CONFLICT-RESOLUTION
BEAR VS. DRAGON (Marcela Ferreira, Mark Chambers)
When Bear meets Dragon on an old, rickety bridge, they don't see eye to eye. Bear thinks Dragon should stand aside and let him pass… and Dragon thinks Bear should definitely let her go first.
Fur is ruffled and sparks fly in this hilarious and heated bridge standoff. Meanwhile the bridge is gets creakier and creakier…
This book is a laugh out loud exploration of conflict-resolution and friendship. The illustrations perfectly capture the frustrations and personalities of the characters and the dynamic story twists, whilst the plot models the how and why of cooperation.
HOW SELFISH! (Clare Helen Welsh and Olivier Tallec)
One day Dot and Duck find a stick, only Dot thinks it's a sword and Duck thinks it's a flag. When Dot refuses to share the new toy, she goes to any lengths to make sure Duck doesn't try to take it. How will Duck react to such selfish behaviour?
"How Selfish! by Clare Helen Welsh trumpets the virtues of sharing within a skilfully immersive plot. Young readers will love the snappy dialogue and humorous drawings that drive home the story's message: 'In a world where we can be anything, isn't being kind the greatest thing of all?'" -- Emily Bearn ― The Telegraph
Bright and colourful illustrations accompany this fun and easy to read story, which will bring a smile to the faces young children time and time again. Simple, funny, and ultimately touching, How Selfish! (Happy Yak, 2022) will appeal to any child who is learning what it means to share and, more importantly, what it is to be a true friend.
HOW MESSY! (Clare Helen Welsh and Olivier Tallec)
How Messy! (Happy Yak, 2022) is a simple yet hilarious story with a touching ending and an important message about accepting differences and learning to compromise. Dot and Duck are best friends, but Dot hates mess and Duck hates tidy. Duck leaves the bed unmade, the cupboards open and breakfast everywhere. How messy!
In the morning, Duck makes Dot pancakes for breakfast, how kind! But Duck leaves a BIG mess! At the beach, Dot carefully lays out her towel and picnic... and Duck digs a big hole covering everything with sand! SO messy! Characterful watercolour illustrations bring this story to life, and big font makes the story easy for young readers.
"How Messy! is a simple yet effective text. Clare tells the story in only 116 words. The book is about Dot and Duck who go on holiday to the seaside. Dot finds Duck’s untidiness very frustrating. She likes things in their place – neat and tidy – but Duck prefers the more organic and creative approach. Read how they learn to cooperate and accept each others different personalities.
I love the way Olivier Tallec makes the action explicit through his vinaigrette illustrations. He uses a limited primary colour palette of yellow, red and green with a hint of blue, pink and orange. The expressions on Dot and Duck’s faces are superb. Other books in the Dot and Duck series are How Selfish! and How Rude!
This series of books would be ideal for KS1 and nursery children. They could be used as a starting point to stimulate discussions on manners, tolerance and accepting each others differences. Each story is very relatable and guaranteed to make the children laugh and maybe even gasp out loud at some of the character’s behaviour.!"
(Anita Loughrey - author and book reviewer)
HOW RUDE! (Clare Helen Welsh and Olivier Tallec)
Join Dot and Duck in a simple, yet hilarious, story about kindness, manners and friendship that gets more and more chaotic with every turn of the page!
Dot invites Duck to a tea party, but from the moment Duck enters the house, the tea party descends into chaos; from licking sandwich fillings to spitting tea, Duck gets ruder... and ruder... and ruder. Just how will Dot react to such outrageous behaviour?
Simple, funny and ultimately touching, How Rude! (Happy Yak, 2022) is a little book about manners that will appeal to readers learning how to be considerate and polite with their friends.
I DEFINITELY DON'T LIKE WINTER (Fiona Barker, Christine Pym)
Hank and Hoog are the stars of I Definitely Don't Like Winter (Scholastic, 2022) two adorable squirrels that are the best friends ...at least until winter draws near. Then, rather than doing everything together, they disagree on everything instead.
Hank is so annoyed! Falling leaves mean winter is coming, and Hank definitely does not like winter. BRRRRRRR!
But Hoog is overjoyed! Hoog loves winter - the snow, the snuggles, all of it! AHHHHHHH!
This wonderful wintry book is written in warm, fun prose by Fiona Barker and stunningly brought to life by Christine Pym. The story follows Hank and Hoog as they put their differences aside, agreeing on one important thing - they definitely need each other. As with all good friendships, they learn the importance of empathy - learning to see things from each other's point of view - and compromise.
A great book that could help readers navigate relationships with friends when they disagree.
THE LITTLE ISLAND (Smriti Prasadam-Halls, Robert Starling)
The Little Island (Andersen, 2019) is a timely and beautifully crafted story that uses animal characters to convey a big message about unity, kindness, and the importance of togetherness. Set on a small island inhabited by farm animals, a division occurs that separates the animals. But as challenges arise, the animals begin to realise that they need each other more than they first thought.
With thoughtfulness and warmth, this book explores complex themes like cooperation, tolerance and the drawbacks of isolation. It shows us how misunderstandings can lead to unnecessary conflict, and how coming together can solve even the trickiest problems.
Robert Starling’s illustrations bring extra depth to the narrative, creating a charming and colourful world. Together, the words and pictures are a gentle but powerful reminder of how much stronger we are when we respect each other’s differences.