Every year, there are two books left over once the winners have been announced, so for the next two weeks, we’ll be celebrating the runners up from this year’s Coventry Inspiration Book Awards.
What’s The Story – Watch Out There’s A Monster Coming by Karl Newson, illustrated by Zerah Hicks
Monster is HUNGRY, and he’s coming to find… YOU! He creeps through the streets, hunting for his favourite snack. You’d better hide, because you know what he likes to eat. Something tasty, something sweet. It’s… CAKE, of course!
This is a true thrill-a-minute for the very littlest ones in your life, from picture book favourites Karl Newson and Zehra Hicks.
The Lamb Who Came For Dinner by Steve Smallman, illustrated by Joelle Dreidemy
The first book in the delightful and popular The Lamb Who Came for Dinner series, written by Steve Smallman and illustrated with warmth and charm by Joëlle Dreidemy, is a perfect read for young children.
In this heartwarming story, an old wolf, feeling quite hungry, gets an unexpected visitor: a little lamb. Initially, he plans to make a hotpot out of her, but the lamb has other ideas. Rather than becoming the wolf’s dinner, she offers him something far more valuable—friendship.
This beautifully illustrated tale not only entertains but also encourages children to challenge stereotypes and highlights the importance of friendship and family. It’s a lovely story that teaches young readers the value of kindness and acceptance.
Be sure to explore the other books in this wonderful series, each packed with fun, heart, and important life lessons. A must-read for young minds!
Telling Tales – The Narzat by Luke Marchant, illustrated by Rory Walker
The Narzat lives in the Ungle Bungle Jungle with his friends the Looky Looky Lizard (a feisty reptile who communicates through sign language) and the Chatty Chiwunga (a comically talkative bird who never shuts up). Little is known about how the Narzat arrived there, but he wears a necklace bearing a meaningful inscription. The Ungle Bungle Jungle is full of animals you’d love to meet but some, like the roaring Ravenoserous are absolutely lethal. One day two villains arrive, Lord and Lady Snide armed with guns and a fierce desire for furs and the Narzat’s necklace.
If The Narzat was your favourite, look out for the next book in the series, publishing in May. While you’re waiting, try The Beast And The Bethany by Jack Meggitt-Phillips, illustrated by Isabelle Follath
The Beast and the Bethany is a delightfully dark and humorous story that is sure to become a modern classic. With a touch of macabre humour, warmth, charm, and a sprinkle of the gleeful madness, this book will quickly capture the imaginations of young readers.
The story follows Ebenezer Tweezer, a 511-year-old man who keeps a dangerous beast locked away in his attic. In exchange for feeding the beast various oddities, such as performing monkeys, his pet cat, and the occasional cactus, Ebenezer receives gifts and potions that keep him eternally young and beautiful. But as the beast becomes greedier and gredier, it soon demands something much more sinister: a child. Enter Bethany, an orphan who’s not quite the average victim Ebenezer expects.
Filled with quirky characters and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, this book is perfect for children who love dark and twisted tales, and will have young and old readers alike eagerly turning the pages!
Hooked On Books – Stitch Head by Guy Bass, illustrated by Pete Williamson
In castle Grotteskew something BIG is about to happen…to someone small. Join a mad professor’s forgotten creation as he steps out of the shadows and into an adventure of an almost-lifetime… In the maze-like dungeons of Castle Grotteskew, the frightfully insane Professor Erasmus conducts his bizarre experiments on living things. His very first creation has long been forgotten – a small, almost-human creature, known only as Stitch Head. Poor Stitch Head has spent years vying for attention amongst a menagerie of freakish monsters.
If this was your favourite, try The Maker Of Monsters by Lorraine Gregory
Brat lives in the isolated castle serving Lord Macawber, the man who saved his life and took him in. His only friends are his master’s first failed creations, Sherman and Tingle. When the more successful creatures, the vicious, terrifying ones locked up deep within the castle escape, it’s up to Brat to save not only his friends but the rest of the world, across the sea.
Brimming with heart, humour and horrifying monsters, The Maker Of Monsters is a multi-layered, mesmerising dystopian fantasy, and an epic adventure, all packed into a short read.
The war ravaged wastelands of Niyandi Mor are made devastatingly real, as are Lord Macawber’s creatures. But the stars are Brat, Sherman and Tingle. What Brat lacks in self-esteem, Sherman and Tingle more than make up for in their more carefree outlook on life (as long as no meanie-stinkers are around). Brat’s inability to see the good in himself makes it so much harder for him to accept the help he needs or to believe that he can achieve the task he’s been set. His perseverance and determination to succeed have you rooting for him from the very first page until the very last, and beyond.
Brat is one of those characters that stays with you long after you’ve turned the last page, the kind you find yourself wondering how life is going for them. I hope he’s happy somewhere.
Themes of power and corruption, love and loss, and self-worth and the monster we carry with us run subtly beneath the action packed plot. It’s a fabulous book that I will be recommending far and wide.
Happy reading!
