Playing by the book

Reviews of kids' books and the crazy, fun stuff they inspire us to do

50+ picture books every child should be read – a non-prescriptive list for inspiration

Last week the UK Secretary for Education Michael Gove suggested that children as young as 11 should be reading 50 books a year as part of a drive to raise literacy standards. This raised a lot of eyebrows amongst the British book-loving public, not least as it comes following large cuts in funding for libraries [...]

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An Interview with Jan Pieńkowski

Today I am thrilled and humbled to be interviewing Jan Pieńkowski, twice winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal for illustration. Jan, born in Warsaw in 1936, made his first book when he was 8. As a result of the Second World War his family had to leave Poland and eventually they settled in England. His [...]

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Meg and Mog, Magic and Specific Gravity

If like me you grew up (mostly) in the UK in the 70s and 80s and you’re asked to think of a famous witch from the canon of children’s literature, I’m fairly confident the name Meg would be one of the first to trip off your tongue. Amazon.co.uk Widgets Back in 1972 Meg and Mog [...]

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