Plum Puddings and Paper Moons by Glenda Millard

Illustrated by Stephen Michael King

Review by The Mole

Kingdom of Silk Book 5

Scarlet is now 15 and is looking for a part time job. She takes a job in the Colour Patch Café where she meets Anik. Anik is a refugee from his war torn country and many of his family are missing and his village destroyed because of the war.

Life in Cameron's Creek is generally isolated from world events so Scarlet is shocked and extremely upset that such things happen to bystanders in a war zone. Being a Silk she won't take this lying down so she declares peace and Cameron's Creek and organises a rally to support her campaign.

Once again the Kingdom of Silk is affected by the affairs of others and steps up to do anything they can to address their issues. Scarlet doesn't change the world but does make those around her stop and think and voice their opinions.

A suggestion that accepting everything around us without voicing our opinions is not the only way. This book feels like it's for the same age group as the rest of the Kingdom of Silk series but also for the older child.

Publisher - Phoenix Yard Books
Genre - Children's fiction

All the Colours of Paradise by Glenda Millard

Illustrated by Stephen Michael King

Review by The Mole

This is the fourth book in the "Kingdom Of Silk" series and here we learn more about Perry Angel and Layla learns that it is possible to hate.

There is little to be said about this series that I haven't said already.

"The message it carries, with so great an effect, is as relevant to parents as it is to children, and I found, as a parent, that the story was highly readable"

"Layla is one of those rare children and even rarer adults - she is naive, kind, empathic and strong willed. In fact if the world was peopled by such characters then perhaps we could enjoy world peace" although that is something that can extend to all of the residents of the Kingdom of Silk.

" It's also a beautiful book, with frequent black and white illustrations to engage the young reader and the story will challenge them and make them think."


Perry is different - as we all are - from others and struggles to understand everything and everyone in the world around him. He finds he can express himself best in drawing and painting. Here we learn how he is helped to cope with those differences. Another beautiful story but with a hint that the eldest Rainbow Girl, Scarlet, is not so different from normal teenagers. But more from Scarlet in book 5.


Publisher - Phoenix Yard Books
Genre - Children's fiction

Line of Fire - The diary of an unknown soldier

Review by The Mole

Translated by Sarah Ardizzone
Introduced by Michael Morpurgo
Illustrated by Barroux

Barroux found the diary of a French soldier from the first world war in a rubbish tip in Paris. The diary tells us little of the man but much about his experiences during August and September of 1914 - the start of the first world war in France.

Because the audience it is written for is himself alone (or maybe his family if it found it's way home) it is honest and forthright, containing his emotions of the moment. He started out patriotic with high morale but quickly misses his family and starts to encounter the confusion of war as people are moved, pushed, advanced and retreated around the country. He shares with us the full horrors that we normally hear of third hand through fiction and documentaries. He becomes injured and has to seek medical help and feels guilty about not being with his comrades to help protect his family who are in Paris while the German army are closing in.

Translation is always a little awkward in so far as you will inevitably end up paraphrasing something but here the translator has managed to stay very close to the original. Those with a smattering of French can attempt to read the few reproduced pages and appreciate the quality of the translation which greatly enhances this book.

The diary stops on 12th September 1914 while he is out of the line of fire and recovering in hospital. What became of the soldier? We will never know but we do get an insight into what life was like for an infantryman at that time.

Aimed at the 11+ reader then the pictures - making this a "graphic novel" - add appeal but this is non-fiction so that title is errant and it's appeal is to a far wider audience including adults of all ages.

Publisher - Phoenix Yard Books
Genre - 11+, Non-fiction, History

Buy Line of Fire: Diary of an Unknown Soldier August - September 1914 from Amazon

Mi and Museum City by Linda Sarah

Review by The Mole

Museums in Museum City are stuffy, serious and dull. Mi meets Yu and they spend a day making music and dropping pebbles and come to the conclusion that there should be a museum of the fun things they have been doing. After being refused permission they get the mayor to join in a fun and silly time, and they get the permission they want.

This book has to be one of the busiest books I have ever seen. Each page is packed with pictures and words and fun. With many plays on words (Well 'Mi and Yu' for a start!), sentences that trail in all directions around pages and pictures that chase after the words.

Children will love picking this book up time and again and finding little bits of silliness that they missed the last time (and all those times before) like "birdsong scent" and "museum of stackable lions".

A lovely book that will keep children entertained as they try to find more things to laugh at and one to be shared along with laughs and smiles.

Publisher - Phoenix Yard Books
Genre - Children's picture book

Buy Mi and Museum City from Amazon

Perry Angel's Suitcase by Glenda Millard

Illustrated by Stephen Michael King
Review by The Mole

Perry is a quiet little boy who comes to live in the Kingdom of Silk - at least for a while. Since being orphaned he has had many new homes and there's always one more. He doesn't speak to anyone lest he lets out his secret but he hasn't reckoned on the power of the Silks (not to forget Layla, the honorary Silk) and the secrets that they hold in their hearts.

This is the third book in the series of The Kingdom of Silk books and before I picked it up I wondered how it could not repeat itself from either of the first two books... but it doesn't. Once again we see the kindness that people can afford others and just wish that everyone could be like that.

A lovely story that's dealt with in a gentle and delicate manner showing that everyone has their own story to tell and should be respected for that. It's also a beautiful book, with frequent black and white illustrations to engage the young reader and the story will challenge them and make them think.

A very enjoyable book and it leaves me wondering where book four will go.

The Naming of Tishkin Silk (Book 1)
Layla Queen of Hearts (Book 2)

Publisher - Phoenix Yard Books
Genre - Children's fiction

Buy Kingdom of Silk: Perry Angel's Suitcase from Amazon

Layla Queen of Hearts by Glenda Millard

Illustrated by Stephen Michael King
Review by The Mole

When Senior Citizen's Day is announced the children are invited to bring an elderly relative to school. Layla has no one to take and rather than share Griffin's (Layla's best friend) grandma she sets about finding someone to take of her own - and finds Miss Amelie.

Layla is one of those rare children and even rarer adults - she is naive, kind, empathic and strong willed. In fact if the world was peopled by such characters then perhaps we could enjoy world peace. In the meantime though...

As a children's story you expect a happy-ish sort of ending but you don't tend to find what you expect in The Kingdom of Silk. This is the second in the series of books and they take their name from Griffin's family - the Silks. The Silks are an uncommon family and befriend uncommon people.

The book ends on a sad note but none the less a very worthwhile one and anyone reading these books will have cause to stop and reflect on themselves and others around them.

Although the illustrator differs from book 1 in the series, they are similar in nature and once again complement the story adding appeal for the younger reader. Book 3 comes out 1st February 2014.

Publisher - Phoenix Yard Books
Genre - Children's fiction

Buy Layla Queen of Hearts (Kingdom of Silk) from Amazon

Lollipop and Grandpa's Dinosaur Hunt by Penelope Harper

Illustrated by Cate James
Review by The Mole

Dinosaurs are always fun and Grandpa and Lollipop go on a hunt and find more than you would expect - and in places you wouldn't expect.

This is a definite 'read aloud' book as the hunt relies on wordplay and is excellently done - more than can be said for Lollipop's photography!

The illustrations are also cleverly done to help the young reader see what Lollipop sees. Full colour throughout with the emphasis on fun and entertainment.

A MUST to read aloud and share as Lollipop goes all out to show she can be just as whacky as Grandpa!

There is a section in the back that explains the dinosaurs they find - so there is some education in it too.

Publisher - Phoenix Yard Books
Genre - Children's picture book

Buy Lollipop and Grandpa's Dinosaur Hunt from Amazon

The Naming of Tishkin Silk by Glenda Millard

Illustrated by Caroline Magerl

Review by The Mole

Griffin's father calls him an 'uncommon' boy - and yes he is. He also comes over as burdened with a secret - one that leaves him with a sombre air. He is just starting school and the qualities that make him 'uncommon' are also the ones that lead to him being bullied. When Layla, a classmate, approaches him their friendship is sealed in moments. Layla knows that there is something wrong in Griffin's life and knows she cannot ask about it... until one day when the time is absolutely right.

I found that this story, although aimed at the younger reader, was totally engaging and I found myself unable to put this book down. Fortunately at 95 pages and aimed at younger readers it didn't take long to read. Although the family and its customs were something that I could not relate to, they were so different to the 'norm' that it didn't retract from the story at all. After reading I found it was set in Australia which accounted for some of the words which I had accepted as idiomatic.

Although this series of books has won many awards in Australia, I did find myself wondering what age group it was targeting. The message it carries, with so great an effect, is as relevant to parents as it is to children, and I found as a parent that the story was highly readable. The black and white drawings that are dotted around the book do, however, give the feel that it is targeted at the younger reader.
An excellent book - now to move on to "Layla Queen of Hearts" the second book in the six book series.

Publisher - Phoenix Yard Books
Genre - Children's fiction

Buy The Naming of Tishkin Silk (Kingdom of Silk) from Amazon

Arthur and the Mystery of the Egg by Johanne Mercier

Illustrated by Clare Elsom
Translated by Daniel Hahn

Review by The Mole

Arthur finds an egg in the middle of a field with no chicken around to claim it. When he takes it home his family get very excited and call the press in - will we finally get an answer to which came first, the chicken or the egg?

Arthur is a delightful character and is beautifully drawn in the black and white illustrations that are on almost every page. Originally written in French, the story is translated by Daniel Hahn and the language used is easily accessible to children while, at the same time, containing a degree of irony that, should an adult choose to read it to a child, they will get something else from it. The themes that are chosen are also ones that we can all relate to even if we don't actually encounter Yeti tracks every day of the week.

There are several books in the series and the first four each end with a theme that is carried on to the next book so young readers would be as well to start at book 1.





Publisher - Phoenix Yard Books
Genre - Children's early reader (5-7)

Buy Arthur and the Mystery of the Egg from Amazon

The Wish-Bringer by Geraldine McCaughrean

Illustrated by Jana Diemberger
Review by The Mole

Monacello is a character from Italian folk tales, who came from Naples and was seen to bring luck, sometimes good but sometimes bad. Not a pretty little chap, he dressed a little like a monk and had two caps, one black for mischief and one red for good luck.

This book is the second of a trilogy and tells various tales of his naivety and mischief making around Naples.

Aimed at the 8-10 year old reader, the illustrations depict an unattractive monk-like figure that oozes mischief - something that will appeal to it's readers and while Monacello brings good luck he doesn't do it very well and prefers his mischief. The illustrations are dark and spooky but depict the tone of the story and the under city in which Monacello lives.

The telling is light hearted and appealing and perhaps a little reminiscent of AA Milne's Winnie The Pooh while all the time underlining the darker side of Naples' life at that time.

A story that will appeal to children who like the darker side of stories (ghosts, vampires and stories of revenge) and the underdog winning through.

Publisher - Phoenix Yard Books
Genre - Children 8-10, Folk Tales, illustrated story book

Buy The Wish-Bringer (Monacello) from Amazon