Small, Speckled Egg
By Mary Auld
Illustrated by Anna Terreros-Martin
Mama Makes Books
August 2023, pp28, £11.99
9781739774875
Reading age: 4+ years
Readers are taken on a lovely journey following the life of an Arctic tern; from its birth in the Arctic, to its migration to the Antarctic as a youngster, to its return to the Arctic as an adult to begin its own family.
The text is pitched at two levels, with bold words highlighting the bird’s story for new readers, alongside more in-depth information about the life, habitat and behaviours of this bird. This will make a fabulous resource for group reading and adult-led discussions.
Beautiful illustrations support readers’ understanding of the information presented. Changes to the bird as it grows are depicted, as well as to the flora and fauna of the habitats and the places it visits.
This book will be useful for vocabulary acquisition as well as learning about the world, and the Arctic and Antarctic. At the end there is a fabulous, robust fold-out map which provides further information about migration, the world and these lovely birds.
The Wild Beastie: A Tale from the Isle of Begg
By Helen Kellock
Walker Books
June 2024, pp32, £12.99
9781529512915
Reading age: 4+ years
Readers will be enchanted by this fantastical tale, following the creature Bumple who lives on the magical Isle of Begg. Initially Bumple is scared to explore her island and doesn’t want to play with anyone, preferring to stay hidden away from others, close to home. But when she meets the creature Little Mop, things don’t go to plan, and they end up lost.
Through learning about each other and working together, Bumple and Little Mop eventually make it home. But not before overcoming misunderstanding, anxiety and mild peril.
Themes of friendship, courage and empathy, as well as adventure, bravery and resilience, are all explored, making this a rich resource for PSE development.
The text is simple yet creates a gripping narrative. There are occasional Scottish colloquialisms, making this a lovely book for introducing children to different words from around the UK.
Beautiful illustrations bring to life the natural world in which Bumple and Little Mop live.
Doodle With Duddle: How to Draw Dinosaurs
By Jonny Duddle
Templar Books
June 2024, pp64, £8.99
9781800784376
Reading age: 4+ years
This is a fabulous activity book. Each double page introduces different dinosaurs, with simple, effective ways to draw them, as well as how to draw the characters in the original book by the same author, Gigantosaurus (although readers do not need to read this first).
There are double pages of fabulous facts about dinosaurs and fossils. The whole book finishes with a dino quiz and a certificate for readers for being expert dino-doodlers! This is an incredibly versatile work book which will inspire creativity and support physical development, as well as an understanding of the world. It encourages readers to look at a dinosaur as a whole, as well as the finer details.
The only drawback is that the text is quite advanced, using scientific terms and advanced sentence structures. I would encourage adult support when working through it, to allow for opportunities for vocabulary acquisition and discussions around word meaning. However, the activities will support a wide age range and drawing ability.
