Gretel the Wonder Mammoth: A story about overcoming anxiety

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For example, habitat loss across the Natural Northumbria and Living Planet galleries. When you arrive for your visit, staff will assist you in identifying a suitable space for reading the story. Gretel – who has been hibernating inside an iceberg for quite some time - is the last mammoth left on earth, and everyone loves her. She’s kind, understanding and strong and has plenty of new friends. Still, the world that Gretel wakes up to is rather different to the one she remembers, and although she tries her hardest to fit in, Gretel starts to feel sad. The Nottinghill Carnival takes central stage in this story about families, memories and the power of dance and festivals. Author Yaba Badoe tells... The Journey Home- A story bag for deforestation and habitat loss - use in the Living Planet gallery.

Marcy and the Riddle of the Sphinx- Aimed at Y1-6 - A story bag for Ancient Egypt - use in or near the Ancient Egypt gallery. Gretel’s anxiety is aided by her friends being there for her and reassuring her that she has a place in the world, despite being one of a kind, and Gretel herself is a very cute and appealing (and rather Moomin-like) animal character that children will love.But Gretel finds the world very confusing and worse, as the last of the mammoths she feels very alone and overwhelmed .. David Almond introduces his new picture book, A Way to the Stars, a story about perseverance and finding a way to make dreams come true. Each story bag is linked to a particular topic or gallery, e.g. habitat loss, Ancient Egypt, plastic pollution or managing emotions.

Waterstones has announced its 2023 Children’s Book Prize shortlists, including works by Angharad Walker and Lee Newbery.Somebody Swallowed Stanley- A story bag for understanding plastic pollution - use in the Living Planet gallery. Where can we use the story bags? We recommend using them in the gallery, or galleries, that link to the topic. Author Anna Kemp introduces The Hollow Hills, the sequel to her dark magical tale, Into Goblyn Wood. I am NOT a Prince by Rachael Davis (author), Beatrix Hatcher (illustrator) (Hachette Children's Group) Nadia Mikail says: "I was really missing my family when I started writing this book, and constantly worrying about them during the pandemic, so I wrote it as sort of a worst-case scenario situation, like what would happen if the apocalypse was about to happen, and I was away from my loved ones. In the midst of trying to kind of work out those anxieties through writing, I realised the only thing we can do is care for the people we love every day and hope for a better future for them even when things seem hopeless."

This positive, encouraging picture book teaches young readers that perhaps the bravest act a person (or mammoth!) can do is ask for help. Nadia Mikail has been named Overall Winner of the Waterstones Children's Book Prize for her debut novel, The Cats We Meet Along The Way, which also won the Older Reader's Category. How Many Legs-A story bag for numeracy and animals - use in the Natural Northumbria and Living Planet galleries. M.T. Khan's Nura and the Immortal Palace won the Younger Readers' category and Kim Hillyard's Gretel the Wonder Mammoth took the category for Illustrated Books

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We recommend around 30 minutes for a story bag, but the exact length of time will vary across different groups. Rather than bother her new friends, Gretel goes off to be on her own, but she soon finds that makes her feel worse. How can she get the hang of living in this new world, where she feels she doesn’t belong? Fortunately, her friends are there to help Gretel find herself – and stroke her woolly feet to make her feel better.

Bestselling author Alexandra Christo, author of TikTok sensation To Kill a Kingdom, introduces her new book, The Night Hunt (Hot Key Books), a dark... The Cats We Meet Along The Way, Nadia Mikail's debut novel, tells the story of Aisha and her quirky family who, with the world due to end imminently, embark on an eventful road trip across Malaysia to find her estranged sister June. Inspired by the author's experience of worrying about her family during the pandemic, Nadia Mikail tells a gentle, affecting, and hopeful debut about what is most important when time is running out. I really enjoyed the illustrations in this book. Gretel looks great in her fantastic spectacles and bow but Hillyard also adds a great deal of emotion to the scenes where Gretel is feeling increasingly isolated and alone and overwhelmed (the use of snow is especially good). The birds though were my favourites with Hillyard adding great little details that parents will enjoy pointing out to their younger readers (my favourite is the bird playing a flute). I have to say that I found the bits where the birds try to cheer Gretel up to be really moving and although the book is mainly about anxiety, I think there’s a really good message about being a good friend in it too. The shortlists consist of 18 books across three categories. Six books will compete within each category to be crowned Category Winner, with the three category winners then vying for the overall title of Waterstones Children’s Book Prize Winner 2023. A great option if story time is an important part of your routine at school, that you want to replicate during your museum visit. Also a great opportunity to promote a love for reading beyond the classroom.The Missing Piece by Jordan Stephens (author), Beth Suzanna (illustrator) (Bloomsbury Children's Books) The Illustrated Books category went to Gretel the Wonder Mammoth by Kim Hillyard, a pitch-perfect story encouraging children to embrace their feelings as they follow the story of Gretel, the last woolly mammoth on earth, who gets a little overwhelmed and lonely after returning to the world from a very long sleep in the ice. If you ask for a story bag when you arrive, we will do our best to help you, but it may be unavailable if already booked by another school or group. Kim Hillyard’s self-illustrated picture book is both a charming and moving story about feeling anxious and alone and how the best way of coping is to tell someone and ask for help. I really loved the birds who think Gretel is awesome and Gretel herself is adorable (loved the spectacles). All in all, I think young readers will enjoy it and it’s also a good way of introducing them to managing their mental health.