Show Notes
Another month, another pile of books to get excited about.. Nadia and Frank welcome the brilliant, goose-fat-slathered Ed Vere onto the island to talk about his terrific range of picture books, including most recently 'The Artist', and are surprised and moved to discover his long-standing connection with Jan Pieńkowski. What a shame such a lovely visit ends so tragically! Emily Drabble from BookTrust is on hand (via the magic shell) to cheer us up with her latest reviews of: This Rock is Mine Written by Kaye Umansky and illustrated by Alice McKinley (Alison Green Books) Glowrushes by Roberto Piumini, translated by Leah Janeczko (Pushkin) Yomi and the Fury of Ninki Nanka by Davina Tijani, illustrated by Adam Douglas-Bagley (Little Tiger) The Thunk by Michelle Robinson, illustrated by Deborah Allwright (Bloomsbury) Max and Chaffy The Great Cupcake Mystery by Jamie Smart (David Fickling)
More from The Island of Brilliant!
Well I for one have rarely seen Nadia and Frank quite so excited about a book as 'The Worst Thing That Could Possibly Happen' by Guy Bass and David Roberts, though Frank very nearly blows his chance of chatting with the pair when he fails to resist the lure of the mysterious sideways door that's suddenly appeared on the beach. Fortunately Nadia is on hand to make them welcome, and Frank does return from the shoulder of Orion in time to help her quiz the pair about how exactly they managed to create such a terrifying masterpiece. Emily 'the Drabster' Drabble is on hand again to provide book recommendations from her comfy conch. These are: The Teller of Tall Tales by Liz Hyder and Tom De Freston, published by Pushkin Game of Pets book 1: The Boy Who Knew Too Much by Aaron Blabey published by Macmillan Who said Boo? Be Jeanne Willis and Brian Fitzgerald published be Scallywag The Last Leaf by Ali Pye published by Penguin Ravi’s Dancing Hands by Sumana Seeboruth and Sayani Makhurjjee published by Faber
Frank's post-laureate slump is well and truly un-slumped by the arrival of A. M. Dassu, a benign force of nature to match anything he and Nadia have experienced on the island before. She appears from the waters to regale the pair with stories from her life as a children's writer, and how she is driven to tackle issues around racism and stereotyping head on. She also knows how to keep F&N onside with her excellent choice of snack. If that weren't enough to shake Frank from his blue funk, Nadia's hilarious wordplay with marvellous Emily Drabble's moniker finishes the job. Emily's Picks: Rust Head by Ross Mackenzie - Andersen Press African Queens by Onyinye Iwu - Walker Princess (Apparently) by Siren Knight - Usborne The Other Boy by Hamed Amiri - Hachette Bessie’s Bees by George Kirk and Ana Gomez -Templar
What's that coming over the dune, is it a monster? It is, a grizzly slimy sea monster, and look who it's vomited up onto the otherwise spotless sand on the Island of Brilliant seafront! Jack Meggitt-Phillips, the wunderkind author of the glorious 'The Beast And The Bethany' series, as well as a brand spanking new adaptation of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde. A shame he didn't bring a mop to clean up the vomit, but high tide should see to that. Emily Drabble of Booktrust recommends the best of the latest crop of books for August reading pleasure - and the Ukulele Uff Trio treat us to a dollop of blue skies and musical sunshine. Emily recommends: Squid Bits - That’s A Nice Hat by Jess Bradley. DFB Worm’s Big Dig by Tom Inn-Disbury - Anderson A Sister like you, Sarah Hagger-Holt - Usborn They sent a Cat to Saturn by Valerie Bloom and Ken Wilson Max - Otter Barry Lotta & Lola Pudding NOW Please by Lauren Child - Simon and Schuster
"The Old Order Changeth And Maketh Way For New" - but not without a fight. As Frank gives in to the inevitable, with the encouragement of some restraining techniques, he welcomes the magnificent Patrice Lawrence to his old job as Children's Laureate. In a coup for Nadia and Frank (and boy did they need one), Patrice has swum straight from her inauguration ceremony to the island. There, she tells them about her plans for her tenure - with vulnerable children as her top priority. It's an emotional day for certain - all a bit much for all concerned, particularly Nadia, who is heard inadvertently saying something nice about Frank. You heard it here first, dear listener.
He's behind some of the most celebrated and beloved books of recent times - Goth Girl, The Edge Chronicles, Ottoline and a gazillion more - and he's also, it turns out, the captain of the Mellow Submarine! Which is excellent news for Frank and Nadia, as it means that Chris Riddell (for it is he) is able to swing on by for a piercing, no-holds-barred interview about wine gums among other things. Always keen to get his bearings, he whips out his trust pen and pad to sketch the first official cartographic sketch of the island, revealing coves to our two resident coves that they never knew existed. The big shock comes in the form of an orchard, the result of a certain someone palming them off with a bushel of apples some time ago. It's a joy to have Chris run aground for awhile, why not pull up some driftwood and have a listen?