The Royal Game

Anne O’Brien

JUST as Samuel Pepys’ diary gave us a vivid snapshot of life in the 17^th century, it is the richly detailed letters of three remarkable women from the ambitious Paston family of Norfolk that help to illuminate the 15^th century in all its domestic, social and political complexity.

Anne O’Brien, a teacher turned queen of historical fiction, has made it her mission to put flesh on the dry bones of some of medieval history’s most fascinating but forgotten women, imagining not just the inner sanctum of their private hopes and fears, but the small detail of their lives and the world which they inhabited.

And here this accomplished author seamlessly blends fact and fiction to breathe new and colourful life into the Pastons, a family which rose from humble beginnings to climb to the very heart of court politics and intrigue during the bitter Wars of the Roses. Fortunately for posterity – and historical novelists – the thrusting, single-minded Pastons wrote copious letters to each other, both the men and the women, and it is this revealing correspondence, detailing family disputes, their loves, their losses and their tragedies, as well as the minutiae of everyday life, that O’Brien (pictured below) has harnessed for the first of a riveting two-part series.

In England in 1444, Justice William Paston, a man of many talents, ‘both meritorious and dubious,’ is dying. Born into peasant stock, William has propelled himself and his family into a higher, wealthier league through determination, vaulting ambition and cunning.

His eldest son and heir, John Paston, knows it won’t be an easy life for them now. ‘Success gives birth to enemies’ and it will be his responsibility to ‘drive off the vermin that stalk us’ without the use of his father’s experience or reputation.

Fortunately, his wife is Margaret Mautby, a young woman with an iron will who was specially chosen by Justice William because, as an heiress to property, wealth and, most importantly, status, she was ‘a juicy Norfolk plum waiting to drop from the tree.’ It was no instant love match. Margaret had experienced no ‘throbbing of her heart’ but she liked John Paston sufficiently, and his prospects even more. The marriage has since proved successful as the couple share a sensible and pragmatic nature, and a warm affinity for each other.

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The family also includes Dame Agnes, Justice William’s no-nonsense, ruthless widow, and Elizabeth (Eliza), Margaret’s sister-in-law, who seems doomed to be a sad pawn in the marriage stakes and whose search for a husband is marked with cruelty at the hands of Agnes who beats

Daughters of War

Dinah Jefferies

AS the long shadow of wartime falls over a quiet village in the French region of Dordogne in spring of 1944, three sisters dream of the end of Nazi occupation.But as the local Resistance movement grows bolder and the Allies prepare for a counteroffensive in Western Europe, the young women’s lives are set to become more complex and more dangerous by the day.

Well-known for her string of atmospheric and sensual novels set in some of the world’s most exotic 20^th century colonial locations – and a foray into European wartime in last year’s The Tuscan Contessa ­– Dinah Jefferies (pictured below) sweeps us away to Vichy France in the first of what promises to be a thrilling trilogy.

A moving, enthralling tale of secrets, family, betrayal and courage in the two final – and most deadly – years of the Second World War in France, Daughters of War is filled with the author’s trademark powerful emotional intensity and vivid descriptions of the people, the places and their alluring but dangerous landscape.

In the warm spring of 1944, deep in the river valley of France’s fertile Périgord Noir, the three Baudin sisters – 29-year-old Hélène, Élise aged 24, and 22-year-old Florence – are battling through every day in the hope that the war will soon be over. They live alone at their cosy but ‘higgledy-piggledy’ stone cottage on the edge of the beautiful village of Saint-Cécile since their half-French, half-English father died and their selfish, uncaring mother Claudette returned to live in England.

As the eldest sibling, the pragmatic Hélène is trying her hardest to steer her family to safety and to make the best of impossible circumstances. Her job as nurse to the village doctor, Hugo Marchand, is challenging and the things she hears – ‘the lies, the little deceits, the deeds’ – are all things she would rather not know.

Élise, whose beauty has always made her stand out, is a rebel and playing a dangerous game which Hélène fears could put them all at risk. The Nazi occupation is becoming more threatening as the Germans get ‘edgy’ but Élise is still using her café as a central letter box to pass on messages to the R sistance fighters and help their SOE allies.

And Florence, the youngest sister and the fragile, sensitive dreamer who still believes in fairy folklore, puts her heart and soul into keeping her sisters’ spirits up by feeding, nurturing and making them a welcoming home.

Then, one dark night, the Allies come knocking at their cottage door for help and Hélène knows that she cannot sit on the sidelines of the war any longer. But soon secrets from the sisters’ own mysterious past threaten to unravel everything they hold most dear. Much of Jefferies’ work is informed by her own experiences and personal losses, and this starter for an exciting wartime trilogy is guaranteed to ignite the senses and lure readers into the lives, loves and dramas of the plucky Baudin sisters as they negotiate a perilous path through the Nazis’ brutal last stand in France.

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Underpinned by extensive research, and tingling with menace, suspense and danger, Jefferies’ emotionally-charged and fast-paced odyssey brims with exquisitely observed characters, rich

A Marriage of Lions

Elizabeth Chadwick

DEMURE, dutiful and diligent, young Joanna de Munchensy is more than happy to keep a low profile in her role as royal attendant at the court of King Henry III. But when an unexpected inheritance raises her status to wealthy heiress, Joanna is propelled into an arranged marriage which will bring not just undreamed of privileges, but a wave of bitter rivalry and unrest that will bring deadly danger to herself, her husband and their family.

Over thirty years ago, Elizabeth Chadwick made waves in the world of historical novels with her thrilling debut, The Wild Hunt, a sweeping tale of warring dynasties, political intrigue and soaring romance set in the wild, windswept Welsh Marches at the turn of the 12^th century.

It was an instant bestseller, winning a Betty Trask Award, and was just the opener for a stellar career that has seen a string of enthralling stories mined from England’s rich medieval history… not least novels featuring the life, times – and descendants – of William Marshal, the legendary 12^th century soldier and statesman. Dazzling novels, including The Greatest Knight and The Scarlet Lion, brought fresh recognition to perhaps one of the most outstanding heroes of English history, the man who served no less than five kings and was eulogised as ‘the best knight that ever lived.’

And now Chadwick (pictured left) has set her sights on another intriguing and forgotten character linked to William Marshal… his granddaughter Joanna of Swanscombe, one half of a 13^th century power couple who must strive to build a life together just as England descends into a bitter civil war.

At the age of just eight in 1238, Joanna de Munchensy is dispatched by her father to the court of the notoriously weak King Henry III as a chamber lady to his wife Queen Alienor and she soon learns that to survive, she must ‘rise to the challenge, face it, and never let fear take control.’

Her future prospects are modest and of small consequence but as she grows up and proves to be loyal, competent and a favourite of the king and queen, her experiences of perilous political manoeuvring at Henry’s court teach her that it is ‘better to be a pawn on the edges, or not on the board at all.’ But her life changes at a stroke when an unforeseen inheritance catapults her into the royal spotlight. She is now the king’s ward and a young woman of substantial means, owning vast swathes of land and property throughout England, Ireland and Wales. As a wealthy heiress, Joanna’s future is now in the hands of the king and Henry arranges a marriage to his charming, tournament-loving half-brother William de Valence, fresh over to England from his home in France.

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Against the odds, the union proves to be a success but it stokes the flames of political unrest as more established courtiers object to the privileges bestowed on newcomers, and the king’s uneasy relationship with Simon de Montfort, the Earl of Leicester and his sister’s husband, turns

The Book of Dog Poems and The Book of Cat Poems

Ana Sampson and Sarah Maycock

‘THE better I get to know men, the more I find myself loving dogs,’ said former French president Charles de Gaulle, while Charles Dickens wrote ‘What greater gift than the love of a cat.’

They are sentiments that will undoubtedly be shared by dog and cat lovers the world over so here are two word – and picture – perfect books to delight, entertain and make the perfect gifts for your own special fans of animals and inspirational poetry.

The Book of Dog Poems and The Book of Cat Poems have been immaculately conceived and curated by anthologist Ana Sampson whose recent work includes two outstanding volumes of poetry by women – She is Fierce (an Amazon number one category bestseller) and She Will Soar – and a collection of poetry about motherhood, Night Feeds and Morning Songs.

Produced in beautiful hardback editions, with ribbon markers, and filled with the fabulous, ink-toned illustrations of talented artist Sarah Maycock, these gorgeous dog and cat anthologies are a truly memorable celebration of everyone’s favourite pets.

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The Book of Dog Poems, which includes the work of William Wordsworth, Rudyard Kipling, Emily Dickinson and Thomas Hardy, gives readers an eloquent and heartwarming reminder of the age-old powerful relationship between humans and their dogs, a bond that has inspired many of the world’s greatest poets.

In his poem, simply titled The Dog, American poet Ogden Nash wrote with mischievous affection, ‘The truth I do not stretch or shove When I state that the dog is full of love. I’ve also found, by actual test, A wet dog is the lovingest.’ Sometimes funny, sometimes moving, the sixty dog-themed poems feature dogs of all ages – from frisky puppies to grizzled hounds – and imagine a dog’s-eye view of the world, whether that’s a love for tasty puddles, or the pity felt for poor humans who can’t smell a bird’s breath.

Some poets, like Dorothy Parker and Rupert Brooke, delight in the mischief of their mutts, the dirty dogs, the snappers and the scrappers while others describe the agony of being apart from their dogs or the joy to be found in their loyalty. From welcoming a lively new canine companion, to heart-rending verse about the death of a faithful dog that has been a true friend, every dog has its day in this warm, affectionate and enchanting poetic tribute.

And in The Book of Cat Poems – a celebration of the world’s most loved pet by the world’s most loved poets – we discover how curious, enigmatic and playful cats have set fire to literary imaginations down the centuries.

Featuring sixty poems by famous names like John Keats, Margaret Atwood, D H Lawrence, Oscar Wilde and W.B.Yeats, this purrfect verse brings us leaping kittens, elegant, elderly felines, capricious cats, choosy cats, demanding cats and cats that like to express their disapproval.

‘See the kitten, how she starts, Crouches, stretches, paws and darts; With a tiger-leap half way Now she meets her coming prey. Lets it go as fast and then Has it in her power again,’ noted William Wordsworth in his poem, The Kitten at Play.

This beautiful tribute to feline friends recognises that no human can be said to ‘own’ a cat, these animals merely consent to share our lives, always aware that they are ‘doing us a terrific favour.’ And only a true cat lover can understand the ‘deep, quiet pleasures of this relationship,’ explains Sampson (pictured above) in her introduction to the anthology. Also filled with Maycock’s stunning illustrations, which capture all gloriously fickle but adorable personalities of cats, The Book of Cat Poems is the last word in cat love.
(Laurence King Publishing, hardback, £12.99 each) 

CHILDREN'S BOOKS: Woodland anarchy, an accidental witch and a cave bear

Get ready to laugh your socks off with two foxy foxes, enjoy a race to the death in Ancient Rome, meet a young witch who is casting a spell, and share adventures with an orphan girl and her pet bear as they search for a new home in a sparkling selection of September children’s books

Age 7 plus
Grimwood
Nadia Shireen

YOU can never be too young to enjoy a bit of anarchy! Youngsters (and their parents) will be grinning, guffawing, snorting and sniggering when they get their hands on one of the funniest new series to hit the book shelves this year. Grimwood – a sort-of Watership Down with foxes which evokes tears of laughter rather than of sorrow – is the work of author and illustrator Nadia Shireen who has won awards for her picture books and been shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize and the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize.

This fully illustrated debut middle grade series stars two fox cub siblings who are on the hunt for a new home amidst what they thought would be the safe, bucolic charms of the countryside, only to find that rural life has its own hilarious and riotous perils.

Ted and his older sister Nancy are on the run from Princess Buttons, the scariest street cat in the Big City, after Ted accidentally ate her tail. They flee for Grimwood, expecting to find refuge in the peaceful countryside. Instead, they are met with thieving eagles, dramatic ducks, riotous rabbits and a whole host of bizarre characters. Their new rural home is more weird than idyllic, it seems, but when Princess Buttons tracks them down, Nancy and Ted and the animals of Grimwood must unite in a mind-bending race against time…

Shireen serves up an irresistible blend of glorious gags, hilarious comedy routines, boundless madcap escapades, and a memorable cast of quirky characters that young readers will be longing to meet again from the moment they turn the last page. With a side helping of zany, high-energy black and white illustrations, which bring both the animals and the action to life, Shireen is firmly in the driving seat for a series heading straight to the top of the bestsellers list.
(Simon & Schuster Children’s Books, hardback, £12.99)

Age 9 plus
Circus Maximus: Race to the Death
Annelise Gray

DANGER, mystery, adventure, horses, and the greatest show on earth… where else but the fabulous Circus Maximus! If you’re in search of a truly extraordinary adventure – a classic in more ways than one – then head off to Rome and share the thrills and spills of a girl whose dream is to be the first female charioteer at the greatest sporting stage of the ancient world.

Classics scholar and Latin teacher Annelise Gray plays a blinder with her heart-pounding debut novel which brings the Roman world to life with a vibrancy and breathtaking brand of authenticity guaranteed to capture the hearts and minds of readers young and old. Circus Maximus: Race to the Death is a magical blend of real history, dazzling fiction and amazing horses which transports us back to the perilous reign of the brutal Emperor Caligula in the first century AD whilst delivering a terrific and inspirational adventure story.

Everyone knows that the towering Circus Maximus is where the best horses and charioteers compete in a race to the death, and where men are the only competitors. But that doesn’t stop twelve-year-old Dido dreaming of becoming the first female charioteer… and she has lost her heart to Porcellus, a wild, tempestuous horse which she longs to train and race. Putting her ambitions to one side for now, she must be content with helping her father Antonius, the trainer of Rome’s most popular racing team, The Greens, and teaching the rules of racing to Justus, the handsome young nephew of the Greens’ wealthy owner.

When her father is brutally murdered, she is forced to seek refuge with an unlikely ally. But what of her dream of Circus triumphs and being reunited with the beloved horse she left behind in Rome? And the threat to her own life isn’t over as she faces a powerful and terrifying new enemy... the Emperor Caligula.

Ben Hur meets National Velvet as the brave, intelligent, loyal and passionate Dido battles to secure a foothold in a world dominated by men and must find hope, courage and redemption in the face of revenge, betrayal and cruelty. From the exciting cast of human and horse characters and a storyline that gallops along as fast as the prize stallions, to intriguing snippets of real Roman history and all the sights and sounds of the ancient city, Circus Maximus is a thrill ride from start to finish. Saddle up, climb aboard, and don’t miss the show!
(Zephyr, paperback, £7.99)

Age 9 plus
The Midnight Hunt
Benjamin Read and Laura Trinder

EXPECT laughs, madcap mayhem and spine-shivers aplenty as we are plunged into the third shape-shifting adventure in Benjamin Read and Laura Trinder’s magical Midnight Hour debut trilogy which looks destined to be a modern classic. In this final epic chapter, Emily is locked out of the Midnight Hour, and things have grown dangerously dark in Victorian London. Her friends and family are on the run from the terrifying Midnight Hunt, while the foul Make Britain Dark Again party schemes to break the spell that keeps both worlds safe.

It’s going to take more than just Emily’s big mouth and her officer-in-training Tarkus to fix this one. But how’s a girl meant to save the day (and night) when she’s all out of snacks and her stowaway pocket hedgehog Hoggins is hibernating? Read and Trinder deliver breathless action, fantasy, guffaws, spooks and an ingenious finale as fearless, feisty Emily battles monsters, her evil adversary Nocturne, and some timeless problems that we all know so well.

A wickedly witty, marvellously magical and hugely imaginative series which has already been optioned for TV and films… watch this space!
(Chicken House, paperback, £6.99)

Age 8 plus
Diary of an Accidental Witch
Honor and Perdita Cargill, and Katie Saunders

BEA-WARE… there’s a new witch in town and she’s going to cast a spell over readers young and old! 

Magic is in the air from the moment you open the pages of this brilliantly funny and enchanting adventure which comes straight out of the bewitching minds of daughter and mother partnership, Honor and Perdita Cargill. Illustrated throughout by skilful artist Katie Saunders, Diary of an Accidental Witch is billed as The Worst Witch meets Tom Gates, and time spent with trainee witch Bea Black certainly delivers a perfect potion of magic, mayhem and mischief.

‘I’m at witch school! Now would be a really good time to discover I can do magic…’

Bea Black has just moved to Little Spellshire, a town with a magical secret. When her dad accidentally enrols her at the local witch school, she has to get to grips with a load of black cats and some interesting new classes. And what else is on Bea’s to-do list? Make friends, look after Stan the super grumpy class frog, levitate stuff, AND do everything humanly magically possible to stay on a broom. But with the Halloween Ball on the horizon, will she be able to master her wand skills in time? And more importantly can she keep her new-found magical abilities a secret from dad?

The Cargills make a truly wizard writing team as Bea’s exceedingly different (and hilarious!) life at witch school comes with a cauldron full of comedy and moving moments of heartwarming magic. Totally spellbinding!
(Little Tiger Press, hardback, £11.99)

Age 8 plus
The Puffin Portal
Vashti Hardy and Natalie Smillie

IF mystery, monsters, maps and dangerous missions set your pulse racing, head off to a land called Moreland and join a crime-fighting girl on a fantastical adventure! Produced in a super readable format by innovative publisher Barrington Stoke, and especially suitable for struggling, reluctant or dyslexic readers, The Puffin Portal is the second book of an exhilarating, fantasy-fuelled steampunk series from Blue Peter award-winning author Vashti Hardy and talented illustrator Natalie Smillie.

Grace’s family are wardens of the Griffin Map which was invented by her Great Grandma and is the most important piece of technology in the city of Copperport. The Griffins use the map – which shows the entire country of Moreland – and its teleport technology to fight crime and keep law and order across the land. Right now it’s all systems go at Griffin HQ where 13-year-old Grace, her mum and her brother Bren have their hands full answering a huge number of calls for help. They could really do with another warden on the team but Mum believes their important work should be kept inside the family. Meanwhile, Grace is investigating a series of puzzling petty thefts. The clues lead her to a ramshackle castle on a lonely island where the mystery only deepens. Will Grace be able to track down the thief?

Adventure is certainly the name of the game in this thrilling and inventive series which has all the hallmarks of Hardy’s rich imaginative powers… a stunningly created ‘other’ world, brilliantly inventive kids, a charismatic supporting cast , and a story full of twists, turns, kindness and big-hearted family values. Add on Smillie’s superbly detailed and evocative black and white illustrations which bring the story to life, and you have a reading treat for all fantasy-loving middle-graders.
(Barrington Stoke, paperback, £6.99)

Age 7 plus
Nell and the Cave Bear
Martin Brown 

FROM truly horrible histories to a truly heartwarming adventure… renowned illustrator Martin Brown delights with his adorable young fiction debut. Best known as illustrator of the outstandingly successful Horrible Histories series, in which he teamed up with author Terry Deary, Brown proves to be just as adept as writing, with this tale of an orphan girl and her pet bear in search of a new home.

A long, long time ago, a girl lived with her tribe in a cave. As she had no parents of her own, her pet cave bear was her best friend. He followed her everywhere and comforted her whenever she grew weary of all the chores she was given. So when Nell overhears some of the grown-ups planning to give Cave Bear to another tribe, she decides they must run away. So together they embark on a great adventure, following the stream from their cave down the mountain to wherever it will lead them. Together they encounter huge mammoths and wild hunters, face hunger and thirst, and all the time hoping to find somewhere safe to be together.

Nell and the Cave Bear has all the right ingredients for early readers… an exciting, easy-to-follow adventure full of new friendships, fun escapades, gentle humour, diverse animal and human characters, and all beautifully brought to life by Brown’s exquisite two-tone artwork. A moving tale of togetherness with a message for the modern world…
(Piccadilly Press, paperback, £6.99)

Age 7 plus
Cookie! and the Most Mysterious Mystery in the World
Konnie Huq 

GET ready for chaos, comedy and a cast of quirky characters as much-loved BBC Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq returns with her hilarious children’s series. Written and illustrated by Huq, the brilliantly entertaining Cookie! books star adorable science-obsessed girl Cookie Haque, from a Bangladeshi family, who is ready to take on the world… and won’t take no for an answer!

With her chaotic family life, drama queen attitude and her love for madcap school science projects, geeky Cookie also has an uncanny ability to get herself into almost constant scrapes, and her riotous adventures are winning the hearts of mischievous youngsters.

In the third book in the series, Cookie finds mysteries everywhere… but can she solve them, and save the science show? Meanwhile, Cookie’s Nani is coming to stay from Bangladesh but she doesn't speak English and Cookie is the only one in the family who doesn’t speak Bengali. Fortunately, science-mad Cookie realises that her coding lessons at school might help her crack the language code and help her bond with Nani. Other mysteries are harder to solve, though… like, why is Jake’s mum acting so weird, who is the mystery gamer who keeps levelling-up in Cookie’s computer game and who is the Woodburn Hacker who keeps posting teachers’ secrets on the school website?

Huq’s inspiration for this anarchic comedy series – illustrated throughout with her own doodle-style, black and white illustrations – was her own childhood, a lingering feeling that she ‘didn’t quite fit in,’ and her own propensity for embarrassing disasters. With a fresh, funny and joyful warmth permeating the story throughout, subtle lessons about saving the planet and the importance of coding, and an enchanting lead player who inspires girls to get on board with science, this is the perfect all-round adventure for middle grade readers.
(Piccadilly Press, hardback, £10.99)

Age 5 plus
Football Superstars: De Bruyne Rules and Mané Rules
Simon Mugford and Dan Green

KICK OFF a new season of soccer action with two new books in an enthralling series of highly visual first football biographies featuring some of the world’s most famous faces. You can collect your favourites and build your knowhow with stats and expert tips about today’s biggest global football heroes with these on-goal Football Superstars books specially created by Ipswich Town fans Simon Mugford and illustrator Dan Green to engage reluctant young readers.

With a simple narrative text that has been graded and approved by an educational expert, and easy-to-digest facts and figures, youngsters can find out about each player’s rise to glory, top scoring moments and club transfers.

Is Kevin De Bruyne your ultimate football hero? One of the best playmakers in the game, De Bruyne is part of the star-studded Manchester City team and, playing for Belgium, he was also a third-place winner at the 2018 World Cup.

And if Sadio Mané is your favourite football superstar, discover how he was part of the Liverpool side that won the Champions League in 2019 and then the Premier League in 2020. Mané also played for the Senegalese national team, helping them reach the quarter finals in the 2012 Olympic tournament, and was part of the national team at the 2015 and 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. Growing up in a poor family in the small village of Bambali, he was inspired to become a footballer after he saw his country’s performance at the 2002 World Cup.

Each book is filled with fun quizzes, stats and little-known facts, and features a supporting cast of players, managers, TV pundits – and even the authors themselves – chipping in with quotes, jokes and comments to add to the playful and informative fun. Add on cartoons and visual jokes, presented with an energetic, graphic look, a glossary of top words young fans need to know, whether that is the Ballon d’Or or the Copa Rey, and you have reading heaven for your own little football stars.
(Welbeck Publishing, paperback, £5.99 each)

Age 3 plus
The Fairy Dogmother
Caroline Crowe and Richard Merritt

WAGRACADABRA… meet the Fairy Dogmother who makes wishes come true! The joys of friendship and the rewards of putting others first speak loudly and clearly in a captivating picture book from the inspirational team of author Caroline Crowe and illustrator Richard Merritt.

Cinders loves living at Woofington’s Dog Shelter. He has fantastic food, a cosy bed, fabulous friends and lots of holes to dig. So when, one day, Priscilla Paws, his Fairy Dogmother appears, whatever will he wish for? His pals all have their own ideas… sausages, a bone and being able to finally catch his tail. But the clock is ticking for Cinders to make a decision and with everyone else’s wishes coming thick and fast, Cinders might run out of time!

Crowe’s fabulously fresh and funny story has a delightful twist in its fairy ‘tail’ as Cinders unexpectedly finds his forever family… and the happy ending he longs for. Ideal for reading aloud, and with pups aplenty and Merritt’s gallery of brightly coloured, bold and adorable illustrations, this magical blend of woofs, wags and wishes cooks up the perfect picture book recipe for your young dog-lovers!
(Little Tiger Press, hardback, £11.99)

Age 3 plus
It’s Only One
Tracey Corderoy and Tony Neal

JUST one sweet wrapper leaves a bitter taste in an imaginative and timely picture book from the top team of author Tracey Corderoy and illustrator Tony Neal. In a world that can so easily be blighted by litter and thoughtlessness, here’s a clever, cautionary story which teaches youngsters that a little care and consideration from everyone makes a joyful world for all.

Sunnyville is a perfect town. It twinkles with total loveliness and friendliness until Rhino, without thinking, drops a toffee wrapper! ‘What? It’s only one!’ he says. But soon all the animals are throwing down their sweet wrappers, picking flowers in the park, playing their music loudly  and making the whole town feel grumpy. It’s up to one little mouse, with a bright idea, to save the day.

It’s Only One is the ideal book to teach young children to think about the consequences of their actions, whether that is disposing of litter or considering how their behaviour impacts on the happiness and welfare of those around them. Using a cast of delightful animals characters, all brought to life by the magical brush of artist Tony Neal, and with tips and advice on being good citizens from both author and illustrator, this a lesson in caring that will be shared and loved.
(Little Tiger Press, paperback, £6.99)

Age 3 plus
Home: where our story begins
Patricia Hegarty and Britta Teckentrup

THERE'S no place like home! See nature in its many shapes and guises in this enchanting picture book journey across the world to discover some of the fascinating places where animals make their homes.

A beautiful rhyming text from Patricia Hegarty and the spectacular illustrations of award-winning artist Britta Teckentrup add extra magic to the voyage of discovery as little ones learn about migration, hibernation and all the wonders of the natural world.

‘Wherever we may choose to roam, We need a place to call our home.’ Follow a little bear as he discovers a host of animal homes… squirrels lining their drey with leaves, beavers building a home from sticks, and rabbits keeping their warrens warm and dry.  With exciting, peep-through pages, teeming with birds and animals as they work by day and night, and packed with Teckentrup’s emotive illustrations, this is a picture book to enchant both children and adults.
(Little Tiger, paperback, £7.99)

Age one plus
Hello, Baby Animals!
Amelia Hepworth and Cani Chen

HAPPINESS is… a board book bursting with colours! Little Tiger Press, a publisher which has made entertaining and informative children’s books its mission, brings babies and toddlers a bright and beautiful Happy Baby series featuring visually arresting high-contrast board books.

Babies can see black and white images from birth, and this captivating series has been specially designed to delight even the youngest readers. Little ones will love to experience again and again the minimal text alongside appealing and contrasting illustrations which blend simple black and white pictures with eye-catching splashes of neon colours.

With a tactile cut-out cover and super-bright fluorescent inks on every page, this clever book has been specially designed to capture children’s attention as they meet a host of friendly and adorable baby animal characters. The magical art of learning!
(Little Tiger Press, board book, £5.99)

The Bookshop of Second Chances

Jackie Fraser

JUST as forty-something Thea Mottram’s life starts falling apart, a letter informing her of an unexpected inheritance would seem to be the doorway to second chances. But is she ready and willing for the challenge of a house in need of a facelift, a vast collection of second-hand books, the murk and mizzle of the faraway Scottish Lowlands, and some unexpectedly troublesome neighbours?

Sit back with a glass (or two) of whisky and ease yourself into a big-hearted and uplifting story of new beginnings, old books and simmering romance set in the quaint town of Baldochrie on the west coast of Scotland. The Bookshop of Second Chances, the delightfully warm and funny debut novel of freelance editor and writer Jackie Fraser (pictured below), was shortlisted for the RNA Katie Fforde Debut Romantic Novel Award 2021 and is the perfect read for book lovers and true romantics who want to curl up on autumn nights.

Thea is having one of the worst months of her life. Not only has she been made redundant but she has also discovered that Chris, her husband of nearly twenty years, is sleeping with Susanna, her so-called friend. And what also hurts is that he’s not sorry and is now living with Susanna at what was once Thea and Chris’s marital home.

Bewildered, lost and exhausted, Thea doesn’t know what to do until a solicitor’s letter arrives telling her that her 93-year-old Great-Uncle Andrew, whom she barely knew and who died a few months ago, has left her a substantial sum of money, his huge collection of second-hand books, and West Lodge, his house in Dumfries and Galloway.

Running away to a little town where no one knows her seems like exactly the fresh start and the chance to escape from all she knows in Sussex that Thea needs right now and she heads north to discover the small town of Baldochrie.

Despite the rain, grey skies and sharp wind that greet her on arrival on a spring day, Thea is enchanted by the stone cottages, sturdy farmhouses, castles in various states of ruin, and dancing daffodils in the churchyard. She finds West Lodge overflowing with second-hand books – some of them expensive first editions – and soon her life becomes entangled with aristocratic bookshop owner Edward Maltravers and his estranged brother Charles, Lord Hollinshaw.

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As Thea becomes embedded in the local community and makes new friends, she puts on hold her initial plans to sort the books, sell the house and move on, and wonders if maybe she could