Sophie Johnson: Unicorn Expert

Introducing Sophie Johnson: self-confessed unicorn expert, mythical educator and wearer of tutus. 

     This gorgeously colourful picture book shows a day in the life of Miss Johnson, as she shows us the highs and lows of living with 17 unicorns (including her brother, dog and various teddies with their own horns, excluding the real one that just walked in....)!! 

This picture does not do this amazing front cover justice. Pls buy for yourself.

Witch for the Week: review

Before we kick things off I would just like to say that if there are any witches reading this, I am available to house-sit and unleash my witchy powers at your earliest convenience. 

     Hello! It has been a while, has it not? Just a quick thank you to everyone who has read my blog posts. It really means a lot to me to see the little numbers on the side of my dashboard rise every so often, even if half of them are me constantly re-reading them to make sure I didn't make any mistakes...

Love the teal and gold, what a delight!

The Hate U Give: review

Welcome to the first Young Adult book review!

I said to myself after London Book Fair that I would read more YA and start 'reviewing' it (or whatever you call rambling on the internet about a book). And what better way to start than with Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2018 WINNER, Angie Thomas?! I'm pretty sure The Hate You Give, also known as T.H.U.G, is currently in it's 60th (SIXTIETH) week at the top of the New York Times Children's Best Sellers list! Rightfully so!

This is an incredibly emotive book about the unjust way that people of colour are systematically oppressed, the power of finding your voice, and finding strength in the hardest times. 

Childhood Favourites: Illustrators!

      Illustrators. The all-too-often unsung heroes of children's books. A good book for kids is nothing without, quite frankly, a magician with a paintbrush at the helm, conjuring up the worlds authors had created for small people. These incredibly talented individuals give children the building blocks for imagination and they help them picture difficult, beautiful and impossible things.

      I've always regarded the marriage of author and illustrator to be a really special one. It must be done right. Often, I remember a book, but cannot for the life of me remember the name or author, but I can SEE the book in my mind! That is the sign of an amazing illustrator - one who can stand the test of time and make a permanent mark on someone's mind.*

     Below, I have listed a few of my favourites!

BookTrust: In Other Words

    If you are a hard-core Bookmarks and Buttons fan, you will know that I went to London Book Fair last week. If you are new here: I went to London Book Fair last week. Brilliant, you are all up to date. Let us get started.

    I got well and truly stuck into my first ever LBF and attended some pretty amazing talks. By far, my favourite one was on Wednesday afternoon, called 'BookTrust announces 2018 Honour Titles for In Other Words with Waterstones Children's Laureate Lauren Child and Chris Riddell'. Such a snappy title... 

London Book Fair 2018!

    I went to London Book Fair!! This time last year, while I was still at university and blissfully unaware of the Real World, I said to myself: "I WILL go to the ball London Book Fair!".

    Nothing can prepare you for the sheer expanse of it. Pictures don't even do it justice (when do they ever, tbh?) hence why I didn't bother taking one. I had actually been to Olympia a trillion years ago when I went with my school for the University Fair. LBF must have used every single corner and crevice because it was absolutely huge. I am told Bologna is 8 times bigger so my tiny brain has well and truly been fried.

Little Red Reading Hood!

Lucy Rowland's (very meta) re-imagining of the classic tale of Little Red Riding Hood is one not to be missed.

 

Oh, would you just look at this front cover? That gorgeous silver title font!!!!! Put it on my gravestone!!!!!