The Island of Brilliant!

Who's your favourite character from children's books? Just the question Frank and Nadia have been asking themselves, and to help prompt them they're going to be asking some friendly folk to name theirs. First up is one of the funniest, warmest and most talented women you could hope to meet, that legend of stage and screen, the Accrington Thunderbolt herself, Julie Hesmondhalgh!!!!

Well we've had some talented coves wash up in our coves but never a world record holder, not until now that is. Rob 'Draw With Rob' Biddulph is a triple-threat cubed: a Youtube sensation, a writer, illustrator and not least a snack-mongering champion-of-champions. He tells Nadia and Frank all about his life before children's books, working  for the NME and The Observer among others, and how happy he is to have found his true calling as a storyteller for children - and that, as Frank says, really is something to be.. EMily Drabble from Booktrust is back with more picks from the May bookshelves, and Nadia breaks Frank's heart by telling him in no uncertain terms that there are occasions she just needs a bit of me-that-means-not-you time. 

GET OUT OF THE WATER!! Sharks spell trouble, unless of course they're in the employ of the one and only Elle McNicoll, who's heading to the island on the back of one with snacks aplenty and aplenty to say about her writing life. Since making a huge splash with  'A Kind of Spark' Elle has established herself as one of the most exciting writers back in Blighty, and a brilliant advocate for better representation of neurodiversity in children's books. Frank and Nadia are mustard-keen to hear about her latest, 'Keedie' that once again takes us to the Scottish streets of Juniper. 

I hear that whistle blowing - the beautiful sound of a train emerging from beneath the waves with the fabulous M.G. Leonard aboard, ready to scatter joy with her fabulous snack choices and fascinating insights into her seemingly endless list of endlessly brilliant books - including Beetle Boy, the Adventures on Trains series and The Twitchers books.  She's been translated into over forty languages but sadly, as yet, not the native language of the Island of Brilliant. Perhaps that's about to change. 

Nadia has made the most of her extended Christmas break, but Frank’s been sleeping it off. For a month. He needs to get his act together sharpish, though, because there is a rip in the space time continuum just above one of the palm trees, and Christopher Edge, author of bestseller ‘The Escape Room’ and the forthcoming ‘Black Hole Cinema Club’, is hurtling towards the island at the speed of light, all the way from Eccles. Before he arrives Frank and Nadia discuss Truckers by Terry Pratchett and new wonder-book ‘The Final Year’ by Matt Goodfellow.  Emily Drabble from Booktrust is back with her pick of the crop of new children’s books, this month featuring: The Pandas Who Promised by Rachel Bright and Jim Field published by Hachette Time Travellers: Adventure Calling by Sufiya Ahmed published by Little Tiger Fright Bite by Jennifer Killick published by Farshore Safiyyah’s War by Hiba Noor Khan published by Andersen Look Out! Hungry Lion by Paul Delaney published by Harper Collins

It's not easy turning a tropical island into a festive grotto but yule surely agree we've done our level best, with recommendations for books of the year from some of the most exciting names in children's books, including previous visitors to these shores Katherine Rundell and Maisie Chan. We also have a silver-lamé-bedecked Alex T Smith talking Nutcrackers and all things festive. We kick things off, though, with a tribute to that giant of a man Benjamin Zephaniah, whose body of work included some of the greatest poems for children of recent times - including the immortal hymn to a veggie Christmas, Talking Turkeys. This one's for you, BZ. 

J.T. Williams is the author of the incredible Lizzie and Belle Mysteries, featuring two girls who spend their time solving mysteries in 19th Century London - who better to come along to the island to try and solve the great mystery of the ages: why can't Frank get the name of the Ukelele Uff trio right? Though she's going to need more time to crack that particular conundrum, J.T.  is more than up to the job of keeping Nadia and Frank enraptured with her tales of the real people Lizzie and Belle are based upon. Another strike-out on the snack front though, according to a rather ungrateful Nadia Shireen at least. Emily Drabble is back with reviews of a fresh batch of new titles: The Den, Keith Gray Barrington Stoke The Very Special Thing, Alex Willmore, Tate publishing The Wild, Yuval Zommer, OUP When The Sky Falls, Phil Earle  The Nutcracker, Alex T. Smith

She may have sold over 11 million copies in 44 languages of her Tom Gates series but that doesn't mean Liz 'The Toaster' Pichon doesn't have time to swing by the island to chat with two of her biggest fans - Frank and Nadia. Being a publishing phenomenon, it seems, doesn't stop you being a wonderful human being and a brilliant guest...  BookTrust's Emily Drabble recommends   World of Dogs by Carlie Sorosiak and Luisa Uribe (Nosy Crow)   The Snow Girl by Sophie Anderson, illustrated by Melissa Castrillion  (Usborne)  What you Need to be Warm by Neil Gaiman and many amazing illustrators (Bloomsbury) JT Williams Bright Stars of Black British History, illustrated by Angela Vives (Thames and Hudson) Heavy Metal Badger by Duncan Beedie (Little Tiger)   

Last time, in a terrifying cliff-hanger, our Nadine flew off on Katherine Rundell's bi-plane - there's only one thing that could prompt such foolhardy behaviour in one os fearful - and that's the chance to fetch Jon Klassen (THE Jon Klassen) back to island. And not a minute too soon, the poor man was drifting out in the ocean with minutes left before the game was up. Fortified by Frank's crisps, he proceeds to give one of the best interviews you'll hear this year from any writer. Jon, truly one of the great talents at work today in any literary field, talks about his move from animation into children's books, the creative process, his heroes and all manner of other things too. It's a proper belter.  Listen in also for a masterclass in conch-blowing from Frank (Nadia not so much) and also their chat about what they've been reading in they hammocks (spoiler: Nadia's been reading Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror by Chris Priestley and Frank's been filling his boots with 'Charmed Life' by Diana Wynne Jones).  Emily Drabble from Booktrust returns with some hot-off-the-press reviews of some of the best new children's books: Foxlight by Katya Balen, published by Bloomsbury My Family Your Family By Laura Henry Allain illustrated by Giovanni Medeiros published by Penguin The Case of the Haunted Wardrobe by Kereen Getten published by Pushkin Make Tracks, Emergency Vehicles, by Johnny Dyrander published by Nosy Crow The Magic of Forests by Vicky  Woodgate published by DK 

Imagine having a new book coming out, one more hotly anticipated than a change of government - and still taking the time and trouble to visit the Island of Brilliant for a natter with Nadia and Frank. That's the kind of class that is exhibited as standard by the inestimably talented Katherine Rundell, who even manages to keep her composure when her kindly snack gift is met with (very) thinly veiled disappointment. Katherine offers invaluable insights into forthcoming novel 'impossible Creatures' as well as making a frankly magnificent case for the absolutely vital role of children's books in our lives and society. Before she arrives, Frank and Nadia discuss the books they've been reading on their hammocks - Wind in the Willows, The Skull by Jon Klassen, The Council of Good Friends by Nikesh Shukla (illustrated by Rochelle Falconer) and Beegu by Alexis Deacon.   Courtesy of the island's convenient shell, Emily Drabble from Booktrust reviews five new titles: Finding Wonder by Lauren St John  and illustrated by Levi Pinfold, Marie-Alice Harel, Published by Faber   Brilliant Black British HIstory by Atinuke and illustrated by Kingsley Nebechi published by Bloomsbury   The Perfect Present by Petr Horacek published by Otter Barry Books   Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam, Train Trouble by Tracy Corderoy and Steven Lenton published by Nosy Crow   Gina Kaminski Saves the Wolf by Craig Barr-Green and Francis Martin published by Little Tiger