Life, the universe, love, war - Niamh Sharkey finds much to ponder in the spring crop Simple stories, complex issues
I was captivated by David McKee's timely and thought-provoking The Conquerors (Andersen Press, £10.99). Children's Laureate Michael Morpurgo says this is "an important book, a book we need". It is an outstanding picture book with a difference. It tackles large issues such as global bullying and international aggression. This tale shows us that the winner in war is not necessarily the powerful, aggressive side. Open discussion could encourage learning about tolerance in a world that is ravaged by war. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
Three picture-book texts by Michael Rosen deserve a mention. They are all so different and show how versatile an author can be. Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet (Walker Books, £10.99) is presented in picture-book form by Rosen and illustrated by Jane Ray. Rosen's mixture of original text with his own descriptions and commentary ties in exquisitely with Jane Ray's beautiful and delicate illustrations. She colours Shakespeare's world in a subtle and gentle palette of turquoise, ochres and gold.
Toddlers will revel in the repetition, animal noises and farmyard settings of Rosen's Oww! (Collins £9.99). Illustrator Jonathan Langley has captured this farmyard tale in lively, fresh, clean watercolours. His characterisations of the wriggly piglet that has a prickly problem are bright and engaging.
I really enjoyed Howler (Bloomsbury, £9.99), for which Rosen teams up with illustrator Neal Layton. They make a good picture-book team. Scribbled pencil outlines and blasts of coloured marker and paint, pair wonderfully with the comic tale of a new baby's arrival seen through the eyes of a dog. Family and dog life is turned upside down when the baby arrives ("Most of the time it howled. So I called it Howler!"). The dog tries to make sense of the human world it lives in. Rather a complicated notion for a toddler to grasp but it does offer a different angle on new arrivals!
Sharing some moments with Chris Wormell's Two Frogs (Red Fox, £5.99) will bring a smile to your lips. It's a fable about a pair of unfortunate frogs fighting for survival in the pond. The text is witty and the timing perfect. The frog illustrations are funny and flawless.
Nicholas Allan's Where Willy Went (Hutchinson, £9.99 ) is full of humour. It's a big story of a little sperm called Willy, who lives inside Mr Browne with 300 million other sperm. The facts of life are presented in a refreshing manner with comical sperm wearing goggles and reading maps that tell them where to go. Willy isn't very good at maths but he is very good at swimming. This trait will stand to him when he sets off on the great swimming race where the prize is Mrs Browne's egg!
The quirky world of the Hoodie was a favourite with my two-and-a-half-year-old. What's a Hoodie, you all ask? Well, you'll just have to pick up a copy of Once There Was a Hoodie (Hodder, £4.99), by Sam McBratney and Paul Hess, to find out. Originally published in 1999, this is a new paperback edition. Paul Hess creates a series of richly coloured double-page spreads with weird angles that perfectly colour the strange world the Hoodie lives in.
Dosh and Mike Archer's Yellow Bird, Black Spider (Bloomsbury, £9.99) didn't immediately grab my attention, but my daughter thought it was hilarious and demanded reading after reading. It's a quirky book about staying true to oneself. The illustrations are strong and graphic and the text has a sense of sarcasm and wry humour.
An old favourite of mine from when I was a child weaves his spell again in The Magic Bed (Red Fox, £5.99). John Burningham's sketchy style communicates ordinary moments and turns them into an expressive song to the power of the imagination. Burningham is one of my strongest influences as an illustrator; I feel he is always on the right emotional track.
Life, fate, the universe, love, war and tolerance: the spring crop of picture books gives us much to ponder. Perhaps they can help us find some answers to the questions children often ask us.