1st April
is traditionally a time for many a practical joke to be played, until midday it
is permissible to carry out an ‘April Fool’ and children’s publishing is of
course no stranger to such activity. The
good thing, from some perspectives at least, is that these practical jokes last
only a few hours. Children’s books
however need to last much longer and so whilst April 1st is a great
opportunity to take advantage of fun and games it is also an important time for
ensuring the books marketed are going to have a lasting appeal.
With this in mind, and
also considering that we are about to enter into the two-week school Easter
break there are some perfect books to entertain big and little readers this
April and beyond.
Let’s start with the
Funny Fiction line-up created by Scholastic.
Here we have a selection of books, some already published and awaiting
their follow-ups., some brand new to the
bookshelves. Here at Armadillo we
have previously introduced you to Emer Stamp and her Top Secret Diary of Pig as well as Jo Simon’s Pip Street. It is exciting therefore to be able to tell you that
not only can you still read these first books in the series but that now we can
reveal there will be another diary from Pig and that the Pip Street adventures
are continuing in Pip Street: A Piggy
Pickle in which the brave Bobby Cobbler must investigate the sudden plague
of power cuts. 
If investigations tick
the boxes for you as a reader then Jonny Zucker’s Fleatectives will be the perfect offering. With Buzz and Itch, two miniscule but
brilliant detectives Larva Town can be assured that no stone will be unturned
in the quest to solve the many mysteries that are appearing! If however it is not animals but people who
tickle your fancy then you will love Wild
Thing by Emma Barnes a story that finds Wild Thing sticking things up her
nose, biting bottoms and getting up to much more mischief besides. Can having such a little sister ever be a
bonus? Kate is about to find out in this
charming modern version of My Naughty
Little Sister. Read all about the
marvellous Shrinking Violet who as a
mini version of herself solved a number of mysteries? Well Lou Kuenzler is back with Princess DisGrace: First Term at Tall
Towers. Princess Grace does most
certainly not live up to her name but she is excited about her first term at
Princess Academy, hoping that she can learn to be a proper princess … I’m sure
your imagination can fill in the gaps here and reading this or any of the books
in this selection will ensure lots and lots of laughs. Time to have a giggle-tastic April Fool’s Day
this 2014!
Once we have April
Fools out of the way the focus is certain to be Easter and of course chocolate
(who, apart from me perhaps, does not look forward to this annual event)? I may not look forward to the chocolate (I
can’t eat it) but I do look forward to all the wonderful books that I can
indulge in instead. Macmillan publishers
have given me a real treat this year too.
Eggy books, books about rabbits, chicks even bears and hippos
feature. In fact here you will find
Emily Gravett’s Bear and Hare as
reviewed in Armadillo Spring 2014 alongside books such as
Fans of non-fiction have
not been forgotten either and with two books on art, Get into Art: Animals and Get
Into Art People children will be able to draw their own Easter chicks and
bunnies before picking up Wow! I Didn’t
Know That! Amazing Facts About the Human Body.
Just a small selection to keep you going for a few days in the run up to the Easter break, much more to come ...
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