Where's Baby Elephant? by Ali Khodai, reviewed by Pippa Goodhart

 

This is one of those books of simple brilliance that makes you think, why didn't I think of that?! With the flap-opening and animal appeal of classic Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell, Where's Baby Elephant poses its one question, and lets the child unfold again and again until Baby Elephant is found.

Each big spread made of card shows some animals ... then opens to almost magically transform into other animals ... then opens again to perform the same pleasing trick. See how it works -

This is another wonderful, and different, book from Tiny Owl publishers.  Do click through to visit their website full of interest and teaching ideas. And, if you are able to contribute, Tiny Owl are crowdfunding for their survival, having not been given the government grant they applied for. 

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Under The Great Plum Tree by Sufiya Ahmed and Reza Dalvand, reviewed by Pippa Goodhart

This is a story of a kind monkey, gold-hearted, Miss Bandari, who is feeds plums from her tree to a tired and hungry old crocodile, Mr Magarmach.

The silly old crocodile is a show-off, telling stories of brave deeds done in the past. Then he offers to take Miss Bandari for lunch in the swamp ... where King Crocodile awaits, and is hungry. But clever elephant Dame Hati saves both Miss Bandari and her friendship with silly old Mr Magarmach.

This handsome hardback book is full of beauty. Reza Dalvand's pictures could be a starting point for wonderful child artwork, maybe dressing animal story characters, maybe making their setting beautiful, maybe creating the fiercest crocodile.

And the story would be a good starting point to discussion about the different qualities that different characters bring to a friendship group. A story that could make for an excellent assembly, either told from the book or acted out by children.

 Published by Tiny Owl

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Quill Soup, written by Alan Durant, and illustrated by Dale Blankenaar

This is a richly handsome hardback book that retells the traditional story that many of us know as ‘Stone Soup’. But this time the story is in its African form. It’s an ancient story, but apt for our present time, and for our children. Should we share? With strangers?

Just look at the glorious endpaper that meets you when you open the cover.  

Here we have a cast of pangolins, monkeys, warthogs, aardvarks, meercats, pelicans and more, all being mean to the stranger they spot coming their way. They hide. And when porcupine traveller Noko knocks on their doors asking for food they all pretend not to have any. Alan Durant’s text quite rightly doesn’t point out what we can observe in the pictures. Actually they all have plenty to spare. 

Here is Rabbit claiming that she has no carrots left –

The resident animals have all lied, so isn’t fair enough that Noko then does some lying of his own? As the text says, Noko’s ‘brains are as sharp as the quills on his back.’ He begins making quill soup, just as the king likes it, his story drawing the animals near. But it appears that the soup could be made even better if it had a few carrots in it. Oh, Rabbit does have some carrots to spare after all! What about mealies, and worms, and beans and peas and potatoes and spinach … producing a wonderful cauldron of soup that Noko then shares with them all, along with some shared songs. So he’s kind as well as clever. And the animals, no longer feeling mean now that they’ve come to know Noko, and impressed by his acquaintance with the king, offer him the best bed for the night. 

A wonderful story, wonderfully told, and illustrated in vivid prime colours and dramatic black to give busy pictures full of extra interest and humour. 

With so much to notice, and so many points to talk about, this book would make a perfect present to an individual child or to a school.

Published by Tiny Owl in their One Story Many Voices series

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The Drum, written by Ken Wilson-Max and illustrated by Catell Ronca, reviewed by Pippa Goodhart

From the moment of our conception, we grow to a rhythm of a beating hearts; our mother’s and, soon, our own heart too.  That instinct for the pattern of a beat instilled in us then never leaves us, especially if it is nurtured through music.  Watch any group of people when music with a strong beat starts up.  We all start swaying and stamping and clapping and nodding.  It’s innate in us, and one of those things, like stories, which works magic on whoever hears or feels it, making us feel things. 

This is the drum

This is the beat

Clap your hands

Stomp your feet

This silky-smooth, chunky, square little book of simple rhythmic phrases and bright joyful pictures of people and animals dancing is written by Ken Wilson-Max, and illustrated by Catell Ronca.  It is the first in a new series of books, ‘Children, Music, Life’, from innovative publisher Tiny.  It doesn’t tell or show a story; it simply celebrates that coming together, summoned and orchestrated by the beat of a drum.  It’s a sort of party, and the book invites you to join it.  So, go on and enjoy your own ‘drum of life’, and ‘feel the beat in your belly’ as you share this lovely book with the small people in your life!

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