Beti and the Little Round House

In a little round house in the green woods under the mountains, Beti lives with her Mam, Tad and baby brother Jac. She is adventurous, curious and determined, and loves exploring the beautiful nature that surrounds her woodland home.

Accompanied by a community of her loving family, diverse friends, kind neighbours, and a mischievous baby goat named Naughty, Beti embarks on four stand-alone, mini adventures – one for each season. 

Atinuke channels her own experience into this beautiful book, having herself lived in a roundhouse in the Welsh woodlands. This insight is evident in the intricate details and descriptions she conjures with her storytelling.

Each chapter evokes a sense of seasonality, with Emily Hughes’s incredible illustrations creating a rich and detailed natural backdrop which immerses the reader in Beti’s world. 

The endearing storylines in this book gently explore emotional themes like jealousy, resilience, and fear as Beti encounters and overcomes non-threatening challenges with humour and light-heartedness. Depictions of Beti’s family environment and community are incredibly positive and reassuring.  

Combining Atinuke’s excellence in traditional storytelling and Hughes’s exceptional illustrations, this is a wonderful choice for an independent read. It would also be an excellent book to read over a few sessions with a class or as a revisited bedtime story. 

Mewn tŷ bach crwn yn y goedwig werdd o dan y mynyddoedd, mae Beti yn byw gyda Mam, Dad a’i brawd bach Jac. Yng nghwmni gafr fach ddireidus, mae Beti chwilfrydig a phenderfynol yn mynd ar bedair antur fach annibynnol – un ar gyfer pob tymor.

Mae Atinuke yn consurio byd swynol gyda’i straeon ac mae’r darluniadau anhygoel yn creu cefndir hyfryd sy’n trwytho’r darllenwr yn amgylchedd y goedwig. Caiff themâu tyner gwytnwch a dewrder eu harchwilio, a byddai hwn hefyd yn llyfr rhagorol i’w rannu dros ychydig sesiynau gyda dosbarth.