Mammoth
Anna Kemp, illustrated by Adam Beer
Simon & Schuster, £6.99
When a woolly mammoth wakes up after thousands of years in a frozen cave, he is confused to find the world completely changed. Setting off to look for his herd takes him to the big city, but can he fit into this new way of life with shouty cavemen and petrol-powered “beetles”? Adam Beer's modern illustrations have a touch of Quentin Blake, and Anna Kemp's writing is amusing and full of joyful pop culture in-jokes. At face value it describes the frustrations of living in a society where no-one seems to understand you. It is aimed at children over three, but is really a celebration of anyone who feels they don't fit in and is looking for their herd ¬– with rainbow-hued trumpeting giving a subtle nod to the LGBT+ community.
(Natalie Bowen)
Hey You!
Dapo Adeola
Puffin, £7.99
Hey You! is a book that needed to be written – and that is a real shame. A collaboration between Dapo Adeola and 18 illustrators, it's a picture book guide showing young people of colour what it means to grow up with prejudice and injustice. A series of clever and witty illustrations matched with informative text guides the reader through a series of situations where they might encounter prejudice, and how to form strategies to overcome a situation before it becomes a problem. Most of all, Hey You! can teach and empower those learning their way in the world how to cope with the injustice of racism and other forms of prejudice.
(Roddy Brooks)
The Woolly Bear Caterpillar
Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Yuval Zommer
Macmillan, £12.99
Julia Donaldson is loved for The Gruffalo, and here she has joined forces with illustrator Yuval Zommer (of the Big Book Of... series) to create a spin on the Ugly Duckling tale. The woolly bear caterpillar is brown, hairy and perfectly content eating dandelion leaves, until a gardener pulls up all the weeds and she has to look for more. She meets a trio of gorgeously colourful caterpillars, and they all expect her to become a dowdy moth – but they are in for a surprise when her cocoon hatches. Gentle lessons in habitat destruction, self-acceptance and snobbery linger under the beautiful, fairy-like illustrations that will enchant three to five-year-olds. It even comes with a mini non-fiction book full of facts about caterpillars and moths in the real world, to encourage further learning.
(Natalie Bowen)
I Spy Island
Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet
Simon & Schuster, £6.99
Imagine a world where an island and his pals play I Spy. Now imagine a world where a fish has fingers – even stranger, but not if you and your children love the work of Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet. They are the whacky duo behind the bestselling Supertato series and their latest offering continues to stretch the imagination. If you have a toddler, imagining Barry The Fish With Fingers and an island with inanimate objects as friends is easy. That is the beauty of the work of Hendra and Linnet; their words and illustrations take you away to a fantasy island where a glove, a bottle, a banana and a bird get up to the craziest fun. Who wants to find out what is in the talking treasure chest? Ask the island and friends, and prepare for the fun.
(Roddy Brooks)
Wild Child: A Journey Through Nature
Dara McAnulty, illustrated by Barry Falls
Macmillan, £14.99
Dara McAnulty, 17, is making waves as a naturalist, hailed by Springwatch presenter Chris Packham and writer Robert Macfarlane for his conservation activism in Northern Ireland. His first book, a sort-of memoir, was published in May 2020 and this oversized follow-up aims to share his love and enthusiasm for nature with primary school-aged children. It is not really a story – more a prose poem blended with a spotter's guide to common wildlife. Artist Barry Falls earns a lot of credit for his gorgeous, double page illustrations of a child in a garden, woodland or hills, contrasted with lifelike depictions of birds and bugs. Every page is beautiful but also packed with information: anything from a brief history of species classification to the collective nouns for birds. There are even instructions on how to make a terrarium and bird feeder – perfect for all children who long to be wild.
(Natalie Bowen)
How To Be Brave
Daisy May Johnson
Pushkin, £7.99
This amusing adventure is full of quirks, heroes and footnotes. Calla is the daughter of Elizabeth North, who is the foremost expert on ducks ¬– particularly one very rare species that a young and recently orphaned Elizabeth rescued and nursed back to health at her convent boarding school. Fast forward to now and Elizabeth is given the chance to study ducks in the Amazon. Making sure Calla will be looked after, she packs her off to the same convent she attended. Instead of being the alternative nurturing environment it used to be, where students could learn to fly and maintain a small plane, a cruel headmistress has taken over and is trying to crush the girls' spirits at every opportunity with lessons like sprout-based algebra and a diet high in kale. It soon becomes apparent there is a hidden motive, and Elizabeth has disappeared. This twisty tale is truly marvellous.
(Rachel Howdle)
Something I Said
Ben Bailey Smith
Bloomsbury, £6.99
For a fast-paced, funny romp, Ben Bailey Smith – otherwise known as rapper Doc Brown – has you covered. Carmichael, 13, (just call him Car) loves wordplay and cracking jokes, but this gets him into a spot of trouble when a school performance skewering his family, teachers and schoolmates goes viral. While some parts of the story feel a bit dated – particularly the slightly stereotypical characters of the nagging, constantly disappointed mum and henpecked, quiet dad – it's hard not to be endeared by Car and his attempts to find fame and happiness, only to realise it might have been at home all along. It's not the most ground-breaking story out there, but it still makes for a fun read.
(Prudence Wade)
Girl (In Real Life)
Tamsin Winter
Usborne, £7.99
At 13, Eva is star of a YouTube channel her parents set up before she was even born. Over the years, fans have followed her first tantrum, winced at her adolescent spots and giggled at her funny outfits, but it's all got a bit much. As Eva decides she's fed up with having zero privacy, she sets about sabotage. What unravels is a story of betrayal, loyalty, love and loss. Encouraging parents and kids to talk to each other about social media, vlogging, right and wrong, this story is everything a kids' book should be. Brilliantly written, Tamsin Winter's third novel is genuinely hard to put down, funny and also heartbreakingly sad in places. The storyline tackles modern teenage issues and stirs up a huge amount of emotion, making it a must-have addition to adolescent bookshelves.
(Claire Spreadbury)
Ace Of Spades
Faridah Abike-Iyimide
Usborne, £8.99
It is the final year at private school Niveus Academy for head girl Chiamaka and talented musician Devon – but their dreams of graduating and attending a top college are threatened by anonymous texter Aces, who starts revealing their secrets to the school. Joining forces to uncover the mysterious saboteur, they are in for a huge shock – but who can they trust? South London author Faridah Abike-Iyimide and Gossip Girl fan wanted to write a story about a private school with black characters as the stars. As the chapters switch between Chiamaka and Devon's story, this gripping high-school thriller will open your eyes to what institutional racism looks like, and is hard to put down.
(Sharron Logan)
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