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Adventure on ice...

Ernest , aged 6, had the four good qualities of an explorer; optimism, patience, idealism and courage.

He started digging a large hole in the back garden, when he was six years old, determined to reach the other side of the world.

This inspirational book about Ernest Shackleton is  part of the Little People, Big Dreams series and is perfect for younger readers to become inspired by the determination and courage of Ernest Shackleton in attempting a Trans Antarctic Expedition from 1914-1917.

Ernest realised he could not be the first to reach the South Pole,  Roald Amundsen achieved that feat in 1911. Instead Shackleton gathered a crew for this greatest journey. Sadly, they were defeated by the weather and their ship Endurance was trapped in polar ice and split in two. The whole crew escaped and landed on Elephant Island, where Shackleton and a few others eventually rescued them from a whaling station.

It was certainly a huge dream and the courage and optimism of Ernest are inspirational to so many who dream of big adventures.

Written by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara, the text tells much of the full story and in a captivating way, accessible for younger readers. Maria was born in Barcelona, Spain, is a writer and creative director in constant search of new concepts for children’s books and the author of the multimillion-copy best-selling Little People, BIG DREAMS series of picture books that explore the lives of outstanding people.

Olivia Holden, the  illustrator, is currently based in Lancashire. She grew up in a tiny village on the Fylde Coast and studied Fine Art, Textiles and English Literature.Olivia has created some beautiful images for the crew and Endurance in a sea of ice and storms.

Frances Lincoln, part of the Quarto Group have a highly successful series showing how powerful and impactful picture books can be with a great sense of adventure for all younger readers.

I love this series and have learnt so much, Ernest Shackleton  Little People, BIG DREAMS has already set me on the road to find out more about this adventurer, explorer and person of courage. Maybe one day I will dream of a Big Adventure !!

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.


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.


If All the World were... - cover image and web link
Buy this book here...

'If all the world were springtime

I would replant my Grandad's birthday's

so that he would never get old'.

A stunningly beautiful book about missing someone.

From springtime to winter the pages travel with a girl and her Grandad, laughing smiling, sharing stories, Indian sweets and home-made toys. A book full of happiness.

Then one day his chair is empty, with only his slippers and a new notebook, but no Grandad.

If All the World Were… by Joseph Coelho & Allison Colpoys - cover image and web link
Free delivery!

In the wonderful illustrations the girl takes the new notebook and writes her memories and draws her best pictures, all of them with her Grandad.

This is just a beautiful book from Joseph Coehlo and Allison Colpoys, published by Lincoln Children's Books. The words and illustrations match the essence of the story; that happiness can be found again even if you lose someone very close.

Couldn't resist adding a video...

I love it!

Recommend for ages 3 and upwards....

Sue Martin

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Books for younger readers- free delivery

 


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.


Turtles, Snakes and Other Reptiles - cover image and web link
Buy this book here ...free delivery too!

Budding naturalists will love this small encyclopedia, packed with pictures and info. 

Turtles, Snakes and Other Reptiles is part of a series of large pocket size books on all manner of things. Bite size pieces of information include things like, the sea turtle is an ocean wanderer and travels 8000 kilometres in search of food.

On each page there is a section called Do You Know, with bullet points of info that are easily remembered and A Closer Look, which details facts about the creatures.There are pages for instance on sea turtles, giant tortoises, iguanas, chameleons, geckos, snakes and crocodiles.

After the introduction, which has a very clear description of animal and reptile names, you will come across the family and species sections with colourful pages inclduing photos and illustrations.

...with free delivery!

Turtles, Snakes and Other Reptiles is written by natural history expert Dr Amy Jane Beer with illustrations by Alice Pattullo. The series is published by Lincoln Children's Books in collaboration with The Natural History Museum, London.

Dr Amy-Jane Beer has a career in science,writing about ideas and results from her work in biology, knowing that the natural world will never cease to puzzle, amaze and entrance. Her website is brilliant, and excellent blog Wild Story.

A great, colourful read - packed with information!

Alice Pattullo is an illustrator based in East London. She explores British tradition, folklore and superstitions making limited edition screen prints  for sale in galleries across the UK.

This book will take you both into the countryside in England and to further shores, such as Northern Australia, a great book to have. Recommended for ages 6-8 years,  and of course for  adults too!!

Now off to do some exploring...

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.


Buy this book here...

In this fifth book in the internationally best-selling and well-loved,Great Big Book  series, Mary Hoffman and Ros Asquith celebrate friendship in a funny and honest way. It is a great way to start a conversation with children about what makes a good friend.

The presentation and layout of the book are instantly appealing, with questions and answers and ways that children often think about friendships. It goes further too, and has some great sentences on other sorts of friends, not just people, the bear on the bed or someone who asks you to a party. Maybe even..." A cat's best friend is a laundry basket." and "Being there when needed".

    Lots of opportunities for conversations, curiosity and reflection. It makes a great book for schools and also for home. The Great Big Book series is sold in over 21 languages across the globe and has already had some amazing reviews. Read Booktrust's interview with Mary Hoffman.

Mary Hoffman is an internationally acclaimed author of over 100 books for children, with famous titles such as Amazing Grace, which together with its sequel has sold over 1.5 million copies.

Ros Asquith is a world-famous illustrator and cartoonist, plus a writer and poet as well as being a Guardian cartoonist for 25 years. She is also currently poet in residence at UCLH. Her books for young people total over 90 titles and translated into over 21 languages!

Frances Lincoln Children's Books are part of The Quarto Group, delivering quality books across the world.

We thoroughly recommend The Great Big Book of Friends for children from age 5 upwards and there ar many times that adults too can dip in and find something helpful about being good friends.

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.


15 things not to do with a puppy
Buy this great hardcover book here...

This is a great read to share with young children and anyone who has ever had a puppy, or thinking about it. Young children will love the illustrations and the sense of trying hard to tame a puppy in difficult circumstances.

What shouldn’t you do with a puppy? Well, don’t take him to the library that is a seriously bad idea! Don’t try and take him for a walk when he is asleep, because he won’t budge an inch! Definitely don’t let him have the remote control, because you’re going to have some seriously amazing programmes and a very soggy remote!

   Margaret Mc Allister has written this hilarious follow-up to 15 Things Not do with Your Granny, it is a very warm and great book to read and teaches just how to love and share time and fun with a puppy.

Holly Sterling is a new illustrator in children’s books, but already her style is well received. Previous books, like Everybody Feels in 2016, and Hiccups, her first book that she has written and illustrated are great successes.

Frances Lincoln Children’s Books are part of the Quarto Group and publish really excellent titles.

Sue Martin

Dolphin BookBlog


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.


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

 


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.


The Night Gardener cover image
The Night Gardener by The Fan Brothers

An amazing book! Captivating from beginning to end. 

I started to read The Night Gardener and flip through the pages, but that was impossible. I had to read every page, I had to look at every illustration.

It is a stunning debut novel from Eric and Terry Fan and published by Frances Lincoln Childrens' Publishers, who always have an eye for a new book and creative qualities. The illustrator uses a mix of ink and graphite mixed with digital techniques and the effects are a mix of traditional sketches and a misty haze of magic.

The story is based on William in the village of Grimloch, as he gazes out of the window with his 1940's cap on his head, to see a commotion outside. There is a tree which has been sculpted into the shape of a wise owl. In the following days, more topiaries appear and soon William's town is full of colour and life and is changed forever.

One night William followed the night gardener to the park and helped him until he fell fast asleep under a tree, he was given a very special present  of a pair of shears!

Eventually the autumn came and the leaves fell off the trees and all the shapes were gone.

" But the people of the small town were never the same."

We thoroughly recommend this book and The Fan Brothers are authors and illustrators to follow.

Suggestion is to buy it now ! Use the link above or order from your library. There is so much in this book that you will come back to it forever.

Sue Martin
Dolphin Books


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.


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

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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.


Little People Big Dreams Ameila Earhart
Review or buy this book from Amazon.co.uk

Little People, BIG DREAMS- Amelia Earhart is written by Ma Isabel Sanchez Vegara, illustrated by Maridiamantes and published by Frances Lincoln Children’s Books.

Little People, BIG DREAMS is a series about famous people’s biographies made simple for younger readers.

Amelia Earhart had always wanted to stretch her wings and fly like a bird. As she grew up she realised that she could do anything she wanted so she believed in herself and learnt how to fly.

She set records and inspired many different people to believe in them self.

This book has amazing illustrations and photos of Amelia at the back of the book. Any ages would love this book because the younger readers would enjoy looking at the pictures and the older readers enjoy the inspiring story.

Guest reviewer: Emily Williams aged 12

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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.