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(suggested) reading age: 6-9 (suggested) interest age: 5-10 Ilustrations: Bethan Mai https://www.instagram.com/bethan_mai_celf_art/?hl=en Themes: #humour #fiction #environment How to enjoy nature, how to save energy, water, how to re use and recycle, and all in Nel's mischievous and humorous voice. Gwales Description: How can a mischievous schoolgirl save the world? Nel is full of ideas, and when she realises that there is a fiendish plan in the offing, she sets out on an adventure to find the beast that is determined to destroy the planet. With colour illustrations by John Lund, this story is full of advice and ideas about how children can look after their planet. APOLOGIES THIS REVIEW IS ONLY AVAILABLE IN WELSH Publisher: Lolfa Released: 2022 Price: £4.99 Series: Na, Nel!

♥ Children's Book of the Month: Feb 2022 ♥ (suggested) reading age: 6+ (suggested) interest age: dan 7 Illustrations: Emily Gravett Gwales Description: A Welsh adaptation by Endaf Griffiths of A Song of Gladness by Michael Morpurgo, with artwork by Emily Gravett. 'Our song is your song. Your song is our song'. The rich text and illustrations are a celebration of our wonderful planet and of all living things. Review by Ceri Parry, Mum of 4 / Primary Teacher- reception/yr.1 This is a wonderful and beautifully written book with an important message for the readers. The story begins with an old man explaining to the little blackbird that there’s much sadness in the world. The little blackbird has an idea and goes on to share the message with the fox. The message is passed from one animal to another, and the reader comes to meet all kinds of colourful and diverse animals of the world as the animals unite to share the message. The story ends with a sense of pride and unity as everyone sings as one to share the little blackbird’s message. I presented the story during a service for young children between the ages of three and eight. Everyone listened intently, enjoying the story and eager to guess the little blackbird’s message. The book is full of colourful and detailed illustrations that engage the children as well as introducing a variety of animals on our planet. The pictures were a great springboard for discussion and a wonderful way to introduce some unfamiliar animals. The story can be used for all sorts of learning opportunities within a primary school context. This book challenges us to consider our amazing planet and how to care for it. It’s a wonderful thing to share with a class to reinforce the message of caring for our world. Gwales Review - Hawys Roberts Do you love nature? Do you want to do your part to make sure the world is a better place to live? Why not listen to the message of the animals in this colourful, vivid story? It all starts with the blackbird and its wonderful song in the garden. And what is his message? He sings a song of hope. He wants to cheer and share the good news everywhere. Although we can be demoralized at times, and stories of despair about the state of our world often make us sad, we need to cheer up, and come together to make things better. The song of the blackbird leaves the garden and reaches into every corner of the world. Through the beautiful pictures we meet animals from all over the world – from the grasshoper and the smallest little mouse in the corner of the field, to the big gorillas in the tropical forests and camels in the desert. The crocodile is in its marsh, the salmon and trout in the rivers, and the eagles on the mountain, all listen and get excited. Even the snow melts, and the song of the blackbird accompanies the stream from the mountain and out to sea. Everyone has the same message – we need to take care of this lovely planet. Back in the garden, the blackbird is satisfied. It is our responsibility today to change the situation, and to look forward to a better future. In the words of the blackbird himself, 'Our song is your song, and your song is our song.' A review from www.gwales.com , with the permission of the Books Council of Wales. Publisher: Atebol Released: Dec 2021 Price: £12.99 Format: Hardback

♥Children's Book of the Month: May 2024 ♥ (suggested) reading age: 10+ (suggested) interest age: 8-13 Themes: #history #Wales #adventure #humour #fiction Illustrations: Lleucu Gwenllian https://www.studiolleucu.co.uk/ Wouldn’t it be cool to be able to pause time or even to travel back and forth in time? Quite often, whilst I’m on a walk, I find myself thinking “woah, I wonder what this looked like years ago.” To be honest, living next to Conwy Castle I think this pretty much everyday whilst driving past! Near my house is the site of the former Deganwy Castle. With little evidence left today apart from a few scattered ruins, if you didn’t know about it, you’d probably miss it. Many, many years ago however, this would have been a magnificent castle claiming a strong position looking out onto the estuary on top of Y Fardre. It would be amazing to see how it was at it’s peak. Well, there’s no time machine as such in Anturiaethau’r Brenin Arthur by Rebecca Thomas, but some pretty strange things happen regardless. Instead of characters travelling back in time, one famous historical character wakes up in our time. That's something else I think about sometimes. Imagine being able to meet some famous people from days gone by – it’d be so entertaining to ask them about their experiences. I wonder what they’d think of our modern world today? If I could meet someone from the past, who would I choose? Elvis Presley? Guy Fawkes? Having a chat with Owain Glyndŵr would definitely be on the agenda .  Wow, that’d be one hell of a random party! From Lleucu Gwenllian’s colourful cover and some clues in the blurb, we can pretty much gather what the plot of the story is about. A group of schoolchildren are on a mission; desperate to find out where King Arthur has been sleeping for centuries as per the legend. After going to all the of finding his resting place, there's only one thing to do after... wake him up of course! If I'm being completely honest, I actually know very little about Arthur. I remember watching the film The Sword in the Stone years ago and I was somewhat familiar with the legend that he was sleeping until the time came that he was needed once again. Other than that, I knew very little about his story. Was he a real person? Is it just a myth? Some additional context about King Arthur could have been useful here, like you get in some books. Regardless, the guy’s a bit of a legend, and that’s what Google and Chat GPT were made for! After centuries in peaceful solitude, is now the right time to wake him from his slumber? Well, this bunch of Year 9’s seem to think so! Our world is in trouble, gripped by an environmental crisis that threatens us all. The young people of the story understand this, but the politicians don’t listen. No one takes much notice of a group of children, but will they listen to a King? Get ready for a hilarious adventure, with 'fish out of water' comedic elements as the old King tries to get his head around the wonders of the modern world: seemingly magical devices, strange ways of speaking, odd clothes and of course... crisps! I always enjoy Gwasg Carreg Gwalch's historic fiction novels, but these are often very challenging and require mature reading skills to properly appreciate them. I was delighted to see a shorter book being released that is much easier for primary age children to read.  This book would certainly be one that I would recommend using in the top primary/CC3 as a book to read for pleasure. It ties the history and magic of the past with scientific/environmental messages about our planet’s future. I also like the group chat graphics   at the beginning of the book. Yes, there's plenty of humour in this story, with the sight of a legendary, mythical King eating his way through a packet of cheese and onions being rather amusing. However, amid the light-heartedness, there's a serious message about the future of our planet. If nothing else, the book makes us realise that we don't need a heroic figure to instigate change- this is something we can all do. The hope for the future rests on the shoulders of our children and young people. I'm pretty hopeful they can sort out the mess we've created (before it's too late!) This is an entertaining one-off story, with quite a novel and original idea. I can also see that pupils have been involved in the planning process of this novel, which is a great idea. Shall we have a story about Owain Glyndŵr or Llywelyn ein Llyw Olaf next? Publisher Gwasg Carreg Gwalch Released: 2024 Format: paperback Price: £7.99

(suggested) interest age: 6 month+ (suggested) reading age: with parent/other “Your watch has ended , Parti Prysur” Well, I need to apologise to the library for the state of the book I just returned, because this copy has really been through the mill. I brought it home for the little one, who was about eleven months old at the time. Safe to say, it went down well, if perhaps a little  too  well… My son now has a good collection of books, and we've put them all on a forward facing shelf in his bedroom so he can go and pick his own books. Sometimes I mix in library books with his to get a little variety. Out of all the books out there, this was the one that got the most attention. For almost a whole month, this book was given a lot of attention on a daily basis, whether by sharing the book with us or as he “read” it on his own. (I obviously use the word read in inverted commas because he mainly just looks at it, explores it and occasionally chews it!) These type of board books are pretty resilient, and they need to be. It came with us in the car, to the park, in the pram, to the cafes. – everywhere.  But, after a whole month of intense usage, and with pieces hanging off, the poor book had to come out of circulation and up to the book clinic upstairs, for me to try and fix it before returning it to the library. Just so you can imagine, the book clinic is similar to a scene from a war movie, where all the injured soldiers come after returning from the front lines. Tired and broken. We now have a big pile of damaged books awaiting repair. The fact that the cover is hanging off isn’t an indication of the book's weakness or manufacture quality, but rather, a sign that the book has been appreciated and loved by a young child. He was enjoyed and manhandled thoroughly for a solid month. And then, all of a sudden, the book was discarded and is no longer ‘flavour of the month.’  His attention has turned to new and exciting books, leaving Busy Party/Parti Prysur  lying alone in the corner. It’s fifteen minutes of fame over for the time being. So what’s the appeal? Babies love and books with flaps, pull-outs, felty textures or anything like that. Things that move and can be moved basically. He very quickly got the hang of using the yellow finger tabs to move them. It was amusing to watch his fine motor skills improve while playing and experimenting with the book. Even just picking up the book, holding it and turning the pages is good practice. For some reason he was fascinated with this page (below) and would often chuckle to himself moving the piñata from side to side. No idea why. Given how much he enjoyed Parti Prysur , we've bought more books like it, including Yr Awel yn yr Helyg and Ailgylchu Prysur,  but so far he hasn't been as taken with those. I. not sure why he became so attached to this particular one, because they’re all quite similar. The colours maybe or just a simple case of right book, right time. Another advantage with this series is that they’re bilingual books, and therefore make good gifts for any parent, whether they speak Welsh or not. A good chance to practice if nothing else. By the end, the poor book was worn out, and looked worse for wear despite my DIY sellotaping attempts. Now it’s gone back for some respite on the library shelf. Until it gets called up for another tour of duty somewhere else that is…   Publisher: Dref Wen Released: 2023 Series: Gwthio, Tynnu, Troi Format: boardbook (hardback) Price: £5.99

♥ Children's Book of the Month: Feb 2024 ♥ (suggested) reading age: 6/7 (suggested) interest age: 3-7+ Topics: #picturebook #adaptation #bilingual #friendship #kindness #school #empathy Illustrations: Daniel Egnéus https://www.illustrationdivision.com/daniel-egneus "A book that every teacher should use at the start of the ter, to share messages of kindness." As the children return to school (or start from scratch for some) after the holidays, this is the perfect opportunity to share a tender, warm-hearted bilingual story by Wendy Meddour – Y Fainc Ffrindiau (The Friendship Bench), skilfully adapted by Manon Steffan Ros. As someone who’s pretty confident (on the outside anyway), people are surprised when I tell them I'm not like that really. Whilst I come across as someone who’ll talk to anyone, I’m actually not very good at making new friends easily. When I think about it, I only have a small circle of close friends. For that reason, I identified with this book, even though I'm not a child. We all know that feeling, the one of butterflies in your tummy when we are faced with a new, unfamiliar situation.  Whether you're a small child on your first day of school or an adult landing in a conference or a party where you know no one, we all get feelings of anxiety and nervousness from time to time. The girl in the story is in a similar situation, after moving house and starting a new school, for reasons unmentioned. After spending hours outside playing with her favourite friend, Cysgod the dog, Tes isn't looking forward to staying inside all day without her dog. You see, unfortunately dogs can't come to school... After a rather lonely first day, the nice teacher suggests she try the friendship bench which helps children find friends. When she arrives, someone is already sitting on it and has been there for some time. I love the innocence of the two, as they believe the bench is faulty because they’re still both sitting on it. After giving it another go, the boy and girl strike up a conversation. Very quickly, the two become acquainted and get to work ‘fixing’ the ‘broken’ bench. Of course, as readers, we know full well the bench is working it’s magic perfectly! This adaptation is an example of how adaptations should be done. In fact, I almost didn't realize that it was a translated book at all. Looking at the simple, natural pictures by Daniel Egnéus, I could imagine this taking place by some seaside village by the sea somewhere in Pen Llŷn orCornwall. This story is ideal to share with an infant class at the beginning of a school year, or when a new pupil joins the class. It's not really the bench that has the power to create friends, but that power actually comes from within us. It’s not easy making the first move and saying hello, some kids are just shy and need a little help. I hope the story will persuade children to reach out to new classmates, and for those who despair, a message of persevere as well. Even if things feel hopeless at first, they'll be okay in the end. I've seen a similar bench in the town square recently, with a small sign on it. Next time I'm there, I'm going to sit on it for a while and see what happens. You really never know who you‘ll meet… Publisher Atebol Released: Jan 2024 Price: £7.99 Format: paperback

(suggested) reading age: 13+ (suggested) interest age: 14-25+ Gwales Description A lively novel for unwilling readers and anyone who enjoys a contemporary, lighthearted story! The story follows two main characters, Jacob and Cadi, as they prepare for a friend's wedding. Beginning 7 days prior to the wedding, the story follows the preparations until the big day itself. Review by Gareth William Jones Llio Elain Maddocks' debut novel, Twll yn y Niwl , was shortlisted for Book of the Year 2021, so before turning to this novel you know you're in the company of an accomplished writer. The story, which grips you from the get-go, starts seven days before Rhys' wedding. His friend from childhood days, Jacob, runs his father's old garage in France since he was eighteen and hasn't returned to Wales for years – in fact, he doesn't miss the place either. But when an invitation comes to Rhys' wedding, he accepts and heads for home. While shopping with his mother for a wedding gift, Jacob comes across lawyer Cadi who is looking for a dress to attend the same wedding. They've never met before. Jacob and Cadi tell the story, which is a perfect style to move the story forward smoothly and quickly. Poor Cadi has just been dumped by Tom who works in the same law office as her, and is Rhys's best man. Cadi is determined to make Tom jealous on the wedding day and maybe win him back. When Cadi sees Jacob and learns that he's going to the same wedding, she sets upon a plan that will surely make Tom jealous, especially if she wears the tight red dress that she's about to buy that leaves little to the imagination. After meeting Tom, a bit of a snobbish fool, the next day, Jacob agrees to help Cadi with her plan. He agrees to pretend to be her boyfriend just for one day - the wedding day. But is this decision a wise one? According to Cadi's own admission the plan is fraught with problems and she knows she is playing with fire. On top of that, her best friend Sioned thinks she's making a mistake. Two nights before the wedding, under the starlight, the plan gets even more complicated, and during the wedding night, Cadi is absolutely adamant that she has made a mess of things. She certainly creates a crisis and while you may think you can guess the ending, there are a few twists and turns awaiting you. This is a perfect novel to read on the seafront near Rochefort in France … with a glass of red wine for company. . A review from www.gwales.com , with the permission of the Books Council of Wales. Publisher:  Lolfa Released:  2022 Format: paperback Series: Stori Sydyn Price:  £1.00 (bargain!)

(suggested) reading age: 3-7 (suggested) interest age: 3-7 Illustration: Siôn Morris https://www.sionmorris.cinnamondesign.co.uk/ Gwales Description A charming Christmas story about a special secret. Did you know that all animals can talk to each other on Christmas Eve? In this story they help a deprived refugee find a home in Bethlehem, Wales. A contemporary story, relevant to our times, with an important lesson about being kind to everyone, of all background and race. Dark Days in Britain Sometimes, I can barely look at the news because it's so awful. War in Ukraine. War in the Middle East. It's all so desperately sad.   Recently, the news was very shocking, and it wasn’t something in a faraway land either, but something on our very own doorstep. In the wake of the disgusting attack on a group of children in a dancing class in Merseyside, violent riots and clashes with police started spreading across England. And whilst the dance-school incident was reported to be an isolated attack , some extremist groups have used the public outrage as an excuse to spread misinformation and hatred towards refugees and members of the Muslim community. I was very deeply ashamed and embarrassed  to see young men waving St George's flags whilst trying to set a hotel in Rotherham, with migrants inside, on fire.  https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/riots-rotherham-asylum-hotel-court-b2596124.html Books about Refugees Regardless, in the wake of all the media reports at the time, many have been asking about recent books discussing refugees. No doubt as a result of many questions from young children who probably don’t understand how people can be so mean to each other. So I scratched my head thinking which ones to recommend.   I struggled to think of many examples. Y Crwt yn y Cefn  by Onjali Rauf is for older children, but  Cyfrinach Noswyl Nadolig  is the one best suited for young children. The author, Eurgain Haf from Pontypridd, has just won the Prose Medal at the 2024 Rhondda Cynon Taf National Eisteddod. (Congratulations, by the way!) She wrote the book largely because of her work with the charity Save the Children, Wales. Loosely, the story follows a young refugee, a boy named Samir, who finds himself in an strange country after coming here on the back of a lorry. How frighetning it must have been for him. Thankfully, he arrived safely here in Wales. And it’s another good thing that he arrived on a very special night - Christmas Eve. But why is this so special? Well, something amazing happens on this night. All the animals can talk, but for one night only. In a narrative that reminds me a little bit of how all the animals help each other in the Disney film 101 Dalmatians, they all come together to lend Samir a hand in finding a new family here in Wales. Sadly, at the beginning of the story Samir has no one, as his Mother and Father have been killed in a war. The book doesn’t shy away from showing the horrific situation Samir has escaped from and why he can’t go back. I'm glad the picture shows the violence and destruction, because this is a visual way of explaining what's going on. It is a good opportunity to have a discussion with young children and answer likely questions they will have. With so much talk on the news about people crossing The Channel seeking asylum, the book is a great way to introduce the subject, and is a great opportunity to teach compassion and empathy for our fellow human beings. This is a very useful book for school assembly or classroom work. It's hard to put ourselves in other people's shoes, but this lovely book is helpful when trying to see the world from someone else’s perspective. If nothing else it shows us how lucky we are. I won't spoil the end, but there's a real unexpected twist that may need to be explained to a young reader. Whilst the Christmas theme serves as a backdrop for the story, this isn't your usual Christmas book. In fact, it can - and should - be read and discussed all year round. Whilst we might sit round the fire eating mince pies with our loved ones at Christmas, not everyone will be so lucky... Publisher: Lolfa Released: 2021 Price: £5.99

♥Children's Book of the Month: July 2024♥ (suggested) reading age: 10+ (suggested) interest age: 7+ (with adult helping) Theme: #Mabinogi #fiction #magic #legends #Wales #traditional Illustrations: Valériane Leblond https://www.valeriane-leblond.eu/home.html When the first volume, Pedair Cainc Y Mabinogi , (available as Welsh and English versions) was published, it made quite an impression. In fact, it won the Tir na n-Og Awards in 2016 – you can’t really make much more of an impression! Well, after a long wait, the follow-up to that award-winning volume is now available, and the second instalment promises even more of what made the first so special. To begin with, we’ve got to talk about the book itself. This is what I call a 'proper book!' The hardback cover gives the sense of substance and high quality; this is not a book to be read once and then discarded! No, a book like this is something that ought to be appreciated, treasured and eventually passed on within families. This is the kind of book that a child (or indeed an adult) can return to again and again. And who better to decorate the cover than one of our most beloved artists- Valériane Leblond. She may have come from France originally, but Wales has definitely adopted her as one of our own. Valériane's drawings/style are very well recognisable, and they certyaibly capture the ancient magic and mystery of the Mabinogi. Put these gorgeous iluustrations together with Siân Lewis' words, and you've got the perfect combination. If you asked me to go about introducing the Mabinogi to a new generation of readers, I probably wouldn't know where to start. The author, Siân Lewis, however, is well versed in how to do this, having authored several other similar books. In fact, the Mabinogi has received a fair amount of attention from publishers in recent years, so what makes this volume different? This time, the author has been given the freedom and space to tell the stories in a very complete and comprehensive way. Simplified versions of the stories already exist, but in order to simplify, one has to cut, and in doing so, something is inevitably lost. Although there are 'only' three stories included, the Story of Culhwch and Olwen, the Story of Lludd a Llefelys and Breuddwyd Macsen Wledig, do not be deceived as there’s plenty to be getting on with which will keep you reading for a good while! The story of Culhwch ac Olwen especially, is a very long and strange one, and best enjoyed over several readings. The stories themselves are varied and evergreen; as relevant now as when they were first recited and written down. Now, however, reader expectations are very high in terms of how books should look and feel. I'm happy to say that I wasn't disappointed by this beautiful and luxurious volume. Romance, revenge, violence, excitement, adventure, battle, giants, wizards and dragons -the Mabinogi contain a little bit of everything- what more does anyone want? A review from www.gwales.com , with the permission of the Books Council of Wales. Publisher: Rily Released: 2024 Price: £12.99 Format: Hardback

(suggested) reading age: 11+ (suggested) interest age: 12+ / YA Gwales description: 'I will build you a castle here, to keep you safe forever.' Brycheiniog in the tenth century is a dangerous kingdom - so dangerous that the king's sister must be hidden from sight. Elwedd has not been allowed to leave the castle on the water for twelve years. On the island, she is safe. As she discovers the truth about the castle she is drawn into a battle for the whole kingdom. Y Castell ar y Dŵr  (The Castle on the Water) is a historical fiction story set in Brecon in the tenth century about a girl named Elwedd, the king's sister who has grown up away from the world in a castle that was built to keep her safe. Elwedd grows up believing that she doesn't get to see the outside world because it's too dangerous for her and she's quite happy with her life within the castle walls. She knows once it was safe enough she would be able to move to live with her brother. He reminds her of this every time he visits but when a craftsman named Syfaddan moves to work in the castle and gives her a taste of life outside her little world she starts questioning everything about her home life and family. Come with Elwedd and Syfaddan to find out what secrets Elwedd's family are trying so hard to keep from her.  I'd recommend Y Castell ar y Dŵr to people aged 12 or older as there are some difficult themes for younger children to understand. I'd also say it's a book aimed at people who love history and romance. I wouldn't suggest it to someone who didn't like violence or people being mistreated because there's quite a bit of that in the book.  I thoroughly enjoyed reading Y Castell ar y Dŵr  as it kept me on the edge of my seat wanting to know what would happen next. The characters were all interesting and complex and there was no one who was a completely good or completely bad person. There were also many unexpected twists and turns we'd never imagined coming. We also liked how it was hard to like some of the best characters in the book at the beginning of the story but they developed brilliantly throughout the book. It was also lovely to see two such different characters like Syfaddan and Elwedd become so close that it felt like they couldn’t live without each other. I really enjoyed the book and I highly suggest you read it. Publisher: Gwasg Carreh Gwalch Released: 2023 Price: £8.50 Format: paperback

(suggested) reading age: 6+ (suggested) interest age: 5-11 Theme: #Disney #animals #fiction The topic of original books vs adaptations comes up from time to time, with some being very critical of adaptations because they feel they are being published at the expense of original books. Not all adaptations are equal either; whilst some are decent, the language in some of them doesn't always flow naturally. But whatever you think of them, the truth is, like everything in life, you need balance. We  need both types of books, and adaptations play an important role in a minority language context, bolstering our supply of available books on a range of topics. One would hope that people unfamiliar with original Welsh books would start off by reading familiar adaptations, and that would open the door to more home-grown Welsh books. There’s no brand more familiar around the world than Disney, and it's important that our children can read about their favourite well-known characters through the medium of Welsh. Working in the library, I came across this series by accident whilst sorting the shelves in the kids area. I had a quick flick through, liked the look of it, and took it home to have a proper look at it. These books are well suited for young children who are just starting to read independently. I’d say anything up from 6-9 years old, depending on the individual. For younger readers, there’s quite a bit of text, but it is set in a clear font on white background, mostly. I will admit I'm a bit of a nerd about fonts, and annoying ones get under my skin ( comic sans anyone?).  I have no idea what this font is called, but I think it's amongst the best for young readers, because it's so clear and legible. The translator, Mared Llwyd, is an experienced teacher working in Welsh language support. The language has been thoroughly looked at and revised so it’s very suitable for the target audience. Apparently, they’ve followed the criteria set out in the National Literacy Framework when considering the challenge level of the text. If you scan the QR code  on the back of the book, you'll get several free worksheets, which are very handy for passing the time on a rainy Sunday afternoon. These include some comprehension questions. One thing I wasn’t keen on was fact that they translated the name of the baddie lion from the film, Scar, into ‘Craith’. I know it’s technically correct, but for me it just ruined it somehow. Maybe I’m too familiar with the characters already because I grew up in the 90s Disney era. Anyway, I’m sure that saying Scar would have worked just fine in Cymraeg– you could just say it with a strong Welsh accent!   There are several other titles in the Disney Agor y Drws series, and all the date stamps on the front of this library copy show me that this one’s popular with borrowers. After reading about the Y Llew Frenin, I'll have to rewatch the film now- the tunes were so catchy weren’t they? OTHERS IN THE SERIES How cool is it that we're able to read about all these well-known characters in our own language? Released: Jan 2023 Publisher: Rily Price: £4.99 Series: Disney Agor y Drws Format: Hardback

♥︎Rhestr Fer Tir na n-Og 2024 Shortlisted♥︎ (suggested) reading age: 6+ (suggested) interest age: 5+ Themes: #seaside #countryside #nature #rhyme Illustrations: Naomi Bennet https://www.instagram.com/naomibennetillustration/?ref=srmma1jpt_miv At the end of a three-year stint on the Tir na n-Og Judges panel, it's an interesting year for me, because I've been able to sit back ‘on the outside’ and enjoy trying to guess who was going to make it onto the shortlist, and who would scoop the top prize. (I didn't guess very well by the way!) It didn't surprise me at all when I heard that Y Gragen  had been shortlisted. One only has to look at it to see it’s an incredibly beautiful book. And while I'm disappointed it didn't come out on top in the primary category, it's still a book worth buying or borrowing. The book is basically a poem by Casia Wiliam, and was part of an excellent competition in the Urdd Eisteddfod, where entrants are asked to create original artwork to accompany words. The winner of the competition was Naomi Bennet, who has made quite an impression with her first work —not everyone is a TNNO finalist, after all. I really hope to see more of her work in original children's books. Here's a press release  for the competition: https://llyfrau.cymru/en/y-gragen-launched-at-the-urdd-eisteddfod-carmarthenshire/ The competition aims to discover new talent in the world of book illustration, and the end result is a good example of words and pictures coming together to create a beautiful thing. Don’t get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with modern computer animated illustration, but for me, there's nothing that can beat traditional artwork using real watercolour paint. I love how the colours blend into each other. Just look at this spread, even the pesky gulls that annoy us so much look absolutely majestic. Many times over the years, visitors have said to me, "oh you're so lucky to live where you do" or "it's so beautiful, wish we lived here." And whilst their words can sound a bit cliché, I genuinely do think we tend to take things for granted sometimes. It's easy to complain and forget how lucky we are here in Wales. Basically, the story follows a family who come from the city to visit the seaside, so not too dissimilar to us here in Llandudno, which welcomes a number of tourists from across the border and beyond. The wonder and excitement the boy felt was palpable, as he experienced things for the first time. Just feeling sand under his feet and hearing the crashing waves made such an impression on him. These memories will be with him for a long time, even when he returns to his high rise flat in the big city. I've just been in London myself, seeing my sister, and although walking through the hustel and bustle of Camden town was an experience in itself, there was no better feeling than stepping off the train back in Conwy to a backdrop of sea and mountains. If nothing else, Y Gragen makes one realise what a privilege it is to live where we do, and I'm very grateful for that. I’m likely to use this book as a resource in school, (foundation and CC2 especially) and the QR code with a link to the resources is handy for teachers. Publisher: Barddas Released: Mai 2023 Price: £7.99 Format: Hardback

(awgrym) oed diddordeb: 7-11 (awgrym) oed darllen: 7+ *gyda chymorth Lluniau: Gwen Millward It's not often that a series  makes such an impression as Sw Sara Mai. The first book came out at a time when it was felt that there was a gap in terms of books for 7-11 year olds (tbh we could still do with more!) I remember being on the Tir na n-Og judging panel at the time, and everyone agreed how good the first one was. Many schools now use the series as their class novel, as it’s very suitable for years 3-4, (and years 5 -6) with lots of cross-curricular work that stems from it.  At it’s heart though, this is a book to be enjoyed, not studied. In the world of movies, sequels can end up being a bit of a flop compared to the originals, but in Sara Mai's case, the standard increases with each publication. When the second instalment (Lleidr y Neidr) was launched, it became one of my favourite books of that year, throwing a detective novel element into the pot. With Sara back for her third adventure, which turns the series into a trilogy, we get a different setting from the zoo - an adventure into the countryside - something that will be familiar to many Welsh children. And for those more urban readers, what a great opportunity to learn more about farm life. After hearing that some of the older children are allowed to go to Disneyland Paris for their end of term trip, some of the younger children are disappointed to hear that year 5 is going to a local farm, Tyddyn Gwyn, instead. As an animal lover of all kinds, Sara Mai is really looking forward to learn different animals to the zoo’s usual exotic kind. She may be familiar with every nook and cranny of the zoo, but she’s never been on a farm before. As we know, Sara much prefers animals to people, and a farm should have plenty of those - sounds like a perfect trip! One of the reasons the series has been so popular is because the author, Casia Wiliam, has ‘tuned in’ to the world of children this age. As a parent, and through her work as the Welsh Children's Poet, I’m sure she’s chatted to enough children across the country to get a pretty good idea of what's appeals these days. It all reads so naturally, (mostly Northern dialect) and it never sounds like an adult trying to be 'cool' when writing for kids (as can sometimes happen). She talks about life issues that matter to children so they can relate to the situations and experiences. As an older reader, I was also transported back to my time at school, taking similar trips to Glan Llyn, staying up all night feasting on Haribos and telling ghost stories about the black nun! Residential trips, which are like a rite of passage for kids, are on one hand full of fun, freedom, excitement, bunk beds and midnight feasts, but on the other hand, there's a longing for home, nervousness at meeting new people, and that sinking feeling of being put in groups with people you don’t know! These things might be 'nothing' to adults, but these  are serious things  when you're a kid. Find out how Sara Mai copes with staying overnight without mum and dad for the first time… I like the character of Sara Mai for many reasons. She's very different from the usual, with a rather mature head on her shoulders. She'd much rather be clearing the elephants pen (yup, even the poo) than spending hours in front of a screen. As she wants  to be a zoo keeper in the future, she's full of facts of all kinds about countless creatures. Oh yeah, and she loves reading too which is always a good thing! But another reason I like the character, is because she's so believable and genuine. She's by no means perfect herself (who is eh?). Sometimes she can be a bit dismissive of things that aren’t animal-related, and as we find out, she doesn't always listen to advice herself (you’ll know what I mean when you get to the bit with the tree!) It's interesting to see her grow as a person over the course of the novels, and she learns a few lessons of her own, like figuring out who your real friends are. The novel has a bit of everything, fun characters, humour, and parts that will bring a tear to your eyes, oh, and of course... plenty of animals! I'm already looking forward to the next adventure , as Sara Mai moves up to year 6! Gwasg: Y Lolfa Cyhoeddwyd: 2023 Cyfres: Sw Sara Mai Pris: £5.99