The Island of Brilliant!
Nadia Shireen and Frank Cottrell Boyce have been shipwrecked on the Island of Brilliant with nothing but a pair of hammocks, a pile of children’s books and the world’s greatest ukulele band (The Ukulele Uff Trio) to keep them going. Everyone wants the best for their children. Everyone should know that reading for pleasure not only increases educational attainment but also helps build happiness and resilience. If you’re going to read for pleasure you need choice. Nadia and Frank will be chatting about what’s new and brilliant in children’s writing with the help of visitors to the island and reviews delivered via sea-shell from the doyen of children’s literature critics, Emily Drabble from Book Trust. Music: The Ukulele Uff Trio Producer: Geoff Bird
Episodes
Friday Mar 01, 2024
M.G. Leonard
Friday Mar 01, 2024
Friday Mar 01, 2024
I hear that whistle blowing - the beautiful sound of a train emerging from beneath the waves with the fabulous M.G. Leonard aboard, ready to scatter joy with her fabulous snack choices and fascinating insights into her seemingly endless list of endlessly brilliant books - including Beetle Boy, the Adventures on Trains series and The Twitchers books. She's been translated into over forty languages but sadly, as yet, not the native language of the Island of Brilliant. Perhaps that's about to change.
Thursday Feb 01, 2024
Christopher Edge
Thursday Feb 01, 2024
Thursday Feb 01, 2024
Nadia has made the most of her extended Christmas break, but Frank’s been sleeping it off. For a month. He needs to get his act together sharpish, though, because there is a rip in the space time continuum just above one of the palm trees, and Christopher Edge, author of bestseller ‘The Escape Room’ and the forthcoming ‘Black Hole Cinema Club’, is hurtling towards the island at the speed of light, all the way from Eccles. Before he arrives Frank and Nadia discuss Truckers by Terry Pratchett and new wonder-book ‘The Final Year’ by Matt Goodfellow.
Emily Drabble from Booktrust is back with her pick of the crop of new children’s books, this month featuring:
The Pandas Who Promised by Rachel Bright and Jim Field published by Hachette
Time Travellers: Adventure Calling by Sufiya Ahmed published by Little Tiger
Fright Bite by Jennifer Killick published by Farshore
Safiyyah’s War by Hiba Noor Khan published by Andersen
Look Out! Hungry Lion by Paul Delaney published by Harper Collins
Thursday Dec 14, 2023
Christmas Special with Alex T. Smith
Thursday Dec 14, 2023
Thursday Dec 14, 2023
It's not easy turning a tropical island into a festive grotto but yule surely agree we've done our level best, with recommendations for books of the year from some of the most exciting names in children's books, including previous visitors to these shores Katherine Rundell and Maisie Chan. We also have a silver-lamé-bedecked Alex T Smith talking Nutcrackers and all things festive. We kick things off, though, with a tribute to that giant of a man Benjamin Zephaniah, whose body of work included some of the greatest poems for children of recent times - including the immortal hymn to a veggie Christmas, Talking Turkeys. This one's for you, BZ.
Friday Dec 01, 2023
J.T. Williams
Friday Dec 01, 2023
Friday Dec 01, 2023
J.T. Williams is the author of the incredible Lizzie and Belle Mysteries, featuring two girls who spend their time solving mysteries in 19th Century London - who better to come along to the island to try and solve the great mystery of the ages: why can't Frank get the name of the Ukelele Uff trio right? Though she's going to need more time to crack that particular conundrum, J.T. is more than up to the job of keeping Nadia and Frank enraptured with her tales of the real people Lizzie and Belle are based upon. Another strike-out on the snack front though, according to a rather ungrateful Nadia Shireen at least.
Emily Drabble is back with reviews of a fresh batch of new titles:
The Den, Keith Gray Barrington Stoke
The Very Special Thing, Alex Willmore, Tate publishing
The Wild, Yuval Zommer, OUP
When The Sky Falls, Phil Earle
The Nutcracker, Alex T. Smith
Wednesday Nov 01, 2023
Liz Pichon
Wednesday Nov 01, 2023
Wednesday Nov 01, 2023
She may have sold over 11 million copies in 44 languages of her Tom Gates series but that doesn't mean Liz 'The Toaster' Pichon doesn't have time to swing by the island to chat with two of her biggest fans - Frank and Nadia. Being a publishing phenomenon, it seems, doesn't stop you being a wonderful human being and a brilliant guest...
BookTrust's Emily Drabble recommends
World of Dogs by Carlie Sorosiak and Luisa Uribe (Nosy Crow)
The Snow Girl by Sophie Anderson, illustrated by Melissa Castrillion (Usborne)
What you Need to be Warm by Neil Gaiman and many amazing illustrators (Bloomsbury)
JT Williams Bright Stars of Black British History, illustrated by Angela Vives (Thames and Hudson)
Heavy Metal Badger by Duncan Beedie (Little Tiger)
Sunday Oct 01, 2023
Jon Klassen
Sunday Oct 01, 2023
Sunday Oct 01, 2023
Last time, in a terrifying cliff-hanger, our Nadine flew off on Katherine Rundell's bi-plane - there's only one thing that could prompt such foolhardy behaviour in one os fearful - and that's the chance to fetch Jon Klassen (THE Jon Klassen) back to island. And not a minute too soon, the poor man was drifting out in the ocean with minutes left before the game was up. Fortified by Frank's crisps, he proceeds to give one of the best interviews you'll hear this year from any writer. Jon, truly one of the great talents at work today in any literary field, talks about his move from animation into children's books, the creative process, his heroes and all manner of other things too. It's a proper belter.
Listen in also for a masterclass in conch-blowing from Frank (Nadia not so much) and also their chat about what they've been reading in they hammocks (spoiler: Nadia's been reading Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror by Chris Priestley and Frank's been filling his boots with 'Charmed Life' by Diana Wynne Jones).
Emily Drabble from Booktrust returns with some hot-off-the-press reviews of some of the best new children's books:
Foxlight by Katya Balen, published by Bloomsbury
My Family Your Family By Laura Henry Allain illustrated by Giovanni Medeiros published by Penguin
The Case of the Haunted Wardrobe by Kereen Getten published by Pushkin
Make Tracks, Emergency Vehicles, by Johnny Dyrander published by Nosy Crow
The Magic of Forests by Vicky Woodgate published by DK
Friday Sep 01, 2023
Katherine Rundell
Friday Sep 01, 2023
Friday Sep 01, 2023
Imagine having a new book coming out, one more hotly anticipated than a change of government - and still taking the time and trouble to visit the Island of Brilliant for a natter with Nadia and Frank. That's the kind of class that is exhibited as standard by the inestimably talented Katherine Rundell, who even manages to keep her composure when her kindly snack gift is met with (very) thinly veiled disappointment. Katherine offers invaluable insights into forthcoming novel 'impossible Creatures' as well as making a frankly magnificent case for the absolutely vital role of children's books in our lives and society.
Before she arrives, Frank and Nadia discuss the books they've been reading on their hammocks - Wind in the Willows, The Skull by Jon Klassen, The Council of Good Friends by Nikesh Shukla (illustrated by Rochelle Falconer) and Beegu by Alexis Deacon.
Courtesy of the island's convenient shell, Emily Drabble from Booktrust reviews five new titles:
Finding Wonder by Lauren St John and illustrated by Levi Pinfold, Marie-Alice Harel, Published by Faber
Brilliant Black British HIstory by Atinuke and illustrated by Kingsley Nebechi published by Bloomsbury
The Perfect Present by Petr Horacek published by Otter Barry Books
Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam, Train Trouble by Tracy Corderoy and Steven Lenton published by Nosy Crow
Gina Kaminski Saves the Wolf by Craig Barr-Green and Francis Martin published by Little Tiger
Thursday Aug 03, 2023
Extra, Extra! Nadia and Frank Go Paddling
Thursday Aug 03, 2023
Thursday Aug 03, 2023
Frank's had his turn bigging up his new book and now Nadia's waking up to find he's jumped ship, leaving the coast clear for her to answer listeners' questions abode there new book Geoffrey Gets The Jitters as well as her fabulous Grimwood series.
Thursday Aug 03, 2023
EXTRA, EXTRA! Frank and Nadia go Paddling
Thursday Aug 03, 2023
Thursday Aug 03, 2023
The ground rules were clear before they arrived on the island - no talking about their own books... but Frank and Nadia are too clever by half, and have sailed out to a lagoon in a home-made canoe so they can answer listeners' questions about their new titles without getting into trouble with the island's fearsome fairness umpires. Trouble is Nadia's fallen asleep so Frank's having to talk over the top of her snoring - but it's worth it to get the inside scoop on his terrific new title, 'The Wonder Brothers'.
Tuesday Aug 01, 2023
The Island of Brilliant: Episode 4 with Danny Wallace
Tuesday Aug 01, 2023
Tuesday Aug 01, 2023
There's bad blood on the island this month, as Frank's nemesis Danny Wallace turns up (uninvited, according to FCB) to stoke the flames of the pair's long-standing rivalry. Nadia, fortunately, is able to find higher ground and steers a sometimes begrudging but always illuminating, often hilarious conversation to the matter at hand, children's books. Danny discusses his own books, including 'The Day the Screens Went Blank' and 'The Boss of Everyone' - and also Brian Patten's brilliant poetry collection 'Gargling with Jelly'. Before he arrives, Frank and Nadia discuss the books they've been reading in their hammocks: The Lizzie and Belle Mysteries: Drama and Danger by J.T. Williams; Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun by Tola Okogwu; Wellington's Big Day Out by Steve Small and Monster in the Woods by Dave Shelton.
While The Ukelele Uff keep things harmonious with their beautiful music, Emily Drabble of Booktrust comes out of her convenient shell once again with more reviews of new titles:
1. Deep, A story of love through the Generations
Stephen Hogtun
Published by Bloomsbury
2. Calling the Whales
By Jasbinder Bilan
Illustrated by Skylar White
Published by Barrington Stoke
3. Stolen History
Sathnam Sanghera
Illustrated by Jen Khatum
Published by Puffin
4. The Midnight Babies
Isabel Greenberg
Published by Abrams Books for Young Readers
5. Imagine IF... Veggies by Aya Watanabe
Published by Templar