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9781776575930fc

Such a beautiful book! The story develops through the illustrations as there are no words, the pictures say it all. It is an intriguing book with a whole range of stories for your imagination on every page.

Time for cake! But the eagle swipes up the blanket and flies away. The animals chase after to find all their stolen picnic things.

Thé Tjong-Khing’s visual storytelling slows us down and invites us to look more closely. Can you remember everything on the blanket? Hat, ball, doll, feather, cake? Who is hiding in the bush? What has the dog seen on the cliff? How will pig get back her sun umbrella? Why is the rabbit crying? And how can there be cake for everyone when the very hungry rat family has eaten it already?

Gecko Press are working with Thé Tjong-Khing. Interesting illustrator...

'Thé Tjong-Khing (born in 1933) is a children’s book illustrator based in the Netherlands. He was born in Indonesia, attended the Seni Rupa Arts Institute in Bandung, and moved to the Netherlands in 1956. As a child he was interested in the "Tarzan" comic strips of Edgar Rice Burroughs. Thé has won the Golden Pencil Award three times (a major Dutch children’s book award), and in 2005 the Woutertje Pieterse Prize for Best Dutch Children’s Book for his book Waar is de taart? (Where is the cake?), a wordless picture book which was also nominated for the German Youth Literature Prize in 2007.'

Collect all the missing objects, find out who they belong to, and come back home for more cake in this cheerful, wordless look-and-find story that culminates in the delightful reward of sharing.

A delight to read and share with young children and their powers of observation are superb.

Sue Martin

Children's Literacy Specialist

Part of Books Go Walkabout, Stories across the world.

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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Have you ever wished that you didn't have to go to a party? They are not always such fun and maybe you're a little shy?

This is a funny, heartwarming story about being brave enough to be different - and to be yourself, Dora really, really doesn't like parties! They are too loud and too busy. Maybe she won't have to go if a gorilla steals her party dress or if a giant frog eats her shoe!

But...what if Dora could find a nice quiet place at the party, and someone else who doesn't like noisy parties? Then they could have a lovely time - in their own way. and that would be...absolutely, completely, totally and perfectly OK!

Angie Morgan is an author-illustrator whose previous books include Enormouse (Frances Lincoln), Shouty Arthur and the Sedric stories (Egmont). Born in Bristol,now living in Bath, she studied graphics and illustration at Goldsmiths College, London. Her stories show an acute, sympathetic understanding of how children think abou. Angie uses a wide variety of media in her illustrations: watercolours, pastels, charcoal, and scanned ephemera of all kinds.

Otter-Barry Books have a wonderful portfolio of great books and their picture books are especially appealing and with great thoughts and ideas for young children.

Sue Martin - Children's Literacy Specialist

Part of Books Go Walkabout, Stories across the world.

 


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 feel-good picture book about best friendship told with sensitivity and an open ending—squirrel and mushroom are best friends until another best friend comes to play.

This morning when I was out walking, I found a best friend. At least I think so. It certainly looks a lot like it! He really has a best friend kind of face.

In this funny picture book exploring a forever childhood question about friendship, squirrel and a mushroom explore the forest through the seasons, show each other special trees, build snow mushrooms, share the good times and bad—which become good bad times alongside a friend.

Then spring arrives, and so does a new friend. And then another. This raises a profound question for an overthinking squirrel: should we have just one best friend?

What is the answer? I've been pondering and friends are just good to have in all their guises and sometimes best friends change places?

Sue Martin -  Children's Literacy Specialist

Part of Books Go Walkabout, Stories across the world.

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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An evocative bedtime picture book that distils the essence of a family summer at the beach. Living in Norfolk in the UK with the wild beaches nearby this book is a wonderful memory of holidays at the beach hut. It's a glorious way of being family together and enjoying the simple things of life that mean so much.

Summer holidays by the sea have a rhythm all their own. With a few resonant images Cowley takes us straight to the end of a long hot day with beach treasures under the pillow and the salty smell of the sea. The cadence of the final words echoes the shushing waves in a gentle signal of time for readers to sleep—“good day, good sea, good sand, good night”.

This simple poem by internationally renowned Joy Cowley transports the reader to a childhood summer with language that asks to be read over and over. Hilary Jean Tapper’s warm watercolour and ink illustrations add an inclusive cast of extended family, friends and children of different ages.

Gecko Books have a wonderful range of great books, bringing a while world of imagination and interest to all readers.

Choose this book for summer and spend happy beach  hours together.

Sue Martin - Children's Literacy Specialist

Part of Books Go Walkabout, Stories across the world.

 


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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Play hide and seek in the city with a boy, his animal friends and a dinosaur that’s surprisingly hard to spot. The brilliantly interactive follow-up to international bestselling picture book, Have You Seen Elephant?  

An amazing book in which children will spot the dinosaurs well ahead of the adults, I guess! The story charmingly follows a journey with many clues.  Children can use their superior observation skills !

Best friends boy, dog and elephant are VERY good at hide-and-seek. There’s a missing dinosaur in the city—who better to spot this elusive giant? They search the skate park, the museum, the subway…

No one in the city can spot the dinosaur, not even this crack hide-and-seek team. But delighted readers will be pointing “There it is!” from the first page.

This absurd, laugh-out-loud picture book for preschoolers is richly illustrated with David Barrow’s trademark beautiful use of light and colour and dramatic cityscapes—a guaranteed hit with dinosaur-loving toddlers. 

With clues, surprises and humour, this game-inside-a-book celebrates imaginative play and is perfect for sharing with children who will love being better at finding the dinosaur than their adult reader.

Author and illustrator David Barrow is a recent graduate of the Cambridge School of Art where he completed a Masters in Children’s Book Illustration and received the top prize, the Sebastian Walker award for most promising children’s illustrator.

Gecko Press  are unique publishers who hand-picks books by some of the best writers and illustrators in the world—books of good heart and strong character, excellent in story, illustration and design.

Sue Martin - Children's Literacy Specialist


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 recent astonishing discovery was made in the famous Chauvet Cave in France, where  the footprint if a young child was found with a paw print beside it- from 26,000 years ago!

When Mo makes friends with a little wild beast, her family are horrified – wild beasts are dangerous.

But could this wild beast save baby Babba from a hungry lynx and become a friend to the whole family?
And then what would they call him? DOG!


This delightful, heart-warming story about a Stone-Age family and the first dog is inspired by the amazing, recent discovery of a child’s footprint alongside a dog’s pawprint in the Chauvet cave in France – from 26,000 years ago!

Bridget Marzo has published children's books over the world and gives amazing workshops on illustrations into schools and other organisations. She divides her time between Cambridge and France.

Otter-Barry Books is an exciting independent children’s publisher aiming to make a difference, push boundaries and publish books that children will love.

 

 

Sue Martin - Children's Literacy Specialist

Part of Books Go Walkabout, Stories across the world.

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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There is a cat. A cat that couldn’t be bothered to do anything … anything at all. His friends ask him if he wants to play but he doesn’t feel like it. They invite him on adventures to far-off places, but he would rather stay at home. Until one day, a friend asks how he is doing, and the true reason why he’d rather do nothing is revealed. He is feeling sad.

This is a story about feelings, friendship and the importance of speaking to someone when you don’t feel right. This beautiful socially aware story:
Reassures children and adults too, that feeling sad sometimes is normal

  • Helps them understand others’ behaviour and promotes empathy
  • Encourages them to be more in touch with their feelings
  • Provides a sense of fun while also broaching a tricky topic

Both children and adults will love the quirky and hilarious cat’s refusal to take part in anything and the sweet and important message behind this story.
It’s never been more important to introduce kids to the importance of mental health. This bright children’s book is an easy way to talk about feelings and looking out for others. It provides an excellent jumping-off point for at-home and classroom discussions about emotional well-being and caring for others.

Author and illustrator Jack Kurland is a debut author-illustrator from Leigh-on-Sea in the UK. After graduating from Winchester School of Art in 2013, he spent seven years working as a graphic designer. He paused to go travelling for two years, where he realised he wanted to achieve an ambition he’d always had: to create children’s books.

Publishers are Frances Lincoln Childrens' Books  an imprint of Quarto  and one of my favourite publishers for quality and ideas.
This book spoke to me at a really sad time in my life! I love it when pictures speak louder than words.

Sue Martin Children's Literacy Specialist, BooksGoWalkabout 


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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Lenny Has Lunch written and illustrated by Ken Wilson-Max, is a wonderfully illustrated picture book for young children. Have fun sharing the book together and the everyday things that make life full of adventure.

Lenny and Daddy prepare a delicious lunch, looked on lovingly by the dog. Lenny uses the large blue spoon to feed himself. The games and songs help them  to work up an appetite and they have some great actions to  “Row Row Row Your Boat”.

Ken Wilson-Max is an award-winning author, illustrator and publisher of children’s books. He lives in London and was born in Zimbabwe. In 2020 his book Astro Girl won the STEAM award for early years picture books and Where’s Lenny was listed in the 50 Best Culturally Diverse Children’s Books by The Guardian. In 2017 he became publisher at Alanna Max which focuses on an inclusive approach.

Ken is a brilliant author,illustrator to have in school. In a session with Reception children in an inner city school in London, we had organised for an author event,he and the whole class painted some great pictures !

Lenny Has Lunch is a perfect book to share with your own children and to have in a nursery or school. And you can also just read and enjoy it yourself at the end of the day, when all is quiet!

Sue Martin  Children's Literacy Specialist

 

 

 


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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Set back in the days WHEN DINOSAURS WALKED THE EARTH, this is a hilarious picture-book about Smallasaurus, who enjoys a plant-based diet, and Badasaurus who likes to eat small dinosaurs who enjoy a plant-based diet.

It all begins when Smallasaurus has to think. And thinking can be a problem when you only have a brain the size of a walnut. Luckily, Badasaurus only has a brain the size of a peanut  . . . and so begins a hilarious game of 'cat and mouse'.

Will she eat the small dinosaur, with a plant-based diet? Or will she eat the great big dinosaur, with a small-dinosaur-based diet? It doesn’t take long for her to choose. And it doesn’t take long for Badasaurus to find out. And that’s how it sometimes was back in the days . . . WHEN DINOSAURS WALKED THE EARTH.

Super book which will engage with all those interested in dinosaurs.

Sean Taylor is an award-winning author of over 50 books for young readers of many different age.  Zehra Hicks is a brilliant illustrator and author, her character dinosaurs are so appealing.

Frances Lincoln Children's books are part of the Quarto Group and have a wide and engaging portfolio of children's books.

Sue Martin - Children's Literacy Specialist

Part of Books Go Walkabout, Stories across the world.

 


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.


Published on

 

When the last tiger is captured by human hunters, he realises that it is more important to be free than to be strong...

Strong and proud, the tiger is lord of the jungle, but all his strength and boldness cannot keep him safe from the human hunters. In captivity, the tiger realises that what really matters is not strength or power, but freedom.

Moving, thought-provoking and superbly illustrated by an award-winning picture book creator - this is an important fable for our time.

An incredible story about a Tiger in captivity who only escapes when he has become so thin that he can get through the bars of his cage. He decides that he will never let a man see him again.

Petr Horáček is the writer and illustrator, with such skill in portraying emotion and feeling, both in words and images. The tiger in the cage is at first seen by many people walking past but when he becomes so thin and is no fun to provoke, no one comes past. He was born in Prague and studied at the Academy of Fine Art. After graduating in 1994, he moved to live in England and now lives in Worcestshire. He has won a sring of international awards and The Last Tiger is Long Listed for the UKLA Book Awards

Otter-Barry Books are the publishers and have amazing skill at creating these wonderful picture books which tell much more that the words on the page.

The Last Tiger is a stunning book with a huge tale to tell.

Sue Martin - Children's Literacy Specialist


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.