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A whole page of
perfectly
spectacular children's books from children's specialist books
publisher
Bloomsbury. On this page you'll find books for almost all children's
ages, from Harry Potter to owls for bedtime, and YA fantasy of the highest order. Once again, let's start with Harry Potter...
Book of the Month - Harry
Potter and the Goblet of Fire Gryffindor House Edition
Published
by Bloomsbury Children's Books 23rd January 2020
Let the magic of J.K. Rowling's classic Harry Potter series take you
back to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This Gryffindor
House Edition of Harry
Potter and the Goblet of Fire celebrates
the noble character of the Hogwarts house famed for its courage,
bravery and determination. Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts is packed
with more great Gryffindor moments and characters, including Harry's
unexpected selection as champion in the Triwizard Tournament - not to
mention Hagrid's misadventures with Blast-Ended Skrewts!
Each
Gryffindor House Edition features vibrant sprayed edges and intricate
gold foiling. The Goblet of Fire blazes at the very centre of the front
cover, framed by stunning iconography that draws on themes and moments
from this much-loved story. In addition to a bespoke introduction and
exclusive insights into the magical paintings of Hogwarts, the book
also boasts new illustrations by Kate Greenaway winner Levi Pinfold,
including a spectacular portrait of Hogwarts' gamekeeper, Rubeus
Hagrid. All seven books in the series will be issued in these highly
collectable, beautifully crafted House Editions, designed to be
treasured and read for years to come.
A
must-have for anyone who has ever imagined sitting under the Sorting
Hat in the Great Hall at Hogwarts waiting to hear the words, 'Better be
GRYFFINDOR!'
Harry
Potter has been given a new lease of life by Bloombury with these
unbelievably superb new "house " editions - committed collectors will,
of course, want all four house editions, though that's probably beyond
the reach of ordinary mortals like me! Beautifully crafted, superb
editions, I chose Gryffindor to review because that's the house I would
want to be in at Hogwarts!
Karl
Newson & Migy Blanco: Little Owl's Bedtime
Published
by Bloomsbury Children's Books January 2020
With
beautiful illustration by the hugely talented Migy Blanco and a rhyming
text by Karl Newson that rolls off the tongue, this book follows Little
Owl on a magical, shooting star filled night. As all the other animals
settle down to sleep, Little Owl swoops around the sky, blowing the
stars out so it's all dark, until the sun arrives and it's morning. . .
but for Little Owl it's time for bed. Goodnight!
Absolute
perfection in bedtime reading for little ones - the rhyming text is
reminiscent of Rupert Bear for me, and the 1950s toddlers' comics Robin
and Jack and Jill. Brilliant!
Katie
Abey: We Catch The Bus
Published
by Bloomsbury Children's Books 23rd January 2020
Choose
your favourite vehicle and LET'S GO! Join all the busy animals as they
zoom around in every kind of vehicle you can imagine, vibrantly
illustrated by the talented Katie Abey.
Is
that a cheeky monkey flying a plane? And did I see a llama riding a
scooter? And there's a whole pack of animals catching that bus. All the
animals are on the move in their favourite vehicles, zipping by in
their own hilarious way. Travel across airports, race through city
streets in fire engines and drive around building sites. Wherever
you're going today ... tell us how it should be done!
We
Catch the Bus invites
children to choose their favourite vehicles and how they like to travel
over 12 spreads, packed with animals driving cars, buses, diggers,
spacecraft, bikes, ships, scooters and more.
With
interactive speech bubbles and hilarious shout outs, this hilarious
follow-up to We
Wear Pants and We
Eat Bananas is
perfect for fans of You
Choose and Just
Imagine and
kids who love to be on the move.
Katie
Abey's brilliant illustrations and story is a must-read for
playschool-aged children as they are invited to choose a vehicle and to
join in the overall fun by shouting and laughing. Early years of
education should be fun, and that's exactly what Katie's wonderful
little book brings - fun, and plenty of it!
Joshua
Seigal: Welcome To My Crazy Life
Published
by Bloomsbury Children's Books 23rd January 2020
Packed
full of silly, funny, or downright hilarious poems (with some serious
ones mixed in), this new collection is perfect for fans of Michael
Rosen.
'Joshua
Seigal is definitely my new favourite poet.' (Books for Keeps)
'Joshua Seigal is a rising star in the
children's poetry world...' (lovereading4kids)
With
poems on every topic from demon cats to why you should NEVER forget
your trousers, this is a must-have new collection from Joshua Seigal,
whose previous book for this age group, I Don't Like Poetry, was
shortlisted for 2017 Laugh Out Loud Awards.
This
collection is a wonderful mix for Joshua Seigal's subversive humour and
brilliant insight into children's perspectives on the world. Get ready
for the craziness to begin!
Modern
poetry and me do not get on particularly well together, so it has to be
something really special to cxatch my attention. A succession of
absolutely useless poets laureate have left me wanting someone of the
calibre of John Masefield (for serious stuff) or Edward Lear (Alma's
The Owl and The Pussycat is probably the best ever) so it's refreshing
to find someone with a sense of humour like Joshua, whose poetry is
entertaining, first and foremost, quirky, and hugely enjoyable. A real
winner here!
Brigid
Kemmerer: A Heart So Fierce And Broken
Published
by Bloomsbury Children's Books 7th January 2020
Find the
heir, win the crown.
Win
the crown, save the kingdom.
Harper
has freed Prince Rhen from the curse that almost destroyed his kingdom.
But all is not well; rumours are rife that there is a rival heir with a
stronger claim to the throne and that 'Princess' Harper of Disi is
nothing but a fraud.
Grey
has fled the castle carrying a terrible secret. When he is discovered
by soldiers and returned to Ironrose by force, Grey's allegiances begin
to shift. And as he grows closer to an enemy princess, he is forced to
decide whether he will stand against Rhen for the crown he never wanted
.
I
Harper and Prince Rhen are back - we always knew they would be, but
it's brilliant to have them in our lives again as they embark on the
second stage of their fight against curses and evil. Will their love
for one another carry them through this latest setback? I love Brigid's
storyline, and volume two is as gripping and enthralling as volume one
was. You won't want to miss it!
Gwyneth
Rees: Super Cats vs Maximus Fang
Published
by Bloomsbury Children's Books 9th January 2020
Cats
with superpowers! This brand-new series from bestselling author Gwyneth
Rees is every young animal lover's dream come true. Perfect for fans of
Holly Webb, Alex T. Smith, and those who want their animal stories with
a bit more action!
Now
that Tagg and Sugarfoot have developed their superpowers, they are
recruited for a special mission by Topaz Top Cat.
They've
just heard that an evil supervillain is back in town and that can only
mean one thing - he is going to break his partner in crime out of
prison and finish one last devious job. The super cats have to stop
them!
In
order to get more information, Tagg and Sugarfoot will need to
infiltrate Hamish's infamous band of Hit Cats. They are going to need
all their wits - and superpowers - about them this time!
Cats
are simply not my thing. I used to love the cartoon character Top Cat
back in the 1960s, but that was simply sheer inspired genius. I can
happily leave cats for other people, but this new title from Bloomsbury
caught my eye and made its way onto this page by stealth. It 's a great
story, but I would have preferred it to have been dogs rather than
cats... just saying...
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Published by Bloomsbury Children's Books 8th October 2019
Jim
Kay's dazzling depiction of J.K. Rowling's wizarding world has won
legions of fans since the first Illustrated Edition of the Harry Potter
novels was published in hardback in 2015, becoming a bestseller around
the world. This irresistible smaller-format paperback edition of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets perfectly
pairs J.K. Rowling's storytelling genius with the enchantment of Jim
Kay's illustrations, bringing the magic of Harry Potter to new readers
with full-colour pictures and a handsome poster pull-out at the back of
the book. This edition has been beautifully redesigned with selected
illustration highlights - the fully illustrated edition is still
available in hardback.
Fizzing
with magic and brimming with humour, this inspired reimagining will
captivate wizards and Muggles alike, as Harry and his friends, now in
their second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, seek
out a legendary chamber and the deadly secret that lies at its heart .
I
have seen these books in W H Smiths and marvelled at them, never
dreaming that I would one day hold one and get to review it in my
Christmas edition, let alone have two volumes sent to me for review by
my friends at Bloomsbury! I'm one of those who devoured Harry Potter in
his first publishing incarnation, and revelled in the adventures of the
misfit child who suddenly came into his own in the world of wizards
created by the great J K Rowling. Now Bloomsbury are republishing all
of the stories in large format hard- and paperback editions with
stunning illustrations by Jim Kay. The books have their text laid out
in the manner of one of those brilliant Billy Bunter books, the large
format (but not quite as large as these Harry Potters) reprints of Gem
and Magnet comics in hardback format, with two columns of text often
wrapped around the thrilling illustrations. It's like a rediscovery of
the boy magician - the words are the same but they look different
because of the layout, and it's that, together with those terrific
illustrations, that make you want to reread the books. The
ornamentation, that is the decorations on the page make these instant
collectors' items, and I'm proud to have them on my shelves. And yes,
I'm more than happy to reread the two volumes Bloomsbury have kindly
sent me. Hopefully, they'll send me more as time goes on!
J K Rowling: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Published by Bloomsbury Children's Books 22nd August 2019
Jim
Kay's dazzling depiction of J.K. Rowling's wizarding world has won
legions of fans since the first Illustrated Edition of the Harry Potter
novels was published in hardback in 2015, becoming a bestseller around
the world. This irresistible smaller-format paperback edition of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets perfectly
pairs J.K. Rowling's storytelling genius with the enchantment of Jim
Kay's illustrations, bringing the magic of Harry Potter to new readers
with full-colour pictures and a handsome poster pull-out at the back of
the book. This edition has been beautifully redesigned with selected
illustration highlights - the fully illustrated edition is still
available in hardback.
Fizzing
with magic and brimming with humour, this inspired reimagining will
captivate wizards and Muggles alike, as Harry and his friends, now in
their second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, seek
out a legendary chamber and the deadly secret that lies at its heart .
Anyone
that can do an illustration as exquisite as this one of a Ford Anglia
(my second car back in the 1960s) is OK by me! Jim Kay illustrates to
perfection the Weasleys, Harry, Hermione and the teachers at Hogwarts,
and, of course Hogwarts itself. These are works of pure genius. I can't
think of another children's illustrator who could have done these books
as well as Jim. I cannot recommend these reimaginings of the Harry
Potter universe highly enough. You have to make room for them in your
Christmas stockings (and, of course, your bookshelves!)
Katherine Rundell: One Christmas Wish
Published by Bloomsbury Children's Books 10th October 2019
It's
Christmas Eve and Theo - left at home with a babysitter - sees an
odd-looking star out of his window and decides to make a wish. He
wishes that he had some friends to keep him company. Moments later the
Christmas decorations begin to disentangle themselves from the tree
behind him, ready to wreak a little havoc .
Written
with generous helpings of warmth and humour, this is a timeless
Christmas story about treasuring the people and values that really
matter at this time of year. With breathtaking illustrations by Emily
Sutton capturing the magic of the season in stunning detail, this
modern classic from master storyteller and bestselling children's
author Katherine Rundell makes the perfect Christmas gift.
This
charming Christmas fairy tale was first published a few years back, and
this paperback version carries a different front cover to the original.
The story is simple enough - it's straight out of Enid Blyton
territory, the boy Theo makes a wish, little dreaming it will come
true, and four characters he has just hung on the Christmas tree
come to life, something they have apparently done before for a previous
owner. What makes this story different is the fact that each of the
characters has a wish of their own - the rocking horse wants something
to eat, all of the time; the tin soldier wants a wife; the robin wants
to get his singing voice back, and the angel wants to learn to fly
again. It's a heady mix of Enid Blyton and The Wizard of Oz, and it's
absolutely charming, with beautiful illustrations that could have come
from the last century. A wonderful book.
Brigid Kemmerer: A Curse So Dark and Lonely
Published by Bloomsbury Children's Books 29th January 2019
Fall in love, break the curse. Break the curse, save the kingdom.
Prince
Rhen, the heir to Emberfall, is cursed. Forced to repeat the autumn of
his eighteenth year over and over, he can only be freed by love. But at
the end of each autumn he is transformed into a beast hell-bent on
destruction, and after so many failed attempts, his kingdom and its
people are barely holding on.
Harper's
life has never been easy, but she's learned to be tough enough to
survive. She won't let anything hold her back, not her cerebral palsy
or her mother's deteriorating health. But when she is sucked into
Rhen's world, nothing is as it seems. Powerful forces are standing
against Emberfalll ... and it will take more than a broken curse to
save it from utter ruin.
I
had an advance copy of this brilliant young adult fantasy at the back
end of last year, and I rated it then as the very best teen and YA
fantasy I had ever read, equally as good as any adult fantasy I've ever
read. The changing narrator perspective worked particularly well and
was easy to follow and extremely effective, the characters were
terrific, and the story wholly and mesmerisingly original - a true page
turner if ever I read one! I believe this may be the first in a series
- if so, I can't wait to read the next one. Absolutely brilliant!
T C Shelley: The Monster Who Wasn't
Published by Bloomsbury Children's Books 8th August 2019
A brilliantly rich and strange fantasy adventure that will make us all believe in monsters - be they good, bad or somewhere in between.
It
is a well-known fact that fairies are born from a baby's first laugh.
What is not as well documented is how monsters come into being .
This
is the story of a creature who is both strange and unique. When he
hatches down in the vast underground lair where monsters dwell, he
looks just like a human boy - much to the disgust of everyone watching.
Even the grumpy gargoyles who adopt him and nickname him 'Imp' only
want him to steal chocolate for them from the nearby shops. He's a
child with feet in both worlds, and he doesn't know where he fits.
But
little does Imp realise that Thunderguts, king of the ogres, has a
great and dangerous destiny in mind for him, and he'll stop at nothing
to see it come to pass .
I
love it when authors of great children's fantasy make sweeping
statements that such and such is the case; it's as though they don't
then have to set out and convince you that the story they're going to
tell you is fantasy, but absolutely true. This wonderful tale by
Australian authoress T C Shelley is reminiscent of the work of the
great Diana Wynne Jones, and has everything you want from a fantasy:
plot, characters and superlative dialogue. It's another brilliant page
turner from Bloomsbury, a genuine stocking filler that will keep
bookworms quiet for a few hours.
Martha Mumford: We're All Going On An Elf Chase
Published by Bloomsbury Children's Books 18th October 2018
We're going on an elf chase. Come and join the fun. Can we catch them all? YES! Run, run, run!
Four
bunnies set off on a jolly Christmas lift-the-flap adventure to find
ten little elves hidden under the flaps. You'll have to run, run, run
if you're going to catch them all! And there are lots of obstacles
along the way, from clippy-cloppy reindeer to roaring polar bears and
flippy-flappy penguins. Stuffed with festive frolics, this is the
perfect Christmas gift.
From the bestselling Laura Hughes, illustrator of We're Going on an Egg Hunt and The Birthday Invitation
Lift
the flap books have been around for quite a while now, but Martha's Elf
Chase is particularly apposite because elves are now a major part of
our Christmas celebrations as the Elf on a Shelf is back in most toy
and gift stores, even more so this year than previous years. Even
major supermarkets like Tesco have racks of accessories for toy elves,
like clothing, bedding etc., and We're All Going On An Elf Chase
contains several elves that are hidden. It's up to your little ones to
find them all by lifting the various flaps. It's great fun and little
people will love it!
Kate Pankhurst: Great Women Who Worked Wonders
Published by Bloomsbury Children's Books 7th February 2019
Kate
Pankhurst, descendant of Emmeline Pankhurst, is back with a brand new
wildly brilliant and accessible book about incredible women in the
world of work.
What
do you want to be when you grow up? It's a BIG question that everyone
is asked from an early age. Discover eye-opening facts about a
collection of go-getting women who have pioneered careers in a
kaleidoscope of different industries. Join scientists, doctors,
athletes, hot-air balloonists and more, journey back in time with these
brave, bold and brilliant women and discover that anything is possible
when you make the most of YOUR talents.
Prepare
yourself for a celebration of women who opened doors and made it
possible for more women to achieve amazing things today. Overflowing
with beautiful illustrations and astounding facts, Fantastically Great Women Who Worked Wonders is the perfect introduction to just a few of the most incredible women who helped shaped the world we live in.
List
of women featured: Junko Tabei, Sophie Blanchard, Maria Merian,
Elizabeth Magie, the London Matchgirls, Rosa May Billinghurst,
Katherine Johnson, Annette Kellerman, Katia Krafft, Rosalind Franklin,
James Barry, Madam C.J. Walker, Lotte Reiniger.
Writer
and illustrator Kate Pankhurst is a descendant of Emmeline Pankhurst
(who isn't featured in the book) and demonstrates here her
prize-winning artistic talents to absolute perfection. Many of the
women featured in this beautiful book I've never heard of, and it's a
matter of complete joy to discover these heroines and read about what
they're famous for. The layout of the contents, the bubbles of facts
and the sheer brilliance of the many, many illustrations make this a
book from which learning is what it should be for younger children -
fun.
The
small print: Books
Monthly, now well into its 22nd
year on the web,
is published on or slightly before the first day of each month by Paul
Norman. You can contact me here.
If you wish to submit something for publication in the magazine, let me
remind you there is no payment as I don't make any money from this
publication. If you want to send me something to review, contact me via
email at paulenorman1@gmail.com and I'll let you know where to send it.
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Check out the Children's Books page
and the Alma Classics
page for more great children's titles this month...
There is still time to get your hands on these great Christmas gifts!
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