But one day, along comes a different colour who likes Reds, Yellows and Blues, and suddenly everything starts to change. Although Tom McLaughlin, the author and illustrator of this fantastic picture book Along Came A Different, has created plenty of children’s books, this is my first experience of his work. I really enjoyed this picture book. Not only did it entertain my children and I, it is also a resourceful book that I could use in a teaching setting. Along Came A Different is a brilliant story about friendships and how to make them. The story begins with the reds, they only play with the other reds because anything red is the best thing ever! The yellows only play the yellows because they only like yellow. The yellows don't like the reds because red music was too loud and red apples are too round! So, the red and yellows end up fighting. Then, along came a different and it was blue that would only play with other blues. The blues, reds and yellows all disliked each other, they fought, and things got worse and worse. They tried to make it better and that only worked for a little while. But then came ANOTHER different and another and another. Until a very, very different arrived, the multi-coloured star. He liked red and yellow and blue and then suddenly everyone realised that being different was okay and they all started to like each other. I think this story is absolutely brilliant! I think it would be used effectively in schools, with classes, small groups or even individuals. The story is simple to follow for children, for all ages, sparks lots of insightful questions and makes children think about friendships and how others might feel to not be included. Through the use of shapes and colour rather than people, the story isn't explicitly about children so it could be for anyone, of any age! I would thoroughly recommend this to other teachers, SENCOs and even parents that have children/classes with friendship issues. Other titles on this theme include Mixed (Arree Chung) and All Are Welcome (Alexandra Penfold, Suzanne Kaufman) Picture Book/ Ages 5+ / Reviewed by Lauren Maidman, teacher When Along Came A Different opens, we learn that the red shapes adore being red. They love nothing more than to show off their red hats, share red songs and eat as many red apples as they can. Life is happy until something different enters their world, a yellow shape! And then long behold another very different colour makes their presence known, the blues. Eventually chaos erupts and upsets the equilibrium. Things begin to get silly, really silly and before long a set of rules are drawn up by the colours. This seems to work, but for only a little while until yet another different colour arrives on the scene, followed by another colour and a rainbow. Eventually, all the colours begin to realise that rules can be forgotten and it’s about enjoying yourself. The final message that is left with the reader is that being different is ‘the best thing ever’! In this story of hope and endurance, we follow a scientist and her team during their search for the elusive 'Giant Arctic Jellyfish'.

Reds love being red. Yellows love being yellow. And Blues love being blue. The problem is that they just don't like each other. Tom McLaughlin's beautifully illustrated book is perfect for imaginative children ( Guardian on THE CLOUDSPOTTER) Established author and illustrator in the children’s book field, Tom McLaughlin has released a brand new picture book for younger readers (0-5 category) titled, Along Came A Different. It is a visually appealing storybook that zones on in concepts of difference and friendship. Along Came A Different is presented in a format that is very accessible to young readers. The simplicity of this text, the subtle messages on friendship and celebrating differences was enough to convince me to endorse Along Came A Different. Add this one to your family library or teaching shelf if you are searching for a picture book that embraces difference, in a fun format. The Nottinghill Carnival takes central stage in this story about families, memories and the power of dance and festivals. Author Yaba Badoe tells...There are plenty of teachable moments to be drawn from Along Came A Different. As an educator in an early childhood setting, I could envisage using this text to highlight concepts of same & different, rules, friendship, colour and shape. These ideas are all wrapped up in a format that is accessible for the readership it is intended for, those in the young reader category, aged 5 and under. Bestselling author Alexandra Christo, author of TikTok sensation To Kill a Kingdom, introduces her new book, The Night Hunt (Hot Key Books), a dark... A winner of a book about the power of drawing and storytelling ( Oliver Jeffers on THE STORYMACHINE) With a spark of magic and touch of McLaughlin's creative genius, this new and unfurling friendship can't help but fuel the reader's imagination ( Picture Books Blogger on UP, UP AND AWAY)

Oh the wit, oh, the wisdom, oh the beauty of Tom McLaughlin's whole phenomenal enterprise ( Red Reading Hub on UP, UP AND AWAY) Reds love red. They love nothing more than singing praises of themselves and agree that red is the best thing to be..until some yellows appear who are just as convinced that they are the best thing ever. Add some blue to the mix and chaos arises as they squabble and make rules to avoid each other. Then some more ‘differents’ appear and it gets harder and harder to enforce the rules… Author Anna Kemp introduces The Hollow Hills, the sequel to her dark magical tale, Into Goblyn Wood.Along Came a Different is a one-of-a-kind visually appealing picture book by an established children’s book author and illustrator Tom McLaughlin which focuses on teaching the concepts of differences, social acceptance, and friendships to young children. A timely modern-day classic that welcomes differences and embraces change. David Almond introduces his new picture book, A Way to the Stars, a story about perseverance and finding a way to make dreams come true. Not only is Tom McLaughlin a talented author, he is also a gifted illustrator. I was impressed by the illustrations in this picture book. They were bold, attractive to the eye and in keeping with the overall message of the novel. The text print itself is eye-catching and the use of capitals in places, as well as bold type front increases the readers interest in Along Came A Different. Galactic resonances call to mind not only Oliver Jeffers' star-catching protagonists, but also a hint of The Little Prince ( Guardian on UP, UP AND AWAY) A very special picture book that supports the adage that there is more that unites us than divides us. Along Came a Different just goes to show how much better we can all be when we come together to find common ground as friends. Every bookshelf should have a copy.