Welcome to our second monthly book recommendations post! April was a busy month for us and books, with so many different topics and stories passing through our hands. Here’s what we read during April 2024!
Graphic Novels
Miss Cat: The Case of the Curious Canary – Jean-Luc Fromental & Joëlle Jolivet (pub. Thames & Hudson)
Meet Miss Cat, the feline-esque detective and master of disguise, as she tackles a seemingly simple case of a kidnapped canary in this first title of a newly translated graphic series. With wonderfully atmospheric illustrations, we can’t wait to join Miss Cat on her next case.
Agent Harrier: This Book Will Self Destruct – Ben Sanders (pub. Little Tiger)
Follow Agent Harrier aka ‘Lone Wolf’ on his mission to defuse the bomb and save the book. And all in five minutes! This is fantastic fun, full of fast-paced humour and action. The red and black illustrations I felt added to the pace, and certainly gave it a cinematic feel. See if you can identify the villain – we couldn’t!
Monkey King and the World of Myths: The Monster and the Maze – Maple Lam (pub G.P Putnam)
We love anything to do with myths and legends, and this certainly ticks the box!
Featuring an unusual mix of Chinese and Greek characters, it takes you on Monkey King’s (Sun Wukong) first quest for the gods; he must defeat an ancient evil in Greece, and escape the underworld. Full of wonderful characters, and clear and colourful illustrations, it will appeal to any world myth or graphic comic fans. A must for junior libraries!
Fiction
Bronte Tempestra and the Lightning Steeds – Bex Hogan, illustrated by Hannah McCaffery (pub. Piccadilly Press)
Bronte really wants to go to Knight School, so when the school suddenly allows girls to join she’s the first. But times have changed and knights aren’t interested in saving…anything anymore, not even when the entire kingdom is in danger. With imaginative world building (and a map!), and character-capturing illustrations, Bronte and Tonkins – with the help of the firecats – hope to be the heroes Bronte dreams of.
Lola and Larch: Fix a Fairy Forest – Sinead O’Hart, illustrated by Rachel Seago (pub. Nosy Crow)
A wonderful mix of magic, fairies and rabbits kicks off the first book in a new series for young readers.
When Lola’s mum finds an injured rabbit in the road, little does she know it’s actually a rebellious fairy in disguise! Now it’s down to Lola to help Larch get home. But all is not right in the forest, with an evil fairy loose who has plans to steal her magic…
Brilliant illustrations enhance this story of friendship and mild peril, that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.
Croaky: Search for the Sasquatch – Matty Long (pub. Oxford University Press)
Croaky Hopper loves adventure, so he’s excited and a bit nervous to join the Woggle Scouts, even if they’re not quite what he expected. That is until their first camping trip when they go in search of ……the Sasquatch!
With Matty’s characteristically hilarious drawings, be prepared to have your woggles wiggled!
And one for older readers:
Aliya to the Infinite City – Laila Rifaat (pub. Chicken House)
Aliya lives with her grandfather in Cairo, but she longs to know more about her missing parents and what happened to them. When a surprise gift arrives that promises to answer her questions, she’s whisked away to a parallel Egypt on a flying carpet. But Aliya doesn’t realise the dangers that surround her…
A thrilling and totally immersive read, full of magic, betrayal and danger, set in a parallel Egypt full of peril and wonder.
Non-fiction
Scientists In the Wild: Antarctica – Helen Scales & Kate Hendry, illustrated by Rômolo D’Hipólito (pub. Flying Eye Books)
Do you know what a brinicle is? No? Neither did we until we read this amazing book full of details and facts about Antarctica and the scientists who work there.
From their ship and the equipment they use, to the icy depths and the creatures that live there, this book gives an insight into what seems an inhospitable world.
With lavish colour illustrations, this will entice and inspire children of all ages.
Wildlife Crossings: Protecting Animal Pathways Around the World – Catherine Barr, illustrated by Christiane Engel (pub. Otter-Barry Books)
Have you ever thought about how humans building roads and cities might disrupt and destroy the ancient animal pathways that allow them to travel across areas for breeding places, water, food, or mates?
In this wonderfully illustrated book, Catherine Barr shows us just some of the damage that’s been done, and how people are trying to help animals continue their journeys. Covering 7 different countries and continents, you can find out about fish ladders, hedgehog highways, bear bridges and many more! And with a further 7 projects at the back of the book, this is a must for anyone interested in animal conservation and protection.
Inside Story : How the News Works – Jane Marlow & ITN Ltd., illustrated by Terri Po (pub. Templar Books)
This is a detailed, in-depth but easily accessible book that covers all you need to know about the news and how we receive it. It looks at all types of news, sports, international coverage and more, as well as fake news, the varying jobs related to news production, a day in the life of a journalist, and the pros and cons of citizen journalism. This colourful title tells you all you need to know about news today and its future. Ideal for those 10 yrs and up, interested in news in the media.
Picture books
Our Nipa Hut: A Story In the Philippines – Rachell Abalos, illustrated by Gabriela Larios (pub. Barefoot Books)
A bright, sumptuous picture story book about a nipa hut and the Mendoza family’s love and concern for their home and its upkeep. With its eye-catching imagery, it gives an insight to these wonderful eco-friendly homes. Together with the detailed section at the back about nipa hut construction and how they withstand storms, it’s easy to understand why the Mendozas see their home as part of the family.
Mo’s Best Friend: A Stone-Age Story – Bridget Marzo (pub. Otter-Barry Books)
When Mo finds an injured ‘wild beast’, her family scare it away; after all, wild beasts are dangerous! Then her baby brother goes missing…where can he be? What hungry animal could find him? Could Mo’s wild beast possibly help?
This gloriously illustrated story of two young friends was inspired by the recent find of a child’s footprint beside a dog’s pawprint from 26,000 years ago.
Storm-Cat – Magenta Fox (pub. Puffin Books)
Arwel is fine, well that’s until Tuft leaves and the clouds start gathering. The more Arwel pretends they’re not there, the bigger the clouds get…until they become a Storm-Cat! Fortunately, Granny is there to help Arwel face the Storm-Cat so that the sun can shine again.
A brilliant, gentle story about feelings and how they can just get bigger if you try to ignore them. With beautiful pastel-coloured illustrations that capture the building Storm-Cat perfectly, this is an ideal story for sharing when our feelings get too big to handle.
‘We can’t choose our weather, but we can choose what we make of it’ – and this book will certainly help.
That’s it for April’s recommendations – we’ve got something there for whatever interests you! Let us know on Threads or Twitter/X which ones you like the look of.
If any of the books have grabbed your attention, then you can pick up a copy of them via our recommendations list below.
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If you’re looking for more book round-ups, check out our previous reviews here.
