Here at Storytime, we believe that stories should be about fun, first and foremost! Reading for fun if the first step to falling in love with the habit of reading and sticking to it for life!

But for a story to connect with readers, it has to be about something that matters. Even if it wasn’t created as a moral story to teach us a lesson, a good tale should make us think about the world in a new way and give us new insights. With that in mind, we would like to tell you about the stories that will be featured in our latest issue. And since it’s summer, we travelled far and away – watch out for all the marvellous places we have gone to!

 

Our cover story comes all the way from New Zealand! The Sea King is about what happens when some land-dwelling humans insult the monarch of the deeps, and he sends his fish armies to teach them a lesson! Though it is very much a fantasy tale, it is also about how arguments can escalate – which is especially relevant today! Who would you agree with? Thing about how our differences can be solved while spotting all the colourful sea life in this story! Giulia di Cara is the artist responsible for the illustrations and the magnificent cover art, and we are sure you will agree he adds a touch of wonder to proceedings.

This month’s fairy tale is The Little Singing Frog, which tells a version of a classic tale with a very special twist. Even the sun plays a part in it! We really don’t want to spoil it, but you will never read that certain classic story the same way again! Rita Ribeiro Lopes has obviously sprinkled some of her fairy dust on the lovely art, too.

You might not know this, but the Storytime team are big fans of science fiction. We take you out of this world with The Moon Pirates, which was inspired by the question of how our gadgets might feel if we threw them away! The dynamic duo of Mado Peña and Ernest Sala did an absolutely fantastic job designing cute little A-HAB and his robotic shipmates, and we hope you enjoy this tale from a robot’s point of view!

But what would the world look like for a tiny plant in a field? That’s the idea behind The Wild Weed! After its taller and more glamorous friends are plucked by young kids, the weed makes some new friends and finds a purpose in life. This fable was illustrated by the very talented Giulia Quagli, who has a great feel for nature! And on this note, do not forget to download the Spotter’s Guide in this issue and go outside to spot some blooms this summer!

The Forest Guardian whisks us across the world to the Amazon rainforest, which is protected by a mysterious (and mischievous!) creature called the Curupira! The story is told from the point of view of an Amazonian native Indian whose forests are threatened by mining companies. Again, this is a magical tale – but it touches on important issues at a time when rainforests are getting cut down and jungle tribes are being forced out of their ancestral lands. Carlitos Pinheiro knows the Amazon well, and he really brings it to life in his colourful and vibrant illustrations!

Stories can help us to travel through time as well! The Kind Doctress takes place in the early 19th century and tells the true story of Mary Seacole who grew up in Jamaica in the early 19th century and grew up to become a famous nurse. We’re big fans of historical stories, as they give us a chance to explore another era through the eyes of its inhabitants. Sabrina Filieri did lots of research to create art that is both historically accurate and wonderful to look at!

Dusk and Dawn is a fantastic story about two servants of the Old Man in the Sky, who can only meet at Midsummer. Kate Malohatko‘s lush, colourful art adds another layer of enchantment to a story about loving someone and being separated from them – which is something we can all identify with.

And lastly, you will never look at bathtime the same way after reading The Tin Soldier’s Underwater Adventure! It stars the toy soldier and the ballerina from Hans Christian Andersen’s beloved story. The phenomenal Giorgia Broseghini illustrated the tale of what happens when they are scooped up and dumped into hot and soapy water as they experience bath night for the first time! Oh how much fun it can be!

Which of these places would you like to explore? We hope they will inspire you to love the oceans, protect the forests and remember to look up to the beautiful skies every night and spot the brightest star. It’s a wonderful world we live in and there are plenty of stories to share with you about it!

Enjoy a Summer of stories, peeps!

The Storytime team