Nothing!

by Yasmeen Ismail

Mummy and Lila are going to visit Grandpa, but Lila is busy in her own imaginative world. Whenever Mummy asks her what she is doing, she always says, "Nothing!" Only the reader is allowed in to her colourful, crazy, creative world where she is wrestling an octopus, or racing along in a winged chariot, or flying with birds over a noisy jungle.

But Grandpa has a plan to join Lila in her secret world. After all, playing is even more fun when you play together!

Bursting with energy and colour, this is a joyous celebration of the imagination and creativity that will speak to child and adult alike.

Yasmeen Ismail won the V&A Illustration Award 2014 and has been shortlisted for the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize. I'm a Girl! has been nominated for the Kate Greenaway Award.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

32 pages, Paperback

Published August 11, 2016

About the author

Irish-born, Bristol-based Yasmeen Ismail is an award-winning author, illustrator and animator. Yasmeen studied at art school in her hometown, Dublin and graduated in 2002. After Yasmeen moved to London she lent her talents to many different projects ranging from advertising to children's publishing.

After moving to London and running a successful animation production company and having worked in varying capacities within it (Director, Designer, Creative, Animator, Producer, Script-writer) Yasmeen found herself writing and illustrating picture books. From her experience with scripts and storyboards she is familiar with writing narratives and working with story lines, and is especially acquainted with editing her work and writing creatively within boundaries. In turn, and as a result of her animating background, her illustrations are bright, fluid and full of energy and movement. She has a love of watercolours, inks and paints and is moving to all sorts of other mediums. Yasmeen has a propensity to experiment and expand in all areas of her work and is constantly trying new ways to improve her writing and drawing.

Currently Yasmeen is writing her fourth book for Bloomsbury UK, and her first for Walker Books, and is working on her first for Nosy Crow and another for Pan Macmillan. She has just completed 2 books for publishers in the USA and has more exciting projects lining up for 2015. She has written and illustrated several more picture books and activity books, which will be released in 2015, 2016 and 2017.

She has just moved to Bristol from London with her husband. They miss their cat very much and spend their evenings talking about her.

Reviews

[Aymin Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Similarly to 'Daddy and I', this book looks at using imagination and how children can make games and fun even when doing there daily tasks such as getting your coat on or standing on the bus. The way she responds with "nothing!" when her mum asks her what she's doing makes me feel like she doesn't think her mum would understand her imagination, so she just settles for an easier answer - but when it comes to her grandad she tells him she is flying away with birds, he 'believes' her and they happily play pretend together. This makes me feel like we should always try to entertain children's imaginations and encourage them to be creative thinkers.

[Alice Bennett · Rating 2 out of 5]

Aimed at children ages 4-6

Using animals as human-like characters to reach younger children and appeal more to them. Explores the power of the imagination and the desire to produce 'nothing' out of everyday situations. The similarities between adults and children are explored as the Grandpa transgresses into Lila's imaginary fantasies by the end of the book.

[Jenna Mills · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely

[Paul Graham Terpstra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was a bit simple, getting lost in imagination.
Illustrations style was interesting, haven’t seem many like this

[Niamh Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome!

[Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous illustrations. A great exploration of imagination, and how grown ups can join in too, if only you let them.