Believe it or not I've seen a
lot worse, thanks to work. You don't want to know
Anyway! Awesome new picture books!
Wow! Said the Owl, by Tim Hopgood. Striking and colourful, and a great way for toddlers to learn their colours. And
Hello Baby by Mem Fox is another recent book which is really good for littlies. Simple and very effective.
For a bit older, Margaret Wild has a new book out called
Going Home, about a boy in hospital. The hospital is next door to the zoo, and to keep himself entertained while he waits for the day when he can return home he goes on imaginary adventures with all the different animals in their original homelands. Margaret Wild is a consistantly wonderful writer in so many ways. Her books and characters often have an intriguing sense of melancholy, and a depth which stands up to many, many readings. She uses such a small number of words to say a thousand things. I love the way that the idea of the home which the boy will eventually return to contrasts with the idea of the animals' native habitats which they will never return to. And her portrayal of the kids in hospital is very poignant too.
And Colin Thompson has a new book out,
Free to a Good Home. It's about two kids from a rather strange family, who one day bring home a little old lady the same way other kids might bring home a stray kitten. Odd, charming, and very funny. And worth it for the cake illustration alone
