Hogbert by Briony May Smith

You might like to begin with my Meet the Illustrator post where I introduce Briony May Smith. Her art is so appealing and surely you cannot resist the sweet image of Hogbert on the cover of this latest book.

When you pick up Hogbert twist and turn the cover. It is scattered with gold. Then, when you begin reading this book with your young reading companion you will encounter a truly delightful word - snufflebugs!

Here is a word list (not for a lesson) just to delight you: guzzled, snuffled, snorts and snuffles, let's hop to it, nattered, rumbling and grumbling, fiddlesticks, drizzle, and aroma.

This story is filled with references to fairy tales (some are very subtle). Hopefully all of these will be very familiar to your child or preschool group - Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White, Hansel and Gretel and The Frog Prince.

Here is a detailed interview with the author filled with art from this story and photographs of her forest adventures.

Publisher blurb: When Mommy Boar sends her little snufflebugs to explore the forest for the first time, she cautions them to stick together. After all, the Big Bad Wolf could be near! But Hogbert’s keen nose has other ideas, and after following a trail too far, he finds himself trembling alone in fear. What’s that rustling in the leaves? Just a little red squirrel on her way to visit her sick granny! What’s that growl coming through the trees? Just a snoring white doe who took a bite of an apple that made her sleepy! With each temporarily scary encounter, Hogbert finds that the world is a less frightening place, and that the same sense of smell that led him into trouble may just lead them all out of it again.

The skilled depiction of the sylvan setting includes lovely flowers, towering trees, and constantly shifting light and shadow. This low-key adventure is a pleasant diversion that effectively capitalizes on the appeal of timeless tales. Kirkus

Mystery title change

These are the front covers of the same book. The text has been changed too - Boo becomes Hey! Why?  Here is the US trailer. And you can see inside the US version here. 

UK/Australian Blurb: Boo!: A Fishy Mystery is a glorious underwater adventure from the creator of the award-winning One Fox: A Counting Book Thriller, featuring a host of sea creatures from an orange crab to a green turtle, a yellow eel and even a purple puffer fish.  It all begins with one tiny pink fish who sets off a chain reaction of chaos beneath the waves until suddenly - SNAP! - she finds herself all alone in the ocean. Where has everyone gone, and how can such a tiny creature rescue her friends?

US Blurb: All is quiet in the deep blue sea, until a tiny pink fish is mistaken for something scary. Suddenly, tales bursts forth about a “great big fish hiding in the deep!” Readers discover a colour each time a new fish becomes entangled in the mayhem and hysterics. The red octopus was really rattled, which petrified the purple puffer fish, and startled the blue shoal, until they all flee…into a deep, dark cave. Uh-oh! That’s no cave at all!

I guess this doesn't matter really because the illustrations in this book are delightful but I do think the change of title does change your impression of this book and perhaps changes expectations for younger readers. My friend, who altered me to this difference, and I wonder also why the word boo is perhaps not acceptable to a US market?

Bright, energetic art, with schools of colourful fish, creates a brilliantly coloured undersea menagerie. Kirkus

I would pair Boo or Hey with The Terrible Plop by Ursula Dubosarsky and Swimmy by Leo Lionni. 

UK Author/illustrator Kate Read was given an Ezra Jack Keats honour award in 2020 for her book One Fox.  The rules for this award state in part:

The intent of the Award is to identify and encourage early talent and to promote the creation of outstanding diverse literature for children. To be eligible, the author will have no more than three books published under any name, prior to the book under consideration. Both U.S. and international writers are eligible for books that are published in North America, and in the English language.

What to do if an Elephant stands on your foot by Michelle Robinson illustrated by Peter H Reynolds

Here are a few text quotes:

"If an elephant stands on your foot, keep calm. Panicking will only startle it."

"If a rhinoceros has heard you, whatever you do - do not be tempted to climb a tree."

The little child in the story does not follow any advice given by the off stage narrator. There is the potential for a tiger attack, snake biting, and crocodile chomping. Just as things get really dangerous the child finally listens and screams for 'help!'.  There is no message, no moral this is just a book to share when you feel like a laugh.

Sharp-eyed readers will see the problems coming even before the reveal of the page turn. The narrator, whose helpful advice appears in the white above the cartoon-like illustrations, is not above saying “told you so” and “don't say I didn’t warn you.” Kirkus 

This book is sadly out of print but I just wanted to share it here because it is funny and it has glorious illustrations by Peter H Reynolds.

The title of this book really caught my eye and it made me think of two very old vintage books which also have terrific illustrations by a master of the craft - Maurice Sendak.  What do you say, dear? was published in 1958 and it won a Caldecott Honour in 1959. What do you do, dear? was first published in 1961. 

Here are some other books by Michelle Robinson:

There's a Lion in my Cornflakes

There's a lion in the library by Dave Skinner illustrated by Aurelie Guillerey

Little Lucy Lupin - such a sweet little girl with her "darling dimples", "charming freckles", "adorable button nose". But looks can be deceiving. Lucy is NOT nice or lovely she tells lies.

"There's a lion in the library I saw him in the history section ... "

The librarian panics and shouts out an order for everyone to evacuate the library AT ONCE! The fire brigade, police and vets arrive but no lion can be found. Lucy thinks this is all such fun.

The next day she pulls the same trick on the caretaker. Surely this pretty little girl is telling the truth. He presses the alarm and once again everyone rushes outside.

On the third day she tells the coffee shop manager "there's a lion in the library." So for the third time police, firemen and vets arrive.

What Lucy has not bargained for is that these adults are actually clever. They hold a meeting, share their experiences and realise this little girl is not as innocent or truthful as she might seem. Her pretty looks are very deceiving.

Lucy heads back to the library a few days later. I imagine you have guessed - YES there is a real lion in the library - with sharp white teeth. No one believes Lucy. She may not be nice or sweet or lovely but she was delicious!

The illustrations in this book by Aurelie Guillerey have a retro look which reminded me of Roger Duvoisin. The paperback edition of this book will be available in June 2020.

Before you read There's a lion in the library I suggest you revisit The Boy who cried Wolf. Perhaps you can find a few examples and a parody or two.

I would follow this book with Whatever by William Bee (2005).  This book is hilarious. I am so puzzled as to why it was culled from my former library. If you can find this book grab it with both hands - it is truly a treasure and it is sure to become a firm favourite with your young reading companion.

You could also pick up some other funny books about the world of the library:

Squidge Dibley destroys the School by Mick Elliott

This is story is a huge romp. Here is a quote from the publisher web site:

Things are going downhill fast for class 6PU at Craglands South Primary School. They've changed teachers more times than most kids change their socks, and their latest one is so strict they aren't even allowed to sneeze. But just when it seems like the school term has been turned into a prison term, a new kid arrives.

• A kid unlike any other kid at Craglands South
• A kid named Squidge Dibley
• He's small, quiet and strangely ... squidgy
• And he's about to change everything

Squidge Dibley destroys the school is the perfect book for a reluctant reader. There are plenty of laugh out loud moments. Vice Principal Hoovesly is wonderfully despicable character. Padman is an excellent narrator and Squidge, even though we don't hear from him directly, is a kid you might not want in your class unless your class is as bad and unlucky with their teacher as 6PU. The things he can do will amaze you.

I would follow this book with a couple of old titles which might be in your school Why I hate School by Michael Fatarsky (Kris Stanhope) and Problem Child by James Roy. If you enjoy books by David Walliams you should look for the Squidge Dibley series.

Take a look at Mick's web site. I was excited to see he mentions The Mysterious Benedict Society.

This book will be available on 25th June.  Huge thanks to Beachside Bookshop for my advanced reader copy.