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Bart the spider has always been different. He's not like the other spiders though he looks just like them. He runs about, he jumps, he doesn't listen at school and is scolded by the teacher.

Bart is a dreamer, creating amazing patterns with his thread. But nobody wants to play with him and he stands at the edge of the playground, lonely and misunderstood.

Then his only friend, the wind, changes everything. "Have confidence and be yourself," the wind tells Bart. And, helped and inspired by the wind, Bart discovers that he has an incredible, unique talent...

When he shows his very first picture "Smiling in the Wind", his family and classmates are astonished - Bart has found his true self and happiness, and when he grows up he becomes - a famous artist! Yes, Bart is truly different!

 Barroux, author and illustrator was born in Paris and grew up in North Africa. After studying at the Ecole Etienne and Ecole Boule he has worked in France, Canada and the USA and has an international reputation for his children's book illustrations

I read this book with my grandaughter aged 6 and we shared so much conversation about friendship. 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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From social media superstar, and Sunday Times bestselling author and gardener, Jamie Walton, this charming picture book uses plant friendships to show how cooperation, kindness and growing together help everyone. Jamie  is an ecological horticulturist and conservationist, growing food, flowers, and microbes in North Yorkshire, UK. His mission is to support others on their gardening journey, regardless of their circumstances.

From cheery sunflowers and shy little carrots to brave (but smelly) onions, each plant has its own strengths that help the vegetable garden thrive.

But when Squish the squash plant sprouts and can't stop growing, the garden faces new challenges: can she find the right friends to help her fit in? And when sneaky beetles creep into the patch, munching leaves and causing trouble, will the helpful herbs come to the rescue?

With teamwork, understanding and a little bit of magic from Mari the Marigold, the plant friends discover that everyone has a role to play and that plants, like people, need friends to be able to grow!


Plants Need Friends Too! is a heartwarming adventure with companion planting techniques at its core.

Complete with wonderfully whimsical illustrations by Rose Gerrard, this book teaches lessons from nature and shows that being a good friend – just like a good companion plant – means helping others. 

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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Move the slider mechanism to answer funny questions about baby farm animals and lift five flaps to find hidden creatures! 

Explore farm life in this interactive and playful board book, which places the child at the centre of the action. Each spread is packed with fun and includes an engaging question about the scene. Decide and slide to choose your answer!

Inside you’ll discover:

  • Six multiple choice questions explore different farm scenes.
  • Vibrant, bold and funny illustrations from Susie Hammer will keep little ones entertained and engaged.
  • A multi-sensory reading experience, with a slider and flaps to lift.
  • Spot the Quizzy Bean characters on each spread and lift the flaps to find out who’s hiding.
  • Encourages active engagement and interaction, and helps children to express their knowledge and preferences.
  • Each title in the series explores key Early Years concepts across the questions, for example: shape, colour or size.

Super book for toddlers!

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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Exciting debut by Samareh Azadi- a diverse and inclusive picture book exploring an important early years milestone .

Max is going for a haircut – but Wendy’s Hairdressing Salon is too bright and noisy. He doesn’t like the cold water spray, the too-tight cloth round his shoulders or the spiky hair clips.

It’s all just too much for Max and he shouts, “STOP!” But Wendy has a wonderful idea. Maybe a cat, a soft cushion and some bubbles could make a haircut fun after all?

This beautiful, sensitively told story is perfect for any child anxious about having their hair cut.

The book is beautifully produced by Otter-Barry Books and is a wonderful resource for nurseries and schools.

Author and illustrator Samarah Asadi is an Iranian-British illustrator and picture book maker based in London, UK. She finished her masters in Children’s Book Illustration from Cambridge School of Art recently and won the second place illustration prize from FAB Prize 2021.

This book really appeals to me with  such a problem for many children and the images that are created around impossible hair cutting situations show huge imaginative talents.

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 a remarkable book!  I was totally mesmerised after the first page and then it just became better. It's a beautiful story about whale migration and some of the perils of the vast oceans. On every page there is a fact, which are easy to remember, such as...

' Humpback whales can make calls and songs at such low pitch that predators such as Orcas are unable to hear them. Scientists call this' whispering'.

An excellent early years book from Charlotte Manning  and Otter-Barry Books.

Be brave, little Uki, be brave,” calls Grandpa Yuka. But Uki doesn’t feel brave at all!

Uki is a young Humpback Whale. Every year his beloved grandpa Yuka leads little Uki and the whale pod from tropical seas to the icy waters of the Arctic. But this time is different – this time Cousin Amka will be the leader….


There are dangers ahead for the whales, terrible storms and hungry sharks. And when sharp-toothed Orcas attack, Amka becomes trapped deep down, in an old fishing net. Can Uki remember the song of peace his grandfather taught him? Can he save the pod and will he now be brave enough to lead the whales to safety?

This exciting story with richly coloured illustrations, is inspired by the real lives of Humpback Whales, and includes fascinating facts about the whales and their amazing journey.

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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This cheery book of play rhymes from Otter-Barry Books is perfect for parents and teachers with young children. It's full of inspiring and easy to use action rhymes which will be remembered.

Find hamsters and dogs, robins and unicorns, little cars and big diggers. Stomp like a dinosaur or fly like a big red dragon in this brilliant collection of 15 action rhymes for young children and babies

Rhymes celebrate festivals and special events, such as Easter, Halloween, Diwali, Christmas and Chinese New Year. With clear instructions to parents and carers, there are fun activities and lots of joining in for every rhyme, for babies, toddlers and older children too.


This book is a perfect companion to Jane Newberry’s very popular first collection, Big Green Crocodile, which was shortlisted for the CLiPPA award. At home, playgroup or nursery, the rhymes provide fun while also nurturing children’s responses to language, rhyme and images. Carolina Rabei has created some beautifully colourful illustrations which are alive with action.

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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Ruby the fox and Growl the wolf live deep in the forest. There’s just one problem – they hate each other…!

But when a raging storm tears through the forest and the animals have to flee, they must help each other to survive. Can Ruby and Growl overcome their enmity and find friendship in the heart of the storm?
An exciting, fast-paced picture book adventure with stunning illustrations, celebrating courage and the importance of helping each other.

Beautifully illustrated book and the story of friendship shines through, against all odds. Even when it was hard talk to each other before. Ruby and Growl have faced danger together and now will live in friendship for ever!

A story for us all, written wonderfully in a few words by Teresa Heapy .  A quote from Teresa's website, which is packed with information and more books!

Leave me alone!”  A lone wolf.   A wolf that was lonely – but disguising it well with harrumphs and snarls.  Living in a tangle of trees, well away from everyone and everything else.  Time had put frost on his whiskers and ice in his heart.  I couldn’t stop thinking about him.  I was writing during the pandemic, so there was a lot of alone-ness going on.  I wanted to write a proper adventure for this wolf, that thawed his heart and found him love.       But I wasn’t quite sure who else was there or what happened.   Sometimes stories start like that – with just one character.  It might be simply an image, or a phrase.  And sometimes they remain…

Action packed illustrations( which show more than a thousand words) by Kate Read, who illustrates and writes children's books plus many other things. In her illustrations she uses hand painted and mono printed paper collage, finished digitally.

A great book from Otter-Barry Publishers and one to add to oyur oe=wn library or in schools and groups.

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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The story of one family's contribution to a huge undertaking: the planting of the Great Green Wall of Africa. Set in sub-Saharan Africa, an inspiring story of how one family and their community come together to plant a section of the Great Green Wall which will being hope and regeneration across the continent.

The story is set  in Mali and is about an exciting real life project to bring trees and growth into sub Saharan Africa. In a place where it is too hot to run around and where the children play in the shade a family help to plant young seedlings.

" These little trees will make life better for the animals , the birds and all of us. "says Uncle Cedric.

A beautiful book with appealing and colourful illustrations from Ken Wilson Max, showing to children across the world how they can actually make a difference to their world and the planet.

Ken Wilson Max is an award winning author and illustrator, with over 70 books to his credit. He was born in Zimbabwe and has a deep commitment to African regeneration.

Otter-Barry Books is an exciting children's imprint aiming to make a difference, push boundaries and publish books which children will love. They are one of my favourite publishers of children's books as each book tells a wonderful story.

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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Dog and Cat were happy living next door until a misunderstanding caused a real kerfuffle! Now they can’t stand each other any longer, so they start to build a wall between their gardens. The wall goes up and up and up.

One day a funny rabbit pops its head over. But whose garden will this new friend play in? Here’s another cause for chaos between neighbours! Finally a better idea for how to use the bricks finds three happy friends sharing the garden after all—until some pigs move in next door . . . .

From the creator of sensational lift-the-flap books about fairy tales and adventures comes a delightfully simple story about getting along with friends, which doesn’t put the lid on pandemonium.

Clotilde Perrin is an illustrator and author living in Strasbourg, France. She has published over 30 books including the international lift-the-flap bestseller Inside the Villains. Day in the life of Clotilde Perrin .

I really enjoyed this book with its wonderfully interactive 'lift the flaps' as part of the story and how eventually a resolution to the 'kerfuffle'.

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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In this larger-than-life picture book, Eric the duck is nervous to swim in the lake for fear a monster might live there, but he bravely follows his friends and discovers something spectacular indeed lives beneath the surface

Four ducks are tired of their small pond and set out for an adventure in the big lake. Walking at the back, Eric isn’t sure. He’s heard there’s a monster in the lake, but his friends don’t believe a word of that old story! Eric reluctantly tags along, only to make a startling discovery and find himself in a wonderful underwater adventure.

 

This large-format picture book features a detailed fold-out underwater world of mechanical marvels and sea creatures. The story of a nervous duck who finds courage and the overconfidence of groups will resonate with anyone who’s nervously dipped a toe in unknown waters.

Author and illustrator is Belgian Leo Timmers,  who has written and illustrated some amazing books, including Bears Lost Glasses and Monkey on the Run.

Published by Gecko Press, who have a a portfolio of beautiful and intriguing children's books.

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.