Tiger's Last Roar by Harriet Howe and Katie Cottle - #bookreview

Tiger and Mae

Queens of the Jungle

The greatest explorers...

The Blurb

After a whole day of exploring with Tiger, Mae loved drawing with Tiger and telling stories with Tiger.

Always with Tiger. Tiger and Mae. Queens of the Jungle.

Tiger and Mae do everything together, the very best of friends. But there is nothing they love more than exploring, racing and chasing across their jungle. That is, until the call comes for "TEATIME!" and they race back to the house. As time moves on, Mae realises that Tiger is getting old and tired. And when Tiger then dies, Mae feels lost in a whirlwind of anger, fear and sadness. Even the safety of their jungle is stripped away. Only through time and healing does Mae learn that Tiger lives on - through her memories, pictures and their jungle itself.

This book is a profoundly moving, hopeful and reassuring story that celebrates the strength that comes from love and supports a child (and adults too) through navigating the loss of a beloved pet. A necessary and important book for your bookshelf.

My Review

This is a moving story about losing a pet. The death of a pet is a difficult enough experience when you are an adult, but for children, it can be a sad and confusing time. This book is a reassuring story about Mae and her pet cat, Tiger. They do everything together, and across a few short pages, we observe Tiger ageing. As he grows older, he slows down and sleeps more, but is always there for Mae, until one day when he doesn't come home. Mae has to deal with the myriad of emotions of his loss. Sometimes she is quiet, other times she is angry, until the time comes when she shuts herself away completely. However, the book culminates in hope when she realises that although Tiger has gone, he will always be with her and around her. This book has been beautifully illustrated by Katie Cottle, and I love the way the colour palette changes based on Mae's emotions. They combine perfectly with the excellent text to produce a book that is just perfect to help both children and their adults to deal with such a difficult time. In fact, there is a section at the back of the book which is dedicated to adults in supporting their child cope with the loss of a pet. Publishing on the 11th September, this debut book is a perfect one to have on the shelf at home or in the classroom for when a child has to face the devastating loss of a pet. I highly recommend it.

Book Details

ISBN: 978 1800789302

Publisher: Templar Books

Formats: paperback

No. of Pages: 40

Preorder Links

Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

Blackwell's

Waterstones

About the Author

Harriet's first word was "book", she's loved stories ever since, so it's a dream come true to end up writing her own. Originally from London, she now lives in Suffolk with her family. When not writing, Harriet works in television; she's filmed talking horses, chefs in jets and pop princesses in fabulous dresses. But she's happiest with a pencil in one hand and a cup of tea in the other, brewing up her next story.

You can also find Harriet at:

Instagram

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Bluesky

About the Illustrator

Katie Cottle is a freelance illustrator and picture-bookmaker based in Bristol. Originally from Swansea, Katie graduated from the Illustration course at the University of the West of England in 2017. She enjoys telling stories through drawing, and uses a variety of media, including a mix of traditional and digital techniques. She was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize for The Blue Giant. She particularly enjoys using bright colours and drawing grumpy faces. 

You can also find Katie at:

Website

Instagram

(ARC and media courtesy of Bonnier Books)

(Illustrator photo courtesy of katiecottle.com/)

(all opinions are my own)(Bookshop.org affiliated)

10 Ten Exciting New Releases in December 2024

 

There are some gorgeous new releases coming next month and here are just ten that have caught my eye...

A Christmas Surprise in Pelican Crossing by Maggie Christensen

Beyond Treats: Revolutionary Dog Training for Lasting Behaviour Change: A Story-Based Force-Free Compassionate Dog Training Guide by George Tran

The Silver-Haired Sisterhood by Judy Leigh

A Short History of the World in 50 Failures by Ben Gazur

Reach for the Stars by Maxine Morrey

Stuck in Second Gear by Carmen Reid

The House of Echoes by Rachel Crowther

A Better Tomorrow for the East End Library Girls by Patricia McBride

The Girl in the Window by Diana Wilkinson

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A Series of Rooms by A J Barlowe

Happy Reading!

10 Ten Exciting New Releases in October 2024

 

It's time to look ahead at some of the new releases which will be coming our way next month. There are so many good ones coming along in October

Here are just ten which look like just my cup of tea.

The Eagle and the Hart by Helen Castor

The author of She-Wolves chronicles the lives and reigns of Richard II and Henry IV, two cousins whose rivalry brought their nation to the brink of disintegration - and back again

Richard of Bordeaux and Henry Bolingbroke were first cousins, born just three months apart. Their lives were from the beginning entwined. When they were still children, Richard was crowned King Richard II with Henry at his side, carrying the sword of state: a ten-year-old lord in the service of his ten-year-old king.

Yet, as the animals on their heraldic badges showed, they grew up to be opposites: Richard was the white hart, a thin-skinned narcissist, and Henry the eagle, a chivalric hero, a leader who inspired loyalty where Richard inspired only fear. Henry had all the qualities Richard lacked, all the qualities a sovereign needed, bar one: birth right. Increasingly threatened by his charismatic cousin, Richard became consumed by the need for total power, in a time of constant conflict, rebellions and reprisals. When he banished Henry into exile, the stage was set for a final confrontation, as the hart became the tyrant and the eagle his usurper.

Helen Castor tells this story of one of the strangest and most fateful relationships in English history. It is a story about power, and masculinity in crisis, and a nation brought to the brink of catastrophe. At its heart, it is the story of two men whose lives were played out in extraordinary parallel, to devastating effect.

One Winter at the French Chalet by Mandy Baggott

Things aren’t going well for travel writer Orla Bradbee.

With Christmas fast approaching, her boss is insisting Orla must travel to a rural village in France to interview a man who doesn’t speak. But with trouble at home – her teenage sister Erin is in a ‘situationship’ with a man online – Orla’s only plan is to take Erin with her.

Get the interview done, find out more about this online Romeo and still be back in time for Christmas dinner. Easy, right?

Saint-Chambéry is a picturesque French village nestled in the snow-capped mountains, but Jacques Barbier – gorgeous and brooding, yet a man of few words – makes it clear that Orla is wasting her time here.

Orla can’t deny that Jacques intrigues and infuriates her, but what is the mysterious Frenchman hiding exactly? And can she get close enough to uncover his secrets without risking her own heart?

Escape to the beautiful French Alps with Mandy Baggot for a romantic, heartwarming story to get you through the cold winter months!

The Making of Us by Debbie Howells

Two people are about to take off on a journey that could change their whole lives…

As the plane surges up into the clouds, Stevie finds herself clutching the hand of the stranger sitting in the seat next to her.

It is a moment that will change everything. But Ned is heading to see his dying mother, and Stevie is returning to France to escape a terrible loss in her past. Neither of them can think about that tiny flame that just flickered between them.

But then their paths keep crossing, leading them both to the same beautiful community garden in a small French village; run by a mysterious old man named Zeke – a man with many of his own secrets.

As it becomes clear that fate is going to keep bringing them together – the two of them have to ask – are they ready for a happy-ever-after? Do they even know how to find it?

As the seeds grow into plants and flowers all around them, Stevie begins to wonders if Zeke – and his garden – might just have the answers…

The Secret Santa Project by Tracy Bloom

A name drawn from a hat

Someone you barely know

A Christmas you’ll never forget

Each December, Jolene can’t wait for the office Secret Santa moment ― the festive present-swapping exercise made up of unlikely pairings and inappropriate gifts.

But this year, her colleagues are in need of more than a novelty wine glass and a box of Celebrations to get their tinsel twinkling.

So Jolene’s a woman on a mission, and she’s hatched a secret plan to make this their best Christmas ever…

Mornings with my Cat Mii by Mayumi Inaba

It was the end of summer, 1977. I found a cat, a little ball of fluff. A teeny tiny baby kitten.

The perfect gift for cat lovers: a beloved Japanese modern classic about our special connection with cats, and how they can change our lives over the course of a lifetime.

For the last twenty years, Japanese readers have been falling in love with the late poet and prize-winning author Mayumi Inaba’s story of life with her cat Mii, after she rescued her as a newborn kitten from a riverbank in Tokyo.

We follow their everyday joys through the seasons, as Mayumi develops her career as a writer and finds her feet in life, with her small feline always at her side.

Mornings With My Cat Mii lovingly chronicles Mayumi and Mii’s unshakeable twenty-year bond, meditating on solitude, companionship, the writing life, and how we care for our cats as they grow older.

Translated into English for the first time by world-renowned translator Ginny Tapley Takemori, this beloved Japanese modern classic is a celebration of how a cat can change our lives forever.

A Winter Wedding at Primrose Hill by Jill Steeples

As the year draws to an end at Primrose Hall, Pia and her Lord of the Manor fiancé Jackson are putting the finishing touches to their annual Carols by Candlelight evening.

The past twelve months have not all been plain sailing – Jackson’s father Rex had a serious health scare, his long-lost brother Tom appeared unannounced, and Jackson himself had his own disaster. So the family are thrilled to finally be able to look forward to Christmas together and the event of the year – Jackson and Pia’s long-awaited wedding.

With the idyllic backdrop of Primrose Woods, the dream venue, and a community ready to celebrate with them, Pia and Jackson are counting the days until they are husband and wife. Now they just need to cross their fingers that the dramas of the previous year are all behind them…

The Snow Angel by Dilly Court

As snow falls outside Abbotsford vicarage on Christmas Eve, Rose Northwood finds a child lying destitute in the manger of the town's nativity display.

Reminded of her younger brother, who died at Christmastime, she is determined to nurse the young boy back to health.

But the child has lost his memory and can't recall where he came from…

Will Rose discover the boy's true identity, and reunite him with his lost family this winter?

The Ballerina of Auschwitz by Edith Eger

In 1944, sixteen-year-old ballerina Edith was sent to Auschwitz and endured unimaginable experiences. When the camp was finally liberated, she was pulled from a pile of bodies, barely alive.

Celebrated therapist and Holocaust survivor Edith Eger captivated millions with her incredible tale of survival and strength in her best-selling book The Choice.

Now, in The Ballerina of Auschwitz, Edith revisits her wartime experiences in a deeply personal retelling, through the eyes and emotions of her teenage self. Through this reworking of her poignant narrative, Edith brings readers of all ages into the heart of her experiences, offering a compelling message of hope and resilience that will ensure her story is never forgotten.

The Promise of Tomorrow by Samantha Tonge

Elena Swan believes she's going to die. And soon.

She's not ill. She's not in imminent danger. But she is sure it's going to happen.

Because many years ago... she'd made a promise to a stranger, in the woods. Elena's mother was in hospital, after a life-threatening accident. The promise would keep her mother safe, but put Elena's own life at risk, instead, when she grew up and turned thirty.

Elena put the promise to the back of her mind, over the years. But she's twenty-nine now, and when something happens that puts her life in danger, she remembers. And she knows.

But Elena hasn't done everything yet. She's not brave like her daredevil friend Rory. But she's also not ready to give up on life. Not before she's been to Paris. She always wanted to skydive too. She's never even fallen in love.

Without the promise of tomorrow, can she fulfil all her dreams before fate comes for her?

Skyfleet: March of the Metabugs by Victoria Williamson

When the skies turn deadly, a young heroine must rise from the ashes...

Twelve-year-old Amberley Jain has faced incredible challenges since the crash that took her parents and paralysed her legs. Now, with her best friend Ricardo Lopez about to be sent away and a swarm of mutated insects closing in on the Skyfleet base, the stakes have never been higher. Something monstrous is driving the mutabugs north from the contaminated meteor site known as the Cauldron, and the only plane capable of stopping it - the Firehawk - lies in pieces in the hangar.

Determined to honour her parents' legacy, Amberley hatches a daring plan. With Ricardo's help, they stow away on a supply train, trading his most treasured possession for the parts needed to repair the Firehawk. After secret test flights, the legendary jet is ready for action. Now, Amberley and Ricardo must confront the deadly swarm and save their home, discovering their inner strength and the true meaning of friendship along the way.

Skyfleet: March of the Mutabugs is a thrilling tale of adventure and resilience, perfect for middle-grade readers.

Smelly Peggy by Helen Stephens - #bookreview

 

Hello, I'm Pie.

This is my doggie, Peggy.

She is a rescue dog and when we first got her she was scared...

***

This is a book about a very real life, very naughty dog called Peggy. Peggy loves to leap on the bed in the morning, sticking her hairy bottom in Dad’s face. Peggy that loves to roll around on everything stinky and smelly she can find: stinky seaweed; soggy, washed-up old wellies; and worst of all? POOP! And that’s not even the naughtiest thing she does… Do you think her family loves her anyway? Well, look at that little face – how could they not? A happy, big-hearted celebration about our much-cherished dog members of the family, despite their messy, noisy and very (very) smelly flaws.

***

This book is a funny and delightful picture book which pet loving adults and children alike will adore.

Having a puppy myself, I could readily identify with Peggy's antics. She is mischievous and full of life, and whilst she might sometimes try the patience of her owner, they love her just the same.

The illustrations complement the book very well. They mimic a child's drawing in style and are perfect for the text.

The book posses questions concerning love and acceptance and demonstrates that we do not have to be perfect to be loved.

I found this to be an utterly charming book and I highly recommend it for young children.

ISBN: 978 1529507133

Publisher:  Walker Books

Formats:  Hardcover

No. of Pages:  40

About the Author:

Helen graduated from Glasgow School of Art in 1994.

She says she has no idea how to survive as an illustrator. Her father was a car salesman and he told her that if you throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick. So she did just that. She started creating work and banging on doors. It was only later she was told there are particular rules around approaching publishers. 

(book courtesy of Walker Books)

(media courtesy of the author's website https://www.helenstephens.)com/about)

(all opinions are my own)

Tails of Two Spaniels by Heather Peck - Illustrated by Helen Morrish - #BookReview #blogtour

 

Farmer Fred had lost his dog. Scratchy Patch had one white patch over one eye and one brown patch over the other eye. She also had long soft ears and the waggiest tail you ever saw. If you talked to her, she wagged her tails a lot. But if she didn't understand what you said, she sat down and scratched while she thought very hard. Patch normally spend most of her time with Fred, checking round the hens, being polite to the geese, and chasing the rats. But today she had gone missing...

***

Springer Spaniel Patch has four puppies on the farm where she lives with Marigold the House Cow, Gertie Goose, Sally-for-short the Sow, and lots of worried woollies. But the puppies can't stay forever and they have a lot to learn.

A story of the antics of puppies, told from the puppies' perspective and brought to life by charming illustrations.

***

This utterly charming book was a delight to read. It has been nicely illustrated by Helen Morrish and will appeal to any reader who likes stories about animals.

There is some useful information contained within the story about how to care for a pet dog and the committment it needs. I loved the way the majority of the book was told from the perspective of the two puppies, Bramble and Bracken, who leave the farm to go to their 'forever home', and it was interesting to envisage the world through their eyes.

This book has been categorised as being suitable for nine to eleven year olds. However, I think more able readers would equally enjoy this too. It is also ideal for sharing with younger children. Indeed, my childhood is a long time behind me but I very much enjoyed reading this and look forward to reading it to the younger members of my family. 

ISBN: 978 1915769091

Publisher: Ormesby Publishing

Formats:  e-book and paperback

No. of Pages:  68 (paperback)

About the Author:

Heather's love of animals set her to achieve a degree in Zoology and Comparative Physiology and later a wide ranging career in the Ministry of Agriculture and Defra. She has been both a farmer and agricultural policy adviser. She bred sheep and alpacas, reared calves, broke ploughs, represented the UK in international negotiations, specialised in emergency response from Chernobyl to bird flu, managed controls over pesticides and GM crops, saw legislation through Parliament and got paid to eat Kit Kats while on secondment to Rowntree.

 She also chaired an NHS Trust, worked on animal welfare, sailed a boat on the Broads, volunteered in Citizens Advice and the Witness Service and vaccinated humans against Covid. But she never lost the love of books and writing, and in the end with her Gran’s wise advice “You can do anything if you try hard enough” ringing in her head, she took a course at the UEA/National Centre for Writing and wrote her first book.

Now, there are 4 books and a novella in the Greg Geldard Norfolk Mystery series and book 5 Dig Two Graves will be published in July 2023. A second novella, Death on the Norwich Express, is currently being serialised in her free Newsletter. 

​In May 2023 she also published her first children's book, Tails of Two Spaniels illustrated by the talented Helen Morrish.

About the Illustrator:

After the sudden death of her husband at 46, and realising with a jolt that life really was too short, Helen left her job as an art director to pursue a long-held dream of becoming an artist. To help her through her grief, she spent five minutes every day drawing their beloved dog, Rupert, and these are the illustrations that have evolved into her debut book.

In the late 1980s Helen moved to London from Hampshire to go to Art College, eventually settling in South London. 

She’s an active member of her community, and helped bring an Everyman Cinema to the area, well in fact to the back of her garden! 

She spends a lot of time in there.

In 2020 during the pandemic, Helen was asked to present her local Art and Music Festival, interviewing authors, artists and performers on it’s very own YouTube channel. Her favourite guests were comedian Marcus Brigstocke and musician Jim Bob from the band Carter USM. 

She used to dance to them at the indie disco many years ago!

Helen also takes part in a monthly open mike comedy show. She and her fellow comics write material about the week’s news in the afternoon, and perform it to an audience in the evening. 

When she’s not working on her next book or writing comedy, Helen runs her creative company Lady Crimplene, illustrating everything from local maps to designing a TV pitch for Netflix. She also sells her retro clothes and collectibles from her shop, well her front bedroom, and in the Summer, turns her garden into a department store! 

(book provided courtesy of Random Things Tours)

(author photo and bio. courtesy of the authors website heatherpeckauthor.com)

(illustrator photo and bio. courtesy of her website https://www.helenmorrish.co.uk)

The Guinea Pig Chronicles by Patricia Maxwell Watts - #BookReview

 

Fluffy was a guinea pig, but not just any guinea pig! He was young, clever, brave and adventurous. If Fluffy had been a man, he would have been an explorer. Fluffy lived with Minky, another guinea pig, in a hutch in the garden belonging to the human family. Fluffy didn't think his name reflected his personality at all, but it had been given to him by his human mum, so he didn't really mind. Minky was older than Fluffy, and not quite as clever, so Fluffy felt it was his responsibility to look after Minky.

***

Do you ever wonder about your pets and what adventures they may get up to? What they might experience when you're not around? And, finally, where you'd be without them?

The Guinea Pig Chronicles is based on the lives and adventures of six real life guinea pigs, owned by the author and her family over a period of twenty years.

Fluffy was a brave explorer, and rescued his friend from the jungle garden. Hamish was beautiful, but very unlucky. What he experienced shows how brave he was as well. A sore eye, sunstroke and toothache meant he got to know the vet very well! Jynesse was named after a well-known health drink, and ‘narrowly escaped’ becoming a celebrity. Winter and her friend experienced snow for the first time - and met Father Christmas! Autumn was a born mother and fulfilled her destiny by meeting handsome Valentino. Two became seven after the arrival of five beautiful baby guinea pigs. Stripey was one of Autumn’s babies and stayed with Autumn when the other babies found new homes. Finally, Stripey was special because she was the ‘last one’.

Each of the stories also shows how, when caring for a pet, human beings learn some valuable and important lessons. With charming illustrations by Katie John to accompany the stories, The Guinea Pig Chronicles is perfect for 7 - 9 year olds or anybody who loves guinea pigs!

***

I do not often review children's books but as a lover of guinea pigs I could not resist reading this one.

I am so glad that I decided to as this is a delightful little book. It is a collection of individual stories based on the lives of guinea pigs that have belonged to the author over the years. The author tells the stories in a way that made me feel as though she were telling me a bedtime story.

Supported by charming pencil drawn illustrations, this book will please both children and grown ups alike who have a fondness for our cavy friends.

ISBN:  978 1803135236

Publisher:  Matador

Formats:  e-book and hardcover

No. of Pages:  64 (hardcover)

About the Author:

Patricia Maxwell Watts is a seventy-four year old widow. She was born in 1947, and attended the Convent of the Sacred Hearts school in Epsom.

Over the last fifty years she has worked for an airline, an executive hotel, a further education college, and a well-known health care company. She retired from the latter after 21 years, in 2017.

She married her chef/musician husband (now deceased) in 1969, and their son was born in 1978. The Guinea Pig Chronicles is dedicated to him.

Patricia enjoys reading, swimming, 80s music and cooking. She is a sun worshipper, and loves Kefalonia, a Greek island. She once owned a Morgan sports car, and drove it every day for eleven years.

The idea for The Guinea Pig Chronicles came to her while sunbathing in the back garden during the long hot summer of the first lockdown in 2020.

(ARC courtesy of NetGalley)

(Author bio and info courtesy of Troubador Publishing)