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The Federation of Children’s Book Groups Blog
The Tale of the Whale introduced by illustrator Padmacandra
/by FCBG blogThe Tale of the Whale introduced by illustrator Padmacandra Padmacandra is one of six illustrators shortlisted for the Klaus Flugge Prize, which recognises the most exciting and talented new picture book illustrators. ‘I am trying to keep the whale’s eye out of the gutter and the tail out of the trim. I have had to […]
Get Reluctant Readers Raring to Go by Ria Grover
/by FCBG blogGet Reluctant Readers Raring To Go – Ria Grover Reading is a relatively simple pastime. But, in today’s digital world, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to encourage children to swap their console for a book. Those of us that enjoy reading, recognise it’s a pleasure that can be enjoyed wherever you are. A great book has […]
The Odd Fish by Naomi Jones
/by FCBG blogThe Odd Fish – World Oceans Day By Naomi Jones My two boys now aged 5 and 7 are a huge source of inspiration for all of my picture books. Seeing the world through their eyes as they’ve grown up has been fascinating. When my youngest son was two, we were watching Blue Planet 2 […]
Q&A with Polly Ho-Yen
/by FCBG blogWe were so thrilled to be given the opportunity to ask Polly Ho-Yen a few questions about her newest book, The Boy Who Grew a Tree. Her answers are just perfect! This is a book that immediately sings to any nature and book loving person! Are you an advocate for libraries and reading? What […]
The Highs and Lows of Co-Writing by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber
/by FCBG blogTHE HIGHS AND LOWS OF CO-WRITING Catherine Doyle & Katherine Webber, authors of Twin Crowns, May 2022 Back in 2020, when the pandemic was just getting into full swing, we decided to write a YA fantasy together. Something fun and swoony and pacy. A book that would make us laugh, and ultimately – cheer […]
Read for Empathy
/by FCBG blogBooks build empathy. Research shows that well–written narratives work in an amazing way to transport the reader into the story. When we read, we believe we know the characters and we respond almost as if they were real. We can step outside ourselves to see the world from their perspective, and we understand what they […]
Can Picture Books Change the Story? by Patrice Lawrence
/by FCBG blogCan Picture Books Change the Story? I was born in the UK and my mother has lived here for three quarters of her life. She was born in Trinidad and Tobago when it was under colonial rule, so grew up as a British citizen. However, my mother is still an ‘immigrant’ in the UK, while […]
Q&A with Tarah L. Gear
/by FCBG blogJust Like Grandpa Jazz is the debut picture book from Tarah L. Gear, illustrated by Mirna Imamovic. Written from Tarah’s personal experiences of privilege and racism within her mixed-race family, the book subtly educates readers on racism and immigration, whilst focusing on the joy of intergenerational relationships, and emphasising that we must continue to share […]
Wished By Lissa Evans
/by FCBG blogThere’s a reason why all the central characters in my books for children are nine or ten years old. If you asked me how I viewed the world when I was seven, or twelve, or fifteen, I’d find it quite difficult to be specific – how could I pin down my mind-set at a […]
Belonging by Aisha Bushby
/by FCBG blogI’ve moved around a lot in my life. The first time was when I was about a year old, from where I was born in Bahrain to Kuwait. From then on, I moved countries, houses and schools throughout my childhood. With my family at first and then, when my family split in half, on my […]
“Pack your bags- we’re off!” by Lu Fraser
/by FCBG blog‘Pack your bags – we’re off!’ Lu Fraser takes a look at bookish ‘belonging’… I love suitcases – I really do. I love the way they’re often a little battered and covered in strange labels, I love the moment when I zip a bulging suitcase closed and I love the feeling of shutting my front […]
I am Nefertiti by Annemarie Anang
/by FCBG blogI am delighted to be a part of National Share a Story Month, which highlights the wonderful stories that can help children grow, find their voice, their identity and to feel like they belong. What does ‘belonging’ mean? For me, it simply means being in a space where I can truly be myself and feel […]
Belonging to a Family by Anthony Burt
/by FCBG blogIn The Animal Lighthouse, 12-year-old Jim is brought up by a group of animals on a secret island somewhere in the Caribbean. They are an orangutan, raccoon, parrot, three rats, a millipede, cat, elephant and a crab who farts a lot. The animals are his family – a very different one he found himself growing […]
Belonging by Onjali Q. Rauf
/by FCBG blogIt doesn’t matter if you’re a super-famous rock star, or the new kid in school: we all want to feel as though we belong – that we have people around us and spaces to be a part of, where we feel comfortable and safe and free to be 1000% ourselves (no matter how seemingly […]
Belonging is a Two-way Street by Sufiya Ahmed
/by FCBG blogBelonging is a two-way street I have just this week seen the front cover artwork for my new book ‘Rosie Raja, Churchill’s Spy’ which is releasing on 4th August with Bloomsbury Publishing. I’m very much looking forward to sharing the story about an eleven-year-old girl, a mixed-race princess with an English father and an […]
Stories Belong to All of Us by Christine Pillainayagam
/by FCBG blogSTORIES BELONG TO ALL OF US A few years ago, I was watching Netflix when I came across a film. An archetypal girl-next-door-falls-for-her-best-friend’s-brother teenage love story – at that time, the most watched film on the platform. There were so many recognisable tropes in this story, so many familiar teenage emotions, even to me, a […]
Q&A with Frann Preston-Gannon
/by FCBG blogFrann Preston-Gannon is one of the best known and best-loved authors and illustrators working in children’s books. She has written many of her own books and illustrated works for many other authors across various publishers. Her debut picture book, The Journey Home, was published 10 years ago and the messages within remain as important today […]
Mega Robo Bros and Belonging by Neill Cameron
/by FCBG blogMega Robo Bros is a story all about belonging. Or, I suppose, about feeling like you don’t belong. Alex and Freddy are robots – super-powered, sentient robots, the only ones of their kind in the whole world. They can fly, and shoot lasers, and perform all kinds of amazing feats of super-powered heroism. But they’re […]