Press highlights for our latest releases

We love to see our artists books being praised in the press, here is a little roundup of the latest releases making headlines!

Hoang Giang's Flower Block published last month is already flying off the shelves and was featured in the June’s picture books for children reviews by The Guardian:

“Illustrator Hoang Giang’s colourful blooms creep beautifully over every page, but it’s also the emotion she observes between characters – Jeremiah’s mother kissing his head before she goes off to work on the night shift, his older brother holding his hand as they confront a scary neighbour – which helps make this such a tender celebration of family, nature and community.” - The Guardian

Flower Block by Lanisha Butterfield and illustrated by Hoang Giang. Published by Puffin in June 2024

We also have the first reviews arriving for Douglas Lopes’ wonderful work Lucas and the Capoeira Circle publishing this month:

"Lopes provides further atmosphere through illustrations that capture the bold style and movement of the martial art. An authentic-looking (and -sounding) glimpse into capoeira." - Kirkus 

“Lopes’ superb artwork depicts the elegance of capoeira via larger-than-life stances and extravagant gestures, all shaded in warm colors. A marvellous celebration of inner strength and courage.“ - Booklist

Lucas and the Capoeira Circle by Joana Pastro and illustrated by Douglas Lopes. Published by Simon & Schuster US in July 2024

Here's a nice feature from School Library Journal for Danica Da Silva Pereira's latest book Seeker of Truth - about Kailash Satyarthi - the Nobel Peace Prize who devoted his life to battling international child labor and exploitation:

"A muted, sensory palette of varied colors, dominated by pinks, blues, and browns, establishes the historical setting, using text size and format for impact. A highly readable biography about an inspiring man, this is a first pick for all libraries." - School Library Journal

And lastly, Message in the Mooncake, a thrilling tale based on an ancient Chinese legend illustrated by Xiaojie Liu, got a lovely review before it publishes next autumn:

"Liu portrays characters with exaggerated proportions and uses bold colors and textures to make the pages pop with movement. Backmatter notes that the story is based on a well-known legend and discusses the Mongol occupation, the Mid-Autumn Festival, kung fu, and mooncakes. An appealing retelling of a notable folktale.” - Kirkus

Message in the Mooncake by Sapphire Chow and illustrated by Xiaojie Liu. Publishing in October 2024 by Barefoot Books

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