Great
Britain
38
Amnesty International (ed.)
Various illustrators (illus.)
We are all born free. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in pictures
London [et al]: Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, 2008. – [68] p.
ISBN 978-1-84507-650-4
Human Rights
Celebrating the sixtieth
anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
this colourful book confirms that human rights do not only matter in the
abstract world of adult politics. On the contrary: Human rights play an
important role in every person’s life – be they big or small. To make the
declaration more accessible to younger readers, Franklin Lincoln publishers in
association with Amnesty International chose a simplified version of the
text and assigned each of the thirty articles to well-known illustrators
from the UK and other parts of the world. While some of the artists offered
a visual interpretation that was close to the text, others provided more
abstract illustrations. Together, all of these stunning pictures make this
book a visual feast for readers of any age. (4+)
39
Browne, Anthony (text/illus.)
Little beauty
London [et al.]: Walker, 2008. – [32] p.
ISBN 978-1-4063-0866-2
Gorilla – Loneliness – Friendship – Cat
In his latest picture book,
renowned British illustrator Anthony Browne offers a touching and witty tale
about an unusual friendship. The colourful large-format pictures, rendered
in his trademark pseudo-realistic style mixed with funny surrealist
elements, portray an amiable and obviously intelligent gorilla protagonist
who communicates with his zoo keepers in sign language and enjoys every
comfort imaginable – from plush armchair to TV set. Nevertheless, he feels
utterly lonely and longs for a true friend. For lack of another gorilla, his
keepers finally offer him a minute kitten – and despite them being so
unlike, the two creatures immediately hit it off. When an incident of
involuntary violence threatens their precious friendship, the little kitten
proves that she too has gorilla-powers. (4+)
40
Diamand, Emily
Reavers’ ransom
Frome: Chicken House, 2008. – 383 p.
ISBN 978-1-906427-06-1
Pirate – Ambition – Betrayal – Poverty – Technophobia
It’s the year 2216, and the
British Isles have suffered major flooding. In »The Last Ten Counties« in
the very south of England, people are scraping by on fishing and farming
their barren lands, as the use of any modern devices and technology has been
banned for years. When the reavers – plundering pirate families from the
East coast – kidnap the Prime Minister’s daughter, young fisher girl Lilly
sets off with a precious talking jewel as ransom to break her free; yet she
immediately sails straight into trouble. Told in alternating chapters from
Lilly’s point of view and the perspective of young Zeph, the reaver boss’s
son, this gripping futuristic adventure story tackles topics such as
friendship, betrayal, ambition, and techno-phobia while it races along at
breathtaking speed. (10+)
41
King, Daren (text)
Roberts, David (illus.)
Sensible Hare and the case of carrots
London: Faber and Faber, 2007. – 105 p.
ISBN 978-0-571-23175-1
Detective – Case – Carrot – Search
Sensible Hare may be a hare
(with long ears to prove it and feet as fast as kung-fu) but sensible he is
not, and nor is he particularly brainy or sharp-witted. Thus when beautiful
Mazy Rabbit entrusts him with the case of the missing suitcase of carrots,
the odds of him actually finding it would probably be less than zero – if it
weren’t for his clever companion. Ottoman the otter outwits the town’s evil
villains, stuns the mean landlord Mr. Ratchett, and surprises even the
police in order to retrieve the stolen object. The nonsensical text and the
witty black-and-white illustrations, slightly reminiscent of Edward Gorey,
make this ridiculous tale a hilarious read for children and their parents
alike. (6+)
42
Lucas, David (text/illus.)
The lying carpet
London: Andersen Press, 2008. – 77 p.
ISBN 978-1-84270-441-7
Imagination – Storytelling – Truth – Lie
This magical modern fairy tale
about truth and the power of imagination will enchant readers of all ages.
One sunny afternoon, after centuries of sitting immobilised on a plinth
holding an open (stone) book, the little statue Faith thinks her first
conscious thought. Even if she can neither blink nor get up, she can whisper
– and is answer-ed by an old tiger carpet spread across the floor. He
launches into tales about his wondrous adventures, and although he warns
Faith not to trust a lying (rather than a flying) carpet, the girl’s longing
for a life beyond her statue-state grows. The black-and-white drawings
depict a curtain, the small girl statue, the tiger rug, and an old armchair
on each page, framing the page like a theatre stage, while various amusing
drawings in the middle elaborate on the tiger’s tall tales. (5+)
43
Matthews, John (text)
Tatarnikov, Pavel (illus.)
Arthur of Albion
Bath: Barefoot, 2008. – 94 p.
ISBN 978-1-84686-048-5
King Arthur – Knights of the Round Table
In this lavishly illustrated
and carefully designed large-format volume, John Matthews – an expert on
Celtic and Arthurian legends and myths – brings one of the greatest heroes
of English history and folklore alive for young readers: King Arthur. Each
of the short chapters starts off with a double page of facts or background
information on a certain Arthurian topic, such as »Camelot and the Round
Table«, »The Grail«, or »Ladies of the Court«, which is followed by a
retelling of one particularly intriguing tale, e.g. »How King Arthur first
came by the sword Excalibur« or »The story of Merlin and Avenable«. The
watercolour illustrations on enamel paper by Belorussian artist Pavel
Tatarnikov depict heroic fights, mysterious encounters, and magical
creatures. Rendered in warm tones mixed with rich gold and silver hues, they
perfectly capture the mythical atmosphere of the tales. A poster-sized map
outlining the realm of Albion with a key to important places and some
suggestions for further reading invite readers to delve deeper into Arthur’s
kingdom. (10+)
44
Nicholls, Sally
Ways to live forever
London: Marion Lloyd Books, 2008. – 201 p.
ISBN 978-1-407105-15-4
Leukaemia – Death – Coping with fear
Sam likes to gather facts;
facts about airships, himself, life, death, coffins, and his illness
leukaemia. When his home-schooling teacher suggests he write a book, he
eagerly grabs the chance of recording some of his life’s peculiarities. By
combining memories of the eleven-year-old protagonist’s life, the
miscellaneous facts Sam collects, funny stories about his friend Felix (who
suffers from a different type of cancer), lists of things to do, and
questions nobody ever answers, the author has created an authentic and very
moving novel that manages to tackle a difficult and sad topic without
turning into »a weepy book full of poems and pictures of rainbows«. With
sensitivity and a gentle dose of humour, it makes readers witness how a boy
and his family struggle to deal with the illness and impending death. (10+)
45
Owen, Joanne (text)
Ink, Mutt (illus.)
Puppet master
London: Orion Children’s Books, 2008. – 214 p.
ISBN 978-1-84255-584-2
Prague – Puppeteer – Striving for power – xHypnosis – Magic – Legends
An obsessed puppet master, who step by step perfects the dark art of hypnosis, is attempting to re-write Bohemian history and install himself as Prague’s legitimate ruler. Yet to perform this trick, he needs the help of various people, among them his menacing twin apprentices who draw some strings in his ominous (puppet) play. Interspersed with retellings of ancient Bohemian legends, this impressive debut reads like a Gothic novel. The frightfully sinister tale follows the fate of young orphan Milena, who – as a descendant of legendary Bohemian ruler Libuse – seems to be the key to the evil master’s success. However, with the assistance of her healer aunts and some true
friends, Milena finds her
long-lost mother and the two of them eventually manage to triumph over the
impostor. (12+)
46
Rayner, Catherine (text/illus.)
Harris finds his feet
London: Little Tiger, 2009. – [32] p.
ISBN 978-1-84506-590-4
Hare – Feet – Purpose – Growing up – Grandfather – Grandson
Little Harris is slightly
puzzled about why his feet are so absolutely enormous. Yet Grandad assures
him that big feet are important for all hares – and then he takes his small
grandson on a journey so that Harris may discover the purpose of his big
feet (and to find his own independence). Harris learns to hop to the top of
the world, use the feet as sun-shades, and run as fast as the wind to escape
danger. The powerful, vibrant watercolour-and-ink illustrations focus on the
two hares from near and far, from above, behind, and below, and as they
bounce and zap through the landscape. The quick change of perspectives and
the apt use of wide spaces mirror the hares’ adventures and easily direct
the readers’ eyes toward the most important aspects of the story. (4+)
47
Sayer, Viv (ed.)
Poems of love and longing
Llandysul: Pont Books, 2008. – X p. + 70 p.
ISBN 978-1-84323-815-7
Love – Poetry
In this small, delicate
anthology, Viv Sayer has gathered a varied selection of poems about love in
all its different forms. Written by ten mostly well-known Welsh poets, these
short texts allow teenage readers to venture into a realm of complex and
puzzling, happy and sad human emotions. While »First Flush« by Susan
Richardson expresses her bliss and exaltation at discovering the radiant
northern scenery at midsummer on the Lofoten Islands in Norway, Jenny
Sullivan makes readers see the livid colours and sample the bitter taste of
rejected love in »Rejection«. The poems’ topics range from romantic and
physical love, to a mother’s affection for her newborn baby, the admiration
for a pet dog, the fond memories of one’s own childhood, and the longing for
one’s home country. (14+)
48
Valentine, Jenny
Broken soup
London: HarperCollins, 2008. – 248 p.
ISBN 978-0-00-722965-9
Fatal accident – Family – Grief – Friendship – Mystery
With her deeply depressed mother seeking refuge in pills and alcohol and her father hardly ever at home, fifteen-year-old Rowan is the only one to take care of her six-year-old sister, and the pressure is not easy to cope with. Yet then, two new people enter her life and change everything. Rowan knows that the photographic negative the strange boy hands her does not belong to her. So how
can it turn out to be a mysterious connection to her elder brother Jack, who drowned two years before and left the family devastated? Written in an authentic teenage voice with plenty of dialogue, Jenny Valentine’s second teenage novel cleverly intertwines sad and happy moments. It is a coming-of-age story with a mystery-element that explores a family’s overwhelming grief and slow healing. (14