Firstborn by Tor Seidler

Maggie the magpie is curious about the world, but she fears she might be limited to the area around the farm where she was born. When her friend the intellectual raven is shot, Maggie decides the farm isn't the safe haven she'd assumed it to be and she sets off in search of new experiences. This is an excellent nature story, told by a clever magpie who runs (or maybe flies?) with a wolf pack. There are lots of scenes depicting the brutality of the wild but Siedler tenderly balances this with moments of conciliation and loyalty. A deceptively simple and really interesting animal story.

For ages 8-10

Published by Simon & Schuster March 3, 2015

A Piece of Cake by LeUyen Pham

Mouse has made a birthday cake for Little Bird, he just needs to deliver it. Unfortunately there are a lot of animals on his way who want to trade something for a piece of cake. The cake runs out before Mouse can get to Little Bird, but that's ok, because Little Bird is clever and he has some trade ideas of his own.

A Piece of Cake is an original idea with a surprisingly unpredictable plot. We expect that Squirrel will want to trade nuts, Bear will trade honey, Chicken will trade an egg and Cow will trade milk. But we have to wait to be proved right. The characters are hilarious and vibrant, Mouse's kindness gets him into a difficult situation, Little Bird's intelligence get's them out of it. And the expressions used by the other animals, including "Yummers" and "Gadzooks" keep us laughing while we're thinking.

But of course, it's the illustration which makes this book so amazing. LeUyen Pham is expert at making charming and dynamic artwork that tells many stories within the story. For this book she recreates the 1960s Little Golden Book style of illustration that subconsciously alerts us that we are about to learn an improving lesson. A lesson which does not come in exactly the way we expect it to.

I love this book, it is one of my favorite picture books of 2014.

Published by Balzer + Bray May 27, 2014