Age 8 plus
Peanut Jones and the Illustrated City
Rob Biddulph
BEST known for his fantastic #DrawWithRob sessions which kept many children entertained throughout Covid lockdowns, writer and artist Rob Biddulph dazzles again with his debut adventure series for middle grade readers. Peanut Jones and the Illustrated City is a thrilling opener to his much-anticipated trilogy… a hugely illustrated, epic tale threaded through with danger, magic, friendship, art, and a celebration of the power of the imagination.
Some legends are born, some are drawn… drawing feels like
magic to Peanut Jones. But art can’t fix her problems. Her dad has gone missing
and she’s stuck in a boring new school and often kept late for detention. Apparently
her dad has left for a new life in Mexico but Peanut knows this can’t be true.
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Now her days are like wading through treacle, even with her friend Rockwell at her side. Until the day she finds a unique pencil, turbo-charged with special powers. Suddenly she is pulled into a world packed with more colour, creativity, excitement and more challenges and danger than she could ever have imagined.
And maybe, just maybe, it’s a world where she
might find out what happened to her dad. Positively buzzing throughout with energy, creativity and
Biddulph’s trademark warmth and humour, this a rip-roaring romp full of
devilish twists and turns, and a cliffhanger ending that will leave spellbound
youngsters yearning for more. An all-round storytelling triumph!
(Macmillan Children’s Books, paperback, £7.99)
The Magic of Seasons
A Fascinating Guide to Seasons Around the World
Vicky Woodgate
DISCOVER amazing facts about the seasons and how magical
they can be with a white cat called Mimi as your guide! Author and illustrator
Vicky Woodgate brings curious youngsters a beautifully illustrated,
all-encompassing and informative book which delivers everything they need to
know about the changing seasons in our world. How do we measure a season? Do you know why
the seasons change? Why do we divide our years up and when did we start doing
this? Are seasons the same for everyone? Do you know why it snows on Mars? All
these questions and many more are covered in The Magic of Seasons, a
fascinating and easy-to-follow climate book for younger readers. Inside the
pages are entertaining top tips, quizzes and activities to reflect on the
information learned throughout the book as well as maps, charts and different scenes.
The aim is to plant the seeds of curiosity in the minds of children, and then watch
as it blossoms into a life-long love of learning about the natural world and
the science and history behind it. This practical global guide to seasons also tackles
the topic from a scientific, historical and geographical perspective, and
includes weather myths and legends. The ideal key stage 2 book for primary
school learning… or as a riveting read for parents and children to enjoy
together.
(DK Children, hardback, £9.99)
Locomotion
Alastair Steele and Ryo Takemasa
ALTHOUGH railways are commonplace in many parts of the world
– snaking around coastlines, zipping across countryside and transporting people
and goods every day – it is strange to think that they have only been around
for about two hundred years. In his spectacular exploration of the history of
trains, railway historian, author and expert woodworker Alastair Steele celebrates
the ingenuity and usability of trains past, present and future. From early steam engines through to the modern
high-speed trains of today, Locomotion charts the history of trains throughout
the world, and the wonder and escapism they evoke. Brought to life by the beautiful
and atmospheric retro-inspired illustrations of award-winning artist Ryo
Takemasa and with an eye-catching silver-foiled cover, this fascinating
pictorial journey takes in famous icons of the railway world, along with some
of the more ‘off the beaten track’ railways, such as narrow gauge and
industrial lines. Packed full of iconic trains including the famous Flying
Scotsman and the grand Orient Express, stopping off at famous stations like the
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in Mumbai and the massive Grand Central
Terminal in New York, as well as encompassing scenic journeys like the majestic
Trans-Siberian railway and the spectacular long-distance California Zephyr
service, Locomotion makes a stunning gift or reference book for train lovers of
all ages.
(Big Picture Press, hardback, £16.99)
Return to FACTopia!
Follow the Trail of 400 More Facts
Kate Hale and Andy Smith
WELCOME aboard a rip-roaring return journey to a world of
weird and wonderful facts which are connected in the most surprising and hilarious
ways! Return to FACTopia! – a magical trail of four hundred unexpectedly
related facts – comes from Britannica Books and is the fabulous follow-up to
their hit book FACTopia! The mission is to inspire children’s curiosity and
passion for learning, offering engaging non-fiction books that you can trust, with
experts behind every page, and this coruscating cornucopia of extraordinary
facts is truly a fun and fact-filled reading adventure. Did you know that
scientists can tell how old a whale is from its earwax, or that sharks existed
before trees? Every fact in the book is connected to the next in an ingenious
trail of information. Hop from topic to topic in unexpected and hilarious ways,
and discover extraordinary facts about fungus, dreams, dogs, tyrannosaurs,
planets, diamonds, bumblebees, robots, jellyfish, Egyptian mummies, and lots
more. But there’s not just one trail through these pages to find out
extraordinary facts … sometimes your path branches and you can choose to jump
to a totally different (but still connected) part of the book. The hilarious
world of four hundred facts, all verified by Encyclopaedia Britannica, have
been ferreted out by Kate Hale, a writer, editor and professional fun fact
finder and a former executive editor for National Geographic Kids Books, and
wittily and wonderfully brought to life by photographs, and Andy Smith’s
brilliant illustrations. So what are you waiting for… follow the trail and who knows
where your curiosity will take you!
(Britannica Books, hardback, £10.99)
Anisha, Accidental Detective: Holiday Adventure!
Serena Patel and Emma McCann
ANISHA Mistry’s larger-than-life British-Indian family steal
the show AGAIN in the latest baffling mystery for everyone’s favourite
(accidental!) detective. Award-winning author Serena Patel and illustrator Emma
McCann are back with a new case in their brilliant detective series starring
reluctant sleuth Anisha and her best friend and fellow investigator Milo. The
gang are packing their bags and off to a holiday camp. Milo can’t wait to see
the wildlife, Manny is learning survival skills, and even Granny is going to
have a go at archery. Honestly, Anisha just wants to read her book, but there’s
never any time to relax for our accidental detective. The holiday park’s
mascot, Delilah the duck, has been destroyed, and Anisha’s new friend Cleo is
everyone’s number one suspect. Anisha is sure she’s innocent and she’s going to
do whatever it takes to prove it. Let’s hope we can find the real culprit and
quack the case! Join Anisha and Milo as they head off on their forest
adventure, and share all the fun, action and mystery that always seem to appear
when the madcap Mistry family are in the spotlight!
(Usborne, paperback, £6.99)
Age 6 plus
Armadillo and Hare and the Flamingo Affair
JOIN a cardigan-wearing armadillo and a tuba-playing hare in
more wonderfully whimsical and witty stories from award-winning author Jeremy
Strong and illustrator Rebecca Bagley. Strong is a master of the absurd and
comical, and his humour touches the funny bone of children with exquisite
precision. Here, he turns his talents to a warm, gentle and thoughtful series
featuring endearing stories about two pals who could not be more different but
are still the firmest and funniest of friends. Armadillo and Hare live in the
Big Forest and are an unlikely pair. Armadillo is often a little grumpy, while
Hare is a more cheerful sort but together, they are the perfect pairing. One
day, something incredible happens. Someone rather fabulous is singing and
dancing in the Big Forest. Who could it be? It’s Flamingo! Has this flamboyant
new friend found a forever home in the Big Forest? Beautifully illustrated
throughout by Bagley – who captures the essence of this extraordinary and
heartwarming friendship with her remarkably expressive and lively gallery of
black and white pictures – this is the perfect gift book for youngsters
starting to read chapter books and anyone who wants to celebrate friendship!
(David Fickling Books, paperback, £6.99)
Toto the Ninja Cat and
the Legend of the Wildcat
Dermot O’Leary and Nick East
HEAD off for mischief and mayhem with a magical moggie who
sleeps all day and fights crime at night! Popular TV broadcaster Dermot O’Leary
and illustrator Nick East are back with another terrific tale starring the
fearless feline and her brothers Silver and Socks. The cats live in a townhouse
in London. Toto is almost totally blind, and learned to trust her senses from a
ninja cat-master who taught her back in Italy where they were born. By day, Toto
and Silver seem to be ordinary cats, but by night, they love to have
adventures. Here Silver and Socks, and their best friend Catface have just been
made Deputy Ninja Cats but while celebrating, they accidentally break a boat
belonging to a very important cat and find themselves heading north to a
bootcamp for naughty animals. Deep in the Scottish Highlands, they must climb
mountains, paddle leaky canoes and prove that they can work as a team. But
something isn’t quite right at the bootcamp, and Toto’s ninja senses will need
to be on high alert! With lots of laugh-out-loud moments, reassuring and gentle
themes of friendship, inclusivity and winning in the face of adversity, and
East’s gallery of hilarious black and white illustrations, this is ideal for newly
confident readers to curl up with or read aloud with parents.
(Hodder Children’s Books, paperback, £6.99)
Sports Superstars: Hamilton Rules
Simon Mugford and Dan Green
KICK off the spring season with the first fantastic book in
a sparkling new Sports Superstars series from everyone’s favourite sports
writers Simon Mugford and illustrator Dan Green. This visual series of
illustrated sporting biographies is aimed at building a love of reading from a
young age, with fun cartoons, inspirational stories, a simple narrative style
and a cast of characters chipping in with quotes, jokes and comments. To launch the series, we meet Formula One icon Lewis Hamilton. Regarded as the sport’s
finest competitor, Hamilton’s star profile has never been higher, with a
record-equalling seven drivers’ championship titles to his name, plus a huge
following around the world. Packed with cool facts, delightfully fun
illustrations and inspirational quotes, this easy-to-read fan guide follows
Hamilton’s meteoric rise from a go-kart racing champion at the age of ten to
his sensational maiden season in F1 in 2007 and the subsequent Championship
wins that have made him a living legend. The perfect fast lane to sporting fun
and facts!
(Welbeck Publishing, paperback, £5.99)
The Tiger Who Came for Dinner
Steve Smallman and Joëlle Dredemy
YOUNGSTERS will love getting their teeth into the fourth
tasty picture book in Steve Smallman and Joëlle Dredemy’s heartwarming and
hilarious The Lamb Who Came for Dinner series. The Tiger Who Came for Dinner
sizzles with Smallman’s wit and warmth and French illustrator Dredemy’s
striking and characterful artwork as we meet up again with Wolf, Hotpot the
lamb and their pet crocodile Omelette. In this new adventure, our trio of
unlikely friends find a little lost tiger cub. ‘Can we keep her?’ cries Hotpot.
Wolf shakes his head. ‘This little tiger’s family must live further up the
river. We have to take her home.’ With that, the group set off into the forest.
Everyone they meet on their journey thinks the tiger cub is VERY cute but
Omelette isn’t so sure. And when the group finally find the tiger cub’s cottage,
they realise she had a terrible plan all along! Smallman’s clever and
cautionary tale encourages young readers to challenge stereotypes and to celebrate
the value and joy of friendship and family. The perfect book to share with your
own special family!
(Little Tiger Press, hardback, £11.99)
You Can Be A Superpup
Rosamund Lloyd and Chris Dickason
LITTLE ones can practise their super-cuddle powers with this enchanting
board book celebrating the power of kindness and friendship. Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No! It’s
Superpup! Our lovable, huggable superhero is here with one simple mission… to
cheer up everyone with hugs. This colourful board book – brimming with Rosamund
Lloyd’s interactive, rhyming text and Chris Dickason’s perfectly punchy
illustrations – has a detachable, fun felt mask to pull out and wear. Brimming
with sunny smiles, gentle hugs and caring cuddles, pre-schoolers will LOVE
learning how to be budding superheroes!
(Little Tiger Press, board book, £7.99)
Age 2 plus
All About Cats: Fantastically Funny Rhymes
Franz Wittcamp and Axel Scheffler
ALL the family will be purring with delight when they get their paws on this coruscating collection of hilarious and quirky cat rhymes. These short, funny rhymes, written by award-winning German artist and poet Franz Wittcamp, and wonderfully adapted into English by children’s author David Henry Wilson, are brought to life by Axel Scheffler, the bestselling illustrator of The Gruffalo. Have you ever seen a cat playing a piano or taking a bubble bath with a rubber duck? Find out what cats really get up to when people aren’t around! Scheffler's charming and witty illustrations introduce all kinds of cats… making mischief, playing games, singing songs and going out on adventures. With fourteen delightfully funny short poems, and full-page colour illustrations, this riotous feline romp is the perfect gift for cat fans of any age!
(Macmillan Children’s Books, paperback, £7.99)
Trains Trains Trains!
Donna David and Nina Pirhonen
FEEL the buzz, climb aboard and follow fifty colourful
trains on a busy rhyming adventure. Trains Trains Trains! is the first book in
an exciting new series that is now steaming towards a platform near you.
Transport mad pre-schoolers can go trainspotting without leaving the comfort of
home with this bright, joyful and informative picture book from author Donna
David and illustrator Nina Pirhonen. Big trains, small trains, short trains,
long trains… which do you like best? Follow the colourful trains as they whizz
along tracks and through tunnels – up, down, around and back again! And can you
find your favourite? Full of spotting and counting fun, with five trains to
find on each page, and an exciting fold-out race at the end, this pre-school
picture book has been specially developed to encourage pre-reading skills and
expand language and vocabulary. And with a super-shiny foil cover and fun
read-aloud text, Trains Trains Trains! is just the perfect ticket to ride for your
toddlers!
(Macmillan Children’s Books, paperback, £6.99)
Esme and the Sabre-Toothed Cub
Simon Philip and Magda Brol
(Oxford University Press, paperback, £6.99)
The Smile
Marie Voigt
THERE are smiles all round in a beautiful and thoughtful new
picture book from talented author and illustrator Marie Voigt. Celebrating the
connection between different people around the world, The Smile explores how a
simple smile and a little kindness can spread joy and help to heal divisions in
society. When a baby smiles at her brother, the happiness he feels is so
powerful that it sets in motion a chain of kindness that ripples out to
families and strangers far away, and back again. Differences are forgotten and
people come together as Voigt uses her warm and wise narrative voice, and a
gallery of star-dusted, inclusive illustrations, to convey resonant messages
about the positive effects of caring, kindness… and smiles!
(Oxford University Press, hardback, £11.99)
Bedtime for Duckling
Amelia Hepworth and Anna Doherty
WHAT could be better at bedtime than a book to cuddle up with? Enjoy a heart-melting tale of a duckling looking for somewhere to sleep in this super Snuggle-up Story from Little Tiger Press. Duckling is looking for somewhere to sleep, but Fox’s den is too muddy, Frog’s log is too cold and wet, and Owl’s nest is too high up. When she hears quacking and finds Mummy Duck and the rest of the ducklings behind the reeds, she decides that her cosy nest is the best place to sleep after all! With Amelia Hepworth’s gentle and reassuring story, eye-catching photographic elements, Anna Doherty’s beautiful illustrations, and peek-through pages throughout, tiny tots will love getting their hands on this sturdy board book as they get ready to settle down for sleep.(Little Tiger Press, board book, £6.99)
Gretel the Wonder Mammoth
Kim Hillyard
BEING the last mammoth left on earth isn’t necessarily the
best thing! Just ask gorgeous Gretel… one peaceful morning, a loud CRACK can be
heard as she breaks free from her icy shell and becomes Gretel the Wonder
Mammoth. Everyone – including her new friends who think she’s gentle, kind,
strong and understanding – is so excited to meet her but as she settles into
her new life, Gretel starts to feel a little overwhelmed and even a bit lonely.
Perhaps the bravest act a person (or mammoth!) can do, Gretel learns, is to ask
for help. Written and illustrated by the award-winning Kim Hillyard, this clever,
funny, poignant and gentle picture book about overcoming anxiety is the perfect
antidote of positivity for any young child in need of reassurance and
inspiration. Bedtime reading sorted for your anxious toddlers!
(Ladybird, paperback, £6.99)
Winnie’s Best Friend
Valerie Thomas and Korky Paul
THE madcap adventures of Winnie the Witch and her black cat
Wilbur have provided spellbinding, bite-size stories for over three decades and
now the two much-loved stars take centre stage in a story that goes back to the
beginning of their friendship. With its universal theme of finding your very
own best friend, lots of mad, bad and dangerously hilarious escapades, and
Korky Paul’s anarchic colour illustrations to bring the crazy antics to life,
this is the perfect introduction to the irresistible duo for a new generation
of young readers. A super funny book for your own mischief-makers!
(OUP, paperback, £7.99)
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