As you’ve probably guessed by now… I love me some picture books! This is one half of my recent acquisitions of picture books. Some absolute gems. Some suitable for KS2 too! KS2 teachers need to be happy to use picture books. Kids get so much from it! Some just for fun. Some for working from. Some for talking about.
The Great Snortle Hunt – Claire Freedman
“On a hill bumpy-steepy, there’s a house scary-creepy.
And it’s said that a Snortle lives there.
Now nobody’s been, so nobody’s seen,
But Mouse whispers, “Come, if you dare!”
Have you seen a Snortle? Would you want to? If you’re brave enough, join Mouse and his friends as they go on a night-time Snortle hunt. Aaaagh! What’s that?”
This book is a story which is full of onomatopoeia. Excellent for KS1/LKS2 to use as a model. A super book to read to a class. About misconceptions and finding friends!
Follow That Car – Lucy Feather
Packed with comic capers and animal antics, this brilliantly bold book follows Mouse’s madcap race after Gorilla through a variety of exciting settings.
This book would be perfect for EYFS/KS1 as a talking point. There’s so much going on in the pictures that it could provide an exceptional stimulus for a transport topic.
The Wonder – Faye Hanson
“This is a boy whose head is filled with wonder. Having his head in the clouds can cause trouble, but when his daydreams are set free, they grow and grow and grow”
As soon as I saw this book in Waterstones I knew I had to have it. Just look at it. It is BEAUTIFULLY illustrated. The story is incredible. The idea is exceptional. I can’t wait to use this. This is a book which could be used with any class! I’m going to use the story and the illustrations in particular for writing stimulus for any KS2 literacy I do. They’re absolutely magnificent. This is definitely a book to invest in.
The Building Boy – Ross Montgomery
The boy’s grandma was a famous architect. Her garden is still full of old building materials. Unwilling to accept she has gone, the boy builds a giant structure from the bricks and girders he finds. And then … Grandma comes to life! The boy is whisked away on an epic adventure across fields, through oceans and atop roofs. But where is Grandma taking him?
I was lucky enough to be sent a pre-release copy of this by the author. The illustrations are drawn by David Litchfield and they are beautiful. The story is about a young boy who is struggling to cope with his grief and tries to reconnect with his grandma. It’s a beautifully written, touching story and would be good to read to all children. A good one to use with children who are going through their own grief possibly! I can’t get enough of it. I’ve read it about 5 times!
The Three Ninja Pigs – David Bedford
“YEE-HA! KERRANG! Look out – here come the three little ninja pigs. They are heading your way and they are trouble with a capital ‘T’. But all is not as is seems in this high-energy, high-kicking, highly amusing picture book.”
This is an excellent twist on The Three Little Pigs. I love twists on traditional tales. They make my heart happy. When I initially read this book I had a giggle to myself. This would be an excellent book to read to reluctant readers, in particular boys who aren’t keen on reading. Reaching those boys is a hard task but David Bedford has given us some hope! It’s got an excellent story, it is well illustrated and is definitely funny! I’ll be reading it to anyone who will listen!
This Is Not My Hat – Jon Klassen
“When a tiny fish shoots into view wearing a round blue top hat (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 as though he’ll ever know what happened, will he. Visual humour swims to the fore as the bestselling Jon Klassen follows his break-out debut with another deadpan-funny tale.”
I’ve read I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen and it made me proper laugh out loud. When I heard there were more I went over to amazon and purchased them. This book is funny, light hearted and one you could use and read to any age group. It’s short and sweet. I hope Jon Klassen brings more books out. I love his sense of humour!
Do you have picture book recommendations for me? I love them! Have you read any of these? Comment or tweet me @eenalol. I’m happy to talk books any time!
S x
