The Nature Girls Aki

Sixteen inquisitive girls – I love the fact they’re introduced by name on the title page – don identical yellow safari suits and sally forth to explore nature, in particular different biomes.

Bags on backs, having observed some rabbits in their garden, they head for the beach and clad in sub aqua gear, dive down and swim with dolphins.

Then it’s back on with the safari suits and off they go walking through rainforest, across desert, then aboard a safari bus travelling through grassland; on a plane tundra-bound where a dog sledge pulls them and finally, they sail off. Destination: the forest, teeming with sounds of its wildlife.

Observant listeners/readers will notice the less obvious animals as well as the more notable in Aki’s playfully adorable scenes, as her rhyming text bounces along as enthusiastically as the intrepid travellers.

I absolutely love the sense of mischief occasionally shown by some of the young female friends in this joyous adventure and the final scene hinting of further wonder-filled adventures in the offing. Hooray for girl power!

A fun introduction to the scientific notion of biomes; the final spread about these may well set the inquisitive off researching the topic further.

Fabio: Mystery of the Ostrich Express Laura James, illustrated by Emily Fox 

Fabio, flamingo detective and resident of a small town on the banks of Lake Laloozee, returns to solve his second case which involves a stolen necklace. Fabio and his trusty associate Gilbert giraffe are about to depart on the Ostrich Express for a much-needed holiday at Coconut Palm Resort when something – or rather, someone – catches Fabio’s eye.

Once on the train, a desert fox who introduces herself as Zazie – appears in the dining car sporting a fur stole and enormous ruby pendant – the legendary and very valuable Lalooze Ruby – as she tells Fabio and Gilbert.

As the train speeds across the desert, unexpected happenings take place, with the first being that Gilbert is knocked unconscious when he hits his head against the window as the train is suddenly brought to a jolting stop. Leaving his friend in the care of Zazie, Fabio gets off the train and discovers a baby elephant lying beneath the stars tied to the tracks.

Fabio unties him and learns that a gang of bandits – hyenas and a leopard - had tied him down. That though is only the beginning. Soon, a scream pierces the dark followed by hyena’s laugh and as Fabio climbs back aboard the train he spots a leopard silhouette and learns that the ruby has vanished from around Zazie’s neck – pulled off by a thief, she says.

Never fear though, Fabio is hot on the case; he merely needs to enlist the help of the train crew to help power his refurbished handcar, let loose the tied-together table cloths , cavort across a few train carriages, execute a deft flick of Gilbert’s cane and … that would be telling way too much of this exciting, fast-paced tale perfect for readers just flying solo.

And with Emily Fox’s dayglo bright, pink and orange powered illustrations and occasional text backgrounds, plus Fabio-patterned chapter breaks, what more can any young reader want?

In The City Dominika Lipniewska  

Dominika Lipniewska takes readers on an exploratory journey from the stirrings of early morning through twenty-four hours back to another sunrise.

Her graphically styled urban landscapes have the playful appearance of a construction block city, comprising Lego-type figures, buildings and vehicles.

The streets and railway are full of hustle and bustle as commuters hurry on their way to work or perhaps those taking a more leisurely walk with a dog. Noise is at times overwhelming, but not everywhere is so frenetic; there are green leafy spaces where wildlife abounds, and quieter spots to pause and partake of some rest and repast.

Different as people may be, they share much in common including a love of ice-cream, engaging in fun activities and shopping – be that in a shopping centre, smaller shops on the street, or the market, a great location for buying fresh produce.

Like most cities this one has other places of interest: a large variety of eating places, museums and art galleries, a zoo and more. It is both ever-changing and never still as some people work through the night to provide essential services.

Every spread offers enormous potential for observing and talking; in fact the whole book is visually appealing and immersive.

The Sea Saw Tom Percival

Tom Percival always hits the sweet spot with his picture books and with this one he’s truly aced it – again.

When Sofia, on a visit to the seaside with her dad, loses her beloved teddy bear, she’s totally distraught.

The old tatty object had been passed from her grandfather to her mother (whom one presumes is dead) and then to little Sofia, who had thought of it more as a friend than a soft toy. In their dash out of the rainstorm, said bear falls from an open bag and is left alone on the beach, unseen except by the Sea.

The Sea takes on the role of guardian of the bear, and their search for Sofia begins.

Meanwhile, back at home, Sofia’s father makes exhaustive enquiries and the two of them return to the beach but all to no avail; all that remains of Sofia’s precious bear is his blue scarf from which she snips a tiny piece to keep in her locket.

Back with the Sea, the hunt continues in earnest with Bear being borne through the water with the aid of marine creatures, surviving hazardous conditions and enjoying more restful periods too.

All this takes years and eventually the bear is carried along rivers and a stream, where it’s spied floating along by a young girl; a young girl who turns out to be Sophia’s granddaughter.

Finally, a joyful reunion takes place and, as Tom tells us almost at the close, ‘nothing is ever truly lost if you keep it in your heart.’

I doubt many readers will be able to finish this book without having tears in their eyes, a lump in their throat and a happy smile; it’s so moving and so beautifully constructed.

What a wonderful, heart-warming way to think about loss while never completely losing sight of the possibility of reunion. Every single illustration is to linger over and return to; some send shivers down your spine.

Absolutely awesome: another must have book from Tom (who lives in Stroud).