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Issun Boshi: The One-Inch Boy by Icinori

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 6 May 2026

Publisher: Little Gestalten
ISBN: 9783967048001

This is a revised edition of a book first published in 2014.

Icinori are Mayumi Otero and Raphaël Urwiller, an acclaimed French illustrator duo. Otero is known for her playful, ironic drawings and etchings in children’s books, while Urwiller brings his expertise as a graphic designer and illustrator for leading newspapers and magazines. Together they reimagined Issun Bôshi with intricate detail and a style inspired by Asian traditions, creating a work that bridges folklore and contemporary book art.

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Discover more about this creative duo:

Fresh by Rhiannon Oliver ill. Chris Riddell

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 23 Apr 2026

Publisher: Firefly Press Ltd
ISBN: 9781917718226

A debut collection from a poet whose name is new to ACHUKA (and should not have been). We like what we find.

Inspired by everything from cloud-gazing to cat fleas, FRESH explores starting over, nature, expressing your feelings and kindness. There  poems also touch on subjects such as shifting friendships, sadness and coping with worry.

With gorgeous illustrations from former Children’s Laureate, Chris Riddell…

Rhiannon Oliver is a poet, actress, workshop facilitator, and early years story-time leader based in Cardiff. She trained as an actress at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and has worked in theatres such as The National Theatre, Shakespeare’s Globe, and National Theatre of Wales.  

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I am Ray’s Imaginary Friend by Brian Moses ill. Bethan Welby

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 16 Mar 2026

Publisher: Scallywag Press
ISBN: 9781836300342

See also:
On Poetry Street [ACHUKA Book of the Day 27 Jun 2024]
Selfies With Komodos [ACHUKA Book of the Day 30 Jan 2023]
The Best Ever Book of Funny Poems [ACHUKA Book of the Day 18 Mar 2021]

“Quietly brilliant, this is a book that explores coping with change and becoming mentally stronger and the powerful influence of empathy.” RedReadingHub
“Beautifully illustrated throughout with the illustrator sensitively capturing scenes from the story.” ThroughTheBookshelf

A debut verse novel from one of the UK’s most established children’s poets.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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Ray loves life in his village, until one day he hears his parents talking about moving house. Horrified by the idea, Ray invents an imaginary friend to talk to and even runs away.

Eventually Ray is able to accept the move, and also the Ukrainian refugee mother and child who come to live with his family in their new home.

As Ray finds his feet again, the Imaginary Friend wonders if he is needed any more, or if he can also move on?

 

 
 
 
 
 
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Rumpelstiltskin by Mac Barnett ill. Carson Ellis

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 12 Mar 2026

Publisher: Scholastic US
ISBN: 9781338673852

See also by Mac Barnett:
The First Cat In Space And The Soup Of Doom [ACHUKA Book of the Day 17 Nov 2023]
Twenty Questions [ACHUKA Book of the Day 6 Apr 2023]
The Three Billy Goats Gruff [ACHUKA Book of the Day 16 Jan 2023]

“[Barnett’s] sly retelling is perfectly complemented by art that at times resembles classical portraiture. Ellis also harkens back to fairy-tale images of yore with both lushly illustrated gouache pictures and small interstitial black-and-white spot art. Characters present white. Deeply familiar but infused with 21st-century smarts; expect cries for repeated reads.” KIRKUS
“Rumpelstiltskin pops out of trap doors and flaming hearths like a demonic figure from medieval or early modern theatre, his nutcracker grin obliterated by the queen’s correct guess while steam pours out of his ears at his defeat. Other historical homages—the relatively flat color palette of blues, greens, and browns, the wall tapestries in the palace—enhance the storybook feel while bringing minimalist freshness to the page.” MUSE
“Short, punchy text juices the tale’s momentum (“Deal,” the girl replies to the wily man’s offers), while portraits trace the miller’s daughter’s journey from frog-catching child to regal royal and back again in this haunting tale about the power of knowing someone’s name.” PublishersWeeekly

Rediscover a tale of gold spun with lies . . .

Once upon a time there was a clever girl with a not-so-clever father.

When her father claims she can spin straw into gold, the king forces the girl to perform this impossible task.

She has other choice than to accept a strange deal from a mysterious little man. But when he arrives and attempts to collect the debt, the fiendish trickster Rumpelstiltskin discovers that he is the one who has been tricked!

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And follow Carson Ellis there too:

Poetry Pizza by Simon Mole ill. Tom McLaughlin

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 17 Feb 2026

Publisher: Otter-Barry Books
ISBN: 9781915659866

Has your dad ever filled up the bath with 48 litres of lemonade? Have you ever seen a battle rapping badger? Have you ever felt so tired that you can only think in zig zags?

Welcome to the poetry world of Simon Mole – a place of rhyme, rhythm, and wonder.

The poem on p32

From magical creatures that deliver marshmallows to your bedroom when you’re bored to a cure for the end of day blues, these poems celebrate the wonder of words, the joys of everyday life and the power of imagination.

Whether you’re reading aloud, performing for friends, or dreaming up verses of your own, this is a book you’ll return to time and time again. Funny, fantastical, and full of feeling – there’s a poem in here for everyone!

You can follow Simon on

 

 
 
 
 
 
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And subscribe to his YouTube channel: 
https://www.youtube.com/@SimonMole/videos

The collection is illustrated by Tom McLaughlin:

 

 
 
 
 
 
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Small Poems for Big Imaginations by Neal Zetter ill. Will Hughes

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 22 Jan 2025

Publisher: Otter-Barry Books
ISBN: 9781915659873

Neal writes: “My 14th poetry book, ‘Small Poems for Big Imaginations’, is a collection of 55 very short poems to engage the less-keen reader, while bookworms will love it too. It’s the School Reading List’s fictional book of the month for January and, as always, there’s plenty of word play and humour inside plus some more thoughtful poems. This is my third book published with Otter-Barry Books. ”

Small poems are fabulous fun
So I thought I would write this one
It will not be too long I think
Cos my pen has run out of

Neal Zetter’s new collection is an example of the fun, enjoyment and new understandings that poetry can bring. All the poems are short, direct and entertaining. Whether reading with a single child or a group, they arouse immediate interest and are perfect for reading aloud.

Year 6 children in a London primary school foolowed the production from draft to publication: here are some of the things they said about it:

  • “A book where you go up and down and swirl around”
  • “Neal’s poems challenge me, but I enjoy figuring out the jokes”
  • “His poems inspire me and make me want to ROAR with joy”

Neal Zetter is a London-based comedy performance poet, author, and entertainer who uses poetry writing and performance to develop literacy, confidence, self-expression, creativity, and presentation skills.

You can follow Will Hughes, the book’s illustrator on

 

 
 
 
 
 
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Dream a Dress, Dream a Poem: Dressmaker and Poet, Myra Viola Wilds by Nancy Johnson James ill. Diana Ejaita

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 9 Dec 2025

Waterstones
Bookshop

See also:
I’ll See You in Ijebu by Bunmi Emenanjo ill. Diana Ejaita [ACHUKA Book of the Day 19 Mar 2025]

“Beautifully crafted and compellingly celebratory.” KIRKUS
“In stunning saturated colorblock illustrations that foreground Wilds’s work and transformation, Ejaita plays with scale and proportion.” PublishersWeekly

This lyrical, gorgeously illustrated picture book biography celebrates this little-known poet and includes a biography that provides context to her life—the Great Migration, Jim Crow segregation—as well as a photograph and a small selection of her poems.

What dreams do you carry? Myra Viola Wilds dreamed of opportunity. She left her home in rural Kentucky for the city, learned to read and to write, and became a dressmaker. She hand-stitched gorgeous gowns. She worked so hard she lost her eyesight, and her world went dark. But those well-loved stitches turned into words, and one night Myra woke and wrote a poem she called “Sunshine.”

She kept writing. She wrote the lush green, sweet-corn yellow, cerulean blue, sunshine-y world from memory, collecting her poems into a book called Thoughts of Idle Hours, published in 1915.

You can follow the illustrator, Diana Ejaita, on . ACHUKA always lover her New Yorker cover art:

 

 
 
 
 
 
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Five Little Friends: A Collection of Finger Rhymes by Sean Taylor ill. Fiona Woodcock

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 8 Dec 2025
A KIRKUS Best Picture Book of the Year 2025

Waterstones
Bookshop

“Woodcock’s illustrations employ crayoned linework and painted and spattered color to portray busy children with varied skin tones, hair textures, and abilities. She cleverly incorporates visual cues into her compositions to suggest actions for the rhymes… A fresh, wonderfully creative, and visually engaging array of rhymes to get kids moving.” KIRKUS
“A singsong volume that gets bodies moving and pages turning.” PublishersWeekly

Here are 34 original poems by poet and author Sean Taylor that each come with its own accompanying easy-to-follow directions for actions and movement.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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Any child is in safe hands with this ingenious one-of-a-kind interactive poetry collection.

Stunningly illustrated by Fiona Woodcock, FIVE LITTLE FRIENDS offers parents and caregivers simple and joyful ways to sing and play with their little ones as well as encouraging both children AND grown-ups to use their fingers, hands, arms, legs and even feet to become a stomping elephant, falling snow or bursting fireworks!

Held in a big, handsomely sturdy picture book format – just right for sharing – this book is sure to help entertain and engage wriggling babies or busy toddlers. Finger rhymes are a beautifully simple way to help children develop and work on their fine motor skills while supporting their social and emotional development.

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This Is Not A Small Voice: Poems by Black Poets selected by Traci N. Todd ill. Jade Orlando

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 28 Nov 2025

Waterstones
Bookshop

“This stellar combination of poetry and art draws readers into the wide experiences of being Black.” SLJ
“A stunning collection of poetry by Black poets, celebrating Blackness across the world.” BookTrust


A beautiful, bold and moving gift collection of 100 poems by Black poets for the whole family to treasure.

Discover classic favourites and new stars in a book that belongs on every child’s bookshelf. This gorgeously-illustrated children’s anthology makes the perfect introduction to poets such as Lucille Clifton, Langston Hughes, Benjamin Zephaniah, Gwendolyn Brooks, Maya Angelou, Amanda Gorman, Caleb Femi and Joseph Coelho. It also features brand new work from celebrated writers such as Nikki Grimes and Carole Boston Weatherford.

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Oscar Wilde’s Stories for Children ill. Lauren O’Hara

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 20 Nov 2025

Waterstones
Bookshop

See also:
The Magic Of The Ballet [ACHUKA Book of the Day 7 Oct 2022]
Frindleswylde [ACHUKA Book of the Day 1 Nov 2021]
Madame Badobedah [ACHUKA Book of the Day 25 Nov 2019]
The Bandit Queen
Hortense And The Shadow
Once Upon A Fairytale

Oscar Wilde’s children’s tales have enchanted readers young and old alike for over a hundred years. This stunning new hardback edition is beautifully illustrated in full colour by Lauren O’Hara, one of ACHUKA’s favourite illustrators, and features six of Wilde’ classic tales, including ‘The Happy Prince’ and ‘The Selfish Giant’.

Lauren’s lovely watercolour illustrations are the perfect accompaniment here.

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