The “white dog with black spots” – Harry seems content with the neighbourhood apart from the guinea pig pet, who sadly grabs the children’s attention in his home. A novelty factor for the kids, the guinea pig enjoys “special treats” and “lots of belly rubs”. Instinctively, Harry feels rejected and tries to conform to no avail: the ball balancing is…

A family with three children lives in the woods, possibly near a village, faces a visit from a ‘monster’ – a black dog. Pinfold introduces the characters one by one when seeing the black dog outside their house. The author portrays each member of the Hope family on a page not only by text but also by drawing in a…

A boy different from his classmates, his disability makes him talk like a river. I Talk Like a River is the debut book of the Canadian poet Jordan Scott, which won the New York Times’ Best Children’s Book of 2020. The boy wakes up and faces the challenges of the day, unable to vocalise the sounds around him – his…