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Category: Books go Walkabout

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Coco Chanel cover image...
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This is a new series of books from Frances Lincoln Children's Books, which tell people's stories, and how they became famous. Starting off as children, finding a dream and following it through to a successful career.

The first book follows Coco Chanel, from her early life in an orphanage, where she is a genius with needle and thread, to her time as a cabaret singer, hat maker and international fashion designer.The book is written by Ms Isabel Sanchez Vegara and with beautifully stylised illustrations by Ana Albero.

The second book is about Frida Kahlo, she wanted to study medicine but had a bad childhood accident. But despite a terrible time her career culminated in a solo exhibition in America.

These are inspirational biographies perfect for encouraging children to follow their dreams. They are excellently published books in hardback and encourage you to open them from the start. I was in The British Library recently and noticed that many people just had to peep inside.

Frida Kahlo cover image...
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In each book there is a fact section and a timeline.

Future books will include Maya Angelou and Amelia Earhart, can't wait for that one!

We love these books and recommend for children from 6 years to 9 years.

Sue Martin

Dolphin Booksellers and Books Go Walkabout


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


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the jackalThe cover illustration on The Jackal Who Thought he Was a Peacock just makes you want to open the cover.

It is based on a fable by Rumi, a Persian mystic and poet and is retold by Fereshteh Sarlak.

Jackal is unhappy with his dull brown and grey. He dreams of looking resplendent like a peacock. He thinks that this new beauty will win him friendship, rather like the leopard who changes his spots.

The illustrations from Firoozeh Golmohammadi are very exciting and exotic and really engage with the text.

We recommend the book for 5 - 10 yr olds.

The Orange HouseThe Orange House written and illustrated by Nahid Kazemi and translated by Azita Rassi. Nahid is an award winning author born in Iran and currently living in Canada.

The small Orange House stands at the end of the alley and is feeling sad and left out as all the other buildings are tall and new.Workmen arrive and head towards the Orange House and eventually she has new things too and knows just how good it feels.

The story is all about relationships and isolation and will help children to find new ways to make friends.

These books are both from Tiny Owl Publishers, they have the most beautiful website, which reflects the care and imagination in their books. Tiny Owl

We recommend this book for 5- 8 year olds.

Sue Martin Dolphin Booksellers and Books Go Walkabout


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


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Wonder GardenSometimes you come across a book that is just wonderful in every way and The Wonder Garden is one of those! Written by Jenny Broom and illustrated by Kristjana S Williams it is one of the brilliant books from Wide Eyed Editions.

It is an exploration of five of the world's Wildest Habitats' the Amazon, the Himalayas, the Chihuahuan Desert, the Black Forest and the Great Barrier Reef.

The illustrations are stunning and the information is well crafted by Jenny into immediately inspiring texts.

We recommend for ages 7 -11 years.

One Thousand ThingsOne Thousand Things by Anna Kovecses is a beautiful and very tactile book in hard back. It has a range of words and objects and is an introduction to vocabulary,with wonderful illustrations and a Little Mouse who helps you through the book.

An excellent book for schools and at home.

We recommend for ages 4 - 6 years.

Sue Martin Dolphin Booksellers and Books Go Walkabout


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


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Snowman and the sunThe Snowman and the Sun is written by Susan Taghdis and illustrated by Ali Mafakheri.

It is a delightful story about a snowman and his journey. You may think that a snowman stays firmly put on the ground. But in fact in this story the sun warms him and first of all he melts and then he evaporates and climbs high into the sky.

He turns into a cloud drifting free in the sky until it gets cold again and he falls as snow on the ground. Along come the children and once again he becomes a snowman.

A story about change and an explanation about how water is everywhere, the water cycle explained for young children.

The book is translated by Azita Rassi and published by the brilliant new publishers Tiny Owl, publishers to watch out for.

We recommend this book for 3- 7 years, either reading together or late on their own.

Sue Martin - Dolphin Booksellers and Books Go Walkabout


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


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Image 2A West African Folk Tale which has been retold by Eric Maddern and illustrated by Frane Lessac.

An intriguing West African creation myth looking at the question of why some people are black and some are white, and others different shades?

The ' first spirit people' who found that they were lonely decided to solve their loneliness by filling the earth with children of all colours under the sun.

' Now the spirit people breathed life into the fire children. One by one they awoke, yawned, stretched and opened their eyes, just like children waking up in the morning. Then they stood up and went off to play.'

Frances Lincoln have published another good title which will compliment school libraries and your collection at home too.

Sue Martin – Dolphin Booksellers, The Best in Children's Books on-line.


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


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A wonderful series and now republished with Frances Lincoln Children's Books.

Image 2Mortimer and Sword Excalibur is the fifth book and Mrs Jones packs Arabel and Mortimer off for a quiet afternoon in Rainwater Crescent Gardens. But as Mortimer investigates the new underground car park he discovers that it is just possible that the long lost sword, Excalibur is waiting to be found.

The Spiral Stair, is based in the zoo. Arabel comes to the rescue as Mortimer becomes entangled in snakes and giraffes.

The books are an excellent new edition and the compact size is just right for an emerging reader, or even for a fluent reader in the midst of a busy holiday time.

Illustrations are, undoubtedly the best of Quentin Blake and portray the characters brilliantly. The text is pure Joan Aiken, with the sharpness of the story intrigue and mix of humdrum life and exciting adventure.

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Sue Martin

Dolphin Booksellers - the best in children's books always on line


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


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Image 3Bhim, the trekking guide,and his family and niece, Kalpana are alive.

House destroyed and living outside in a makeshift tent with tremors still continuing. No help reached them yet!
Donations please via the main appeal charities.


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


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Image 1Books Go Walkabout held a conversation with Australian author, Carole Wilkinson and students at Kellett International School, Hong Kong.

The Dragonkeeper Series, published by Walker Books, Australia is a great read for students for ages, 9 - 13yrs.

It is set in Ancient China, during the Han Dynasty and begins with a slave girl and her master,two dragons and a rat. One of the dragons dies and is made into pickle, the other dragon and the slave girl escape and their journey to the ocean begins.

The students had read the first 5 chapters and asked some insightful and searching questions such as;

' Why didn't you give the slave girl a name at the beginning?' student.

'I didn't want her to have anything, she had a hard life I wanted the reader to feel for her.' Carole.

The questions kept coming for an hour and the students at Kellett School also shared their own dragon that they had made. Carole explained that dragons in China were good and didn't always have wings. Maybe the Year 5 dragon will try and fly once his wings have been attached?kellett master cmyk aw

More reviews will follow this blog and photos and student comments will be added to Books Go Walkabout.

A great start to the Dragonkeeper series.

Sue Martin Books Go Walkabout at Kellett School


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


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Image 4The best venue for those interested in Children's Books is Bologna Children's Bookfair, March 30th - April 2nd 2015.

The country focus this year at Bologna is Croatia and there are a wealth of countries from all over the globe with fascinating workshops and stands.

Books Go Walkabout is especially interested in the Digital Café,

Meeting with Dust or Magic

Speakers: Warren Buckleitner, Chris Meade, Louise Carleton-Gertz and Kristin Heitmann
Organized by: Children’s Tech Review

An impromptu coffee with Warren Buckleitner (Children's Tech Review), to discuss the state of children's tech.

Image 2Last year Walker Books, Australia, won the Bologna Prize for Best Children’s Publisher of the Year - Oceania Region.

A great achievement and we are pleased to be working closely with Walker Books Australia and their authors.

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Stay on line, if you can't make it to Bologna and listen to some amazing stories.

This blog will keep you in touch, or join us on Twitter @booksgowalk

Sue Martin at Books Go Walkabout BGW logoJS


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


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IbbY uk - 21st Annual IBBY UK/NCRCL

MA Conference, University of Roehampton, Saturday 8th November 2014

'Belonging is...an exploration of the right to be included and the barriers that must be overcome'

Something that is deep inside us all is the need to belong, to belong to our family, to belong to a group of friends, to belong to the places that we are part of in our work and free time.

A good theme for the conference and met with enthusiasm by all present.

The topics ranged from inclusivity and diversity, against the need for publishers commercial concerns,.

It was really interesting to hear about The International Conference held in Mexico this year. Pam Dix, the chair of iBbY UK, and other members who attended the Congres International de IBBY gave a wonderful account of the global dimensions and international development in children's books and the need to pursue an agenda of translation.

Image 3 Alexandra Strick, from Inclusive Minds encouraged others to join their collective and share ways of enabling inclusivity and the creation of characters with needs being just part of the story rather than being a stereotype of special needs.

Julia Hope, who has carried out a great deal of research on refugees in the primary classroom, gave a brilliant account and gave examples of children's books which are fundamental to the story and narrative of refugees. These included; The Silver Sword by Ian Serrailer, When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr and Waiting for Anya by Michael Morpurgo.

Always a good day with time for reflection and thoughts about the role and immense importance of children's literature.

Sue Martin - Books Go Walkabout and Dolphin Booksellers

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Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.