Harare Review of Books

Staying with my latest thing, here are a few more advance copies of children’s books that I’ve read recently.

Little Whale x Anna Brett, out Aug. 1 from words & pictures

This is a beautifully illustrated and factual book on humpback whales, perfect for little explorers. It presents scientific information in an accessible and interesting way. Slightly older children can read it on their own, but it’s also suitable for reading with younger ones.

Highly recommended. Thank you to NetGalley and to words & pictures for this ARC.

Princess Diana – Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara, out Sept. 5 from Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

This little book tells us a little about the life of Princess Diana, and includes some of the struggles she went through (bulimia, Charles’s affair, his envy of her public acceptance) in a child-appropriate way. It doesn’t mention her death or relate the circumstances around it in the main text, although it’s mentioned in the notes at the back. The book focuses mostly on her kindness and public service, and how well-loved she was.

In all, quite well done. Thank you to NetGalley and to Frances Lincoln Children’s Books for access to this ARC.

Jeffrey Loves Blue – Loretta Garbutt, out Sept. 12 from Owlkids

Jeffrey loves blue. He loves blue everything, and everything he loves is blue. That’s also the only colour he uses at paint group. The narrator gently talks Jeffrey into trying a different colour, because his love for blue means that he won’t share the blue paint with Keiko.

This is a really lovely little book about sharing and about emotions, and finding a healthy balance (although Jeffrey doesn’t seem to quite manage this by the end of the book). The illustrations (and graphic style) are wonderful.

Thank you to Edelweiss and Owlkids for this delightful DRC.

Skip! x Sarah Burgess, out Nov. 7 from Andrews McMeel Publishing

A pretty good graphic novel for young people, with a non-binary central character.

Things I loved: family acceptance and support for the central character.
Things I didn’t love: the main character’s friend tured into a bully at some point, and I felt that wasn’t dealt with adequately, particularly because the enby character struggled with self-expression. Also found the artwork bewildering at points, but that’s just me and this particular style.

Thank you to Edelweiss and to Andrews McMeel Publishing.

Kariba x Daniel Clarke, James Clarke, Daniel Snaddon, out Aug. 1 from Catalyst Press

Long review here.