Picture This: Ruby's Worry

Ruby's Worry follows a happy girl called Ruby, who develops a worry which grows and grows no matter how much she tries to ignore it, until it takes over her whole life. 

Anxiety is a difficult subject to talk about with young children - it's so big and abstract that it can be hard from them to understand, beyond the physical symptoms which they can easily mistake for being unwell. Ruby's Worry is a clever, refreshing approach to dealing with the worries that make us anxious, told with bright, engaging art work in a way that even young children will understand. 

This is a story I could see working really well at my Rainbows group, so I'm sure I will be borrowing it from the library again when a meeting calls for it - especially as there are activity pages to go with it on the Bloomsbury website. 

Ruby's Worry is written and illustrated by Tom Percival

Picture This: Knock Knock Alien

We already have a few other stories illustrated by Nick East, and as I said in my review of Look Up - we love a book about space! - so I was immediately drawn to this in the library stacks. 

Knock Knock Alien is a slightly different take on a typical counting story, as it isn't restricted by a ridged counting structure and is a bit freer in form. We love the 'Ten Little...' books, but it was really refreshing to read a counting story that wasn't the same on every page. 

The artwork was fun, there's plenty to look at on each page - I had to wait after I'd finished the words so that each page could be properly examined and commented on by my two-year-old before I turned over to the next. 

The alien names are really fun to read aloud, and there's plenty of onomatopoeia too, which always works so well in picture books. 

We've only had this book for two days, but have already read in a dozen times. It's a huge hit and I think we'll be reading it again and again before it goes back to the library. 

Knock Knock Alien is written by Caryl Hart and illustrated by Nick East

Picture This: Look Up

My five year old is going to be an astronaut. I'm pretty certain I've mentioned this already on the blog, but she reminds me about it at least five times a day, so I thought I would pass the message on again to you too. Because of this, I am always on the look out for space-themed stories, especially ones about aspiring astronauts. 

I have seen Look Up going around twitter for a few months and knew she would really enjoy it, so I was very excited when I spotted it in the library! We had recently read the Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls entry for Mae Jemison, so it was a great crossover to find a reference to her in Look Up. 

Look Up follows aspiring astronaut, Rocket, as she prepares to watch an exciting meteor shower. As Rocket walks through the town with her older brother, she tells everyone she encounters about the upcoming event (my physics teacher husband particularly enjoyed all of the scientific facts included along the way). The only person she can't make excited enough to look up into space is her older brother, whose gaze is always glued to his phone. 

Look Up is as much a story about sibling relationships as it is about space, and I'm sure Rocket's predicament is one a lot of young children will find all too familiar. This was a superb story and one we will definitely borrow again. 

Look Up is written by Nathan Bryon and illustrated by Dapo Adeola

Viper by Bex Hogan

Seventeen-year-old Marianne is fated to one day become the Viper, defender of the Twelve Isles.

But the reigning Viper stands in her way. Corrupt and merciless, he prowls the seas in his warship, killing with impunity, leaving only pain and suffering in his wake.

He's the most dangerous man on the ocean . . . and he is Marianne's father.

She was born to protect the islands. But can she fight for them if it means losing her family, her home, the boy she loves - and perhaps even her life? {goodreads summary}

Okay, confession time - I wanted to read Viper for ages (I follow Bex Hogan on twitter and she's so lovely, and everyone kept talking about how brilliant this book is) but I kept putting it off. Why? Because I have a phobia of snakes, and I was worried reading this would give me nightmares, based on the title and cover (I'm currently avoiding Ninth House for the same reason - if someone wants to let me know in the comments if it's safe to read, I would really appreciate it!). Fortunately, I can now confirm that there are no real snakes in the book, it's just the name used for the pirates. So now I feel a little bit silly for putting it off for so long - especially as it was such an exciting story!

Viper follows Marianne, a pirate and trainee-assassin with a secret - she'd rather heal people than cause them pain. When her reluctance to kill becomes too obvious to ignore, Marianne is forced to choose between her father and her conscience. She goes on the run, and discovers that her father has been hiding secrets of his own. He is a dangerous man who needs to be stopped, and Marianne is the only person with the skills to do so.

With pirates, assassins and a healthy dose of magic (and magical monsters!) Viper has a bit of everything. Here are three reasons I loved it:

1) Magical monsters. Did I mention those yet? I don't really think I need to say anything more, but I do hope there's more from them in book two!

2) Marianne was a brilliant character who has clear goals and motivations. She thinks carefully about the decisions she makes and is constantly considering the repercussions of her actions; she isn't violent just for the sake of it. Although there are plenty of awesome, gory action scenes, they're never included at the expense of character development - they usually further it. 

3) The world building is rich and exciting. The twelve isles, with their complicated history and differing characteristics, served as a great location in this action-packed story, and I really enjoyed Hogan's vivid descriptions of the ones we have visited so far.

There is also an interesting, rather different take on a love triangle, which I can't wait to see more of in book two. 

Picture This: Goodnight Starry

Thank you Little Steps Publishing for sending us this space-themed bedtime story. It has been a great addition to our growing collection of space/physics based picture books. 

Goodnight Stary combines a gentle, soothing rhyming story with facts about the planets and a touch of humour, as we say goodnight to each of the planets (and Pluto) in turn. 

This was a really lovely story. I particularly liked the little signs that showed how far away Earth is from each of the planets. They are one of a few little touches in this book that will help young readers to learn about the solar system, without feeling like they are being 'taught'. 

The artwork is really striking - some of the planets cleverly resemble the Roman gods they are names after and all retain distinguishing features that will help readers to learn about them. 

The Conspiracy of Magic by Harriet Whitehorn

In a world where magic is so powerful it has been outlawed, Cass is a rare creature ­– an obtuse, someone who is unaffected by magic. But what has always felt like a handicap becomes a strength when sorcerers and magicians begin to perform magical deceptions with malicious intent. The Queen of Minaris is in grave danger and it’s up to Cass to protect her. But how can Cass defeat the sinister magician behind it all with no powers herself? {goodreads summary}

I started The Conspiracy of Magic within days of finishing The Company of Eight - neglecting the other novels I was part way through to do so. I couldn't wait to return to Cass's world of magic and sword fighting. 

In The Conspiracy of Magic, Cass leaves behind the islands of The Company of Eight, travelling North of Minaris to visit foreign lands on a diplomatic mission with Queen Arden. When magical foes keep attacking their convoy, Cass is the only one able to see through the magic's deception, but Cass's status as an obtuse may prove more crucial to what is going on than she realises. 

As with The Company of Eight, the cover and map work are beautiful and I kept flicking back as I progressed through the story to see exactly where we were (and to try and guess where the story was going next!)

Here are three reasons I loved The Conspiracy of Magic: 

1) The world building from the first novel is expanded on in interesting and exciting ways. I loved that there was an entirely new setting for this story, which was rich in history and had some interesting parallels with real-world wars and politics. Veraklia, with its post-war poverty, was depicted with sensitivity and nuance; despite Queen Vegna's role as the story antagonist, the people of Veraklia are overwhelmingly helpful and kind. 

2) The events of this novel take a heavy emotional toll on Cass. What she goes through affects her greatly, and it was nice to see this addressed in the text, rather than glossed over to move the story forward. 

3) The plot is really twisty and unexpected! There were plenty of moments where I felt like I knew what was going to happen next, or understood how the plot was progressing, only to have the narrative take a completely unexpected turn. 

Thank you Stripes Publishing for sending me a copy of this fantastic fantasy adventure. I can't wait to find out what Cass does next!

Picture This: Hey Awesome and Hey Warrior

Thank you so much Little Steps Publishing for sending me these two brilliant stories about anxiety! While they are aimed at children, I also found them really informative as an adult - I had never heard of the amygdala before, and these books explained what happens to your body when you're feeling anxious, and how best to cope with it, in a way that's clear and easy to understand. 

The message in these stories was really empowering, and perfect for a time when school children are facing more pressure and stress than ever before. Not only is the way these books describe and explain anxiety brilliant, but the steps they suggests for coping when you feel anxious were simple and effective - the sort of things you could do at home or in the classroom.

I especially liked the exercise in Hello Awesome for helping you to focus on the present moment, rather than unhelpful or out of control thoughts:

"Focus on what is happening around you. Name 5 things you can see; 4 things you can touch; 3 things you can hear; 2 things you can smell; 1 thing you can taste."

It's a simple, easy activity to centre yourself that even young children can do. I will definitely be trying it with my five year old next time she feels worried about something. 

Hey Awesome and Hey Warrior are written by Karen Young and illustrated by Norvile Davidonyte