Oh No! Oh Help! It’s The Gruffalo!
Today we have a visitor to the bookshop – Oh No! Oh Help! It’s The Gruffalo!
The sun is shining, the town looks bright and sharp, the excited voices and noise of the hustle and bustle coming upstairs from the shop below all paint a picture of unbridled joy and fun – exactly what a bookshop should be about on a beautiful Spring day such as this. Young readers have been at the heart of Coles Books since we bought the bookshop in 2008 – from Storytime every Friday morning to distributing the free World Book Day books at the local schools, supporting children’s literacy charities and supplying books to school libraries. Reading and a joy for books from a young age sets up a life full of curiosity and confidence.
He may be 25 years old, but that big friendly monster still inspires and brings joy to young readers of all ages – Oh No! Oh Help! It’s The Gruffalo!
I Opened a Book by Julia Donaldson
I opened a book and in I strode
Now nobody can find me.
I’ve left my chair, my house, my road,
My town and my world behind me.
I’m wearing the cloak, I’ve slipped on the ring,
I’ve swallowed the magic potion.
I’ve fought with a dragon, dined with a king
And dived in a bottomless ocean.
I opened a book and made some friends.
I shared their tears and laughter
And followed their road with its bumps and bends
To the happily ever after.
I finished my book and out I came.
The cloak can no longer hide me.
My chair and my house are just the same,
But I have a book inside me.
This week is very exciting indeed! Possibly the most exciting week Coles Books has seen all year; because the Gruffalo is visiting the shop to celebrate his 25th Birthday with us! Today (20th April) the Gruffalo will make some very special appearances in the shop, and all are welcome to come and say hello. So why not celebrate with this very special, golden edition of The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.
Our top pick of the week is Blessin Adams’ fantastic Great and Horrible News. In this, Adams tells us of some gruesome true crime that has shaped Britain’s past – from a staged suicide by a newly qualified pathologist, to murdering your own children. These true tales are not for the faint hearted.
Other new fiction includes: Whale by Cheon Myeong-kwan, which was shortlisted for the International Booker, this tale of one family in a remote village in South Korea is brimming with wit, humour and the unexpected; The Amendments by Niamh Mulvey is the all-too-true tale of three generations of women living in the second-half of twentieth century Ireland; Chloe Ashby’s Second Self reveals a shocking truth when one art conservationist chips away at layers of overpaint on an old canvas; and Shadow Key by Susan Stokes-Chapman is set in Industrial age Wales, where one professor is trying to figure out how his predecessors mysteriously died – the only problem? He doesn’t speak any Welsh.
Brand new in non-fiction: Have you ever wondered if you’re a sociopath? Psychologist Patric Gagne is a Sociopath, and her new memoir explains how her life differed from the norm, as well as trying to help other people just like her. The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama is now out in paperback, this self-help book is packed full of her famous wisdom and insightful reflections. It’s Not That Radical by Mikaela Loach is also new to paperback, which shows how capitalism has successfully white-washed and green-washed the planet, whilst also explaining that the current climate crisis and racism is more intrinsically linked that you would expect. And lastly, A Body Made of Glass by Caroline Crampton gives us the complete history of hypochondria, from Hippocrates to wellness influencers.
For children, skateboarder Sky Brown, has released The Life Changing Magic of Skateboarding, which gives a step-by-step guide on how to skate like a pro. Whilst, for young adults, To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods by Molly X Chang is a romantasy that will leave you breathless: Ruying wants only to survive, but when her magic is discovered by an enemy prince she must decide if saving her family is worth betraying her country.
As always, if there’s something you need help with, or a book you need ordering, please call or email us!
From Amber
Click on any of the book covers below for more info.
The full newsletter with links to books – including this week’s Signed Editions – can be found HERE
