November's limelight has definitely shone brightest on David Walliams this month with not just one, but TWO publications! Shooting immediately to the top of the charts (even beating Michelle Obama to the top spot), The Ice Monster, has been praised as Walliams' biggest and most epic adventure yet, and he has not disappointed. A story of a ten-year-old orphan and a 10,000-year-old mammoth expedition of a lifetime, Walliams has written a wintry winner. And even young readers have had a dose of Walliams' magic this November with his heartwarmingly hilarious picture book, Geronimo. Join gravity-defying go-getter Geronimo as he reaches for the skies in this delightful tale about following your dreams.
The wintry wonders haven't stopped with just Walliams this November as actor and comedian Ben Miller has made his children's books debut with a charming and magical festival tale about a boy who discovers the true origin story of Father Christmas. For fans of Matt Haig's A Boy Called Christmas, The Night I Met Father Christmas is an enchanting tale absolutely brimming with the magic and mischief of Christmas. For all you Moomin fans out there comes the exquisitely illustrated re-telling of Tove Jansson's classic story The Fir Tree in the beautiful, collectible and classic picture book, lavishly embossed and foiled, Christmas Comes to Moominvalley.
In other news on the middle grade front, I've eagerly been anticipating Stella Starflake Pearl's next expedition in the sequel to Alex Bell's The Polar Bear Explorer's Club and I wasn't disappointed. In Explorer's on Witch Mountain Stella and her friends face chomping pumpkin patches, vampire trolls, poisonous rabbits, outraged vultures and deranged broomsticks in their quest to rescue Stella's father, Felix, in this gorgeously imaginative middle grade fantasy adventure tale. Perfect for fans of Philip Pullman's Northern Lights.
So many beautiful gift books came out this month just in time for Christmas, including Lauren Child's beautiful reimagining of the 1964 classic tale Mary Poppins. Bringing beautiful attention through Child's distinctive brand of playful, visual storytelling, this deluxe, full-colour, gift edition book has come out just in time for Disney's Mary Poppins Returns to hit the cinemas.
Rebel Cats! Brave Tales of Feisty Felines by Kimberlie Hamilton has been my absolute highlight of the month! A engaging collection of over 30 real-life cat tales who are the heroes of their own stories. With fur-raising facts and adventures from around the world and across the centuries, including WWII heroes, courageous adventurers, a Guinness World Record holder and even an astrocat that travelled in space, this is a perfect gift for any cat lover!
Another very exciting release this month is edited by one of my all time favourite children's author, Cornelia Funke. Through the Water Curtain is a delightful and diverse selection of fairy tales from around the world. From Funke's native Germany, to snowy Siberia, from Japan to Vietnam, this collection of lesser known tales brilliantly challenge the traditional 'happily-ever-after'. Not to mention this book is presented as a beautiful hardback with gorgeous foiling and illustrations, making it a perfect gift this Christmas.
Happy reading Bluebirds!
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