Full of drama and compassion: The best Children's books out now - Frank The Pizza by Eoin Mclaughlin, The Dawn Of Adonis by Phil Earle, The Other Girl by Emily Barr
Frank is a little slice of pizza, desperate to make friends but when you're delicious it's hard – some people want to meet you, others want to eat you.
So when he's invited to Billy's birthday party, his parents try to protect him by topping him with anchovies and olives.
No one likes him, until he meets Frances the cupcake whose parents have topped her with equally uninviting beetroot icing and they make such good friends they become overconfident and take risks that almost result in disaster.
This scrumptious story has a gentle message but is also full of fun and plenty of opportunity for arguing about best pizza toppings. Who doesn't like olives? Age 3+.
The Dawn Of Adonis by Phil Earle (Andersen Press £7.99, 240pp)
Earle's multi-award winning When The Sky Falls introduced us to Adonis, a silverback gorilla kept in a London zoo during the Second World War. But how did he get there?
This stand-alone prequel follows young Toff Squabble, assistant to the evil criminal Goliath Deeds who smells money in the illegal trade of exotic animals.
When a baby gorilla is born in the backstreets of the docks, Toff seeks help from a vet and his brave daughter Nettie, who fights to rescue the vulnerable infant from Deeds' wicked plans.
Set in 1911, this richly atmospheric adventure, full of drama, compassion and a brutal portrait of the city's dark underbelly, confirms Earle as a master of his craft. Age 9+
The Other Girl by Emily Barr (Penguin £9.99, 368pp)
This twisty young adult thriller will keep you guessing until the surprising end.
Rich, disturbed teenage Tabbi is headed for a rehab clinic in Switzerland after doing something terrible when drunk.
When she meets runaway broke backpacker Ruby on a train, she persuades her to swap identities for six weeks, promising her that she's headed for a luxury hotel in the mountains, all expenses paid.
But as Tabbi tries to survive without her credit card, she starts to wonder if Ruby is as innocent as she seemed. Who is conning who?
There's a few improbable moments but the double-crossing, dual narrative and unfolding secrets propel you forward at high speed. Age 13+
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
13 minutes ago
- The Independent
Tom Holland waves at fans while filming new Spiderman in Glasgow
waved to delighted Spider-Man fans on the streets of Glasgow during filming. The Hollywood star has been shooting Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which began filming in the Scottish city on Friday, 1 August. Glasgow's city centre has morphed into the bustling streets of New York City for the new movie. Several key locations, including Blythswood Street, Pitt Street, Wellington Street, and Bothwell Street, have been used. American vehicles, notably New York Police Department cars, buses, and food vans, have been spotted near the Scottish Event Campus.
Daily Mail
13 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
British Grammy winner reveals teenage drug battle left her with speech problems and a driving ban
Clean Bandit released their new single Believe last month. Now, Grace Chatto, 39, the band's cellist and vocalist, has opened up about the emotional story behind the track, revealing her teenage battle with drugs that left her with speech difficulties and a driving ban. In a recent TikTok post, she shared: 'I speak so slowly because I took too many drugs when I was a teenager.' She also detailed other struggles she faces today, adding: 'I can't get car insurance because I had a driving ban.' Despite these challenges, the musician, whose band has topped charts with hits like Rather Be, Rockabye, and Symphony, said their latest single is poignant because it reminds her to count her blessings every morning. Alongside the caption 'I believe in us,' referencing the track featuring South African singer Lloyiso, she wrote: 'But I believe in us. Won a Grammy, gratitude for all that I have, I am strong, I'm nice, I am honest.' Her candid post resonated with fans, racking up more than 180,000 likes. It comes after the chart-topping British group were the victims of a shocking robbery in Ibiza last year - with £35,000 worth of equipment and cash stolen. The band had flown out to the Spanish party Island to record the music video for their single Cry Baby with DJ David Guetta. However, the exciting work trip quickly turned into a disaster when they returned from dinner to discover that someone had 'crowbarred the window and taken the lenses and laptops and cash'. Opening up about the ordeal in an interview with The Sun, band member Grace explained that they were filming footage for the video with David in the studio, before crashing at a friend's house for the night. The other two members of the group, Jack and Luke Patterson, had flown back to London to edit the video - but when Grace headed back to their hotel to grab the lenses, she realised what had happened. But, despite being 'scared' to sleep at their hotel following the robbery, the musician was partially relieved. She added: 'The main thing was that the footage was safe, because that would have been irreplaceable.' The band had flown out to the Spanish party Island to record the music video for their single Cry Baby with DJ David Guetta (pictured in June 2024) Meanwhile, the group hoped to get the stolen £35,000 back on insurance. They are planning to make a comeback to the music scene and drop their first album in six years in 2025, after struggling to 'get their momentum back' following the Covid-19 pandemic. During their career, the group have scored ten top ten singles, with their first being Rather Be featuring Jess Glynne, 35. The song topped charts worldwide and won a Grammy, paving the way for further success with hits like Rockabye and Symphony, and establishing them as a standout act in the music scene. Clean Bandit is expected to release their new album, CB3, in 2025. While a specific date is not yet available, their recent single, Believe featuring Lloyiso, was released on July 4th, suggesting the album is likely to follow later in the year.
Daily Mail
14 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Romeo Beckham reveals new poignant tattoo as he appears to take another dig at Brooklyn amid bitter family feud
Romeo Beckham appeared to take another dig at his brother Brooklyn amid their ongoing family feud as he revealed his latest tattoo on Tuesday. The model, 22, has followed in his father's footsteps when it comes to is multiple inkings and his newest addition to his growing collection marks a poignant message. Taking to Instagram Romeo shared a snap of the new tattoo which reads 'C'est La Vie' in script font across the top of his shoulder. The iconic French phrase literally translates to 'that's life' or 'such is life' and is used to express acceptance or resignation. The inking comes amid the ongoing feud between the Beckhams and Brooklyn and his wife Nicola Peltz. Last month Romeo blocked the pair on Instagram after Brooklyn posted a birthday tribute to sister Harper, sharing a family photo which excluded both Romeo and Cruz. Romeo Beckham has revealed his new poignant tattoo as he appeared to take another dig at Brooklyn amid their bitter family feud Romeo poured more fuel on the fire just hours later as he posted a picture of Justin Bieber 's new song Walking Away following his bombshell block. Not holding back with his feelings, Romeo commented 'Yup' - a particularly telling statement, given the family's explosive feud. Brooklyn and Romeo have been living a somewhat fractious relationship over the last few months following claims Romeo's ex-girlfriend Kim Turnbull was the reason behind their rift. Kim addressed the speculation on June 16 and insisted she has only ever had a friendship with the eldest Beckham son. Sharing a statement on her Instagram page, she said: 'I've avoided speaking on this topic to prevent adding fuel to the fire, however it's come to a point where I feel the need to address it so I can move on. 'I will not continue to receive harassment or be embarrassed on the basis of lies, to fit a certain narrative. 'I have never been romantically involved in ANY capacity at ANY point with the person in question. 'Nothing between us has occurred further than a school friendship at age 16. I would like to remove myself from the ongoing conversation & set the record straight for the sake of everyone involved.' The inking comes amid the ongoing feud between the Beckhams and Brooklyn and his wife Nicola Peltz The iconic French phrase literally translates to 'that's life' or 'such is life' and is used to express acceptance or resignation Last month Romeo blocked the pair on Instagram after Brooklyn posted a birthday tribute to sister Harper, sharing a family photo which excluded both Romeo and Cruz Kim had been at the centre of the row after Nicola claimed that she felt uncomfortable around her, with sources close to the US heiress saying that Kim had dated Brooklyn when they were teenagers. Which she had now denied. Meanwhile Brooklyn and Nicola renewed their wedding vows earlier this week, three years after tying the knot. The pair proved they are stronger than ever on Saturday as they reaffirmed the promises they made to each other back in 2022. A source close to the couple confirmed the news to Daily Mail, stating: 'This is a moment to celebrate their love and commitment, and to create a meaningful memory together.' Brooklyn and Nicola have been together since October 2019, and announced their engagement in July 2020. They then tied the knot in a lavish wedding on April 9, 2022, at Nicola's family estate in Florida. Days after blocking Brooklyn on Instagram, Romeo showed off his close bond with sister Harper, 14, and younger brother Cruz, 20, in snaps The model also posted a picture of Justin Bieber's new song Walking Away following his bombshell move, alongside the caption 'Yup' Back in June, Brooklyn reflected on the day he proposed as he shared a gushing message to his wife on Instagram. Alongside a snap of himself kissing her cheek, he penned: 'It's been 5 years since I asked this beautiful woman to marry me xx best decision ever x I love you so much ❤️.' David and Victoria failed to wished their son and his wife a happy third wedding anniversary in April - or even 'liked' or commented on the happy couple's post about their milestone. In fact, none of the Beckham family publicly congratulated them, including Romeo and Cruz who Brooklyn is said to have fallen out with. David and Victoria have reportedly become resigned to the fact that they have become estranged from their beloved son after he failed to attend any of the football ace's 50th birthday celebrations last month. He also didn't wish either his mum Victoria or dad David a happy birthday on social media - an unusual move for the Beckhams, who are known for their loving posts. This is in stark contrast to a post Brooklyn shared recently for his father-in-law and wrote on a picture of himself and Nicola with the billionaire: 'Happy birthday Nelson x We love you.'
