We have some fantastic new picture books to share with you this February:
Can Bears Ski?
by Raymond Antrobus and illustrated by Polly Dunbar
Boy Bear cannot hear Dad Bear coming to wake him up in the morning but he can feel the floor vibrate with his heavy footsteps. He can only grasp little bits of what his teacher says to him at school. He cannot catch what his friends are laughing at. And, all the time, Boy Bear keeps hearing the question, “Can Bears ski?” What does it mean? With the support of Dad Bear, Boy Bear visits an audiologist and, eventually, he gets hearing aids. Suddenly, he understands the question everyone has been asking him: "CAN YOU HEAR ME?"
Raymond draws on his own experience to show how isolating it can be for a deaf child in a hearing world. But through his lyrical and moving words, matched with Polly's stunning imagery, he also shows how many ways there are to communicate love. With a solid network, Boy Bear will find his place in the world.
You can now watch the Can Bears Ski? trailer below! It features a reading from author Raymond Antrobus as well as British Sign Language from a Deaf interpreter.
by Laura Dockrill and illustrated by Maria Karipidou
Exploring his mother’s bedroom, a little boy discovers THE LIPSTICK. It begins on his lips, where it looks very good – MWAH! But then it goes for a little walk … squiggle, squiggle … on the mirror … scribble scribble … on the shiny floorboards … smudge smudge. And even on the fluffy cat. Uh-oh! What will happen when Mum, Dad and big sister sees all this mess?
From the team behind Angry Cookie comes a hilarious and joyous story all about artistic expression, self-confidence and supportive, accepting parenting.
Download The Lipstick activity sheets here and watch our extra cheeky trailer below!
Love
by Robert Sabuda
There are many different ways to share your love, captured in Sabuda's intricate pop-up animal scenes. Can you find the elephant sheltering its friend from the storm? Or the two swans promising to stay together forever?
This is a celebration of love in all its different forms – a beautiful gift book for the whole family to treasure.
Ducks Overboard
by Markus Motum
When a shipping container filled with 28,000 plastic ducks spilt into the Pacific Ocean, where did all those ducks go? Based on a true story, this innovative take on the plastic pollution crisis follows one duck as it travels on ocean currents to meet sea life and discovers the rubbish from humans that endangers our oceans.
A highly accessible and stylish picture book with a positive message about environmental issues, from the author-illustrator of Curiosity, which was shortlisted for the Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize.
by James Howe and illustrated by Laura Ellen Anderson
A comforting story of friendship for any child who does not conform to traditional gender stereotypes, this is the story of two boys, as different as different can be. Big Bob likes trucks and throwing balls and being loud. Little Bob likes dolls and jingling bracelets and being quiet. No matter what they do, they do not do it the same. But when they become new neighbours, they might just find a way to be friends...
Now out in paperback!
Windows
by Julia Denos and illustrated by E. B. Goodale
Before your city goes to sleep, you might head out for a walk, your dog at your side as you go out the door and into the almost-night. Anything can happen on such a walk: you might pass a cat, or a friend, or even an early raccoon. And as you go down your street and around the corner, the windows around you light up one by one until you are walking through a maze of paper lanterns, each one granting you a brief, glowing snapshot of your neighbours as families come together and folks settle in for the night.
Now out in paperback!
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