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Early Reader Book Reviews
Ava Spark Hello I’m Here!
Alex Field, illus. Joanna Bartel, pub. New Frontier Publishing
Ava Spark: Hello, I’m Here is a charming and uplifting read that radiates warmth from start to finish. The book is brought to life with delightful black-and-white illustrations, full of expression and detail, that perfectly capture the personalities of the characters and add interest.
Ava Spark is a lively, determined wheelchair user who communicates through a device but this is not a story about her disability - it’s about friendship, teamwork and the joy of making others feel welcome. Ava attends school with her older twin sister, Flo, and shares her days with her close friends, Jack and Miya. When their teacher, Mrs Taylor, announces a new student will be joining the class, Ava is asked to help her settle in. The friends are immediately inspired, putting their heads together to come up with activities that will make Liv, the newcomer from Australia, feel part of the group. With sports day just around the corner, Ava and Jack hatch a creative plan for an ‘Australia versus England’ race, blending fun, a little friendly competition and plenty of laughter.
Author, Alex Field, offers readers a thoughtful glimpse into Ava’s everyday world - from both her school and home life - without ever reducing her to her wheelchair or communication device. The narrative is refreshingly positive, focusing instead on the qualities that make Ava a great friend and an imaginative problem-solver. Joanna Bartel’s illustrations add warmth and energy, making the characters feel wonderfully real.
This heart-warming story is a celebration of inclusion in its truest form: making sure everyone, no matter their background or abilities, feels valued, welcomed and part of the team. It’s a joyful reminder of the power of kindness, empathy and human connection - and it will resonate with children, parents, and teachers alike.
Barbara Band
Bravepaw 1: Heartstone of Alluria
Bravepaw 2: Clawstone of Rotwood Mire
L.M. Wilkinson, illus. Lavanya Naidu, pub. Albert Street Books
Welcome to the Bravepaw books. Meet Titch, a mouse with a message that ‘you can be brave.’ The first two engaging books in the series introduce Titch, her wooden handmade sword and her wish that she could have some adventures just like the hero of the stories she loves to read. When the day comes that finds Titch and her best friend, Huckleberry, in a situation of dire trouble, in their village, the place where nothing ever happens, the pair realise they are about to have a grand adventure.
The stories have a moral which will engage children about being brave. It may be that you are the smallest, like Titch, lack confidence, feel lonely and do not believe people will listen. As comes through in the adventures of Bravepaw, with the help from your friends, family and other people you meet, like Titch, you can do unimaginable things. Titch and Huckleberry stick together with the going gets tough; meet unlikely characters that have to be helped and saved. The group then can gather together to fight the evil that is taking over the Plateau. Titch can then work out how to use the Heartstone that was once used by Bravepaw.
By joining the group in their ‘Dangerous Quest’ the reader will be enthralled and engaged, willing them on and wanting the next book in the series. There are fantastic illustrations threaded throughout the pages along with the engaging cover. Large bold text accentuates words in the story to boost excitement and danger. Character names are amazing and this too engages the reader.
These are books that confident readers would engage with, as well as reading them to younger children who would be enthralled with the illustrations and the excitement of an adventure. I can’t wait to read the next instalment.
Helen Finch
The Coming of the Iron Man
Ted Hughes, illus. Mini Grey, pub. Faber
The story of The Iron Man is a much-loved tale used in primary schools. The giant robotic man appears from nowhere and finds himself on a journey of discovery about the world in which he finds himself. Unfortunately, he finds himself at odds with the humans as he begins to eat all of their metal. At first the town manages to capture the Iron Man and bury him under the earth, but eventually he is able to find a way out. Thankfully a young boy, called Hogarth comes up with a possible solution; he takes the robot to the local scrap yard and says he can help himself to all the metal that he wants. This, of course, is the perfect solution for all concerned.
This is an abridged version of the famous tale and the balance of text and illustrations make it perfect for the KS1 child. It works both as a read-alone and also as a story in class. The illustrations by the brilliant Mini Grey pay ‘homage’ to the original image of the robot and her use of colour works perfectly with the range of illustrations, from whole pages to small motifs. The story maintains the underlying theme of the original; the concerns about the environment, waste removal and also the need for the human world to be more aware of their impact on the world around them. What a truly delightful version of this story, it deserves 5 stars for both story and illustration.
Margaret Pemberton
Dream Keepers: Map to Starlight Hollow
Rebecca Lewis-Oakes, illus. Anastasiya Kanavaliuk, pub. Piccadilly Press
Fans of magic, mythological creatures and dream worlds, with additional golden sparkles and rainbow slushies, will love this second book in the Dream Keepers series. Plenty of narrative art intensifies the reading experience for 6+ year olds along the way.
Four friends, Paisley, Fatima, Bella and Mai regularly meet up after school in their local library or the Sugar Scoops Cafe, where much to their delight a new slushie machine has been installed. At night they travel to a magical dream version of their hometown, after tucking a dream token under the pillow. There they meet up with their Dream Guardians, mythical creatures Quill, Skye, Crystal and Onyx. Paisley, the central character, is an artistic, sensitive little girl with a talent for painting but prone to worrying. Bella the deep thinker, is a good reader who cherishes books. Whilst Mai is confident and has a cochlear implant for her deafness, and Fatima is decisive and bold. The story starts as the little band of friends meet up in the Sugar Scoops Cafe to chat about their secret hobby, being Dream Keepers. The problem for Paisley is that her parents are regularly on the move giving her little chance to benefit from her precious friendships. Now that she has found such a group, will she suddenly be leaving again, Paisley wonders?
The four friends shared fantasyland adventure in Moon Wood helps Paisley to work through her anxiety and to see it for what it is. Moon Wood initiates Paisley into the Dark Queens world where negative thoughts feed energy and happy thoughts repel. Paisley learns from her experiences to share her feelings, pay attention to the advice that she receives and to remember that solid friendship bonds can be enjoyed from a distance. This little book has an important message for anxiety sufferers, about what it is and how to deal with it, along with a reminder about the indispensable qualities of friendship. It lends itself to being read at home or at school where it could be explored in more detail.
Elizabeth Negus
Kaleb’s Farmyard Tales: Escaping Animals and Runaway Tractors
Written by Kaleb Cooper, illus. Tom Knight, pub. Wren and Rock
I have a guilty pleasure, one that no one outside my family of four knows, and that is I love watching Jeremy Clarkson on Clarkson’s Farm. I think it is very funny and Kaleb is part of my enjoyment. He comes across as a really nice lad and he also tries his best to educate people about farming, the countryside and the environment. So, when I was asked by to read and review Kaleb's new book I knew I was in for a treat!
Grab your wellies so that you can join Kaleb, his trusty dog, and the love-of-his-life tractor in these muddy, true, and very silly stories from the farm. You'll meet Jeff the Mad Rooster, Bruce the Breakout Boar (and MAYBE even catch him), learn the wisdom of sheep, and discover how using a tractor can solve nearly every problem there is.
As I read this book all I could hear in my mind was Kaleb’s voice, he has written this book as he speaks. I was laughing out loud by the time I had read a few pages. A particular favourite was the sheep story and Old Stumpy. As a reader you can clearly picture the scenes and smell all the smells. This is Kaleb Cooper’s first children’s book aimed at children aged 5 - 7, and would be ideal for children who are newly independent readers. The font is fun to read, added to the illustrations this is overall a joyful book and a delight to read. I hope that there will be more to come as children are going to love this book.
Helen Byles
Pia's Pet Club: Puppy Problem
Serena Patel, illus. Emma McCann, pub. Usborne
I am always on the lookout for suitable books for my wonderful Year 2 and Year 3 children and I think I have found a little gem.
Meet Pia, the girl who loves pets, but isn't allowed one of her own! A brand-new series of funny animal adventures from the award-winning creators of Anisha, Accidental Detective. Pia loves the idea of pets, but no matter how much she begs her parents for one of her own their answer is always the same, they always say no. Pia however won’t give up easily. Her first plan is to help her friend Hari train his troublesome new puppy, Luna. If they can do this, if they can encourage Luna to behave then Pia can show her parents that she can look after a pet of her own. But when Luna continues to cause chaos despite their efforts Pia realises she will need to work really hard to show the puppy how to behave. It's time to join forces with her animal-loving friends and form a Pet Club! But will Pia ever get a pet of her own?
The first thing to mention is that this story is perfect for those newly independent readers, the font is larger than in books for older readers, the book contains a complete story and at only 215 pages its manageable. All of this also means it’s ideal for those children who don’t enjoy or find reading harder. Plus, there are some amazing illustrations. It’s also a book based on animals that makes the story even more appealing to the children.
This book ticks so many boxes for children. And I look forward to discovering where the series goes next.
Helen Byles
Woodland Explorers Club: Fujiko and the Fox
Ewa Jozefkowicz, illus. Gillian Flint, pub. Zephyr
Are you a member of the Woodland Explorers Club? If you are you’ll have the badge that all members are allowed to wear. If you’re not sure how to join, or what it’s all about this book and its three predecessors will help you learn more. Each is a standalone story and they all feature the fantastic Woodland Explorers Club. Even better, these books are all written with Early Readers in mind. At around 100 pages each they are fully illustrated in black and white and they even include a selection of activities at the back. I hope you’re tempted!
The club are all eagle-eyed, carefully looking at their surroundings, they speak with a secret code, an owl hoot, so as not to scare the woodland wildlife and they respect as well as protect that same wildlife. In this story Fujiko broken her arm and has to miss out on playing her violin. She needs something else to do but now something strange is happening to her hearing too. It seems that Fujiko is going to need her friends, some fireworks and the unusual fox she meets in Willow Wish Woods so that she can find her music again and heal her broken arm.
A beautiful, charming story, perfect for newly confident readers and a wonderful introduction to the natural world, to our connection with it.
Louise Ellis-Barrett
The World of Maxime
Lucile de Pesloüan, trans. Helen Mixter, illus. Jacques Goldstyn, pub. Greystone Kids
Ten-year-old Maxime loves cats and books, but she doesn’t love other kids – they are too noisy for Maxime. So, she spends her time with her cat, Tumeric, working on her project, which is to read every book in the world. But one day, a new girl joins her school and Maxime wants to try to be friends. If only she was brave enough to talk to her. Then she discovers mysterious bowls full of cat food around her neighbourhood that lead to an unlikely culprit. As Maxime learns the value of friendship, can she find the courage to make a new friend?
Somewhere between picture books, chapter books and graphic novels lies The World of Maxime. Originally published in French, this 112-page book has a distinctive tone and unique structure that will appeal to both older picture book readers and newly independent readers. Focusing on the charmingly peculiar main character, Maxime, who leads a lonely life, and an elderly crusader for stray cats, Catmamou (‘mamou’ is sometimes used as a term for mother or grandmother in French), who breaks all the rules, the story explores themes of inter-generational friendship, confidence and caring for animals.
Political cartoonist and illustrator, Jacques Goldstyn, fills the pages with warm drawings full of feline fun and bustling city life scenes. There are hundreds of drawings created in ink, watercolour and pencil. Spectacular end pages include dozens of drawings exhibiting cats in all of their mischievous glory.
Heart-warming, imaginative and utterly charming, The World of Maxime is a delightful book for readers of all ages.
Stephanie Ward
