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Opening The Box of Delights: A stunning visual celebration of John Masefield’s Christmas classic by Dr Philip W. Errington

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 23 Dec 2020

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John Masefield’s fantasy novel The Box of Delights is an enduring Christmas classic. It has a unique place in children’s literature and continues to inspire and engage modern readers with its timeless adventure of ancient magic, good vanquishing evil, and Christmas miracles. For many, watching the 1984 BBC TV adaptation is a Christmas tradition and ‘The Box of Delights Appreciation Society’ has over 2,000 members on Facebook! This visual celebration of The Box of Delights is written by a world expert on the text and showcases fascinating illustrations, photographs, letters, manuscripts and designs from Masefield’s life and across all of the story’s many manifestations – through the different editions of the book (whose illustrators included Quentin Blake), and adaptations on television, radio and stage. 

Daily Telegraph feature article on The Box of Delights >>>


 

Dosh: How to Earn It, Save It, Spend It, Grow It, Give It by Rashmi Sirdeshpande ill. Adam Hayes

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The Times Best Children’s Books of the Year List, 2020

A fun and accessible financial handbook helping boys and girls build their confidence and develop a positive money mindset.

Having some dosh in your pocket can be really exciting. And when it’s used as a force for good, those pennies have the power to change the world. But managing money can seem daunting, especially in uncertain times. This book is here to build your confidence, transform you into a money expert and look toward the future. Whether you want to become an entrepreneur, be a savvy shopper, save all your pennies or splurge on something you really want, children’s author and former lawyer, Rashmi Sirdeshpande, is here to help you make the right decisions. Discover what money is, why it matters, how to spend it and ways to make more of it in this fun and brilliant guide.

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Winter Tales by Dawn Casey ill. Zanna Goldhawk

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A treasury of stories celebrating the wonders of winter, and the qualities within that warm our hearts through the long cold. This stunning book brings together a selection of wintery tales from all over the world – from North America to Siberia, Scotland, France, Russia and Norway. Written by award-winning author Dawn Casey and with beautifully detailed artwork by illustrator Zanna Goldhawk, this is a magical book to be treasured for generations to come.

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The Art of Ramona Quimby: Sixty-Five Years of Illustrations from Beverly Cleary’s Beloved Books by Anna Katz

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 3 Dec 2020

“The true pleasure of this retrospective is that it highlights key moments from the books, in chronological order, and compares the various illustrators’ ways of depicting them. We see the same sequence drawn in different eras (with different fashions and hairstyles); we see varying unscripted reactions on the characters’ faces, and a wide range of demeanors. We see situations from different angles and perspectives, with positive versus negative spins…” Jennifer Krauss NEW YORK TIMES

The Art of Ramona Quimby celebrates the artists behind Beverly Cleary’s inimitable Ramona Quimby series. The adventures of her iconic heroine have been brought to life by five different artists: Louis Darling, Alan Tiegreen, Joanne Scribner, Tracy Dockray, and Jacqueline Rogers.
Readers can compare multiple interpretations of iconic scenes (remember the infamous egg-cracking incident?), read letters between illustrators and Cleary, and learn the stories behind the illustrations.

The Art of Ramona Quimby explores the evolution of an iconic character, and how each artist has ultimately made her timeless. For fans of illustration and design, and for those who grew up alongside Ramona, this richly nostalgic volume reminds us why we fell in love with these books.

The most recent illustrator, Jacqueline Rogers, describes her style, in an afterword, as “sometimes scratchy,” with a variety of thick and thin lines, “loose and full of energy,” just like the incorrigible, irresistible Ramona.
Read this interview with the book’s compiler, Anna Katz.

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Exploring the Elements: A Complete Guide to the Periodic Table ill. Sara Gillingham written by Isabel Thomas

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 1 Dec 2020

“This comprehensive, deeply informative educational resource doubles as an arty coffee-table book, the kind science-minded readers and fact-finders love to pore over. Its design motif of bright neon-hued icons against a night-black background had me fantasizing that the illustrator, Sara Gillingham, had included in her palette rubidium, strontium and barium salts, which the author, Isabel Thomas, tells us are sometimes used in the creation of violet, red and green fireworks, respectively. The reverse side of the book’s jacket features an equally stunning periodic table that can be removed and tacked to a bulletin board or hung on a wall.” Jennifer Krauss NEW YORK TIMES

A graphically stunning, comprehensive introduction to the chemical elements that make up our universe for ages 8-14.

This artful and accessible guide to the periodic table – the ultimate reference tool for scientists worldwide – names all 118 chemical elements and helps young readers understand the remarkable ways we have learned to use them. Stunning layouts feature each element’s letter symbol and atomic number, exploring its attributes, characteristics, uses, and interesting stories behind its discovery. Complete with a comprehensive introduction, conclusion, and glossary, this is the perfect introduction to chemistry for inquisitive minds.

Wrapped in a double-sided jacket, with the illustrated periodic table printed on the underside, Exploring the Elements is jam-packed with 240 pages of information.

Follow Sara Gillingham on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saragillinghamstudio/

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Kay’s Anatomy: A Complete (and Completely Disgusting) Guide to the Human Body (Hardback) Adam Kay (author), Henry Paker (illustrator)

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 30 Nov 2020

The human body is extraordinary and fascinating and, well … pretty weird. Yours is weird, mine is weird, your maths teacher’s is even weirder.

This book is going to tell you what’s actually going on in there, and answer the really important questions, like: Are bogies safe to eat? And… How much of your life will you spend on the toilet? About a year – so take a good book. (I recommend this one.) So sit back, relax, put on some rubber gloves and let a doctor take you on a poo- and puke-filled tour of your insides. Welcome to Kay’s Anatomy.

Kay’s first book, This is Going to Hurt, based on diaries from his former career as a doctor, was published in 2017. Kay’s second  was Twas the Nightshift before Christmas.

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Dasher: How a Brave Little Doe Changed Christmas Forever by Matt Tavares

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“Gorgeous illustrations make this one sure to fly off shelves” KIRKUS

Now in paperback…
Discover the magical story of Dasher, Santa’s very first reindeer, in a Christmas gift-book to treasure year after year.

Dasher is a little doe with a wish in her heart. She spends her days with her family under the hot sun in a travelling circus, but she longs for a different life – one where there is snow beneath her hooves and the North Star above her head. One day, when the opportunity arises, Dasher seizes her destiny and takes off in pursuit of the life she wants to live. It’s not long before she meets a nice man in a red suit with a horse-drawn sleigh, a man named Santa. And soon, with the help of a powerful Christmas wish, nothing will be the same…
Matt Tavares’ beautifully illustrated and evocatively told story bristles with all the magic of the festive season.

Follow Matt on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tavaresbooks/

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The Queen, the Princes and the Mermaid: Hans Christian Andersen’s Most Enchanting Tales ill. Lucie Arnoux (illustrator) tr. Misha Hoekstra

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 26 Nov 2020

A girl journeys across unknown lands to rescue her friend from the clutches of The Snow Queen, who has imprisoned his heart in ice. A sister struggles to break the spell that has turned her ten princely brothers into swans. A mermaid decides to leave her underwater world behind for love. These renowned fairy tales, brimming with imaginative richness, are some of the most magical and inspiring ever written. Contains: ‘The Snow Queen’, ‘The Wild Swans’, ‘The Nightingale’, ‘The Little Mermaid’, ‘The True-Hearted Tin Soldier’.

Lucie Arnoux, the illustrator, left her native South of France in 2011 to sketch around in London. She graduated from Kingston University in Illustration and Animation in 2013, and has since been working for a variety of clients.
Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciedrawsthings/

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Erin’s Diary: An Official Derry Girls Book by Lisa McGee

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The first official tie-in for the TV comedy series.

In the manner of the very best TV comedy books, Erin’s Diary is a hilarious ‘in world’ publication that extends the laugh-out-loud humour of Derry Girls onto the page. With Erin’s inner take on everything that has happened so far, this book will both dive deeper into the events we have seen unfold on the screen and unveil brand-new stories and never-before-revealed details about characters. Complete with newspaper clippings, doodles, poetry, school reports, handwritten notes from her friends, and much much more, Erin’s Diary is as warm, funny and brilliantly observed as the TV shows – a must-have for fans this Christmas.

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The Empty Stocking by Richard Curtis ill. Rebecca Cobb

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In this fantastically funny and heartwarming story by Richard Curtis, scriptwriter of Four Weddings and a Funeral and Love Actually, it’s Christmas Eve and there’s one very important question on everyone’s mind – have YOU been good this year? For twins Sam and Charlie this is a big worry. Charlie has been especially naughty and everyone is sure that she won’t get any presents AT ALL. But when Santa makes a mistake, it’s up to Charlie to put things right…

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