CHILDREN'S BOOKS: Sea mystery, art for the heart and fun on the farm

Set sail on a thrilling high seas adventure, discover an island ruled by whales, learn how art can brighten your life, join a princess and a pig in muck, and meet a farmer chasing his runaway cows in a super springtime array of new books

Age 8 plus
The Riddle of the Sea
Jonne Kramer, Laura Watkinson (translator) and
Karl James Mountford

BATTEN down the hatches for a thrilling sea adventure featuring a lost father, a cursed ship and a grumpy pirate! The Riddle of the Sea – the outstanding debut novel of Dutch author Jonne Kramer – was nominated for several prestigious prizes in Holland and has now been beautifully translated into English by Laura Watkinson so that a new audience can revel in a terrific tale of friendship and overcoming fears.

When Ravian’s father doesn’t return home from sea for his son’s birthday, Ravian is certain he must be in danger. Hearing tales of a cursed ship, The Night Raider, that captures fishermen, Ravian goes in search of his father accompanied by his only friend, Marvin the seagull.

Click HERE for Lancashire Post reviews

Before long, the pair find themselves trapped on a ship with a kindly boy and a bad-tempered pirate for company. The ensuing voyage is beset with battles with giant squid and fierce storms and despite uncovering wonders beyond his wildest dreams, Ravian despairs that he might never find his lost father. Featuring the fabulous black and white illustrations of acclaimed artist Karl James Mountford, this suspense-packed and atmospheric story, with its exciting cast of characters and splashes of dark humour, is the perfect read for adventure-loving middle graders.
(Piccadilly Press, paperback, £7.99)

Age 10 plus
Day of the Whale
Rachel Delahaye  

ON an island ruled by whales, one boy is searching for his missing father, another is refusing to forget the past and a girl is on the run. In a fabulous flight of imagination, novelist Rachel Delahaye transports youngsters to Cetacea, an island in a flooded dystopian future where ruling whales speak to the population through a giant screen and three youngsters embark on an adventure of discovery that could anger the whales and crack their community apart. ‘Follow the big blue. Tell the Truth.’ That was the last thing Cam’s father said to him and it was important. Cam follows Big Blue… everybody does on the island of Cetacea. Their lives take place within his rules, delivered to them by enigmatic whale-talker, Byron Vos. Byron was once a marine scientist but is now organising an epic clean-up operation to revive the ocean after centuries of human greed and neglect. And yet Cam wonders if there is a more complex truth… a truth that may be connected to his father’s disappearance. Cam’s quest to understand Big Blue leads him to new friends, Banjo and Petra, and shared adventures but the truth, when he finds it, is more dangerous than ever he could have imagined. In a story filled with danger, adventure, determination, daring and immense courage, Delahaye explores topical issues like climate change, truth, history and freedom as the three curious youngsters unravel some dark secrets. Gripping and moving in equal measure.
(Troika, paperback, £8.99)

Age 8 plus
Every Cloud
Ros Roberts

THE transition to high school is always an anxious and pressured time for children so here’s a funny, reassuring and uplifting story that will help to ease the fears and lighten the load. Every Cloud – a sensitively written and heartfelt exploration of fresh starts and new friends – comes from the pen of Ros Roberts, an author whose magical debut, Digger and Me, proved an instant hit.  Here we meet Amy, who feels like everything is going wrong. For a start, she’s just found out she isn’t going to the same high school as everyone else. Add to that her annoying younger brothers, Pops’ worsening dementia and Cassie, her supposed best friend, being meaner than ever, and Amy’s summer is not looking promising. It’s even worse when Mum tells her they are moving in with Gran and Pops for the holidays… all the way over to the other side of town. But then she discovers who lives over the road from her grandparents… Jay, the kind, quiet boy from school. Soon Amy realises that friendship isn’t always about who talks the most and the loudest, who does the most exciting things or throws the coolest parties. Sometimes a friend is just someone to talk to, someone to listen. But when outside pressures start to creep back in, can Amy hang on to her summer of silver linings? Roberts explores issues like moving house and school, coping with dementia in the family, making friends, and accepting difference with a gentle and yet humorous touch. Full of wisdom, empathy and hope, this is a story that will resonate and comfort many worried youngsters as they prepare for their own new school adventures this autumn.
(Little Tiger Press, paperback, £6.99)

Age 7 plus
Art for the Heart
Xavier Leopold

USE art to brighten your life with Xavier Leopold, the City trader who picked up a paint brush during lockdown in 2020 and found a whole new world of communication for feelings. Leopold had no prior art training but his unique abstract portraits were instantly admired and now the founder of ByXaviArt, he has exhibited at London’s OXO Tower Wharf, and runs workshops to spread awareness of causes like Black Lives Matter and mental health issues to young people. Aimed at children aged seven plus, Art for the Heart is a wellness journal with a difference, featuring a fill-in art journal with ideas and inspiration. Young readers can use art to brighten their day, find calmness and confidence, and show how they really feel. Using his own story to show readers how to use art for self-expression and wellbeing, the journal explains how anyone can put their thoughts and dreams on paper, no matter what training they have. Themed around key wellness topics like healthy living, positive thinking and expressing emotions, each chapter contains lots of inspiration for art from the heart. And readers can make the journal their own by filling the pages with their art and they can join a free online art club. The ideal book to put your feelings in the picture.
(Welbeck Children’s Books, paperback, £9.99)

Age 6 plus
Unipiggle: Camping Chaos
Hannah Shaw

SOMEWHERE over the rainbow… madcap Princess Pea is off a right royal camping trip! Get ready for more fun-filled anarchy with a princess who loves breaking the rules and her Royal Unicorn who just happens to be a smelly pig… sorry, a Unipiggle! Award-winning author and illustrator Hannah Shaw welcomes back her readers to Twinkleland Kingdom where everyone is 100 per cent perfect… except for the irresistible Princess Pea who doesn’t like rules, thinks being perfect is boring and would rather wear wellies than a frilly frock. In their fifth adventure, Princess Pea and Unipiggle are very excited to be attending Royal Camp for the first time. They are looking forward to meeting other princes, princesses and royal companions, and staying in a tent. But someone is out to ruin Royal Camp. Things are going missing and the activities are all spoiled. Even worse, it looks like Princess Pea and Unipiggle have done it. Can Unipiggle and Princess Pea find the real culprit and stop the camping chaos? Like a pig in muck, Shaw has fun, games and muddy magic with this wonderfully madcap and imaginative series which is filled with high-energy pictures in all the colours of the rainbow, includes knockabout comedy and a draw your own llamacorn section, and perfectly bridges the gap from picture books to chapter books. Laugh-out-loud antics all the way!
(Usborne, paperback, £5.99)

Age 3 plus
Farmer Llama
Donna David and Fred Blunt

FORGET the old nursery rhyme about the cows in the corn… the cows are on the run and accident-prone Farmer Llama has his work cut out to round them up again! Enjoy a laugh-out-loud, rhyming picture book from clever author Donna David and seasoned illustrator Fred Blunt. ‘Alarm-a-Llama bolts awake and bashes his poor head. Pyjama-Llama rubs his eyes and climbs out of his bed. Banana-Llama grabs some food. He's ready for the day!’ And so the scene is set for a day of madcap antics as Farmer-Llama starts his truck and heads out to collect hay. Little ones will adore joining the irresistibly lovable Farmer Llama for this hilarious farmyard adventure which comes complete with pesky cows who just won’t get out of Farmer Llama's way. With its simple phonics-based text, Donna David’s rhyming romp is perfect for reading aloud and developing early reading skills while the bright, bold and eye-catching artwork of Fred Blunt is the icing on the storytelling cake!
(Macmillan Children’s Books, paperback, £6.99)

Age 3 plus
Sunshine at Bedtime
Clare Helen Welsh and Sally Soweol Han

A LITTLE girl’s curious questions about why the sun is still shining when it’s her bedtime becomes the springboard for a magical journey across space and its wonders in an informative and inventive picture book. Sunshine at Bedtime comes from Storyhouse Publishing, founded by Rachel Lawrence and dedicated to producing beautiful picture books to inspire positivity, care and wellbeing for a bright future, including ideas about friendship, collaborative play, kindness and conservation. In this inspirational new book, author Clare Helen Welsh – who writes stories that mix of fact and fiction through clever storytelling – aims to reassure children with fascinating, simple science about the reason for lighter bedtimes in spring and summer. Curious Macie notices that the evenings are brighter in summer and wants to know why. Together Mummy and Macie soar high into the sky to discover the wonder of the sun, stars and planets, just in time for bed. With the gorgeous, lyrical illustrations of Sally Soweol Han and a double-page spread of non-fiction facts at the end, this is the perfect wind-down story at the end of a busy day!
(Storyhouse Publishing, paperback, £7.99)

Age 3 plus
Let’s Go Outside!
Ben Lerwill and Marina Ruiz

THE spirit of youthful exuberance – and the joys to be found in the great outdoors – shine through with dazzling colour and clarity in a beautifully emotive picture book from author Ben Lerwill and illustrator Marina Ruiz. ‘Let’s go outside! Let’s run as fast as our legs can carry us. Let’s make the best den in the whole wide world.’ The wonders of the great outdoors are waiting, ready to be filled with excitement and imagination whatever the weather in this inspirational story about spending time outside every day. Explore the fun that can be found outdoors in all weathers and count how many children have gone outside to play in this joyful and picture perfect celebration of imaginative play. Lerwill’s lyrical story puts the simple pleasures of spending time outside and cosying up indoors at the end of the day at centre stage and Ruiz’s colourful illustrations bring all the action to glorious life. And with discussion prompts and outdoor activity suggestions at the end of the book, parents and children will be champing at the bit to say… let’s go outside!
(Welbeck Children’s Books, paperback, £8.99)

Age 1 plus
Mother Goose’s Nursery Rhymes
Axel Scheffler

GET ready to read, sing – and simply share – this joyously collated and illustrated treasury of over fifty traditional and much-loved nursery rhymes. Brought to vivid and colourful life by the exquisite full-colour illustrations of award-winning Axel Scheffler, illustrator of The Gruffalo, this fabulous gift anthology includes classic nursery rhymes, traditional lullabies and favourite action songs. Mother Goose and her three little goslings act as guides through this nursery rhyme journey while Scheffler’s warm and funny illustrations bringing the tales to life. With the rhymes linked together by enchanting original stories about Mother Goose and the goslings as they learn to waddle, swim and fly, this beautiful book gives a unique and fresh twist to the traditional favourites. From Humpty Dumpty to Jack and Jill, and from Baa Baa Black Sheep to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, there’s something for everyone in this beautiful gift treasury …a must-have for every family bookshelf!
(Macmillan Children’s Books, paperback, £9.99)

Age 2 plus
One Tiny Dot
Lucy Rowland and Gwen Millward

LET kindness grow! That’s the heartwarming theme of a gentle, caring and reassuring picture book from the top team of author Lucy Rowland and illustrator Gwen Millward. Kindness is represented as a simple dot which grows bigger with each kind act that is performed by an assortment of people. ‘There once was a dot, who was really quite small, walking along and not minding at all that it wasn't that big or that bold or that tough, for this dot was kindness and that was enough.’ Rowland’s charming story imagines that kindness comes in all shapes and sizes, starting out as a dot and morphing into all sorts of different forms as it spreads joy wherever it goes. Millward’s colourful, evocative and vibrantly eclectic illustrations reinforce messages about the ability of kindness to uplift, comfort and unite, as well as to help overcome anger and sadness. Deceptively simple in its clever wording but powerful in its messaging, One Tiny Dot will be loved by all the family.
(Templar Publishing, paperback, £6.99)

Guilty Women

Melanie Blake 

JUST four months after the shocking death of star actress Madeline Kane during live filming of Falcon Bay, the world’s most glamorous TV soap opera, the long-running blockbuster is back on track and the cameras are ready to roll.

But the four powerful women who are now left to keep the show on the road – and the money coming in – share a deadly secret; Madeline’s horror death was not an accident and each one of them knows why she was killed.

Agent-turned-author Melanie Blake (pictured below), who last year earned the title ‘new queen of the bonkbuster’ with Ruthless Women – a rip-roaring, raunchy romp featuring the deadly shenanigans of the ambitious female cast and crew of a glamorous TV show – is back with the second book of her sexy, sassy trilogy. And Guilty Women – easily read as a standalone – dishes up the same tasty menu of glitzy glamour, passion, greed, treachery, scandal and revenge as our formidable female quartet, each possessed of a vaulting ambition, prepares to do anything to save their TV show, even if that means murder.

For over forty years, the glamorous daytime TV soap Falcon Bay has kept audiences worldwide glued to their screens and brought wealth and fame to all those involved in its filming and production on St Augustine’s, a beautiful, private island just off the coast of Jersey.

But this ‘piece of nature’s heaven’ has also seen its share of scandals and drama, not least the show-stopping death of the soap’s co-star and owner, Madeline Kane, during a live Christmas episode of Falcon Bay.

Click HERE for Lancashire Post review

Months later, the cast and crew are still reeling from the shocking events of that night, but four of those involved know more than the rest of the Falcon Bay team. Amanda King, Helen Gold, Farrah Adams and Sheena McQueen know exactly what happened and will do everything in their power to ensure word never gets out.

Sheena McQueen, world famous agent to the show’s other co-star, Catherine Belle, is on constant alert. Her client, Catherine, an unnervingly unpredictable and ageing actress, is still haunted by Madeline’s death and needs to be regularly defused from letting off a ‘truth bomb’ that would blow apart their stories.

Meanwhile, executive producer Amanda King is fully aware that the money-making soap can be dangerous, both on-screen and off-screen, but hopes that they now have a new beginning with

Her Last Betrayal

Pam Lecky

IRELAND might have declared neutrality as the Second World War rages but that hasn’t stopped Dubliner Sarah Gillespie from joining the British Secret Service. Faced with her most dangerous mission yet, Sarah is on the track of a traitorous IRA operative who is planning to collaborate with German infiltrators… a man better known to Sarah as her own father.

Irish author Pam Lecky (pictured below), whose historical novels are noted for their winning blend of crime, mystery and a dash of romance, returns to the perilous heart of wartime in the second book of a series that began with Her Secret War and follows the undercover role of a gutsy but disillusioned young Irishwoman.

Easily read as a standalone, Her Last Betrayal is a gripping, action-packed thriller offering historical fiction fans a unique and fascinating perspective on the wartime work of MI5 and the secret services… through a pair of Irish eyes. Brimming with secrets, espionage, betrayal and intrigue, Lecky ratchets up the tension as intrepid agent Sarah is teamed up with a cynical and hostile American ally and heads off to the brooding mountains of Wales on a mission that could see them both killed.

When the Germans dropped bombs on Dublin in May of 1941, they took Sarah Gillespie’s home and her beloved sister, Maura. Devastated by her loss, Sarah’s boyfriend Paul O’Reilly left Ireland to enlist with the RAF just days later.

With nothing to keep her in Ireland and a burning desire to help the war effort, Sarah sought refuge with relatives in England. But her father Jim Gillespie’s dark past is fast catching up with her and Sarah has only one thing on her mind… revenge.

Click HERE for Lancashire Post review

She has already proved her loyalty to Britain through a special mission for the secret services but early in 1942, Sarah is recruited once again to track down her father who, she feels, betrayed both herself and Maura by abandoning them to the bombs in Dublin.

Gillespie is believed to be heading up an IRA cell in England which is planning to raid an arms factory in Pontypool in Wales. Tasked with finding the would-be bombers in Wales’ Black Mountains and bringing them to justice, Sarah is partnered with American undercover agent

CHILDREN'S BOOKS: Witchcraft wonders, terrific trees and a stick boy

Join a runaway schoolgirl with a bewitching destiny, discover some of the world’s most amazing trees, share fun-filled tales with a 2D boy living in a 3D world, take a journey through some incredible inventions, and say hello to an elephant on his big day out in a super selection of spring children’s books

Age 9 plus
Hedgewitch
Skye McKenna and Tomislav Tomic

IF you’re looking for an adventure with a truly magical atmosphere, join a runaway schoolgirl who discovers that her hidden destiny lies in the wonders of witchcraft. Already hailed as a modern classic, the dazzling debut series Hedgewitch – fabulously illustrated by Tomislav Tomic – comes from the super-creative mind of Skye McKenna who grew up surrounded by red dust in a mining town in the Australian outback but then travelled to England and fell in love with the British countryside.

Now living in Scotland, and working in heritage, she recently curated the Magic & Mystery exhibition for Barley Hall, York, introducing visitors to real and legendary wizards and alchemists. And it is her love of magic and adventure which inspired this captivating series about a family of witches who protect Britain from the denizens of Faerie, creatures who are all too real and far more frightening than the story books suggest.

Click HERE for Lancashire Post reviews

Cassie Morgan has run away. After seven years spent waiting for her mother to return and reading forbidden story books about Faerie, she flees her dreary boarding school and sets out to find her. But the world outside her school is full of hidden magic and children have been going missing. Lost and alone, she falls prey to a pack of child-nabbing goblins but escapes with the help of talking cat Montague and a flying broom to the enchanted village of Hedgely. 

There she discovers that she comes from a family of witches and will begin her training in the practical skills of witchcraft with the Hedgewitch who, over the Hedge, watches the vast forest that marks the border between England and Faerie. Within the woods lurk imps, wyrms, wisps and goblins, and there has always been a Hedgewitch to guard the border against the fairy folk. Will Cassie discover the truth about her mother and what will it take to save her new home?

McKenna is a born storyteller, creating an enchanting, magical world that is as alluring as it is viscerally and thrillingly real. Hedgely is a place where the characters spring to glorious life, where the natural world takes centre stage and where readers young and old will long to return to time and time again!
(Welbeck Flame, hardback, £12.99)

Age 8 plus
Around the World in 80 Musical Instruments
Nancy Dickmann and Sue Downing

TREES, music and a world of knowledge! Enjoy two fabulously illustrated companion books which celebrate the huge variety of instruments played across the globe, and some of the amazing trees that play a vital role in maintaining the Earth’s health. In Around the World in 80 Musical Instruments, written by music teacher Nancy Dickmann and imaginatively illustrated by Sue Downing, youngsters discover (amongst many other amazing musical facts!) how you play a theremin without touching it and turn a cave’s stalactites into an organ. Grouped into percussion instruments, wind, and string, as well as the weird and wonderful that defy categorisation, readers learn how they are all related to each other in ‘families’ and observe the musical family tree as a fold-out poster. Meet traditional instruments from various cultures, such as the gamelan and mbira, as well as the creations of modern artists and musicians, including the Wintergatan Marble Machine and the eerie-sounding Earth harp. Readers will even discover a band that plays exclusively on instruments fashioned from fresh vegetables, and makes the offcuts into soup to serve to the audience. A book that hits all the right notes!

Around the World in 80 Trees
Ben Lerwill and Kaja Kajfez

AND in Around the World in 80 Trees, written by award-winning travel writer Ben Lerwill and lavishly illustrated by Croatian artist Kaja Kajfez, youngsters gaze up at towering redwoods, marvel at monkey puzzles and find out which tree has fish swimming round its roots. As the book takes the reader on a journey around the world, it reveals trees that give us beautiful flowers, delicious food and life-saving medicines, bizarre trees with blood-red sap, trees with ancient legends, trees with fruit that can be used as soap or even burned as candles, and trees that help us journey to the farthest reaches of our world. Where can you find Methuselah, the oldest tree in the world, why is the baobab’s trunk so fat and can trees really warn each other that something is about to eat them? Focus spreads explore subjects such as the life cycle of trees, why trees are vital to the Earth’s health, and their importance to us, whilst a stunning central gatefold opens out to reveal all 80 trees and how they communicate with each other. Bursting with blossom, rustling leaves, the biggest trees, the smallest trees and everything in between, this is a fantastic visual and verbal celebration of our wonderful trees.
(Welbeck, hardback, £14.99 each)

Age 8 plus
Stick Boy and the Rise of the Robots
Paul Coomey 

IF you read the first brilliant book in Paul Coomey’s debut series, you’ll certainly be ready to stick with the second! Stick Boy – which features the fun-filled tales of a 2D boy in a 3D world – tickled the funny bones of a host of youngsters and now there’s a wacky new adventure to enjoy. Perfectly created for youngsters who prefer their reading to come with lots of eye-catching illustrations, all-round talented Irish writer and illustrator Coomey’s series is a visual and verbal treat that delivers words of wisdom and giggles galore on every page. It’s tough fitting in when you're born to stick out! When crooked Baron Ben gives the residents of Little Town an exciting new gadget that lets them explore virtual worlds, they can’t wait to try it out. Before long everyone is plugged into their techy treats. Everyone that is, except Stick Boy. Left to his own devices and suspicious of Baron Ben’s generous gift, Stick is on the case. And when his investigations lead him to a secret underground lair full of robots preparing to take over the town, it’s up to Stick Boy to save the day! Fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Tom Gates, and all reluctant readers, will adore this high-energy celebration of fun, friendship, family… and robots!
(Little Tiger Press, paperback, £7.99)

Age 8 plus
A Robot Squashed My Teacher
Pooja Puri and Allen Fatimaharan

TOP team Esha and Broccoli return with an amazing new invention… so what could possibly go wrong? Everything it seems! Welcome back to the wild, wacky and wonderful world of genius inventor extraordinaire Esha Verma, the hilarious creation of author Pooja Puri and her brilliant illustrator team mate Allen Fatimaharan. In this all-action, laugh-out-loud sequel to A Dinosaur Ate My Sister, which introduced readers to Esha, her snotty apprentice Broccoli and his secretly cunning pet tortoise, the trio are dreaming of winning the legendary Brain Trophy… the ultimate inventing prize. This year’s entry is the RoarEasy – a gadget that lets the user speak to animals. But when Esha’s arch-nemesis, fellow inventor Ernie, lands her in detention, the RoarEasy malfunctions and suddenly Monsieur Crépeau is transformed into a pigeon. Luckily for Esha, she knows exactly what she needs to repair her invention and where to find it… it’s locked away in the mysterious Central Research Laboratories. She, Broccoli, Archibald and Monsieur Crépeau will have to go undercover and break into the labs before the competition to return Monsieur Crépeau to his human form. But with Ernie following them, determined to foil their plans, they’re going to need all the help they can find to get out of this wacky pickle! Puri and Fatimaharan work their special magic on this madcap adventure which features an eclectic assortment of giant robots, killer plants, shrinking machines, robo-spiders, clouds that make you float and terrifying twisters. Add on pigeons, some slight disagreements and some creepy creepers and you have another chapter of accidents that no mischief-maker would want to miss!
(Macmillan Children’s Books, paperback, £6.99)

Age 7 plus
Earth, Sea and Stars: Inspiring Tales of the Natural World
Isabel Otter and Ana Sender

ENJOY tales to amaze, inform and inspire in a beautiful anthology of twenty stories about the natural world, each one drawn from a rich variety of cultures. With stories poignantly retold by writer and nature lover Isabel Otter, and packed full with the breathtaking artwork of Ana Sender, Earth, Sea and Stars takes readers on journeys all around Earth. From the Ancient Chinese countryside and the sky-high trees in Tahiti to the dense forests of Norway, youngsters can travel across the wide savannah, into the deep forest, over mighty mountains, under the ocean depths and into the skies above. Join a group of bold, adventurous characters as they sail to the moon, create the first fire, find the summer, grow orchards of friendship, meet the creatures who walk alongside us and explore the different ways we can cherish and nurture the planet we live on. Across cultures and continents, children are encouraged to understand and appreciate the ancient wisdom that lies inside the stories and how the universal landscape of these tales unites us as one global community. The perfect story book for little nature lovers with a resonant message they can treasure.
(Little Tiger Press, hardback, £14.99)

Age 5 plus
Once Upon a Big Idea:
The Story of Inventions
James Carter and Margaux Carpentier

TAKE a trip from the Stone Age to our modern world, and explore all manner of fantastic human creations in this exciting and informative book from prize-winning poet and educational writer James Carter, and inspirational illustrator Margaux Carpentier. In an enchanting blend of lively verse, fascinating inventions and bold illustration, Once Upon a Big Idea takes young readers on a colourful journey through a world of invention as they discover a host of big ideas that have come from human brains. From telescopes, clocks and trains and from bridges and boats to medicines and mobile phones, this lyrical book explores a wealth of human creativity. Learn how rocks and stones helped create the pyramids, how modern materials such as concrete and nylon have changed our lives, and how fire gave humans heat and light to cook and illuminate even the darkest nights. Carter’s thoughtful and beautifully written poetry introduces young readers to five concepts which are at the heart of our lives, and with Carpentier’s electrifying artwork to bring his gentle but informative words to life, there could be no better way to introduce children to the concept of invention.
(Caterpillar Books, hardback, £11.99)

Age 3 plus
Wellington’s Big Day Out
Steve Small

LET your little ones learn how to think big in this irresistibly funny and heartwarming picture book from BAFTA-nominated animation director Steve Small. Guaranteed to win the hearts of elephant lovers – and little boys – everywhere, Wellington’s Big Day Out is a wonderfully whimsical tale about the all-too-familiar worries of growing up. When Wellington is given a new jacket exactly like Dad’s for his birthday, at first he’s delighted. But his delight turns to disappointment when he tries it on and it’s far too big. And what if, even worse, Wellington thinks, it’s not that the jacket is too big but that he’s too small? Well, Wellington’s dad has a plan, and on an exciting day out that takes in a ride on the bus, a super-size strawberry sundae, a toot on a tuba and a visit to his grandad, Wellington learns that he’s growing up exactly as fast as he should be… and just like his dad. Small’s colourful gallery of pictures is a joy to behold… both children and parents will feast on this beguiling blend of heart-melting illustrations and a story that reaches out far beyond the pages.  Picture book perfection!
(Simon & Schuster, hardback, £12.99)

Age 3 plus
The Eyebrows of Doom
Steve Smallman and Miguel Ordóñez

RAISE an eyebrow and get ready to giggle because comic genius Steve Smallman is back with a riotous rhyming romp! The Eyebrows of Doom will have youngsters laughing all the way from furst page to last as Smallman has fun with his wizard wordplay and award-winning illustrator Miguel Ordóñez puts a pair of renegade eyebrows at centre stage. ‘In some woods in a cave, a big bear called Dave Was sweeping his floor with a broom, When two clumps of hair leapt into the air and cried ‘We are the Eyebrows of Doom!’ The Eyebrows of Doom are trying to take over the world. Join Dave and his friends as they try to stop them leaping from one unsuspecting animal to the next. And just when it looks as though the eyebrows’ antics have been thwarted… all is not as it seems! Smallman bedazzles us once again with his crazy capers and Ordóñez’s fabulous palette of colours brings extra zest and zip to the kind of hilarious adventures that will have little ones begging for more!
(Little Tiger Press, hardback, £11.99)

Age 3 plus
Princesses Wear Trainers
Sam Squiers and Annabel Cutler

CAN a princess get away with wearing trainers instead of glass slippers? Well, of course she can when she’s Princess Ellie, the sportiest and bravest girl in the kingdom! Youngsters will be slipping on their own trainers when they meet sports-mad Ellie, whose fast-thinking, fast-running and fast-action saves the day in a truly charming picture book from award-winning Australian sports journalist and author Sam Squiers and talented illustrator Annabel Cutler. Princess Ellie loves playing sports but she has a little problem... nobody seems to think that her sporty interests, including wearing a pair of trainers, are very princess-like! But when disaster strikes the kingdom and a dragon kidnaps the king and queen, Princess Ellie sets out to prove that princesses definitely DO wear trainers and sometimes it definitely pays off! Squiers, who likes telling the incredible stories of female athletes and is a champion of women’s sports, is certainly on goal with this inspirational story which comes packed with Cutler’s gorgeous illustrations in a palette of striking colours.
(Little Steps Publishing, paperback, £7.99)

Age 3 plus
The Garden Monster
Paul Deslandes and Lia Visirin

JOIN two little boys on the hunt for a monster that has invaded their garden in an endearing picture book from Kent debut author Paul Deslandes whose idea for The Garden Monster came from spending endless hours watching his two boys exploring in the garden, talking to creatures and catching bugs. ‘We went into our garden, to see if we could see, A monster that I'd heard about, much bigger than me. But where do we start in finding this beast? Maybe he’s sleeping or enjoying a feast.’ Follow the brothers’ journey through the garden as they find a snail, a butterfly, a magpie, a bee and a host of other tiny creatures… only to find the monster they are seeking lives closer to home than they imagined. With the beautifully evocative illustrations of Romanian-born artist Lia Visirin to bring this inspirational story to life, youngsters will be heading off to the great outdoors to launch their own exciting springtime monster hunt!
(Little Steps Publishing, paperback, £7.99)

Age 2 plus
The Friendship Bench
Wendy Meddour and Daniel Egnéus

GET ready to have your heart warmed, your fears eased and your spirits lifted with an exquisitely beautiful  picture book from award-winning children’s writer Wendy Meddour and world-renowned artist Daniel Egnéus. The Friendship Bench is story about moving home and making new friends, and speaks gently but resonantly to any youngsters starting school, facing new beginnings or finding new friends. Tilly has just moved to a new house, by the splash and curl of the sea. She loves doing cartwheels in the sand and playing catch with Mummy and Shadow the dog. But when it is time to start her new school, Shadow and Mummy must stay outside. And inside is full of strangers. ‘Why don't you try The Friendship Bench?’ says her teacher when Tilly is playing alone. ‘It helps children find new friends to play with.’ But when Tilly gets there, somebody is already on it… could this lonely little boy be Tilly’s new friend? Meddour’s simple, lyrical and empathetic tale is perfectly imagined and imbued with a welcoming warmth and kindness, while Egnéus ’ richly evocative artwork adds a stunning layer of atmospheric power to the wise messages wrapped up in the words.
(Oxford University Press, paperback, £6.99)

Age 2 plus
No More Peas
Madeleine Cook and Erika Meza

NO peas for Oliver… he’d rather have fries, pizzas, burgers, sausages and ice cream! If your fussy little eaters are turning up their noses (and their plates!) when it comes to eating veggies, then open the pages of this adorable picture book and let them ‘grow’ to love them. Children’s books author Madeleine Cook serves up a delicious helping of carrots and comedy in this wonderfully imagined story brilliantly illustrated by Mexican illustrator Erika Meza. Oliver only wants to eat a plateful of chips or a gooey pizza for dinner so when Daddy keeps dishing up vegetables, Oliver’s cheeks turn red and he shouts: 'No more peas!' Will Oliver ever give vegetables a chance or is Daddy hatching a cunning plan on his vegetable-growing allotment? No More Peas comes packed with knockabout humour and jokes guaranteed to keep little ones entertained, and fascinating facts about growing and preparing different types of vegetables. With Meza’s equally colourful array of illustrations to tempt reluctant eaters, this is the perfect picture book to sow the seeds of a healthy diet… and a more adventurous palate!
(Oxford University Press, paperback, £6.99)

Age 2 plus
Busy Party
Illustrated by Jill Howarth

THERE'S a party going on and you are invited! Put on your party hat, paint your face… and then push, pull and turn! Little ones will love joining in the celebrations for the amazing 50th book in the popular Busy Books series with this bright and colourful new book which comes with a special, gold-foil cover. These novelty board books let youngsters get hands on with a host of different topics and in this new adventure, they can decorate the house with balloons and bunting, play party games and dance the night away while fireworks fizz and pop. Jill Howarth’s gallery of illustrations bring the scenes to life as children count cakes, try to spot a snail, roar like a tiger, and decide which firework they like best. This bright and colourful board book, with its gentle rhyming text and vibrant illustrations, helps develop motor and language skills and provides plenty to talk about. Add on the fun of finding things on every page and you have a party at your fingertips!
(Campbell Books, board book, £6.99)

Wartime Friends

Margaret Dickinson

MUCH-LOVED author Margaret Dickinson – a writer who had her first novel published at the age of 25 and has since gone on to pen a raft of bestselling sagas – explores the unbreakable bonds of love and friendship in a moving tale set during the Second World War.

Dickinson (pictured below) is a born storyteller, immersing her readers in the lives of two young women whose crucial roles will entrust them with the nation’s security and safety as they work on intelligence and the interception of enemy messages.

In 1940s coastal Lincolnshire, Carolyn Holmes is keen to do what she can for the war effort. Raised on the family farm, she is prevented by her mother Lilian from going to secretarial college after leaving the local grammar school, although nothing is too good for her brother, Tom. Phyllis Carter, a widow from the Great War, lives close by with her son Peter who works on the farm. Peter and Carolyn are great friends but do not see a future together, although it is the dearest wish of both Phyllis and Lilian to see them marry.

After their home town is caught in an air raid, Peter decides to volunteer… to the distress of his mother, who makes life difficult for Carolyn as she blames her for not marrying Peter and keeping him safe at home.

Click HERE for Lancashire Post review

Carolyn leaves to join the ATS where she meets Beryl Morley who will become a lifelong friend. After their basic training, Carolyn and Beryl are posted to Beaumanor Hall in Leicestershire as ‘listeners,’ the most difficult of signals intelligence gathering, intercepting enemy messages which are then sent to Bletchley Park for deciphering.

As the war unfolds and their work becomes even more vital, Carolyn and Beryl’s friendship strengthens and, in the dangerous times that follow, they will both need the support of the others

The Woolworths Saturday Girls

Elaine Everest 

WELCOME back to life in post-war Kent in the entertaining fortunes and misfortunes of Elaine Everest’s ‘family’ of devoted and dedicated store staff who have become like friends to an army of readers. Everest’s wonderfully nostalgic Woolies series, which has brought new life and love for the famous stores that once graced almost every high street in the country, has taken us through the trials, tribulations and triumphs of a group of hard-working women and their boss Betty Billington during the turbulent war years.

When the long years of conflict finally ended in Everest’s fourth book, A Gift from Woolworths, her plan was to make it the girls’ last chapter but she was so inundated by readers begging to find out what happened next for her Woolies girls that she happily returned to familiar territory in her fifth book, Wedding Bells for Woolworths. And after a much-loved prequel, A Mother Forever, charting the early life of favourite character Ruby Caselton, Everest (pictured below) brings us The Woolworths Saturday Girls, the seventh instalment and an exciting meet-up with a new generation of Woolworths Girls.

In 1950, the Second World War is over and life has moved on for Woolworths girls Sarah, Maisie and Freda. In a new world, the Woolworths women have high expectations of their daughters, wanting them to seize opportunities they didn’t have themselves.

Click HERE for Lancashire Post review
 

Ready to take on Saturday jobs at Woolworths, budding friends Bessie, Claudette, Clementine and Dorothy are faced with unforeseeable challenges as the real world comes into focus. Their bond can only be strengthened as they overcome the darkest times.

But perhaps their lives are not as clear-cut as their mothers wished them to be. When Bessie finds love in the wrong crowd and falls pregnant, the image of her future and ambitions become skewed and she relies on the Saturday girls to help her see her problems through. But how can they find a home for the baby when it arrives? With wild imaginations, it is up to the Woolworths girls, new and old, to save the day… and their futures. Can they achieve their dreams in time for their futures to begin? With its enchanting mix of drama, romance, friendship and family, and lots of twists and turns to enjoy along the way, this is an enthralling introduction to a new generation of those irrepressible Woolworths girls.
(Pan, paperback, £7.99)

A Daughter’s Hope

Donna Douglas

THE Blitz may have ended but will the residents of Jubilee Row in Hull stick together… or will their experiences drive them apart? Welcome to the third book in a drama-packed Yorkshire Blitz Trilogy from Donna Douglas, the York-based author whose popular Nightingale series brought a London pre-war hospital vividly to life, and won her an army of fans.

This exciting saga series is based on Douglas’s research into the stories of Hull residents who lived through the Second World War. Using diaries, letters and the heartbreaking accounts of those who endured the Blitz, her aim is to convey some of their fighting spirit.

It’s autumn of 1942 and the Blitz has come to an end but for many families, it’s not over yet. As the residents of Jubilee Row begin to rebuild their lives, twins Sybil and Maudie Maguire decide to go off and do their bit by joining the WAAFs. But what starts off as a great adventure soon forces the girls to grow up as they are confronted with the harsh realities of war. 

Will they stick together, or will their experiences drive them apart?

Back in Hull, their older sister Ada faces struggles of her own as she nurses the war wounded. But can anyone help to mend her own broken heart?

Click HERE for Lancashire Post review
 

Once again Douglas (pictured left) brings us a vibrant cast of characters… from the irrepressible Big May Maguire and her decidedly smaller but equally indomitable friend Beattie Scuttle, to a captivating supporting line-up of family and neighbours, this is a danger-laced tale of love, loss, loyalty and friendship in the hardest of times.

Laughter and tears are never far away as the younger generation of Jubilee Row face fears and uncertainties, and the ever resourceful Ruby Maguire has to bolster everyone’s spirits and keep house and home together. 

Laced through with no-nonsense Yorkshire humour, and lashings of rich, nostalgic period detail, this is a fascinating portrait of everyday life on the home front in wartime, with its hopes and hardships, warm romances and grim realities.
(Orion, paperback, £6.99)

A Mother’s Betrayal

Emma Hornby

MARRIED to an abusive husband, one woman must fight for her family’s happiness in a moving and gripping saga from Bolton author Emma Hornby.

Hornby (pictured below), who once worked in a Blackpool rock factory and was inspired to write after researching her own family history, bases her stories on the many generations of her family who eked out life amidst the squalor and poverty of Lancashire’s slums.

Click HERE for Lancashire Post review

And this history is reflected in her emotionally-charged stories which include the powerful and absorbing novel, A Shilling for a Wife, set in mid-19^thcentury Bolton, and Her Wartime Secret, featuring a family torn apart by war and held together by a secret.

In this new saga, Hornby sweeps us to Manchester in 1867 where Mara O’Hara longs for a peaceful life free of violence and poverty. But she has married the bully Seamus O’Hara whose family includes three stepsons who all have a reputation for drunkenness and quick tempers.

Her eldest stepson Conrad is the worst of them all… a brute and a criminal who makes Mara’s life a misery. But when Conrad is accused of a crime he didn’t commit, Mara is the only one who can prove his innocence. Perhaps this is her chance to finally free her family from his toxic influence. Will Mara clear Conrad’s name, or will she have the courage to break away from her stepson’s villainy?

Hornby’s gritty and emotion-packed tale of revenge, retribution, love and friendship explores the hardships of life in the 19^th century and features a cast of authentic characters. Expect tears and laughter as Hornby delivers another northern winner. (Penguin, paperback, £6.99)

The Baker’s Girl

Gracie Hart

HEAD off to Leeds in the final year of the 19^th century for Gracie Hart’s new heartwarming saga which harnesses all the warmth and goodness of a tasty home-baked cake! 

In Leeds in 1894, 17-year-old Meg just wants to keep her family together. Her widowed mother Agnes is desperately ill and her sister is still in school so it’s up to her to support them. All Meg knows to do is bake and desperation leads her to Ted Lund, the miserly owner of a local bakery.

Click HERE for Lancashire Post review

In a moment of uncharacteristic kindness, he takes pity on Meg and offers her a job. But Ted’s charity ends there. He will save money at any cost, cutting corners by using sawdust in his bread, ignoring vermin in his flour, and paying Meg a pittance. But despite her mistreatment, Meg can see what the bakery might yet be. Using her baking skills and her kind heart, can she turn the shop around?

Leeds-born Hart knows the winning formula when it comes to northern sagas and this tale of love and survival – which comes complete with some of Meg’s delicious recipes – is a Yorkshire-flavoured treat! And look out later this year for A Sixpence for Christmas, a new story featuring baker’s girl Meg.
(Simon & Schuster, paperback, £7.99)

Hannah’s War

Shirley Mann

 A CITY girl discovers that joining the wartime Land Army isn’t quite the rural dream that she had imagined in a moving and dramatic new saga. Derbyshire-based journalist Shirley Mann (pictured below) follows up her compelling sagas, Lily’s War and Bobby’s War, with another exciting, emotion-filled celebration of the role of women on the home front as we are swept into the lives of the young women who worked on the land to keep the country fed.

It's 1942 and at nineteen years old Hannah Compton has the world at her feet. But with war raging, the country is in turmoil and Hannah decides to do her bit for the war effort. Hannah’s beloved grandfather taught her to grow vegetables in his market garden and this inspires her to become one of over 200,000 women joining the Land Army.

Click HERE for Lancashire Post review

Posted to Salhouse Farm on the outskirts of Norwich, Hannah is excited for the adventure ahead of her but soon reality hits. Hannah is a city girl at heart and life in the countryside is not what she imagined. It’s cold, she hates the hard work, she misses her friends back in Manchester and she has to share a double bed with a stranger.

As Hannah gets used to the punishing farm work and makes some friends, she starts to settle in. But she simply can’t get used to living side by side with the German prisoners of war. Then a young German doctor steps in to save Hannah’s life and everything she thought she knew is brought into question. In a country at war, will Hannah be prepared to risk everything for the enemy?

Mann plunges readers into the hardships faced by women in an often alien environment where the work was incredibly physical, the weather was unpredictable and field after field had to be sown, harvested and re-sown. Set against a backdrop full of rich period detail, including the plight of German PoWs, an addictive layer of nostalgia, intrigue, romance and the realities of life in a hidden corner of the home front, Hannah’s War is a saga full of history, heart and wartime heritage.
(Zaffre, paperback, £7.99)