The Picture Book Box

The Perfect Shelter with author Clare Helen Welsh   The Perfect Shelter by Clare Helen Welsh and Å sa Gilland is a book that I and many others have been anticipating for some time. Like Clare's previous book 'The Tide', this story encapsulates elements of life for children in a way that resonates with them, makes them feel understood and let's them know that they are not the only ones who feel this way. There are so many beautiful levels to this story that I can only hope my post here will do it some justice... The Perfect Shelter It is a tale of a young family featuring a Mum, a Dad and their two young girls. The family enjoy spending time in nature and the girls adore constructing dens. Together, the sisters aim to build "the perfect, perfect shelter!" However, unbeknownst to them, a harsh storm is brewing. The storm is set to test the strength of their den and anyone who takes shelter within it.   The imagery here of the storm and...

 The summer of 2019 provided me with my first fantastic visit to the incredible book festival and I am still revelling in the memories of it! I was really looking forward to making a second visit this year, but with everything that is going on leading to the festival (understandably) being cancelled, unfortunately that will not be the case. However, to cheer myself up, I thought I'd take some time to write down a few top tips so that when next summer rolls around (and all being well, my second Edinburgh Book Fest visit), we can really make the most of our time there. Here are some of the things that I recommend/plan to do in preparation for the summer of 2021... 1. I'd highly recommend signing up to the newsletter on their website so that you hear about all of the events in plenty of time. You're also able to request a Festival brochure from the website to maximise your organisation and planning schedule! 2. When you receive the brochure, have ...