassen

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 22 Oct 2020

A splendid entry in the odd-couple genre, Timberlake’s spunky series opener posits that compassion and inner transformation can strengthen the unlikeliest of friendships. It’s an approach that gestures toward broader societal conversations (consider the word that prompts Skunk to leave: “vermin”) without losing focus on the story’s delightful central duo. The use of fragmented sentences, repetition, and onomatopoeia makes for a fun read. Klassen’s muted, wistful artwork, meanwhile, invokes sweeping sentiments during key events. KIRKUS

Newbery Honor author Amy Timberlake and multi-award-winning illustrator Jon Klassen have created an unforgettable ‘Wallace and Gromit’ meets ‘Winnie-the-Pooh’ odd couple in Skunk and Badger.

The first time Badger saw Skunk, he thought ‘puny’, and shut the door. There was simply too much slick in this Skunk’s stripe. Too much puff in his tail. Also, there’d been that grin and the way he’d stuck out his paw as if he had been looking forward to meeting Badger. Badger knew what to make of that. He shut the door before the fellow got any ideas . . . 

The book is a beautiful reminder that sometimes opposites are destined to be the best of friends. A book you’ll want to read again and again.

Waterstones
Amazon

My Headteacher Is An Evil Genius by Jack Noel

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 21 Oct 2020

Meet Tom Ginger. She’s shy! she’s retiring! She’s … our only hope!
Not exactly the stuff that heroes are made of – or is it?

Shy girl Tom Ginger is the world’s unlikeliest hero – until she discovers that her new braces have the power to act as radio transmitters, allowing her to tune into the conversations of her new super-evil headteacher. Suddenly it’s up to Tom to save the school from Miss Fortune’s dastardly plans. Can she do it?

Follow Jack on Instagram: https://instagram.com/jackdraws

And check out a #BookofTheDay from earlier in the year: Comics Classics: Great Expectations!

Waterstones
Amazon 

The Spots And The Dots by Helen Baugh ill. Marion Deuchars

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ACHUKA Book of the Day  19 Oct 2020

“Helen Baugh’s rhyming text is perfect in its conciseness and Marion Deuchars’ illustrations a triumph, each spot and dot a character of its own. ” LoveReading

A second #BookOfTheDay selection for Marion Deuchars this year.
See Bob Goes Pop! and Bob’s Blue Period. We love the Bob books, as much as we love this new title.

Here Marion teams up with Helen Baugh, a specialist in rhyming texts, to produce two books in one! Flip the book upside down and choose whether to read from the perspective of the Spots or the Dots, right up until the middle, where the two communities collide.
The Spots live on one side of the hill. The Dots live on the other. Both are fearful and suspicious of the other, but are they really all that different? When a young Spot and a young Dot meet at the top of the hill, they are about to find out…
Find the similarities in others, discover that fear is often based on ignorance, and celebrate difference in this stunning picture book with artwork from award-winning illustrator Marion Deuchars.

Follow the artist/illustrator on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariondeuchars/
Follow the writer on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/helenbaughbooks/

Waterstones
Amazon

The Rules by Tracy Darnton

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 16 Oct 2020

”A heart-thuddingly nervy thriller’ — Financial Times

A gripping thriller from Waterstones Children’s Book Prize-Shortlisted Tracy Darnton, author of The Truth About Lies.

Amber’s an expert when it comes to staying hidden – she’s been trained her whole life for it. But what happens when the person you’re hiding from taught you everything you know?

When a letter from her dad arrives, Amber knows she’s got to move – and fast. He’s managed to find her and she knows he’ll stop at nothing to draw her back into the extreme survivalist way of life he believes in.

All of a sudden the Rules she’s spent so long trying to escape are the ones keeping her safe. But for how long?

Waterstones
Amazon

While You’re Sleeping by Mick Jackson ill. John Broadley

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 15 Oct 2020

‘To open this book is like opening a gorgeous box full of jewels – each page is stunning – so too are the endpapers, the cover: the entire production in fact and to read it is like being shown around a gallery by a wise, gently spoken curator eager to open our eyes to how the world works.’ Red Reading Hub

Have you ever wondered what’s happening in the world while you’re asleep in your bed?

There’s a whole world of activity out there – from bakers preparing bread and cakes for your table and firefighters waiting patiently for a call, to hospitals helping people have babies and caring for those who are ill. There are lorry drivers making deliveries of food, flowers, toys and more, and postal workers sorting the mail for your morning delivery. There’s also wildlife such as foxes foraging, bats flying, and owls hunting for prey. And then around the world there are children who are playing, learning, eating and reading while you’re tucked up fast asleep.

This is the perfect book for bedtime, opening up a whole world of wonder and imagination for children, and providing food for the imagination if they wake in those early hours. Beautifully written, with lyrical prose, the illustrations are packed with detail.

See more of the illustrator’s work here: https://johnbroadley.bigcartel.com
Follow him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/john.broadley.77/

Waterstones

Cherry Moon: Little Poems Big Ideas Mindful of Nature by Zaro Weil ill. Junli Song

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 14 Oct 2020
Winner of the 2020 CLIPPA Poetry Award

A poetry collection that captures eye-popping moments, tender observations and a thousand whimsical reflections on the sheer joy of the natural world.

Cherry Moon bubbles with excitement and creativity. Discover parades of beast-doodles, preposterous penguins, talking blossoms, razz- dazzle birds, humble fleas and host of other exotic and everyday creatures who literally jump off the page and into our hearts. Thought-provoking, sensitive and delightfully original, Cherry Moon poses big questions about life with poems and other small gatherings of words; encouraging children of every age to explore the power, enchantment and sheer wonderfulness of nature.

As winner of the CLiPPA, Zaro Weil received a trophy and a cheque for £1000 and will also be recorded for the National Poetry Archive.
For more information about the CLiPPA Award and the Schools Shadowing Scheme visit:
https://clpe.org.uk/poetryline/clippa

Waterstones
Amazon

Human Journey by Professor Alice Roberts ill. James Weston Lewis

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ACHUKA Book of the Day Tue 13 Oct 2020

Join TV biological anthropologist Professor Alice Roberts on a fascinating non-fiction journey to discover the secrets of our past, in this dramatic retelling of our human journey. Reach back through time and shake hands with your ancestors. Discover who we are, where we come from and even what it means to be human as you follow the amazing human journey.

This spectacular illustrated book begins with the dawn of humankind on the grasslands of Africa around two and a half million years ago and unfolds to follow our ancestors over time and all around the world: from Africa to Asia, Europe, Australia and the Americas.

Follow the illustrator on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jbwlewis/

Waterstones
Amazon

 

Red Stars by Davide Morosinotto tr. Denise Muir

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 12 Oct 2020

“The story is superb, but even better is the magnificent book production… the book is filled with recreated documents, photos, maps, etc, and just looks beautiful. Every page has something to enthral the mind and eye.” Anthon McGowan

“With chilling ‘annotations’ added by some dreaded agency of the Stalinist state the novel is utterly gripping and feels like an authentic, rich and yet accessible account of what it must have been like for children caught up in war with all the resonance that has today.” Elaine McQuade

THE COUNTRY IS UNDER ATTACK Twins Viktor and Nadya are twelve years old when Hitler’s Germany declares war on the Soviet Union. As the Nazi army crushes the defending forces and enemy planes appear overhead, they are hurriedly evacuated from their home.
‘WHATEVER HAPPENS, STAY TOGETHER’ Their parents told them to look after each other, no matter what. But amid the chaos of the evacuation, disaster strikes – the twins are separated, stranded many miles apart with no way of communicating.
A DESPERATE RACE ACROSS SNOW AND ICE Despite the war raging all around, Viktor and Nadya are determined to find each other and get back home. Can they pick a path through the danger and destruction, with only their courage and love to keep them going?

Davide Morosinotto is an Italian journalist, video game translator, science fiction writer and children’s book author. In 2007 he won the Mondadori Junior Award, and published his first book. Since then he has written more than thirty books. He lives in Bologna.

Waterstones
Amazon