I do hope you’ve had a good summer. I’ve been reading, writing, painting, working – and despairing. About climate change, about Ukraine, about so many issues. In spite of working at the BBC for so long, these days I find it hard to follow the news. The appalling war in Ukraine, the losses and
She carefully pulled the tray out of the oven. She had burnt her wrist last time, and the scar was still visible on her pale skin. ‘You’ll see, it’s a special secret recipe of her mum’s, you’ve never had anything like it.’ His words to the guests were clearly audible; there was only an a
I am sitting on a tram which no longer exists. When I was a child and later a teenager this tram, the ‘Ringbahn’, used to circle around the inner district of my Vienna, my birthplace, without either a first or a last stop. In 1993, at the age of fifteen, this allows me to remain […]
Aina Bestard’s wonderfully creative nonfiction books for children allow new readers to enjoy awe of the natural world. This skyward addition departs from the style of her earlier titles, What’s Hidden in the Woods and What’s Hidden in the Sea, and tailors her characteristically intricate desig
Aimed at children between the ages of five and nine, Madani’s Best Game is a heartfelt story featuring a neighbourhood football team and its star player. Originally published in Spanish in 2021 by Ediciones Ekaré, the narrative has now been translated into English and Japanese and has been w
‘When I leave the house, everything is so difficult for me.’ White text on a stark, black background opens this twenty-page picture book that follows one little boy during his day at school. He’d like to say hello to the baker, or his neighbour Ana, or the bus driver. But it’s all so difficu
