BookBairn

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Professor Astro Cat is without a doubt the world’s smartest (and most stylish) feline scientist explorer and we have loved joining the gang on many adventures.

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Bandoola: The Great Elephant Rescue by William Grill is just further proof to my firmly held believe that picture books are for grown ups too. The importance on the ‘too’ because kids and adults alike will be enchanted by this one! But I thoroughly enjoyed sitting down and reading this with a cup of tea and no children around.

Many of you will know that Jo Clarke (aka BookLoverJo) and I have been friends since I first started writing about books on the internet over 6 years ago. I have been in awe of her passion for books but even more so her dedication to making her dream of being a published author a reality. And this week her dream came true.

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Often writing a book review poses a conundrum: how to do the most beautiful ones justice? And I have been anticipating this release for some time which always puts the fear that it won't live up to expectations. But this one really has surpassed all my book geek dreams!

The Comet by Joe Todd-Stanton really is a beautiful book. In both it’s glorious evocative artwork but also in it’s storytelling.

Nyla loves her home: she can count a hundred stars and even saw a comet once. But when she has to leave her home in the countryside to start a new life in the city, all she can think about is what she missed from before. Until one night she sees a comet fall to earth and a magical tree sprouts. Nyla finds an escape from her new life. But in doing so she finds a way to connect her old and her new.

This book is truly exquisite. With pared-back text, every single word counts but it also makes each visual spread more poignant. And those spreads really are wonder to behold. They literally took my breath away as I gasped with each page turn. The imagery of both the comet and the trees throughout evoke magic for young readers but also allow them to connect deeply with Nyla and her story.

And although this isn’t specifically about displaced persons, and is more about moving house and finding ‘home’ in new surroundings, it seems all the more poignant at the moment. And I hope that even in harsh circumstances, people can find a sense of belonging like Nyla.

Every inch of this book as been carefully thought out and considered from the textured cover with foil writing, to the endpapers and the spread of the city apartment block which features detailing the insides of all the apartments. I would love to live in the apartment on the top floor - pictured below. It’s truly a wonder.

Hope you enjoy the wonders of this book, and do remember to look up from it's pages in case you spot a comet! Happy reading,

Kim x

Disclaimer: This is a paid AD from Flying Eye Books and I was sent this book and print for review in collaboration. (Though I would have quite likely shared this one anyway because it's so gloriously beautiful isn't it?!)

If you click on the image of the book below you will be sent to Amazon.co.uk using an affiliate link. This means that if you choose to purchase on Amazon.co.uk, I will receive a small sum (around 20-90p per book) from Amazon at no extra cost to you. I understand that you may not want to use an affiliate link, but if you like reading our blog post please just think of it as a small tip for a tip-off to an awesome book. And know that your support means I can buy more books! For more information check out our For Readers Section.

I am not much of a baker but I do like a bit of ‘cheats baking’ where I give the kids some rich tea biscuits and let them ice and decorate them and it was about perfect for my energy levels today!

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We finally have our hands on more Princess in Black! We started reading this book series some time ago and had collected the first three in the series but somehow I had managed to buy different releases and they were different sizes so did not sitting nicely together on BookBairn's shelf. As any bookworm knows mis-matching series sits uncomfortably on our shelves. But thanks to spotting the box set of the first six books in the series on Books 2 Door, we now have a matching set!

For me Margaret's Unicorn by Briony May Smith is an example of picture book perfection!

Often we buy books that follow our children’s current interests and passions. But sometimes a book can ignite that passion. And BookBairn is now fascinated by bats after reading the story of Amara and the Bats by Emma Reynolds.