This year's standout picture books take us on unforgettable adventures with three very good dogs whose attempts at helping others often land them in chaotic trouble until they rescue a kitten. Emma Chichester Clark's 'The Good Deed Dogs' is an exuberantly charming story full of soft blues and greens that captures the essence of childhood joy.
In contrast, 'Auntie's Bangles' by Dean Atta and Alea Marley tackles loss and remembrance with poignant precision. When Auntie passes away, her nieces Theo and Rama must come to terms with their grief by putting on her bangles and celebrating her memory. A beautiful tribute to loved ones who are no longer with us.
Two picture books also delve into the natural world that sparks our imagination and curiosity - 'Grandad's World' by Michael Foreman, and 'The Monsters at the End of the World' by Rebecca Orwin. Jack loves spending time with his grandad, watching wildlife in the woods, while Seawaren learns to see the world from a different perspective when she meets one of the monsters infesting her sea.
In other great news for young readers, Jake lives with his bossy older sister and shoe-stealing baby brother at No 3 Maple Street. In 'Jake in the Middle' by Michael Catchpool, Jake enjoys gentle adventures such as visiting his grandpa at the city farm or setting up a school museum. This engaging book is perfect for newly independent readers.
For fans of science fiction, 'Postman Planet' by Ben Davis takes us on an interstellar journey with Postman Planet pretending to be the best postman in the universe but facing challenges when he and his part-robot dog assistant have to make an urgent helium delivery to a planet filled with Fluffy Unicorns. A laugh-out-loud story that's full of adventure.
New graphic novels are also on offer, including 'Ghost Boys: The Graphic Novel' by Jewell Parker Rhodes, which retells the true story of 12-year-old Black boy Jerome being shot dead while playing with a toy gun and whose ghost meets Emmett Till in the afterlife. The book is a hauntingly powerful take on the original novel.
And then there's 'Beth Is Dead' by Katie Bernet, a compulsive reimagining of Little Women as a modern YA thriller told from all four sisters' perspectives - what would happen if one of them was murdered?
In contrast, 'Auntie's Bangles' by Dean Atta and Alea Marley tackles loss and remembrance with poignant precision. When Auntie passes away, her nieces Theo and Rama must come to terms with their grief by putting on her bangles and celebrating her memory. A beautiful tribute to loved ones who are no longer with us.
Two picture books also delve into the natural world that sparks our imagination and curiosity - 'Grandad's World' by Michael Foreman, and 'The Monsters at the End of the World' by Rebecca Orwin. Jack loves spending time with his grandad, watching wildlife in the woods, while Seawaren learns to see the world from a different perspective when she meets one of the monsters infesting her sea.
In other great news for young readers, Jake lives with his bossy older sister and shoe-stealing baby brother at No 3 Maple Street. In 'Jake in the Middle' by Michael Catchpool, Jake enjoys gentle adventures such as visiting his grandpa at the city farm or setting up a school museum. This engaging book is perfect for newly independent readers.
For fans of science fiction, 'Postman Planet' by Ben Davis takes us on an interstellar journey with Postman Planet pretending to be the best postman in the universe but facing challenges when he and his part-robot dog assistant have to make an urgent helium delivery to a planet filled with Fluffy Unicorns. A laugh-out-loud story that's full of adventure.
New graphic novels are also on offer, including 'Ghost Boys: The Graphic Novel' by Jewell Parker Rhodes, which retells the true story of 12-year-old Black boy Jerome being shot dead while playing with a toy gun and whose ghost meets Emmett Till in the afterlife. The book is a hauntingly powerful take on the original novel.
And then there's 'Beth Is Dead' by Katie Bernet, a compulsive reimagining of Little Women as a modern YA thriller told from all four sisters' perspectives - what would happen if one of them was murdered?
! "The Good Deed Dogs" is just too cute with those adorable dogs getting into all sorts of messes, but in the end saving the day. I also love how it captures that carefree childhood joy - it's like they're reminding us to not take life too seriously 
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And can we talk about how cool 'Ghost Boys: The Graphic Novel' is? Using graphic novels to tell true stories is such a great way to share history and highlight important issues. And the twist on 'Little Women' in 'Beth Is Dead'... I'm intrigued, sounds like a real page-turner 
. and i love that theyre including graphic novels too, like 'Ghost Boys', it brings up some serious issues but also teaches kids about history and what happened to black people back then 
. And have you seen the illustration style for "The Monsters at the End of the World"? it's like a dreamy, ethereal world I wanna explore! 
, but I love how it helps kids process their grief. And "Postman Planet" is hilarious 
, who wouldn't want a part-robot dog? The diversity of stories and genres is amazing...I'm sold on these books already!
. it's just some stories about dogs, kids, and aliens... who cares? 
they're not like they're gonna change the world or anything. and don't even get me started on the whole "adventure" thing - it's all so predictable and cheesy 
. give me a break when everyone else is raving about something new. i'm sure it's just a bunch of overhyped nonsense 
But can we talk about some of the other titles that are also worth checking out? Like, have you seen "The Monsters at the End of the World" by Rebecca Orwin? It's got this amazing world-building and I love how it sparks imagination. And 'Ghost Boys: The Graphic Novel' is just so powerful... it's a great reminder to read about real-life stories that need more attention.
i think its cool how these books can be both fun and serious at the same time... like 'The Good Deed Dogs' is super cute but also teaches us about helping others, and 'Auntie's Bangles' is really sad but also shows us how to remember our loved ones in a good way