August 2, 2021
by Team Riverside
Paperback, Macmillan, £7.99, out now
Lions need a lot of sleep, as everyone knows… but for Arlo it’s too hot, too cold, too prickly, too noisy. Like everyone who struggles with their sleep, Arlo wonders if he will ever sleep again.
Catherine Rayner’s beautiful picture book sets the tone for a peaceful bedtime for small children. Arlo’s friend Owl swoops down to offer advice on how to relax and get ready for a restful night. Rayner’s exquisite pictures with their soothing but still vibrant colour palette give life to a simple and effective bedtime story. The lions and owl are not cartoon or comic book, but are natural.
As a veteran struggler with sleep, I found this book comforting and helpful (and I am clearly about 40 years over the target audience age). It’s helpful without being prescriptive or preachy. I would also be delighted to have any or all of these stunning pictures on my wall.
The only potential problem I foresee is tired parents and carers dozing off before any children who are being read to! It’s a treat for the end of the day.
Review by Bethan
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July 20, 2021
by Team Riverside
Hardback, Pan Macmillan, £12.99, out now
Rosa has so many interesting questions that her dad suggests they visit the library to get the answers. But the library is closed and boarded up, because it’s going to be knocked down and replaced by a restaurant. There will be no library to provide answers.
In this striking picture book, Rosa and her family do their best to protest against the closure by reminding people of how useful and important libraries are. But no one seems to listen, as people are either too busy or think that the protest is beneath their notice.
But it turns out that more people care about the library than only Rosa’s family, and that all together they can make a difference.
We Want Our Books is a love letter to libraries and a believable story about the highs and lows of grassroots protest.
I still get a rush of joy whenever I walk into a public library, when I remember that I can find a book that might change my life and that I can borrow it for free. And if you need a reminder of how lovely libraries can be, treat yourself to a look here: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/epic-libraries-around-the-world. Libraries need our support – support yours!
Review by Bethan
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June 7, 2021
by Team Riverside
Paperback, Faber and Faber, £6.99, out now
Joe is having a great time at the playground on his own, battling sharks and crocodiles. But a new kid comes along and says what new kids always say – “You’ve only got one leg!” and “What happened to you?”.
Joe is super fed up of always getting these questions, and as more kids turn up, more questions (and questionable theories) abound. But soon the kids discover that there is more interesting stuff they can be doing with Joe… and it involves battling sharks and crocodiles.
This fun and sensitive book provides a great way in to talking about disability with kids, and also has very helpful notes for adults on how to do this when “your child wants to know everything about every disabled person they see, all at once, at TOP VOLUME…”. Some really good advice follows – “…it’s still worth your child knowing that disabled people are just like anyone else, getting on with their busy day, not looking to be a teachable moment”. It reminded me of the very excellent blogs by Gem Turner on exactly this topic (https://gemturner.com/explaining-disability-to-children/).
What Happened to You? is a fun and enjoyable read, with lively and cheerful illustrations. Cracking!
Review by Bethan
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May 30, 2021
by Team Riverside
Paperback, DK, £6.99, out now
Lost in the Clouds is a sensitive and useful picture book for young children about bereavement and grief.
Billy knows that his mum has died, and he likes to think of her as a cloud in the sky. Sometimes Billy’s days with his dad are good, when they can have fun and still feel close to Mummy. But sometimes the sky is dark and stormy and Mummy feels too distant, and Daddy feels distant too. On a day just like this, Billy builds a tower to the sky to try to be closer to Mummy.
Warm and evocative illustrations show how grief can feel, and also demonstrate that joy and fun can still happen even amid great loss.
Although the story is from Billy’s perspective, his dad’s difficulties and kindnesses are manifest too. “Daddy wasn’t quite the same on these days. He would be quieter and his eyes would always be looking far away, as if he was trying to find Mummy in the distance somewhere”.
There are handy notes and further resources in the back of the book on helping children deal with grief. For older children and adults, I always recommend Michael Rosen’s classic The Sad Book (https://www.brainpickings.org/2015/08/25/michael-rosens-sad-book-quentin-blake). There is a very sympathetic cat who pops up throughout Lost in the Clouds, and is especially fine on the back cover, putting a paw out to test the weather for Billy and his dad.
Review by Bethan
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April 24, 2021
by Team Riverside
Hardback, Walker Books, £12.99, out now
This excellent picture book has possibly my top back cover text ever: “There is a spot. It is the perfect spot to stand. But somewhere above there is also a rock. A rock from the sky”.
The Rock from the Sky is new from Jon Klassen, author of Riverside all-time-favourite the Hat Trilogy (https://riversidebookshop.co.uk/2016/11/30/we-found-a-hat-by-jon-klassen/). There really is a rock from the sky with dramatic consequences (Chekhov’s rock, perhaps). Some characters will be familiar… I think this is one of the turtles from We Found a Hat. Although it may be a different turtle in a similar hat. It is hard to say.
There are shades of Wes Anderson in the title cards for each section. It is also stuffed with very quotable lines. The turtle picks a spot to stand in. “What do you think of my spot?” “Actually I have a bad feeling about it”. “A bad feeling?”. “Yes”.
Funny, relatable, memorable. I love it.
Review by Bethan
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April 20, 2021
by Team Riverside
Hardback, Penguin, £12.99, out now
Maud the guinea pig loves judo. She’s only just arrived at Kit’s house, as a surprise birthday present. But Kit’s other pets aren’t impressed – they’ve got a schedule to stick to and it doesn’t include her. One of them calls her a weirdo … but what is a weirdo, and is she one?
Luckily Maud happens upon the very cheerful Emily Brookstein, who tells her that “life’s too short not to be a weirdo”.
This excellent picture book has wonderful illustrations, colourful and joyous, by Magenta Fox. Zadie Smith is best known as a ground-breaking novelist and essayist (her book of essays, Intimations, has been one of our bestsellers of the last year). Nick Laird is a novelist and poet, also usually writing for adults.
A kind and ultimately happy book about embracing your differences and life being much more interesting for everyone as a result. Just lovely.
Review by Bethan
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October 13, 2020
by Team Riverside
Hardback, Nosy Crow, £25, out now
This gorgeous anthology of animal poems for children has just arrived, and it is a complete joy. There’s a poem for every day, varying from the funny to the serious, and the short to the reasonably epic. There are poets here I recognise and many that I do not. This book is ostensibly for children, but like the best children’s books is really for all humans.
For autumn, a spider poem by Bashō:
With what voice,
And what song would you sing, spider,
In this autumn breeze?
The Britta Teckentrup illustrations are vivid and engaging. We at Riverside are massive fans of her work, especially the stunning Under the Same Sky (https://riversidebookshop.co.uk/2018/01/16/under-the-same-sky-by-britta-teckentrup/).
This is a book to keep and share forever. It’s big, and heavy, and perfect for curling up with on a chilly autumn evening.
Review by Bethan
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September 9, 2020
by Team Riverside
Paperback, Penguin, £6.99, out now
This is a cheerful picture book about a small girl’s mission to share her love of space. Rocket is a stargazer who lives in a town, and is determined that folks where she lives should come to the park to watch the meteor shower.
Rocket’s brother Jamal is lovely but he’s always looking down at his phone… like everyone else, he needs to look up!
With a shout out to the legendary Mae Jemison, Look Up! is a great way to show primary children how exciting space can be, and that it’s available to everyone. The enthusiasm in the book is infectious, helped by the lively and fun illustrations. I particularly liked the astronaut cat who appears on every page. I’ve already bought three copies as presents, and I’m pretty sure these won’t be the last.
Review by Bethan
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July 19, 2020
by Team Riverside
Paperback, Bloomsbury, £6.99, out now
Meesha has a loving family and a joyful and creative spirit, but she finds it hard to make friends. This latest picture book in Tom Percival’s Big Bright Feelings series deals with this common experience sensitively and with helpful practical suggestions.
Appropriate for infants and up, the gorgeous illustrations show how the world can be a little monochrome when we feel alone. Meesha makes her own toy friends out of bits and pieces, but finds that while they are very compliant, they are not much fun to play catch with!
The feelings of being alone in a crowd, and of lacking the skills to get involved with what other children are enjoying, are explored in an accessible way than many (including adults) will be able to relate to.
When someone takes a risk to come and talk to Meesha, will she be able to take a chance and involve him in her games? The author gives us handy hints: “… if you ever see someone who looks a little bit ‘on-their-own’, try to include them. Ask them what they like to do. You never know, it might be something that YOU love to do as well, and you might just have met your new best friend!”
A kind and useful book. If you like this, I also recommend Ruby’s Worry, an excellent book by the same author about getting help when the worry monster visits.
Review by Bethan
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February 12, 2020
by Team Riverside
Paperback, Hodder Children’s Books, £6.99, out now
The legendary Mr Panda returns.
As ever he is long on kindness and manners, and short on rudeness and entitled behaviour.
This time he is offering free hugs (after checking first with each potential recipient). He is all ready to hug a smelly skunk and a potentially bitey crocodile. But everyone would seem to prefer to hug someone else. It is a difficult moment when you realise that perhaps no-one wants to hug you. But maybe someone will offer Mr Panda a hug instead?
Engaging bright pictures and a relatable character make this a great addition to a winning series. This perfect Valentine’s gift is guaranteed to raise a smile.
Review by Bethan
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February 11, 2020
by Team Riverside
Hardback, Walker, £8.99, out now
Great-Uncle Oscar, Great-Aunt Rachel, Great-Uncle Martin and other family members were missing from Michael Rosen’s post-war childhood. Although those who had disappeared were spoken of, there was mystery around what had happened to them. (A poem for Oscar and Rachel is available at https://michaelrosenblog.blogspot.com/2019/01/clockmender-oscar-rosen-and-his-wife.html). For Rosen, some of the mysteries were not resolved until he was doing the research which formed this book.
This outstanding short book is written for children aged about ten and up, as well as adults. It is a useful and appropriate way to start talking about the Holocaust with children. He tells his family story through accessible and moving prose interspersed with his poems. In a moving interview in the Guardian, he talks about the long impact of the silence about those who were missing (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/dec/28/michael-rosen-family-history-jewish-culture). As the article notes: “Unusually, the book is aimed at children aged 10 and over, as well as adults. Rosen decided to write it that way after visiting a school where a pupil denied the Holocaust to his face. “This young man put up his hand and said: ‘It didn’t happen, did it?’” As the teacher panicked, Rosen remembers counting to three and patiently saying: ‘Well, no, it did happen.’”
Rosen shares original family letters, postcards and photos which make the stories even more compelling, and show readers that you can do your own research about things that are important to you. You don’t need to be a specialist.
Fans of Rosen’s work will meet people they remember: his memorable childhood friend Harrybo; his beloved father; and his grandfather (who turns out to be the inspiration for this excellent poem from You Tell Me http://bepalmer.blogspot.com/2012/05/). I had this book as a child. I can remember so many of those poems now.
One of the things that makes the book truly exceptional is the framing of the stories as being absolutely similar to stories of current refugees. “This story is about things that happened to my family a long time ago, back when photos and films were in black and white. But when I think about it, my relatives were refugees – a lot like the people you may have seen on the news recently… So I hope this book becomes part of a bigger conversation about the refugee crisis. About how to find fair and decent ways of helping people like my relatives” (p. 5). Deep humanity emerges from the book which contrasts with the inhumanity that caused the deaths of all these much-missed people. This makes The Missing both beautiful and essential reading right now.
Review by Bethan
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January 4, 2020
by Team Riverside
Paperback, Walker Books, £6.99, out now
This is a very funny picture book, suitable for all humans. The wolf eats the mouse, who quickly discovers that a duck (a previous wolf-dinner) is already living a very nice life inside the wolf. They become fast friends and enjoy dinners and dancing in their new home. This internal party time is less fun for the wolf, however…
It’s worth reading this book for the expressions on the animals’ faces alone. There are many dramatic developments and they are delivered with great style.
This team have produced several excellent books, but this is my favourite so far. Here at Riverside we are also massive fans of Jon Klassen’s Hat trilogy (https://riversidebookshop.co.uk/2016/11/30/we-found-a-hat-by-jon-klassen/). Read this book and feel your life improve immediately.
Review by Bethan
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November 13, 2019
by Team Riverside
Paperback, Andersen Press, £6.99, out now
Wolf in the Snow is an adventurous and heart-warming winter story. Told through pictures, with almost all of the words being the sounds made by the human and non-human animals, this is an instantly engaging story.
A little girl in a red coat leaves her school just as a blizzard is starting. As the snow becomes heavier, she finds a wolf cub who has accidentally become separated from their pack. She tries to get the cub back to the pack, and will not abandon it. But when she becomes lost, will anyone be able to find her and bring her home?
Like all the best children’s books, this is appropriate for every age. I’m not surprised that it won the Caldecott medal. I love that the author’s note at the beginning includes: “thanks to Kira Cassidy of the Yellowstone Wolf Project for taking the time to answer my questions about wolves and wolf behaviour”. The wolves and humans manage to be equally relatable, which is a remarkable achievement. It also has lovely messages about connection, taking risks to help others, love and friendship. A perfect gift book for winter, if you can bear to give it away.
Review by Bethan
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March 12, 2019
by Team Riverside
Paperback, Cassava Republic, £6.99 out now; Paperback, Studio Press, £6.99, out now
These are two gorgeous picture books for young children celebrating how different hair can be.
Hair, it’s a Family Affair! is from Princess Arabella author Mylo Freeman, and has the same style of bright and joyous illustrations fans will recognise from those books (we are particular fans of Princess Arabella’s Birthday). We get to see Grandma’s amazing Afro from the past, and cousin Kiki’s hair that is sometimes purple and sometimes pink. Even Dad’s hair is feted, though he doesn’t really have any…
In The Mega Magic Hair Swap! two friends get their wish to exchange their hair. It’s very relatable for any curly haired person who has envied the straight swooshy hair of friends. But the baby no longer recognises his sister and even Tiger the dog runs away. Will the magic coconut grant the girls’ wish to go back to how they were before?
Two bright and lively books showing how our different hairstyles help make us who we are.
Review by Bethan
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March 9, 2019
by Team Riverside
Come and spend your World Book Day vouchers with us! We have all the good things.
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January 8, 2019
by Team Riverside
Paperback, Andersen Press, £6.99, out now
Luna’s mum drops her off at the library, where Dad meets her and they have an adventurous day!
This beautiful picture book for young children shows libraries to be exciting and safe places. It celebrates all different kinds of reading, and there is even a bonus miniature story book set inside so you can read along with Luna and Dad as they have an enjoyable cuddle while reading together.
There are light touch mentions of young children whose parents are separated, and what comes after. The lively illustrations show a dual heritage family. Endorsed by Amnesty International, this is a gorgeous positive book that makes even adult readers want to get back to their local library.
Review by Bethan
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July 28, 2018
by Team Riverside
Hardback, Walker Books, £11.99, out now
Julian is a small boy on the subway with his Nana… but he is also a mermaid. After seeing three gorgeous women dressed up as mermaids on the journey, he tells Nana: “Nana, I am also a mermaid”. Julian dresses himself up as a mermaid while Nana is in the bath. He feels wonderful… but how will Nana react?
This is a stunningly illustrated picture book, with a joyous message at its heart. The colour and life in the pictures make you want to look and look, from the kids playing in the water from the hydrant to the older ladies swimming in the pool.
If you want a book with a superb grandparent in, this would also do the job! As with the best picture books, this is one for all humans, not only small children. Read Julian is a Mermaid and feel part of the kindness and delight that it celebrates.
Review by Bethan
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July 1, 2018
by Team Riverside
Hardback, Hodder Children’s Books, £12.99, out now
This book is extremely silly and a guaranteed good laugh for anyone aged about two and up. Dwayne and Jane-o want to see the volcano… they’ll catch a plane-o and climb down a chain-o… their enthusiasm is not in doubt but what will happen when they get there?
Well, the bright and engaging pictures tell the epic story of how friends and followers join them on their quest, including Roger the incredible colour changing cat and Dr Eyjafjallajökull. There are good in-jokes for adults as well as children, but they are not allowed to get in the way of a very funny story to read aloud. Fans of Stanton’s Mr Gum series will recognise the humour.
I treated the character list at the end as a Where’s Wally style list of folks to go back and find in the pictures, giving the book a good spin for older children. Also it was full of bonus jokes. This book is a proper treat.
Review by Bethan
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March 31, 2018
by Team Riverside
Paperback, Walker Books, £6.99, out now
“ONCE there was Natalie… and then there was Alphonse too. Natalie mostly did not mind there being Alphonse.” This is a great way to start a picture book about the relationship between a small sister and brother.
Through bright and cheerful illustrations, Hirst shows the ways in which Natalie and Alphonse usually get on. But then Alphonse eats Natalie’s favourite book, on a day which has already been bad (“lunch was peas”). Natalie is angry and upset, and Alphonse doesn’t know what to do. The themes of being cross and hurt, not knowing how to make things better, and the difficulty and relief of making up are easy to relate to. As an adult this is one of the reasons why I like the book very much, and also why I think it is great for children aged about 2 and up, especially if they have siblings.
I like that the family live in a flat with a 1980s style balcony – I feel like these types of homes are not shown very often in illustrated children’s books, so it feels like a real gift here. Alphonse, that is not OK to do! features an excellent (if slightly alarmed) cat, and what I think is a cameo appearance by The Very Hungry Caterpillar. What more could you ask for?
Review by Bethan
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January 16, 2018
by Team Riverside
Hardback, Caterpillar Books, £10.99, out now
Under the Same Sky is a beautiful hardback picture book, from the author of the striking book Moon.
Teckentrup explores the idea of what we share, being here together on this planet, through a gentle rhyme ideal for reading aloud. “We live under the same sky… in lands near and far. We live under the same sky… wherever we are”.
Her ingenious use of paper cutting illuminates the text and the message perfectly. There are likeable illustrations with a focus on the natural world, which will be appreciated by fans of Chris Haughton and Jon Klassen.
As ever with the best picture books, I have bought this one for children and adults. The dedication says it all – ‘For a united world’.
Review by Bethan
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October 15, 2017
by Team Riverside
Hardback, Sort Of Books, £10.99, out now
One of the best book things ever has just happened to me. I discovered that the Moomin prose books are not the same stories as the Moomin comic strips. This means that there is a whole world of unknown Moomin that I can explore, and I can do it through the beautiful new hardback editions of four of the prose books just issued by Sort Of Books. This is the reader equivalent of buried treasure.
Moomintroll wakes up from his winter hibernation early, and is surrounded by his sleeping family. Feeling lonely, but also adventurous, he heads out to see what the winter world is like, and who he can find there. He makes new friends, and their insights are valuable: after Moomintroll and Too-ticky see the Northern Lights, Too-ticky notes, “I’m thinking about the aurora borealis. You can’t tell if it really does exist or if it just looks like existing. All things are so very uncertain, and that’s exactly what makes me feel reassured”. The gorgeous illustrations and fold out map (complete with Lonely Mountains and Grotto) complete the magic.
A long time fan of Jansson’s Summer Book, a novel for adults, I have found similar themes of kindness and adventure in her Moomin books (see Ali Smith on The Summer Book here – https://www.theguardian.com/books/2003/jul/12/fiction.alismith). I agree absolutely with Philip Pullman when he writes: “Tove Jansson was a genius of a very subtle kind. These simple stories resonate with profound and complex emotions that are like nothing else in literature for children or adults”. I can vouch for the joy of reading them for the first time as an adult. These are books for every human. In case the books are not enough, I can also head to Dulwich Picture Gallery’s Tove Jansson exhibition (http://www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/2017/october/tove-jansson/).
There should be a word for the rare feeling that you get when reading a book that is new to you, but which you realise will be a favourite for the rest of your life. There isn’t one that I can think of, but this book would have occasioned it.
Review by Bethan
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September 5, 2017
by Team Riverside
Excellent fiction, a good dose of feminism and fun children’s books make up our top 20 
from the last two months. In reverse order:
Jennifer Bell – The Smoking Hourglass
Jennifer Bell – The Crooked Sixpence
Noam Chomsky – Optimism over Despair
J K Rowling, John Tiffany, Jack Thorne – Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Emma Cline – The Girls
Matt Haig – How to Stop Time
Elizabeth Strout – My Name is Lucy Barton
Sam Bourne – To Kill the President
Paul Beatty – The Sellout
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – We should all be Feminists
Haruki Murakami – Desire (Vintage Minis)
Margaret Atwood – The Handmaid’s Tale
David Szalay – All that Man Is
Yuval Noah Harari – Sapiens
Deborah Levy – Hot Milk
Lisa Owens – Not Working
Zadie Smith – Swing Time
Colson Whitehead – The Underground Railroad
Naomi Alderman – The Power
… and at number one, we are proud to announce:
Peppa goes to London!
We predict that this month several new things will fly off the shelves – including Maggie O’Farrell’s memoir I am, I am, I am and John le Carré’s A Legacy of Spies.
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August 28, 2017
by Team Riverside
Hardback, Abrams, £10.99, out now
This is a very funny, smart and inspiring children’s picture book from the team that brought you Rosie Revere, Engineer.
Winner of the Little Rebels book award 2017 (see https://littlerebels.org/2017/06/25/ada-twist-scientist-is-the-2017-little-rebels-award-winner/), and a New York Times bestseller, Ada Twist, Scientist tells the story of a small girl who starts doing scientific experiments to get answers to the many important questions that occur to her. “’Zowie!’ said Ada, which got her to thinking:/’What is the source of that terrible stinking?’/’How does a nose know there’s something to smell?’/’And does it still stink if there’s no nose to tell?’”
Ada does indeed possess “all the traits of a great scientist”, and gains the support of her family and friends as she sets out to solve the wonderful mysteries of the world.
Beautiful illustrations complement the text perfectly, drawing out the humour and affection in the words (watch out for a slightly reluctant cat on most pages). This book has been instant hit with every adult and child I’ve bought it for, so far covering ages two to 69… One parent reported back that questions starting with “why…?” have now increased in number in their household after the example of Ada!
In a nice nod to important women in the history of science, a note in the back explains that Ada Marie is named for Ada Lovelace and Marie Curie. Buy it for kids and read it yourself.
Review by Bethan
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July 22, 2017
by Team Riverside
Paperback, Walker Books, £7.99, out now
A gripping and highly relevant new YA novel, speaking to many of the issues raised by the Black Lives Matter movement. Starr sees her best friend Khalil shot by a police officer, and is instantly not only bereaved but at the centre of an explosive situation.
Starr is already in a difficult position: she’s not sure where she belongs, as a 16 year old living in a poor neighbourhood and attending an upmarket (mainly white) school. It’s a novel of political and romantic awakening, with a compelling storyline and believable teen and adult characters.
The only drawback for me was that it made me feel old – one of the teenagers is named after a band member from Jodeci, prompting other characters to comment that their very old (i.e. late 30s) parents also love this band! There are several moments of kindness, solidarity and humour in this very readable novel, which has won high praise from YA superstar John Green.
It is a US smash hit and a mind-expanding read, requested by several of our customers as soon as it was released, I expect this to be a hit in the bookshop this summer. A movie is due soon too.
Review by Bethan
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April 3, 2017
by Team Riverside
Hardback, Penguin Random House, £17.99, out now
This excellent crowdfunded children’s book is flying out of the shop just now – when we were out of stock we were being asked a
bout it every day.
Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls features single-page stories about extraordinary women, and each is accompanied by an illustration from one of a range of talented international artists. This means that the book is a pleasure to dip into, and feels fresh and enjoyable to pick up.
The women included are from very diverse backgrounds, and are drawn from history as well as the present day. I was fascinated to read about Ashley Fiolek, a Deaf motocross racer born in the USA in 1990 who says: “I don’t think about vibrations; I don’t think about anything at all. I’m part of the bike now”. I also loved the story of the Cholita climbers of Bolivia, who decided that it need not be only men who got to see they view from the nearby mountain. And so they just set off, wearing their skirts (cholitas). Born around 1968, the group may be climbing something right now. I was also pleased to find the stories of women I was more familiar with, including Amelia Earhart, Maya Angelou, and Malala Yousafzai.
The stories are told in language suitable for primary age children and up. The book is from the US, and UK readers may not agree with every authorial interpretation of history given, but it’s still full of exciting stuff.
Review by Bethan
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March 18, 2017
by Team Riverside
Paperback, Scholastic, £6.99, out now
When a visiting toddler from next door goes missing, 12 year old Matthew tries to solve the case. He has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and spends a lot of time looking out of his window as it’s hard for him to leave his room… but can he start to overcome his illness and find out what has happened?
This is a convincing and engrossing mystery story which I’d recommend for older readers (if the reader is OK with a missing child storyline, I reckon they should be OK with the book). Excellent YA mysteries like Gene Kemp’s Juniper and Rosa Guy’s The Disappearance made me a mystery fan for life, and I think this book will do the same for readers now (another Juniper fan reviews it here – http://awfullybigreviews.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/juniper-by-gene-kemp-reviewed-by-ellen.html). It’s a little slow to start but worth sticking with.
Goldfish Boy is also a kind and creative treatment of OCD, including how treatment works, and has received positive reviews from some people with OCD (see http://www.abeautifulchaos.co.uk/2016/12/the-goldfish-boy-mental-health-book.html). Thompson thanks OCD-UK for their help and the quality of her research and empathy show, particularly in her illustration of how OCD can affect families and the painful and distressing nature of the illness (http://www.ocduk.org/ocd). It has triggered comparisons with Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, and may find some readers in common. I can definitely recommend it anyone, adult or child, in search of an intriguing quick read.
Review by Bethan
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January 8, 2017
by Team Riverside
Hardback, HarperCollins, £19.99, out now
First published in the 1970s, Lobel’s Frog and Toad short stories are remembered with affection by many children of that period, including me. I rediscovered them as an adult and found the kindness and gentle humour of the stories had stayed with me all that time. I have bought the books for early readers, adults, and many ages in between.
The collected stories are now available in a lovely collected hardback edition released last year, with a new foreword by Gruffalo author and huge Lobel fan Julia Donaldson. She notes that the books are “intended for beginner readers but also are great for parents to read aloud at bedtime. They are fables really, about endearing human weaknesses such as greed, self-consciousness, laziness and addiction to routine”.
Frog and Toad are best friends who face life’s small and larger challenges together. The characters are easy to relate to. In The Letter, Toad explains to Frog that the morning is “my sad time of day” when he always waits for the mail to come, even though he never gets any mail. Frog sits with him and they feel sad together. Frog then goes home and writes Toad a letter, which reads: “Dear Toad, I am glad that you are my best friend. Your best friend, Frog”. Toad is very pleased with this letter, although it doesn’t arrive for four days because Frog has given it to a snail to deliver.
The stories are children’s classics, especially in the US, but have a deeper cultural and personal significance as well (see http://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/frog-and-toad-an-amphibious-celebration-of-same-sex-love).
We also stock the more portable paperback editions of the individual story collections. The engaging two-tone pictures complete the endearing quality of the book. A book to keep forever.
Review by Bethan
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November 30, 2016
by Team Riverside
By the same author as the classic I Want My Hat Back, this is a spare and beautiful picture book. It manages
to be extremely funny and also very thoughtful. It is perfect for reading aloud with young children, but is also an ideal gift for reflective adults.
Even the synopsis on the back of the book is a masterpiece: “Two turtles have found a hat. The hat looks good on both of them. But there are two turtles. And there is only one hat.” The scene is set for a tense drama, involving loyalty and the nature of reality. And a hat.
How many children’s books can you say would be ideal gifts to celebrate friendship, love, weddings and civil partnerships? Buy this book for yourself and read it many times over the rest of your life. An instant classic.
Review by Bethan
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June 3, 2016
by Team Riverside
Hardback, £9.99, Egmont ‘Classics’
Kenneth Grahame’s 1908 children’s classic The Wind in the Willows was republished last year in a beautiful hardback edition by Egmont ‘Classics’, complete with an appendix of activities for children, a well-conceived glossary (as some of Grahame’s words are challenging) and E. H. Shepherd’s original and unforgettable pen illustrations. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. The recommended reading age is 9 – 11 years but a confident reader of seven or eight could be enthralled either reading it themselves or having it read to them and indeed anyone from a five or six year-old to ninety or more could fall in love with this book and remain in love for life.
The unusual and wonderful thing about The Wind in the Willows is that it has references adults will appreciate (to Ulysses for instance, the politics of Grahame’s day, and other literary allusions), some moments of genuine profundity (the haunting chapter ‘The Piper at the Gates of Dawn’ is a case in point) – and abundant humour, warmth and excitement that will entertain children as well. Indeed every aspect of this novel is exceptional. The prose is exquisite, the atmosphere palpable, the descriptions of the natural world amongst some of the best in children’s literature and not a page goes by without some gentle humour. The characterisation deserves special notice and is unusually sophisticated for a children’s book; Mole, in particular, is a peculiar, humorous and endearing little creature but all of Grahame’s cast are marvellously realised.
Children’s classics of this period excel in their delicacy, beauty and strangeness. They seem to possess a quality difficult to describe but feels ‘strange’ to our 21st century ears. This quality might also be called ‘magic’. There is an ‘otherness’ to The Wind in the Willows (and several other bygone treasures such as Peter Pan, Mary Poppins, The Secret Garden, Charlotte’s Web…) that it is virtually non-existent in modern children’s literature and so enchanting that it is impossible not to feel that Grahame has written something resonant and timeless, and that while we are reading we are doing something very worthwhile.
Review by Emily
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May 10, 2016
by Team Riverside
Paperback, Walker Books, £6.99, out now
A deserved winner of the excellent Little Rebels Award for radical children’s books (https://littlerebelsaward.wordpress.com/2016/05/09/alexis-deacon-invites-children-to-come-up-with-an-alternative-to-capitalism/ ), this beautiful picture book made me roar with laughter.
Henry Finch is a small bird who comes to realise that he exists, and thinks, and that he can use his thoughts to tackle THE BEAST. It’s an introduction to philosophy for toddlers and small children… but also just very entertaining, with deceptively simple and funny drawings. Definitely a book for adults as well as children. Superb.
Review by Bethan
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