book cover

Best of All: The Magical Mix That’s You

by Smriti Halls, illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat

Interest age: 4 to 5

Published by Two Hoots, 2024

  • Picture books
  • Poetry and rhyme

About this book

This joyful picture book explores what makes us who we are.

The tale begins by shining a light on the qualities we inherit from our parents and grandparents, such as ‘mother’s bright eyes and her joyful wide grin’ and ‘father’s big heart and his kindness within’. It then moves on to show how elements of our cultural heritage, as well as our personal experiences, feed into who we become as individuals.

Towards the end of the story, the focus shifts to what the future holds, and how each of us can shine and become whoever we want to be. 

The lyrical, rhyming text is perfect to read aloud and will encourage young children to join in with the tale. Stunning, richly coloured artwork features throughout and readers will love poring over exquisite, imaginative details on every page.  

Inspired by the author’s personal experience of raising her children to celebrate both their British and Indian heritage, this is an unusual, thought-provoking and uplifting tale.  

About the author

Smriti Halls is an award-winning, critically acclaimed children's author, published in more than 30 languages worldwide. Her books include #1 bestseller I Love You Night and Day, I'm Sticking with You, Elephant in My Kitchen and The Little Island.

With a cast of characters as varied as mischievous monsters and disgruntled geese, she explores relationship and identity; the personal and the political; how it feels to be in your own skin - and in someone else's. Her books, often fast-paced and funny or lyrical and tender, are always full of heart and hope and speak to the child in all of us.

Smriti also creates bold board books to engage the very smallest readers, young fiction for newly independent readers and beautiful, highly illustrated non-fiction for older readers including the award-winning The Ways of the Wolf.

The Little Island is currently shortlisted for the 2020 Little Rebels Award and the 2020 Teach Primary Awards, while I'm Sticking With You was the Independent Bookshops Children's Book of the Month for August 2020. Her forthcoming picture book Rain Before Rainbows (illustrated by David Litchfield) has been made available ahead of publication in partnership with Save the Children as a free e-book to support their work with families most affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Smriti works widely with children and adults in schools, libraries, festivals, bookshops and prisons to bring a love of reading and stories to the widest possible audience. She lives in London and is also published as Smriti Prasadam-Halls.

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