Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Top Five Favourite Christmas Children's Picture Books

Chris Van Allsburg - The Polar Express
Late one Christmas Eve, a boy boards a mysterious train: The Polar Express bound for the North Pole. Once there, Santa offers the boy any gift he desires. The boy asks for one bell from the harness of a reindeer. The bell is lost. On Christmas morning, the boy finds the bell under the tree. The boy's mother admires the bell, but laments that it is broken — for you see, only believers can hear the sound of the bell.

Raymond Briggs - The Snowman 
Everyone's favourite snowman, with a sparkly glitter cover and introduction by Raymond Briggs. One winter's night, a snowman comes to life and an unforgettable adventure begins. Raymond Briggs' favourite classic is a true piece of Christmas magic - narrated entirely through pictures, it captures the wonder and innocence of childhood and is now recognised throughout the world. In 2012 the 30th anniversary of The Snowman was celebrated with a brand new half-hour animation The Snowman and the Snowdog. It introduced a new adorable character, can you guess who? That's right, a lovable snow puppy!

Janet & Allan Ahlberg - The Jolly Christmas Postman 

The Jolly Postman delivers cards and letters to various fairy-tale characters. He has a letter of apology for the three bears from Goldilocks, a postcard from Jack for the giant, a solicitor's letter on behalf of Little Red Riding-Hood for the wolf who ate grandma, and so on. There are six envelopes in the book, each containing letters, cards, etc.

Dr. Seuss - How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

"The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season! / Now, please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason." Dr. Seuss's small-hearted Grinch ranks right up there with Scrooge when it comes to the crankiest, scowling holiday grumps of all time. For 53 years, the Grinch has lived in a cave on the side of a mountain, looming above the Whos in Whoville. The noisy holiday preparations and infernal singing of the happy little citizens below annoy him to no end. The Grinch decides this frivolous merriment must stop. His "wonderful, awful" idea is to don a Santa outfit, strap heavy antlers on his poor, quivering dog Max, construct a makeshift sleigh, head down to Whoville, and strip the chafingly cheerful Whos of their Yuletide glee once and for all.

Clement C. Moore - The Night Before Christmas
As St. Nick and eight tiny reindeer descend through a brilliant night sky onto the roof of a Victorian house in a snowy New England village, the famous Christmas poem begins. The father of the family narrates the words just as Clement Moore wrote them, and artist Jan Brett captures the spirit in brilliant illustrations that reflect this memorable night. Visually she extends this favourite Christmas story for children, who will delight in watching the two mischievous stowaways from the North Pole enthusiastically exploring the sacks of gifts on the roof while St. Nick, unaware, journeys down the chimney... until the toys spill down onto the lawn and he turns with a jerk!

What's your festive favourite picture books?

CILIP Carnegie Medal Shortlist 2014 and the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal Shortlist 2014

CILIP Carnegie Medal 2014 shortlist:

• All the Truth That's in Me by Julie Berry (Templar)
• The Bunker Diary by Kevin Brooks (Puffin)
• The Child's Elephant by Rachel Campbell-Johnston (David Fickling Books)
• Ghost Hawk by Susan Cooper (Bodley Head)
• Blood Family by Anne Fine (Double Day)
• Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell (Faber & Faber)
• Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead (Anderson Press)
• The Wall by William Sutcliffe (Bloomsbury)

The CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal 2014 shortlist:

• The Paper Dolls by Rebecca Cobb (illustrator) and Julia Donaldson (author) (Macmillan Children's Books)
• Where My Wellies Take Me by Olivia Gill (illustrator) and Michael Morpurgo and Clare Morpurgo (authors) (Templar)
• The Day the Crayons Quit by Oliver Jeffers (illustrator) and Drew Daywalt (author) (HarperCollins Children's Books)
• This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen (Walker Books)
• The Dark by Jon Klassen (illustrator) and Lemony Snicket (author) (Orchard Books)
• Mouse, Bird, Snake, Wolf by Dave McKean (illustrator) and David Almond (author) (Walker Books)
• Oliver by Birgitta Sif (Walker Books)

The 2014 winners for both the CILIP Carnegie Medal and the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal will be announced on Monday 23rd June 2014 at a lunchtime ceremony at the Unicorn Theatre in London. The winners will each receive £500 worth of books to donate to their local library and the coveted golden Medals. Since 2000, the winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal has also been awarded the £5,000 Colin Mears Award cash prize. The ceremony will be live-streamed for the first time.

Website: http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Four Great Picture Books To Read and Enjoy!

                                      

Debi Gilori - The Tobermory Cat - Published By Birlinn Ltd (12 Oct 2012)

Once upon a time, in Tobermory on the beautiful isle of Mull, there lived a cat. Now, all around Mull were cats - some were wonderfully soft and woolly, some were great singers, others were experts in fishing and some were superbly sulky. Tourists flocked to see them and hear them, but in Tobermory the cats were just cats. One cat decided, though, he was going to be special to help the people of Tobermory but he found it was harder than he thought. That was until he got some very good advice from some special friends.

                                  

Chris Riddell - Alienography 2: Tips for Tiny Tyrants - Published By Macmillan Children's Books (13 Sep 2012)

Join Chris Riddell and Colin the alien as they explain their tips for intergalactic domination. Learn how to select a simpering sidekick, how to choose an evil outfit (a good vest is a must!) and how to buy the best battlecruiser . . . you'll be a butt-kicking baddy before you can blink! Magnificently illustrated and hugely funny, with novelty elements including a mini comic, a fold-out cross-section of the 'Centennial Turkey' spaceship, and a 'Top Chumps' card game.

                                         

Jon Klassen - This Is Not My Hat - Published By Walker (9 Oct 2012)

When a tiny fish shoots into view wearing a round blue topper (which happens to fit him perfectly), trouble could be following close behind. So it’s a good thing that enormous fish won’t wake up. And even if he does, it’s not like he’ll ever know what happened. . . . Visual humor swims to the fore as the best-selling Jon Klassen follows his breakout debut with another deadpan-funny tale.

Take a look at the YouTube Book Trailer. http://youtu.be/IhbYyEdYWY8

           

William Joyce - The Man In The Moon - Published By Atheneum Books for Young Readers (13 Sep 2012)

Of course you know the Guardians of Childhood. You've known them since before you can remember: Santa, The Tooth Fairy, The Easter Bunny and the others. But ...where did they come from? How did they became beloved, and worthy of holidays? Embark on the first of seven very different journeys, starting with the Man in the Moon's, the very first of the Guardians. Join William Joyce on his latest adventure-to the Moon and discover the legends of The Guardian of Childhood.

Check out the website:

http://www.theguardiansofchildhoodbooks.com/mim.php

Book Plug#4 - Astrid Lindgren Illustrated by Marit TŲrnqvist; - In the Land of Twilight

                                          
Goran has an injured leg and he gets bored spending so much time in bed. But when his mother turns out the light at dusk, Mr Lilyvale knocks on the window and takes him to the Land of Twilight. Goran and Mr Lilyvale walk and fly around Stockholm when people from the daytime world are sleeping. 

Goran drives a tram and a bus. It doesnít matter that he has a bad leg in the Land of Twilight. They eat candy that grows on trees in the park, play with bear cubs and meet a moose. They even visit the King and Queen in the royal palace. At the end of their journey each night, Mr Lilyvale takes Goran home just before his mother comes in and turns on the light. 

This delightful story about the power of the imagination is set in a magical version of Stockholm, and painted in beautiful twilight tones.


Subject:Picture Book
Age Range: From 5 to 8
Pages:44
Published by:Floris Books
Publication Date:19 Jan 2012

About the Author(s)

Astrid Lindgren (1907-2002) was born on a homestead in SmŚland, Sweden. Her most famous book, Pippi Longstocking, was published in 1945. She is also well known for Carlsen on the Roof, her books about The Bullerby Children and The Tomten. Her books have sold around 145 million copies worldwide, and she has won many awards, including the Hans Christian Andersen Award and the International Book Award from UNESCO. Her books A Calf for Christmas and Goran's Great Escape, also illustrated by Marit Tornqvist, are published in English by Floris Books.

Marit TŲrnqvist was born in 1964 in Uppsala, Sweden and divides her time between the Netherlands and Sweden. She studied illustration at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam. In 2011 she was awarded a Golden Plaque from the Biennial of Illustration Bratislava, one of the most prestigious children's illustration awards. She has illustrated several of Astrid Lindgren's picture books, including A Calf for Christmas and Goran's Great Escape, both published by Floris Books.

Tom Percival - Why I Read YA Books - Guest Blog Post - 'A Home for Mr Tipps'

                                     

Welcome to another guest post. However, this is perhaps an author/illustrator you are less familiar with, but certainly one that I believe deserves the recognition amongst other great illustrators. Without even realising it, you may have already come across Tom's work if you have read or seen any of the Skulduggery series by Derek Landy - Tom has illustrated many of the book covers. However, he has now ventured into the writing and illustrating of picture books. His second book 'A Home for Mr Tipps' was published earlier this month and is certainly a book to read. The bold and vibrant illustrations accompany a beautifully poignant story.  

Thank you to Tom for this very interesting and revealing blog post. Hopefully, this will help to establish Tom's creative talent into the minds and lives of many more adults and children.

I’ve enjoyed reading for nearly as long as I can remember. 

My earliest memory (just in case you happen to be interested) is of staring down a circular ventilation shaft which was hidden away in a cupboard in the caravan that we had just moved into and was going to be my home for the next five years. (The cupboard wasn’t my home by the way, it was the whole caravan, things weren’t that bad…)

Anyway, not too long after that, I started to read - pretty standard fare at first, short tales about cats sitting on mats and such like. From this I graduated to Peter and Jane and their dog Pat, who seemed to be particularly adept at seeing balls and liking them. 

Anyway, great as all these books were for teaching me how to read, none of them were got me excited about reading.

That first happened when I read the Tim and the Hidden People series by Sheila K. McCullagh. These were books filled with stories of witches, ghosts and magic. It would be fair to say my future reading habits were pretty much set in stone when I first read Tim and Tobias (which is what inspired me to name the naughty ghost in Tobias and the Super Spooky Ghost Book)

From that point on, it was all about the supernatural. I lived in a remote location in South Shropshire, pinned down by the Stiperstones on one side and the Long Mynd on the other – it was a place that easily lent itself to my flights of fantasy. Why wouldn’t the Devil be sitting in his throne on the Stiperstones when the mist fell? It all seemed perfectly plausible to me.

Fast forward a couple of years and hopefully this goes some way to explaining why I read a YA book about a nineteen year-old-boy when I was just nine-years-old. You see, the book was called Devil on the Road by Robert Westall and it was all about time travel and witches. My younger self was absolutely enthralled by it and it became one of those books that I loved so much it’s been tattooed on my brain ever since.

So it’s strange that until now I have never re-read the Devil on the Road. Having recently done a lot of design and illustration work on various YA books, I was curious to see how the YA world of the late seventies (Devil on the Road was originally published in 1977) would compare to today’s books for the same audience. 

The book is narrated in the first person, so the first thing that struck me was the way in which the main character, John Webster, is portrayed. 

He’s a young man with a big chip on his shoulder. It seems as though no-one can please him - everyone’s either a snob or a yob. He’s self-assured, difficult and aggressive, but also morally decent, intelligent and at times very tender. All of these conflicting traits serve to make him a very believable person. 

He might not always make the ‘right’ choices, but the complexities within his character make you engage with him and ultimately want the best for him. To me it somehow means more if you grow fond of a ‘difficult’ character than if an author just creates someone everybody would immediately fall in love with.

As an exercise in pacing it’s a classic slow burn – building in intensity with each chapter to a dramatic climax. The supernatural elements of the story weave in and out, so subtly at first that you could easily miss them if the title didn’t allude to them.

Over time, you realise that the old barn that John Webster stays in on his summer motorcycle trip, links him directly with a distant time - a time of witch-hunts, Oliver Cromwell and the Civil War. 

It’s the atmosphere that really pulled me in to this story - both as a nine year old and now at the ripe old age of thirty-three. I can still feel the tension in the air and John’s excitement as he feels himself being pulled out of the present and into an uncertain past. The ambiguous use of witchcraft and folklore draws you into a world of magic and excitement that you truly want to be a part off. I remember going off for long walks as a kid, hoping that when I came back to my village it would be 300 years in the past. To the best of my knowledge this never happened…

Halfway through the story John is thoroughly entangled with a C17th girl suspected of being a witch. So John does what any decent, right-minded person does and helps her clear her name – she’s got to be innocent, there’s no such thing as witches, right?

Over the course of the story, the author makes you question every character’s motives, including the narrator’s own, until you feel ultimately just as confused as John - falling in and out of time, never quite knowing who you can trust, or what is going to happen.

Events described early on in the book have a pivotal role in the story at the end, so the entire piece hangs together really nicely with a satisfying ‘Ahh, now that explains it…’ moment. 

Ultimately, you half get what you want for John Webster - he escapes the time slip he’s caught within, but you can’t help but wonder ‘was it the best thing that would ever happen to him?’ Even he seems unsure, which ties in well with his contradictory character. 

Apart from some occasional slang that seems a bit outdated now everything else about the book stands up really well.

I was wondering if this would feel ‘softer’ than more recent YA titles such as the excellent Department 19 and Divergent. Whilst the description of violence is less graphic, the brutal reality of the aggression described and the motivation for John’s violence is conveyed so unflinchingly that I certainly didn’t feel mollycoddled by the lack of splattered blood.

It would seem that the YA readers of 33 years ago had just the same passions for excitement, mystery and drama - and Robert Westall was more than capable of supplying them with it.

Tom Percival - Find out more about 'A Home for Mr Tipps' - Book Trailer

This is the book trailer for the forth coming picture book by Tom Percival. The talented author/illustrator last outing was with the wonderful picture book "Tobias and the Super Spooky Ghost" Book. It's a really good book trailer and the sound track to go with it is really catchy,which was all done by Tom himself.

G.N Hargreaves - Douglas - Picture Book Choice March 2011

FROM THE HOME OF THE MR. MEN
COMES A BRAND NEW BRITISH HERO

DOUGLAS – A DOG IN A BILLION

Giles Hargreaves follows in his famous father's footsteps
as his first creation is published today

London 28^th March 2011 – Today Giles Hargreaves, son of Roger Hargreaves – the creator and illustrator of the Mr. Men, releases his first children’s book, Douglas.

Douglas is a story about a dog. Not just any old, run-of-the-mill, everyday, ordinary dog, but an extraordinary dog. A dog in a billion. A dog called Douglas.

Douglas doesn’t go for walkies, he would sooner go for a spin in his shiny red sports car. And that is not all. Among his many talents, this sophisticated fellow toots on the tuba, goes skiing and plays a fiendish game of chess. Douglas can do anything. What a dog!

But there is one thing Douglas can’t do. One thing he desperately wants to do, but can’t, no matter how hard he tries. Douglas cannot wag his tail, poor chap. And this makes him feel glum. Very glum indeed.

Can a little bird called Basil help Douglas make his dream come true?

David Riley, Managing Director of Egmont Publishing Group said, “We are delighted to be working with Giles Hargreaves to help bring Douglas to the attention of the world: his trials, tribulations and achievements should be celebrated. It’s been forty years since the launch of Britain’s best-loved children’s book series The Mr. Men, and now the Hargreaves family brings us another classic British character.”

Douglas is published in traditional picture book format on the 28^th March at £5.99. 

It features beautiful full-page illustrations and quirky vignettes, plus a sheet of utterly adorable stickers so you can take Douglas with you wherever you go!

New Picture Book Round Up - September/October 2010

These are four of the best picture books that are going to be published during the next month or so. They have some great illustrations inside that are suitable for all ages - no-one is ever too old. . . .
                                   

Tom Percival - Tobias and the Super Spooky Ghost Book - Published By HarperCollins - 30 Sept 2010
A lonely ghost finds an unexpected friend in this fantastically atmospheric story which marks the debut of an exciting new picture book talent.
Night after night, Tobias the ghost hangs around the empty house where he lives, longing for something interesting to happen. That is, until one day, a girl named Eliza moves in with her family…
Armed with his grandad’s book of spells, Tobias starts to play tricks on Eliza, but has he met his match in this feisty little girl?
Tobias might just be in for a few surprises himself… not to mention finding an amazing new friend!
A delightfully energetic book, full of fun!

                               

Oliver Jeffers - Up and Down - Published By HarperCollins - 2 September - 2010
In this much-anticipated sequel to the internationally best-selling picture book Lost and Found, we re-visit the boy and the penguin after their trip to the South Pole…
The boy and the penguin still enjoy spending all their time together… That is, until the penguin starts to dream of flying, ignoring the boys advice that it is impossible.
Running away, the penguin visits place after place, searching for a chance to get his feet off the ground. But will flying be everything he had hoped? And is the boy missing him, as much as he is missing the boy?

                         

Jenny Nimmo & Gwen Millward - The Beasties - Published By Egmont Books - 4 October 2010

On a starry, starry night Daisy hears a growl that makes her heart go pit-a-pat. It sounds like a story...Every night a new tale drifts up to Daisy - tales of robbers, shipwrecks and lost princesses. Until one night everything goes very quiet. Daisy very slowly looks under the bed to find...Three storytelling beasties! This is a lovingly crafted picture book about the power of imagination and the comfort of storytelling.

                             

 Minako Chiba - The Somebody for ME - Published By North South Books - 1 October 2010

A little girl and a doll find each other

 

The dolls sat in the toyshop window, waiting hopefully for somebody to love them.

            “I want a little girl somebody,” said one.

            “I want a baby somebody,” said another.

            “I want a grandmother somebody,” said a third.

            “I just want the somebody for me,” said Sumiko.

            This tender story will warm the hearts of young and old alike.

Picture Book Shop - Picks For July 2010

                                          
 
Kate McKewn  - Nat Fantastic and the Brave Knights of Old - Published by Orchard 15 July 2010
Nat Fantastic - aka miniature superhero - is back! And this time he's taking on the knights... and winning!
A brilliant follow-up to the hugely successful 
Nat Fantastic from bestselling author Giles Andreae.
                                   
Joyce Dunbar & Lara Jones - I Want a Mini Tiger - Published by Macmillian Children's 2 July 2010

This little girl wants her very own miniature wild animal. Anything from a little snappy happy crocodile or a tiny trundle rumble elephant, to a pocket-sized grizzly bear. But as her big brother explains, a real wild animal would make a terrible pet. You can't nuzzle a crocodile, or tickle a wild elephant, and a grizzly bear belongs in a cave not a pocket! But there's one pet, a tiny pet, that loves to be tickled and cuddled. It's like a tiger, only much smaller .  A delightfully rhythmic tale, bursting with imagination, and a playful introduction to a world of wild animals.
                          
Jan Fearnley - Arthur and the Meanies - Published by Egmont  5 July  2010                  How do you play with an elephant? Well, if you're Tiger, Cheetah, Monkey and Peacock, you don't. Tiger growls that Arthur is too heavy for hopping, and Cheetah is very unkind when Arthur asks to hold the string on his beautiful new kite. But when it starts to rain, suddenly everybody wants to be Arthur's friend - as long as he will do as he's told and shelter them from the storm. This is a beautifully crafted picture book that is complete with a gentle and satisfying moral.

Two Picture Book Reviews - Knight Time - Jane Clarke and Jane Massey

Knight Time - Jane Clarke and Jane Massey -  New story cd edition - Red Fox 1 Oct 2009

Book Synopsis

Every night, when their daddies tuck them in, Little Knight dreams of fierce knight-eating dragons and Little Dragon dreams of dangerous dragon-slaying knights. But one dark, stormy night, their two worlds collide and Little Dragon and Little Knight discover that they both have teddy bears and cuddly blankets - and they're not scary at all! It's silly to hunt each other!" they tell their daddies. And so it is. Simple language and powerful imagery shows up the nature of mistaken prejudices and uncovers the universality of night-time fears by using characters who are naturally scared of each other. The result is a reassuring bed-time book with a difference.





Book Review By Mrs Ripley
This is a beautifully illustrated book with an incredible amount of detail included on each page. Each time I opened a page I saw something different, yet all the detail adds to and enhances the story. The story is delightful in the way it addresses the fears of a dragon and a knight. The parallel storyline of both merges well to bring the two lives together. A lovely book to share together at storytime.


Anthony Bourke and John Rendall - Christian the Lion:My Scrap Book - Published by Red Fox 3 Sep 2009


Book synopsis
Follow the heartwarming and true story of Christian. The lion cub bought from Harrods, raised in a Chelsea flat and finally returned to live wild and free on the African plains. Christian's story is told in a scrapbook style, using original photographs of him as a cub. These images are both funny, moving and heart warming. The simple and accessible text, told in Christian's voice, deals with themes familiar to little ones - love, friendship, play and exploration.

Book Review by Mrs Ripley

A unique story that has been brought to life by many incredible photographs. An informative and interesting book which educates the reader in the re-housing of Christian the Lion to Africa, and his plight in adjusting to the wild. I think children will be amazed by his journey and be delighted with his new life in Africa.