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Tag: children’s book illustrations

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Bear can’t find his glasses. He must have left them at Giraffe’s house. On the way over, Bear sees all kinds of animals he didn’t notice last time: an elephant, a crocodile, a flamingo, a deer. And who’s this long spotty snake lying on Giraffe’s deckchair?

The patient Giraffe finds Bear’s glasses—right where glasses always get lost, perched on his head.  Then Bear takes Giraffe to meet these wondrous animals that he found on the way.

Leo Timmers’ details are full of expression and humour—the angle of Giraffe’s neck and lift of his eyebrows, hiding his scepticism as he helps his friend, the dear, artless bear. Through an ingenious telling of this classic comical situation, he shows us how to enjoy the world through different eyes.

Guess where Bear's glasses are? A brilliant way of enabling children to be another character, walk in Bear's shoes, because he really does think he has lost his glasses!

A simple tale yet so true, where are things when we lose them? Thanks to Gecko Press for a beautiful book.

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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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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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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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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Get ready for Lunar New Year, following a young girl and her family as they get ready for and celebrate the Lunar New Year festival.

A stunning book with so much visual information, set around a young Chinese girl called Yue. Perfect for children around the world to celebrate and understand the beauty and joy of the Chinese New Year.

With non-fiction information about the significance of certain rituals, but told through the excited eyes of a child, this is a book to return to year after year in the run up to the biggest festival in the Chinese calendar.

The author/illustrator  Vikki Zhang  has amazing creative talents and her children's books are a part of a wider interest in design.

Each of the 12 double pages features 12 lift flaps, that's 144 in total!
Such as...
- Yue decorates the house with lucky red decorations
- Tidying the house to welcome in the new year
- Watching a special firework display
- Discovering which animal year it will be
- Making festive dumplings with Nainai (grandma)
- Reading a story about the zodiac with Yeye (grandpa)
- Watching a lion and dragon dance in the town square
- Making offerings to her ancestors
- And on the very last spread, a traditional family reunion new year on the eve of Lunar new year and exchange lucky red envelopes.

This book is as special as the little red envelopes children in China receive with many gifts.

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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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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Follow five families and their babies from birth to around 12 months, with all the excitements, challenges and joys of that first year with a new baby in the world. With lots to look at and point to, this delightful celebration of babies, from the team who created The Great Big Book of Families, will be loved by babies, older siblings - and grown-ups too!

A fantastic exploration picture book about babies. The pictures are wonderfully true to life and will really support toddlers in understanding the different aspects of a babies life.

Mary Hoffman has written over 100 titles for children that range from picture books to teenage novels. Amazing Grace, illustrated by Caroline Binch, was commended for the Kate Greenaway Medal and has, together with its sequels, sold over 1.5 million copies. Her Great Big Book of Families, illustrated by Ros Asquith, won the inaugural SLA Information Books Award.Ros Asquith has been a Guardian cartoonist for 20 years and has written and illustrated over 60 books for young people. She answered only to the name of Jim until she was five and believed herself to be an Apache brave until she was nine, a brilliant assumption and clearly led to a creative career!

 

A beautiful book from Otter-Barry Books, which will be much loved and read over and over again.

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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What can you create with a little chalk and a big idea? As Emma uses her imagination to draw a beautiful flower garden with sidewalk chalk, a tiny ecosystem develops outside her door, with real-life flowers that bud and bloom!   Author and illustrator, Sally Anne Garland has created more than just a book in this delightful Picture Book as hope and joy are found in  the real gardener of nature itself.

In The Chalk Garden Emma, has been busy creating beautiful chalk drawings in her back yard on the concrete walls and slabs. But the rain comes, and Emma watches all the delicious colours being washed away. Her hope is restored when one of the slabs wobbles underneath her and with her Dad’s help they take up the slab and see the tiny, crawling creatures underneath the slab. With a little help from a watering can, Emma watches as seed begin to shoot and then to flower.

There is real joy in this book as it shows us how we can always learn from the best teacher in nature herself. Emma’s hopes are revived, and her patience is rewarded as a new garden thrives and produces such a wonderful garden full of colour and chances for flowers and insects to thrive.

This is Sally’s third picture book with Sunbird Books, an imprint of Phoenix International Publications producing stunning innovative and original books for children. Look for the free downloadable activity sheets too.

Sally Anne Garland grew up in the Highlands of Scotland and went on to study Illustration and Graphic Design at Edinburgh College of Art. Now Sally lives in Glasgow with her husband and her son, enjoying walks and reading. Her other Picture Books are Stuck Inside and Share.

The Chalk Garden is the type of Picture Book I love as it leads you into the world from a child’s perspective and how a child can make such a difference. Lots of beautiful pictures woven around the text of this delightful story.

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 world of colour and creativity...

 

An Artist's Eyes, follows Jo as he journeys through the world of colour and creativity in an empowering story of confidence and imagination.

A beautiful picture book from Frances Lincoln Children's Books, , which is full of delightful pictures and words to help anyone see beyond the everyday, and to start to visualise like an artist.

Jo is a little boy who desperately wants to 'see like an artist'.
He tries as hard as he can to see the things the way Mo the artist does, and when he starts to use his imagination, he realises that the things he can dream up are completely unique.

From the autumn oranges of the forest floor to pink and lilac pigeons in flight, Mo teaches Jo to trust his own eyes, and to see like an artist.


This is a magical story about the power of imagination and discovering that our individual perspectives make us all artists, and no two artist's eyes are the same.

Frances Tosdevin is a writer of picture books. She loves words, how they feel, how they sound and the effect they have on the reader.

Clemence Monnet is the illustrator and she has used wonderful flowing pastel i mages on every page.

Everyone sees things in a different way and An Artists's Eyes is a great book to share with others around how you can start to look in a different way and it could change your world.

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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"What can we do
when Mother Earth needs our help?
From one to ten we’re counting green
to keep our planet safe and clean."

Super brilliant new book for young children and anyone who wants to find ways to help our planet survive, published 16th March 2023.

Follow a group of children as they discover how every small action can make a big difference and help to save our Earth. From one new tree and two breezy bicycle wheels to seven beach pick-ups, nine wild flowers and ten friendly neighbours.
Illustrated with the simplicity, warmth and charm which Barroux is famous for, Counting in Green is an inspirational picture book, encouraging young children and their families to push for change and keep our planet safe and secure for all living things.

Hollis Kurman is a multi-talented author ,and writing for children is just part of her talents. Counting in Green is part of Counting series. There are amazing activities to download and videos too.

Otter- Barry Books has a wonderful portfolio of books and Counting in Green is an excellent addition to their books which will make a difference to children's lives.

It is always a joy to receive a book from Otter- Barry Books and Counting in Green is a book which I will enjoy so much for sharing at home or for school visits.

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.