A Thinking Space
- for lovers of books and those with little ones in their lives
Thoughts for writers, readers and educators on the world of children’s books. We’ve come a long way from the first children’s book, written by John Newbury in 1744 – sold with a ball for boys and a pincushion for girls – and the expectations, of both publishers and the public, are ever-changing.
Paint me a Birmingham
Never ask an illustrator to ‘make it look just the way I plan’
Heading into the Unknown
Why your next book purchase needs to be from an unknown publisher
Aardvarks to Zebras
Why do so many children’s books feature animals, and is it something we should avoid?
Say it Loud
Traditions of storytelling are important today, too
Seeing Squares
How social media is changing the way we look at books
When B comes before A
Bookshops beat Amazon, every single time. Wondering why? Here’s a handful of reasons.
A Book at Bedtime
Why a book at bedtime is about more than cuddles and calm
Books with Big Words
Why ‘serendipity’ and ‘ecstatic’ should appear on the pages of children’s books
Books Out Loud
Reading aloud to a child is unbelievably important – and ‘Jolly Ollie Octopus’ was written just for that purpose
Jolly Ollie and his Australian Adventure
Did you know Ollie has left his cosy home in Scotland and gone to visit Australia? Find his wonderful new adventure here.
