Even the Trunchbull

Episode 61 - Terrors by Torchlight (The Dark and When the Storm Comes)

To wrap up this tenth season, we're reading some thrillers for kids. Yes, they do exist, even in picture book form!

The Dark by Lemony Snicket and Jon Klassen is a stunning piece of art. It's a horror story. Laszlo has an uncomfortable roommate type relationship with the Dark. They live in the same house. Mostly it's fine. Except when it's not. Except when the Dark lures you into the cellar and hits you with a wall of text... We're not joking! That's how this book goes. It's fantastic.

Our chapter book, released just last year, is When the Storm Comes, by Polly Ho-Yen, who is fast becoming an auto-buy author for us. This is a disaster movie in book camouflage. It's a climate change book. It's a bullying book. It's a survival story. What if you became trapped inside your school with your firm but fair, very pregnant teacher, and three other kids, two of which you don't really care for, and one you actually despise? CHILLS. Get it for your kid who can't sustain the attention for reading. It's gripping.

We reviewed Polly Ho-Yen's first book, which you can find here

And we briefly mention our episode about Coraline, which you can find here

If you'd like to support us and get access to bonus content, you can join our patreon here.

Another way to support us is to shop our picks on our bookshop here

What A Wonderful Day is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by Shane Ivers of silvermansound.com

Episode 60 - Precious Stones (These Are My Rocks and The Weirdstone of Brisingamen)

Our picture book this week is less of a story and more of a tour of the narrator's very tastefully curated collection. The categories travel from totally mundane (small things) to very high concept (invisible things), passing lunch on our way through and ending up at bedtime. Bethan Woollvin's use of texture and colour are on full display in this masterpiece of interactivity. How many legs are too many legs? And what is the difference between pointy things and prickly things?

For our chapter book, we've a classic of British fantasy literature, it's Alan Garner's debut from 1960: The Weirdstone of Brisingamen. Matt read this one as a child and has lingering memories of being deeply disturbed and impressed. This one is worth seeking out and revisiting. It is formally so strange, linguistically so beautiful, often very funny and not infrequently terrifying. We read a lot aloud from this one because it's just too good not to.  Come play with us by Alderley Edge - just watch you don't fall down any disused mine shafts or the svarts'll get ya.

Matt mentioned the review of The Weirdstone of Brisingamen over on Eleanor & Alaisdair Read That. Shoutout to a fellow kidlit podcast!

If you'd like to support us and get access to bonus content, you can join our patreon here.

Another way to support us is to shop our picks on our bookshop here

What A Wonderful Day is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by Shane Ivers of silvermansound.com

Episode 59 - True Colours (Is it red? Is it yellow? Is it blue? and Entangled)

This week we've two fantastic books focused on the theme of colour. Our picture book is a classic by Tana Hoban from 1978: Is it red? Is it yellow? Is it blue? This might be the first non-fiction picture book we've covered and this one is a banger. A collection of beautiful slice of life photographs and a game to play together with your little one. A historial artifact and a serious art book to put on the coffee table. We wonder how this one lands with young people now - is the 70s essentially as far away as the 90s nowadays? Is it all just The Olden Days?

Our chapter book is Entangled by Emma Rae, newly released by Firefly Press. We were privileged enough to be sent a review copy by Netgalley for this one and we adored it! Really great, playful writing, beautiful descriptions of colours in Venice and a classic-feeling adventure. Massively cool disability rep with blind character Tia, and the funniest descriptions of what it feels like to be clumsy that you ever did read, from her brother Thomas. Stuffed with Dylan Thomas quotes and really touching character moments, this is a gem.

You can read the first couple of chapters of Entangled for free here.

If you'd like to support us and get access to bonus content, you can join our patreon here.

Another way to support us is to shop our picks on our bookshop here

What A Wonderful Day is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by Shane Ivers of silvermansound.com

Episode 58 - Gay Paree (Madeline and Secrets of the Snakestone)

This week our books are both set in the city of lights! Our chapter book is the 1939 classic Madeline, written and illustrated by Ludwig Bemelmans.  This one's from the vault of Nina's childhood, and we create our own conspiracy theory about it live on the show. It's a beautiful, iconic picture book, a time capsule of Paris between the wars, and a great book to read if you, too, have had to have your appendix removed.

Our chapter book is Secrets of the Snakestone, by Piu DasGupta. Set in the Belle Epoque, we follow Zelie and Jules as they frantically scramble through Paris' sewers and over its rooftops. It's a rough and tumble adventure and a beginner mystery. There's secret societies, and family heirlooms, and weird class dynamics and just a sprinkle of magic in among the lush historical detail.

If you'd like to support us and get access to bonus content, you can join our patreon here.

Another way to support us is to shop our picks on our bookshop here

What A Wonderful Day is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by Shane Ivers of silvermansound.com

Episode 57 - Scary Sisters (Charmed Life and Virginia Wolf)

It's always a good time when it's a Diana Wynne Jones day on the podcast! Our chapter book is Charmed Life, by DWJ, dredged straight from Matt's childhood. The scary sister in this book is Gwendolen, who overshadows and leads her younger brother Cat. After the tragic death of their parents, Cat and Gwendolen move into a big castle with a powerful enchanter, Chrestomanci himself. Gwendolen immediately engages in a ferocious battle of wills with Chrestomanci and we're cheering for her, almost to the very end. Iconic and evil, that's Gwendolen Chant.

Our picture book is Virginia Wolf, by Kyo Maclear and Isabelle Arsenault. This is a story loosely based on the real life relationship between Virginia Woolf and her sister, the painter Vanessa Bell. What do you do if you wake up one day to find that your sister has become a wolf? What if she growls and snarls and sends all your friends away? What if she doesn't even want you to wear your pretty yellow dress? This is a very simple, very beautiful story about dark, wolfish feelings, a real art-forward picture book (shouldn't they all be?). 

It's definitely worth checking out our instagram this week because there's gonna be pictures of Matt cosplaying as Chrestomanci, circa 1999.

If you'd like to support us and get access to bonus content, you can join our patreon here.

Another way to support us is to shop our picks on our bookshop here

What A Wonderful Day is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by Shane Ivers of silvermansound.com

Special minisode #2: Three Picture Books that Made Me (The Elephant and the Bad Baby, The Man Whose Mother Was a Pirate and Ten in the Bed)

A picture book special to close out series 9! Matt's having a break this week, so Nina's taking the wheel and talking through three classic picture books that made their mark on her.

First, The Elephant and the Bad Baby, by Elfrida Vipont and Raymond Briggs. What on earth is a Bad Baby? Why is the concept so funny. A classic, cumulative tale from 1969. Rumpeta rumpeta rumpeta.

Next, The Man Whose Mother Was A Pirate by Margaret Mahy and Margaret Chamberlain. I get a bit misty eyed about Margaret Mahy. I just love her so much you guys. I love the fat representation in the Pirate-Mother, even as it's also terrible in Mr Fat the boss (yes, that's what he's called. Not joking.) The taste is never as good as the smell! And other nihilistic sentiments from a pound shop philosopher.

Finally, Ten in the Bed, by Penny Dale. Inexplicably terrifying. Why did this gentle nursery rhyme retelling frighten Young Nina so much? I tried to unpick it, but I can't. Anyway, it's an absolute classic. 

Matt is on tour as we speak. Go here to find out if Fixing is coming to a theatre near you.

If you'd like to support us and get access to bonus content, you can join our patreon here.

Another way to support us is to shop our picks on our bookshop here

What A Wonderful Day is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by Shane Ivers of silvermansound.com

Episode 56 - T-Rex Trilogy Terminus

For the first time in our long and storied history, we are finishing off a series! And what a series to complete. We read the first book back in 2020, and it's bittersweet to say goodbye to dinosaur-ridden civil war-era America in Dactyl Hill Squad #3: Thunder Run, by DJ Older.

Magdalys and Mapper have finally rescued Magdalys' brother Montez. She's gone toe to toe with Earl Shamus Dawson Drek, the most powerful dinowrangler on the Confederate side of the war, and a member of the evil Knights of the Golden Circle organisation. Our friends land in beautiful New Orleans, where it's time to build themselves up for the biggest challenge to Magdalys' powers yet. No spoilers, but it involves T-Rexes.

We love this historical fantasy series with all our hearts, and we're seriously considering starting a campaign (or at least a hashtag) to bring them over to the UK. And maybe get a TV show. And some spin-offs.

You can find our first two episodes about Dactyl Hill Squad here and here (and we do seriously recommend that you start there - this might be a lot to try and grasp if you're coming in cold).

Matt is on tour as we speak. Go here to find out if Fixing is coming to a theatre near you.

If you'd like to support us and get access to bonus content, you can join our patreon here.

Another way to support us is to shop our picks on our bookshop here

What A Wonderful Day is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by Shane Ivers of silvermansound.com

Episode 55 - Rub a Dub Dub (How To Give Your Cat A Bath : In Five Easy Steps and Time Tub Travellers and the Silk Thief)

This week, we're reading stories which feature bathtubs!  And starring little girls who wear their hair in space buns. Our picture book is How To Give Your Cat A Bath : In Five Easy Steps, written by Nicola Winstanley and illustrated by John Martz. This should get instant classic status, in our opinion. The joy comes from the interplay between the stiff, formal, instruction manual-style narration and the child protagonist's well meaning but chaotic attempts to give her cat a bath. The illustrations are gorgeously simple. The writing is incredibly spare (great for new readers). A book that cries out to be performed on stage!

Our chapter book is Time Tub Travellers and the Silk Thief by Claire Linney. Our very first self-published book! The bathtub in this book is actually a time machine. Zula and her best friend Milo are on the hunt for evidence of Black Tudors in order to prove Zula's teacher wrong about there being "no Black people in London in Tudor times". Zula's aunt Abina immediately pulls out a book on Reasonable Blackman, a weaver and the first documented Black businessman working for himself during this period. But that's not enough. Abina also heavily hints that more might be found in they happen to mess around with the mysterious golden bath in the store-room. Zula and Milo climb inside and before they know it, they're stranded in Tudor London, smells and all. Will they manage to save the Blackman family fortune? And will Ms Farris admit that she was mistaken about history? 

You can find Claire Linney, her books and her reviews here.

Matt is on tour as we speak. Go here to find out if Fixing is coming to a theatre near you.

If you'd like to support us and get access to bonus content, you can join our patreon here.

Another way to support us is to shop our picks on our bookshop here

What A Wonderful Day is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by Shane Ivers of silvermansound.com

Episode 54 - I Am A Cat And I Like To Scratch (Into the Wild and Cat Nap) with special guest Liam

The headline news here is that we've got a special guest! Liam is our first young guest and he's brought us his second favourite book: Into the Wild, by Erin Hunter. Into the Wild is the introduction to the Warrior Cats series which is massive and hugely popular, but that we'd never heard of because we're a tiny bit too old. We talk worldbuilding, cat gods and tragic character deaths. How many cat deaths are too many cat deaths? Liam thinks it's more than four per book. Into the Wild is fast paced, exciting and very very readable. It's about a kittypet who runs away from home and becomes a wild warrior cat. Can he earn his place among those who were born free? Will he graduate to become a full member of Thunderclan? It's all up in the air in this rip-roaring middle grade action fantasy (with great maps - get the physical book for the maps alone.)

Then we go all gooey over Cat Nap, by Brian Lies. This is just a treasure of a picture book. Super simple story with stunning, high effort art. Our protagonist is Kitten, who steps through a poster advertising the Metropolitan Museum of Art in hot pursuit of a mouse. The mouse leads Kitten through a series of artworks, and as they move from bas relief to painting to sculpture, cat and mouse change shape and style to fit with their surroundings. It's very lovely. You'll want to look at it for ages.

Matt is on tour as we speak. Go here to find out if Fixing is coming to a theatre near you.

If you'd like to support us and get access to bonus content, you can join our patreon here.

Another way to support us is to shop our picks on our bookshop here

What A Wonderful Day is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by Shane Ivers of silvermansound.com

 

Episode 53 - Martial Arts Mastery (The Impossible Gladiator and Let's Go to Taekwondo)

We’re kicking off season nine with the third book in the Time Keys series: The Impossible Gladiator by MG Leonard. It’s a holiday book! Our pals Sim, Jeopardy and Nelson are in Rome to take in some culture and maybe pop through a time door to 121 CE. There’s a celebrity magician trapped inside a poem by Martial, handstands on horseback, rhinos and giraffes and the Emperor Hadrian.  It’s a fantastically fun read, with Leonard’s signature blend of humour, heart and cold hard historical facts. We sing the praises of this clever, limited take on time travel and renew our calls for a book focused on Nelson!

Our picture book is Let’s Go To Taekwondo, written and illustrated by Aram Kim. This is a warm, gentle and encouraging book about facing your fears and overcoming mental blocks. The illustration style is cute and slightly cluttered, think Richard Scarry vibes, and the dojang that Kim conjures up is a real community space. It reminded Nina of being a child wrestler in the best of ways.

You can listen to our episode about The Legend of Viking Thunder here.

Matt is on tour as we speak. Go here to find out if Fixing is coming to a theatre near you.

If you'd like to support us and get access to bonus content, you can join our patreon here.

Another way to support us is to shop our picks on our bookshop here

What A Wonderful Day is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by Shane Ivers of silvermansound.com