May is National Share a Story month, an annual month-long celebration of stories and aims to bring children and books together in new ways. The theme for 2023 is Sail Away in a Story. We know the adventures that stories can take us on and we want to promote the joys in discovering stories set around the oceans, seas and rivers. Boats, mermaids, pirates and underwater creatures will fill the imaginations of children across the UK.
Here are our 6 stories to Sail Away in this month.
Son of the Sea by Richard Pickard
HIS FEET WERE THE FIRST CLUE …
Casper dreams of swimming the Channel. Surely, he was born to use his webbed toes … Instead, he’s strictly forbidden to go near water. When his parents have an unlucky accident, Casper is sent to stay with a grandmother he’s never met – where he discovers his special tie to the sea …
From the acclaimed author of The Peculiar Tale of the Tentacle Boy – winner of the Times/Chicken House Competition Chairman’s Choice Award
Packed full of magical realism, humour, LGBTQ+ representation and a message of acceptance
Perfect for readers aged 9 and up.
Long John has a whole crew of wild pirates in tow, and – for two intrepid children – he’s about to transform a perfectly ordinary evening into a riotous adventure beneath a pirate moon. It’s time to make some PIRATE STEW.
Pirate Stew! Pirate Stew! Pirate Stew for me and you! Pirate Stew, Pirate Stew Eat it and you won’t be blue You can be a pirate too!
Marvellously silly and gloriously entertaining, this tale of pirates, flying ships, donut feasts and some rather magical stew is perfect for all pirates, both young and old.With a deliciously rhyming text from master storyteller Neil Gaiman, and spellbinding illustrations by the supremely talented Chris Riddell, three-times-winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal, this is the picture book of the year! Joyful, quirky and action-packed, it makes a spectacular and magical gift.
The Story Thief by Graham Carter
From Waterstones Book Prize shortlisted Graham Carter comes this story perfect for little bookworms, and those who haven’t quite discovered the magic of books yet…
Olive is a shy girl who prefers reading about adventures to having them herself.
But when a mysterious figure steals all of the books in town, Olive decides to set out straight into an adventure of her own.
The thief, meanwhile, doesn’t quite know what to do with the stories he’s stolen.
Olive must track down the thief and teach him the joys of reading – and sharing – stories.
Grandad’s Island by Benji Davies
At the bottom of Syd’s garden, through the gate and past the tree, is Grandad’s house. Syd can let himself in any time he likes. But one day when Syd comes to call, Grandad isn’t in any of the usual places. He’s in the attic, where he ushers Syd through a door, and the two of them journey to a wild, beautiful island awash in color where Grandad decides he will remain. So Syd hugs Grandad one last time and sets sail for home. Visiting Grandad’s house at the bottom of the garden again, he finds it just the same as it’s always been — except that Grandad isn’t there anymore. Sure to provide comfort to young children struggling to understand loss, Benji Davies’s tale is a sensitive and beautiful reminder that our loved ones live on in our memories long after they’re gone.
Captain Toby by Satoshi Kitamura
It’s a dark and stormy night and Toby cannot sleep.
The whole house seems to be tossing and turning like a ship in the middle of the ocean…and soon Toby enters a fantasy world where he is indeed at sea, caught up in a strange and wild adventure. Luckily, Toby’s cat makes up the crew of his ship, and together they chart a course through the storm and fend off a giant sea monster – with the last minute help of a mystery submarine which comes to their aid. But hang on, the submarine is manned by his Grandma and Grandpa! Soon they are back in the safety of the harbour, ready for breakfast – but lift the flap for one last surprise!
Dramatic and surreal, there is danger and bravery with a large dose of the surreal, and lots more to notice on every re-read.
The Journey Home by Fran Preston -Gannon
The ice is melting so Polar Bear sets off in search of a new home. Join him on his adventures across the seas and discover the many friends he meets along the way.
This beautifully illustrated story has a topical message about looking after our planet and is full of things for parents and children to talk about.
Frann was the winner of an amazing Sendak Fellowship and spent a month living with the great Maurice Sendak himself at his home in Connecticut, USA. She worked on The Journey Home during her stay.