PICTURE BOOKS
HAVE YOU SEEN MY GIRAFFE? by Michelle Robinson, illustrated by Claire Powell (Simon & Schuster £6.99) wHEN a little girl wins a giraffe at a funfair, she struggles to persuade her unwilling parents that he will fit into their home and their busy lives.
the answer is to hide him — but how and where do you hide a giraffe? He can’t squish in here and he can’t squeeeeeze in there; he doesn’t make a good lampstand or a pet dog or a floor mop. the only place he really fits in is in a lush forest — which may be the answer for all the family.
with bright, busy illustrations packed full of witty details, this is a delightful, fun- packed adventure that will withstand many re-readings. THERE IS NO DRAGON IN THIS STORY by Lou Carter, illustrated by Deborah Allwright (Bloomsbury £11.99) tirEd of always playing the bad guy who kidnaps princesses and fights knights in armour, young dragon stomps off into storyland, where he tries to rescue, among others, the gingerbread man from the fox, Goldilocks from the bears and Little red riding Hood from the wolf — but all insist that there’s no place for a dragon in their story.
Eventually, the crestfallen chap finds a special role for his unique talents and becomes a hero, not a villain.
Children will love identifying all the fairy tale characters in this clever, funny story — and it may introduce them to a few they don’t know.
it ends with a twist and is gorgeously illustrated with great verve by deborah Allwright. I DARE YOU by Reece Wykes (Andersen £11.99) tHis stunningly illustrated debut is reminiscent of the deadpan humour of Jon Klassen (i want my Hat back; this is Not my Hat), as it turns a typical childhood game of competitive dares into something surreal and darkly funny.
two gorillas lie bored in the jungle, until one dares the other to eat a bug. the dares escalate until they are eating rocks and trees and finally . . . well, the sudden ending provides a shocking twist.
wykes’ artwork is beautiful: he conjures up a rich variety of expressions. A talent to watch.