More of a rambly discussion-based episode today. Is there such a thing as a girl book or a boy book? Are boys represented enough in the kidlit space? Let us know your thoughts too! We were very inspired and provoked by this excellent article by Reading Middle Grade. We touch on our own reading experiences as kids, and what we think our favourites would be if we were children today. Are you a boy reading good books? Do you have a boy who's reading good books? Hit us up and help us address the imbalance in our own reading!
We mention a lot of books we've previously reviewed: Young Werewolf, Alanna, The Worst Witch, The Amazing Maurice, Michael Morpurgo's Pinocchio retelling, Private Peaceful.
If you'd like to support us and get access to bonus content, you can join our patreon here.
Another way to support us is to shop our picks on our bookshop here
What A Wonderful Day is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by Shane Ivers of silvermansound.com
1 Oct 2026
Episode 70 - The Eye of the Cyclops (Sleep Tight, Disgusting Blob and Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters)
It's October, it's monsters and ghouls time, and this week we're reading books that feature cyclopes. Our picture book is Sleep Tight, Disgusting Blob by Huw Aaron, a delightful parade of all creatures grim and evil putting on their pyjamas, having their baths, cleaning their teeth and going to bed. Super simple conceit, outstanding execution. Eagle-eyed readers will spot the ship of Odysseus just barely picked out through the cave mouth of the sleeping cyclops baby. So fun and so dark! The juxtaposition of cosy bedtime lullaby with the repeated use of the word "disgusting" to describe a child - priceless.
Then we're revisiting Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson in book two: The Sea of Monsters. Percy is still new to the world of gods and legends, green enough to think that when a pack of cannibal giants invade his school, the police will do something about it. He's also inexperienced enough not to notice that his enormous friend Tyson is in fact a cyclops. Percy, Annabeth and Tyson set off together on an illicit quest to find the Golden Fleece, rescue their friend Grover, and save Camp Half-Blood. Lots of hijinks and set pieces along the way. Our favourite scene was the bit with the sirens.
Huw Aaron's blod about Not Now, Bernard can be read here
The book Matt compared it to (which we cannot name in our squeaky clean feed) can be seen here
Our episode covering the first Percy Jackson is here
If you'd like to support us and get access to bonus content, you can join our patreon here.
Another way to support us is to shop our picks on our bookshop here
What A Wonderful Day is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by Shane Ivers of silvermansound.com
24 Sept 2026
Episode 69 - Dogs vs Cats (Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy, Slinky Malinki and Varjak Paw) with special guest Annie
This week, the ultimate showdown: cats vs dogs. Our guest Annie Cross brings us a picture book for each side of the dyad: Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy and Slinky Malinki, both by the legendary Lynley Dodd. We talk about what sets Dodd's books apart from so many other samey animal books with rhyming words. It's the quality of the writing, the sense of fun. Annie reminisces about her own babyhood with these books, Matt tells the story about the one time they were conned by a tiny little kitten called Lightning, and we all agree that black cats in kids' books are especially iconic.
Our chapter book is Varjak Paw by SF Said, with pictures by Dave McKean. This one is a new favourite. Simply put, it is the story of a domestic cat who gets outside for the first time and is set a quest: find a dog, talk to it, save his family from an evil invader. Easy! To help keep him alive, Varjak is visited in his dreams by his long-dead ancestor Jalal, who teaches him the feline martial arts skillset known as The Way. Varjak gets stronger, wiser, scrappier. Will all these new tricks be enough to allow him to save his thoroughbred cat family back home? When push comes to shove, who will he choose? His proud and vain family of domestic cats, or his new outdoor friends?
We reference a lot of previous episodes in this one: Winnie the Witch, I Love My Bike and A First Book of Dinosaurs, Warrior Cats: Into the Wild, and The Gammage Cup.
We chatted about this interview that SF Said gave for the Guardian, and this blog post about the writing process for the British Library.
Nina shouted out Afoma Umesi's Reading Middle Grade blog. The Kid Cover Test can be read here.
If you'd like to support us and get access to bonus content, you can join our patreon here.
Another way to support us is to shop our picks on our bookshop here
What A Wonderful Day is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by Shane Ivers of silvermansound.com
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