#PictureBookFriday: Pencil’s Best Story Ever by Carly Gledhill

Cover art by Carly Gledhill, publisher Post Wave, 4 September 2025, ISBN: 978-1836270256

Pencil’s Best Story Ever is a vibrant engaging story, written by Pencil with a little help from author/illustrator Carly Gledhill. I was immediately struck by the very distinctive artwork in this book, with scenes and characters constructed out of basic shapes, which young consumers of the story (and even older adults who share the story) could try to copy in their own drawings. The colour palette is very appealing and there is so much visual interest that this book would prompt wonderful conversations between young children and adults.

The story is simple but imaginative, with Pencil trying to write a story featuring his best friends Peanut and Jelly, sending them off on an adventure which features more jeopardy than they are prepared to accept! Therefore, they keep asking him to change the narrative, causing him to dream up ever more elaborate plots. In my experience, young children often go through a phase when they create stories or imaginative games featuring all of their friends, and I think that many will relate to this tale and will enjoy the humour in the text and pictures. I must add that I loved the endpapers, which looked as if a toddler had taken a crayon to the inside covers!

This is a high quality, hardback book which would create a lovely shared reading experience between adults, at home or in an educational setting, and children aged 3-6. I will look forward to sharing with a young relative during the summer holidays.

Disclaimer: I am very grateful to Post Wave Publishing and publicist Antonia Wilkinson for sending me a copy of Pencil’s Best Story Ever ahead of publication on 4 September 2025. It was my decision to write a review and all opinions are my own.

#PictureBookReview: The Ordinary Life of Jacominus Gainsborough by Rébecca Dautremer

Artwork by Rébecca Dautremer, published in the UK by Post Wave,
22 May 2025, ISBN: 978-1836270171

The Ordinary Life of Jacominus Gainsborough is an extraordinary book. The author and illustrator Rébecca Dautremer encourages readers to think of this tale of a little white rabbit as “an album of a life well lived, a life worth celebrating.” I cannot imagine how much time it must have taken to create the illustrations, but feel that this amazing endeavour will be repaid by many repeat readings and hours spent observing the intricate details in the pictures.

There are twelve complex scenes on double page spreads, depicting episodes from the life of the anthropomorphised animals, the watercolour artwork is exquisite; not just the animals clothed in historical fashions but also the stunning backdrops. These pages contain a small quantity of descriptive text. Interspersed with these are ten single page portraits of different life stages of Jacominus, accompanied by more detailed musings on events in his life. We learn of his accident as an infant and the long-lasting effect on his mobility, which led Jacominus to lose himself in dreams, philosophy and the study of languages. His travels accompanied by his friends and eventual return to his sweetheart and a life of love and learning to love life.

This is one of those picture books which will have universal appeal for readers of any age. This translation into English by Charis Ainslie is the 20th language into which the original French text has been translated since its publication in 2018. The beautiful hardback is a real keepsake and would make a wonderful gift for any book lover; you can take a peek inside through the short video on the publisher’s website here.

Disclaimer: I am very grateful to publicist Antonia Wilkinson and Post Wave Publishing for providing me with a review copy of The Ordinary Life of Jacominus Gainsborough. It was my decision to review the book and all opinions are my own.

#PictureBookReview: Tiger, Don’t Worry! by Daishu Ma

Cover image by Daishu Ma, published by Post Wave, 8 May 2025,
ISBN: 978-1836270164

I absolutely loved reading and absorbing Tiger, Don’t Worry by Chinese author and illustrator Daishu Ma; it’s a feast for the eyes and a lovely tale of familial patience, forgiveness and togetherness. Mei and Tiger decide that they would like to make tea, but when their attempts to copy the adults cause a trail of destruction they decide that running away is the best solution! When they eventually realise that they need to go home and face the consequences, a gentle lesson is learned about the need to own up to mistakes. Additionally, this story presents a completely different aspect to the concept of making tea than we would normally think of in the UK, which provides opportunities for discussion about different cultures and geographies when the book is shared between adults and young children.

The unique illustrative style is absolutely fascinating. I am not very knowledgeable about artistic styles, so I don’t feel that I have the vocabulary to do justice to Daishu Ma’s art, but I loved the vibrant colours, the seemingly simple shapes and also the way that she conveys texture, movement and emotions. While many pages contain fully coloured backgrounds, those where Mei and her pet tiger are feeling the consequences of their actions have white backgrounds and often close-ups of their faces so that young (and older) readers can clearly detect their emotional responses. I’m also fascinated at the way the pictures depict the speed at which Mei and Tiger set off when they run away from the mess that they have created compared to the sense of reluctance when they realise they need to head home and own up to their mistakes. I found the blue and green palette of many pages (and the beautiful endpapers) to be very soothing and I can imagine that this would be a lovely bedtime story for pre-school children.

Tiger, Don’t Worry! is a charming book to share with children aged 3-6 and I would highly recommend it to pre-school, nursery and early years settings as well as to parents and caregivers of young children.

Disclaimer: I am very grateful to publicist Antonia Wilkinson and Post Wave Publishing for sending me a review copy of Tiger, Don’t Worry! It was my decision to write a review and all opinions are my own.

#PictureBookReview: Our Love written & illustrated by Fátima Ordinola

Cover image by Fátima Ordinola, published by Post Wave, 30 January 2025,
ISBN: 978-1836270089

Our Love, written and illustrated by Fátima Ordinola is a gorgeous, heart-warming picture book which celebrates the universality of parental love. On the basis of the recent Book Trust/Waterstones Children’s Laureate discussions about reading as the ‘apparatus of happiness’, I think this would be a wonderful book to share with a young child.

Minimal text accompanies soft watercolour images in a warm palette of pinks, purples and blues, giving the impression throughout of being wrapped in a warm hug. The animal and bird parents demonstrate their love for their offspring by feeding, teaching, helping, cuddling and protecting them with kindness and patience. At the end of the story there is a double page gatefold where children can spot all of the animals featured in the narrative. I can honestly see this book becoming a future classic along the lines of Guess How Much I Love You. According to the endnote, the book created when Fátima Ordinola moved from her native Peru to study at Cambridge School of Art. Lines like:

Our love can reach any distance

It travels with me on every journey

for me, encompass the yearning for family alongside the deep connection of family love which we feel when separated from our loved ones.

If you are looking for a book to share with pre-schoolers as Mother’s Day approaches, or indeed at any time of year, I recommend Our Love.

I am grateful to publicist Antonia Wilkinson and independent publisher Post Wave for sending me a review copy of Our Love and an accompanying print. It was my decision to write a review and all opinions are my own.