children’s picture book | Lost in a Good Book

Weirdo by Zadie Smith

03 Feb 2023 Leave a comment

by Amy in 4 Stars, The Picture Book Corner Tags: children's picture book, four stars, nick laird, zadie smith

Published: 15th April 2021
Publisher: Puffin
Illustrator: Nick Laird
Pages: 32
Format: Picture Book
★ ★ ★ ★ – 4 Stars

Meet Maud: a guinea pig who inexplicably wears a judo suit – and not everyone understands or approves. When Maud is thrown into a new and confusing situation, it takes brave decisions and serendipitous encounters for her to find her place and embrace her individuality.

The charming characters of Magenta Fox, whose work is evocative of Raymond Briggs and Janet Ahlberg, perfectly offset Zadie and Nick’s warm, wry prose.

Weirdo is an endearing story about the quiet power of being different by two veteran writers, and introduces an exciting debut illustrator. Together they have created a picture book that adults and children alike will treasure.

I am a sucker for a cute illustration and a guinea pig in a judo suit was hard not to pick up. I liked this story because it shows that everyone is different, we all do and like different things which doesn’t make us strange and Smith shows us that embracing other interests can be fun and beneficial.

Maud isn’t even that weird, but being different to those around her made her weird and their unwillingness to get to know her perpetuated their opinions of her. After trying to change herself to fit in with the other pets Maud finds someone who helps her realise that being different is ok, and being different makes her her own person and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Officially nameless until Kit gets home the story alternates between calling her Weirdo or The Surprise before being dubbed Maud by Kit. I loved how Smith has Maud call herself The Surprise but has others call her Weirdo, it’s a great distinction on who others think she is verses who she sees herself as.

The mean pets see the error of their ways and is a nice demonstration of people not liking anything new or different, or changes to their way of doing things. Smith has told the story well without needing to drive the point home, instead they focus on Maud and her journey which I loved. You can’t make other people like you, and it’s much better to like yourself first.

Fox’s illustrations are adorable, and I love the layout of the pages that help show movement and time passing. The different perspectives and scales are great as well, switching between pet level and human level. The tiny details are fantastic too; the pictures in background frames, details of the surrounding building and characters. It all works together to show the wider world as well as the micro world of Kit’s pets.

This is a fun story that isn’t too heavy on messages but still manages to make you understand being different is ok, and being weird actually makes life that little bit more enjoyable.

You can purchase Weirdo via the following

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Wordery | Angus and Robinson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust

What Happened to You? by James Catchpole

27 Jan 2023 Leave a comment

by Amy in 4 Stars, The Picture Book Corner Tags: children's picture book, four stars, james catchpole, karen george, picture book

Published: 6 April 2021
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Illustrator: Karen George
Pages: 32
Format: Picture Book
★ ★ ★ ★ – 4 Stars

This is the experience of one-legged Joe, a child who just wants to have fun in the playground. Constantly seen first for his disability, Joe is fed up of only ever being asked about his leg. All he wants to do is play Pirates.

But as usual, one after the other, all the children ask him the same question they always ask, “What happened to you?”

Understandably Joe gets increasingly angry until finally the penny drops and the children realise that it’s a question Joe just doesn’t want to answer…and that Joe is playing a rather good game…one that they can join in with if they can stop fixating on his missing leg.

Because children are children, after all.

I really liked this book, more than I thought I would. I picked it up based solely on the front cover and my curiosity of the story, but by the end I was surprised of the story direction. I thought it might have been a simple plotless book about understanding people were different but instead it’s a great story that demonstrates people are different but also have no obligation to tell you about it.

Immediately we’re told of Joe’s discomfort at having to meet other kids. Even as a young kid Joe is tired of people asking about his leg, interrupting his playtime. I loved that we start by seeing Joe playing, using his imagination and enjoying himself then show the trepidation as someone joins him. Catchpole doesn’t let us off easy though as page after page drives home Joe’s discomfort at the intrusive questions by the kids.

The illustrations and the text work well together as you can’t escape the visual of the kids ganging up on Joe, badgering him with questions and demanding an answer to their own curiosity. George keeps them simple but relevant and they are a great expression of Joe’s imagination.

I also liked how Joe turns the kids questions back on them, to ask their opinions. It’s great to show a young kid already have agency to make people understand how rude their questions can be, even if they are only curious. Catchpole also makes a great point of asking the question why people need to know. No one owes you an explanation. Of course everyone learns their lesson at the end, but what was great was that Joe isn’t the one to initiate it. Catchpole has told a great story about being yourself, using your words to push back against conversations you don’t want to have and it’s a great example that could be used in a myriad of other situations and circumstances.

You can purchase What Happened to You? via the following

Booktopia | Book Depository

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I’m Sticking with You Too by Smriti Prasadam-Halls

13 Jan 2023 Leave a comment

by Amy in 3 Stars, The Picture Book Corner Tags: children's picture book, picture book, sam small, smriti prasadam Halls, three stars

Published: 7th September 2022
Publisher: Simon Schuster Children’s UK
Illustrator: Sam Small
Pages: 40
Format: Picture Book
★ ★ ★ – 3 Stars

Much-loved characters Bear and Squirrel are back! And they’ve found the perfect rhythm for their friendship. Until, that is, Chicken turns up… She wants in! But how will Bear and Squirrel feel about accepting a new friend? Will they come to see that some things work out when we do them together. That two can be good…but three can be BETTER?

This beautifully written, gorgeously illustrated follow-up to the bestselling I’m Sticking with You is the perfect book for examining how, even if new friends might disrupt the rhythm at first, the sense of belonging that friendship can bring has the potential to make your heart sing!

It’s a sweet story, one that is enjoyable but I felt may have been a smidge too drawn out. I can see what Prasadam-Halls was doing though, and in terms of the musical nature of the text and the story being told, there is justification to the length.

Chicken wants to join the rhythmic duo of Bear and Squirrel but they are a tight-knit duo who don’t want to ruin their good thing. Prasadam-Halls acknowledges that they aren’t being mean, but to them it wouldn’t work out and it’d throw off their groove.

The story is told in rhyme which makes it a quick read as you get caught up in the rhythm. Something that is a plus because there’s a few pages, though few words on each page. The illustration layout and the position of the text helps you get the beat right as well as enhances the story being told.

Small’s illustrations are great accompaniment and I liked the expressions and activities each character was doing. Minimal facial manipulation doesn’t stop there being great expressions and feelings of the characters.

There is very much a troubadour or minstrel group singing through the forest vibe from the story. Bear and Squirrel playing their instruments and sing along, then the three of them at the end is like a pictorial musical number. I liked how at the end it turns out they still don’t have a rhythm together, Bear and Squirrel were right, but they learn it doesn’t matter.

You can purchase I’m Sticking with You Too via the following

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Dymocks | Wordery | Angus and Robinson

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I’m Sticking with You by Smriti Prasadam-Halls

06 Jan 2023 Leave a comment

by Amy in 3 Stars, The Picture Book Corner Tags: children's picture book, picture book, sam small, smriti prasadam Halls, three stars

Published: 5th May 2020
Publisher: Henry Holt & Company
Illustrator: Sam Small
Pages: 40
Format: Picture Book
★ ★ ★ – 3 Stars

Bear and Squirrel are best friends. Wherever Squirrel goes, Bear follows. Bear vows to stick with Squirrel whether he’s grumpy, or silly, or mad–which is put to the test when Bear sinks Squirrel’s canoe. And catapults him from the seesaw. And breaks his favorite mug.

Finally, Squirrel has had enough. He tells Bear he needs his space–only to realize he has much more fun with his best friend around. Funny and poignant in equal measure, I’m Sticking with You shows that friendship always finds a way.

This is a story of friends who do everything together, helping each other through thick and thin and always being there when they’re needed. It also is about needing time apart and taking a break from one another, understanding it’s ok to have some time alone and needing your own space. Through Bear’s big presence it’s easy to see how Squirrel would need some time alone and not be crowded and inconvenienced by Bear.

Small’s illustrations show the vast size difference between Bear and Squirrel which reinforces some of Squirrel’s feeling of suffocation. The images of Squirrel sitting on Bear are adorable as well and the friendship between one very large animal and one small animal has always been a favourite depiction of mine in picture books.

There’s compromise as the realisation comes they need their friend and they miss them. It was sweet how Prasadam-Halls describes them as joined at the heart. It’s a beautiful way to describe their friendship.

It’s a basic story but one that shows off a sweet friendship and the love between two friends.

You can purchase I’m Sticking with You via the following

QBD | Booktopia | Book Depository

Wordery | Angus and Robinson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust

Fluffy McWhiskers Cuteness Explosion by Stephen W. Martin

07 Oct 2022 Leave a comment

by Amy in 5 Stars, The Picture Book Corner Tags: children's picture book, dan tavis, five stars, picture book, stephen w. martin

Published: 12 October 2021
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Illustrator: Dan Tavis
Pages: 40
Format: Picture Book
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ – 5 Stars

Meet Fluffy—an adorable kitten. So adorable, in fact, that anyone who sees her will spontaneously explode into balls of sparkles and fireworks. KABOOM! Poof.
Poor Fluffy doesn’t want anyone to get hurt, but everything she tries, even a bad haircut, just makes her cuter! So Fluffy runs away someplace no one can find her. Find out if there’s any hope for Fluffy in this funny and subversive story about self-acceptance and finding friendship in unlikely places.

This was instantly in my Top Five picture books of the year because this book is AMAZING. I laughed so much, I loved every page, I loved the words, the illustrations, the premise, the humour. I loved every single thing and I need other people to love this book.

Highlights begin before you even open the book. In lieu of author and illustrator it has ‘Explosions by’ and ‘Cuteness by’ which is FANTASTIC. Loved that. From there the greatness only went up.

It is filled with some dark humour, well as dark as a picture book can really go – animals and people do technically explode a lot in this book, but there are reasons, it is done in an adorable and hilarious way, and honestly it’s that wonderful absurd humour that makes this a brilliant book.

The illustrations are brilliant, Tavis captures the essence of Cuteness for Fluffy McWhiskers and with Martin’s blunt writing, the high logic of the situation and the lengths this poor burdened cat must go to it is the perfect combination to enhance the tone they’re aiming for.

I could reread this story multiple times and love it each time. This poor cat, who is doing the best she can, through no fault of her own, is trying to help people, to save their lives but nothing is working. I love Martin’s solution at the end and I love that there isn’t actually a solution either. It was the best way to end the story.

If you want something funny and clever, something kids will certainly love as there are many, many explosions on the page, this might be the book for you.

You can purchase Fluffy McWhiskers Cuteness Explosion via the following

QBD | Booktopia | Book Depository

Dymocks | Angus and Robinson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust