A windy day.
A brand new kite.
For Penguin Blue,
a maiden flight.
The kite so high.
The wind so strong.
It’s pulling Penguin Blue along.
“Save me Penguins Jeff and Flo!”
They try to help, but off they blow.
Up, up, away!
See how they fly.
A penguin train
up in the sky.
Don’t worry, Wilbur’s seen their plight...
Oh dear. It seems he’s joined the flight.
Blue spies a bear.
“Oh, help us, do.”
His name is Clive.
He’s coming too!
Oh what a fix!
Oh my! Oh me!
The gang are flying
out to sea!
They swoop, they soar… in rain and shine…
They zoom straight through… clouds one to nine…
Past miles of ocean far below.
Then… “LAND AHOY!” shouts Penguin Flo.
A tiny island, lush and green
(A colour that they’ve never seen).
“The trees look soft, we’ll be all right.
Hello jungle! Goodbye kite!”
Oliver Jeffers' Here We Are offers a simple yet profound introduction to life on Earth. Through its gentle narrative and vibrant illustrations, this book takes readers on a journey across the world, touching on geography, diversity, and our interconnectedness. Jeffers reminds us that kindness and curiosity are essential as we navigate life’s complexities. Like The Little Prince, Here We Are is a philosophical reflection on humanity and the world around us, making it a perfect read for anyone who seeks to understand the beauty and responsibility of being part of this vast planet.
What We'll Build by Oliver Jeffers is a touching tale about a father and daughter who use their imaginations to construct their future together. As they build a world filled with love, safety, and cherished memories, the story becomes a metaphor for the bond between parent and child. Jeffers’ lyrical text and stunning illustrations bring to life the limitless possibilities of creativity and love. Much like the Little Prince’s journey, this story reminds us that relationships and the things we build together are what truly give life meaning. It’s a heartfelt book that speaks to the importance of family and the dreams we share.
What shall we build, you and I?
Let’s gather all our tools for a start.
For putting together and taking apart.
Let’s build a door, where there was none.
We’ll build a house to be our home.
I’ll build your future and you’ll build mine,
We’ll build a watch to keep our time,
We’ll build some love to set aside,
And build a hole where we can hide.
A fortress to keep our enemies out,
And higher walls for when they shout.
But you don’t always lose, and you don’t always win.
So we’ll build a gate to let them in.
We’ll build a table to drink our tea, and say…
‘I’m sorry’,
‘me too’,
‘me three’.
In Oliver Jeffers' How to Catch a Star, a young boy dreams of catching a star to be his friend. His determination takes him on an imaginative adventure as he explores different ways to reach the stars. Oliver Jeffers weaves a tale of persistence, hope, and the magic of childhood dreams. This book shares the same sense of wonder and adventure as The Little Prince, encouraging readers to chase their dreams, no matter how impossible they may seem. How to Catch a Star is a delightful reminder that the beauty of life lies in our ability to dream and imagine the extraordinary.
Lorraine Gregory’s Interdimensional Explorers follows twelve-year-old Danny and his friends as they stumble upon an interdimensional lost property office. Their mundane lives are flipped upside down when they find themselves responsible for returning alien items to their rightful owners across the multiverse. With quirky characters and outlandish adventures, this fast-paced story is filled with humour, heart, and unexpected twists. Much like The Little Prince, Interdimensional Explorers emphasises the importance of friendship and the joy of discovering new worlds. Gregory’s imaginative narrative is sure to captivate readers who love stories that blend the extraordinary with the familiar.
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“You are in SO much trouble!” My cousin Inaaya informs me with obvious joy when she opens MY front door to let me into MY house.
“Urgh. What are you doing here?” I demand, pushing my way past her, dumping my school bag in a corner and grabbing a bag of Wotsits from the kitchen.
Inaaya follows me. “I wish I knew. Mum made me come with her even though I’ve got SO much homework to do, you’ve no idea!”
I roll my eyes and cram a handful of delicious cheesy Wotsits into my mouth.
Inaaya is always banging on about homework, just so she can remind everyone that she won a scholarship to a private school last year.
Like anyone cares.
“Wow. What a massive tragedy for you,” I mutter, pouring myself a glass of water and swigging it down.
“I know!” She leans back against the wall. Despite it being the end of the day her posh school uniform looks like it’s just been ironed, her long black hair is entirely contained in a neat plait and even her stupid white socks are pulled up.
“Still,” she says with a wicked glint in her eye. “Watching you getting yelled at might make it worth my while, I suppose.”
“What are you on about?” I ask finally.
Inaaya makes a smug face. She loves holding her knowledge over me like an evil supervillain and dragging out every second.
“Your grandad rang,” she says at last and a heavy stone of dread thunks into my stomach because I’ve just remembered where I should have been this afternoon. “He wanted to know where you were and your mum said she thought you were working with him so then SHE rang the school and found out YOU were in detention instead!”
“Danny!” My aunt Rekha cries, standing up when she sees me and opening her bangled arms wide. “Come give your auntie a hug!”
I swear under my breath. Getting told off is bad enough without having Inaaya here to witness it. She’s the perfect child and I’m just . . . not. Not perfect, not clever and not well-behaved.
I gave up even trying to keep up with her years ago when I was the only other kid at her super lame birthday party and all her presents were textbooks and school equipment. I mean, what sort of life is that?
“Danny? Is that you?” Mum’s voice calls to me from the front room.
I finish my water and put the glass down.
“Better not keep her waiting!” Inaaya sings and I accidentally stamp on her foot as I march past, enjoying the crunch of her toes under my shoe and her yelp of pain.
9. Night Monkey Day Monkey by Julia Donaldson
Julia Donaldson's Night Monkey Day Monkey is a charming story about two monkeys who live completely different lives—one thrives in the day, while the other prefers the night. When they step into each other’s worlds, they learn that despite their differences, they can still be friends. Julia Donaldson’s delightful rhyming text and playful illustrations celebrate diversity and understanding, making it a perfect read for young audiences. Like The Little Prince, Night Monkey Day Monkey teaches readers to see the world from different perspectives and appreciate the beauty in our differences.
10. Spinderella by Julia Donaldson
In Spinderella by Julia Donaldson, a clever little spider named Spinderella loves football but struggles with counting the players on her team. With the help of her Hairy Godmother, Spinderella learns to count and leads her team to victory. This playful story combines humour, sports, and a little bit of magic, making it a fun read for children. Julia Donaldson’s engaging narrative and witty writing make Spinderella a joy for readers of all ages. Like The Little Prince, this story emphasises the importance of learning, teamwork, and overcoming obstacles in the pursuit of your passions.
An extract:
The children of Scuttleton Primary School were eating their dinner – fish fingers, potatoes, and peas.
High up above them the spiders of Scuttleton Primary School were eating their dinner – flies, flies, and flies.
“How many flies have we got today, Mum?” asked Spinderella, the smallest spider.
“Lots,” said Mum.
“Loads,” said her brothers and sisters.
“That’s not a number,” complained Spinderella.
“Never mind about numbers. Eat up your flies,” said Mum.
After dinner the children went out to play football. The spiders swung down to watch.
“What a tackle!” they cried, and, “Yippee!”
The children scored goal after goal.
“How many goals is that, Mum?” asked Spinderella.
“Lots,” said Mum.
“Loads!” said her brothers and sisters.
Spinderella sighed. “What a family! How will I ever learn about numbers?”
When the children had gone home, Spinderella said, “Why don’t we play football?”
“Don’t be silly,” said her biggest brother, Speedy.
“We haven’t got a ball,” said her second biggest brother, Scrabble.
“I can see a pea on the floor,” said Spinderella. “We can use that.”
Mum chose Speedy and Scrabble as the captains of each team.
Nearly all the spiders decided to join Speedy’s team because he was the fastest runner.
Speedy’s team scored all the goals.
“It’s not fair!” the spiders on Scrabble’s team shouted.
“Yes it is. You’re just jealous!” shouted the spiders on Speedy’s team.
To make things worse, the spiders hurt their legs kicking the pea.
Before long they were all quarrelling, moaning, and kicking each other instead of the pea. Mum had to blow her whistle.
“How many spiders should we have in each team, Mum?” asked Spinderella.
“Er . . . lots,” said Mum.
“Loads,” said her brothers and sisters.
“I think both teams should have the same number,” said Spinderella.
But her brothers and sisters all turned on her.
“Down with numbers!” they yelled.
These stories remind us that the spirit of The Little Prince lives on in literature that celebrates imagination, friendship, and the beauty of seeing the world anew. They invite readers of all ages to rediscover the joy of storytelling and the timeless truths hidden in fantastical tales.
