Wearing my Chronicle Monacle

There are a few publishing houses out there who truly tick all my sniffery boxes, Chronicle Books is one of them. Their back list is a treasure trove of imaginative, creative, inspiring publishing with a true passion for books behind each and every title. (Very much like Templar Publishing!)  Three cheers to that - I bet they make great tea.. I also suspect there is a lot of cake going round their offices too!

Chronicle Mission Statement:

"Inspired by the enduring magic and importance of books, our objective is to create and distribute exceptional publishing that's instantly recognisable for its spirit, creativity, and value."

Here Here!!

My already fairly boggly eyes literally popped out on stalks as I perused their website for new hidden treasures.

This week I was lucky enough to be lavished with a bumper pack of books from said publisher c/o the delightful Tina, Needless to say the excitement was almost too much and I had to have a sit down in the old basket and fan myself with a hanky in order not to hyperventilate, One after the other I pulled treasure after treasure out of the jiffy, like wonderful multicoloured hankies out of a magicians top hat.

Some of these books are from the Sniffer Archive

Inside this monstrous package of wonders I found the following.... (You might want to make a cup of tea at this point!)

HOW MANY JELLY BEANS : By Andrea Menotti 

This book is GIGANTIC   with pages and pages full of beautifully juicy jelly beans complimented by graphic black and white illustrations of the two main characters Aiden and Emma (Hmm good name) accompanied by their almost good enough to eat pup Murphy - who quite frankly should have his own range of first concept books for babies...

How Many Jelly Beans introduces young pups to the concept of big numbers .. REALLY BIG numbers like 1MILLION... which is probably the biggest number there is. Anyway the mathmagical slant is sooo subtle and disguised quite thoroughly with tasty jelly beans that young readers won't even realise they are learning something.

I really shouldn't tell you this but there is a surprise ending...and it's HUGE! .. the biggest fold out spread I have ever seen in my life.. and I've seen alot of fold out spreads (It was too big to even take a picture of! now that's BIG)  feature yes you guessed it 1 Million Jelly Beans Nom Nom Nom!!
This is a fun engaging and (shudder) educational favourite which I shall pour over the pages of many times. Absolutely scrumptious!

On the subject of sweets and as I reach for my third pink wafer biscuit.. the next book out of the bag was....

Candy 1 to 20 : by Laurie Wolf and Pam Abrams

So utterly tasty in all respects simple colour photos on white backgrounds illustrate numbers 1-20 formed from the corresponding number of candies. I was quite simply drooling by page 4 and had to grab a lemon bon bon by page 12.
A sugar plum wonder of a counting book.. perhaps I wouldn't have been so dreadful at maths had I had something as joyfully tasty as this to learn with .

Dragon, Robot, GatorBunny : By Calef Brown

Introduced with the tagline - Pick one, draw one, make it funny! Perfectly sums up this engaging and interactive scribbling book.
Packed with hilarious inspirational visual prompts and blank pages for letting your imagination run free.
I am a big fan of books which encourage pups to get their pens out and if there's one thing I love almost as much as sniffing it's scribbling so this gets a bit paws up! ..
Get your crayons out and have a bash at creating an elephant with a top hat or a crocodile in a racing car.. or why not try your hand at drawing a pug! why not eh.
For those of you who lack the finesse of Rolf Harris this book also comes with 32 bonkers stickers !

A scribletacular-tripumph-in-coolness !

And finally the Pièce de résistance!

A Raft of Otters: Collective Nouns by Woop Studios

One of my absolute faves of last year was A Zeal of Zebras - I probably mentioned it.
A Raft of Otters Collective Nouns Flash Cards from A-Z is it's ever-so droolsomely delish.
A mesmerising and enlightening package of sturdy flashcards showcasing the
spreads from A Zeal Of Zebras - particular highlights of mine include "An Implausibility of Gnus" a "Leap of Leopards" "An Embarrassment of Pandas" and an "Ostentation of Peacocks".. I think the collective noun for pugs should probably be an ostentation but is in fact one of the following, a grumble, a squish a snug and a snortling of pugs! 

Just before I pop off to have my barnet coiffured I would like to bring to your attention a few more Chronicle titles which I think you should wrap your peepers around most promptly....

Press Here : By Hereve Tullet
If you don't already have this you must must must grab a copy - It is the essence of the pure imagination and magic given to a child through a book. a 100% 10/10 gem!
Watch the amazing video here!

There was an old lady who swallowed a fly : By Jeremy Holmes

There was an old lady who swallowed a fly...a bird...a cat...a dog...a snake...a cow...and a horse. Do you know what happened to her? Of course you do! But with his distinct art style and a clever format, acclaimed graphic designer Jeremy Holmes has given the universal rhyme a unique makeover that is clever, funny, and unexpected. Spooky deliciousness!
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE!

Other Goose - Re-Nursuried and re-rhymed Children's Classics : By J Otto Seibolt

It's Humpty Dumpty, Little Bo Peep, Jack Be Nimble, Miss Muffet, Little Boy Blue, and more, like you've never seen them before! Renowned artist J.otto Seibold re-nursuries and re-rhymes over the Mother Goose classics in this must-have collection. Featuring recurring characters and an ending that brings everyone back for a showstopping finale, this book is the most fun dear old Mother Goose has ever had! A golden egg if ever I read one.

MULTITUDINOUS THANKSTO CHRONICLE FOR SENDING SUCH LOVELY BOOKS - We look forward to many sniffing adventures with you in the future!