Gretel the Wonder Mammoth: A story about overcoming anxiety

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This positive, encouraging picture book teaches young readers that perhaps the bravest act a person (or mammoth!) can do is ask for help.

The Missing Piece by Jordan Stephens (author), Beth Suzanna (illustrator) (Bloomsbury Children's Books)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.

You are welcome to book a story bag regardless of the age group they are aimed at. How do we book a story bag for our school or group? Please book your story bag in advance as we only have one of each. The Lizzie and Belle Mysteries: Drama and Danger by J T Williams, illustrated by Simone Douglas (Farshore) 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. We recommend around 30 minutes for a story bag, but the exact length of time will vary across different groups.In this story of hope and endurance, we follow a scientist and her team during their search for the elusive 'Giant Arctic Jellyfish'. I am NOT a Prince by Rachael Davis (author), Beatrix Hatcher (illustrator) (Hachette Children's Group) 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. Author Anna Kemp introduces The Hollow Hills, the sequel to her dark magical tale, Into Goblyn Wood. 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.

This utterly delightful picture book by Kim Hillyard, author of the empowering and sweet Mabel and the Mountain, is all about finding the confidence to be ourselves in what sometimes seems like a scary world; sometimes, we can feel that we don’t fit in, and that everyone else is different to us. 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. 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 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. 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.

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Bestselling author Alexandra Christo, author of TikTok sensation To Kill a Kingdom, introduces her new book, The Night Hunt (Hot Key Books), a dark... Waterstones has announced its 2023 Children’s Book Prize shortlists, including works by Angharad Walker and Lee Newbery. 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. Gretel the Wonder Mammoth is a perfect bedtime read for fans of Rob Biddulph, Rachel Bright and Jim Field. Reading comprehension dice (2 giant dice to roll to find a reading comprehension question to answer)

The Lizzie and Belle Mysteries: Drama and Danger by J.T. Williams (author), Simone Douglas (illustrator) (Farshore) 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. 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. The Nottinghill Carnival takes central stage in this story about families, memories and the power of dance and festivals. Author Yaba Badoe tells...

Somebody Swallowed Stanley- A story bag for understanding plastic pollution - use in the Living Planet gallery. Each story bag is linked to a particular topic or gallery, e.g. habitat loss, Ancient Egypt, plastic pollution or managing emotions. 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." How Many Legs-A story bag for numeracy and animals - use in the Natural Northumbria and Living Planet galleries. Gretel the Mammoth – who has been hibernating inside an iceberg for quite some time – is the last mammoth left on earth, and everyone who she meets loves her. She’s kind, understanding and strong and has plenty of new friends but 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. Rather than telling her new friends in case it makes them sad too, she pretends that all is well. Eventually she takes the brave step of telling her friends how she really feels and they rally round to help her. Listening carefully to all she has to say, they find ways to help her so that soon she is beginning to ask questions about this place she finds herself in and discovers there are interesting things to do there. She reinvents her real self and is interested, enthusiastic, and cheerful ‘all at the same time’. Hillyard also adds a great deal of emotion to the scenes where Gretel is feeling increasingly isolated and alone and overwhelmed through her clever illustrative techniques- the use of snow is especially good.