Storytime Issue 142 – Pack Your Bags – The Stories Are Coming With You!
Pack for the holidays – and make sure Storytime is right at the top where you can grab it! Our second summer special issue is here, and you can take it wherever the season takes you. Tuck it into a beach bag, roll it up in a rucksack for a hike or put it in a picnic basket – these pages are your passport to great adventures!
Even if you are staying at home, you can spice up your reading experience by enjoying Storytime in new places. Your bedroom, your garden or your local park – they are all places where you can turn the pages and let your imagination roam!
So what’s waiting for you inside? Here’s a sneak peek!
Mowgli is playing hide and seek in the forest – but then a wolf cub goes missing and a fun game turns serious! Pedro Ruiz’s lush illustrations make the characters in ‘Jungle Games’ feel alive…
And speaking of thrilling disappearances, YOU are the detective in our special Mystery Zone cover story, ‘The Case of the Crimson Phantom’. A mysterious figure is haunting the Funland Adventure Park… can you unmask them before the final page? Natalia Kartalova’s wonderfully detailed art sets the mood and has lots of clues for you to spot!
Adventure runs through every tale in this issue. In ‘Flight to Freedom’we meet Minty, a girl who dares to dream of liberty. She sets off to find it, heading north towards a new life. Cajila Barbosa’s powerful illustrations make this a real-story you’ll never forget.
Equally unforgettable is ‘The Birth of Maui’the origin story of one of mythology’s most beloved trickster heroes. He drifts out to sea as a newborn and must find his way back to his family. Pencil fills every image with the warmth and wonders of Polynesia!
The universe itself is place of wonders, don’t you agree? In ‘The Boom That Made the Universe’young Eddie gazes up at the stars and makes the most mind-blowing discovery imaginable. Lys Freire’s cosmic illustrations are out of this world, too.
Still looking at the heavens, in ‘Two Gems in the Sky’two sisters receive dazzling jewels that transform them in ways they never expected – a glittering myth from the Philippines brought to life by Fabio Mancini’s rich, jewel-toned artwork.
There’s magic aplenty in our fairy tale this month! In Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’a powerful magician summons a storm to punish those who wronged him – and Alex Herrerías’s dramatic illustrations crackle with colour and magical energy.
For something extra-enchanting, we added a little poetry to this summer issue – and invited ‘The Fairy Fleet’ to sail by! This is a magical poem about tiny ships voyaging across moonlit waters, illustrated with delicate brushstrokes by Tamasin Warnock.
Another trickster rounds out the issue in style! In ‘The Jackal and the Drum’a clever but greedy jackal investigates a mysterious sound – and Flor Milano’s playful art makes this fable an absolute delight.
Finally, in ‘What I Am Not’a little river-dwelling creature is upset that nobody can agree on what he’s called. Rosina Spivak’s adorable illustrations will make sure you never forget his name again!
Whether you’re reading this on a sun-lounger, a mountain trail, a long car journey or curled up in your bed, the adventures inside these pages will go wherever you go. All you need is Storytime and your brilliant imagination. Happy exploring, little readers!