Quarto (3+) 9780711277991 (Hardback) Download activities and reading resources pack
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A realistic look at a girl who doesn’t like books and the journey she goes on to discover a world of adventure and surprises within their pages. The girl’s task is to search out all of the ingredients to cast a special spell at the end of the book, but first she must undertake a number of perilous quests as she encounters a cast of curious and compelling characters.
Considered use of muted, sepia tones in contrast with bright colours like the neon orange really help to highlight how the girl’s world is widened through books. Each page is brim-filled with details which adds to the world of the story enhancing the reading experience. Illustrations are well paced carrying readers on a vibrant visual journey full of wit and whimsy. Expressive and filled with layers of meaning and depth this is a playful, amusing and fresh story which offers a technicolour take on how reading can enrich our lives.
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MARIAJO ILUSTRAJO is a multi-award-winning author-illustrator based in the UK. Her debut Flooded published in 2022 to widespread global acclaim: it was sold into 22 languages, won a score of prestigious literary prizes and received glowing international reviews. Her second book Lost (2023) was published to the same fanfare, with the brand new I Hate Love Books available now. Mariajo loves to cook and to draw, and fills dozens of sketchbooks with her daily scribbles. She lives with her partner, young daughter and their new puppy. @ilustrajo