Episode 32 - What are picture books, and why are they useful?

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien

Season 1: Episode 32

For transcripts, resources, show notes and contact details, see https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-32/

Part 1
Book post

• Skipshock by Caroline O’Donoghue
• The Great Pollination Investigation by Deborah Hocking
• Snarky Sharky by Bethan Clarke, illustrated by Nikolas Ilic
• I Hear the Trees by Zaro Weil
• Carnival Queen by Donette Williams-Harry, illustrated by Amelie-Anne Calmo
• My Friend May by Julie Flett
• Noah’s New Home by Zeshan Akhter, illustrated by Nabila Adani
• You Decide Your Adventure by Bear Grylls
• Words Can Fly by Donna Ashworth and Eirinn McGuiness
• Naeli and the Secret Song by Jasbinder Bilan
• Greenwild: The Forest in the Sky by Pari Thomson
• Alyssa and the Enchanted Forest by Alexandra Sheppard
• Run Away with Me by J. L. Simmonds
• Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian
• Kill Creatures by Rory Power

Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in July 2025

• Go Go Dodo! by Huw Lewis Jones & Fred Blunt
• Every Botty Burps by Becky Wilson and Alex Patrick
• Domain by Rohan Gavin
• Mission: Monster Mind by Philip Kavvadias
• Rayleigh Mann and the Quest of Misfits by Ciannon Smart
• Poison Tides by Jay McGuiness
• George and Lenny Are Always Together by Jon Agee
• Blue, Barry & Pancakes 3: Mount Choco Meltdown by Jason Patterson & Dan Abdo
• When The Storm Comes by Polly Ho-Yen
• Duck Delivers by Tom Tinn-Disbury
• Cosmo Park by Madeleine Finlay & Tom Dearie
• The Poetry World of John Agard by John Agard
• Running My Own Race by Abena Eyeson
• Runaways by E.L. Norry
• Insectarium Activity Book by Dave Goulson
• My Big Fat Smelly Poo Diary 3 by Jim Smith
• Super Goat Girl by Tracey Baptiste & Dapo Adeola
• The First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly
• The Starlight Rebel by Lisette Auton
• The Last Pebble by Alex Horne
• The Goldens by Lauren Wilson
• Pablo and Splash: Roman Holiday by Sheena Dempsey
• How To Save Your Granny From a Runaway Train by Swapna Haddow & Jess Bradley
• My Soul, A Shining Tree by Jamila Gavin
• Home Has No Borders by Sona Charaipotra & Samira Ahmed
• The Magic in You by Mat Ricardo
• The Museum of Lost Umbrellas by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick
• The Secret Life of Clouds by Moira Butterfield & Vivian Mineker
• Dinosaur Desert by Dr Nick Crumpton
• Farah's Nose by Humera Malik
• Grimwood: Rock the Vote! by Nadia Shireen

July 2025 books of the month

• Fiction:  Domain by Rohan Gavin
• Nonfiction:  Dinosaur Desert by Dr Nick Crumpton and Ola Plocinska
• Picture book:  Super Goat Girl by Tracey Baptiste, illustrated by Dapo Adeola

Part 2
Our Children’s books for school prize giving awards

New book pitches: • The Fighting Spirit by Rob Keeley, Sally the Spider’s new shoes by Clodagh Ryan, Anna Denton & The Water of Life by Vaughan Hawthorne-Nelson

Part 3
What are picture books, and why are they useful?

Credits & licensing
3rd party sounds are licensed. Audit: https://bit.ly/3TFkwsl