Friday, 30 August 2019

ReadItDaddy's Graphic Novel of the Week - Week Ending 30th August 2019: "Hilda and the Mountain King" by Luke Pearson (Flying Eye Books / NoBrow Press)

All good things come to an end. Sometimes the greatest things, and if you're the sort of person who doesn't like it when our "Book of the Week" reviews go in a bit heavy with the praise, you might just want to bail out now. Because "Hilda and the Mountain King", the final graphic...
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ReadItDaddy's Second Book of the Week - Week Ending 30th August 2019: "The Golden Cage" by Anna Castagnoli, Laura Watkinson and Carll Cneut (Book Island)

Time for yet another "WOW" book from those lovely folk over at Book Island, again combining the considerable talents of Anna Castagnoli and Carll Cneut (with translation by Laura Watkinson). "The Golden Cage" is exactly the sort of brilliant tale we want to see more of in children's...
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ReadItDaddy's First Book of the Week - Week Ending 30th August 2019: "The Inner Child" by Henry Blackshaw (Cicada Books)

We're always instantly attracted to new picture books that have a bit of quirkiness and eccentricity about them, particularly if they present something original and fun. "The Inner Child" by Henry Blackshaw absolutely sings out to all those parents who (like me) love messing around...
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Thursday, 29 August 2019

ReaditDaddy's Chapter Book Roundup - August 2019

Welcome, welcome to our August Chapter Book Roundup. Yes I know the summer holidays are almost over, and you're probably thinking about starting back at school (arrgh!) or starting school for the first time (eeeeeek!) but our book sack is filled to the brim today, so let's delve in...
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Five fantastic new books to kick off a superb Autumn release schedule from Oxford Children's Books / OUP.

We're delighted to bring you five new books in OUP / Oxford Children's Books Autumn release schedule. So let's start with a fantastic cross-generational celebration of how awesome grandparents are in "Tibble and Grandpa" by Wendy Meddour and Daniel Egneus. Tibble absolutely adores...
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Wednesday, 28 August 2019

Out Today: "Old Man of the Sea" by Stella Elia and Weberson Santiago (Lantana Publishing)

We see an awful lot of books that nod and acknowledge the special place that grandparents have in their grandchildren's lives, but in "Old Man of the Sea" by Stella Elia and Weberson Santiago, there are layers and layers of story tucked in between the brilliantly observed cross-generational...
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Tuesday, 27 August 2019

"The Wonders of Nature" by Ben Hoare (Dorling Kindersley)

Ahead of those "Back to School" blues there's still time to indulge in a spot of luxurious book love, and in particular this gorgeous tome filled with the most amazing things from across our planet. "The Wonders of Nature" by Ben Hoare is a sumptuous collection of animals, plants,...
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"Small World" by Ishta Mercurio and Jen Corace (Abrams Books for Young Readers)

Oooh we like this one. A delicious exploration of the way a child sees their world, and how that world slowly begins to expand until it stretches past the horizon. In "Small World" by Ishta Mercurio and Jen Corace, meet curious little girl Nanda. When Nanda is born, the whole of...
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Monday, 26 August 2019

"Take me to School: A School Journal for Young Explorers" by Mary Richards (Agnes and Aubrey / Tate Publishing)

We absolutely love these brilliant little journals from Mary Richards, and she's got you covered if you're about to start "big school" for the first time, and may have worries and anxieties. "Take me to School" follows on from the brilliant "Take me to Museums" and "Take me on Holiday"...
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"The Boy Who Knew Nothing" by James Thorp and Angus MacKinnon (Templar Publishing)

Imagine being Jon Snow as a boy...well OK that's a bit of a stretch, but in "The Boy Who Knew Nothing" by James Thorp and Angus Mackinnon you'll meet a young boy who truly doesn't know anything at all. From the day he was born he was always told his head was an empty vessel, but when...
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Friday, 23 August 2019

ReadItDaddy's Chapter Book of the Week - Week Ending 23rd August 2019: "Speccy Nation" by Dan Whitehead (Self Published)

Our Chapter Book of the Week this week is something that I'd had my eye on for a while, and picked up on a whim as a way of trying to explain to C why "Daddy" used to be completely obsessed with a cranky, often unreliable piece of gaming tech that became a huge, huge reason why a lot...
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ReadItDaddy's Book of the Week - Week Ending 23rd August 2019: "Ghost" by Kit Turley, Blaise Hemingway, Jesse Reffsin, Chris Sasaki, Jeff Turley and Pam Hsu / Illustratus (Chronicle Books)

Wait a second, this isn't supposed to happen is it? We're constantly being told that children's books are being watered down, that we exist in some sort of weird nanny state where 'dark' children's books have fallen by the wayside to be replaced with saccharine-sweet stuff instead. Yet...
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Thursday, 22 August 2019

"The Little Mermaid" by Hans Christian Andersen, retold by Geraldine McCaughrean with illustrations by Laura Barrett (Orchard Books)

Before all the controversy surrounding the Disney 'live action' remake of "The Little Mermaid" kicks off, let's immerse ourselves in a truly gorgeous version of the original Hans Christian Andersen story, retold here by Geraldine McCaughrean with glorious new illustrations from Laura...
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"Encyclopedia of Grannies" by Eric Veille (Gecko Press)

No matter what we call them, whether they're "Grandma" or "Nanny", "Nanna", "Grand-Mo" or simply that strange old lady who smells faintly of cauliflower, we do love our gorgeous grannies! In the brilliantly funny "Encyclopedia of Grannies" by Eric Veille, newly translated by Gecko...
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Wednesday, 21 August 2019

"Lulu's First Day" by Anna McQuinn and Rosalind Beardshaw (Alanna Max)

Our favourite booky girl is back, and it seems like only yesterday Lulu was getting ready to head to Nursery. But now, like a lot of children (and in particular one of C's cousins) she's ready for big school. In "Lulu's First Day" by Anna McQuinn and Rosalind Beardshaw, Lulu is wondering...
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"Nits!" by Stephanie Blake, translated by Linda Burgess (Gecko Press)

It's almost impossible to hear the word "Nits!" without feeling your scalp itch. Even if, like me, you have a totally barren scalp, you still feel like the little critters are making their way through your lovely, lovely thatch. But ah, here's a book that isn't just about nits, it's...
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Tuesday, 20 August 2019

"The Language of the Universe: A Visual Exploration of Mathematics" by Colin Stuart and Zimo Abadia (Big Picture Press!)

"Oooh they've got a bit about Fibonacci sequences in here!" shouted C excitedly as she intercepted this latest book parcel. "Fibo-whaaa?" I replied. I am number blind you see, to me, maths is one of life's great mysteries - and I'm really glad that C has not taken after her old man...
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"Life on Mars" by Jon Agee (Scallywag Press)

David Bowie once asked about it, and we've become increasingly obsessed about it too ever since the Curiosity Rover started making its trepidacious way across the rocky surface. "Life on Mars" by Jon Agee is a brilliantly fun book that begins in the not too distant future, when a...
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Monday, 19 August 2019

"Odd Science - Stupendous Body" by James Olstein (Pavilion Children's Books)

Bodies are amazing things, and in "Odd Science - Stupendous Body" by James Olstein, you'll get to find out just how incredible we really are. Yes even you! So what makes us and our bodies so amazing? There are tons of amazing facts crammed into this book. For example, why do we...
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"We Found a Seed" by Rob Ramsden (Scallywag Press)

Time for more fun in the garden, from the author of "I Saw a Bee!" Rob Ramsden's awesome eye for colour and illustration, and his gentle storytelling encouraging kids to get outdoors once again comes to the fore in "We Found a Seed". A little boy and girl are playing in the garden...
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"The Truth About Dinosaurs" by Guido Van Genechten (Five Quills)

Wait a minute? Isn't this a book about Dinosaurs? So why is there a chicken on the cover? Find out inside the brilliant "The Truth About Dinosaurs" by Guido Van Genechten, a brilliantly entertaining book for early years kids who absolutely love these prehistoric scaly beasts. Guido...
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Friday, 16 August 2019

ReadItDaddy's Comic / Graphic Novel of the Week - Week Ending 16th August 2019: "The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Volume 10: Life Is Too Short, Squirrel" by Ryan North, Erica Henderson (cover) and Derek Charm (interior and comic artwork) (Marvel Comics)

THE DEATH OF SQUIRREL GIRL! Yeah, thought that might grab your attention but in the fantastic 10th collected volume of "The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Life is Too Short, Squirrel" North and Charm kick you right in the hooblies from the get-go, opening things at SG's funeral. But wait...
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ReadItDaddy's Second Book of the Week - Week Ending 16th August 2019: "Nordic Tales" by Ulla Thynell (Chronicle Children's Books)

We are very much liking the trend at the moment for gloriously produced anthology books, particularly ones that tap straight into folklore and tales we're already completely fanatical about. "Nordic Tales" by Ulla Thynell brings together 16 amazingly diverse and completely magical...
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ReaditDaddy's Book of the Week - Week Ending 16th August 2019: "The Runaways" by Ulf Stark and Kitty Crowther (Gecko Press)

Our first Book of the Week this week definitely shows what you can do if you break that horrid, horrid rule about '500 or so words' in a children's picture book. The fabulous "The Runaways" by Ulf Stark and Kitty Crowther might be a lot wordier and longer than your average 'before...
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Thursday, 15 August 2019

Rebooting the planet - why you're to blame for the constant stream of "live action" remakes and movie reboots - This week's #ReadItTorial 2019

You. Yes specifically you. It's all your fault. For every person I hear moaning that Disney is A) taking over the planet (or more specifically, the entertainment industry and B) they're remaking / rebooting everthing, I feel like wrapping this article in a baseball bat and clocking...
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