"The most important periodical in the world of British children's books."
Sir Philip Pullman, CBE, FRSL
BfK 251 November 2021
This issue’s cover illustration is from Sticky McStickstick, written by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Tony Ross. Thanks to Walker Books for their help with our 251st cover.
Utterly Dark has never been afraid of the sea, unlike the rest of the population of Wildsea. For them, the sea is where the Gorm comes from, and why there should always be a Watcher. But who – or what is the Gorm? And who is Utterly, found washed up on the beach as a baby and raised by Andrew Dark, the Watcher. When Mr Dark is found drowned, can Utterly take his place? Can she keep Wildsea safe from the sea? The wor …
Utterly Dark has never been afraid of the sea, unlike the rest of the population of Wildsea. For them, the sea is where the Gorm comes from, and why there should always be a Watcher. But who – or what is the Gorm? And who is Utterly, found washed up on the beach as a baby and raised by Andrew Dark, the Watcher. When Mr Dark is found drowned, can Utterly take his place? Can she keep Wildsea safe from the sea? The worlds created by Philip Reeve are real whether set in the past, or a dystopian landscape, or space traversed by singing trains. Here, Wildsea seems to be firmly rooted in a recognisable reality – a Hebridean island, perhaps – and yet the magic of imagination is embedded. As a result there are sea dragons, men made of kelp, a witch whose magic is tied to the land – and Utterly born of the sea and a mortal father. Howe …
Charlotte Knee
By Michelle Pauli Remember the childhood game ‘the floor is lava’? The one where you have to try to stay off the ground or else be swallowed by molten rock? It might seem like a far reach from that to one of the most inventive adventure fantasies of recent years but it was exactly author/illustrator Jamie Littler’s starting point for his Frostheart trilogy. As he walked to work one day, wondering …
View Full InterviewWelcome to the November Books for Keeps, the last of 2021. It’s the end of a significant year for BfK; we published our 250th issue and launched a new website after a concerted fund-raising effort. We are still not …
Alex Strick You Can!, by Alexandra Strick and Steve Antony, uses real children’s voices in a genuinely inclusive picture book that reminds all children that they are individuals with the power to decide their own fu …
After being admitted to hospital in 2020 with coronavirus, Michael Rosen had to learn to walk again. The story is told for children in his new picture book, Sticky McStickstick: The Friend Who Helped Me Walk Again. …
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John Agard photo David Bebber