ACHUKAreviews

  • Back to main ACHUKA page…

Willy’s Stories

December 6, 2014 By admin Leave a Comment

Anthony Browne

Walker Books

9781406351613

September 2014

hardback

Published to celebrate 30 years of Willy The Wimp.
The book is straightforward in format. Words on the left, pictures on the right, each one in full-page full-colour glory.
As we move through the book, Willy passes through a set of doors to a fresh adventure, based on ten classic children’s tales and stories, so that not only is this book a celebration of Browne’s own creativity, but a general celebration of story and imagination.
Simply wonderful.

Tweet

Filed Under: Picture Books Tagged With: classics, stories

Sam & Dave Dig A Hole by Mac Barnett & Jon Klassen

December 6, 2014 By admin Leave a Comment

Mac Barnett, ill. Jon Klassen

Walker Books

978140635776

October 2014

hardback

What children don’t just love to dig holes. Just for the fun of digging holes – and the the deeper the better. This book picks up on that fascination. Particularly clever is the way the depth of the page is used. So that when they start out Sam and Dave and their dog (never mentioned in the words) take up a small space at the bottom of the first two pages. Not until we are about eight pages in, and the hole is beginning to get deep, is the full depth of book filled by Klassen’s artwork. Will the two boys find treasure? Will they find something spectacular?

Klassen and Barnett have teamed up once before, on the book Extra Yarn.

Tweet

Filed Under: Picture Books Tagged With: digging, holes

Something About A Bear

December 6, 2014 By admin Leave a Comment

Jackie Morriss

Frances Lincoln

9781847805164

October 2014

hardback

Jackie Morris’s gorgeous, double-page-spread artwork is accompanied by suitably grand, noble and lyrical prose about each kind of bear featured. And at the back, for the information hungry, there is a more prosaic paragraph of description.
Another lovely book from this picture book artist.

Information about the book on Jackie Morris’s own webiste.

Tweet

Filed Under: Picture Books Tagged With: animals, bears

The Rabbit And The Shadow

December 5, 2014 By admin Leave a Comment

Melanie Rutten tr. Sarah Ardizzone

Book Island

9780994109804

October 2014

hardback

Finished

Let us hope that this is just the first of Melanie Rutten’s books to be translated into English, because I want to be able to appreciate absolutely everything she creates. This book – broadly about growing in confidence and becoming independent, but about much else along the way – has that surreal, quirky individuality which I thrill at discovering in a picture book. The book’s cast – a rabbit, a stag, a soldier, a cat, a book and a shadow – are each given their own ‘chapters’ as the story unfolds whilst Rutten’s watercolour illustrations complement the narrative seamlessly. She uses lots of smaller illustrations as well as pagespreads and the book has been sumptuously designed and printed on thick paper by the New Zealand publisher, Book Island.

One to make a point of asking to look at whenever you are in a bookshop – and if the shop isn’t stocking it you should tell them that they absolutely must!

Tweet

Filed Under: Picture Books Tagged With: French, illustration, quirky, translation

Jim’s Lion

December 4, 2014 By admin Leave a Comment

Russell Hoban, illustrated by Alexis Deacon

Walker Books

9781847805850

June 2014

hardback

Finished

Russell Hoban’s story, Jim’s Lon, was first published in 2001 – it has now been given new illustrations by Alexis Deacon who also illustrated Hoban’s final book, Soonchild) with one long section presented in word-free graphic novel style.
This lovely hardback will become a treasured possession of any chld lucky to be given a copy this Christmas.

Tweet

Filed Under: Picture Books Tagged With: Christmas, dream, imagination

Atlas Of Adventures

December 4, 2014 By admin Leave a Comment

written by Rachel Williams, illustrated by Lucy Letherland

Wide Eyed

9781847805850

October 2014

hardback

Finished

Last year the big oversized book success was Maps by Aleksandra and Daniel Mizielinski. This year the big book title being stacked high on display tables in children’s departments is Atlas of Adventures, a really well-produced highly-illustrated compendium of geography and general knowledge. Interestingly, it was Rachel Williams who was the publisher of Maps while at Templar. She is listed as this book’s author, and is now publisher at Frances Lincoln, part of the Qaurto group responsible for Wide Eyed editions.

Tweet

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Picture Books, Reference Tagged With: general knowledge, geography, information

Over The Hills And Far Away – a treasury of nursery rhymes

December 4, 2014 By admin Leave a Comment

collected by Eliuzabeth Hammill

Frances Lincoln

9781847804068

October 2014

hardback

Finished

Simply wonderful new collection of 150 nursery rhymes, with each double-spread illustrated by 77 different international artists. Lovers of children’s book illustration will find it hard to resist buying two copies – one to keep for their own pleasure and a another to give as a gift to a friend or family member with a young child.
Highly recommended.

Tweet

Filed Under: Picture Books Tagged With: illustration, nursery rhymes

The Flute

November 19, 2011 By achuka Leave a Comment

Rachna Gilmore ill,. Pulak Biswas

Tradewind

9781896580579

June 2011

32 pp

Whole book read

Read On? n/a

Movingly told, simply but effectively illustrated by one of India’s best-known illustrators, this is a lovely short story by Governor General Award-winning author, Rachna Gilmore.
Set in a countryside prone to flooding, it tells the story of Chandra who is left an orphan after her parents are swept away by floodwater. All she has to remember them by is the wooden flute that her mother used to play so beautifully. Taken in by a cruel and merciless aunt and uncle, Chandra is treated as a slave. The flute is the only object of comforrt in her world. Even after she loses it (swept away by swollen river waters) the flute is able to perform its magic, filling her spirit with hope, and even feeding her body.
Finally, after another flood, Chandra is taken in by a kind couple, who treat her not as a slave but as their own daughter.
Pleasingly designed and printed, this is a picture book to keep in a home library for many a year.
Warmly recommended.

Tweet

Filed Under: Picture Books

Again!

November 17, 2011 By achuka Leave a Comment

Emily Gravett

Macmillan

9780230745360

October 2011

24 pp

Whole book read

Read On? n/a

Emily Gravett is already a two-times winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal. Her new picture book is another class act. The book-within-a-book tells the tale – in splendidly executed, easy to read aloud rhyme – of Cedric the Dragon, whose end of day refrain is “Tomorrow I’ll do it all over again.” The young dragon who is being read to by parent dragon also shouts “Again” on every alternate double spread. But in his case it is the storybook he wants to hear again.
In a clever twist at the end, dragon fire burns a big hole in the final page and right through the back cover of the book. The fly-leaf carries the message DO NOT BLOCK FIRE EXIT.
I like the way the jacket designers have continued to play the game and aid suspension of disbelief by making this “fire exit” obscure a big chunk of the back page blurb. One thing is for sure, young children will want to share this book Again and Again even if it’s just to poke their fingers through that hole.

Tweet

Filed Under: Picture Books

Me And You

September 16, 2010 By achuka Leave a Comment

Anthony Browne

Doubleday

9780385614894

April 2010

Anthony Browne’s wonderful riff on Goldilocks and the Three Bears has the dedication “For all underdogs”. Goldilocks is no fairytale character in this version, but a modern little girl in hoodie living in a dull grey terrace. She goes out shopping with her mum. Their gloomy expressions speak of a desolate home atmosphere. Whilst her mother browses longingly in a butcher shop window – you get the impression she is too poor to buy the fresh meat on display – the girl goes chasing a stray balloon. All this takes place on the left-hand page of each spread. Meanwhile, on page right the bear family wake up and go for a stroll. They look like bears but dress and talk like ordinary people. “Daddy talked about his work and Mummy talked about her work. I just messed about,” baby bear tells us.
After the girl has entered the bears’ house, and they duly return, the tale follows its traditional course but Browne has created a version that will get children thinking and talking and reacting to the clever artistry.
Five achukachicks, of course!

Tweet

Filed Under: Picture Books

« Previous Page
Next Page »

Categories

  • Adult
  • Audiobook
  • Chapter Books
  • Counting
  • Drama
  • Early Readers
  • Fairytales & Retellings
  • Fantasy
  • Fiction
  • Graphic Novels
  • Historical
  • Humour
  • Mystery/Thriller
  • Non-Fiction
  • Picture Books
  • Poetry
  • Pop-Ups
  • Reference
  • SciFi
  • Series
  • Teen/YA
  • Uncategorized
  • War

Archives

  • August 2018
  • February 2018
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • May 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • November 2011
  • September 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • September 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • February 2010
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • June 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • July 2008
  • March 2008
  • November 2007
  • October 2007
  • September 2007
  • May 2007
  • April 2007
  • February 2007
  • January 2007
  • December 2006
  • November 2006
  • September 2006
  • August 2006
  • July 2006
  • June 2006
  • May 2006
  • April 2006
  • March 2006
  • February 2006
  • January 2006
  • December 2005
  • November 2005
  • October 2005

Copyright ACHUKA © 2021 · designed on Genesis Framework