It's been a while since I did a Mighty Girls book selection round-up and I've had a stack of books sitting in a pile by the desk for so long that I'm feeling guilty that BookBairn hasn't had much a chance to read them as I've been hogging them. So without further ado, here are some new (and old because I want to highlight again how good they are) books starring mighty girls!

This is a book that we borrowed from the library and enjoyed it so much that I bought a copy for BookBairn and I'm sure we will be going back for the sequels in this series too. Stopping monsters is no job for a prim and perfect princess in pink, even if that is how everyone expects a princess to behave. So when trouble calls in her kingdom, Princess Magnolia transforms into her alter ego and confronts the monsters as The Princess in Black. All the time keeping up the pretence of her pretty in pinkness for the subjects of her kingdom. I like the way this turns the princess genre on it's head and gives her a superhero type quality with her secret identity. This is a highly illustrated chapter book to so there is lots in the illustrations to deepen children's understanding of the story as well as keep them focussed whilst you read the slightly longer chapters aloud. It's not too long though - we still usually read it in one or two sittings! A lovely one for a mighty girl princess.

Molly Rogers to the Rescue by Cornelia Funke

You may have come across Molly Rogers Pirate Girl in picture book form so for little readers who already love the character this early chapter book is a little gem of a book to continue the adventure. In this new story, Molly Rogers comes to the rescue of the beautiful Monkey Skull Island which is under attack from Captain Firebeard. Molly way be small, but she's out to show just how smart and fierce she is and to teach old Captain Firebeard a lesson. Packed full of fantastic illustrations that are dripping with detail and humour, this is such a great little chapter book for young readers to dip their toe into slightly longer reading sessions, or for helping them to recall previous events over multiple sessions. Molly is a super character to enjoy too - it's not often you see such a mighty girl pirate and I love that she is leading the way for mighty girls on the high seas! 

Mighty Reading!

Kim and the bairns x

Disclaimer: We were sent some of these books free for review purposes by the publishers. Words and opinions are my own. If you click on the title or image of the book you will be sent to amazon.co.uk using an affiliate link. This means that if you choose to purchase on amazon.co.uk, I will receive a small sum (around 20-70p per book) from amazon at no extra cost to you. I understand that you may not want to use an affiliate link, but if you like reading our blog please just think of it as a small tip for a tip-off to an awesome book. And know that your support means I can buy more books! For more information check out our 'For Our Readers' section.

Welcome to a new feature on the blog! Once every month I want to highlight a book which is absolutely spectacular! A short review with lots of photos so that you can appreciate it's beauty across the pages. So without further ado...

This is a spectacularly magical and exquisitely beautiful folk tale about love and freedom.

Starbird’s songs weave the richest dreams and delight to all who hear his song, so the Moon King wants to give Starbird as a gift to his newborn daughter. Capturing Starbird and trapping him in a cage, Starbird sings for the little princess but over time the magic and life in his voice begins to fade away. So the princess, much to the dismay and wrath of her father, sets the Starbird free. Starbird flees and tries to hide from the Moon King, gliding through different habitats around the world and hiding amongst some spectacular creatures. But he cannot evade the Moon King forever. 

And what follows is perhaps one of the most profound lessons about captivity and freedom in picture book form. With a feeling of a timeless myth, this original fable is utterly beautiful. The exquisite use of silver foil throughout and intricate illustrations make it a true work of art. This is a beautiful book for adults and children alike. (And it’s going on to my, not the kids, picture book shelf!)

We are inundated with wonderful space stories at the moment as we approach the 50th anniversary of the Moon Landings! Space offers us the opportunity to wonder so it's a fantastic premise for many great stories of adventure, exploration, science, creativity and ingenuity. And that's what we have gathered here for you in this post - six spectacular space adventures!

Suzy Orbit is a mighty girl astronaut, inventor and engineer! You know we love a Mighty Girl book and Suzy is a wonderful example of quietly but steadily saving the day. Suzy lives with her boss, Captain Gizmo in a space station on a dusty corner of the moon. Captain Gizmo is constantly receiving SOS messages from Earth about impending aliens and as the situation changes he keeps ordering new equipment to sort things out. But Suzy, quietly says she can build it, make it, create it. And with every order Captain Gizmo makes something isn't quite right. When the Aliens reach the Moon Space Station, it turns out they aren't invading but actually trying to warn Earth about a meteoroid storm. But do they have a top-of-the-range meteoroid blaster and can they get one in time? Suzy to the rescue! She's built the perfect ship with everything they could need! A wonderful story about aliens, Space and mighty girls but also about over-consumption, about creativity and ingenuity! This is such a fun-filled book too! The illustrations are bright and cheerful and I love the alien characters. But best of all through the changing illustrations you can see Suzy's ship taking shape. Lots of fun and perfect for Space fans!

Molly's Moon Mission by Duncan Beedie

Molly the moth (have you ever heard of a book with a moth as the main character - just one of the many reasons to love it!) has always been told that someone as small as her can never make it to the moon. Yearning for adventure, she helps her mother look after her siblings (larvae) during the day and trains hard for her space mission by night. And soon she is ready to blast off. But perhaps the moon is further than even Molly believed. First she gets as far as a lightbulb, but that's not the moon. Then she makes it as high as a street lamp, but that's not the moon. Then she gets confused but a lighthouse, that's not the moon either. Along the way she is belittled and made to feel too small for such a feat. Will she ever make it? And show everyone that size doesn't matter when you have a big dream? I think you can probably guess! With adorable illustrations and the underlying message of reaching for your dreams, this is a wonderfully heart-warming and gently encouraging story.

Happy exploring!

Kim and the bairns x

Disclaimer: We were sent all these books free for review purposes by the publishers (except Goodnight Spaceman which we borrowed from the library). Words and opinions are my own. If you click on the title or image of the book you will be sent to amazon.co.uk using an affiliate link. This means that if you choose to purchase on amazon.co.uk, I will receive a small sum (around 20-70p per book) from amazon at no extra cost to you. I understand that you may not want to use an affiliate link, but if you like reading our blog please just think of it as a small tip for a tip-off to an awesome book. And know that your support means I can buy more books! For more information check out our 'For Our Readers' section.

There are lots of wonderful books about nature being released at the moment - perhaps it's because we get to spend more time out doors now that the weather is improving! But also it's because in 2015, a group of authors raised concerns over the loss of around 50 words relating to nature and the countryside from the Oxford Junior Dictionary. Whilst the dictionary is updated to reflect word usage, it means the removal of these words more than likely reflects a decreased engagement with the natural environment. So here are six great new books to get you back talking about nature!

If you are looking for a book whose illustrations will literally take your breath away, then you have to get your green fingers on a copy of The Green Giant. It is truly truly spectacular. It tells the story of a young girl, Bea, who is visiting her grandfather in the countryside, far from the big grey city that she lives in. And she finds it rather slow and boring, until she finds a new and unexpected friend in the Green Giant who is hiding away on an old greenhouse. A giant made entirely of plants! The giant opens Bea's eyes to the wonders of nature and the magic of greenery and together they set off on a mission to make the city (and the world) a greener place. This fits with everything I want to share with the bairns about being concerned about our environment but in a way that little children can understand. And the illustrations are so striking - the contrast between the grey city and the greenery is incredibly poignant. It's just beautiful.

If you are a fan of picture books, like us, then you will probably be familiar with the beautiful artwork of Britta Teckentup. Her books are truly spectacular visual wonders (in fact they feature in over twenty blog posts that I have written - here's a favourite!). And it will come as no surprise to you that she has done it again! Her newest in a series of nature books that explore the world around us, Sea, takes you deep beneath the waves explore that beautiful sea! Britta Teckentrup has created a magical world for little readers. It is completely enchanting. Using an intricate collage style, rainbow-hues and luscious colours, she has created a colourful array of sea creatures from tiny seahorses to giant humpback whaled. Every page is delight! The die-cuts throughout the book engage little fingers with exploring the pages. Patricia Hegarty poetically tells the story of the importance of our oceans. In rhyming couplets she brings to life the mesmerising story of the world beneath the waves. Beautiful and Spectacular.

Little Bear has just woken up from his long winter sleep. As he gently steps out on to the snow around him the world seems vast and silent. He nestles a little stone into his fur - perhaps he empathises with it seeming lost and alone? - and together they set off on adventure to explore the emerging Spring world and make new friends. Such a lovely lyrical story with some of the most enchanting illustrations we have come across, you will just fall in love with bear. So much so that you'll be reading him all year round - Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter!! Such a breath-taking book with incredible landscapes. Such a joy to read!⠀

This book is such a delight and brings back lots of memories of reading Madeline as a child with its little girls in straight lines (though not whilst adventuring obviously!) and rhythmic rhyming prose. The bold Nature Girls are ready for whatever nature throws at them. In the sequel to The Weather Girls’, The Nature Girls pack their bags and start their journey exploring all sorts of different natural habitats around the world. From swimming to the depths of the oceans, sailing the seven seas, sledging across the Arctic tundra, camel rides across the desert, climbing trees in the jungle and more, these girls really do explore all that the great outdoors has to offer. Bringing to life all the wonderful corners of the natural world your little ones will want to follow this bright group of girls on their adventures. With stunning illustrations and lots of fun nature facts, this rhyming picture because one that you read over and over again. 

Look and Say at the Seaside by Sebastien Braun

Happy exploring!

Kim and the bairns x

Disclaimer: We were sent all these books free for review purposes by the publishers. Words and opinions are my own. If you click on the title or image of the book you will be sent to amazon.co.uk using an affiliate link. This means that if you choose to purchase on amazon.co.uk, I will receive a small sum (around 20-70p per book) from amazon at no extra cost to you. I understand that you may not want to use an affiliate link, but if you like reading our blog please just think of it as a small tip for a tip-off to an awesome book. And know that your support means I can buy more books! For more information check out our 'For Our Readers' section.