CHILDREN’S BOOKS ANGELA KIVERSTEIN
WHICH CREATURE TAKES the longest to wee? An elephant? A small dog? You? Or do they all take the same amount of time? The surprising answer can be found in Dr Emily Grossman’s WorldWhizzing Facts, with lively, doodly illustrations by Alice Bowsher (Bloomsbury, £6.99). Subtitled Awesome Earth Questions Answered, a large part of the book is devoted to climate change, with clear explanations and suggestions for how to help. But there are also plenty of those bodily-function facts young readers so enjoy. The Q&A format encourages curiosity. Age seven to 12.
The Summer We Turned Green by William Sutcliffe (Bloomsbury, £7.99) is a classic family comedy, darkened by environmental concerns. Luke expects a laidback summer. But his sister Rose joins a community of climate-change activists across the road — and in exchange Luke gets Sky, whose idea of rebellion is to abandon the lifestyle Rose has embraced. Luke’s parents are also divided, as the street itself becomes a metaphor for difference of opinion and the summer culminates in a battle to prevent the building of an airport runway. Thought-provoking and fun – though perhaps somewhat over-optimistic about the practicalities of living up a tree. Age 11 up.
A Bear for Bimi by Jane Breskin Zalben centres on Evie, whose new neighbours — Bimi and his parents — have had to leave their country in a hurry ,just as Evie’s grandparents had done many years before when they came to America. Evie befriends Bimi and the locals rally round with food and furniture — and Evie donates her precious teddy. The feelgood story is enchantingly illustrated by Yevgenia Nayberg (Kar-Ben, £6.47) and includes quotes from Elie Wiesel, Rumi and John F. Kennedy, a sewing pattern for a bear and suggestions on how young readers can help refugees. Age five to nine.
Another stuffed animal, Schnitzel the dachshund, has a role in 37 Days at Sea, subtitled: Aboard the MS St Louis, 1939 (Kar-Ben, £7.99). Barbara Krasner focuses on the friendship of fictional 12-year-olds Ruthie Arons and Wolfie Freund, to make the history of the German-Jewish refugee ship accessible for readers age nine to 14.
Ruthie and Wolfie’s adventures are told in blank verse, perfectly suited to Ruthie’s wistful voice. The horrors of persecution are glimpsed, between touching details such as “Mother buttons the back of my dress/ and she spits on my hair/ to make it curl”.