A Journey Through Art by Aaron Rosen (Thames & Hudson, £14.95) aims to provide snapshots of different cultures, through their art and architecture, from Aboriginal dream drawings to modern Brazilian street art, via the Dome of the Rock, the Portuguese Synagogue of 20th-century Vienna and the work of Chagall, Klimt and Daniel Libeskind. Photographic images are presented as if taped into a scrapbook, while Lucy Dalzell takes up the challenge of illustrating diverse historical styles, mixing photo-collage with drawing.
Clear explanatory text runs between the images, suitable from age nine up and concentrating on the significance of the artefacts to the society that made them. The informality makes the book a joy to dip into. But it has a serious side. Looking at a lamassu (giant sculpture of ancient Nineveh designed to ward off evil), for instance, Rosen comments on its survival since 8 BCE, only to be destroyed in the 21st century by so-called Islamic State. “Sadly [its] power was not enough to ward off this modern danger.”
Brightstorm by Vashti Hardy (Scholastic, £6.99) is a “skyship adventure” combining the inventiveness of Northern Lights with the excitement of Around the World in Eighty Days. Daring young twins fly the flag for feminism and diversity, with Maudie talented at engineering and Arthur putting his metal arm to ingenious uses.
They set out to clear their explorer father’s name, encountering snowy wastes, an evil adversary and loyal psychic wolves. Age nine to 12.
Pickles and salads, bagels and lox —when Anna and her mother have something to celebrate, they buy treats at Mr Reuben’s deli. But Anna worries about a homeless man who sits nearby. So she creates a bagel fund, allowing him to collect a pre-paid bagel whenever he chooses. A Heart Just Like My Mother’s by Lela Nargi (Kar Ben, £5.99) is an unusual take on tzedakah, with no cloying after-taste. Valeria Cis depicts an atmospheric New York. Age four to seven.
Who am I? by Charlotte Sebag-Montefiore (Olympia, £5.99) is an animal-riddle book, designed to be read aloud. Addressing the listener as “child”, it has a slightly old-fashioned feel but is sure to intrigue ages five to 11 and may inspire them to invent their own brainteasers.