3 picture books to inspire creativity

I regularly receive picture books to review, and here are three titles I’ve enjoyed with messages about creativity and imagination:

The Woollies: Follow the Footprints by Kelly McKain (Oxford University Press, £6.99)
Some of the books we’ve been reading again and again after receiving them to review have been The Woollies books written by Kelly McKain and illustrated with colourful artwork by Jon Stuart. The Woollies are knitted characters who carry chunky knitting needles and solve any problems they face by ‘imagi-knitting’ tools and equipment needed on their adventures. In The Woollies: Follow the Footprints, Baby Woolly discovers footprints near their house and wake up Zip to take him on a journey while the others are fast asleep. The cute friends with special powers ‘imagi-knit’ a monster-catcher and a dig-o-matic machine before returning home to the wonderful Woollies’ house, another fascinating illustration to study for little ones. The theme links in to the knitting craze among older children, and I think stories can help inspire imagination in young children.

You can’t cuddle a crocodile by Diana Hendry (Hachette Children’s Group, £6.99)
For a book that celebrates the wonderful and wild imagination of children, look out for You can’t cuddle a crocodile by Diana Hendry. This book oozes with child-appeal, as it tells the story about a family where the sister changes into a new animal every day. Since pretend play can be such an important part of life at a certain age, I think many young readers will be able to relate to the story, and parents may like the patient mum and dad in the book. Most importantly, with funny and bright-coloured illustrations by Ed Eaves, the book is sure to put a smile on a little one’s face.

Matisse’s Magical Trail by Tim Hopgood (Oxford University Press, £6.99)
Sometimes walls and buildings lack colour and everything can look grey, but in this story there’s a little snail who transforms the look of a school. Matisse first starts illustrating pebbles at night and a little boy finds them and shares them with his friends. One day they notice more drawings and Matisse in the middle of one on a wall, and their teacher lets the class add colour to all the joyful illustrations. The new look wows passersby, and I think the story highlights how art and colour can effect our moods and play a positive part in our lives.

Tags: Children's books, Hachette Children's, Oxford University Press, Picture books, Review