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Tag: award winning

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A beautiful book...

 

Flooded is the funny and beautifully illustrated tale of animals who live in a city that is ever so slowly flooding.

The flood comes gradually at first. There is a sense of poignancy as many of us live in a place where we are slowly watching water levels increase.

All the animals ignore the obvious and go about their busy lives, disjointed from one another and preoccupied by their own problems.
Eventually, the flood water reaches a height that they can no longer ignore and they have to work together to save their city.
All the animals join together in a line and pull out the plug that is drowning the city.

This is an exceptionally illustrated story that teaches a message not to let problems fester and with a little team work and community spirit, no problem is insurmountable. 

Mariajo Ilustrajo is a highly talented Spanish author and illustrator, who lives in London and graduated in 2021 with an MA in Children's Book Illustration at Anglia Ruskin, Cambridge.

Flooded is part of an amazing portfolio of children's books Frances Lincoln part of Quarto Knows.

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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I was absolutely delighted to receive You're a Star, Lolo. It is so right for young children moving on to chapter books, the content, the length of each story and the pictures are just what's needed for children  making progress in  decoding words and finding the story. This wonderfully takes them into knowing words have more than just the instant meaning; they are part of the whole sentence and the whole story.

This is the third in the Lolo series. Each book consists of four short stories, with some beautiful black and white pictures from the author on every page. The stories are uniquely written on the same wave length as young children and they are full of known characters and life which is understood and recognised. The first two books are; Hooray for Lolo and Here comes Lolo.

Niki Daly has won many awards for his work, including Not So Fast and Songolo, a ground breaking picture book, paving the way for post apartheid South Africa children's books. Since then he has written many classic picture books and story books including surprise, Surprise! also published by Otter-Barry Books. Niki lives in Kleinmond. Western Cape,South Africa with his wife, author and illustrator Jude Daly.

Otter-Barry Books  are  unique and gifted publishers who continue to push boundaries and publish books that children love.

We thoroughly recommend You're A Star, Lolo and the series for young children ages around 5-7 years.

Sue Martin


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 CAt Called Trim - cover image and web link
Buy this great book here - free delivery on publication!

Trim was born in 1799 aboard the sailing ship Reliance, a cat born for adventure and seaward journeys. This is the story of a famous cat, Trim, who sailed with his master Matthew Flinders across the Indian Ocean and  circumnavigated Australia. Courageous, mischievous and full of ideas, Trim could be seen on the rigging, along the sails and more than once ended up swimming for his life.

A beautiful book full of wonderful illustrations and an amazing story  of characters, events and a way of life that is not known to us today. Except that showing kindness, being brave and trusting remain good characteristics for anyone.

Flinders and Trim were sailing back to England when they were forced to stop at the Isle de France, a fateful trip as Flinders was put in prison and one day Trim disappeared.

But they are always remembered through statues to Flinders and Trim all over the world, including Sydney, Port Lincoln and  Euston Station, London.

A Cat Called Trim is written by Corinne Fenton, illustrated by Craig Smith and published by Allen and Unwin of Australia, released on 5th September 2019.

Corinne Fenton is an award-winning Australian author,and a passionate creator of picture books for younger readers and a talented presenter of books to children. Craig Smith is a highly talented illustrator of many, many children's books and his amazing pictures have a real sense of story.

Book icon image and web link   Buy this book securely on-line from The Dolphin here...

I love this book, it has enormous appeal and would recommend for children from ages 5 upwards... no limit really! Order the book for dispatch on publication date of 5th September 2019.

Sue Martin


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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Cinderella - cover image and web link
Buy this book here

Cinderella - a magical book complete with  wand from Sanna Mander,an award winning author from Finland.

This classical fairy tale comes to life with music and sound effects, all you need to do is to wave over the page and magic will happen.

On a more serious note... many fairy tales have a darker side, Cinderella is an iconic tale of unjust oppression which teaches  kindness, forgiveness and the value of making good choices in the face of adversity.

Sanna Mander's illustrations and text are beautiful and evocative of a fairy tale world. As an illustrator she won the Cannes Young Creatives in 2006 and Junior of the Year in 2007 at Finnish Best of Year.

Buy this book here - image and web link
...free delivery

Another beautiful book from Lincoln Children's Books.

So, with a 'swirl, a twirl and a puff of starry smoke...' start reading and waving the magic wand.

A great fun book recommended for ages 3-5 years

Sue Martin

 


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
Pirate Baby cover image
Buy this book from The Dolphin

How do pirates cope with babies?

"Shiver me timbers," said the captain. "It's a baby!"   

When the crew of pirate ship Ramshackle find a tiny baby adrift on the high seas, they are a bit flummoxed. Even more so, when they discover it's a baby girl.

This is a book full of adventure, surprises, fun and imagination. Taken into a world of pirates on the high seas, it will immerse you into amazing characters, exciting adventures and just how the dare devil pirates cope with a baby girl. As she wins them over, they find ways to give her milk, but in a different way; condensed milk with water is not maybe the best, but she seems to like it!

The pirates won't give up their baby, not even to the women pirates and when a huge sea monster appears it is baby Isla who saves the whole company of pirates.

Mary Hoffman, the author is well-known for her many children's books including Amazing Grace, which has sold over a million copies. The narrative is full of her wonderful style fitting the scenes with pirate adventures.

Ros Asquith a world-famous illustrator and cartoonist, has created delightful characters in the big blue seas. Her books are translated into over 20 languages and she was a Guardian cartoonist for 25 years.

Publishers Otter-Barry are a new publisher and aim to make a difference, push boundaries and publish books that children love. Pirate Baby certainly does all of those.

Buy direct from Dolphin Booksellers and we give 10% of the book price to support children in Nepal.

Sue Martin


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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Ifeoma  has recently visited Mali and some of her photographs can be seen in two beautiful books to be published by Frances Lincoln  on August 2nd.

The images bring to life every day activities for children and families in Africa, full of vibrancy and colour. These are unique and culturally diverse word books, with lots to look at and talk about.

Let's Look at This - Clothes

Hat, shorts, long skirt and top, wrapper...All kinds of things to wear, with a vibrant mix of Western and traditional African clothing.

 

Let's Look at This - FoodGreat images and great food form a vibrant continent and people


Mango, rice, plantain, okra...All kinds of delicious things to eat, with a vibrant mix of universal and African foods.

Ifeoma makes frequent travels to different parts of Africa, carrying her camera and capturing smiling faces.

On her last trip to Mali there was much to see and I guess it is a different place today.

Ifeoma's website tells of her adventures.

Ifeoma's blog is packed full of journeys and unexpected happenings in some of the remoter parts of Africa. Click on the links to the journey to Mali and the journey to Nigeria, and take a few minutes to get a real sense of what Africa is like.
On her website you can also buy books direct through the Amazon link and get the best prices.

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

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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.


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A great story" Yipes!" blinked the itzy bitzy rabbit. " What are you going to do?"

" Have my lunch, growled the bear. " And my lunch is...YOU!"

Poor old Grizzly Bear, there was nothing left to eat in the woods. Because he had eaten it all!

From tasty toes to biting in half, this bear means business when he comes across the rabbit. But unlike other animals Rabbit is not scared.

He has intriguing reasons why the bear should not eat him for his lunch and it works!

A great story in a picture book retold in a very appealing way. The drama, the pictures, the way it is presented and the rhyming text make it a joy to read and to share.

It comes from Sean Taylor and illustrated by Hannah Shaw,the team who put together Crocodiles are the best Animals of All- short listed for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize 2009.Newly published by Frances Lincoln, this book is a great one to read and to buy.

Dolphin Booksellers - the best in children's books always


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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Imagine 30 children in a village school on an October afternoon, enthralled, listening and just wanting to hear the end of the tale.

For a whole hour the children in years 4, 5 and 6 at Babraham Cof E Primary School near Cambridge, sat and listened to Jackie and watched these wonderful pictures developing into a whole world of dragons, cake eating dragons, dragons made from the sun and the stars and tiny dragons with whisper thin wings.

"In their own drawings, their imaginations were sparked with fire as the dragon came to life, tails made of flowers, to dragons with spikes and claws whose tails curled round and round in spiraling circles".

By the end of the afternoon, neither the children or the teachers were in any hurry to leave, eagerly looking at the books of Jackie's we had brought.

Tell Me a Dragon(published by Frances Lincoln ) was in print from last year, the images and the story are just beautiful. The latest book from  Jackie Morris is The Ice Bear, look no further for an inspiring book as a present.

We are really looking forward to working with Jackie again. Enabling her to share with children in schools, so they can be inspired first hand is worth so much, apart from being a magical moment which both the children and staff will remember.

Dolphin Booksellers , part of SmithMartin Partnership LLP broadening horizons and widening imaginations. Sue Martin


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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Two people have been awarded the honour of SLA School Librarian of the Year.

At the celebration on 4th October in London, M.G. Harris , author of  The Joshua Files presented the awards to;

Kevin Sheehan from Offerton School in Stockport and Duncan Wright from Stewart's Melville College in Edinburgh.

Ginette Doyle, Chair of the Selection committee and Chair of the School Library Association said: “Kevin and Duncan come from two completely different schools. Kevin’s school has a higher than average learning support register and more pupils eligible for free school meals than normal. He makes his library fun; he goes beyond the book to entice pupils in and demands that they respect the space so that it has become highly valued.

Duncan’s school is more academic and he has ensured that the information literacy ladder he helped to devise is at the heart of lessons, but he too, makes the Library a fun place to be and engages disaffected readers with his enthusiasm for other things than just the Library. Two exceptional librarians, working in different ways to bring their libraries into the heart of the school and learning, we could not decide between them. They are not joint winners, but each deserves the accolade of SLA School Librarian of the Year.

The SLA School Librarian of the Year Award celebrates the essential work that school librarians are doing at a time when school libraries are being closed at an alarming rate.

We were impressed by the passion and dedication of the librarians we visited and the innovative and inspirational ways in which they bring books and an enthusiasm for learning into the heart of the school and into the lives of children. We had a hard job selecting a short list and feel that everyone on the Honour list should be celebrated.”

The Honour List:
Sue Bastone – Licensed Victuallers’ School, Ascot
Rebecca Jones – Malvern St James, Worcestershire
Shiona Lawson – Rothesay Academy, Isle of Bute
Denise Reed – Hurst Prep School, Hurstpierpoint, Sussex

You can find profiles of the six librarians are on the School Library Association website.

Dolphin Booksellers were pleased to support SLA both in their work and by attending the event.

Sue Martin


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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Ifeoma is a well known writer of children's books, using her photographs and text bringing family and community life in Africa into the western world.

At the end of June in 2010 Ifeoma is visiting Washington DC.

On 26th June she will be performing at the Washington Convention Center a play reading of one of her best loved books, Welcome Dede, a beautifully illustrated book of the naming of Dede by all the community.

af artOn 27th June she will delivering one of her exciting, interactive workshops at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Arts.

(Image from Playtime at National Museum of African Arts).

A great accolade for a great writer and illustrator.

Ifeoma's books and gallery are available to view and to buy and there is also a US version of her website, where US visitors to the site can purchase Ifeoma's books from Amazon.com

This is part of Ifeoma's programme about portraying Africa as a place full of colour, life and vibrancy and bringing this to America. Breaking down barriers, making bridges, encouraging communication and interest.

There are organisations that are already active in this endeavour, the Africa- America Institute , which has a programme to help in education and training and the site  America .gov which promotes partnership for peace and prosperity.

At Dolphin Booksellers we are delighted to support Ifeoma in her visit to Washington and will update you on this blog just as soon as the photos arrive.

Dolphin Booksellers - great books and information, 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.