Many titles have full reviews and additional images that can be accessed by clicking on the book covers.
The Liszts
Meet the Liszts, a family who love spending their time making lists. They make lists all of the time except on Sundays, Sunday is a listless day. They have lists of illnesses, chores, cheeses, enemies, things to do and so on; if you can think of it, then they had a list for it. But what happens when a visitor turns up who isn't on anyones list...
Page Count: 40
Genre: Life lesson Themes: Family, home, illness, music 'a word about books' says…”While lots of us find great satisfaction in writing a good list, this is a quirky and peculiar take on the importance of always having room on the list for the unexpected and the joy that can be found in spontaneity"
|
The Lost Thing
Distracted from his bottle-top collecting, the boy waited at the beach for someone to take the most unusual looking object home with them, but no-one did. The thing was most definitely lost and despite the best efforts of the boy no-one shows any interest in the thing. There must be a solution to the mystery of the lost thing because everything has a place in the world...
Page Count: 32
Genre: Fantasy Themes: Acceptance, loss, belonging, social issues, life lesson 'a word about books' says…”So much to look at and discuss in this quirky book that explores how childhood curiosity disappears with age and that as we get older we only notice the mundane. Walk with your head up and your eyes open, you never know what you might find."
|
Mechanica
There was once a time when wildlife was plentiful, but humankind has grown and their activities have become ever more harmful to the natural world and animals no longer exist in their original form. In their place…Mechanica - human-created replacements for what has been lost...
Page Count: 32
Genre: Fantasy Themes: Nature, environment, natural world, life lesson 'a word about books' says…”This amalgamation of technology and animals will appeal to many readers. The world that it imagines may seem far fetched but it could in fact be a reality that may not be that far away at all. We have all been warned."
|
Nicky & Vera: A Quiet Hero of the Holocaust and the Children He Rescued
1938 was a dangerous time to be a Jew and as the German army marched into the border region of Czechoslovakia, a young man by the name of Nicholas (Nicky) Winton pre-empted the dangers. From a hotel in Prague he formed a plan, a plan to save the lives of hundreds of children...
Page Count: 64
Genre: Historical, non-fiction narrative Themes: International, World War II, heroes, life story 'a word about books' says…”This is an incredible story and I had to keep reminding myself that these events actually happened as it is all seems so impossible and improbable. Nicky was determined to overcome the odds that were stacked against him. He was a man doing what needed to be done. He was the quiet hero whose actions saved the lives of 669 children."
|
The Phone Booth in Mr. Hirota's Garden
Maiko and his neighbour, Mr. Hirota, shared the same routine each morning. From the edge of Mr. Hirota’s garden they would look for their loved ones down at the harbour. It was a game, and it was one that Maiko would always win. It was a game that they were playing when their lives would change forever. It was the day that the big wave came...
Page Count: 32
Genre: Fantasy Themes: Historical, loss, grief, family, love, international, everyday life 'a word about books' says…”Wow, some books just make you stop dead in your tracks and you need a moment to take it all in. This is definitely one of those books. A beautiful, profound and deeply moving read inspired by the tragic tsunami disaster in Japan in 2011."
|
The Red Tree
Awakening to blackened leaves falling from the ceiling of her bedroom and overwhelmed by sadness and darkness, a little girl stumbles around in a world where she is consumed by negativity. Lost in a whirlwind of different feelings and on the cusp of losing all hope she finds that positivity and new beginnings come in the strangest forms when a tiny red seedling grows...
Page Count: 32
Genre: Fantasy Themes: Depression, anxiety, mental health, well-being, hope 'a word about books' says…”We all have days when we are feeling sad and nothing seems right with the world but it is important to remember that there is always hope, and with a new day come new possibilities, or in the case of this book, a small, red leaf."
|
The River
The river Po is the longest river in Italy, flowing from the Cottian Alps in the West to the Adriatic Sea in the East. Just as time passes, so the river flows. As the seasons change, so the river changes too. Through observations of the river and the people who live along its bank, Alessandro Sanna captures the wondrous nature of the river and the seasons...
Page Count: 110
Genre: Everyday life Themes: Environment, change 'a word about books' says…”This almost wordless picture book is literally a work of art. Sanna's evocative paintings bring the personality of the river to life and encourage the reader to create their own imaginative stories to tell their own tale of the beautiful watercolour scenes."
|
Ruben
In a futuristic city a boy lives alone. The city has long since been vacated and is now a mass of derelict homes and abandoned industrial zones. He hides in the shadows, out of the sight of the machines and their controllers. In another part of the city, Koji - a young girl - lives a similar existence. Together they may be able to come up with a plan to both escape Block City…
Page Count: 96
Genre: Fantasy Themes: Adventure, friendship, loneliness, dystopian 'a word about books' says…”Should go down well with fans of Shaun Tan, Mel Tregonning and David Ouimet. This dark, mysterious and at some times frightening read is a story about surviving in the face of adversity and finding a way when all hope is gone."
|
Shackleton's Journey
On 8th August 1914, Ernest Shackleton and his crew set out aboard the ship Endurance to accomplish something that had never been done before. They were to attempt to cross the entire continent of Antarctica from sea to sea via the South Pole. But what started out as an adventure would rapidly turn into an epic battle for survival against the odds...
Page Count: 80
Genre: Historical, non-fiction narrative Themes: Journeys, survival, international 'a word about books' says…”A superb read that is informative, interesting and wonderfully illustrated. It is a book to savour and one that children with aspirations of exploring and adventuring will truly delight in."
|
Small Things
A young boy trying to fit in at school struggles to make friends. His academic levels are dipping, social rejections are regular, he is angry at family and the demons that are gathering in his life will just not go away. With every new problem things worsen and anxiety and depression slowly dig their clutches into the boy. But he is not alone and help is never far away...
Page Count: 40
Genre: Life lesson, everyday life Themes: Depression, self-awareness, self-esteem, fear, mental health, school 'a word about books' says…"This wordless book powerfully captures the struggles of one young boy, with the little demons that at first surround him before eating into his very existence. For anyone who has ever felt this way, you are very much not alone and help is never far away."
|
A Stone for Sascha
Someone will be missing from the family holiday this year. Mourning the loss of her beloved pet dog, a young girl and her family head off to the beach. On an ocean walk the girl seeks the perfect thing to memorialise Sascha and finds a smooth pebble with a story all of its own...
Page Count: 48
Genre: Everyday life Themes: Loss, grief, nature, animals 'a word about books' says…”The thought provoking illustrations in this wordless book tell a tale as old as time and it is one that needs to be read many times to be truly appreciated."
|
Teacup
A young boy who has to leave home carries with him a few homely possessions. The most precious of all, a teacup full of earth from where he used to play is a final reminder of home. A long journey at sea awaits him as he leaves one home in search of another....
Page Count: 40
Genre: Adventure Themes: Migration, moving home 'a word about books' says…”A sensitive read that any child who is going through a time of change and upheaval could find comfort and solace in. A lovely big hug of a tale about leaving home and finding another."
|
Town Is by the Sea
Everyday a young boy watches his father walk from their home, over the grass, down the path, towards the cliffs and then head deep underground to mine for coal. The day will come when the boy treads this same path, just like his father, just like his grandfather...for he is a miner's son...
Page Count: 52
Genre: Everyday life Themes: Seaside, family, community, responsibility, international 'a word about books' says…”A moving portrayal of a young boy growing up in a mining town. Childhood innocence is beautifully contrasted against adult responsibility as bright days above ground will ultimately give way to dark days under it."
|
Varmints
There was a time when animals and insects made their homes amongst the 'wiry grass', in the 'cool dark earth' and way up above in the 'high blue sky'. Then the 'others' came, bringing noise, destruction and building huge cities where the grass once stood. With nowhere to call home, one little creature sets out to plant the seeds of change...
Page Count: 40
Genre: Life lesson Themes: Nature, environment 'a word about books' says…”In a busy and noisy world this book demands quiet contemplation. A deep and thought provoking book about humans and the impact that we have on our environment and the role we must play to preserve the natural world."
|
The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain
Peter Sis grew up behind the Iron Curtain. Raised on order and confirming to the expectations of society, he did what he was told and participated in numerous compulsory activities. Then snippets of life outside the curtain began to slip through and Sis was exposed to new things that fascinated him. Whilst the regime could control his creativity it couldn't stop his dreams...
Page Count: 56
Genre: Historical, non-fiction narrative Themes: Growing-up, international, life story, everyday life 'a word about books' says…”An outstanding graphic memoir of a child growing up behind the Iron Curtain trying to make sense of the world he is raised in and the world of temptation and forbidden fruits that lie outside the wall. Essential reading."
|
The Wanderer
Launched from the Exploratio in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, a little paper boat heads on an epic and awe-inspiring journey towards home. A long journey of breath-taking scenery, polluted seas, marine creatures, hybrid ocean dwellers and dangerous encounters lies ahead. Can ‘The Wanderer’ navigate the vast ocean expanses and make it back safely…
Page Count: 96
Genre: Fantasy, adventure Themes: Ocean, imagination 'a word about books' says…”A strange and surreal fantasy adventure that is perhaps a metaphor for the journey of life; the ups and downs that we experience, the times we save others and the times that we need saving, the darker moments and the brighter ones."
|
Way Home
Shane is used to life on the gritty streets where he must survive on his instincts and only look out for himself. On a dark night and heading towards home he finds a lost kitten. There is something about this kitten that draws Shane to it, and 'Spitfire, Kitten Number One' is coming with him. Can Shane defy the gangs, traffic and fierce animals of the night to make his way home...
Page Count: 32
Genre: Everyday life Themes: Companionship, connection to place, displacement, home, homelessness, human spirit, identity, perseverance, stereotypes 'a word about books' says…”The place we call home is different for each of us, and 'Way Home' is a powerful and evocative portrayal of a life lived on the streets."
|
The Wind in the Wall
There was a time when the man was a gardener to the Duke of Northumberland but then the pineapple arrived. The gardener resented the garish fruit and found it impossible to grow. A stranger claimed he could charm the wretched fruit but the gardener was not convinced and set out to prove the fraud. And this would see him make the most untimely of wishes…
Page Count: 32
Genre: Ghost Themes: Love, loss 'a word about books' says…”A dark, moody and mysterious, fairy-tale from award-winning author Sally Gardner. As the words on the back cover warn, “Be careful what you wish for…” This is very much a cautionary tale and readers be warned, there is no happy ending.”
|
Wishes
Everything wishes for something. ‘The night wished it was quieter. The bag wished it was deeper. The light wished it was brighter.’ One little girl wishes she didn’t have to leave home but not all wishes come true. Maybe one day there won’t be the need to wish for anything anymore…
Page Count: 40
Genre: Everyday life Themes: Kindness, bravery, hope, love, refugees, immigration 'a word about books' says…”Inspired by the author’s own family, Wishes is a powerful, captivating and timeless story that encapsulates the heartache, the hopes, the sacrifices, the dangers and the courage that are felt when one becomes a refugee."
|
The Wizard The Ugly and The Book of Shame
If you were to climb the many thousands of steps you would arrive at the castle of a wizard who can grant you your innermost wish. The wizard's assistant, Chancery, has a wish of his own. When Leitmeritz disappears on wizard business, Chancery seizes his opportunity to use the Red Book of Spells. But magic is a dangerous thing and should only be used by true wizards...
Page Count: 32
Genre: Fantasy Themes: Magic, diversity, acceptance, monsters 'a word about books' says…”A magical tale with spell-binding illustrations about accepting who you are. Beauty starts from within, and no amount of make-up, magic and sorcery can beat laughter and a smile."
|
The Wolves in the Walls
There are noises coming from the walls of Lucy's house and she is convinced that there are wolves in the walls. Wolves in the walls are bad news because everybody knows, when the wolves come out of the walls, it is all over. But for Lucy this is just the beginning...
Page Count: 56
Genre: Fantasy, horror Themes: Animals, fear, monsters, supernatural, family, home 'a word about books' says…”Suspense, mystery and frights aplenty in a unique picture book. Readers will need to muster up bravery, courage and some of main character Lucy’s fearless resolve to make it through to the end. Probably best not to read this one before bedtime."
|