News
STEAM Winner!
Congratulations to Ken Wilson-Max as Astro Girl wins the STEAM Best Early Years Book.
Mrs Noah's Garden Competition Winners
James Mayhew has had the difficult task of picking three winners from a brilliant range of entries from children of all ages (3-10yrs). Here are the three winning entries!
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1st Prize - Chelsea Anne Garcia Age 4
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2nd Prize - Lucas Beadell Age 9
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3rd Prize - Nuri Kenes Age 8
'Brian the Brave' wins Derby Childrens Book Award
Watch an interview with Paul Stewart and Jane Porter about their winning book 'Brian the Brave'. Find out more about 'Brian the Brave' here
Otter-Barry Books is now on Youtube
'Small Press of the Year' Award
We're proud to be winners of the Midlands Region 'Small Press of the Year' title in the British Book Awards 2020.
The Vital Importance of Rhythm
In a recent long-term study, Usha Goswami, Professor of Cognitive Developmental Neuroscience at Cambridge, found that dyslexia is not caused by children reading words incorrectly, but by an inability to hear the rhythm of words when they are being spoken:
“All kinds of rhythmic experiences can be helpful, nursery rhymes, dancing and music, as long as the beat is matched to language. Playground clapping and games may be very important to stopping dyslexia. You could start to remediate it before children even start school. If children keep it up they will learn to read. It will definitely happen.”
This valuable and authoritative advice underlines the value of a book like our newly-published Big Green Crocodile, by Jane Newberry, illustrated by Carolina Rabei, a new collection of activity rhymes to use with babies and toddlers. User reviews are already confirming its usefulness – and its fun.
See
ISBN 9781910959619 £11.99
Want to receive a pdf sampler? Just click here. Please send me a pdf sampler of Big Green Crocodile.
Helen Bate's graphic novel of courage and hope in World War 2, Peter in Peril, published in Germany as Peter in Gefahr, was shortlisted for this year's Catholic Children's Book Award in Germany. Helen is also the author of the outstanding graphic novel Me and Mrs Moon, which shows how two children react to their carer's dementia. It is one of the books on the Empathy Lab's 2020 'Read for Empathy'
list. See www.empathylab.uk
Peter in Peril 9781910959039 £6.99 paperback
Me and Mrs Moon 9781910959947 £12.99
2020's Summer Reading Challenge is going to be lots of fun …
Its theme is 'Silly Squad' and one of the selected titles is Riding a Donkey Backwards.
Mulla Nasruddin, one of literature's great comic characters, is celebrated in Muslim culture. If you haven't met him yet, now's your chance. Join millions of others in deciding whether he was extremely foolish – or actually very wise.
Find out more about The Reading Agency's Summer Reading Challenge
Paperback £7.99 9781913074944
Two titles on UKLA's 2020 longlist…
The UK Literacy Association sponsors the only national book awards judged by active classroom teachers. Two of our books feature in the 7-10 age-group longlist for 2020. Congratulations to Rachel Rooney and Chris Riddell (A Kid In My Class) – see CLiPPA Awards below as well; and to Sita Brahmachari and Jane Ray (Corey's Rock).
And both books are also on the longlist for Sheffield's Steel City Book Club Awards 2020.
A Kid in My Class's latest accolade is the Poetry Prize in the North Somerset Book Awards, announced on November 9.
… And another three special books to find in the 2020-21 'Power of Reading' List
Dark Sky Park
Poems from the Edge of Nature
Philip Gross, illustrated by Jesse Hodgson
Shortlisted for the CLiPPA Award 2019
"If you are going to extreme places … and you feel you need
a poet as guide and companion, then the award-winning Philip
Gross is the obvious choice … another winning collection from
Otter-Barry Books, who are building an enviable list of some
of the best of today's poets for children." Books for Keeps
"… mesmerising … had me wondering, learning,
looking and so much more" Red Reading Hub
For readers of 9+
9781910959886 £6.99
Pattan's Pumpkin
Chitra Soundar, illustrated by Frané Lessac
An Indian folktale of the 'Great Flood'
"… beautifully told and illustrated" Lovemybooks
Age 4+
9781910959848 £6.99
Please, Mr Magic Fish!
Jessica Souhami
'Be careful what you wish' for is perfectly
expressed in words and images.
"A wonderful independent and read-aloud story, which
children will most definitely love." Just Imagine
Age 4+
9781910959183 £11.99
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… And two nominations for the 2020 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal
Ken Wilson-Max's lovely story shows that high tech is definitely not just for the boys.
"Adorable … a great women-in-STEM title for the youngest readers" Goodreads
Astro Girl is also on the shortlist for the 2020 STEAM Prize, has been chosen as a "brilliant bedtime book" for BookTrust's
Pyjamarama promotion (June 5), and is on the CLPE 'Power of Reading list' for 2020.
Find out more about Pyjamarama at
www.booktrust.org.uk and 'Power of Reading at clpe.org.uk/power of reading
ISBN9781910959213 £11.99
TIGER WALK
Dianne Hofmeyr's text, illustrated by Jesse Hodgson
"Entrancing … Jesse Hodgson's arresting tigerish scenes … have just the right balance of ferocity, realism and reassurance as befits a bedtime story."
Red Reading Hub
ISBN 9781910959411 £11.99