Happy New Year to you all and wishing you a happy new year of stories! If you’re lucky enough to have just started your subscription with Storytime Issue 53, then your children will have a real treat to this month. (And, in fact, every month for the rest of the year!)
Storytime Issue 53 sets the tone perfectly. It includes an imagination-boosting mix of fairy tales, a myth, a fable, a folktale, a new story, poetry and a funny story from Myanmar. Plus, there are activities, puzzles and crafts throughout the magazine and in our Storytime Playbox at the back. Oh, and this month, we’re challenging our readers to illustrate a Storytime cover. The winner will have his or her entry published in Storytime and receive some beautiful prints. Download a blank cover from our Freebies page to get started today!
But first, find out more about the stories and talent in Storytime Issue 53.
Inside Storytime Issue 53
Lex, the Not a Robot. Written by Holly Wallis and illustrated by Hugo Cuellar.
We love our vibrant cover and opening story for our Tales from Today section. Not a Robot was the brainchild of new writer and technology enthusiast Holly Wallis and Hugo Cuellar provided the brilliant illustrations. Can robots have feelings? Did the scientist do the right thing? In this age of AI, this story raises some interesting moral questions. What do you think?
Fans of Alphabet Zoo and Alphabet Ocean (from previous issues) should enjoy Alphabet Pet Shop. Mum and Dad finally give in and let the star of this poem have a pet. But with a whole alphabet to choose from, which animal will he pick? Perhaps you can help him decide. Thanks to James Loram for brining our pet shop to life.
In our fable from Africa, The Two-Coloured Coat, we have another thought-provoking story for you. Hopefully, it will encourage readers young and old to see things from a different point of view. Vera Zaytseva really captured the spirit of the characters in this story.
Find out which unlikely hero saves the day in The Naughty Goats. Art by Cristina Shiilia.
Next up we have funny folk tale The Naughty Goats with Cristina Shiilia’s lively illustrations. This story’s hero is most unexpected and comes with a message children will appreciate – never underestimate someone who’s small. As you’ll see, it’s a theme we like to come back to now and again.
For our Favourite Fairy Tale, we bring you The Talking Tree. You may not know it, but this story has it all – a brave king, a wicked witch, a scheming ogress, a princess trapped in a tree and magic ointments. Illustrator Teresa Martinez has given it a lovely whimsical feel and we think you’ll love it.
Why not do some armchair travelling and travel with us to Myanmar? We’ve got a fab little story about a chick with eyes bigger than its belly. Paula Pang illustrated this Around the World Tale, Little Chick and the Big Sneeze and it is just perfect. When you’ve just gotta sneeze, you’ve just gotta sneeze.
It’s hard to believe that we’re already on our fifth Storyland Adventure. In Storytime Issue 53, you can meet a few famous fairy-tale residents – Puss in Boots, the dreaded troll and one of the twelve dancing princesses. Find out what happens when they get together. Giorgia Broseghini‘s illustrations are glorious, as always.
An Inuit tale, Sedna the sea goddess, illustrated by Wiliam Luong.
Finally, we bring you a strange but powerful Inuit myth called Sedna the Sea Goddess – one of the most famous in Inuit culture. Poor Sedna’s life isn’t easy and we have tried to play down the brutal nature of this tale, while staying true to the heart of the story. Not all stories are sugar-coated and this one in particular gives a good insight into a vastly different way of life – and the realities of survival in a harsh environment. Wiliam Luong created the wonderful watery illustrations.
We have all this for you, plus book recommendations and a chance to win some of the best new picture books. You can also make a robot, draw your favourite pet and play a story-inspired board game! We hope you enjoy Storytime Issue 53 – and look forward to a feast of fantastic stories in the year ahead! 2019 is going to be extra-special.
Forget reading resolutions, let’s start a reading revolution!
