Dolphinbooksellers – Page 5 – Dolphin Book Blog for younger readers

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

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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.

ABC Mindful Me

The DolphinMarch 28, 2018March 28, 2018

Mindfulness starts at the very beginning. ABC Mindful Me helps to find peace and happiness using rhymes and wonderful illustrations.

Happiness is a great attribute to have and helps concentration, emotions and dealing with some of life's problems.

'Joy is all around you! Find it in the little things and feel the happiness it brings!'

There is also a section at the end of the book which explains mindfulness and awareness of our world, helping us all to be compassionate and to have a positive attitude. Try the emotion rocks and paint faces showing how you feel, or create a nature collage and use sticks and cones to paint in shapes and patterns.

Christiane Engel is and award-winning author and illustrator, her two previous titles in this series are ABC Love and ABC Yoga, both of which are really successful.

QuartoKids, the publishers have included ABC MIndfulness in their new titles in March 2018 and we are sure it will be highly successful.

Sue Martin

We Travel so Far by Laura Knowles and illustrated by Chris Madden

The DolphinOctober 30, 2017March 25, 2018

We Travel so Far cover image — Buy this book from The Dolphin

Small stories of incredibly giant journeys. However far you have travelled these stories will surpass your longest journey.

The whales, birds, butterflies, turtles, fish and eels of all shapes and sizes make the most amazing journeys imaginable.

We Travel So Far is a book which will capture your imagination and set you off on a journey to find out more.

I was intrigued by; the Caribbean Spiny Lobsters which travel at the bottom of the sea in a long line, and the Arctic Terns which journey from North Pole to the South Pole. I have often watched them as they fly close to the water on the North Norfolk beaches.

There are so many journeys and so many different ways of travelling across the globe. Laura and Chris have made the pages intriguing, with a combined use of text and beautiful colour coordinated illustrations. From Whooping Cranes, as the ghostly white fliers, to the African elephants, the giants of the savannah, each page gives an insight into a world full of movement and travel.

At the end of the book, there is a page on migration data and also a page on people as travellers. We travel for adventure, to find food, to find freedom and much more, but we all travel.

Great book! Well written by Laura Knowles and illustrated by Chris Madden, published by Words and Pictures part of the Quarto Knows group.

Sue Martin

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

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

A Rocketful of Space Poems

The DolphinApril 23, 2017March 25, 2018

A Rocketful of Poems cover image and purchase link — Buy this book from The Dolphin...

Space Poems which will take you to the moon and back again, stay at the Space Hotel, snack on a Mooncheese Toastie and play intergalactic squibble ball.

25 fantastic poems by the best of space poets in the universe, chosen by John Foster and illustrated by Korky Paul.

Ready for blast off!!!!!

This is a brilliant collection of space poems from John Foster, who is a writer of children's poetry and anthologies. The illustrations are by Korky Paul, a very famous illustrator, and are full of fun and intricate detail with a real space feel about them. It will make a great present, book in the library or at home, to share and read alone. It will get the imaginations soaring across this universe and into the next.

Poems include; Spaceman MacTavity by Marian Swinger, the spaceman who floated on the moon, Turn Left at the Moon by Eric Finney with a UFO who was redirected to Mars and loads more.

Fun, adventure, exploration, science, creativity and beyond....

So much to explore in this book from Francis Lincoln Children's Books. It fits in well with the recent voyage of Tim Peake in the International Space Station, which was so powerful in speaking out to young children about space and our world.

We recommend for ages 7+.

Sue Martin

Surprise! Surprise! and Monster Baby

The DolphinMarch 22, 2017March 26, 2018

Surprise! Surprise! - cover image and web purchase link — Buy this book from The Dolphin...

It must be Spring! Two new books from Otter-Barry Books about baby arrivals, but they are completely different stories. Beautiful books with delightful illustrations and stories that will be wonderful for sharing.

Surprise! Surprise is by Niki Daly. Niki is an internationally acclaimed, award winning writer and illustrator who lives in South Africa.

The story is about a couple who dream of having a child, but end up looking after a little pig as a child. When he is not allowed into school because he is a pig, they start to rethink the whole thing and make changes, But not changes you would expect... they all end up with surprising noses! Be careful what you ask for...

Monster Baby - cover image and web purchase link — Buy this book from The Dolphin...

Monster Baby is by Sarah Dyer, who won the Smarties Bronze Award for Five Little Friends. A really good book to read if a baby is on the way, it is written from the older brother's point of view,he couldn't be held by his Mum and then had to share his toys and presents. Very appealing illustrations and the monsters as characters are fun and quirky.

Both books are newly published this month, March 2017 and form a great part of the book-list of Otter-Barry Books, an exciting new imprint for children's books.

Sue Martin - Dolphin Booksellers