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The Future Book by Mac Barnett ill. Shawn Harris

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 1 Apr 2026

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Ltd
ISBN: 9781398556805

See also by Mac Barnett:
Rumpelstiltskin [ACHUKA Book of the Day 12 Mar 2026]
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 gets seriously silly as he thinks up gags ideal for reading aloud at storytime. As for Harris’ art, aside from the occasional cool pair of sunglasses or hair dye, the future feels pretty early-21st-century; his colorful ink and gouache illustrations are rife with visual gags. Futuristic terms look as if they were printed on a label maker. Human characters vary in skin tone. It doesn’t take a fortune teller to predict the laughter that will emanate from this world of tomorrow.” KIRKUS
“This silly book is sure to have kids screeching with laughter in a storytime, and the stylistically disproportionate figures with big, squarish heads and exaggerated features will add to the giggles. The new names and phrases are printed on old-fashioned, Dymo-style embossed labels, ironically bringing a retro look to this future world, while the blotchy textures and bold colors of the gouache art make it usable in large groups. The nonsensical phrases and words are the focus of hilarity here, but they’re also a good way to spark conversation about the origins of common phrases and how society could have evolved to this future lexicon. The book as a whole pokes gentle fun at both current society and sci-fi media that relies too heavily on fictional, incomprehensible neologisms.” MUSE
“Barnett’s expert comedic pacing brings the silliness to another dimension; just when we think we know where the joke is going, he throws in a zinger to keep us off balance […] The future is weird; buckle up.” Horn Book

This book is from the future. In the future, books are very popular. One of the most popular books in the future is called THE FUTURE BOOK.

You might think you know what the future is like, and what words and phrases we use. But lots of things are different here in the future. 

Have you seen the colour BLORANGE? You haven’t?
And how is it you say “goodbye” again? It’s not “YOU SMELL LIKE A BABY”?
Well . . . that might seem silly to you, but it’s absolutely normal for us in the future.

You’re invited to turn the pages of this book to discover what else has changed in the future, and to see how the funny word combinations lead to a brilliantly bonkers narrative that will have you rolling in the aisles of the BOLLY BOLLY HOO HOO (that’s what the supermarket in the future is called). 

Follow the illustrator, Shawn Harris, on

The STEM Encyclopedia of Wildlife Words: An Illustrated a to Z of 100 Animal Terms for Kids to Know by Jenny Jacoby designed by Vicky Barker

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 31 March 2026

Publisher: b small publishing limited
ISBN: 9781916851689

 

 
 
 
 
 
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An illustrated encyclopedia covering the top 100 animal-related words that children ought to know. Organised in alphabetical order with each term beautifully and humorously illustrated, the essential concepts will fascinate scientifically minded animal-lovers.

There is a contents list at the front and a full index at the back, plenty of extra words and definitions … plus fascinating facts. 

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Jenny Jacoby is an experienced and respected non-fiction author of non-fiction titles for children. Here are some of her other books:

 

The Dictionary Story by Sam Winston & Oliver Jeffers

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 26 Aug 2024

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“With hijinks and hilarity hidden on every page, this is a sweet, strange, wordy tale bound to delight all who pick it up.” KIRKUS
“A careful-what-you-wish-for story whose meta conceit and comic pacing would tickle any lexicographer.” Publishers Weekly

Dictionary wishes she could tell a story just like the other books. So one day she decides to bring her words to life. How exciting it is, she thinks, that an adventure is finally happening on her very own pages! But what will she do when everything gets out of control, all in a jumble, and her characters collide causing the most enormous tantrum to explode. This isn’t what she wanted at all! How on earth will she find sense in all this chaos? Her friend Alphabet knows exactly what to do and sings a song that brings calm and order to Dictionary’s pages once again.

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And follow Oliver Jeffers too:

L is for Love by Atinuke ill. Angela Brooksbank

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From the creators B Is for Baby comes L Is for Love, a beautiful first book of words perfect for pre-schoolers learning their ABC. Children will love sounding out the words in this playful, adventurous and vibrantly illustrated story set in West Africa.

L is for Luscious Lemons. LOOK! L is for Lazy Lions. L is for Lagos. L is for Love.

A whole family set off to sell their luscious lemons at the market in Lagos. They leave before dawn with lamps in hand and loads on heads. They have quite an adventure ahead of them … over logs, on a leaky lorry, through lightning, past lions and leopards until eventually reaching Lagos. The city is bustling and loud – there are lots of legs to get lost between! – but they can finally sell their luscious lemons.

The illustrator says:

My favourite thing about illustrating Atinuke’s books is getting really absorbed into the African setting by looking for pictures of everything in the text. I look for colours, patterns and atmosphere. From the people, to the buildings to the crafts to the pink dusty earth on the roads. I research everythiing as much as I can so that my pictures feel authentic. The sunshine can be a little elusive in London so I love to imagine being so hot that flip flops must be worn every day!

You can follow her on :

 

 
 
 
 
 
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Letters in Charcoal by Irene Vasco ill. Juan Palomino tr. Lawrence Schimel

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 22 Sep 2023

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“Based on stories told to the author by many Colombian women, this tenderly matter-of-fact tale, translated from Spanish, celebrates the freedom to read in an area where it was once forbidden by colonizers; an author’s note offers context about the descendants of enslaved Africans in the Americas. Vasco’s narrative reminds readers that even in the face of lost connections, the joy of reading can light the way to a brighter future. A heartfelt tale that captures the transformative power of education.” KIRKUS

In the pueblo of Palenque in Colombia, hardly anybody knows how to read. Curious about the letters her older sister Gina receives from a young doctor each month – letters that she is sure contain promises of love – one young girl makes a decision that will change her life, and the lives of every child in the pueblo, forever. With the help of Senor Velandia, the owner of the village shop, she will slowly unlock the letters of the alphabet and discover the magic of reading. And soon she will make a discovery that is more miraculous still – that letters are literally all around her . . .

Irene Vasco is an award-winning Colombian author. She has devoted much of her life to training readers in remote regions of Colombia, and in 2021, was recognised by the Colombian Ministry of Education for a lifetime of work devoted to education.

Juan Palomino is Mexican artist and academic. Among his many awards are the fourth Iberoamerican Catalog of Illustration, the Bologna Children’s Book Fair International Illustration Award and a Golden Apple from the Biennial of Illustration Bratislava.

Worser by Jennifer Ziegler

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One of The Best Children’s Books of 2022 – New York Times

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“A precocious logophile learns that the spaces between words are as important as the words themselves in this funny, clever, compassionate novel. A bullied 12-year-old boy must find a new normal after his mother has a stroke and his life is turned upside down.” New York Times
“The author has developed her main character so well it’s hard to believe it’s not biography—but it can certainly pass as the most entertaining… crossword artillery you’ll ever read. A lexical story of emotional evolution.” KIRKUS

William Wyatt Orser, a socially awkward middle schooler, is a wordsmith who, much to his annoyance, acquired the ironically ungrammatical nickname of “Worser so long ago that few people at school know to call him anything else. Worser grew up with his mom, a professor of rhetoric and an introvert just like him, in a comfortable routine that involved reading aloud in the evenings, criticizing the grammar of others, ignoring the shabby mess of their house, and suffering the bare minimum of social interactions with others. But recently all that has changed. His mom had a stroke that left her nonverbal, and his Aunt Iris has moved in with her cats, art projects, loud music, and even louder clothes. Home for Worser is no longer a refuge from the unsympathetic world at school that it has been all his life.

Feeling lost, lonely, and overwhelmed, Worser searches for a new sanctuary and ends up finding the Literary Club–a group of kids from school who share his love of words and meet in a used bookstore- something he never dreamed existed outside of his home. Even more surprising to Worser is that the key to making friends is sharing the thing he holds dearest: his Masterwork, the epic word notebook that he has been adding entries to for years. But relationships can be precarious, and it is up to Worser to turn the page in his own story to make something that endures so that he is no longer seen as Worser and earns a new nickname, Worder.

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Richard Scarry’s Storybook Dictionary by Richard Scarry

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The ultimate ABC book for beginners with over 2,500 words and 1,000 pictures!

First published in the US in 1966 and as fresh as ever. This large format, chunky hardback is a must for the home library of any young person you know.

Airplane
Baron von Crow is an airplane pilot.
He is a daredevil who zooms through the air.
Be more careful, Baron!

Join Lowly Worm, Hilda Hippo and the Bear, Cat and Bunny families on an ABC adventure! With thousands of pictures, stories, and new words to explore, this one-of-a-kind treasure is a favourite with parents and children alike.

Every illustrated entry is an entry to treasure.

Asleep.
Babykins is asleep.
He is such
a cute little baby
when he is not awake.

A History of Words for Children by Mary Richards ill. Rose Blake

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 28 Sep 2022

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Written in a lively narrative style, the book presents a history of the world and human development through the prism of language, introducing readers to the civilisations, inventions and wordsmiths who have shaped the way we communicate.

Divided into themed chapters, the book explores what words are and how humans communicate using spoken language and sign; the development of written scripts and writing implements, including paper; the history of manuscripts and printed books, including worldwide bestsellers and famous libraries; the process of learning another language; dialects and accents and the way language can reflect our identity; the power of words to calm, inspire, rally crowds and rule nations; graffiti’s role in spreading messages; codes and invented languages; the patterns of poetry; the future of words, including emojis; and languages facing extinction.

Follow Rose Blake, the illustrator, on Instagram:

 

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I can also heartily recommend this tribute to her father, Peter Blake, available from Rough Trade.

365 First Words – Little Word Whizz by Dr. Meredith L. Rowe ill. Monika Forsberg

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 6 Jan 2022

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A rich, visual encyclopaedia of first words from a London-based Swedish illustrator.

A companion title to An Interesting Word for Every Day of the Year (which we also recommend), this title introduces first concepts including colours, numbers and shapes, as well as parts of the body, things that go, animals and the world around us.

Compiled in consultation with a Harvard Professor of Early Learning and Development, who is particularly interested in uncovering how variations in children’s early communicative environments contribute to language development, it’s a book that will be valued in all Early Years settings and in households with young children eagerly developing their speaking, listening and observational skills.

Follow Monika Forsberg on Instagram:

An Interesting Word for Every Day of the Year: Fascinating Words for First Readers – Little Wordsmith by Dr. Meredith L. Rowe ill. Monika Forsberg

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 26 Jan 2021

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Learn a new and inspiring word every day of the year with this book, arranged into 52 seasonally themed spreads.

Each fully illustrated scene provides a f supportive platform to introduce young readers to big words and extend their vocabulary. Curated by a literacy expert, these 365 aspirational words will fire your child’s imagination, help them label their emotions and expand their comprehension. Each word is explained to aid understanding and inspire a love of language.

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

 

 

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