Latymer Prep Shadowers

Create Group Magazine

The Invisible Story
I really loved "The Invisible Story". It was so different to all the other books I have read, mostly due to the lack of colour but it did leave a lasting impression on me. I thought it was great and gave it 9/10.

Kaan

Flying High
This book is about a child who is too small to play with the bigger kids. I really like Flying High because of how the illustrator gives a nice effect of blending in pencils and colours. It also uses reflection on some pages which I found really interesting. Flying high had some nice colours in my opinion since they were just quite simple and stood out. I recommend this to all ages and rate it a 8/10.

Ashar

Letters in Charcoal
Letters in Charcoal is about 2 sisters living in a pueblo in Palenque (a place in Colombia). No one there knows how to read and write, apart from the shopkeeper of the only store, Señor Velanda. There are letters everywhere, but no one can understand them. The main character’s older sister, Gina, is receiving letters from a young doctor, and both the sisters are curious about what was written in them. Finally, the girl decides that she’ll be the one to learn how to read. With the help of the Señor, she is soon able to decode the letters and teach the rest of the pueblo how to read. My favourite illustration is at the beginning of the book, when people are cycling, fishing, playing, running around, eating food and just minding their own business, as it is extremely bright and colourful. I would definitely give this book a solid 10/10 for 4+ readers.

Arzoi

The Invisible Story
The Invisible Story is all about a book who believes all its pages are blank and so does not want to be read. Everyone ordinary who visits the library is unable to see the book, so the book realises it’s invisible. But one day, a little girl arrives at the library. But she is no ordinary girl, she is blind. She scans the entire library for something to read, but nothing. She is about to leave when she is running her fingertips over something and feels raised dots in a pattern. She pulls out the book and is about to start reading the braille when the story cries out ‘Please don’t read me!’, but in the end the book lets her read it. Hidden inside this children’s picture book is the complicated concept of Braille, raised dots on a page, designed for blind people to read. I personally liked the front cover, with the colourful, swirling animals on the dull, plain white background, which also continues throughout the rest of the book, portraying a sense of happiness, joy and liveliness. I rate this book 8/10, for readers over the age of 6.

Arzoi

Flying High
Flying High is an uplifting book, from the very title, to when you turn over the very last page. It begins with an everyday situation, a little boy who is quite short for his age who loves kite-flying, like the rest of the children in his village, and is not included in all the games and play the other children take part in, especially flying kites. To put him out of misery, the faithful little bluebird, Wawa, takes him on several journeys, and explains how it’s okay to be different and that it’s good to be unique. My personal favourite illustration is when all the kites are proudly flying high in the air and everyone is showing off their stunning kites (including the boy and Wawa, who had the best kite by far) and were having lots of fun. The bright pinks, greens, blues, yellows, oranges, you name it, with Wen Hsu Chen’s sketchy, colourful, messy style portrays a final scene of happiness. I would rate this book 10/10 -as there is not one fault I can find- for people over 2.

Arzoi

The Invisible Story
The world is full of stories , some as long as lizards others, so short they never make it to the end, but the invisible story is unlike any of these stories, because no one ever reads it. This is a heartwarming story of a book which you cant read with you eyes but with your fingers.I like this book alot because its ok to be different and it raises awareness about braille. I rate this⭐⭐⭐⭐ and would recommend it to anyone over the age of 7

Ila

Homebody
Home body is a heartwarming autobiography in a form of a graphic novel. I like how Theo Parish has used colours that people normally say represent girls and boys also I like how there is a diversity flag on the front cover. I rate this book ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ila

Wolf and Bear
The two best friends always play together, whether it’s paddling in the stream, skidding in the snow, or tumbling in the falling leaves but sometimes Bear feels sad and wants to be alone. . Wolf and Bear is a beautiful tale of kindness and hope. I like how Kate Rolf has used Cyanotype to create flowers in the story. I rate this book ⭐⭐⭐⭐ and I would recommend it to any one over 2.

Ila

Wolf and Bear
In this spellbinding story, you meet a little girl excited for the end of term. No more school! However, she’s given the very unreasonable task of reading a whole book over the holidays. A whole book? But she HATES books. But her mum takes her to the library – she says she has just the thing.I think that this book is a wonderfully illustrated book i like the way Mariajo Ilustrajo used dry painting for the girls hair. I rate this book⭐⭐⭐⭐ and i recommend it to anyone over 3

Ila

I Love Books
Can Wawa the bird find a way to help her friend to see that being different can be a strength. I think this book is an astounding representation of contrasting colours. I like how Yu Rong has used pencil and paint to represent different textures. My favorite page is when he is flying his kite at end. I would recommend this to anyone older than 3 and rate it ⭐⭐⭐⭐.

Ila

I Love Books
I love hate books is a book about a girl who hates reading books and on the last day of school the teacher said have a good holiday and make sure you read lots of books. She was very annoyed and then went to a library and she looked and looked and did not like any of them so she picked one up and went home to read it and she got lost in it. I think this book is good because it shows that a story can be an adventure in your imagination. I rate this book eight out of ten because it just shows how much you can use your imagination and I recommend this book for three and over.

Arkady

Clever Crow
Clever Crow is a beautifully illustrated story about how humans generally underestimate how intelligent crows are and how they have many similarities to humans. My favourite element of the illustrations are that in some pages Olivia Lomenech Gill uses a newspaper-like background to show the intelligence of the crow. Another aspect of the book that I enjoy is the front and back covers where there are eggs and then fully hatched birds to show the journey of a crow over the course of the book. I like the use of splattered ink to show that crows can be messy and the colours used compliment the course of the story. I would recommend this book to ages 4+ and 5 stars.

Thibault

Clever Crow
I think Clever Crow is an beautifully illustrated book. Olivia Lomench Gill is an amazing artist I love how she has use splashes of ink on my favourite page where the crow has spilled ink all over the paper and is walking on it. This book is an incredibly way to show the world how clever crows can be. I rate this book ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and would recommend it to anyone over the age of 6.

Ila

Grey
Grey is a heart warming book about a child who is feeling down she relates herself at moments to things in real life. At the end the mum says “I love you however you are feeling and my love won’t change even if its Grey ”. I like how Lauren Child has used gaps in the page. My favourite page is were the child is sitting on her bed and is looking at the moon with her mother. I rate it ⭐⭐⭐⭐ and would recommend this to anyone aged 3 up.

Ila

Letters in Charcoal
Letters in Charcoal is a wonderful book about a world where almost everyone doesn’t know how to read or write. This story follows a girl who doesn’t know how to read or write. In fact, almost the whole of the pueblo don’t know how to read or write except the shopkeeper of the only shop. The girl asked the shopkeeper (Senor Velandia) to help her with the reading, and eventually, she could read. I really like the use of letters in the illustrations throughout the book, my favourite illustration was the dress with all sorts of letters on it. I would recommend this book to anyone and rate this 9.5/10.

Jessie

Letters in Charcoal
Letters In Charcoal is a book that is set in the pueblo of Palenque in Colombia. This book transports you into a place where there are a community of individuals who can't read. The idea of this book is that a girl (with the help of the local shopkeeper) becomes one of the first to learn the ways of the alphabet. The girl uses her knowledge of reading to help her sister learn. I love how Juan Palomino uses newspaper for some things to show that although they have words around them they do not know how to read them. I would recommend this book for 5+ and I would rate it a 9/10.

Sara

The Invisible Story
The Invisible Story is a story that proves that whoever you can still read. At the start of the book a girl goes to a library and picks up a book that is written in braille , but as the girl tries to read , the story says that it doesn't want to be read. I love how the illustrations in this book stick out as if they were 3D. This really makes me feel like I was transported into the book. Overall I would rate this book a 7/10 and recommend it for 3+.

Sara

I Love Books
This book is a very lovely book in my opinion since this is a girl who really hates books but then she got a book from the school to read as homework and she finished the book before summer ends and it was like she was in the story since she got so hooked into the book. There was this story of her imagination and I thought it was really interesting. After she had finished that book, she went back to the library and read more books. I would give this book a 9/10.

Ashar

Wolf and Bear
This book takes a tender look at feelings and the importance of friendship. Wolf and Bear are friends that have built an unbreakable bond , but when Bear starts to feel low and like the darkness is luring him in. Kate Rolfe uses the ingenious technique of cyanotype to make her illustrations more realistic. I love how light and shadow are used to portray how Bear feels and how the light chases him back to Wolf. I would recommend this for 4+ , and I would rate this a 9/10.

Sara

Flying High
Flying High is a brilliant book, I love that it shows that you shouldn’t give up and you should believe in yourself wherever you are. I also love how Yu Rong drew people's hair by using pencil. I like how at the front of the book Yu Rong made a tutorial on how to make a lunar dragon as a kite. My favourite part was when the little boy was flying his new kite at the end. I think this book is suitable for all ages. I rate this book ⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐!

Ailin

Flying High
I really enjoyed Flying High because of the bright colours that were used. I like this book because it uses a real life setting in China and uses the kite festival that is celebrated in a real town called Weifang where they fly kites almost every day. I also really like how the story is partly based on her childhood. I really like how the kites are drawn in all shapes, sizes and different animals. I would recommend this book to anyone over the age of 4 years old because of the great, colourful illustrations. I rate this book an amazing 8/10.

Jasmine

Letters in Charcoal
I love how Juan Palomino used a dust-like technique for the sand in the front cover. My favourite part was when he drew multiple people riding bicycles, fishing, shopping and minding their own business. I think this book should be 5+. I rate this book ⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐!

Ailin

I Love Books
‘I LOVE BOOKS’ is a heartwarming, touching story all about a young girl who absolutely HATES books. When her teacher assigns their holiday homework as reading ONE WHOLE BOOK, the girl is shocked and distraught! However, when her mum brings her to the library and hands her an exciting looking book, she starts to get other ideas about books, that they were not just endless words on pages and pages of paper, but adventures ready to be discovered… My favourite part of the book, personally, are the endpapers. The endpapers at the beginning are of the girl scrolling on devices, looking bored, but at the end, she is exploring different kingdoms and looking cheerful and excited. Another thing to notice is that at the beginning, the colours are bland and boring, but near to the end, it suddenly transforms from dull to a page full of neon oranges, bright yellows and vivid greens. I rate this book 9.5/10, because of the lessons hidden in an interesting and fun way, and recommend it to people from as soon as they are able to read.

Arzoi

Sara

Homebody
I found Homebody to be a really engaging and meaningful read—a heartfelt graphic memoir about growing up non-binary and finding a place to belong. It shares personal moments of discomfort and growth with honesty and warmth. The soft pastel illustrations—mixing close-up sketches and emotional scenes—create a calm, powerful background that brings the story to life. It’s recommended for ages 14 and up, but it’s especially helpful for teens who are exploring their gender identity, or for anyone looking for a kind and inclusive story. I’d rate it 8 out of 10.

Adam

Sara

Flying High
Flying High is a great book about a boy who feels excluded because of his height , he is always made to feel small and he starts to feel like he doesn't belong. He is always left out of the kite flying games by the other children in the town. Wawa (who is his bluebird friend) offers to help him and guides him through the ever changing world that surrounds him. One of my favourite illustrations in this book is the one where all of the kites and the vivid colours are flying overhead. Overall I would rate this book a 7/10.

Sara

I Love Books
This book is a realistic overview about a girl who doesn't like reading at first, but as the book progresses she starts to enjoy reading and realises that it is all about finding the right book. I really like how Mariajo Illustrajo uses a scruffy and unique style for all her illustrations. One of my favourite details about the book is how at the start she uses a very dull and bland colour palette but towards the end we start to see very vibrant colours.

Sara

Homebody
Homebody is a real-life based graphic autobiographical novel written by Theo Parish, who is non-binary and transgender. Through the book, they explore what it means to be themselves and to be who they want to be and not feel forced to act like a boy or a girl. I enjoyed the use of colour used throughout the book with the transgender flag (five horizontal stripes, equally sized, colored with two light blue, two pink, and a white stripe in the center.) The light blue and light pink represent the traditional colors for baby boys and baby girls, while the white stripe represents those who are intersex, transitioning, or don’t have a gender. Overall, I would rate this book a 7.5/10 and only for people for over 14, because of confusing concepts such as some homophobia, gender dysphoria, transphobia and dead-naming.

Arzoi

Flying High
Flying High is a great book that uses some great colours and detailed drawings. This book tells us that anything is possible no matter your shape or your size. It is a book about a small kid that was very happy but many people did not let him play because they thought he was too small to play with them but because of this bird called Wawa the little kid built up the courage to fly his kite but it didn’t work out so the kid threw his kite away but Wawa convinced him so the kid made a colourful kite that flew immaculately, this story is heartwarming and anybody can read it I rate it 10/10

Matteo

Homebody
Home Body is a wonder of a book. It really tells us that it’s ok to be trans or non-binary. My favourite relation to the illustrations is the colour scheme, what I love about it is at the front cover theo is holding the transgender flag which has blue and pink which is traditionally associated with boys and girls and then there is white which is a neutral colour. What I loved about this was the fact that throughout the whole book those were the only colours that you could really see on a page. I rate this 10/10

Kaan

Homebody
Homebody is an amazing book that shows how it feels to be non-binary. In this book, Theo shows that it is OK to be different. Theo goes on a quest to find their true identity. I like the use of the colours, blue, pink, white and purple because blue, pink and white are the colours of the transgender flag. My favourite page is the one with Theo looking up at the stars. I would recommend this book to anyone above the age of 11 and rate it 7.5/10.

Qianyu

Sara

Letters in Charcoal
Letters in Charcoal is a book about a girl and her older sister, Gina. Nobody in their pueblo knew how to read or write apart from their shopkeeper. Gina receives many letters from Miguel Angelo, a doctor that has worked in the pueblo. The girl is determined to help her sister read the letters and learns how to read from the shopkeeper. I think this book tells us that people from many parts of the world still don’t know how to read or write and that they should have a chance to learn. My favourite page is the page when Gina is dreaming of traveling overseas to see the doctor. I like how the illustrator shows this by putting a paper boat in her hair. I think the pictures are really detailed and have lots of hidden meanings. I would recommend this book to anyone above 7 years old and rate it 8.5/10.

Qianyu

The Invisible Story
The Invisible Story is about a little girl who went to a library to find a book written in bradlie but when she goes to pick up the book it feels like the book doesn't want to be read. The soft pictures made me feel very calm, and when the blind little girl touched the book it felt like the book came back to life. I would recommend this book to people who are 3+. 7/10.

Adam

Letters in Charcoal
Letters in Charcoal is set in a little place in Columbia who haven't learnt to read and write except one person. My favorite part of the story is when the girl is sitting under the tree and is surrounded by pink flowers reading this letter meaning she is in love. In this book I really liked the colour because it joins the story together, for example how Juan Palomino used pink for the leaves and flowers under the tree to represent love. I would recommend this book to 4+ because it is showcasing that we are lucky that we can read and write. I rate this book a 9 out of 10.

Sebastian

I Love Books
I (Hate) Love Books is an amusing story about a girl who hates books, but at the end, she realises the magic of books and starts to love them. I liked the way that Mariajo Ilustrajo illustrated this book so cleverly-before she reads the book, the colours are all dark, and in one or two tones (except the bright neons). We see a difference, however, as the girl opens the book, a world of colours appears. My favourite part of the book are the endpapers: the front shows the girl in dark colours distracted by different devices, and the end shows the girl reading different books and the colour is much brighter. Overall, I would recommend this to anyone above 3, and rate it 10/10.

Jessie

The Invisible Story
The Invisible Story is a great book about a blind girl in a library. I really like how the illustrations look 3D and how it made me touch the page just to check if it was only paper. My favourite part of the book is probably where the most popular book characters are comparing themselves and having a competition on who is the best. The effect of how she uses scrunched up paper on them makes them look so bold and fun to look at. My only complaint is that the front cover could stand out more. This is a brilliant book and I rate it 9.5/10.

Alex

Homebody
Homebody is a nonfiction graphic novel about someone who is nonbinary. Their name is Theo and they’re going on an adventure to see their true identity. I really like the fact that the colour purple is in the book a lot because normally for sexist reasons people say blue for boys and pink for girls. Because Theo isn’t a boy or girl they use the colour purple which you get when you mix blue and pink. I rate this book a 9/10 and recommend it to 12+.

Jasper

The Invisible Story
The Invisible Story is a fantastic book about braille. The pictures were fantastic. You just want to make you touch them and the colours for the flying creatures and swerles were sublime. My favourite part is the picture of the braille because it attracts you to try and touch it, and it tells a story that braille is helpful for many people. I would recommend this book for all ages because you need to learn about braille at some point in your life. I rate this book a solid 7.5/10.

Sebastian

I Love Books
I Love Books is a powerful story about the importance of books and how a girl grew to love them. My favourite page was when the girl enters the world of books and shouts ‘wow’. I noticed that before she read the book her world was bland and plain while after full of neon colours. I’d rate this book a solid 8/10 and good for all ages.

Jessica

The Invisible Story
The invisible story is a fictional picture book about a library with one book that nobody reads. I really liked the way she captured the story so well using mostly white. My favorite part was when the blind girl started reading the book using her fingers as it was braille.I would recommend it for visually impaired people and kids aged 3-11. I would also rate it 7/10 because I didn’t love the style.

Noah

Homebody
Homebody is a well illustrated book that uses graphic novel style illustrations to show how Theo feels about being non-binary and transgender. This graphic novel also has hidden meanings, for example how all the colours are either pink, blue and white, the stereotyped gender colours. Every illustration is so powerful and I love the page where it says ‘the stars align’ as it has a second meaning to it ( I became my true self). I would recommend this book to ages 13+ as this book contains some mildly inappropriate graphics for children under 13 I rate it 9/10.

Alex

The Invisible Story
This book is about a person who feels like he’s a ghost since everyone walks past him and he says to himself “I'm just a ghost, nobody can see me.” There was also this girl who said why are there blank pages and then she felt it and learned the language braille. I also really liked this because the illustrations look 3d. I would recommend this book to someone who likes stuff about braille. I rate this book a 8/10.

Ashar

Letters in Charcoal
I really liked this book because the illustrations would tell us what the writing would tell us. It is about this shop keeper who teaches a girl how to read and the girl teaches her older sister how to read as she gets a letter from a doctor she is in love with. The two siblings then build a school for children. I would recommend this book to people over the age of 5 and I would rate this book a 8/10.

Zaahed

The Invisible Story
I quite liked this book because the use of the illustrations were outstanding. There was a girl who unleashed dragons. As the tome collected dust in a school library. The magical dragons were amazing because they had these colourful bodies. The book was so creative because it would have this effect where it looked 3D and you wanted to touch it. I would recommend this book to people over 2 and I would rate this book a 8/10.

Zaahed

Clever Crow
Clever Crow is an interesting book about how intelligent crows are. I noticed how at the start of the book Olivia illustrated crow eggs, and how at the end she drew the crows that would have hatched from the egg (this was a very helpful edition to the book, because throughout the story you could tell what crow was on the page). I would recommend this book for 4+ and I Would rate this book a 7.5/10

Charles

Homebody
I quite liked this book as it stands as an auto biography which is a graphic novel. As it talks about finding what it means to be home a safe place where you are accepted. I would recommend this book to those who are trans and non- binary if they are having a hard time being trans or non- binary as you are supported. I would recommend this book to people who are over 13 and I would rate this book a 7/10.

Zaahed

Flying High
I like this book because it uses a real life setting in China and uses the kite festival that is celebrated in a real town called Weifang where they fly kites every day. I also like that the author (Yu Rong) based it on parts of her own childhood. I like how she illustrated the kites as different animals and the main character had the whale one and felt left out. Then a blue bird called “Wawa” takes her into a world of different shaped and sized animals, plants and objects, then goes back to the festival, joins in and feels more confident. I would recommend this book to anyone over the age of 4 because I think that the colours are engaging. I would rate this book an 8/10 because I liked the kites and how they were illustrated.

Rhys

Wolf and Bear
I really enjoyed this book because it was having a look at friendships. What I love about the book is that it is very colourful and filled with lots of joy and emotions as wolf and bear have an unbreakable bond. The illustrations were like you were in a fantasy world. The use of light is great as there is always light in everyone. I would recommend this book for people who are having a hard time with friends. I would say people over 1 i would definitely rate this book a 10/10.

Zaahed

Flying High
Flying high is a great book about a boy who feels excluded because of his height , he is always made to feel small and he starts to feel like he doesn't belong. He is always left out of the kite flying games by the other children in the town. Wawa (who is his bluebird friend) offers to help him and guides him through the ever changing world that surrounds him. One of my favourite illustrations in this book is the one where all of the kites and the vivid colours are flying overhead. Overall I would rate this book a 7/10.

Sara

I Love Books
I absolutely loved this book because it was adventurous and magical. Her drawing method was so creative. The book includes amazing potions and fun characters overall. I was definitely stunned, I also liked when before she read the book the world wasn't colourful and everything was bland. While she was reading the book everything would pop out and was very colourful. I would recommend this book for people who don't like reading books and for people over 3. I would also rate this book a very solid 10/10.

Zaahed

Letters in Charcoal
Letters in charcoal is a great story about two sisters on an island, the people on the island are surrounded by words but everybody on the island can’t read or write except for a shopkeeper. The older sister gets letters from a doctor and she always imagines what those letters say. They start working for the shop keeper but in exchange he teaches them how to read and write. The style of illustrations in this book shows us that they are surrounded by words but they can’t understand them. I would recommend this book to anyone and I rate 9.9/10

Matteo

Flying High
I liked this book because it was full of colourful kites and the diverse shapes and colours that would pop out. The illustrations go very well with the writing. At first the child flies a kite and it gets tangled with other children’s kites. Never more confident, the boy returns and makes his own kite for the kite festival as he proudly flies his kite high. I would recommend this book to above 4 years old and would rate this book 8/10.

Zaahed

The Invisible Story
The invisible story is about a girl going through an old house and she is blind.I like this story because it invites people to touch the pages of the book because the paper looks like it has cut-outs and braille but it doesn’t. I would recommend this book to anyone over the age of 7. I rate this book a 8/10 because I really liked the cut-outs.

Rhys

Homebody
Home Body is a heartwarming story about how Theo grew up as a trans-gender non-binary person and it tells us how they didn’t feel like a boy or a girl. I loved the colour way throughout the book and how the purple represents a colour that doesn’t represent a gender because stereotypically pink or blue are for boys or girls. I would recommend this book for 14+ especially for people that are non-binary because the book will help them build up their confidence I would rate this book 9/10

Matteo

I Love Books
A hilarious story of a girl who thinks she hates books but soon is exposed to the wonderful magic of what she thought was just some words on a page. She begins to realise the power of books and how they transport you to different worlds. I love the use of colour that is used to portray how she feels quite bored before she begins reading, then she feels enlightened, and her world feels richer. Perfect for anyone who can read, 9/10.

Liam

Clever Crow
Clever crow is an original non-fiction book that brings the everyday, unassuming crow into the sunlight with great effect. I liked how Olivia’s endpapers tell a story of what the eggs look like and how they look when they are adults. My favorite bit was on the first page Olivia put the crow on top of a bin to represent rubbish in the city and that crows use it as nesting material. In the background on the first page you can see famous landmarks like the eiffel tower and the pyramids of Giza in the background showcasing that crows can be anywhere. I would suggest this book for 4+ because it is nice learning about crows 9/10.

Sebastian

Clever Crow
I loved this book because it was diverse and colourful . The end papers are very unique because at the beginning it shows what all the eggs look like and as you progress through the story the eggs start to hatch and at the end all the birds are fully grown. The way that she represents humans is with litter. The book is intriguing because it tells you about crows and all the different species. I would recommend this book for 3 years and above, i would rate this book a good 9/10.

Zaahed

Clever Crow
I loved reading clever crow because sometimes we don’t notice the brilliance of crows, sometimes we just think of them as dirty birds digging through bins trying to find food but we are very wrong, crows are intelligent creatures. The way that Olivia made the backgrounds in plain colourways or newspaper is great because although it is plain it does it’s job perfectly. This book is fabulous and anyone can read it, I rate it 7/10

Matteo

Flying High
A detailed masterpiece which tells the story of a young boy who is deemed ‘too small’ to join in with the kite games, which makes him very sad. However Wawa takes him on a journey and at the end, he is determined to prove everyone wrong, so he makes a beautiful kite. I love all the vibrant colours of the kites, especially the narrators at the end, and I really like the simple style of Wawa. I think this book portrays a serious problem (discrimination) in an excellent way so that everyone can enjoy it whether they are young or old, extroverted or introverted, or like in the book, tall or small. A solid 8/10.

Liam

Flying High
I was deeply moved by Flying High, a gentle story about a small child who feels too little to fly a kite and is teased. I loved how it shows the child’s feelings without over-explaining—like watching the kites soar while staying on the ground, and the imaginary blue bird, Wawa, as a comforting friend. The kite-flying culture of Weifang adds warmth, and the layered, textured illustrations make the wind almost come alive. It’s a simple, heartfelt book that stays with you and I would recommend this book to 5-8 year olds. 7/10

Adam

I Love Books
I Love Books is a book that I find very relatable and it shows that many people find reading boring but you can easily get lost in a book and it tells us that books are more than a bunch of meaningless words on a piece of paper but that they are stories with meanings and morals. My favourite feature of this book is how at the beginning the colours are boring and bland but at the end there is an explosion of colour that explains that the world is boring without books. I would recommend this book to anyone of any age and I rate this book a solid 9/10.

Matteo

Grey
I really enjoyed this book because the way she used the colours is outstanding. I also loved her drawing methods and they are very unique. At the beginning of the story the boy is feeling down and the mother takes him to the grey playground. At the end of the story the mother takes him to the colourful playground. The mother only listens and she doesn't talk. The pictures really match the story as it tells us what the story tells us and the die cut that she uses is really fun and creative. I would recommend this book for anyone because we all feel this way, i would rate this book a 10/10.

Zaahed

Wolf and Bear
I loved reading Wolf & Bear because it’s a heartwarming story of friendship. One of my favourite features was Kate Rolfe’s technique of drawing called cyanotype which makes the drawings more realistic. I also loved her choice of colours that go magnificently together. I really enjoyed how throughout the story the bear says no to everything but after a while he finally says something different and at that moment it is like the breakthrough of the story. This book was very enjoyable to read and I would rate this book 10/10.

Matteo

Grey
I enjoyed reading Grey because it tells us that grey isn't only a boring colour but it is an important feeling. It teaches us that it's okay to feel grey because it is a part of you and that there will always be somebody there to comfort you when you feel grey. In my opinion the way that Lauren Child captured the emotions that the boy was feeling from the text and she reflected it perfectly on her illustrations throughout the book was just fantastic, this wasn’t the only great feature, the way that the illustrations get more colourful the further you go is great. This story tells a heart warming story and I would recommend this book to people of every age. I would I rate this book a solid 9/10

Matteo

Homebody
I Love Homebody because it tells people about being non binary and trans. I love this book shows other people what it feels like to be trans or non binary. I like how Theo Parrish used pink and blue as their colour scheme.This book should be 14+. I rate this ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐!

Ailin

The Invisible Story
The Invisible Story is about a blind person going to find a book. The book tells you how not all stories have to be seen with your eyes. I love the use of cutouts and how everything is white and dull but the stories are bright and colourful. Overall I think this book is for all ages and rate it a 7/10.

Liberty

Flying High
This story is a boy who is getting left out by all the kite games. My favorite part of the story is where wawa the bird takes him on a adventure through the woods on onto the beach. I also really like the inside front cover where it tells you how to make the top of a dragon kite. I also like how throughout the story the boy got more confident. I would recommend this book for 3+ and I would rate it 10/10.

Louis

Letters in Charcoal
Letters in Charcoal is a story about a girl who wants to help her sister read and write so she can read her love letters. I like the use of colours as they are simple and quite calm to look at. My favourite page is when they are both sitting down and daydreaming and their hair is the sea. I would give this book a 7.5/10 and recommend it for 5 and above.

Liberty

Homebody
Homebody is a great book about someone who is nonbinary and trans. It shows Theos story of finding themself. It shows daily struggles and trying to fit but in it Theo found it's okay to be different and that you are special whoever you are. The illustrations are very detailed and the colours are very well chosen as a mix of colours used in the trans flag. I would give this a 10/10 and recommend this book 11+.

Liberty

Letters in Charcoal
I like Letters of Charcoal because of the clever, simple illustrations of a girl teaching others to read and write. I think the book says that many parts of the world don't know how to write or even read. I also find it amusing that the colours go well with the book and the scenes. I would rate this 7.5 for illustrations and 5 plus.

Camilla

Wolf and Bear
Wolf and Bear is a great book because it shows that you should treat someone how you want to be treated and if you don’t you might lose friends. My favourite part of the book is where the bear realises that it was rude and should go and say sorry to the wolf. I think this book is suitable for 6+. I rate this book ⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐!

Ailin

The Invisible Story
The Invisible Story is a well illustrated book about a blind girl who comes to a public library looking for a book for blind people printed in braille. I like the use of full bleed and vibrant colours for the books except the ‘invisible story’ which is illustrated using bland colours. I also like the use of watercolours to add vibrancy to the book. I would recommend this book to ages 3+ and 4 stars.

Thibault

Wolf and Bear
Wolf and Bear is a great book about the power of friendship and how some people don't want to play all the time. I Like the page that shows wolf singing as it shows good use of cyanotype which is a technique using shadows and sunlight. Overall I would rate this book a 7.5 and rate this 4 and up.

Liberty

Flying High
Flying High is an amazingly illustrated book. This book is about a boy that really wants to fly his kite with some older boys but they say he is too short. He then says to himself that he can fly a kite with them whoever he is. My favourite illustration is full bleed of all the boys flying their kites together. Overall I rate this book 5/5 and anyone over 4 can read it.

Ettore

I Love Books
This book is a wonderful book because of the simple illustrations and the comedy of the characters in the book. It says if you find a book you really enjoy it can make you keep wanting to go to the libery to get another book. The colours start dull and the more she gets into reading the colours would become more bright and vibrant. I would rate this book 8 stars for illustration and 3 plus.

Camilla

I Love Books
I Hate Love Books is a lovely story. I like the drawing style and the dull tone used at the start of the book and the bright colours in the end. Mariajo captured the girl's hatred of books and she captured how a story can take you on your own adventure. I would give this a 8/10 and I would recommend this book for 3 and above.

Liberty

Flying High
I really enjoy flying high because of the bright colours that are being used. I also think the story sends a message that you always have someone beside you. I like the page where all the kites fly overhead because of all the bright colours flying overhead. I would rate this book a 7 out of 10 for illustration and 5 plus.

Camilla

Flying High
Flying High is about a boy who wants to fly his kite but the other children tell him no. I think this story tells you to never give up and keep on trying until you succeed. I like that there is an instruction on how to make a kite and the different styles used. I would rate this book a 7/10 and rate it 5 and up.

Liberty

Wolf and Bear
Wolf and Bear is about friendships and felling and how someone can help you when you feel sad. It use cyanotype, a process using the sun to expose certain parts of a book. This creates an amazing effect on the book by making showing darker colors for bad moods and light color for good things. This book is about a Wolf and Bear Who really like to play but when Bear is in a bad mood he doesn't want to play . Wolf pushes bear to far and then they don’t want to be friends. I really like the illustrations of this book because there all very calming and beautiful . I think everyone can read this book . I rate it a 10/10.

Louis

Clever Crow
Clever Crow is a brilliant book about crows and how intelligent they are. My favourite part is at the start of the story with all the species of crows eggs and at the last page it is all the crows. The drawings are very realistic and put a perspective about stereotypes for crows and how they are not pretty. There are amazing details used like bits of newspaper. Overall I would rate this book a 9/10 and I would recommend this 5 and up.

Liberty

Grey
Grey is a book who is feeling down one day. In the end of the book the girl's mother tells her she would love her no matter what she feels and the girl's colour comes back. I like the cutouts and the different comparisons to things like I don't feel sunshine yellow or balloon orange bright. I would give this book in my opinion 8.5/10 and recommend it for 3 and above.

Liberty

Clever Crow
Clever Crow is a great book, I like it because it shows awareness about crows and what they are. I love how Olivia drew the crow eggs in the inside cover and drew the crows on the last page.I think this book is recommended for 6+. Overall I rate this book ⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐!

Ailin

Wolf and Bear
Wolf and Bear is a heart-warming book. The thing I like the most about Wolf and Bear are the light and shadow bits of the pages. This happens when Wolf wants to play with Bear but he retreats into the shadow and leaves Wolf all alone to play by herself. When Wolf cries her sorrows to the moon, Bear hears the angelic voice and comes out of the shadow to listen to the song. My favourite illustration is a full bleed when Bear is all sad but Wolf is playing about. This book also uses cyanotype which is an illustration with sunlight. Overall I rate this book 4/5 and would recommend it to children 4 to 8.

Ettore

Letters in Charcoal
Letters in Charcoal is a story about a pueblo (village) that can’t read (apart from the local shopkeeper). A girl called Gina receives many letters every month from a doctor. As she can’t read she assumes they are love letters. Gina is determined to learn how to read so she asks the shopkeeper if he can help her be able to read. He says he can but she would have to work for her. She manages to learn how to read, but sadly she finds out that the letters have been saying that the doctor will be moving countries. Gina is heartbroken. But she carries on with her life happily. This book is a great book about reading and learning. The illustrations have a lot of detail, with letters being in EVERY illustration. This is to show that words and letters are everywhere. I would recommend this book to anyone who is over The age of 6. I would give this book a solid 7.6/10.

Bella

I Love Books
I Hate Love Books is about a girl that hates books. When her teacher tells them to read A WHOLE BOOK for the summer. She tells her mom about their homework and her mum suggests going to the library to get a book. She then chooses a book that her mum recommends. My favourite illustration is a full bleed when the girl gets taken away into her imagination and pops up in the rain forest. What I really like is how much colour Mariajo Illustrajo has in the book. I would rate it 5/5 and would recommend it for 4+ readers.

Ettore

Flying High
Flying High is a well illustrated book about how older children sometimes don't treat younger children very kindly. I like the use of full bleed and quite simple and childish illustrations as well as the use of splattered paint and thinner pencil lines to define the hair and other finer details. My favourite double spread is the instructions on how to make a traditional chinese kite. I would recommend this book to children aged 2+ and 4 stars.

Thibault

Homebody
Homebody is about a person going through changes mentally and physically. You can see in the drawings that the person's body is usually a house. The house symbolises that they feel safe and comfortable in their body. I love the colours that Theo Parish used. The colours blue and pink are there to show that they are a boy and a girl because those colours are stereotypical colours associated with those genders. My favourite drawing personally was where they were a knight, and that is Theo Parish’s favourite drawing too. They said it was their favourite drawing since it shows Theo Parish in armour symbolising that they have the power to define their own identity. I would rate this book a 7.5/10 and would recommend this book to ages 14+.

Jude

Flying High
Flying High is an incredible story about a girl who wants to fly a kite. Except she is not allowed to because she is too short. So she builds her own kite which is a dragon. The dragon is very colourful and stands out from the rest of the kites, which I love. The colour combinations that Yu Rong used perfectly matched the book's theme and storyline. I would rate this book a 7/10 and would recommend this to children ages 5+.

Jude

Homebody
This book is a visual autobiography which is told through an intimate graphic novel. Theo (the lead character) takes us on a rites-of-passage journey about self-acceptance and finally feeling confident in one’s own body. Issues around gender and identity are explored in a clear, and accessible way. The colours in this book are mostly blue and pink. These are used because they are colours of the LGBTQ flag , these colours are also the traditional “gender specific “ colours , as we associate these with girls and boys. I think this book explores how it feels to be non binary and I would recommend this for 14+.

Sara

Letters in Charcoal
This book is about a girl who keeps getting sent love letters from someone but she can not read the contents because she doesn't know how to read and write. I like this book because of the colours used in all of the illustrations. The colours really make me feel like I am in a different world. I recommend this book to anyone over the age of 5. I rate this book a solid 8/10.

Jasmine

The Invisible Story
Invisible Story is about a blind person who goes to a library to choose a book. There is a braille book who thinks if it gets chosen it will die. The person rolls her hand along all of the books to read the title. She feels that book and picks it up. The book says please don’t read me otherwise I will die she replies that is not true I promise. She reads it and the magic of the whole book is seen. I like this book because it shows that blind people can do things that other people can do as well. I also like the illustrations when she opens the book and all the colours burst out of it. I rate this book an eight out of ten because it shows that a braille book has the same magic as any other book. I recommend this book for five year olds and over so they know that being blind is ok and not bad.

Arkady

Jasmine

Clever Crow
This book is amazing . I like its use of ink it shows the crow is very messy but it the book is trying to say crows are smarter than we think . My favorite illustration is at the start of the book where the crow is standing on a bin with all the landmarks and streets I like looking at that page to see what I can find. I also like the inside front cover and the inside back cover of all the eggs and the at the end all the birds . I think 3 years and above can read this book 10/10.

Louis

Letters in Charcoal
This book is set in an ordinary pueblo in Columbia. It is about a girl in a town who doesn’t know how to read. She goes to a shop with a shopkeeper that knows how to read and learns from him. The illustrations are simple but beautiful. These colours work out very well with the text. I recommend this book to children over the age of 1 and I rate this a strong 9 out of 10.

Hannah

Wolf and Bear
I really like Wolf and Bear because the colours really go well like the blue for when the Bear feels sad and when the Wolf feels energetic orange. I like the streams of color that show the warmth of Wolf's voice. I also really like the page where the bear screams NO!! because I like how ruff and messy the Bear is drawn. I would rate this book a 8 out of 10 for illustrations.

Camilla

Grey
Grey is about a child who wakes up feeling grey. I loved how he compares himself to stormy clouds, tea when it’s gone cold, which is my favourite illustration of the story, and even a scribble on a page. I love how Lauren Child used cut-outs, which were really clever. My favourite on is where it says “When the tea has gone cold” . I think this book means it is alright if you have a bad day . I think 4 and above can read this book I rate this 9 out of 10.

Louis

Grey
This book is an emotional, heartwarming story about a young child who felt that she didn’t belong. She felt Grey. Her mother explained that it doesn't matter how you feel, all your feelings are still inside you. My favourite part of the story is the mother telling the child that no matter what the girl feels, she will still love her. My favourite part of Lauren’s illustrations are the cut outs. I recommend this to all children over the age of 2 and I rate this 10 out of 10.

Hannah

Letters in Charcoal
Letters in Charcoal is a very well illustrated book about a girl who wants to learn to read so she can decipher letters from a young doctor named Miguel Ánguel to the girl's sister who believes the letters contain promises of love. I like the use of vignettes on some pages and how all the colours used are very vibrant in a latin american style of illustration. My favourite page is the bird's eye view of the village showing everyone living their day to day lives. I would recommend this book to ages 6+ and 4 out of 5.

Thibault

The Invisible Story
The Invisible Story is about a little girl who is blind, so she can not read like everyone else does. She goes to a library and she finds a book perfect for her. A book nobody else can see apart from her. The illustrator of this story, Wen Hsu Chen, perfectly created the image of the girl not being able to see the words, but with braille she can feel the words. This book is a lovely story about disabilities and reading. I love the illustrations, as they are very clever. I would recommend this book to anyone over the age of 6 and would rate this book a 8.4/10!

Bella

Letters in Charcoal
Letters In Charcoal is an outstanding book all about a child who lives in a poor village in Colombia where nearly everyone in the village can not read or write. The child’s sister has been getting letters from someone and is desperate to know what he is saying in those letters and they can’t read or write so they ask the shop owner who is the only person that can read or write and then the children learn. I love how simple the illustrations are yet they still look really good. I think that this book is suitable for all children above the age of three as I think it can teach young kids how important it is to learn. My favorite DPS is when the children are sitting under the mango tree reading the letter. Overall I would rate this book a 8/10.

Hugh

The Invisible Story
I think this book is very lovely because it is plain and the illustrator uses the colourful foil in places so it stands out. I think the story is really interesting because people think there is no story in the book then a blind girl comes to the library and she picks a book with braille. I think the book is saying even if you are blind you can still read and enjoy books. I would rate this book 8.5 out of 10 and for 3 plus.

Camilla

Flying High
Flying High is an amazing book that I recommend for all ages. I really like how the illustrator has used pencil, colours and water paint to use her illustrations. My favourite illustration of the book is the double-spread where everyone is flying their kites. I really like this illustration because on the floor you can see mostly blue, yellow and grey but in the air there are so many different colours from pink to brown to peach. I think that this is a really spectacular book that I recommend 10/10.

Otto

I Love Books
I Love Books is an incredible story about a girl finding her passion for books. The book starts off with dull and bland colours but after she finds her passion for books it turns into a colour utopia because it symbolises that life can be so full of joy and colour if you let books into your life. Everything felt so magical and heartwarming in the story from the Enchanted Frogs to the Witches Castle to even the Jungle where she started. I would rate this book a 9/10 and recommend this book for ages 4+.

Jude

I Love Books
I Love Books is a fascinating book. I love how the illustrator Mariajo Ilustrajo used different shades and styles for different sections in the book. In my opinion, I think she has drawn one of the best illustrations of the 8 books. I also enjoyed looking at the different uses of colour. I loved the facial expressions and comedy of how the child doesn't like the books. I would recommend this book for anyone age 7+ but I think everyone would enjoy this book. I rate it 10/10.

Ermis

Clever Crow
This book is all about crows being clever and it's full of amazing nature pictures. The pictures are made with watercolours and pastel and they make the birds look very real. I like how the pictures show the birds flying and doing smart things like using tools. The background colours are soft and nice and the crows look like they could fly off the page. My favourite page is when the crow is sitting on a bin and behind her you can see all the famous monuments of every country like the Eiffel Tower and the Pyramids of Giza, it’s a nice full bleed and it signifies how crows are all around the world. I think this book should be 9/10 because the drawings are so detailed and unique. I recommend it for children 5 and up who love animals and nature because it teaches them to look out for everything.

Nikolai

Flying High
This is an excellent book about a little boy that was left out of kite flying games by other town children. But there is a little blue bird called Wawa who leads the boy through nature. The bird showed the boy all the shapes and sizes of plants and creatures. I liked this book because it included lots of detail in the drawings. However, there could be more colour on the faces of the characters. I would recommend this book to ages over 1 and I rate it 9 out of 10.

Hannah

Clever Crow
This is a beautifully written book illustrated by Olivia Gill. It explains that crows are clever, they can solve problems and use tools, they are crafty, they remember where they keep spare food and they are playful, in the winter they tumble around on the roof in the snow. Crows are not always pretty but they are very clever. I like this book because it explains many things about crows. The illustrations are spectacular too. I like how the inside front cover has the crow family all as eggs and the inside back cover has the crow family all as adults. I rate this book 10 out of 10 and I recommend this book to ages older than 2.

Hannah

Flying High
Flying High is a book about a little boy who feels small to the rest of the world. Everyone is always mean to him and never lets him join in their games. Luckily, he has a friend (who is a bird) called Wawa. Together they escape the busy kite festival and go to the forest. Later on in the story, he realises that he should still join in with the kite festival. So he goes and flies his kite high. The themes in this book are Chinese culture, friendship and kites. The illustrations are quite clever, as they are used with pencils and paper cutouts. The detailed and simple styles are very effective to emphasize how small the boy is and feels compared to everyone else. This book is so heartwarming. My favourite DPS (double page spread) is when everyone flies their kites, but his kite gets tangled in all the other kites. I love this book and would rate it 7.9/10 and would recommend it for children aged 4-6.

Bella

Letters in Charcoal
Letters in Charcoal is set in pueblo most people don't know how to read and write . One of the main characters is a sister who wants to travel the seas to meet her boyfriend which is also a doctor but she doesn't know how to read and write . I like the shopkeepers on the wall of all the people that owe him money and i like trying to work what the letters on the product bags . I also really like where the two sisters are lying under the mango and the older sister has a boat shaped piece of paper sailing the seas to reach her boy friend . I think 3 and over can read this book . I rate it a 10/10.

Louis

I Love Books
This is a cleverly illustrated book about the journey a young girl goes on from hating to loving books. I like the use of bland and dull colours at the beginning to signify how dull someone's life can be without books and then when the girl opens the book suddenly the book from there on becomes a colour metropolis filled with vibrant illustrations. My favourite dps is when the pages show a map of the journey the girl will go on. I would rate this book 5 stars. I would recommend this book to ages 3 and above as anyone who hates reading can relate to this book.

Thibault

The Invisible Story
This book is about a braille book that not many people use because not many blind people come into libraries. When a blind girl picks up the book feels like it does not want to be read. It is like all of the colours are in your mind like you are imagining it. I love how the illustrations are white but are fun and exciting. I recommend this book for 6-13 year olds. I rate this book a 7.5/10.

Avik

Letters in Charcoal
Letters in Charcoal is a book about a young girl whose sister is getting love letters from someone but she can't read them so the young girl learns to read. This book is quite sad but at the same time it's full of love, siblingship and tradition. My favourite image in the book is when the two girls are sitting below the mango tree staring at the letter but not knowing what it contains. I really like this image because they are looking at something that they know what it contains but still are looking at it as if it were a mystery. I would recommend this book for all ages but mostly for 12 and below. I would rate this book 9 out of 10.

Miraya

Flying High
Flying High is a lovely book about a child who feels left out, and their little bird friend helps them feel strong. The pictures are really pretty and made with paper cutting and drawing, so they look different to normal books. I love how the bird Wawa helps the child and the pictures show all sorts of things flying, even thoughts. My favourite part is when the child makes their own kite and it flies way up high. The art is really soft and floaty and full of imagination. I would give this book 6.5/10 for art because it makes me feel like I'm flying too. Good for kids aged 4 and up who want to feel brave.

Nikolai

Letters in Charcoal
I really enjoyed the book Letters in Charcoal. I especially liked the use of bold colour to attract attention from the reader. Even the simple illustrations are really meaningful. The colour is used quite regularly throughout the book to show where the people are on that page and even the time of day. In my opinion, this book has the most meaningful illustrations. I recommend this to children 7+ children and rate it an 8.5 out of 10.

Ermis

Letters in Charcoal
Letters In Charcoal is an outstanding book about a child who lives in a poor village in Colombia where nearly everyone in the village can not read or write. The child’s sister has been getting letters from someone and is desperate to know what he is saying in those letters and they can’t read or write so they ask the shop owner who is the only person that can read or write and then the children learn. I think that this book is suitable for all children above the age of three as I think it can teach young kids how important it is to learn. My favorite DPS is when the children are sitting under the mango tree reading the letter. Overall I would rate this book a 8/10.

Hugh

I Love Books
I like this book because it has a message that reading is not for everyone at the beginning, until you get into it and actually try it. I really like the magical world she enters when she starts to read the book and all of the wonderful places she takes an adventure to. I also really like the use of colours, and as the illustrations get more colourful towards the end. I recommend this book to anyone, and I give this book a solid 7/10.

Jasmine

The Invisible Story
The Invisible Story is about a story that never gets read.In my opinion, the book itself is very original and fun because of the cut-outs and the drawings of the book characters. The story feels left out since nobody reads it and you can see that in the drawings because it is always in the background wishing to be a story that was popular and read frequently. But then the book figures out that it is a braille book when somebody reads it. The story then listens closely to hear what it is about which you can see in the drawings since it is asking questions to the little girl who is reading it. I would rate this book 7/10 and I would recommend this book for ages 5+.

Jude

Wolf and Bear
Wolf and Bear is a heartwarming story which I really enjoyed reading. My favourite part is how whenever the Bear is there, the part of the page where they are is blue but the rest is more colourful. I also noticed that one leaf is there on almost every page and sparkles more than the other leaves. In my opinion, I think that the story has the best use of colour of all the 8 books. I recommend this book for 5 years old and over and rate it an 8 out of 10.

Ermis

Letters in Charcoal
Letters in Charcoal is a book set in a pueblo but most people cannot read. In the book the sister is sent lots of love letters but she does not know how to read. She asks one of the shopkeepers to read them but she has to do some jobs for him. Then they learn the alphabet. When her sister finds out that her boyfriend is moving away she is heartbroken. I love the page where the 2 sisters are sitting and their hair is connecting thinking about stuff. I also like the illustration of the pueblo because it is very busy and lots of people are doing jobs. I recommend this book to 7+. I rate this book a 8.5/10.

Avik

Liberty

Homebody
Home Body is an autobiography told through an intimate graphic novel about trying to find your safe place. I liked how they used purple because it showcases a colour that is a mix of pink and blue because those are the colours that people say boys can’t like pink or girls can’t like blue and he picked the colour just right in the middle of blue and pink. I think I would recommend this book 14+ because it is about being trans and non gender. 8/10.

Sebastian

Grey
I enjoyed this book a lot since it deeply shows us what it’s like to feel stuck or lost in your feelings. It shows that it's okay to feel sad and grey sometimes. I really liked the page where there was a scribble on a page even though it might seem boring it has a lot of meanings to it. I also really liked how the pictures were grey and blurry when she was upset, but they got brighter when she got happier. It showed me that feelings can change at any moment. I would recommend this book to anyone. 8/10.

Adam

Homebody
This book is an autobiography about Theo Parish who is transgender and non-binary person and it explores their life as they discover who they are. It also talks about the reactions and negativity from friends surrounding transitioning. I like how it’s in a comic book style because it makes the book more engaging and fun to read and how the colours represent the transgender pride flag which are the colours light pink, light blue, white, light blue and light pink. The age rating for this book is 14+. I would rate this book a 9/10 but it was hard to judge because I haven't been able to read the whole book.

Rhys

Flying High
In the centre of the story there is a boy who is being left out of all the kite games. My favourite part of the story is when Wawa the bird takes him on an adventure, He follows Wawa through the woods and to the beach and then looking at the shells that are perfectly painted. I liked how as the story went on the boy got more and more confident. I loved the colour used for the kites at the kite festival. I would recommend this book for 4+ because you need to learn how to be confident in life and I would rate this book a 8/10.

Sebastian

Homebody
This book is about a trans-gender and non-binary person's biography. They have had multiple setbacks in life including; bullying at school and people not accepting who they are. Theo Parish often wears mixtures of blue and pink, because there is a stereotype that boys like blue and girls like pink. They lived in a gender-relaxed family and grew up with siblings who would grow long hair and wear all colours. I would recommend this book for 11+ but a 10 year old could read it if supervised by a parent. 7/10

Charles

I Love Books
I Hate/Love books is a great book that shows that reading books is a great thing to do because it opens your mind into a completely different world. I like the scene where the book that she chooses is mysteriously glowing and has lots of bright colours coming off of it. I also really enjoyed the pages when she’s reading the book and It turns into a whole different story with different places like: jungles caves and different creatures. I also love the end papers because in the first end paper it has really bland colours, her on her devices and her looking sad but in the second end paper it has pictures of her reading books everywhere and is really colourful. I recommend this book to people who are over the age of 4 because the pages are really engaging with the bright colours at the end. I rate this book a 8/10 because I like how she’s always reading very deeply into the book.

Rhys

Matteo

The Invisible Story
A beautiful story about equity and the importance of Braille. I think the cutouts are a really good touch, considering the book is about Braille, because it makes the reader want to touch the page. I love how the books are portrayed as enclosures for a dazzling story that is fighting tooth and nail to escape its stronghold. I think it best for under the age of 18, but that shouldn’t stop anyone from reading it, 8/10.

Liam

Grey
Grey is a really simple story that is complex in a different way and it is a convincing painting of how it feels to be lost in yourself. I like when Lauren Child drew the squiggle it had a person behind the squiggle. It had a deep meaning to it when you think about it and I also liked the endpapers of the playgrounds because the first one is grey and boring with a spot of green and the second one is filled with bright colours and happiness. The die cuts were exceptional and I really liked that it joined the story together in such a great way,my favourite die cut was the one with the puddle on the road. I would recommend this for all ages because it tells you that you feel grey all the time and it is okay to feel grey 8.5/10.

Sebastian

I Love Books
I Hate Love Books is a story about a girl who does not like reading and gets forced to read a book and goes to a library, starts to read a book and goes on a mystical and magical adventure. My favourite part of the book was when the map of where the girl went and where she was going was very interesting. I really liked how Mariajo Ilustrajo used light sandy colours at the beginning and as the girl started to read she got transported into a bright colorful forest. I would recommend this to 4+. I would rate this a 8.5/10.

Sebastian

Clever Crow
Clever Crow is about how they’re are so many different types of crow and they are all everywhere and around all the famous landmarks. I really enjoyed looking at the end papers because in the first one there are all the illustrations of all the different types of crow egg and then in the second paper all the eggs have hatched into the types of crows. I also like how she used newspapers for some of the backgrounds as well as using splattered ink to colour some of the scenes in the book. I would recommend this book to anyone over the age of 8 because it is a bit more factual and has more comparisons. I rate this book a 7/10 because I like the ink splatter technique and the newspaper background.

Rhys

Clever Crow
Clever Crow is a fun and detailed book with hidden meanings. It is a nonfiction book and it shows that crows aren’t perfect when it comes to flying, singing and how they look, but they are incredibly smart. I also found it really interesting how great crows' memories are and that they live all over the world. The front and back inside cover showing the eggs at the beginning and adult crows at the end is a brilliant way to start and end a book and for me. I think it’s 9/10 but it could definitely be 10/10.

Alex

Flying High
Flying High is a book about a boy who wants to play with people but isn't tall enough to But his best friend Wawa doesn't allow that. Wawa takes him on a journey really high and makes him feel better.The illustrations show when he is sad the same colour covers the whole page but later on the story when he is happy there are lots of colours. I rate this book a 7.5/10 and recommend it to all ages.

Jasper

I Love Books
I really enjoyed I Love Books since it shows you how fun reading can be and how it can take you on magical adventures. I really like how the pictures showed her feeling like when the pictures were dull when she didn’t like books but when she was enjoying the book she used brighter colours like blue, red, yellow and more. I would recommend this book to people who don’t like reading yet, because it shows how fun it really is. 9.5/10.

Adam

Letters in Charcoal
Letters in charcoal is a story about two sisters on an island, the people on the island are surrounded by words but everybody on the island can’t read or write except for a shopkeeper. The older sister gets letters from a doctor and she always imagines what those letters say. They start working for the shop keeper but in exchange he teaches them how to read and write. The style of illustrations in this book shows us that they are surrounded by words but they can’t understand them. I would recommend this book to anyone and I rate 9.99999999/10

Matteo

Letters in Charcoal
Letters in Charcoal is about a girl who doesn’t know how to read or write, she thinks she is getting love letters but she can’t read them so she decides to learn to read and then teaches her whole villa to read and write. I like how Juan Palomino uses different colours for different emotions and feelings as well as how he used the picture of the girl's hair as a picture of the sea and travelling with the person who is sending these love letters away from the villa. I recommend this book to people who are 8+ because it is a bit more grown up. I would rate this book an 8.5/10 because I liked how he used the different colours for the different emotions.

Rhys

Letters in Charcoal
A story that really makes you realise that you have been living in a world where what might seem like an everyday piece of knowledge like reading is unheard of in some places. Great metaphorical illustration, for example when the two sisters are sleeping, the older of the two is dreaming of traveling overseas, you can see this because of the little paper boat in her hair. There are many other examples of this as well, like when the text states that ‘there are words all around us’ and the fish and cereal is made of newspaper. Great for everyone! 9/10.

Liam

Homebody
I quite liked this book as it stands as an autobiography which is a graphic novel. As it talks about finding what it means to be home a safe place where you are accepted. I would recommend this book to those who are trans and non- binary if they are having a hard time being trans or non- binary as you are supported. I would recommend this book to people who are over 13 and I would rate this book a 7/10.

Zaahed

I Love Books
I Love Books is a wonderfully illustrated book. It is about a girl who is addicted to her phone and doesn't like books until her mum shows her the actual power of reading. My favourite pages of the book are the endpapers, what I love about the endpapers is that at the beginning of the endpapers the girl is on her phone and couldn't care less for a book but at the end of the endpapers she is in her own world of books. What I love about the colours is at the beginning of the book before the girl starts to read all the colours are bland and not exciting but still a touch of fluorescent pink on her boots. Then towards the end of the book when the girl goes to the library with her mum a bit of bright colour starts to leak out of a book gradually more and more exciting colours start to fill the page then suddenly the whole page is full with bouncing colours and really expresses how books can make your life much better. I rate this book a 10/10.

Kaan

Homebody
Homebody is a well illustrated book that uses graphic novel style illustrations to show how Theo feels about being non-binary and transgender. This graphic novel also has hidden meanings, for example how all the colours are either pink, blue and white, the colours we traditionally associate with baby boys and baby girls. Every illustration is so powerful and I love the page where it says ‘the stars align’ as it has a second meaning to it ( I became my true self). I would recommend this book to ages 13+ as this book contains some mildly inappropriate graphics for children under 13 I rate it 9/10.

Alex

Grey
Grey is about a child who wakes up feeling grey. I loved how he compares himself to stormy clouds, tea when it’s gone cold, which is my favourite illustration of the story, and even a scribble on a page. I love how Lauren Child used cut-outs, which were really clever. My favourite cutout was when he was staring at a puddle and then he became cold tea or when he was staring out the window and then his mum ended up hugging him . The book perfectly describes how everyone can feel grey and down but you can pursue through it. I rate this book 9.5/10 and I recommend this book to ages 4+.

Alex

Zaahed

Grey
Grey is a simple story that I feel manages to offer a complex but accurate portrayal of how a child could feel. I really enjoyed how Lauren Child manages to portray what a child's drawings might look like. This book made me realise that feeling “Grey” can affect your outlook on life and our perspective on the world around us. This book entertained me because I found it easy to relate to as I believe that everyone sometimes feels a bit upset or “lost in oneself.” The illustrations in this book start with a very dull and “grey” colour palette , but as the book progresses we start to see more pops of colour like blue, yellow and green. An example of this is the endpapers, as at the beginning we see a very dull playground set with shades of grey , but towards the end there is the same playground but now with vivid colours. I would recommend this book for 5+ as I feel like younger audiences would really relate to this book , 8/10.

Sara

Flying High
Flying high is a touching story about a boy who flies his kite. This book is based in a real place in China called Wei Fang. Wei Fang is where kites were invented. My favourite DPS is when they all fly their kites, which gives me an overwhelming feeling. I liked the way she draws people and how they seem cutout. I recommend this story to ages 5+ who enjoy books that explore themes of self recognition and learning to not try to be like everyone else.

Jessica

I Love Books
Letters in Charcoal is a fantastic book. I love how Juan Palomino has used simple yet meaningful pictures which add lots of detail. I also like how he has used colours to describe feelings, for example the page where the older sister is reading her letters and is surrounded by red roses. I really love the double page spread where the 2 sisters are lying down and have their wavy hair together like it is connected, they have ships in their hair so it makes me think that they are dreaming of leaving the pueblo. I like the idea that on the inside back cover that there is the true story of what happened. Overall this was a good book with great illustrations and great context. Although this book is for younger children aimed at 5-8 year olds, older children can enjoy it, I would rate this a solid 8.5/10.

Alex

Flying High
Flying High is illustrated by Yu Rong. Her book is called Flying High, Flying High is set in China during the Kite festival in Weifang. I really like this book because it is set in a place that exists and set during a festival that exists. I really like the colour scheme she has used for this book and all the different types of kites she drew. This book really digs deep and talks about how everyone should be included , big or small, young or old, tired or excited, everyone should be included no matter what. I recommend this book to ages 3+. I rate this book a solid 8/10.

Aria

Grey
Grey is a story about how a girl is feeling a bit sad but then she begins to understand that being sad is just a part of life and by the end of the day she is happy again because she talked about it with someone. I like how Lauren Child used cut-outs to make the book more fun and happy as the book went along. I would recommend this book to anyone over 5 because although the illustrations are great for all ages I think you need to be a little bit older to understand when you're feeling happy or sad. I rate this book a 9/10 particularly for the cut-outs.

Rhys

Grey
I Love Books is a funny, appealing story about how a girl grew to love books. My favorite DPS is when the girl is immersed in the power of storytelling and exclaims ‘WOW’. I also really liked the way Mariajo used different fonts for different characters. I also really liked how before she read the book, all the colours were muted, while after the book her life is full of colours. I'd recommend this book to 5-10 year olds who don’t like reading and need a reminder of how fun and entracing reading can be.

Jessica

Zaahed

Grey
I loved reading Wolf & Bear because it’s a heartwarming story of friendship. One of my favourite features was Kate Rolfe’s technique of drawing called cyanotype which makes the drawings more realistic. I also loved her choice of colours that go magnificently together. I really enjoyed how throughout the story the bear says no to everything but after a while he finally says something different and at that moment it is like the breakthrough of the story. This book was very enjoyable to read and I would rate this book 10/10.

Matteo

Jessica

Letters in Charcoal
Letters in Charcoal is a brilliant book and I loved reading it. I began searching for all the hidden letters in the images and my favourite page was when the two sisters had their hair connected making it look like the ocean. I also liked the colours as they were very different so we could really get the feel of village life in Colombia. Overall, I give this book 9/10. I would recommend it for ages 3-10.

Noah

Homebody
An empowering book about Theo’s journey from binary to non-binary and how it is okay not to feel like you fit in. It also explains what Theo had to go through on their adventure to find themself, and how they pushed through despite the people that were against them and their community. Brilliant illustrations, I really like the punchy comic style in some of the pages, my favourite page however, is Theo as a knight because it really well shows how they were feeling. I’m sure this book helped some people who didn’t quite feel comfortable being binary, people who felt restrained by masculinity or femininity. I think it is appropriate for 14+, 8/10.

Liam

Wolf and Bear
This book is a story of a great friendship that even by a shadow of darkness cannot be broken. I really enjoyed reading this novel because I like the way Kate Rolfe uses cyanotypes to create shadows and different colours to make some of the objects in the book. I was also impressed that she made the blue for the water look glittery and shiny when it was either falling down from a waterfall or splashing through a river. The age rating I would give this book is 3+ because it has such bright engaging colours. 10/10 I hope this book will win.

Rhys

I Love Books
In this hilarious story, a young girl is distraught when she finds out that she has to read a BOOK. When her mom takes her to the library she finds out the magic in books and how books are not just written on a piece of paper. I noticed that in the start of the book she used bland colours but towards the middle and the end she started to use splashes of colours and brighter, more lively colours. I think that this book is for all ages 4+. I would rate this book 8/10.

Charles

Homebody
Home Body is an amazing graphic novel on acceptance and understanding non-binary and trans gender people. In this book, the theme of trying to be who you are runs strongly through it. I like the use of purple throughout the book, because pink and blue mixed together are purple. I think this is clever because Theo is non-binary, and pink is often related to girls, and blue is often related to boys. I also liked the picture of Theo with his body as a house, because they are trying to find their home, and the name of the book is Home Body. I would recommend this book to anyone who is above 14, and especially to non-binary and trans-gender people, because it can show them and teach them about how to fit in. I would rate this book a solid 8.5/10.

Jessie

Clever Crow
Clever Crow Clever Crow is a fun and detailed book with hidden meanings. It is a nonfiction book and it shows that crows aren’t perfect when it comes to flying, singing and how they look, although some of the birds on the inside back cover were beautiful, but they are incredibly smart. I also found it really interesting how great crows' memories are and that they live all over the world. The front and back inside cover showing the eggs at the beginning and adult crows at the end is a brilliant way to start and end a book and for me. I think it’s 9/10 but it could definitely be 10/10.

Alex

Clever Crow
Clever Crow is an amazing book that shows us how smart crows are and how they use their cleverness to survive. It shows how talented and creative birds can be. I really enjoyed Clever Crow because it showed how clever birds can be. It was really cool how the crow was looking around the world, like crows are everywhere you go. The bright colours made the story very enjoyable and easy to follow. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes animals or nature because it shows you how intelligent they really are and it teaches you a lot about birds and how they see the world. 7.5/10.

Adam

Flying High
Flying High is a book about a boy who feels left out and is accompanied by his best friend Wawa who is always there for the boy when he needs help. What I love about this book's illustrations is the way that they're sketched and that gives the book a lot of character. The colours are all blue and yellow except for the kites which are full of colours that really catch your eye. I really was amazed by this book and I rate it a solid 8/10.

Kaan

Homebody
This book is written and illustrated by Theo Parish, Theo is non-binary and trans-gender. This explains their story and their experiences about finding what it’s like to be them. I can’t read this book as it is 14+ but I have learnt a bit about it in lessons. I really loved that they used the colour purple for most of the illustrations as usually blue is mostly associated with boys and pink is associated with girls but purple is the 2 colours mixed showing that Theo has no specific gender and that no colour should represent a gender. I also like the layout and style. I would recommend this book to 14 - 21 year olds. Overall from what I have been able to learn I would rate this a 7.8/10.

Aria

Wolf and Bear
This is a very familiar story of two friends drifting apart, but despite their newfound differences, they find a way to compromise so that everyone is happy. Each page is either very defined, or soft and lazy, this is masterfully used to portray the different emotions of the characters. For example, when Bear has had to say no multiple times to Wolf, he suddenly snaps, and a whole double page is used to display his intense frustration. However, when Wolf is attempting to persuade Bear to play, the vignettes that show fantasies of them playing together across the page display how incredibly fun it would be for Bear to join in. A very true reality for people of all ages, 9.5/10.

Liam

Flying High
Flying High is a book about diversity and inclusivity. It follows the story of a young boy and his bird as they explore what it means to be yourself. I enjoyed this book thoroughly and the heart warming story went perfectly with Yu Rong's art style. She combines pencil sketches with paper cut outs to create playful and diverse pictures. The monotone contrasted brilliantly with the bright vibrant paper cut outs. I also liked the fact that the colors were diverse like the theme of this book. I loved how he discovers he doesn't need to be anyone else. Wawa is the very definition of the word free. I wish the illustrator and the book luck! I rate this book a 9 out of 10.

Selene

Wolf and Bear
Wolf and Bear is a heartfelt story of friendship and identity which I really enjoyed reading. I really liked how Wolf stayed by the bear at all times even when he felt low. It showed true friendship for Wolf. The soft illustrations made the forest feel peaceful and the illustrations really came to life. I would recommend this book to anyone. 9/10.

Adam

Letters in Charcoal
I really enjoyed Letters In Charcoal because it shows that some people were born not as wealthy as others so they did not afford to learn how to read and write but it shows you that if you put your mind to something you can achieve it. I really liked how all the illustrations really stand out and the pictures guided me all throughout the book. I would recommend this book to 6-9 year olds. 8.5/10.

Adam

Grey
Grey is a lovely children's book where a child has been feeling down. I was amazed at how well the cutouts were placed throughout the book. What really caught my attention were the colours and how at the beginning of the book when the child was feeling down all the colours where bland and grey not very colourful and towards the end of the book when the mother helps the child the colours gradually become more bright and happy. This book really sends a message that it's okay to feel down, in my opinion this book is a definite 9/10

Kaan

I Love Books
I love books is illustrated by Marajio Illustrajo. I really love the layout and how she used different types of layouts throughout the book. She started off with boxes and finished the book with a few pages of full - bleed illustrations. I enjoyed the concept of the book because when I was young I found it hard to find books I enjoyed but now I love books.This tells a similar story. I think many kids do find it hard to find books they like to read. It was very smart to use this concept. I found the fact that at the library the book she chose had a little creature wrapped around it very interesting too. Overall I rate this book an 8.5/10.

Aria

The Invisible Story
The Invisible Story is a wonderful book about a book in a library that is hardly ever seen until now a blind girl reaches up and picks the book off the shelf much to the books will. The girl finds so many interesting things in the book but the book thinks its pages are blank. In fact the pages are covered in many little raised dots which are braille. I really like the images in the books because of how the book is mostly white and 3D but there is always a flicker of colour throughout the book. I would recommend this book for 4 to 8 years old but others can read it. I would rate this book 7 out of 10 and 3 stars .

Miraya

Homebody
Homebody is a wonderful book about being trans and non-binaray, and trying to find a way home. As said in the book, Theo doesn’t belong in the Isle of Man, or the City of Women, but just in between. This is a brilliant book where Theo Parish, the illustrator, shows us that it's ok if we don’t have a certain path, or an exact gender, and that if we need to wander around to feel like our true self, that's absolutely fine. This book tells us that whether you’re someone who is trans, non-binary or even both, everyone should all be treated just the same. I think this is an amazing book, but as much as I want to recommend it to all ages, there are some inappropriate illustrations, therefore, I think this book is suitable for ages 11+. I rate this a solid 9.8/10!

Iris

Wolf and Bear
Wolf and Bear is a heartwarming story about two very different friends and shows us the power of music. My favorite DPS is at the end when Wolf sings an enchanting song ‘just for bear’. I really enjoyed the drawings in the page and how Kate blends digital art, watercolor and cyanotype, a special type of art using the sun to create pictures, that creates searingly beautiful illustrations. I’d recommend this to readers from 6-12 that like stories with the theme of friendships, emotions or readers who simply enjoy stunning art about nature.

Jessica

Letters in Charcoal
Letters in Charcoal is about a woman who met someone that visited an island once and they fell in love. He left the island, and every month he would send a message to her. But she didn’t know how to read. So her brother made a deal to a shop keeper to teach him how to read and the shop keeper was the only one who knew how to read on the island. After he knew how to read he taught every one on the island and they read the last letter. I like this book because it shows and tells us how some countries or islands do not know how to read or write and it tells a story about that.I rate this book nine out of ten because of how important it is to know how lucky you are to be able to read and write. I recommend this book for four year olds and over.

Arkady

I Love Books
I Love Books is a picture book following the journey of a girl who dislikes books as she reads and discovers her love for reading. I found this book very entertaining and I could connect with it instantly. The fact that she believes she won’t like the book recommended to her reminds me of when I was younger. When she finishes the book I enjoyed how she “falls under the book’s spell” and continues to read afterwards. The art style suits the playful way this book conveys the message and I hope Mariajo Ilustrajo continues to make pictures for books like this one.

Selene

Flying High
Flying High is a book about diversity and inclusivity. It follows the story of a young boy and his bird as they explore what it means to be yourself. I enjoyed this book thoroughly and the heart warming story went perfectly with Yu Rong's art style. She combines pencil sketches with paper cut outs to create playful and diverse pictures. I loved how he discovers he doesn't need to be anyone else. Wawa is the very definition of the word free. I wish the illustrator and the book luck!

Selene

Letters in Charcoal
Letters in Charcoal is about a girl who lived in a town where virtually no one could read or write. The story isn’t in the words, it’s in the artwork. Every drawing has details such as tin the first drawing where the mum has her diploma in the background. Or the local shopkeeper, who was one of the only people who can read and write in the town when the mum was a girl, and had boxes in the background labeled F and E. There is another picture that I loved that shows two girls (two sisters) lying down with their hair together with a red boat sailing along the sea of curls. This picture shows the oldest sister wanting to see the love of her life but he lives in another country. I would rate this book 7/10 and for ages 4+.

Jude

Clever Crow
Clever Crow is an original non-fiction book about crows. It turns the humble day-to-day crow into a totally different and new animal in its words and drawings. I loved the textures and mediums that Olivia Lomenech Gill used. For example on the front cover where she used splodges of ink to represent the crow’s messiness. I loved the full bleed where the crow was on top of a tower and there were a bunch of landmarks since that represents that crows are everywhere. I would rate this book 8/10 and would recommend this to children ages 5+.

Jude

The Invisible Story
This book is magical and quiet. It's about a blind girl who finds a book and imagines it in her own way. The pictures use paper cuttings and soft colours, and it makes you feel like you're touching the story. I love how the pictures show what she feels and not just what she sees. My favourite bit is when the colours swirl around her and you can see how her world feels. I rate it 8/10 for the illustrations because they are gentle but strong. It’s good for ages 6 and up because it teaches people about disabilities.

Nikolai

Homebody
Homebody is a graphic novel about finding out who you are and feeling okay being yourself. The drawings use colours from the trans flag, like pink, white, and blue, which I think is great and really clever. I liked how the pictures change when the character feels different, and it makes you feel what they feel too. The characters look like real people, not cartoony, and I like that. My favourite bit is the american front cover where the main character is sitting on a roof. I would rate this 9/10 because it shows feelings in a very real way. Good for ages 14 and up.

Nikolai

Letters in Charcoal
Letters in Charcoal is a serious and deep book about a girl who learns to read in a place where life is hard. The pictures show lots of emotion. I really like the part when she writes her first word, because the art makes it feel really big and important. The pictures show shadows and light in a beautiful way. It made me feel sad and happy even though the story is sad in parts. I rate this 10/10 because the drawings tell the story even without words. Best for older kids, maybe 8 and up.

Nikolai

Wolf and Bear
Wolf and Bear is a fantastic book all about friendship. For most of the book the bear does not want to play and it just wants to be alone but the wolf really wants to play. After a while they both agree to listen to the bear sing and then They become friends again. I think the colour choice is really good in this book because it is dark but not too dark and I like how it is sort of sparkly. This book is amazing and I would say most readers above the age of four would love this book. Overall I would rate this book an 8/10.

Hugh

I Love Books
This book is about how amazing books are and how they can take you anywhere. The pictures are really colourful and bright and have funny little details hiding in them. My favourite part is when she realises that books are actually really good . The characters look really excited and happy, and the pictures make you feel that too. I give it 9/10 because the art makes me want to read more of her books. Good for ages 4 and up who like reading and pictures that are made using pencil.

Nikolai

Wolf and Bear
Wolf and Bear is about friendship and feelings and how someone can help you when you feel sad. The drawings use light and shadows in such a clever way that you can tell how the characters feel even without the words. My favourite part is when the wolf sings the song to the bear who turns happy again, and you can see it in the drawings. The animals look so soft and kind and the whole book feels warm. I would say it’s a gentle book that shows what friendship means. I rate it 10/10 because of how it made me feel calm and happy. I think children from 3 and up should read this book.

Nikolai

The Invisible Story
The Invisible Story is an amazing book about how much books can change people. I really liked how the illustrations had so much colour and how the illustrator captured every single detail. I found it really impressive how Wen Hsu Chen managed to do a lot of illustrations nearly only using white yet they did not feel at all boring. I also really liked how the only person that could read the story was the blind person because the story was written in braille.

Hugh

Homebody
Home body is an emotional book talking about the life of a teenage boy and focuses on the awareness of neurodivergent people. What I found interesting was that Theo Parish (who are neurodivergent themselves) used pink and blue together which are the stereotypical colours for boys and girls. Theo also use lots of vignettes which were probably the second best vignettes after Clever Crow. I recommend for 13+ and rate it 8 out of 10

Ermis

The Invisible Story
The Invisible Story is a touching book focusing on the awareness of blind people and Braille. My favourite feature is how she uses water colour to fill up the blankness of the page. These watercolours also combine with paper cutting which makes it unique. I recommend this book for anyone who is interested to learn more about braille and rate it 7.5 out of 10

Ermis

Flying High
Flying High is a wonderful book about a boy who is small so the older children disrespect him. They say he is too small to fly a kite and play with them. but on the annual flying kite day the boy makes his own kite and flies it amongst the others. This book is beautifully illustrated with bright and bold colours to represent energy. My favourite image in the book is at the beginning where the boy is blowing bubbles and his pet bird Wawa is beside him. I would recommend this book to 5 and above. I would rate this book 7.5 out of 10 and 3.5 stars ½.

Miraya

Wolf and Bear
This is a very familiar story of two friends drifting apart, but despite their newfound differences, they find a way to compromise so that everyone is happy. Each page is either very defined, or soft and lazy, this masterfully used to portray the different emotions of the characters. For example, when Bear has had to say no multiple times to Wolf, he suddenly snaps, and a whole double page is used to display his intense frustration. However, when Wolf is attempting to persuade Bear to play, the vignettes that show fantasies of them playing together across the page display how incredibly fun it would be for Bear to join in. A very true reality for people of all ages, 9.5/10.

Liam

Wolf and Bear
Wolf and Bear Wolf and Bear is a brilliant book about two different characters who are best friends. The way they connect with each other is through Wolf singing. For the light and dark (shadow and light) effect the illustrator use’s cyanotype which is basically drawing with the sun and light. My favourite image in the book is when Bear finally comes out of the shadow and steps into the light where Wolf is waiting for Bear. I would recommend this book for 3 and any years above. I would rate this book 10 out of 10 and 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐.

Miraya

Flying High
Flying High is a good book that really brightens up your day with all the different types of vibrant kites. I love how Yu Rong writes about herself in the book, but just as a different character and I love how the boy keeps on persisting to make an even better kite than the children who rejected him. The colours are so bright and powerful and I love how the illustrations just float away on the page, especially the page where all the kites are in the sky. The splashes of colour really bring the book to life and without the illustrations, the book wouldn’t have been the same and the brushstrokes really make the story unique. I would rate this book a 7/10 and I recommend it children over the age of 6.

Paris

The Invisible Story
The Invisible Story is a wonderful book that focuses on a book that is written in braille, so it hides the story, making it invisible. I love how Wen Hsu Chen uses white throughout the whole book and since everything is white with only black outlines, it feels like the pages are invisible which really matches the invisible theme of the book. Everything is white except for the strange spirit-like creatures and magic from the books in the library. One of my favourite pages is when the girl picks up the book written in braille and begins reading it. Her hands just look so real and they flow on the page and the braille looks 3D so you just want to feel it. I love how this book tells me that everyone is different and so are books, they are different in their own way, such as the book in the girl's hand is in braille while all the other books are in words. I would rate this book an 8/10 and I recommend it for children over the age of 5.

Paris

Letters in Charcoal
Letters in Charcoal is a really intriguing book and it really makes you curious about the town where very few can read, but everything is covered with words. I love the story and how the sister decides to learn to read to help her sister and her town. I love how Juan Palomino uses letters for small details and shadows to create depth. He also uses colour to display emotions, such as when the big sister reads the doctor’s letter she feels love and red plants surround her to display that emotion. The way he uses colours, matches the theme as he uses earthy colours and he hides different, small details that show you hidden clues. An example is when the two girls are laying, there’s a blue boat in the younger sister’s hair to symbolise the longingness to explore the world. I really like this book so it’s an 8/10 for me and I would recommend it to ages five and over.

Paris

I Love Books
I Love Books is an amazing, magical book that just makes you want to go inside the book and have fun with all the characters. I love how when the girl tries the book, she enjoys it and goes on an imaginary adventure that truly brings out the meaning of books. This book really tells me that you won’t know what will happen unless you try it and that everyone has their perfect book and that books aren’t just words on a piece of paper, but they’re creative adventures to be enjoyed. I love how at the beginning of the endpapers, there are multiple illustrations of the girl and all of them have her with a phone and looks unhappy, but at the end of the endpapers there are illustrations of the girl in her imaginary world. Mariajo Ilustrajo uses a sketchy, neat technique that just stands out and the colours she uses really match together. I love her illustrations when the girl goes on the adventure and she really brings out the magic in the book. I will rate this a solid 10/10 and I recommend it to children over the age of 5.

Paris

Clever Crow
Clever Crow is a wonderful book expressing that crows are more than just some birds on the streets of London but they are much more than that. They are smart, intelligent and playful. My favourite image in the book is the front cover because I love how the illustrator used watercolours to create an effect which looks like the crow is in the spotlight and is in the middle of an explosion. This book is for 3 to 7 year olds. I would rate this book 8 out of 10 and 4 stars .

Miraya

The Invisible Story
This Book is illustrated by Wen Hsu Chen. This book is about a girl who is blind and how she relies on her other scenes to allow her to understand things and move around.Wen has cleverly drawn the images to make them almost look 3D. Whenever you look at the drawings it almost makes you want to try and feel the images that are in the book. I recommend this book to all ages as it tells a different story to everyone.I rate this book a 8.3/10

Aria

Homebody
This book is written and illustrated by Theo Parish, Theo is non-binary and trans-gender. This explains their story and their experiences about finding what it’s like to be them. I can’t read this book as it is 14+ but I have learnt a bit about it in lessons. I really loved that they used the colour purple for most of the illustrations as usually blue is mostly associated with boys and pink is associated with girls but purple is the 2 colours mixed showing no colour should represent a gender. I also like the layout and style. I would recommend this book to 14 - 21 year olds. Overall from what I have been able to learn I would rate this a 7.8/10.

Aria

Clever Crow
This story is about all the different types of crows, how clever they are and that even though they don’t have the prettiest voices they are still beautiful in their own way. This book was illustrated by Olivia Lomonech Gill. On the cover pages the first cover page shows all the different types of crow eggs and on the back it’s drawings of what the crows look like when they grow up. I really liked this book because it tells us about how crows are everywhere even if we don’t notice them. On the very first page there is a crow standing on top of a garbage bin looking at a landscape. This landscape has very famous landmarks from all over the world in one little city. This book showed us not everything has to be beautiful to be loved.. I would recommend this to ages 5 and up. I rate this book a 7.5 / 10.

Aria

Letters in Charcoal
Letters in Charcoal is about a woman who met someone that visited the island once and they fell in love. He left the island, and every month he would send a message to her. But she didn’t know how to read. So her brother made a deal to a shop keeper to teach him how to read and the shop keeper was the only one who knew how to read on the island. After he knew how to read he taught every one on the island and they read the last letter. I like this book because it shows and tells us how some countries or islands do not know how to read or write and it tells a story about that.I rate this book nine out of ten because of how important it is to know how lucky you are to be able to read and write. I recommend this book for four year olds and over.

Arkady

Flying High
Flying High is about a boy who is discriminated against because of his height and that is why he only plays with a bird. One day the bird shows him that you are big and small like trees and shells. I think this book is brilliant because it has lots of full bleeds and a few half bleeds. I like how Yu Rong uses pencil for hair and how the boy eventually gets included in a kite festival and he is included now. I rate this book eight out of ten because I love how it shows that no one should be discriminated against for any reason. I think this book should be read by three year olds and over to understand that you should include everybody.

Arkady

Homebody
This is a wonderful book about a trans and non-binary person who is taking the steps in getting to know their body. I really like the illustrations in this book and how at the beginning there are only 2 colours that run through the book but near the end a new colour starts to be used like a third gender. The way Theo created this book to express their feelings is phenomenal. I think this book is for teens and 14 plus. I would rate this book 10 out of 10.

Miraya

The Invisible Story
The Invisible Story is a great book where it shows you that anyone can read books, blind or not. This book talks about braille, which is how blind people read and write. In this book, there’s a book in a library with braille, but it’s never been seen or read. When the girl takes it out, the book was shy and nervous. I think this book is very important to everyone because it really shows people what it’s like to be blind, and I think this book is suitable for ages 7+, but everyone can read it! For me, I rate this book 7.7/10!

Iris

Clever Crow
Clever Crow is a wonderful non-fiction book about crows. It emphasises how crows are clever. In the first part, Chris Butterworth writes about their habitat, and where they live. In the second part, we learn about their cleverness, in smaller crows copying from larger crows. My favourite part of this book is when we see an older crow poking a stick to hunt for worms, then a younger crow also doing the same thing. I loved this book, because it teaches us about the importance of crows, and also hints about the safety of crows at the beginning. I would recommend this to anyone who is above the age of five, and would rate this 7.5/10.

Jessie

Clever Crow
Clever Crow is an amazing book where you explore the wonders of various types of crows. Everyone always seems to see crows as dirty, and just an annoying bird that you shoo away, but in this book, it really shows the beauty of crows, and their intelligence. I especially like the page at the front showing all the eggs and the different colours and styles, and then on the back page there are all the crows that were the eggs hatched from the first page. The illustrations of Clever Crow are amazing, and although there was no particular story, it was still amazing to read about crows in a children’s picture book, which I hardly ever come across! I recommend this book to anyone 6+, but even as a 10 year old, I still loved it! 8.8/10!

Iris

Wolf and Bear
Wolf and Bear is an amazing book where two friends sort out their problems from the past, and Bear apologises for his actions and makes amends with Wolf. I like this book because it shows that even if you have arguments, you should always learn to forgive. I also like this book because of the wonderful illustrations, like how Kate Rolfe, the illustrator, has used a very unique technique called cyanotype, which she has used throughout the entire book. I recommend this book to anyone ages 5+, but I think anyone can enjoy it as well! I rate it an 8.5/10!

Iris

Wolf and Bear
Wolf and Bear is a heartwarming story about two friends who play together. But one day, Wolf pushes Bear too far and Bear gets angry. Wolf tries to get Bear to play but he won’t so Wolf sings his sorrows to the full moon. Bear is entranced by Wolf’s singing and is lured out. They become friends again and Wolf sings sweetly to Bear. I like how Kate Rolphe uses warm and cold colours to contrast the characters’ feelings and emotions and how she uses cyanotype ( a technique that involves using sun to expose bits of paper that haven’t been covered). I would recommend this book to 5+ readers and I would rate this book 10/10.

Qianyu

Ermis

Wolf and Bear
I really like Wolf and Bear because the colours really go well like the blue for when the Bear feels sad and when the Wolf feels energetic orange. I like the streams of colour that shows the warmth of Wolf's voice. I also really like the page were the bear screams NO!! because I like how messy the Bear is drawn. I would rate this book a 8 out of 10 for illustrations.

Camilla

Homebody
I like how Homebody is drawn and how they did the illustrations but in my opinion I think the pictures need more colours. I like how simple the pictures are drawn and I think it makes it more enjoyable to read. I think that the story sends a message saying if you are non-binary you are just like any other person. I would rate this book 7.5 for illustration.

Camilla

Letters in Charcoal
Letters in Charcoal is a really really good book that I recommend for all ages. I really like how the designs are really basic but are used so cleverly. My favourite illustration is the double spread where Gina found out what Miguel Ángel was saying and when she held out the blue dress with lighter blue stripes going down it, there is a boat on it and it looked like a sea. I really like this because Juan Palomino has made his artwork so clever and the colours are also so bold on the page. I really like this book and I would rate it 9/10.

Otto

Letters in Charcoal
Letters in Charcoal is a book about a girl that wants to know how to read because she wants to read her sister's letters. She also wants to teach her sister. She asks the local grocer to teach her to read and write and they come to an agreement that if he teaches her how to read then she will have to work at his shop. She then teaches all the children in her pueblo. I think this is for people at ages 5 and over. I rate this book 5 out of 5.

Ettore

Grey
I really like Grey and all the illustrations because they are very simple and they contain lots of metaphors like when she is the tea when it's gone cold and the storm in the clouds. I also like how they used very simple colours at the start to show how the girl was feeling. All through the book I find it nice how they cut out some of the page and when you flip it it shows something else. In the end I think it is good how the mum says i love you how ever you are feeling, to say that everybody sometimes can have a bad day. I would rate this 8 out of 10.

Camilla

Grey
I love Grey because it shows you that you don’t always have to be in a good mood. My favourite part was when she said how she doesn’t feel “sunset yellow” or “treetop green”. I also love that Lauren Child smudged grey charcoal a lot to make it seem like a rainy cloud. I think children from 4+ should read this book so they know it’s ok to feel grey. Overall I rate this book ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5!

Ailin

Wolf and Bear
Wolf and Bear is a heartwarming story about a wolf who is always asking her friend Bear to play. But sometimes a great sadness falls upon Bear and the shadow of the mountain draws his thoughts away. The illustrations used in this book display techniques such as vignettes and making Bear blue a colour usually associated with sadness and Wolf a white colour usually associated with joy and happiness. I like the double spread showing Bear in the shadows and Wolf sadly walking home in the snow.

Thibault

Wolf and Bear
Letters in Charcoal is a heartwarming book and explores different themes like love, siblingship, and determination. This book shows that there are some people who are so unfortunate that they can’t learn how to read and write. I like how the girl is always determined to learn how to write and read just so she can read her sister’s love letters she receives every day from a secret lover. This is a very touching book to read and I recommend this book to 7+ readers, though anyone can read it! I rate this book a 9/10!

Iris

Wolf and Bear
This book is a very sweet, heartwarming story about the friendship between a wolf and a bear. Everything is going ok until one day wolf pushes bear too far, so bear hides in the shadows, scared to come out. Wolf tries everything to get wolf out the shadows like asking him to play with her. But sadly everytime she asks, he says no. Soon though he forgets about the fight, and wolf and bear are happy together again! This story is a very cute story about friendships and how there are sometimes arguments and fights. I quite enjoyed reading this book too. The illustrations are so cute and delightful and always make me feel happy. It is really cool how Kate Rolfe uses magic around wolf when she sings. Kate also used a technique called cyanotype printmaking. This is created by painting with sunlight and shadow, which show a lot of emotion. This is a nice book and would rate it a solid 8.3/10!

Bella

Clever Crow
Clever Crow is an incredible book. In my opinion, the background and texture is amazing, especially the newspaper background. The things that I especially liked was that they showed the crow all around the pages even on the crows that aren't written about and I think this is because it shows that wherever you are, there will probably be a crow near you. I recommend this book for all ages and rate it a solid 9.5/10.

Ermis

The Invisible Story
The Invisible Story is a great book as it doesn’t focus on colour, but plain white. The white shows that it could be a dull library and it really expresses the pictures. The white looks like sculptures and this is unique to this book. The colourful illustrations are like they are crumbled up like paper. Wen Hsu Chen really made this book special and stand out from the other books. My favourite page is where the girl picks up the book. I would recommend this book to curious readers about ages 5-7. I rate this book a solid 9/10.

Zeynep

Wolf and Bear
Wolf and Bear is an outstanding book about deep friendship. It uses a variety of art styles including cyanotype. Cyanotype is a way of art by using the sun to expose some bits. I really like this book because it shows that big friendships can never be truly broken. I recommend this book to 3+ because everyone has very good friends from a young age. I rate this book an easy 10/10.

Avik

Wolf and Bear
Wolf and Bear is an outstanding book with lots of emotions being put into colours. I really like this because you can see this when Wolf cries his sorrows out and the colours are smoothly coming together. It is a brilliant book because you can see how friendship can never be broken. There are lots of full bleeds and half bleeds. I recommend this book for three year olds and over so they understand how friendship works. I rate this book ten out of ten.

Arkady

Wolf and Bear
I love this book because of the colours that she uses throughout. They match the story perfectly and they are very warm colours. I like how in some of the drawings the bear is smaller than in the others because it signifies that the bear is feeling small inside. I recommend this book to younger readers and I give it an 8/10.

Jasmine

Flying High
I enjoyed Flying High because of how the illustrator blends pencil with colour and gives a nice effect. It also uses reflection on some pages which I found really interesting. Despite this, In my opinion, It would be better if it stood out more as it does in the other books. I recommend this to all ages and rate it a 7/10.

Ermis

Grey
Grey is a book that says you can feel any emotion and in this case the girl in the book is feeling grey. What I like about this book is when the girl compares herself to other things like sunshine yellow or a puddle on the street. But my overall favourite illustration is when the girl that is lying on her bed has grey pyjamas but when her mum hugs her (over the page) they become multi coloured. I would say that this book is 4+ and that it is a solid 4 out of 5.

Ettore

Flying High
Flying High is a fantastic book that teaches children to include everybody and it doesn't matter about your size. My favorite DPS is when the little girl throws the kite into the river as I found it impressive how simple it is but how much detail they can get on the illustration. I love how bright the colours are because I found that in the other books the colour choices were a bit dull. This book is good for all ages above 3 and I rate this book 7/10.

Hugh

I Love Books
I love books is great book. It teaches us what reading can do to us and our brains. The illustrations are very detailed and sophisticated, Mariajo Illustrajo has outdone herself. I like the use of different mediums as it really brings the illustrations to life. The girl has different expressions on her face throughout the book and this really shows her mood and how she is feeling. I like how the colour palette slowly, gradually gets brighter. I like the page where suddenly she goes from on the sofa to a bright, new world. I recommend this book for readers around ages 5-7, older readers can definitely enjoy it, as it teaches the importance of reading. I rate this book a solid 9/10.

Zeynep

I Love Books
I love books is a fabulous book that I recommend for all ages. I really like how the illustrator has put so much thought into the drawing and how when she did not like books all the colours around her were really dull but when she started reading the book all of the colours around her started to become bright and colourful. My favourite illustration of the story is the double spread when she starts reading the book and she finds herself in a world of her own. I really like this part of the book because everything seems more bright and happy and it is a big change from all of the dull colours before. This book is about how reading is really important for you and that you have to try new things in life.

Otto

Grey
Grey is about a child who wakes up feeling grey. I loved how she started to compare herself to stormy clouds, tea when it’s gone cold and a scribble on a page. But even though they are in such a dull and bored mood, there is colour and light everywhere. I love how Lauren Child used cut-outs and charcoal pencils. The book perfectly describes how everyone can feel grey and sad but you can get through it. I rate this book 8/10 and I recommend this book to ages 3+.

Jude

Grey
Grey is a wonderfully illustrated book about a child who feels grey, a colour used to portray the emotions being felt by the character throughout the book. This book uses clever illustration techniques such as the use of page cut-outs and using simple but powerful illustrations. I like the use of the comparison to grey items such as cold tea and dark clouds. I would say this book is appropriate for all ages as the concepts explored are relevant to anyone as everyone has good and bad days.I would rate this book 4.7 stars.

Thibault

Letters in Charcoal
Letters in Charcoal is a heartwarming book and explores different themes like love, siblingship, and determination. This book shows that there are some people who are so unfortunate that they can’t learn how to read and write. I like how the girl is always determined to learn how to write and read just so she can read her sister’s love letters she receives every day from a secret lover. This is a very touching book to read and I recommend this book to 7+ readers, though anyone can read it! I rate this book a 9/10!

Iris

Wolf and Bear
I think this is a really heartwarming book about animal friends.This book is really good because Kate Rolfe uses such calm colors using oil pastels and crayons they work together like harmony. My favorite part is when the wolf is howling on top of the rock because the colors she uses are spectacular, and the prints in the rock are something I have never seen before. I would recommend this book for all ages because it is a lovely book and this is by far my favorite so far I would rate this 11 out of 10.

Sebastian

Grey
Grey is a heartwarming story about a lonely boy who feels grey. He tries to discuss his feelings with his mother, who listens very carefully to him. The mother then responds with comforting words,telling the boy that sometimes he can feel grey, and not feel like you fit in anywhere. Towards the end of the book, we see her boots, and then her hand,and finally her face. I liked this book because it is a great way to explain to younger children that it’s okay to feel grey and sad. My favorite part of the book was at the end, at the cut-out, when the mum is leaning forward towards the boy, and we turn the page, and the mum is hugging him and keeping him close. I would recommend this to Yr 1, but older people can definitely enjoy it as well. I would rate this book 9/10.

Jessie

Grey
I enjoyed this book a lot since it deeply shows us what it’s like to feel stuck or lost in your feelings. It shows that it's okay to feel sad and grey sometimes.I really liked the page where there was a scribble on a page even though it might seem boring it has a lot of meanings to it .I also really liked how the pictures were grey and blurry when she was upset, but they got brighter when she got happier. It showed me that feelings can change at any moment. I would recommend this book to anyone. 8/10

Adam

Wolf and Bear
I love Wolf and Bear because it reminds me of friendship and how powerful that is. It also reminds me that friends don't have to be the same because wolf is fun and energetic but bear isn't as fun but they are still best friends. I rate this book at 8.5 /10 and recommend it to all ages.

jasper

Grey
Grey is a really lovely book that I enjoyed reading. It is about a girl that is feeling sad and grey. His mum tells him that it is okay to feel grey sometimes. I really like the die-cuts and the drawing of a scribble on a page. It shows the child in grey and everything else in colour. This book shows us it’s okay to feel grey or sad sometimes. I would recommend this book to all ages. I would rate this book 8/10.

Qianyu

Clever Crow
A fact-full adventure through the eyes of the tremendous, amazing, clever crow! One of the most boring birds ever, or so you thought, the humble crow is something we pay no attention to, this really opened my eyes to the secret lives of crows. This book was so deeply thought out. Non-fiction never looked so good! I think the page with the crow and the ink perfectly encaptured the message the author is trying to get through. Great for all ages! 9.5/10.

Liam

Wolf and Bear
Wolf and Bear is a Heartwarming story (fiction) about a bear and a wolf's relationship. In this book Kate Rolfe uses cyanotype, a process which uses the sun to bring colour to the book. This makes dazzling shades and portrays the mood of the book by showing dark colours for bad moods and light colours for joyful moods. She often uses cyanotype on the plants to make a clear shape for them. In the book the Wolf pushes the Bear to its limit, and the Bear becomes surrounded in darkness. I think people of any age can read this, but I think this is targeted at slightly younger readers. I very much recommend this book as I love it. 8.5/10 Personally I hope that it wins.

Charles

Wolf and Bear
Wolf and Bear is a heartwarming, magical picture book filled with wonderful watercolour illustrations. I just love how this book tells us that friendship is important and friends will stay by your side no matter what and how Wolf always stays by Bear and that Bear still cares for Wolf even through his sadness. Kate Rolfe uses really clever colours in her book, bright colours for Wolf and dark ones for Bear because Wolf is happy and Bear is sad and that indicates the colour themes for the characters. I love how there’s magic all around and between them to bring them together and the illustrations are amazing, like you want to be in the book and how she uses a mix of light and dark colours. The illustrations and colours are just so magical, heartwarming and vibrant that it brings the story to life. I recommend this story to all ages and I rate it a solid, definite 10/10.

Paris

Clever Crow
A fact-full adventure through the eyes of the tremendous, amazing, clever crow! One of the most boring birds ever, or so you thought, the humble crow is something we pay no attention to, this really opened my eyes to the secret lives of crows. This book was so deeply thought out, non-fiction never looked so good! I think the page with the crow and the ink perfectly encaptured the message the author is trying to get through. Great for all ages! 9.5/10.

Liam

Clever Crow
I feel like Clever Crow is a non-fiction book that brings the everyday, casual crow into the spotlight with a great effect. This book showcases lots of interesting facts about crows, including facts about their great memory and their adaptability to the fast paced world that surrounds them. I would recommend this book as I really enjoyed the point of perspective and how she uses different materials for her illustrations.I love how she teaches us about the similarities between humans and crows which are ingeniously highlighted at the end which made me gain a newfound respect for the humble crow by the end.

Sara

Clever Crow
Clever Crow is a fun and detailed book with hidden meanings, it also shows they aren’t perfect when it comes to flying, singing and how they look, although some of the birds on the inside back cover were beautiful, but they are incredibly smart. I also found it really interesting how great crows' memories are and how they live all over the world. The front and back inside cover showing the eggs at the beginning and hatchlings at the end is a brilliant way to start and end a book and for me, personally I think it’s 9/10 but it could definitely be 10/10.

Alex

Zaahed

Flying High
Flying High is an interesting book about a child who felt left out from others’ games because he was too short. This story is set in Wei Fang, a place in China, where kites were invented. This book shows us that we are all different and don’t need to be the same as everyone else. My favorite part is when Wawa shows the boy the sea. This is ideal for all readers.

Jessica

Clever Crow
Clever Crow is especially a great book because it really tells us about crows and how they aren’t just vermin that make your eardrums bleed. One of my favourite pages of the book are the endpapers. It's so wondrous that there are that many crow species. I especially liked how the beginning endpapers have all the eggs of the crow family on them and the endpapers at the back of the book have all the crows hatched as if time has passed. It’s very interesting how amazing a crow’s memory is. I would recommend this book to absolutely anyone. I rate it 9.5/10.

Kaan

Clever Crow
Clever Crow is a fun and detailed book with hidden meanings, it also shows crows aren’t perfect when it comes to flying, singing and how they look, although some of the birds on the inside back cover were beautiful, but they are incredibly smart. I also found it really interesting how great crows' memories are and how they live all over the world. The front and back inside cover showing the eggs at the beginning and hatchlings at the end is a brilliant way to start and end a book. For me, I think this book is 9/10 but it could definitely be 10/10.

Alex

Wolf and Bear
Wolf and Bear is a quite unique book in my opinion since it uses different art styles such as cyanotype. Cyanotype is not in every book you read and is a way of art by using the sun to expose bits. This is one of my favourite books because personally I have never seen a book like this. I rate it a 10/10.

Ashar

I Love Books
I love this book because at the start she didn't even try reading a book and her classmate didn't like reading either but her other classmate likes reading books. I like the fact the story just changes with one page and all of a sudden , it’s a new book. I rate this book a 9/10 and recommend it to 5-12 year olds.

Jasper

Grey
A beautiful tale of a child who is battling his emotions, feeling grey, feeling worthless. Finally, he (but it could be a she) relieves himself of the emptiness that has been building on his shoulders throughout the day. An absolute masterpiece. I love the style of how the illustrations are so imperfect and childish and messy - they make me shiver, in the best way possible. Recommended for everyone. 9/10.

Liam

The Invisible Story
The Invisible Story is a really good book that I recommend for all ages. I really like how the illustrations look like scrunched up tissue paper and the book shelves look like paper or card cut out to look like pictures. My favourite part of the book is where the characters are comparing themselves and having a competition on who is the best. I like this because I think that all of the coloured tissue paper looks so good together. I also like how all of the pages are half-bleeds as I think that the colours are so bold and clear on the white. I think that this is a brilliant book and I rate it 10/10.

Otto

I Love Books
I Love Books is an amazing book about a girl who hates books but her homework over the holidays is that she has to read a book. She gets really annoyed about this but then she starts to read it, and can’t put it down! I know many people can relate to this book :) I enjoyed reading this book because it is a slightly longer picture book and the illustrations really tell a story. The amount of detail put into it is crazy. In one scene there is one of the illustrator's other books in the background, the facial expressions that are used and the little bits of bright orange used. The only thing I would say is I don't really like the illustration used on the cover. Apart from that it is an awesome book! I would rate this book a 8.6/10! I would definitely recommend this book for 6-8/9 year olds!

Bella

The Invisible Story
I really like this book because it is about a book that wants to be like the other great fairy tales on the shelf but he will never be because he thinks his pages are blank. Until a blind girl comes along and runs her fingers on the spines and finds this book. Suddenly the book talks to her and says don't read me because my pages are blank. But in fact the pages are written in braille. I would rate this book 4 out of 5 and for children over 6.

Ettore

Grey
I think Grey is a fabulous book, about a girl who feels grey, anyone can feel grey whenever they won’t wherever they want, she doesn’t have to feel sunshine yellow or balloon orange bright or treetop green or night sky black not even new idea white. My favourite part is the cutouts where she looks down at herself in a puddle and then you flip the page and she’s looking at herself in the tea. I would rate this book a solid 9/10 especially the illustrations because they are really good.I rate this book to be read from 4 upwards as it teaches everyone (including adults) about feelings.

Nikolai

Flying High
Flying high is a great book about trusting who you are. In the book, the boy is classified as too small to play with the older kids, but when he flies his own kite he feels he is strong. It has amazingly drawn pictures and has a great use of colour. I love the kites and the detail. The moral of the story is to trust who you are, you are who you are and that will not change. I think this book is for 7-9 year olds. Yu Rong has great illustrations but she could add some more colour. I would rate this book a solid 7/10.

Zeynep

The Invisible Story
I think Invisible Story is a great book because it shows people how it is to be blind. It also spreads awareness about braille. The Invisible Story shows that you don’t have to be blind in order to read a book. I think children from 8+ should read this book to know about braille. I rate this book ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 10!

Ailin

Letters in Charcoal
In Letters in Charcoal, a book set in an ordinary pueblo, most people do not know how to read. In this book, one of the main character’s sisters is sent love letters but does not know how to read them. Then, she asks the shopkeeper how to read, with a deal that she helps him sort out products, and they learn the wonders of the alphabet. As she learns it, she figures out that her sister’s boyfriend is moving away and she is heartbroken. The simple but effective illustrations are bold and noticeable, easily blending in with the text. I recommend this book for children 8+ and I rate it 8.25/10.

Isaac

I Love Books
I hate love books is a lovely story. I like the drawing style and the warm tone used throughout the book. Mariajo captured the girl's hatred of books and she captured how a story can take you on your own adventure. I would give this a 8/10 and I would recommend this book for 3 and above.

Liberty

Grey
Grey is an amazing book about a boy understanding that it’s ok to feel grey, and that you can’t always feel happy and bright yellow. As well as the amazing story about knowing that there’s always someone there for you, beside you or not, I also love the wonderful illustrations. I think the cut-out transitions were very clever, especially the choice of colours Lauren used. I love how at the end the boy’s mum tells him that boy loves him however he’s feeling, even if it’s grey! I think this book is suitable for any younger readers, but anyone can read and enjoy this book as well! I rate this book a 9/10!

Iris

Clever Crow
Clever Crow is an amazing book. Some people think that crows are bad creatures because they steal our food but the book shows us that crows are not that bad. I love how Olivia Lomenech Gill draws not perfectly but it is like she is sketching a crow. I love the drawing of a crow standing on top of all the landmarks. That shows that crows are all around the world. I also love that on the inside front cover it shows all the eggs and on the inside back cover it shows when the eggs hatch into baby crows. I recommend this book to all ages because most young children like birds. I rate this book an amazing 10/10.

Avik

Letters in Charcoal
Letters in Charcoal is an amazing picture book, Juan Palomino has used simple pictures to bring the story to life. I also like how he has shown us that some people are less fortunate than us through pictures. I like the use of newspapers as a detail on some of the pages. I really love the double page spread where the 2 sisters swash their hair together like it is connected. I like the idea that on the inside back cover that there is the true story of what happened. Overall this was a good book with great illustrations and great context. Although this book is aimed at 5-7 year olds, older children can enjoy it. I would rate this a solid 9/10.

Zeynep

Homebody
Homebody is a well illustrated book that uses graphic novel style illustrations to show how Theo feels about being non-binary and transgender. This graphic novel delves deeper into gender discrimination and how some people don’t feel comfortable being classified as male or female. Theo Parish uses techniques such as stating the protagonists journey as a journey of finding yourself. I would recommend this book to ages 11+ as this book contains some mildly inappropriate graphics for children under 11. I rate it 4.8 stars out of 5.

Thibault

Miraya

Homebody
I like how Homebody is drawn and how they did the illustrations but in my opinion I think the pictures need more colors. I like how simple the pictures are drawn and I think it makes it more enjoyable to read. I think that the story sends a message saying if you are non-binary you are just like any other person. I would rate this book 7.5 for illustration.

Camilla

Grey
Grey is a really good book about a little girl who is feeling a little bit grey. The colour and emotion ‘grey’ is represented really well and compared to other things like the tea when it’s gone cold and not new idea white or sunshine yellow. I love the use of how the girl is grey all through the book, including when she is being carried by her mum but then at the end of the book she has colourful pajamas and has her natural colour back. I really like the style of drawing, simple and neat. I think it is a really clever book and would definitely recommend it to anyone under the age of 8. I would rate this book a solid 8.7 for the illustrations and overall a 9.

Bella

The Invisible Story
The Invisible Story is about a braille book that has never been read because not many blind people come into libraries. When a blind girl picks up the book, the book is very scared and acts as if it isn’t meant to be read. The illustrations almost jump out of the book and seep out creating some colour in a white book. Cut out and watercolour really shine in this book and show that the strongest colours are in your imagination. This book helps people understand braille and creates empathy to those that are blind. For me, this book is a 8/10.

Isaac

Clever Crow
I really like Clever Crow because the pictures are so detailed and I really enjoy reading the story because the pictures really help to understand the story. I also like that on the first page it shows a crow on a bin and in the background it says famous places from around the world to say that crows live everywhere. I also find it interesting that on the front page it shows all the eggs of the crows and on the back page it shows them hatched. I would rate this book 9.5 out of 10.

Camilla

Wolf and Bear
Wolf and Bear is a dazzling book that I recommend for all ages. I really like how Kate Rolfe has used lots of really calm colours using digital drawing, pastels and crayons as they work so well together. My favourite illustration of the book is where the wolf is standing on top of the rock howling at the moon. I really like this because everything on the double spread is drawn with so much detail, even the rock has got the reflections on it from the colour of the wolf howling. This book is about how you don’t always have to like the same things, but everyone will always have a connection with someone.

Otto

Clever Crow
Clever Crow is an excellent book. My favourite part of it is the illustrations on the front and back covers because on the front one there are the eggs of the crow family and on the back cover there are the birds of the crow family so it's like the crows have grown with the book. I think this book shows that even though crows aren't beautiful or amazing fliers they are still the most clever of all birds. This book is for 5+ readers and I would rate this book 5 stars.

Ettore

Clever Crow
Clever Crow is an outstanding book. It explains to you all about crows in a fun way. My favorite DPS was when the crow was standing on top of the bin looking at the city because I liked how the famous landmarks showed that crows are all over this planet. I thought that it was really smart with the photo of the bird eggs at the beginning and once they had hatched into their species of crow. The detail in this book was also amazing because it felt like they captured every single little detail on the birds and in the background. I also loved the newspaper background. I would recommend this book for all ages and for me it is a 10/10.

Hugh

Wolf and Bear
Wolf and Bear is a positive story about telling people how you really feel. Kate Rolfe has used cyanotype to illustrate and brighten the colours of dark and light. I really like the colours as there are so many and there is a dark and a light side, dark for bear and light for wolf. My favourite page is when wolf sings to bear, the song contains all colours! I think all of the pages are very good and colourful. I love how there is a special leaf that bear carries around with him all the time (as referenced in the video). I think this book will be important for children holding all of their thoughts and feelings inside them and this book will show them to get all of that out. I would recommend this book to younger children around 5 years old, but I still think that older people can still enjoy it! I would rate this book a solid 10/10, it will always hold a special place in my heart.

Zeynep

Wolf and Bear
Wolf and Bear is a well illustrated and well written book. I think that all the drawings are original and heartwarming. I loved the textures and the mediums that Kate Rolfe used but the thing I loved best of all, was her colour choice. I think that the colours that Kate Rolfe used perfectly matched the story line about how everyone walks into the shadows, but only true friends walk with you.

Jude

Grey
Grey is an amazing book explaining how it is ok to feel a bit grey sometimes and how children can feel deep emotions. The book has several smart cut outs and illustrations. I think that the author has also done really well only using grey for most of the book and still making the illustrations very detailed and expressful. My favorite DPS was probably the one with the balloon flying out of the window because of how well it has been done. Grey is definitely for me and I would rate it a 10/10.

Hugh

Homebody
Homebody is an amazingly illustrated book which shows what it is like to be non-binary. It shows that there is no specific point or destination; there is only a path. They show that they are not in the Isle Of Man or City Of Women, they do not belong in either. They show what it is like to be non-binary and that sometimes there are difficulties like not fitting in. In Homebody, there are blue and pink colours representing stereotypical “boy colours” and “girl colours.” This is a wonderful non-fiction book and I recommend it to readers 12+. I rate this 8.5/10.

Isaac

Homebody
I loved the book. It was my favourite out of all the eight books. I like it because it shows that it is ok and normal to not know where you have been put on a map and try to take an adventure sometimes to figure out where you are. I like the use of colours it really matches the theme and the story. I recommend this book to anybody. I think the title is really clever because home is a happy, peaceful, heartwarming place and so is your body.

Jasmine

Grey
This is a wonderfully written book about a girl who suddenly starts feeling grey. Her day is grey, everything around her is grey. She is lonely and miserable but her mum loves her however she feels. My favourite image is when her mum wraps her arm around her at the windowsill and her pyjamas go from grey to full colour and she is no longer grey and sad. I really liked this book because sometimes I can be feeling down and grey but it really is ok to be feeling grey. I really like the style of this book with the sketchy drawings and the black and white theme throughout the book. I think this is a really good book for all years but I would recommend it for mostly 10 and below. I’d rate this book 10 out of 10.

Miraya

Clever Crow
Clever Crow is a beautifully illustrated and thoughtfully written children’s book by Olivia Lomenech Gill that talks about crows and what they do it mentions their intelligence and how many different species of crow their are. I like how at the front end paper their are drawings of eggs with the name of the crow species and at the end the actual birds. I would Recommend this book for readers 3-9 and I would rate it 8/10.

Noah

Grey
I really liked this book since it describes how she is feeling. Like if you had a grey day for example you would feel like just sitting there not eating not really doing anything or you're just upset or not feeling like your everyday self. This was a nice story. I recommend this book to most people like a normal book. I rate this book a 10/10.

Ashar

Letters in Charcoal
Letters in Charcoal is an amazing book and I really liked it. I love how Juan shows that some people are less fortunate than others, and that some people can’t afford to get taught how to read. I love how Juan used the use of colours and letters in this book. I think this book is aimed for 5-8 year olds, but anyone can read it and enjoy it. I really enjoyed reading this book, so I will definitely rate this book a solid 9/10.

Leia

The Invisible Story
The Invisible Story is an amazing book. I love how Wen uses the book to show how the book that was found in the library by the child got really embarrassed when the book said it had nothing in it, but the child was blind and the book really helped her read the story through Braille. Wen really showed the importance of Braille, and really shows to any reader how important Braille really is. I think this book is aimed for 3-7 year olds, but anyone can read and enjoy this book. I really liked this book, so I will rate this book a solid 8/10.

Leia

Wolf and Bear
Wolf and Bear is a really good book, and I really liked it. I love how Kate used cyanotype to show the light and shadow of the story of how the wolf is always in the light and Bear is always in the shadows. These illustrations really show how much effort Kate put into all of the artworks in the book. I think this book is aimed for young readers, but anyone can read it and enjoy it. I really liked this book, so I will rate it a solid 7/10.

Leia

I Love Books
I Love Books is an amazing book. I love how Mariajo shows the expressions and glumness through her face in the illustrations when her teacher tells her to read a book, and I love how the girl’s expression changes throughout the book. I also love how Mariajo illustrates the front cover with all of the blue sparkles in the background. I love this book so I will rate it a solid 9/10.

Leia

Flying High
Flying High is an amazing book. I love how you can see very clearly how much effort Yu Rong put into this book, and I really like the double page spread of which all of the kites are shown. I also really like the cover page because the child is very well illustrated and I also really like the dragon kite that Yu Rong has very well drawn. I really like this book and I would rate it an 7/10

Leia

Homebody
Homebody is an amazing book and I really hope it wins. I love how Theo uses the colours pink, purple and blue to show how much we stereotype people just because of their gender. I love how Theo clearly shows that nonbinary and transgender people really have to go on an adventure. It shows how we treat boys and girls unfairly just because of their gender, and how we shouldn’t do that. Even though this book is an 14 plus book, I honestly think it should be 12 plus. I love this book and I hope it wins, so I will rate it a solid 10/10.

Leia

Clever Crow
Clever Crow is a heartwarming book. I love how Olivia uses the newspaper background to show how much we underestimate crows, and the book really makes the reader think twice about how they treat them. I love the page in the book were the crow is on the dustbin looking out onto the different landmarks on the world, and because the crow’s sitting on a bin, it again shows how as we treat crows like pests, we shouldn’t because they really have the same equality as any other bird, and it again makes the reader think twice if they treat crows badly. Even though this book is aimed for younger readers, anyone could read it and enjoy it. I really like this book, so I will rate it a solid 8/10.

Leia

Homebody
Homebody is a powerful, heartwarming and a very emotional story. It is mostly about one’s journey to find their true self and identity, wherever they belong. It explores themes of acceptance, transformation and belonging in your community. It teaches us about transgender and non-binary people, this helps us respect and understand how people who are trans or non-binary feel. The moral of the story is that all people are different and that is absolutely fine, you are the person that you are, you are unique. Theo Parish is trans and nonbinary himself, this adds more to the story as it is his story that he has experienced himself., he writes his autobiography in a fun and captivating way. Every illustration is drawn and perfected, every detail is included. You can also tell that Theo has taken much care with drawing these pictures, I absolutely love Theo’s style of art. The thing that really caught my eye is that colours for all genders have been included, to show that he felt like every gender, blue for boys, pink for girls and white for both (this is also the trans flag colours) and this really boosted the themes of transgender and non-binary people. My favourite illustrations include Theo wearing his home as a Homebody and the picture of him as a knight. I would recommend this book to 12+ readers and teens trying to navigate their way through finding their true self and identity. I would rate this book a solid 100/10, I think everyone should read and enjoy the stories of this book

Zeynep

Grey
Grey is about a boy who isn’t feeling like himself. He doesn’t feel joy or happiness but instead feels grey. This book tells you that some days we don’t feel like ourselves but that’s okay ,we all have off days. I like how she has drawn the boy grey and everything surrounding him is brightly coloured. I really enjoyed the page where the boy said :”I’m the scribble on the page’. Lauren drew him scribbling out a drawing of himself, showing he feels like a mistake. I would recommend this book to all ages. Overall I rate this book a 8/10.

Aria

Grey
Lauren Child cleverly illustrates this book by not only drawing what the words say, but also adding more. The child in this story is feeling down and lost. Grey is a moving, touching and heartwarming story of a child who has no colour in his world. My favorite page is when the child says ‘I’m the scribble on the page’. Scribbles are angry and often done when somebody wants to get rid of something. The monotonic page plainly drawn in charcoal is effectively simple but touching This book explores relations between sadness, hope and change. I think it’s an amazing book and perfect for young readers who feel sad.

Jessica

Homebody
Homebody is a powerful and emotional story about gender identity and the journey on how to find one's true self. It explores themes of acceptance and transformation. Theo goes on a quest to find their true identity. This book shows us the importance of finding a safe community where you are welcome. In one section of the book, the limited colour palette of different shades of purple suggests a theme of transgender, because purple is a mix of pink and blue. I’d recommend Homebody to ages 14+ who want to learn more about personal growth and self acceptance.

Jessica

Grey
Grey is a well written book that I really enjoyed reading. I loved the book especially because she created a great story with amazing drawing methods. I really like the page where she is looking in the puddle at her reflection. The story also tells us that it is ok to feel sad, grey and down sometimes. I really recommend this to younger readers. I love the use of different colours throughout the book because they really match with what the story is trying to tell us. I also like that it gets more colourful towards the end. 9 out of 10

Jasmine

Homebody
Homebody is an amazing book that I recommend for ages above the age of 12. I really like how Theo has used different colours that represent non-binary like, blue, pink, and white. My favourite part of the book is the front cover where it looks like Theo is holding a non-binary flag where the pink is for girls, the blue is for boys, and the white both boys and girls like. I think that this is a strong and powerful book that I recommend for people during puberty because it can help if you are going through the same situation as Theo. I rate this book 10/10.

Otto

Wolf and Bear
Wolf and Bear is a fiction book using cyanotype, a process using the sun to expose certain parts of a book. This creates amazing shades and shows dark for a bad mood and light for a good mood. The book is about a Wolf and Bear who love to play, but sometimes Bear is in a bad mood and really doesn't want to play. But unfortunately, Wolf pushes Bear too far and Bear feels engulfed in the shadow, stuck in a realm of sadness. The colours are extremely effective and this is one of my favourite books. I rate this 10/10.

Isaac

Homebody
Homebody is a fabulous book. I really like Theo Parish's illustrations especially since the blue and pink reflect the transgnder colours. This book shows that everybody is unique and that you can go on any journey and make your own map to get there. It also tells you that you do not have to be a specific gender you just have to be you. I would say that this book is for 13+ children but anyone would enjoy it. I rate this book 4/5.

Ettore

Grey
Grey is an amazing book. I love how the illustrations look like a child's drawings and how this book clearly shows that there is still somebody that loves you however you might feel. I also love the astounding use of cut-outs that Lauren Child used to show how the boy felt. I think that even though this picture book is aimed for younger readers, anyone can read this book because everyone goes through feeling grey. Altogether, I love this book and I hope it wins, so I will rate this book a solid 10/10.

Leia

Clever Crow
This book is a fantastic book about crows and their daily lives. The illustrations are amazing and I really love the messy but neat style of art and the different sketch and brush strokes look stunning. The use of ink and crumpled newspapers really adds the cherry on top. The illustrations are very detailed and I love the inside front and back covers with the eggs becoming birds, and also the extra details added with the crow whos egg had never been seen and left it all blank. I would recommend this book for anyone who loves a good fact book and it has simple writing, so is easy to read. I would rate this book a good 9/10!

Bella

Grey
Grey is an amazing book about a small girl who feels grey and then realizes that it is a normal feeling which is when everyone feels and expresses a grumpy mood. The comparisons are good like when it shows a character as ice tea are lots of other grey things. The illustrations are amazing, especially the cutouts. It shows you that if you talk about it with an adult it will really help. I would recommend this book for all ages because everyone should know about feelings. I would rate this book a solid 9/10.

Avik

Clever Crow
Clever Crow is definitely a very well illustrated book, a one-of-a-kind book. We often think that crows are everyday creatures, pests. Olivia Lomenech Gill has turned this story into a heartwarming book about all types of crows and how they are unique. The endpapers have eggs and the final hatched crows, this is fun to look at and learn about different species. I love how the simple images give complex content. Crows have their own special way of telling us something, and this book definitely showed that. I would recommend this book to readers who are curious about nature and animals. I think this book is for all ages because it gives an interesting story meant for everyone. I would rate this book a solid 10/10.

Zeynep

Grey
Grey is an amazing book which I really enjoyed reading. My favourite bit is how Lauren Child used the cut outs. I also loved how the book had a message which was that it is okay to feel grey. I think this is suitable for all ages but mainly for young children. I rate this book 9/10.

Ermis

I Love Books
I Hate Love Books is a fabulous book about a girl who decides she doesn’t like books without properly trying to read one. But when her mum tells her to read a book, she loves it and goes on a whole adventure, reading no matter where she is. Mariajo Illustrajo excels with this book, especially using colours to express emotion. Using neon colours, she creates magical fantasy creatures all in the mind of a little girl. I think Mariajo Illustrajo does amazingly with this novel, and I rate this book 9/10.

Isaac

Homebody
This book is an amazing book full of beautiful illustrations and discovers the story of Theo and how they find who they really are. The colours that are used, pink and blue, are the transgender flag colours and the colours associated with genders. The use of the colours, half blue and half pink, show how they aren't one gender or another they are just in the middle. Just themselves. This is such a great book and I absolutely love the storyline and the illustrations! I think this book should be for 11+ and I would rate this 10/10!

Bella

Grey
Grey is a really heartwarming book that really brings the colour grey to life. Grey is often considered a boring colour, but this book really shows that grey is not only a boring colour but an important feeling that everyone feels. I love how the mother just cares for the child and listens to her throughout the whole book and doesn’t say anything, but at the end the child feels better expressing her feelings. I love how Lauren Child uses a variety of mediums and art styles, she has a playful touch that just makes illustrations more interesting. I love how her illustrations hide lots of deep meanings. For example, the page with a big scribble might seem boring but it tells a lot of things like how life isn’t always full of happiness and we can have grey, sad times too. Her cutouts make the book so unique and playful and I’ve never seen a book like this. This book is a definite 9/10 and I recommend it to all ages.

Paris

Homebody
Homebody is a really good graphic novel that focuses on the author and illustrator themself. I really like how Theo Parish talks about being non-binary and writes an autobiography in a fun way. His illustrations are detailed and really amazing. The illustrations just all fit and it just flows on the page. I love how he uses pink, purple, white and blue colour themes and it reminds me of how boys might be associated with blue and girls with pink, but mixing them together creates purple and that it’s wrong to do that. I would recommend this book to people over the age of 12, but this is a must read book because Theo Parish really tells their journey to finding the right place. I love this book and I would rate it an easy 9/10.

Paris

Clever Crow
Clever Crow is a really good book because it shows how crows are normally hated and unwanted, but in this book it tells the reader how crows aren’t pests. Crows are just birds living their daily lives and that they’re everywhere. I love how Olivia Lomenech Gill uses bits of newspaper for some parts of the illustration and she uses lots of colours and collage. She illustrates the book in a sketchy and non perfect way, but also adds a mix of details, which I really like. She’s also very clever with her illustrations and it’s like she re-writes the words but in pictures. For example, on the page that has lots of different landmarks, it says that birds can be found everywhere and I think it’s really clever she puts lots of landmarks. On the same page, she puts the crow standing on a rubbish bin and I feel like it indicates that crows are unwanted. Overall, this book is really good and the illustrations are clever. I would rate this book 8/10 and I would recommend it to anyone over the age of 2 and someone that loves birds.

Paris

Flying High
Flying High is an amazing book about trusting who you are. In this book, he is ‘too small’ to play with the older kids, but when he flies it by himself, everyone appreciates it. This has a nice moral and is a fabulous book for ages 7-9. The cover I think could be a bit better in my opinion, because I know she is trying to make the dragon in the picture stand out, but the background could be more colourful. Yu Rong has done amazingly with this book, but I think it could have some better colours. I rate this 7/10.

Isaac

Clever Crow
Clever Crow is a fun book expressing how similar crows are to humans and that crows aren’t perfect in terms of flying, singing and looks, but they are geniuses. Crows actually remember everyone they look at, so if you hurt a crow, it will never forget what you did. Olivia Lomenech-Gill manages to capture perfectly the skill to betray clues through pictures. The front and back cover showing the eggs and hatchlings is a brilliant way to start and end a book and for me, it is an easy 10/10.

Isaac

Grey
Grey is a well-written as well as illustrated book using the colour grey to express a grumpy mood. It has wonderful comparisons as it shows the character as cold tea and other grey things. It signifies how it is important to escape bad moods, sometimes even by expressing emotion. It shows how it is important to be yourself and is a moral story for ages 5-7. It compares a bored grey atmosphere with a happy, colourful playground using the inside front and back covers. In my opinion it is a solid 8/10.

Isaac

Clever Crow
I think that Clever Crow is a fantastic book that I recommend for all ages. I really like how The illustrator has used newspapers for the background on some of the pages as I think it is there to show that crows take any scraps and rubbish. My favourite bits of the story is the inside and backside cover because, I like how on the inside cover there are all the eggs and on the backside cover there are all the crows after they have hatched. I also like page one and two because there is a crow sitting in the corner looking over all the famous landmarks from all over the world. I really like this because it is trying to tell you that crows can settle anywhere. This book is a book about crows but illustrated in a lot of detail.

Otto

Grey
Grey is a brilliant book that I recommend for all ages. I really like how the cut-outs are so clever, like in the last few pages when the lamp is on and the pyjamas are brightly colored, but on the next page when the light is off and the pyjamas are grey. My favourite part of the book is where the girl compares herself to different items like a coffee cup and a puddle on the road.I really like this bit of the story because the illustrations are really bold and stand out clear.This story is about how everyone feels grey at one point in their life but talking about it with an adult can really help.

Otto

Homebody
Homebody is a story of a person who is having their own journey to see who they are. We follow this person on their journey to find who they are. I like the illustrations in this book because for example on the page Isle man or city of woman on a sign post they put nonbinary and pointed it in another direction. I recommend this book for 10 and over and I rate it nine out of ten because you can understand a bit of what that person has been through.

Arkady

Clever Crow
The inside front cover of Clever Crow is the eggs of the crow family with the names and the inside back cover is the hatched eggs with the names. The first page shows different landmarks from across the world and a crow sitting on a rubbish bin looking at them which means they live all around the world. It tells you all types of facts about crows, some are colourful some are less colourful and it tells you actually how intelligent they are. I think it is very good to know about birds that you see every day and they are not very appreciated so this book can make you think about these birds. I think this book should be for 5 and over to understand these birds and I rate it nine out of ten because I think the water colours really express the bird.

Arkady

Grey
Grey is about a book about someone who is feeling grey. I like this story because the colours fit the emotion like the yellow sun and the green trees but she still feels grey and that is ok because you do not always have to be in a good mood. After her mum says I love you however you feel. I like this book because of the cut outs and they are very cleverly made l think this because it says when the tea has gone cold and there is her face grey and you turn the page over and it is her bending over still grey. I rate this book ten out of ten and I think children should read this book from 3 and above so they know about feelings.

Arkady

Grey
I like how Lauren Child has used different materials and mediums to illustrate this book - the simple illustrations really caught my eye. I also love how cutouts have been included , this makes the book special and it stands out from the others. My favourite part is the illustration where the mum says “I love how you are feeling”. I would rate this book a solid 10/10.

Zeynep

Clever Crow
Clever Crow is definitely a ‘one-of-a-kind’ book. The ordinary, everyday crow is mostly considered as a pest, but this book puts the crow in a completely different spotlight. Firstly, the book explains the bad things about crows, but, nearer to the end, we hear the crow being described with positive adjectives, such as playful and clever. My favourite parts were the endpapers, where at the first endpaper we have the whole crow family’s unhatched eggs, and at the end we have all the hatched crows with all their names. I would recommend this book to everyone above 2 or 3, but mostly for curious minds who like to discover facts, as this book is full of them, and to bird-lovers.

Arzoi

Grey
Grey is a wonderful, heartwarming story about a child who is feeling miserable and lonely and doesn’t know what to do. Throughout the book, there is an ingenious use of die-cuts which is an extremely important element of the story and it keeps the story together. Personally, my favourite page, like Lauren Child herself, was the page with the scribble on it. This is because, though just a mere scribble and a few words, it reminds you that even for young children that haven’t started school, life isn’t just days of just happiness and play. I would definitely recommend this for all ages as it applies to everyone.

Arzoi