Snowflakes

Every snowflake is different, every snowflake is perfect. Cerrie Burnell has made a name for herself as an actress and a children's presenter on cbeebies, as well as a theatre practitioner. Her theatre show The Magical Playroom is currently touring the UK. Now she has published her first children's book Snowflake, illustrated by Laura Ellen...

A Deal’s a Deal, Poo Bum!

I spend a large chunk of my time surrounded by 4 and 5 year olds. This is A Very Good Thing and I wouldn't change it for the world, but it does affect the way I behave and the language I use. I definitely overuse the phrase 'that's poo' and can often be found making...

Jolly Snow, Feather-Snow and the joy of play

Jane Hissey's Old Bear is a true children's classic and I am thrilled to be stroking a limited edition copy of one of Old Bear's adventures, Jolly Snow. I wrote here about loving local, and Jane Hissey is an East Sussex gal, just like me. Her Old Bear books have recently been published by Brighton...

Love Local. Celebrating Brighton children’s publisher Salariya

I'm an East Sussex gal. I live snugly tucked between Brighton and Lewes and I soak up the best of the children's literature joy they can offer. Lewes has the beautiful Bags of Books, with knowledgeable and friendly staff and regular author and illustrator events. It also has delicious cafés! Brighton has the Jubilee Library...

Max the Champion – a book for EVERY child

Max the Champion by Sean Stockdale and Alexandra Strick, illustrated by Ros Asquith is truly and joyfully inclusive. I love it for being a fun story that children will really be able to identify with. On top of that, it is filled to the brim with inclusive images. Max is a little boy who is...

The Little Rebels Children’s Book Award for Radical Fiction is back!

Regular Rhino readers will know that I have a soft spot for Letterbox Library. They have a special place in my heart because they stand for everything I believe in and they work their socks off to promote brilliant books for children. And they love chocolate truffles (nearly) as much as I do. A very...

Not your average spotting books!

I love a spotting book, me! But after a while they get a bit... samey. But, QED have come to the rescue with a new series of spotting books that laugh in the face of the old regular ones. 'Ha', they say, 'call yourself a spotting book? Oh really?' And they have every right to...

Troll Wood by Kathryn Cave and Paul Hess

'This is Troll Wood. No one goes there. Will you? We will. And they did. A family in need of a new home find themselves in the mysterious Troll Wood and forced to take shelter there. But within the wood they find a world of unpicked flowers, uneaten fruits and unexplored paths, just waiting to...

I have faith in books

I have been holding things in my chest this week. Walking with them, thinking about them and weighing them against the world. Last night I wrote about a funeral that has made me look at life through new eyes. It had such a big impact on me because the woman we were celebrating, Claire, had...

Reading needs rescuing

There's been some passionate discussion about the importance and future of children's reading over on the Storyseekers blog this week. I urge you to read it. And then to think about it. And talk about it. It's important to have these discussions and to give time over to thinking about these things. Because reading is...