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*For Welsh review, see language toggle switch* (suggested) reading age: 5+ (suggested) interest age: 2-5 Genre: #picturebook #bilingual #funny #emotions https://www.joeybananashandmade.co.uk/ After the success of Sawl Bwci Bo? I’m pleased to say the mischievous minion-like creatures are back to create some havoc! Woop! I’m sure many children and parents across Wales have come across the first book, because it was included as part of BookTrust Cymru’s Dechrau Da/Bookstart program. This is the one where every child in Wales was given a free pack of books before turning three. Well, now the little creatures are back and just as vibrant, colourful, and full of beans as ever. This time, we’re not talking about numbers though, but feelings – and those can be very tricky to navigate, can’t they? The style of the books is very modern, and illustrator Steven Goldstone clearly has talent when it comes to digital design. The pictures are very impressive, and the cute little monsters and their silly tricks are sure to appeal to young children. I like that the direction and shape of the font is varied from page to page which keeps things interesting. There's certainly plenty of excitement on every page. As young children develop, they have to try to make sense of all the different feelings. They could be laughing heartily one minute and bawling their eyes out the next. Learning to manage emotions is something that takes time, and a book like this is sure to be useful as it discusses the ups and downs of everyday life and all the different feelings. One of the key messages being- it’s okay to feel the way you feel. As for the humour, well, any mention of bogeys, farts and things like that is bound to appeal little ones, even if it makes boring old people like me roll their eyes! There's also an interactive element to the book, because they've included a few activities to do at the end of the book. Handy. Llio and I (team Sôn am Lyfra) are expecting our first child in July, and whilst I was tackling my list of jobs – (putting up the bookshelf in the baby room) I thought to myself ‘this book’s gonna look good on the new shelf! I’m really looking forward to being able to share it with the little one when he’s a bit older. I think the cover just screams ‘pick me up!’ For more bwci-bo related merch, check out https://www.joeybananashandmade.co.uk/ Publisher: Atebol Released: 2022 Price: £7.99 Format: softcover WHY NOT DOWNLOAD THE ACTIVITY SHEETS FROM BOOKTRUST? https://cdn.booktrust.org.uk/globalassets/resources/welsh-resources/bwrt/bwrt-22-23-bwci-bo-rhyme-and-activity-english-updated.pdf?_gl=1*1y81vj1*_ga*NDgwODc0NjIxLjE2Nzk1ODYwMjE.*_ga_42ZTZWFX8W*MTY3OTU4NjAyMy4xLjEuMTY3OTU4OTU3Ny41NS4wLjA. ABOUT THE AUTHORS: (from BookTrust website) About Joey Bananas Steven Goldstone Steven is a Designer and Illustrator. He’s designed several websites and apps for children including the ‘Muppets Movie’ site for Disney and children’s sites for S4C. He also illustrates the ‘Bwci Bo’ picture book series for young children. ‘How Many Bwci Bos?’ published by Atebol, was selected as BookTrust Cymru’s BookStart book for young children in 2022. The next Bwci Bo book, ‘How are you, Bwci Bo?’ was published in late 2022. He is married to Joanna and lives in Llantwit Major. Joanna Davies Joanna is a Writer and Creative Producer. She’s worked as a Senior Producer for ITV Cymru, S4C and the BBC. She’s produced television progammes and websites for adults and children including Cbeebies and Bitesize. Joanna has written several bilingual novels and is the author of ‘How Many Bwci Bos?’, BookTrust Cymru’s 2022 Bookstart book for young children. The next Bwci Bo book in the series, ‘How are you, Bwci Bo?’ was published in late 2022 . She is married to Steven and lives in Llantwit Major.

*For English review, see language toggle switch* (suggested) interest age: 12+ (suggested) reading age: 12+ Genre/themes: #Welshhistory #slavery #empathy #fiction I wonder if Manon Steffan Ros feels the pressure when it comes to publishing day? Especially when you've set the bar as high as Llyfr Glas Nebo. Anyone would have a job beating the success of that novel! However, with 5 Tir na n-Og awards under her belt already, she has proven herself time and again as one of our most popular and skilled authors. Whilst many believe Llyfr Glas Nebo to be her magnum opus, personally I prefer Llechi and Powell (controversial, right?). Sometimes it takes me weeks to plod my way through a novel, but in this case, with Powell it was only a matter of a days. Elis Powell, a fifteen-year-old boy, has always been very proud of his ancestor and his legacy, and seems more than happy to carry his namesake. He is reminded daily of the enormous contribution of his great great (great?) grandfather to the town – he founded the local hospital and the school. Heck, there’s even a pub named after him! Although the story begins in Trefair, Wales, much of the book takes place in the States. In fact, I rather enjoyed reading a book that wasn’t set in Wales for a change. The main thread of the story is Elis and his grandfather’s journey to the USA to find out more about the life of the great man who has been a constant presence in their lives in some shape or form. Although their once-in-a-lifetime journey gets off to a promising start, we soon get the impression that things are going to turn sour… I'm pretty sure I'd be able to recognize Manon Steffan's work with my eyes shut. It’s very unique and identifiable. The relationships between her characters are always her main focus, and she often pays attention to the little things people do or say, whether it's a couple squabbling in public at the airport or those people who give you back-handed compliments. (You know the ones who pretend to be genuine, but you know that they aren’t.) While the two are on their big adventure learning about the life of the original Elis Powell, new facts emerge, that puts everything they’ve ever believed in doubt. I won't say anything more than that, but one thing’s for sure, they won't be able to think of Elis Powell in the same way again. Their reputation and good name means everything to them, and now, it’s as though the rug’s been pulled from under their feet. This is not the first time MSR has covered the subject of slavery. In 2018, she was involved in a project at Penrhyn Castle, North Wales, where she produced '12 stories' discussing the history of the castle and it’s links to the plantations in Jamaica. That may have prompted her to write more on the subject, which I don’t think has received enough attention until relatively recently in Wales. It's only in recent years, in the wake of the #BlackLivesMatter movement that we’ve started to recognise and accept Wales' part in the cruel and immoral industry. Of course, it's important that we don't ignore the past, but in the same breath, we can't change it either. We have to face up to it and learn from our mistakes if we’re ever to move forward. As for the historical account of slaves in the story, we only get background information - enough to satisfy the needs of the story, but little else. Some may have liked to see more here. Perhaps a few pages at the back of the book (similar to Gwasg Carreg Gwalch's history books) could have been useful to give more context. Having said that, I think it was a deliberate choice by the author not to say too much about the life and experiences of the slaves, and I can understand that. Manon has already spoken about the topic of cultural appropriation in the ‘Colli’r Plot’ podcast – a discussion well worth listening to. I'm still not sure if I know what the answer is, though. The novel raises important questions, and makes you think but it never gets preachy. It may make you feel a bit uncomfortable at times, and this is a good thing. It is a very complex topic of discussion, but it needs to be discussed, and so I'm grateful for a novel like this to facilitate a conversation. Similar to the imaginary Elis Powell, statues of controversial individuals such as Henry Morton Stanley, Thomas Picton, Cecil Rhodes and the like are still visible in our communities. Should they be? That’s a debate in itself! Since we can't change history, the only thing we can do is make sure everyone knows all the facts, and accept that some of these individuals have made valuable contributions to our communities, but much of their wealth came from the exploitation of other human beings. Instead of telling us how and what to think, MSR turns it back on us as readers and asks a very valid and fair question: once you do finally learn all the facts, what are you going to do with that information afterwards? Stay silent and ignore it, or talk about it openly? I think that’s the main point she’s making. Publisher: Y Lolfa Released: Oct 2022 Price: £8.99 Format: softcover FURTHER READING WELSH GOVERNMENT REPORT https://www.gov.wales/over-200-welsh-statues-streets-and-buildings-connected-slave-trade-listed-nationwide-audit

* For English review, see language toggle switch* (suggested) reading age: 4+ (suggested) interest age: 0-4 Genre: #earlyyears #numbers #counting #bilingual Illustrations: Hanna Harris This is a simple and colourful book that teaches young children how to count. As you can see, the illustrations are modern and clear. So far, I’m very impressed with the output from Gwasg y Broga. They haven’t been around for long, but everything is done to a high standard. An opportunity to learn to count, as the passengers embark one by one. They bring with them all their items until the bus is full to the brim. What do you get then? One cranky driver! There’s a bit of humour in this book too as all the passengers have to make a hasty exit! I’ve given this book as a gift to my young cousin for her 2nd birthday. She lives in England so I’m hoping this will be an useful book to introduce a bit of Welsh nice and early. The book’s bilingual too so that even parents who are learning Welsh can join in. Publisher: Broga Released: 2022 Price: £7.99 Format: softcover

REVIEWS Welsh language children & young people's books Read LATEST Click on the tiles to view. Read More Y Bachgen â Blodau yn ei Wallt/The boy with flowers in his hair - Jarvis [adapt. Awen Schiavone] 4 0 1 like. Post not marked as liked 1 Elon - Laura Murphy a Nia Parry 0 0 Post not marked as liked Sblash! - Branwen Davies 5 0 Post not marked as liked Sgrech y Creigiau - Elidir Jones 5 0 Post not marked as liked Y Llew Tu Mewn / The Lion Inside - Rachel Bright [adapt. Eurig Salisbury] 2 0 Post not marked as liked Y Parsel Coch - Linda Wolfsgruber, Gino Alberti [adapt. Llio Elenid] 2 0 Post not marked as liked BOOK OF THE MONTH children Books Council of Wales . February See More AUTHOR OF THE MONTH Branwen Davies Read TIR NA N-OG AWARDS Yearly award for best children's book in Wales More BOOK OF THE YEAR Awards for best authors ​ More TOP 10 Monthly bestsellers for the Book Council of Wales Distribution Centre E-mail sonamlyfra@aol.com Contact > FACEBOOK Go > TWITTER Go > INSTAGRAM Go >

Book of the month August 2022 Gwales

Exciting News! Literature Wales has announced a new category for the award, 'Children and young people's Book of the Year'. ​ This is great news because they will be engaging with Wales’ children and young people to ensure their voices and opinions are heard, and they will have the opportunity to cast a vote in the Children and Young People’s Choice Award. ​ The shortlist will be announced on Radio Cymru in a special programme by Nia Roberts. 9pm 1/7/20 2020 Winner Adolygiad Shortlist Want to know more? The Welsh-language winners will be announced in a series of programmes on BBC Radio Cymru from 30 July – 1 August as part of the AmGen festival of culture, in partnership with BBC Cymru Wales and the National Eisteddfod of Wales. ​ Welsh-language category winners – Poetry and Creative Non-fiction 7.00pm, 30 July BBC Radio Cymru Welsh-language category winners – Children & Young People and Fiction 1.00pm, 31 July BBC Radio Cymru English-language category winners, Wales Arts Review People’s Choice winner and Main Award Winner 6.00pm, 31 July BBC Radio Wales Golwg360 Barn y Bobl winner and Main Welsh-language Award Winner 1.00pm, 1 August BBC Radio Cymru ​ C lick here to go to Literature Wales for more information.