children’s book illustrations – Page 10 – Dolphin Book Blog for younger readers

Pirate Baby by Mary Hoffman & illustrated by Ros Asquith

The DolphinOctober 10, 2017March 25, 2018

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

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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.

Toad Has Talent by Richard Smythe

The DolphinOctober 3, 2017March 25, 2018

Toad has Talent cover image and web link — Buy this book here...

A beautifully illustrated book in hardback, teaching children that they don't know what they can do until they try! Full of animal characters who all perform, until the little snail realises that toad has not given it a go!

Every year when Moonlight Pond freezes over, a talent contest takes place deep in the woods. Ducks dance, mice perform... But guess which little animal doesn't compete.

Toad watches the talent show from behind his rock, careful to keep hidden, because Toad doesn't have a special talent... or so he thinks!

In the days of TV talent shows this is a great book to show that all children can have try to take part. The illustrations are full of atmosphere and humour and mix well with the story, making you wonder which came first, the story or the pictures?

Richard Smythe graduated from an illustration Master's degree in 2010 and has since worked with a number of publishers including Frances Lincoln.

'He's amazing' shouted the Moose, when Toad danced and twirled. Guess who was the winner of the competition?

Sue Martin

Dragons father and son by Alexandre Lacroix

The DolphinSeptember 26, 2017March 25, 2018

Dragons Father and Son cover image and web link — Buy this great book here...

Admiration or Fear? Which is the best thing for a dragon? This is a heart warming tale about a dragon trying to be fierce, his father wants him to burn down the whole village!

But the young dragon finds another way to make his father proud of him. And it doesn't involve any kind of burning!

A debut book, published Sept 21st 2017, from an exciting new author based in Paris. A tale about fathers and sons and also about dragons. Drake, the young dragon sets off to the village in search of a house to burn, but it just doesn't work out. No one is afraid of him and he does some good along the way.

It is a hardback book, beautifully presented with engaging illustrations and a story that is just right to read aloud in a class, or to share at home. The last place Drake visits is an old wooden shack, just right for breathing fire upon. But instead the fisherman comes along and Drake lights a fire to cook the fish.

And the rest of the story is for reading...

Alexandre Lacroix is the author, he has written several books for adults and is the editor of Philosophie Magazine.

Ronan Badel lives and works in Brittany where he writes and illustrates childrens books for most of the time.

A great book from Words and Pictures.

Sue Martin

Tug of War by Naomi Howarth

The DolphinJuly 31, 2017March 25, 2018

Tug of War cover image and web link — Buy this book here...

When Elephant and Hippo are nasty to Tortoise, he shows them that while he may not be big, he certainly is brainy!

A funny and heart warming story from a well-known myth from West Africa with beautiful illustrations and meaningful text.

Tortoise is out to find a friend in the jungle but is called names by the two biggest creatures around, the elephant and the hippopotamus. With the help of bird, tortoise decides to let them know that he is worth having as a friend,even if he is not extra-large and grey.

A tug of war follows and elephant and hippo fall over backwards in a very inelegant position, as the rope eventually snaps. They discover that it would be good to have tortoise as a friend.

A second book from Naomi Howarth, whose debut novel, The Crow's Tale was shortlisted for the 2015 Waterstone's Children's Book Prize. Naomi has huge talent in illustration and a background of working in art in costume and film, leading to a stunning career in children's illustrations and writing.

Published by Frances Lincoln Children's Books, we know that you will love this hard back book at home, in the library and at nursery and school.

Sue Martin

Elliot’s Arctic Surprise by Catherine Barr and Francesca Chessa

The DolphinJuly 31, 2017March 25, 2018

Elliot's Arctic Surprise -cover image and web link — Buy this book here...

Elliot was on holiday by the sea. He went for a paddle and built a sand whale. It was fun but what he really wanted was an adventure...

He finds a message in a bottle from Father Christmas, asking for urgent help to save his home. Elliot sails to the Arctic with children from all over the world. to stop the oil drillers and to rescue the Arctic.

A great picture book with a plenty of meaning. Through the story and illustrations we follow Elliot in his quest and discover icebergs falling into the sea, oil rigs creating heat and undermining the stability of the Arctic.

Written by Catherine Barr and illustrated by Francesca Chesa and published by Frances Lincoln Children's Books.

The book has been developed in conversation with Greenpeace and the blurb on the back cover from Booktrust states, 'If the people of the world unite to protect the planet, there is hope for a better future.'

A good reason why children's books are so important in creating an understanding of truths and reasons for making a difference.

Sue Martin

Once Upon a Jungle by Laura Knowles and James Boast

The DolphinJuly 31, 2017March 25, 2018

Once upon a Jungle - cover image and web link — Buy this book here...

Once upon a time there was a jungle... but that was just the beginning. Delve into the undergrowth to discover the story of a food chain.

A brilliantly, beautiful book published by Words and Pictures and Quarto Knows, whose concept of delivering visual storytelling is wonderfully portrayed in Once Upon a Jungle.

The black background of the jungle undergrowth gives the brightly coloured images huge impact. I love the preying mantis in bright green, who of course was about to eat the ants, who was then gobbled by the lizard and... well it would spoil it to tell you more.

Laura Knowles has previously written It Starts with a Seed. Her interest in environment and nature has a huge impact on her books. The illustrator James Boast, has a unique style which children will love.

The opportunity both for learning and pure enjoyment is huge in this hard backed book. It is a book to keep at home, to have on the shelves at the library and to deliver a project on in the nursery and school.

Sue Martin

Shirley Hughes, Britain’s best known illustrator of children’s books

The DolphinJune 30, 2017March 25, 2018

On 26^th June, Shirley Hughes CBE, was guest editor on BBC Woman’s Hour. She talked with enormous warmth about illustrating books for young children; how she started illustrating with a notebook always in her hand or bag, then to her roughs, her working colleagues Andrea MacDonald, Education Director for Penguin Random House and her love of hats.

A woman of character and depth who would not be drawn in to any signs of weakness in women’s role in society, Shirley Hughes is the winner of many,many awards.

Undoubtedly her most famous book is Dogger. The story of a little, brown, soft toy dog, with one ear up and one ear down, who was lost at the Jumble sale. Dogger was actually her son’s dog and had so much love that although he started off with both ears down, he was cuddled closely for so long with one ear up, it just stayed that way.

Other early books were Lucy and Tom’s Day and Alfie, which started her in the delightful and highly memorable books about everyday life. These were stories which all could relate to, stories which children loved to read and to look at over and over again.

Shirley talked about visual literacy and her thoughts on; how to help children to look at pictures and share a book together, use some physical closeness as you journey through a picture book and explore the world from the safety of a comfy chair. Children will learn to look and search for details and become visually literate.

A keen supporter of galleries, Shirley talked with Gill Hart of the National Gallery about taking children to look at paintings. Her advice was, "to go to the gallery, look at one or two paintings, have a delicious tea, buy a postcard, go home, and stick the postcard on the wall or the fridge. Children will remember them."

On looking at too many paintings, Shirley said, ‘You can get indigestion quite quickly!’

Libraries are a favourite of Shirley’s and she is extremely supportive of the free library systems. In her childhood, growing up in the Second World War libraries had special meaning and gave a wealth of books to read and explore. Shirley talked about the Edinburgh Central Library as a brilliant example of an excellent library

Finally, after talking with her son Ed Vulliamy, a journalist and the proud owner of Dogger, Shirley went on to talk about her passion on wearing hats.

A lady of character and charm, intelligence and warmth, with much more to give in her books for children and adults too.

In the near future there will be a release of a new Alfie book about a day in the nursery. Alfie, who will always be known for his time spent on one side of the door, with his Mum and Baby Rose, on the other side.

For me,on this damp Friday evening, I am going to find all the Shirley Hughes books on the shelf, immerse myself in a comfy sofa and a cup of tea.

Sue Martin

Dolphin Books

What on Earth? Explore, create and investigate!

The DolphinApril 23, 2017March 26, 2018

What on earth: Wind - cover image and web purchase link — Buy this book from The Dolphin...

An exciting new series of books which explore natural elements about the earth and how that impacts on our lives. They are full of questions and answers, experiments and results and children can form conclusions on aspects of our world which affect them every day.Written and illustrated by Isabel Thomas and Pau Morgan and published by QED.

I really love the way the books are laid out, with a contents page and glossary, templates and reference points. The illustrations are very appealing and with a pastel range palette of colours and images.

The books are produced in a most attractive way being half way between hard back and paper back. They have a real open the book feel about them!

What on Earth? Wind
This book is packed with information and the titles and text is laid out in a way which is engaging and interesting. On the page called Ships Ahoy there is a world map with info about the trade winds and how the winds influenced the methods of sailing around the world. On the page, inside a storm, the formation of tornadoes is demonstrated and then an experiment to create a tornado in a bottle, great stuff!

What on Earth? Water

Water cycles, our watery world and water and our planets are some of the sections, which then have a double page for a subject, such as racing to the sea… erosion, make a water wheel and water on other worlds.

Racing to the sea has colourful blocks of text which explain aspects of water from river to sea on a background of mountains, hills and shoreline.

QED have a wealth of expertise in producing fiction titles in a format which is very appealing and stylish and make great books to start a journey into exploration.

Isabel Thomas is a Science writer and children’s author, shortlisted for the Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize 2016, with 130 titles published.

Pau Morgan is an illustrator based in Chile with an amazing porftolio of work.

We really recommend these titles for children any age or especially for 6- 9 years.

Sue Martin

Zeki Can Swim by Anna McQuinn and illustrated by Ruth Hearson

The DolphinDecember 9, 2016January 4, 2017

Swimming is so important and babies make the best swimmers. So Zeki Can Swim is a delightful book to read, to encourage and share with a young child all about swimming, from the water to adding the lotions!

Zeki Loves the water and bathtime is a taster for tomorrow’s adventure. He and Dad join their friends for swimming. First they learn to swim and hen the fun begins and off they go!

The book and series has great reviews, including the first book 'Zeki Loves Baby Club' being Book of the Year in 2014 with Books for Keeps.

The publisher, Alanna Books is a tiny independent publisher, celebrating its 10^th birthday and being most well-known for its Lulu series. It publishes inclusive books with inclusive pictures!

The author, Anna McQuinn has written over 20 books, including the Lulu series, which features Zeki’s older sister.

The illustrator Ruth Hearson works as a freelance illustrator and worked with Little Tiger, OUP and Heinemann. Since returning to illustrating she has been involved in many community arts projects.

Sue Martin Dolphin Booksellers

There’s a Tiger in the Garden by Lizzie Stewart

The DolphinDecember 4, 2016December 5, 2016

there's a tiger in the garden cover image — Review or purchase this title from Amazon.co.uk here...

When Grandma says she has seen a tiger in the garden, Nora doesn't believe her. She's too old to play Grandma's games. Everyone knows that tigers live in jungles not gardens?

So even when Nora sees butterflies with wings as big as her arm, and plants that try and eat her toy giraffe, and a polar bear that likes fishing, she knows there's absolutely, DEFINITELY no way there could be a tiger in the garden... Could there?

Published by Frances Lincoln Children's Books this is the debut novel from Lizzie Stewart, an illustrator and author of great talent. The story and journey line stretch deep into the imagination and will be a wonderful story to read together or alone.

Lizzie has been a freelance illustrator since graduating from Edinburgh College of Art in 2009. In 2013 she completed an MA in Communication Design at Central St. Martin. She was selected as one of the It's Nice That Graduates 2009 and was nominated for a British Comic Book Award in 2013.

Her inspiration comes from folk culture, flora and fauna and life in far flung cities and a compulsive need to tell stories. Currently Lizzie lives in London and teaches on behalf of The National Portrait Gallery.

Sue Martin