8 to 12 months and the characters of those who endured them. It is a mesmerising story of survival full of unexpected twists; completely original and beautifully written. Elizabeth McDonald
Metaphrog The Little Mermaid NBM/Papercutz, 2017, pp80, £12.99 978 1 6299 1739 9
This graphic novel version of Hans Christian Andersen’s well-known tale is presented in a small square book with board covers and a burgundy cloth spine. The sumptuous jewel-like colours flood the pages, starting with translucent emerald, turquoise and blues to suggest the undersea world, followed by the gold, bronze and browns of the scenes set on land, and ending with a darker more sombre palette for the conclusion. The text captures the essence of the original story while the delicately drawn illustrations highlight its emotional content. Created by award-winning graphic novelists John Chalmers and Sandra Marrs, this is a romantic story, tinged with sadness, and without the neatly tied up happy ending some might be expecting. As such, this makes the ideal antidote for the Disney version that many younger readers will be much more familiar with. Chris Routh
Moorhouse, Tom The New Adventures of Mr Toad: A Race for Toad Hall Illustrated by Holly Swain Oxford, 2017, pp160, £5.99 978 0 19274673 3
Following in the wake of his picture book version of Wind in the Willows (The Adventures of Mr Toad, illustrated by David Roberts), Tom Moorhouse now brings the character into the 21st century. The reader does not need to be familiar with Kenneth Grahame’s original novel, but having some knowledge of what’s gone before will undoubtedly add to the enjoyment of this, the first in a new series set one hundred years later. While exploring the grounds of Toad Hall, young friends Teejay, Mo and Ratty discover a secret tunnel which leads them to the underground ice house where they find Mr Toad preserved in cold storage! Defrosted and dangerous (particularly when driving), Toad sets out to stop the weasels from taking over and developing his beloved home. This is a fast paced, entertaining adventure with lots of (corny) word play and poop poops, ideal for reading aloud or for young readers building
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stamina. With the introduction of Teejay, a feisty female toad, and Ms Badger, the youngsters’ kindly companion, the original all-male cast has been deftly adapted to suit a modern day audience. Holly Swain’s predominantly green illustrations work perfectly with the text, creating a sense of place, adding visual humour and bringing the characters to life. Look out for the second adventure in the series, Toad Hall in Lockdown. Chris Routh
Nadin, Joanna The Incredible Billy Wild Little, Brown, 2017, pp240, £6.99 978 1 5102 0125 5
In a series of letters addressed to God, Billy Wild tells his story. He is growing up with his widowed father and his two brothers, frequently cared for by their two grandmothers and family friends. The boys are a handful. Their father is a midwife, about to go on strike, but needing the money so badly he continues to work. He can barely hold his family and his job together. He is frequently desperate. Before she dies, Billy remembers his mother calling him The Incredible Billy Wild and these words are what give Billy his self-belief. When he discovers a starving and abandoned greyhound hiding in the battered shed at the end of the garden, Billy is determined to keep it. He is well aware that his father and grandmother will be totally against the idea, but with the help of his friend Paris, and his two brothers, Billy manages to find food for the animal and keep it alive. The most extraordinary thing about the dog, called Dog, is that it can sing! There are moments of great humour and also great pathos. The small, tight knit, self-sufficient community is deftly described. In a wonderful finale, slightly reminiscent of The Full Monty, but without the striptease, Billy’s secret is revealed. This is a story with a very happy and satisfying ending and we all need these, don’t we? Thank you Joanna Nadin. Clare Morpurgo
Nicholls, Sally All About Ella (Little Gems) Barrington Stoke, 2017, pp96, £6.99 978 1 78112 533 5
Ella’s brother Sam is very ill and Ella feels that nobody cares about her. The thread that holds the story together is the rhyme beginning ‘Mondays child is fair of face…’ Ella is not happy because her family do not know what day she was born. She feels resentment because her
brother is ill and so, in her opinion, he is allowed to do what he likes. This prompts an outburst: ‘I hate him… I wish he was dead.’ When her mum doesn’t turn up to collect her from school on Thursday because her brother is in hospital, Ella realises she does care about him after all. The final chapter is Sunday: Sam is well enough to go home. The family celebrate being reunited with a bizarre indoor picnic comprising everything they could find ranging from frozen peas to cornflakes. This story is sensitively told and children will relate to Ella’s feelings: this will be especially poignant where children have a seriously ill sibling or other close relative. As ever with Barrington Stoke’s Little Gems, the book is printed on good quality cream paper and there are endpapers with more activities. Hannah Coulson’s delicate illustrations capture the mood of the story. This is a highly recommended, thought-provoking book for newly confident readers. Mary Crawford
Nix, Garth Frogkisser!: A Magical Romp of a Fairytale Piccadilly, 2017, pp384, £10.99 978 1 8481 2601 5
The tiny kingdom of Trallonia is ruled by Princess Anya’s stepfather, the evil, cackling sorcerer, Rikard. He has a penchant for transmogrification, but Anya’s elder sister won’t give the latest prince to be turned into a frog a true love’s kiss which will return him to his human shape. Anya embarks on a quest to gather the ingredients of the Transmogrification Reversal Lip Balm which will enable her to become a frogkisser and return life to normal. As in all the best quests Anya gradually changes her views and becomes ready to fight for the people and creatures of her land.‘
Frogkisser is a delight because Garth Nix transmogrifies the conventional fairytale into something contemporary and thought-provoking without losing any of its excitement and reassuring structure. There is no sense of parody in this book, just a good polishing of the tarnished magic lamp to create something gleaming and powerful. The characters are engaging and surprising as they develop through the fast-moving narrative. There is in the storytelling and settings as well as characters an assured balance of predictable and bizarre which will both support and delight readers. This is certainly a book to recommend to a broad range of young readers – if you can bear to let it out of your hands. Jaki Brien