It’s spring (some of the time) and these three picture books are just perfection for ushering in this new season and coaxing us out of our wintry cocoons.
WE ARE THE WIBBLY by Sarah Tagholm & Jane McGuinness
The bold and brave voice of this picture book, with author Sarah Tagholm’s use of quirky grammar and hilarious made up words, utterly delighted my seven year old daughter. We enjoyed the little tadpole’s endearing outlook and original view his watery world, and following the bewildering changes he undergoes as he grows from frogspawn (aka The Wibbly!) to full on frog. And – Oh My Crikeys! (trust me, you’ll be saying this A LOT from now on) – what a journey that is! Water-flying and air-swimming, hunger-munchers and danger-monsters – growing up is not easy, especially when you feel like you’re the one lagging behind. There is so much to love in this wonderful picturbooks, not least Jane McGuinness’s super cute characters and the pleasing watery palette of soft blues and greens (aa well as a rather terrifying streak of orange)!
IS IT A SEED? by Emily Ann Davison & Adriena Fong
This utterly gorgeous picture book is a joyous celebration of nature and the limitless imagination of children. The characters start out with one tiny seed, which is all they need to spark their creativity. Through dialogue, cleverly shown in different fonts, the children share their ideas – is it a flower? A tree? A beanstalk leading to a magical kingdom? The possibilities are endless!
Adriena Fong’s illustrations are lush and detailed and, like all great picture books, they lend that extra layer of visual storytelling to the book, such as the mother’s pregnancy and the appearance of a new baby at the end that sits so beautifully alongside the theme of nature, growth, patience, possibility and surprise! Definitely a book that embodies the flourishing hope of springtime!
LOLA LOVES WALKIES by Jake Hope & James Brown
Never underestimate joy of a story that keeps you guessing until the very end! My daughters and I read this rather competitively, with each of us trying to work out exactly what kind of animal Lola really was. Already, James Brown’s cover illustration shows us it’s not going to be easy.
Following along with story, with little glimpses of a furry body here and there, we had great fun guessing which animal might love kisses and cuddles, sunny spots, leaping, padding along by the pond, chasing balls and so much more, changing our minds with every new piece of information. And I believe Lola loves all the things children would also love to see and do on a beautiful springtime walk, making this story a very relatable read. But if you want to find out exactly what animal Lola is, go for walkies to your local bookshop ASAP!
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