children’s book illustrators – Page 7 – Dolphin Book Blog for younger readers

The Night Dragon by Naomi Howarth

The DolphinJuly 12, 2018July 22, 2018

The Night Dragon - cover image and web link — Buy this book here...with free delivery

On top of a very high mountain in a land far away, lived a dragon…

Maud, the dragon was very colourful and lived with four other dragons who were scary, ferocious and brave. Every night they flew in the sky and turned the sky black.

Maud was not that kind of dragon, in fact she was a non-flying, rainbow-coloured, friendly dragon. Her one friend was Mouse.

This is a beautiful story of courage, friendship, and overcoming your fears.

The Night Dragon, Maude and mouse - image and web link — Buy this book here...with free delivery

Maud and mouse conquer the flying in the sky together and the sky becomes full of colours of the rainbow just as the sun goes down.

When you next see a beautiful sunset, remember Maude! From the very first page you join this dragon on the edge of her world.

Naomi Howarth is from Scotland and first worked in the film industry, going on recently to work with illustrations in children’s books, using lithographs and water colours. Naomi’s books tell timeless and meaningful tales that engage young readers to think about the inspiring wonder of the natural world. In 2014 Naomi won a prize on the inaugural Picture Hooks mentoring programme and was mentored by Catherine Rayner.

The Night Dragon on edge of mountain

Lincoln Children’s Books, an imprint of The Quarto Group, are the publishers and The Night Dragon, to be published on 2nd August 2018, joins their list of high quality children’s books.

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.

Life on Earth: Ocean

The DolphinApril 10, 2018April 11, 2018

Ocean is part of the great new series of Life on Earth, from Wide Eyed Editions Publishers, with 100 questions and 70 Lift-Flaps.

The board book is sturdy and appealing to all young children. The illustrations are brilliant and the intriguing flaps reveal comprehensive answers to the questions...

How do fish breathe?
Why is the ocean salty?
Why is a whale not a fish?

Embark on an epic journey under the sea looking for fish and other ocean creatures beneath the waves, learn what shells are for, find out which sea creatures are the most dangerous, and take a closer look at a coral reef. This fascinating fact-filled book is the perfect introduction to life under the sea.

HEATHER ALEXANDER was born in New York City, and now lives in New Jersey. She began her career editing children's books such as Goosebumps and Fear Street, before moving into writing. She has written over 40 books for children.

ANDRES LOZANO is an illustrator from Madrid, who currently lives in London. He lists his inspirations as nature, architecture, Franco-Belgian comics and film noir. His work is characterised by overlayed colours, textures and strong line work. He has worked with The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Sunday Times, and Anorak.

Recommended for children ages 5 - 8 years

Sue Martin

The New Baby and Me by Christine Kidney, illustrator Hoda Haddadi

The DolphinMarch 23, 2018April 4, 2018

A new baby is on the way! What will it be like? A book which is wonderfully illustrated with text which mirrors children's thoughts, about a new arrival into the family.

The author is Christine Kidney and it is illustrated by award-winning Hoda Haddadi. It celebrates the importance of individuality and imagination, especially when welcoming a new sibling.

Will the baby be an explorer and together with his brother will find new lands or maybe he will be an artist and together they will paint the world. But there is a surprise ahead!

A perfect book for a family waiting for their new baby, and a great book to read and share with siblings. Much to talk about and the illustrations give wonderful starting points to explore and plan.

Christine Kidney graduated from Cambridge University and also has her own editorial consultancy, this is a great start for her own books.

Hoda Haddadi is an Iranian illustrator and has won many awards including gold prize winner for Best Illustrator at 2017 Moonbeam Children's book contest.

Tiny Owl Children's Book Publisher are committed to producing beautiful original books and have many which are from Iranian authors and illustrators.

Sue Martin

The Carnivorous Crocodile

The DolphinFebruary 22, 2018March 25, 2018

The jungle animals find that an extremely carnivorous crocodile has claimed their waterhole for himself! Not even the elephants, giraffes or monkeys dare to argue with the crocodile.

But the flamingos have a cunning plan! They tell the crocodile that if he eats them he will get hiccups. We all know that crocodiles can't stand hiccups.

And so eventually crocodile learns to share and the elephants, monkeys and giraffes learn that they too can frighten a fierce crocodile.

A great story about sharing, togetherness, being brave and the environment.

Jonnie Wild, the author has been involved with forest conservation for many years and works at the University of Leeds. This is his first children's book and a great start to a new venture.

Brita Granstorm, the illustrator has won many awards and has been shortlisted twice for the Astrid Lingren Memorial Award. Often working with her partner Mick Manning, they have recently completed Books! Books! Books.

Otter-Barry Books has an extensive range of children's books on their lists and is making a difference, pushing boundaries and publishing books which children love!

Sue Martin

The Snowbear by Sean Taylor and Claire Alexander

The DolphinDecember 8, 2017March 25, 2018

The Snowbear cover image and weblink — Buy this book on-line here...

The Snowbear is a spellbinding story about the magic of snow and the power of a child's imagination. With a simple text and beautiful illustrations, it will be read and enjoyed again and again.

Written by Sean Taylor and illustrated by Claire Alexander, The Snowbear is published by Words and Pictures.

The snow came in the night and in the morning Iggy and Martine went out to make a snowman.

"Make a snowman if you want. But be careful because the hill is very slippery." warns their Mum.

A snow bear is made and the children have fun in the snow. But then they decide to slide down and down the hill in their sledge, so fast and so far that they can't stop! Alone with only the eyes of a wolf in the trees they are scared.

lolloping down the hill the Snowbear scares the wolf away. He picks up the children and the sledge and carries them home, safe and sound!

Beautifully written and enchantingly illustrated, a perfect gift for Christmas and winter months.

Sue Martin

Up the Creek and The Busy Beaver by Nicholas Oldland

The DolphinNovember 10, 2017March 25, 2018

Up the Creek.

There once was a bear, a moose and a beaver who were the best of friends, though they often disagreed.

A journey up river is not the best time to argue about who is steering and who is rowing, as these chums set out on a journey across rapids and fast flowing currents.

They finally agree and make the journey in the canoe to the end of the rapids. Once out of the water they have lunch and decide on the best route home, that's by walking!

A great story about friendship, cooperation and adventure. Nicholas Oldland is the writer and illustrator and the characters come to life in the pictures and the words.

It is from a new publishing house, Pikku Books, based in the UK, with a Finnish background. They are an engaging team with a passion to share in good books with good stories, and new writers, often from afar.

The Busy Beaver also by Nicholas Oldland and published by Pikku Books is part of the Life in the Wild series.

The beaver is so busy working and cutting trees down he doesn't notice all the damage he has made. That is until one day when he finds himself on the wrong side of a falling tree. Landing in hospital with bandages and wounds makes him think and he decides to do things differently.

He hauls off trees which were strewn across the fields, he used broken branches to fix leaking dams and he planted saplings to replace the trees that he has felled.

A delightful story and the Life in the Wild series would make a great purchase for home and school, lots to talk about and share, lots to do research on and explore the worlds of beavers, moose and bears.

Books can be bought direct from Dolphin or through Pikku publishers. We are really pleased to be working with this new publishing team in promoting good quality books that you can't always find in the stores.

Sue Martin

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

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

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