CHILDREN'S BOOKS: A sea mystery, dream dancing and canine capers

Enjoy a twisting, turning mystery starring a colour-changing octopus, put on your dancing shoes for fun at Blackpool Tower ballroom, share the troubles of a girl finding school full of challenges, join in all the chaos of double doggy dilemmas, and meet British tennis superstar and reigning US Open champion Emma Raducanu in a colourful collection of new books

Age 9 plus
My Friend the Octopus
Lindsay Galvin 

A GROUP of children go in search of their true colours in a fabulous new twisting, turning mystery from Lindsay Galvin, the bestselling author of Darwin’s Dragons. My Friend the Octopus is a thrilling, high-stakes aquatic adventure which packs in an addictive mix of mystery, adventure, science and natural history in an alluring and atmospheric story set in the sunshine of late Victorian Brighton.

In England in 1893, aquarium fever is at its height. Twelve-year-old Lavinia ‘Vinnie’ Fyfe from London is living with her Aunt Bets in Brighton and helping her manage the tea-shop at the resort’s aquarium while she waits for her milliner mother to return from Paris. A shy girl, Vinnie fears she has been abandoned by her mother but the arrival of a giant octopus at the aquarium changes her life for ever. Vinnie has always used her talent for art to draw her mother’s fancy hats but now she has a new source of inspiration to draw over and over again… the extraordinary, colour-changing sea creature which she has named Ghost. She soon realises she can communicate with the octopus through colour and – as a gripping mystery begins to unfold – Vinnie and her new-found friends, Charlie, an aspiring reporter, and Temitayo, the ward of an English gentleman, will find their courage put to the test with the arrival of a sinister visitor.

Galvin, a former science teacher, certainly knows how to put the fun into learning. The touching connection between a young girl and an octopus lies at the core of this inspirational story with its valuable natural history lessons and an exciting underwater twist. Blending a gripping adventure with a multi-faceted, historical mystery, My Friend the Octopus explores issues around human rights and the evils of sweatshops with a host of fascinating facts about the octopus… a creature with incredible intelligence, three hearts, nine brains and miraculous colour-changing camouflage. A thrilling mystery guaranteed to wrap its tentacles around your heart…
(Chicken House, paperback, £7.99)

Age 9 plus
Keep Dancing, Lizzie Chu
Maisie Chan

NEVER give up on your dreams! That’s the message that dances into the foreground in a funny and moving middle-grade novel from British-born Chinese author Maisie Chan. Blending an adventure, that begins in Glasgow and ends in Blackpool Tower’s magnificent ballroom, with an inspirational and heartwarming exploration of intergenerational family ties, this all-singing, all-dancing celebration is a sheer delight. Twelve-year-old Lizzie Chu lives in Glasgow with her grandad Wai Gong, and he has been acting a little strange lately. He is becoming forgetful and spends a lot of time talking to his statue of Guan Yin, the Chinese goddess of compassion, kindness and mercy. Lizzie is worried about Wai Gong, but doesn’t really know what to do to help him. She already has a lot on her plate with caring for him, doing the shopping and everything else on top of schoolwork and the usual trials of being twelve! Then Lizzie comes up with a madcap plan. She’s going to take Wai Gong on the trip of a lifetime, to Blackpool… to the Tower Ballroom, where he always longed to go, to dance with his late wife, Grandma Kam. Lizzie wants to rekindle his love for dancing and to see if Wai Gong can find his mojo again. The only problem is… how on earth is she going to get him there? With a little help from her friends Chi and Tyler, some ingenious costumes and an older brother with a beaten-up Mini, Lizzie might just make it… and maybe she will be able to help Wai Gong get better after all. Chan brings us a charming cast of characters, a story filled with love and humour, and a fabulous stage set that was just made to keep readers laughing and dancing all the way to the last page!
(Piccadilly Press, paperback, £6.99)

Age 9 plus
A Flash of Fireflies
Aisha Bushby

COPING with the symptoms of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Order) can sometimes feel like you are battling demons… a theme turned into a fairy tale mystery in a moving middle grade novel from Aisha Bushby. Having suffered bouts of OCD since she was eight or nine, Bushby harnesses her own experiences and emotions for this heartfelt tale of family, friendship and finding your feet in a world that seems perplexing. After leaving Kuwait, Hazel Al-Otaibi’s new life in England should have been the stuff of fairy tales… after all her Great Aunt’s cottage looked just like a gingerbread house, with a magical garden and whispering fireflies promising quests and adventures. But as Hazel struggles to deal with the challenges of the everyday world –⁠ making friends, missing her family –⁠ she also learns that every fairy tale has a dark side. And there are terrifying creatures that lurk in the shadows… Bushby is a born storyteller as she renders Hazel’s new world in England as uncertain and sometimes frightening. Using magic and the eternal mystique of fairy tales, Bushby also brings readers a subtle and sensitive exploration of immigration and identity. Full of hope, heart, thrilling atmospherics and a story that will educate and enchant, A Flash of Fireflies is both spellbinding and memorable.
(Farshore, paperback, £7.99)

Age 8 plus
Remarkably Ruby
Terri Libenson 

SCHOOL is full of challenges… just ask Ruby. Her best friend used to be Mia, her total opposite, but now they have nothing in common any more. Or do they? The new book in the bestselling Emmie & Friends graphic novel series from bestselling US author and cartoonist Terri Libenson is once more packed full of her lively illustrations and is perfectly pitched at the eight-plus age group who are just starting to learn the ways of the world. Ruby (aka the hilarious Baked Bean Girl) is an outsider at school who has always pushed other kids out of the way to get to the toilets and is now in the spotlight herself. She’s big for her age, doesn’t have the best reputation, and is a bit socially awkward. And it doesn’t help that she has lost Mia, her once closest friend. But life – and middle school – take a turn for the better when she is tasked with creating a poetry club. Suddenly, others start to see that there is more to Ruby than meets the eye! And maybe Ruby realises this too. But appearances mean everything to the perfectionist Mia and her embarrassing former friend Ruby is ruining her perfect image. And when the friction between them leads to a fight, Mia starts to question whether perfection is really something she should be striving for. Libenson’s funny, tender and insightful story about how there is more to everyone than meets the eye is full of relatable incidents, dialogue and friendship issues which are guaranteed to appeal to young readers.
(Harper360, paperback, £7.99)

Age 8 plus
Noodle the Doodle Wins the Day
Jonathan Meres and Katy Halford

SCHOOL sports day turns into canine chaos when everyone’s favourite pet (and occasionally pest!) Noodle the Doodle gets in on the action! Enjoy a warm welcome back to a new canine caper from stand-up comedian, author and actor Jonathan Meres. This is the third adventure with adorable class pet Noodle the Doodle in a super-funny series published by Barrington Stoke in their trademark dyslexia-friendly format. Illustrated throughout by Katy Halford, Noodle’s new adventures are full of hilarious mishaps and mayhem as our four-legged friend brings double doggy trouble at Wigley Primary. Sports day has arrived and everyone is excited to take part in unusual events like Book Balancing, Frisbee Throwing, a Tug of War and seeing who can race in the most layers of clothes! Of course, Noodle the Doodle, is desperate to join in all the fun but when he gets a new partner-in-crime, Daniel the spaniel, are the canine capers going to spiral out of control… or can Noodle win the day? First prize again to the ever-imaginative storyteller Meres for this warm, wise and laughter-packed adventure which celebrates friendship, fun and finding your self-confidence. Add on Halford’s gallery of playful black and white illustrations to bring the action to life, and you have a class act from a top team!
(Barrington Stoke, paperback, £6.99, published on July 7)

Age 8 plus
Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun
Tolá Okogwu

MEET Onyeka… a superhero girl with hair-raising powers! Black Panther meets Percy Jackson in this fantastic, all-action and empowering new middle-grade series from Tolá Okogwu, a British Nigerian author, journalist, and hair care educator. Starring a British-Nigerian girl who learns that her Afro hair has amazing psychokinetic powers, Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun packs in plenty of thrills and spills as well as exploring topical themes of identity, family and friendship. ‘I close my eyes, trying to push the power bubbling in me back down. Hairbands snap as my hair shoots out like superfine arrows, tearing through everything in its path.’ Onyeka has a lot of hair – the kind that makes strangers stop in the street. She has always felt insecure about her vibrant curls until she makes an important discovery… she can control her hair with her mind! Her mother quickly whisks her off to the Academy of the Sun, a school in Nigeria where Solari – children with superpowers – are trained. But Onyeka and her new friends at the Academy soon have to put their powers to the test as they find themselves caught up in an epic battle… one that puts the future of all Solari at risk. Onyeka proves to be a courageous and inspirational hero as she discovers – through trials and tribulations – that the greatest power comes from within herself. With a cast of charismatic characters, fun, fantasy and friendships to enjoy, this super heartwarming series certainly won’t be hair today and gone tomorrow!
(Simon & Schuster Children’s Books, paperback, £7.99)

Age 7 plus
Bunny vs Monkey: Rise of the Maniacal Badger
Jamie Smart

GET ready for more side-splitting laughs as Bunny and Monkey bounce back in an exhilarating remastered comic-book series that delivers all the comedy and chaos of the daffy duo’s helter-skelter world! This outrageously funny series from comic genius Jamie Smart collects together Bunny vs Monkey’s adventures and misadventures in a never before published book form with an easy-to-read, chunky format featuring 230 pages of fast and furry-ous exuberant fun. The books are part of the Phoenix Presents series, published by David Fickling Books in partnership with The Phoenix comic. The partnership is going from strength to strength and much of that success is due to Smart’s extraordinarily talents. In this latest adventure, the Maniacal Badger has arrived and he’s determined to take over the Woods. But wasn’t that also Monkey’s plan? This cannot happen…  What japes await when Bunny and Monkey team up to beat this new menace! They've never managed to work together before. And will Skunky rediscover his passion for evil inventions, to defeat his rival at their own game? One thing's for sure… giggles are guaranteed! Outrageously funny and fabulously illustrated, these manic, high-energy stories were just made for reluctant readers who like their books to come with plenty of comic-strip pictures and loads of laughs. Madcap antics for your action kids!
(David Fickling Books, paperback, £8.99, published on July 7)

Age 6 plus
Sports Superstars: Raducanu Rules
Simon Mugford and Dan Green

SERVE up an ace for Wimbledon fortnight with a fantastic new book in the sparkling Sports Superstars series from everyone’s favourite sports pairing, writer 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. Here we meet British tennis superstar and reigning US Open champion Emma Raducanu. Emma only turned professional in 2018 but the 18-year-old has already taken the game by storm. The signs were already there when she made her main draw Grand Slam debut at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships and reached the quarter final. But it was her amazing triumph at the 2021 US Open that has shocked the world and made her into a household name. Packed with cool facts and delightfully fun illustrations, Emma’s remarkable story is a page-turner for young fans who want to be inspired by the new golden girl of tennis. Game, set and match to Emma!
(Welbeck Publishing, paperback, £5.99)

Age 5 plus
The Hat Full of Secrets
Karl Newson and Wazza Pink

THE magical bond between a child and his grandfather is celebrated in fun style in a new book in a highly illustrated, full-colour fiction range from the creative book boffins at Little Tiger Press. With their enchanting stories and brightly coloured, glossy pages, these chapter books are ideal for newly independent readers and youngsters who regard picture books as too babyish. In The Hat Full of Secrets, we meet Henry Pepper who has got a secret (a big one!) and he doesn’t know what to do with it. Grandad suggests he should keep it under his hat but Henry doesn’t have a hat. Luckily Grandad has one to spare and it’s just the hat for the job. But when Henry puts it on, he discovers that Grandad has some secrets of his own! Words maestro Karl Newson delivers a delightfully lyrical and timeless tale full of family love, imagination and the memories we make and treasure, and all brought to vivid life by Vietnamese artist Wazza Pink’s gallery of vibrant, emotive and action-packed illustrations. A heartwarming tale to read alone or share with the family.
(Little Tiger Press, paperback, £5.99, published on July 7)

Age 3 plus
A Seed Grows
Antoinette Portis

‘A seed falls, And settles into the ground, And the sun shines, And the rain comes down, And the seed grows…’
SOW the seeds of a lifelong love for the natural world and its many wonders with a beautifully created picture book bursting with fun, facts… and sunflowers! US author and illustrator Antoinette Portis’ enchanting book explores how a seed becomes a sunflower, inviting youngsters to peek beneath the soil and wait patiently as winding roots grow, a stalk inches out of the earth, and new seeds emerge among blooming petals. With an eye-catching gallery of bold and evocative illustrations, and a simple text, A Seed Grows offers a close-up view of each step of the growth process and the ways in which flowers and seeds depend on other creatures. Little ones will love feasting their eyes and minds on Portis’ fresh and original approach to exploring the natural world through lyrical words, outstanding artwork, a striking fold-out spread of a full-grown sunflower, and the bonus of additional material at the back of the book explaining the science of plant life cycles. Idea for reading aloud and sharing, the book is both a beautiful work of art and a source of education, entertainment and discovery.  
(Scallywag Press, hardback, £12.99)

Age 3 plus
Tiny Crab is a Tidy Crab
Paula Bowles 

AUTHOR and illustrator Paula Bowles gets her claws into the hearts of little ones with a beautiful picture book starring a caring crab whose greatest love is looking after his beach. Tiny Crab is a tidy crab, and a crab who loves his beach. So, when he invites a few friends to come and join his favourite place, he knows they will look after it, too… won’t they? But what if they don’t? And, worse, what if LOTS of friends arrive then leave rubbish everywhere, which Tiny Crab is forced to tidy up. Maybe even the smallest voices need to make themselves heard. With a fun but resonant environmental message about keeping our planet clean and tidy, a celebration of the rewards of friendship and caring for each other, a cast of adorable animal characters, and a gallery of Bowles’ gorgeous, heart-melting illustrations, this is the perfect book for your own young eco-warriors.
(Simon & Schuster, paperback, £6.99)

Age 3 plus
I Spy Island: Book vs. Shark
Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet

WELCOME back to I Spy Island, a happy place where adventures wash in with the tide… and the fun begins! Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet, everyone’s favourite husband and wife picture book team, and creators of the bestselling Supertato! books, sail back into view with the second adventure in their unmissable new series. In the middle of the ocean, miles from anywhere, is a happy little island who loves to play I Spy...  Join Island, Glove, Banana, Bird, Bottle and Treasure Chest on their second sunny adventure as they spy a book which has washed up on Island's chin and finds that it has lost its story, and a shark who just might eat them all simply because he’s bored! Can Book convince the Shark that it can’t be bored when there are so many exciting and amazing things to see, visit and do in the world? This terrific tale of fun and friendship – illustrated in a rainbow of vibrant colour – celebrates just some of the wonders of the world and the sheer brilliance of books.
(Simon & Schuster, paperback, £6.99, published on July 7)

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, paperback, £6.99, published on July 7)

Devil’s Table

Kate Rhodes

WHEN an 11-year-old girl goes missing on the small Scilly island of St Martin’s, her wealthy father is convinced it is just another ‘prank’ by his spirited twin daughter. But the child’s worried mother is not so sure and soon Detective Inspector Ben Kitto, Deputy Commander of the Island Police, is launching a desperate hunt that will lead to the discovery of a body at an ancient, altar-shaped rock formation known as the Devil’s Table.

Welcome back to the Scilly Isles, the stunning backdrop to a series of ‘locked-island’ mysteries from the pen of acclaimed crime novelist Kate Rhodes whose annual childhood holidays at this tourism hotspot off the Cornish coast have spawned a string of superbly created crime thrillers.

Loved by readers and critics for their perfect pacing, clever plotting and lyrical writing, these addictive stories have included the page-turners Hell Bay, Ruin Beach, Burnt Island and Pulpit Rock, and now Rhodes (pictured below) brings us a new and wonderfully atmospheric mystery set deep in the heart of a fog-bound winter.

One December night when a thick sea fog blows across the island of St Martin’s, twins Jade and Ethan Minear sneak out of their home on a large flower farm in the middle of the night and are attacked in a field where their father grows narcissi.

Ethan, the twin who was born second and was always ‘destined to play catch-up forever,’ manages to escape the attacker and runs home. But the shocking events of Jade’s disappearance (the twin who acted as Ethan’s ‘voice’) have rendered him mute and unable to tell his parents or the police what happened.

When DI Ben Kitto is called to the twins’ home, the children’s father, Scott Minear, initially believes Jade has run away and is just being her usual ‘drama queen’ but his wife, Gemma, is tense and edgy, and worried that there is a connection to a lump of rock, which had the words ‘Devil’s Table’ scrawled on it, and was recently thrown through their living room window. On a small island where there

Here for the Drama

Kate Bromley 

TAKE a seat, make yourself comfortable and enjoy the show because Kate Bromley, a consummate entertainer and writer of ‘swoon-worthy’ rom-coms, is back with a sexy romp that puts heart and humour at centre stage.

New Yorker Bromley (pictured below), whose sizzling debut novel, Talk Bookish To Me, certainly turned up the heat with readers, is back to woo us with another crowd-pleasing romance starring an aspiring American playwright and her hot (but forbidden!) love for a dashing Englishman.

Playing on the eternally popular blend of flirtatious wit and the tensions of a couple sharing a fiery, secret passion, Here for the Drama is full of the razor-sharp repartee, simmering sexual chemistry and adorable characters that are fast becoming this clever writer’s trademark. So meet Winnie who has a decade of drama studies to her name and dreams of becoming a famous playwright. With her own career plans on hold, she has had to settle for a job in New York as PA to the celebrated, sharp-witted feminist playwright Juliette Brassard.

It’s a full-on role, fetching and carrying behind the scenes, but Winnie has been working on her own play for a writing contest which she hopes to win and finally wipe away the painful memories of an incident in the past that sapped her confidence.

But only a few weeks before she must meet the deadline to submit her major opus, an experimental theatre company in London’s West End decides to stage Juliette’s most renowned play and Winnie has to join her boss for a hop across the pond.

However, the trip takes a wrong turn when Juliette, who is trying to break an eight-year writer’s block, stubbornly clashes with the play’s director and Winnie is left stage-managing their relationship.

Meanwhile, Winnie’s own work seems to have stalled, and although Juliette keeps promising to read the play-in-progress, she always has some vague reason why she can’t. And by this point, Juliette’s nephew, Liam, has entered stage left. He’s tall, handsome, quick-witted and charmingly English… but when Juliette notices her assistant is distracted, she forbids Winnie from seeing Liam, making sneaking around backstage even more thrilling. Balancing a production seemingly headed for disaster, a secret romance and her recently acquired rescue dog Ollie, can Winnie save the play, make her own playwriting dreams come true… and find her true love along the way?

This heart-fluttering, laughter-packed romance about friendship and chasing your dreams proves to be a five-star production as Bromley’s immaculate script includes the wittiest of love play, and all the on and off-stage drama and action that one would expect from a plot rooted in the wonderfully eclectic world of theatre. But this is not just a straightforward, feel-good rom-com… there are some complex emotional insecurities and legacies to be worked through in the backstories of the vibrant lead players as past trials and tribulations are revealed.

And there are more stars in this story than winsome Winnie and the luscious Liam as Bromley surrounds the star-crossed lovers with a cast of super-seductive supporting characters, not least the needy but nice Juliette, and Winnie’s show-stealing spaniel puppy Ollie. Smart, sassy, sultry, and with a sparkling dialogue that shines out from every page, Here for the Drama is an unmissable performance!
(Zaffre, paperback, £8.99)

Killer Collections

Dark Artifacts from True Crime

Paul Gambino 

WHY do people commit heinous acts of violence, why do some seem to be pure evil, and why are they sometimes released from prison only to kill again and again?

Delve into the dark and dangerous side of humanity with Paul Gambino’s intriguing overview of artifacts and ephemera relating to some of the world’s most infamous criminals and criminal acts, and discover why some people choose to collect items from society’s darkest and most inhumane moments.

Gambino (pictured below) – bestselling author of Morbid Curiosities and Skulls – has been an avid collector of the macabre for over 20 years and owns an extensive collection of Victorian memorial photographs, antique funeral items, mug shots, and vintage religious items. But his two decades of collecting have also gained him access to some of the world’s most elite collectors of the macabre and Killer Collections is the first book documenting the most morbid true crime artifacts while offering new insights into the perpetrators’ troubling psychology and infamous crimes.

Featuring 175 specially commissioned photographs, as well as access to the best private collections, the book is a curious and compelling social and cultural history of true crime, but is also unafraid to dig into ‘the shallow grave of the human psyche’ to understand why some people are drawn to collecting what is known in some circles as ‘murderabilia.’

Gambino introduces readers to the collectors who have unique and privileged access to dozens of dangerous and disturbed perpetrators, including American serial killer John Wayne Gacy, 1970s serial killer Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer known as the Milwaukee Cannibal, Richard Ramirez dubbed the Night Stalker, and former US Army soldier David Berkowitz who became a serial killer.

From an 18^th century hangman’s noose to cult leader and killer Charles Manson’s cremation ashes, a document signed by 19^th century axe murders suspect Lizzie Borden and the circular saw confiscated from the home of Robert Berdella, the infamous Kansas City Butcher, many of these pieces will be shown outside private collections for the very first time. This unique book offers a rare opportunity to explore numerous personal archives, showcasing murder weapons, crime scene photography, police files, diaries, letters and other criminal ephemera, alongside the fascinating and often disturbing stories behind them. Murder most foul…
(Laurence King Publishing, hardback, £25)

CHILDREN'S BOOKS: Immortal jellyfish, marvellous bodies and feline sleuths

Explore the contrasting lifespans of a host of creatures, take a tour of the hidden workings of your body, meet a super-sleuthing pair of cat detectives, travel to Georgian London and join a mission to solve a dangerous mystery, and share adventures with a small boy in a world of giants with a sunshine collection of new children’s books

Age 7 plus
Our Time on Earth
Lily Murray and Jesse Hodgson

WE are all on Earth but for a fleeting moment… and yet no two lives are the same! From the delicate mayfly, which lives for just a few precious hours, to the death-defying immortal jellyfish, author Lily Murray and illustrator Jesse Hodgson work their magic on this fantastic and fascinating celebration of animal life cycles and all creatures big and small.

Bestselling children’s author Murray explores lifespans across the animal kingdom, beginning with the very shortest lifespans and ending with the longest. From the incredible monarch butterfly, the mysterious axolotl, the grand Galápagos tortoise, Our Time on Earth offers an array of uplifting and eye-opening facts, revealing creatures born within days of their mothers and others that stay infantile for almost one hundred years. Discover why the lives of some animals are cut brutally short and why for some creatures, like a North Atlantic clam called the ocean quahog, their time on Earth can stretch to four hundred years or, in the case of the deep-sea glass sponge, over a staggering 11,000 years!

But perhaps the most amazing of them all is the immortal jellyfish, a tiny jellyfish no bigger than a little fingernail, which scientists discovered in the late 1980s and was found to be able to regenerate itself from one life cycle into another. Highly-commended artist Hodgson’s stunning, atmospheric illustrations perfectly capture each animal in their natural habitat, making this an ideal way to help children appreciate and understand the diversity of life.
(Big Picture Press, hardback, £15.99)

Age 7 plus
Marvellous Body: A Magic Lens Book
Jane Wilsher and Andrés Lozano

WHO would have thought you could look inside a book and take a tour of the hidden and intricate workings of your body? Always ready to come up with the most ingenious ways to make learning fun as well as informative, What on Earth Books provide a devilishly clever peep inside human organs and systems to explore how we breathe, move, think, twist, stretch… and even how and why we hiccough! Using a see-through magic lens, Marvellous Body lets youngsters discover how our bodies function, see the different body parts hard at work inside us, and learn about how to look after their own physical and mental health at the same time. Find out how your senses work with your brain to show us the world around us, discover which part of your brain controls memory, how your muscles make you move, how doctors and nurses spot diseases, and how we turn food (like pizzas!) into energy... and poo. Acting much like an X-ray or microscope, the magic lens offers an exciting extra by showing all the elements and systems of the human body that are covered by skin, hair and nails, and reminding children that bodies come in all shapes and sizes, and with different abilities or disabilities. From brain power and heart function to keeping fighting fit and learning about the importance of genes and DNA, this brilliant book comes with source information, a guide to what parts of the body to look for, and helpful notes on how to keep healthy and happy. Add on Jane Wilsher’s witty and engaging text, which explains all the scientific concepts in simple terms, perfectly partnered by Andrés Lozano’s bright and child-friendly illustrations, and this magnificent and marvellous book is the ideal gift for budding scientists and anatomists, and any inquisitive child.
(What on Earth Books, hardback, 14.99)

Age 8 plus
What Do You See When You Look At a Tree?
Emma Carlisle

HAVE you ever sat in the shade of a big, old tree and wondered who might have gazed up at its branches down the years? As summer brings its bright skies and long, hot days, it seems the perfect time to reflect on our connection with nature and its ability to bring both comfort and joy. So immerse yourself in this gentle picture book that encourages children to explore our human connection with nature. What Do You See When You Look At a Tree?, published in association with the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, explores themes of empathy, mindfulness and personal growth through the eyes of a child.

‘What do you see when you look at a tree? Leaves and twigs and branches? Or do you see a real, living thing, That moves, and breathes and dances?’

Beautifully written in a lyrical, rhyming verse, and fabulously illustrated by the award-winning author and artist Emma Carlisle, this timely and reflective book urges young readers to reconnect with nature by asking questions that encourage critical thinking and reflection on their own development, as well as helping to establish a deeper appreciation of the environment and their place within it. Carlisle’s watercolour and hand-finished artwork, in a stunning palette of colours, draws parallels to Charlie Mackesy’s bestselling illustrated book, The Boy, The Mole, The Fox And The Horse, which was the 2019 Waterstones Book of the Year, and evokes the classic nostalgia of E.H. Shephard’s much-loved Winnie-the-Pooh. Mindfulness tips and information about trees are included at the back, making this the perfect gift book for both adults and children to read, share and treasure.
(Big Picture Press, hardback, £12.99)

Age 8 plus
The After School Detective Club: The Secret of Ragnar’s Gold
Mark Dawson and Ben Mantle

THEY might not be the ‘famous five,’ but the four members (and a dog called Sherlock!) of the After School Detective Club are certainly sleuthing in the footsteps of Enid Blyton’s eternally popular adventurers. Welcome back to another thrilling case for a crime-cracking gang of youngsters who are doing for Suffolk what the Famous Five did for Cornwall. The After School Detective Club is the brainchild of bestselling author Mark Dawson and award-winning illustrator Ben Mantle, and features a delightful modern twist on a classic favourite. The series stars four friends, Lucy, Max, Charlie (plus his faithful dog Sherlock) and Joe, and in this new adventure, they can’t believe their luck when they get the chance to stay in a castle for their Easter holidays. And Ufford Castle is everything they had hoped for, with a moat and an ancient burial mound that gives it an air of mystery. But things aren’t what they seem and a treacherous discovery in the grounds reveals a 300-year-old treasure map. The race is on. The After-School Detective Club is in pursuit of Ragnar’s gold… a hoard of treasure said to have been buried by a Viking warrior and guarded by his demon hound. But is someone else going to get there first? Dawson reveals that Ufford Castle is based on Orford Castle on the Suffolk coast and that Ragnar Lothbrok was a real Viking hero who carried out many fierce raids along the coasts of Britain. Add on danger, daring, detective work, friendships and fun to some real, exciting history, and there is so much to enjoy in this thrill-a-minute adventure series! 
(Welbeck Flame, paperback, £6.99)

Age 8 plus
Kitty Quest: Trial by Tentacle
Phil Corbett 

EVERY picture has a laugh-out-loud moment in storyteller and illustrator extraordinaire Phil Corbett’s fantastic, cat-tastic new adventure with a super-sleuthing pair of feline detectives. Billed as Dog Man meets the Lord of the Rings, this epic laugh-out-loud graphic novel series about two aspiring monster slayers is packed full of cat-fuelled comedy and action thrills and spills. In the second adventure, the islands of Pawdor are in peril once again. Ferocious sea monsters have been spotted on shore, and the townsfolk of Meowminster are in a complete panic. Luckily, Kitty Quest are ready to protect the land. So what if Woolfrik and Perigold are the only guild members (besides their mentor who is a ghost) and it’s just their second week on the job? How are these two amateur heroes supposed to stop a whole army of tentacled beasts? It may just take some quick thinking, a whole lot of luck, and a little help from the most unexpected of places. In order to save all of kitty-kind, Woolfrik and Perigold are going to have to learn to work together and prove that two heads are better than one. Youngsters will be purring with joy when they get their paws on this feast of visual colour and verbal cat antics as the laughter levels rise on every page and our furry heroes face their biggest trial yet. Reading purrfection for action fans!
(Simon & Schuster Children’s Books, paperback, £8.99)

Age 8 plus
Small!
Hannah Moffatt 

BEING a small boy in a world of giants can cause some BIG problems! There are plenty of outsized laughs to enjoy – and lots of beautiful moments to hug to your heart – in a fabulous comic debut novel from Hannah Moffatt, creative director at a language and behavioural science consultancy. Harnessing her knowledge, imagination and empathy, Moffatt brings us a truly daffy and delightful tall tale full of weird and wacky characters that seem to have come straight out of a Grimms’ fairy story, but fuelled by rocket-boosting giggles. When Harvey Small accidentally sets fire to his headteacher’s trousers, Mum decides it’s time for a big change. She buys him a pair of stilts, a pair of sludge-brown dungarees and a green velvet top hat, and packs him off to Madame Bogbrush’s School for Gifted Giants. But Harvey is not a giant… he’s a ten-year-old boy on stilts. And if his giant classmates, who don’t like Smalls, find out, they will stomp him into a sandwich! Then the Beastly School Board arrives for a surprise inspection and Harvey realises that he’s not the only one in danger. With themes of divorce, isolation and bullying sensitively explored, and the brilliant illustrations of Rory Walker to bring Harvey and his world to life, this clever, creative book is fun from first to last, and guaranteed to win the hearts of readers young and old.
(Everything with Words, paperback, £6.99)

Age 8 plus
The Lizzie and Belle Mysteries: Drama and Danger
J.T. Williams

TAKE a trip back in time to Georgian London and join two young Black girls on a mission to solve a dangerous mystery in a thrilling debut detective series from freelance writer and educator J.T. Williams. The heroines of the Lizzie and Belle Mysteries are based on Lizzie Sancho, the real-life daughter of exuberant 18^th century letter writer and abolitionist Ignatius Sancho, and Dido Belle of Kenwood House on Hampstead Heath, who was born to an African mother and British father, and was great-niece to the Earl of Mansfield, the Lord Chief Justice. In an atmospheric, action-packed story set in London’s theatre land, we follow the two 12-year-old girls as they investigate a baffling mystery, and fight to protect their friendship, families and freedom. Lizzie Sancho and Dido Belle are from different worlds. Lizzie lives in bustling Westminster in her dad’s tea shop, while Belle is an heiress being brought up by her aunt and uncle and living a quiet life at grand Kenwood House… but they both share a love of solving mysteries. And when their eyes meet in the audience of the Drury Lane theatre one night, both girls are sure they have seen something suspicious on stage. Lizzie and Belle soon find themselves on the trail of a mystery, and becoming best friends. But can they work out what’s going on in time to prevent a murder? With two brave and determined girls – from contrasting backgrounds – leading the action, and the fascinating streets of Georgian London brought vividly to life, this exciting historical series is both a reading delight and an inspiration for children to explore their own hidden histories.
(Farshore, paperback, £7.99)

Age 6 plus
Aziza’s Secret Fairy Door and the Mermaid’s Treasure
Lola Morayo and Cory Reid

STEP back into the magical world of adventure created by Lola Morayo and Cory Reid in the fourth book of a fun-filled, heartwarming series for younger readers. Lola Morayo is the pen name for the creative partnership of writers Tólá Okogwu and Jasmine Richards who are both passionate about telling stories that are inclusive and joyful and were inspired to write this inspirational series by fairies and creatures from world mythology. Here we find Aziza excitedly packing her suitcase ready to go on holiday when she finds sand and seashells from the secret fairy door all over her room. Before long, she is stepping through the door and into Shimmerton, a magical world with princesses, naughty fairies, shapeshifters, unicorn shopkeepers and mischief around every corner. And this time there is drama on the beach where naughty fairies, the Gigglers, are causing havoc by accidentally awakening an ancient shell-walker who has been asleep for many years under the sand. Everyone scatters as the shell-walker grows bigger and bigger. What can be done? Aziza’s new mermaid friend might just know someone who could help. Gorgeously illustrated throughout by Cory Reid’s vibrant black and white illustrations, this is the perfect summertime read for your own young adventurers!
(Macmillan Children’s Books, paperback, £6.99)

Age 3 plus
Five Bears
Catherine Rayner

WHEN five bears meet each other on their travels one day, they all seem to be very different. But looks prove to be deceptive in this beautiful, big-hearted picture book from CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal winner Catherine Rayner. Ideal for youngsters who have grown up in lockdown, and may be nervous about starting nursery or school, Rayner’s celebration of difference and acceptance puts the joys of friendship firmly in the picture. Bear is walking through the forest, minding his own business and just being a bear when he comes across another bear. Other Bear is different and Bear feels nervous, a little wary and just a bit unsure. The two bears wander along, thinking different thoughts, and looking in different directions. Soon the two bears come across another bear, and then another, and eventually find a bear stuck in a tree. And when they talk to one another, and laugh and listen to each other, the bears realise that perhaps they aren’t so different after all and perhaps they could all be friends. The magic of Rayner’s fresh, richly expressive and painterly illustrations, and the poignancy of the growing mutual understanding and empathy of the five bears, springs to glorious life in her talented hands, making this a gift book that all the family can share and treasure.
(Macmillan Children’s Books, hardback, £12.99)

Age 3 plus
The Knight With the Blazing Bottom
Beach

IT'S bottoms up again with a wind-blown fairy tale series that delivers fart-tastic fun and explosive action in rhyming spadefuls! The Knight With the Blazing Bottom – which follows on from the hilarious The Dragon with the Blazing Bottom – is the work of former pizza chef and now children’s author and illustrator Beach whose anarchic comedy is winning the hearts and minds of thousands of young mischief-makers. ‘Our story begins with a knight on the town, Sir Wayne seemed happy, but Dragon was down.' ‘It’s just so unfair,’ he said to his friend. ‘Each time I breathe fire it comes out the wrong end!’ Sir Wayne and Dragon are still endeavouring to get Dragon’s flame round the right way. Luckily Wayne knows just what to do but is doing everything in reverse all day long really a good idea? And when they start to dress as each other, swapping everything round, what on earth might happen?! Youngsters will be blown away by this new chapter in the lives of the chaotic Sir Wayne and Dragon which comes with madcap adventures, a gallery of bold and colourful illustrations and a truly explosive finale!
(Simon & Schuster Children’s Books, paperback, £6.99)

Age 3 plus
Strong
Clara Anganuzzi

‘YOUR strength comes from being true to yourself.’ That’s the message that speaks loudly and clearly in a beautiful, thoughtful picture book from author and illustrator Clara Anganuzzi who was raised in the stunning Seychelles Islands. Maurice is different to the other dragons who like to bare their sharp teeth, stretch their pointed wings and parade their magnificent horns. He isn’t very scary, and he doesn’t like to breathe fire or snarl or growl. In fact, what Maurice loves most in the world is flowers! But will the others ever accept him for who he really is? Anganuzzi’s enchanting story of self-discovery celebrates being the odd one out, and embraces all the different ways you can be brave… like using your creativity to help others. With a story steeped in kindness, courage and empowerment, and gorgeous, rainbow-coloured artwork featuring a world of fiery dragons and mesmerising magic, this is the perfect book to introduce your little ones to the idea that it’s OK to be different.
(Caterpillar Books, hardback, £11.99)

Age 3 plus
Look to the Skies
Nicola Edwards and Hannah Tolson

TRAVEL with the amazing monarch butterfly on its epic migration across North America to find warmer climes in Mexico in a stunning, multi-coloured picture book from author Nicola Edwards and illustrator Hannah Tolson. ‘In borderless blue skies, bright butterflies roam, Travelling three thousand long miles from home.’ With Edwards’ lyrical, rhyming text, Tolson’s engaging, quirky and richly detailed artwork, and an array of intriguing peek-through holes to enjoy, Look to the Skies takes young readers on an amazing adventure through cities, mountains and finally to the majestic monarch butterflies’ perfect microclimate in the now sadly endangered oyamel fir forests of Mexico. Vibrant and uplifting, this gorgeous picture book is a life-affirming celebration of the simple joys of looking up, and a reminder of the fragility of our planet’s ecosystem and the urgent need to conserve nature’s wonders.
(Caterpillar Books, paperback, £7.99)

The Duchess

Wendy Holden

IT started off as the most exciting adventure of her life… an open door to the top echelons of British society and an affair with the golden, glamorous Prince of Wales. But for the American parvenu Wallis Simpson, the dream is about to become a nightmare because the old king has died, her lover is the new monarch, and now she feels trapped in a world she never wanted to be permanent.

The story of the scandalous relationship between the mercurial heir to the throne and his married Stateside mistress gets a new and compelling twist in the second book of bestselling author Wendy Holden’s (pictured below) historical fiction series about ‘difficult women’ in the House of Windsor.

The first book of this fascinating series, The Governess, fictionalised the long-buried story of Marion ‘Crawfie’ Crawford, childhood governess to the Queen, and the third, The Princess, will feature the lesser-known early years of Diana, Princess of Wales. But here, Holden paints an intriguing portrait of the spirited, stylish woman who has been blamed for the abdication of King Edward VIII… and, daringly, imagines Wallis as an unwitting victim of a man who never wanted to be king and deliberately used their affair as an escape route from his royal destiny.

Set against the gilded backdrop of the aristocratic social scene in pre-war London – a place of wealth, wild parties, dining on foie gras, and drinking Pol Roger champagne at the Ritz – Holden’s enthralling story weaves between the early Thirties and the funeral of Edward, Duke of Windsor, in 1972 to bring this history-changing chapter of British royal history to vivid life.

When 34-year-old Wallis Simpson arrives in London with her new husband, Ernest, from New York, she is eager to start a new life after a tricky few years, including a divorce from her abusive first husband.

But to the lively American, eager for fun, London seems cold, dull and unfriendly, and although Ernest is a kind and honourable man who adores her, his family shipping firm is in trouble and money is tight. Wallis longs for parties,

A Golden Cornish Summer

Phillipa Ashley

WHEN heartbroken teenager Emma Pelistry left her family home in the picturesque seaside settlement of Silver Cove fifteen years ago, it was under a dark cloud that has never really lifted. But now the successful freelance illustrator has returned for the first time to the golden place which had seemed forever tarnished by a feud that tore apart her beloved family, and ended the relationship that she thought was her forever romance. Can Emma recapture her lost past… or has her life hit yet another brick wall?

If it’s warm sunshine and the addictive charms of a stunning coastal idyll you’re after this summer, escape into an addictive tale – featuring two star-crossed lovers – from the pen of Phillipa Ashley (pictured below), the queen of Cornish fiction.

Ashley’s literary love affair with beautiful Cornwall has included A Perfect Cornish Summer, A Perfect Cornish Christmas and A Perfect Cornish Escape, and now a gorgeous new series, which began with An Endless Cornish Summer, delivers the same heady mix of sapphire seas, hidden coves and golden beaches. A the heart of this bright and beautiful summer sparkler – filled with warm friendships, second chances and an irresistibly salty tang – is thirty-two-year-old Emma Pelistry who leaves the city behind and heads for a quiet fishing village on the Lizard peninsula in Cornwall.

Emma adored her early years at Silver Cove in Falford but the discovery of sunken treasure, from a ship which foundered in the cove, ignited a feud between her family and the family of her first love, Luke Kerr, and everything seemed to disintegrate. Heartbroken and betrayed, her parents divorced shortly afterwards and aged just seventeen, Emma fled.

But now the death of her estranged father, and a break-up with her boyfriend Theo in Oxford, has led Emma back to Silver Cove where she will stay in a lodge owned by her former schoolfriend Maxi while working on a commission to illustrate a high-end book about the Cornish coast.

And as she wades into the sea, which laps the shore ‘like liquid mercury and paints the rocks a silvery hue,’ she remembers everything she loved about this beautiful village and her nearby childhood home, the Old Chapel. Distracted by the view, Emma is suddenly knocked over by a huge wave and, cold and dripping, is rescued by none other than Luke who, to her dismay, is now a ‘fantasy, cover-model version’ of the boy she fell in love with 15 years ago. After a spell in the navy, 

Luke is now the joint owner of a dive school at Silver Cove and Emma is shocked to discover that he also lives in and owns her former home. As their paths continue to cross, and Emma is

CHILDREN'S BOOKS: Storytelling heroes, the beastly truth and a chess wizard

Enjoy being the hero of your own fairytale, dig into fascinating facts from the hidden world of minibeasts, and thrill to a life-and-death chess game with a sunshine array of books

Age 3 plus
Once Upon a...Fairytale
Natalia O'Hara
and Lauren O’Hara

HAVE you ever wanted to be the hero of your own story? Well here’s your chance… an exciting book that has an adventure around every corner and lets you do, see and be whatever you want! Once Upon a Fairytale is the fourth brilliant book from stellar sibling team, author Natalia O’Hara and illustrator Lauren O’Hara, and it puts young readers firmly at centre stage as they get to decide on their very own magical adventure.

All is peaceful in fairyland until a villain puts a curse on the realm. Now the wise queen needs a hero to go on an adventure, defeat the villain and break the curse. Simply create your own enchanting story and be the hero of a unique fairytale. Choose to live in a tower on a windy hill, in a tree in a playground, or in a creepy, crumbly shack. Maybe you would love to be a clever princess, a curious gingerbread man, or perhaps even a gentle knight. You can eat fresh-buttered sunbeams with fairies, share newt pie and pigtail pudding with ogres, or ride a unicorn across the sunlit sky.

The storytelling possibilities are endless in this ingenious book which empowers youngsters to let their imaginations take flight to fairyland and to enjoy a brand new adventure every time they pick up the book. Add on the joy of Lauren O’Hara’s bold, colourful and action-packed illustrations, and you have the key to a captivating, never-ending adventure!
(Macmillan Children’s Books, hardback, £12.99)

Age 7 plus
Everything You Know About Minibeasts is Wrong!
Dr Nick Crumpton and Gavin Scott

IF you believe that all minibeasts are teeny-weeny, then you’d better think again! Minibeast fans will quickly become minibeast experts with this informative, inventive, entertaining and BIG-sized book about some of the world’s most fascinating insects. Two-thirds of all the species of animals that scientists have discovered on Earth are insects… that adds up to more than 200 million insects for every single human being on the planet. And they are everywhere – living in fresh water, in the air, under the ground and in the oceans. And what about all those supposedly true facts about minibeasts… bees die when they sting you, centipedes have one hundred legs, cockroaches are indestructible, butterflies emerge from cocoons, and crustaceans only live in water.

Well, forget what you thought was true because zoologist Dr Nick Crumpton is here to reveal that those ‘facts’ are WRONG and to help readers dig out the truth. From uncovering incredible insect architects to debunking the notion that you sometimes eat spiders in your sleep, this in-depth, ingenious book takes a close-up tour of the world of creepy-crawlies and reveals the truth behind the many common myths about minibeasts. With a fascinating, friendly, easy-to-understand text by Crumpton, and Gavin Scott’s richly detailed and colourful artwork on every page, this hardback gift book, complete with a stunningly tactile cover, will turn young nature lovers into the next generation of entomologists! Also available in this series is Everything You Know About Dinosaurs is Wrong!
(Nosy Crow, hardback, £12.99)

Age 8 plus
The Clockwork Queen
Peter Bunzl and Lia Visirin

THE supercharged brain of award-winning author Peter Bunzl whirrs into action again for a thrilling and atmospheric historical adventure courtesy of specialist publisher Barrington Stoke. Set at the dangerous and turbulent court of Russian Empress Catherine the Great, and inspired by the true story of the ‘Mechanical Turk’ – an 18^th century automaton that fascinated audiences by appearing to play chess – this rollercoaster adventure is a thrill ride not to be missed. Chess prodigy Sophie Peshka inherited her love of the game from her grandmaster father. But now that he has been imprisoned in the dungeons of the Winter Palace in St Petersburg by powerful Empress Catherine the Great, Sophie must use all her strategic skill and cunning to help him escape. Part of Sophie’s plan involves an incredible chess-playing automaton called the Clockwork Queen, but will the Queen be able to outwit the Empress in a game where the stakes are a matter of life and death? Bunzl started his career as an animator and film-maker working on everything from commercials to BAFTA‑winning children’s TV programmes, and The Clockwork Queen is full of all the visual drama and rich imagination that have brought him such success in his career as a children’s author. Harnessing the kind of mechanical wizardry he employed in his wonderful Cogheart series, and opening an intriguing window into the game of chess for young readers, Bunzl’s gripping, suspense-packed tale is brought to life by the stunning illustrations of artist Lia Visirin, and is published in Barrington Stoke’s trademark dyslexia-friendly format.
(Barrington Stoke, paperback, £7.99)

Age 8 plus
Knight Sir Louis and the Sorcerer of Slime!
The Brothers McLeod

IF it’s crazy fun you’re looking for this summer, mount your steed and join the charge with the third book in a hilarious, illustrated series from BAFTA award-winning sibling duo, The Brothers McLeod. The Knight Sir Louis adventures have been dubbed Monty Python and the Holy Grail for middle grade readers… and it’s easy to see why! Brimming with inventive storytelling, laugh-out-loud jokes, choose-your-own adventures, and madcap comic strip illustrations, this is a masterclass in crackpot comedy. Knight Sir Louis is the bravest knight at King Burt the Not Bad’s Castle Sideways. He has defeated evil goblins, horrible wizards, a dastardly damsel and a double-headed dragon (but please nobody mention wasps, Knight Sir Louis is absolutely NOT afraid of them). In this new, rollicking adventure, King Burt is in a huff with Knight Sir Louis so when a stranger with piercing green eyes and a devastating smile arrives at Castle Sideways, King Burt is thrilled and demotes Louis to chief cleaner. But Louis is suspicious about the stranger, Squire Lyme, with his charming compliments and endless supply of green gummies. With the help of his friends Reader Catalogue (a super-smart boar with a degree in Weird Botany), Pearlin (a self-taught wizard), his haiku-loving, flying robot horse, Clunkalot, as well as a few ogres and gnomes, our hero determines to get to the slimy bottom of things. Can Louis’ calm courage overcome the terrifying Sorcerer of Slime and save the day… again? The Brothers McLeod (otherwise known as author Myles and illustrator Greg) dish up another raucous romp full of super-silly sword play, bone-crunching action, and hilarious heroes as Louis and his friends save the day again. Sublimely funny and seriously entertaining, this is the ideal way to get your youngsters hooked on reading… and medieval mischief!
(Guppy Books, paperback, £6.99)

Age 8 plus
Escape to the River Sea
Emma Carroll and Katie Hickey

COMBINE all the vibes of a classic masterpiece with a thrilling, animal-packed adventure that speaks loudly and movingly about the threats to our precious rainforests, and what do you have? The fabulous Escape to the River Sea, a rich and imaginative evocation of Eva Ibbotson’s award-winning book, Journey to the River Sea, which was written over twenty years ago and brought to life the author’s memorable vision of the extraordinary beauty of journeying through the Amazon. And what a mesmerising, thrilling sequel this is from bestselling historical fiction author Emma Carroll who uses Ibbotson’s story as her inspiration and endows it with a timely eco warning, and a fresh and invigorating post-war twist. In 1946, Rosa Sweetman, a young Kindertransport girl, is longing for her family to claim her. The war in Europe is over and she is the only child left at Westwood, a rambling country estate in the north of England where she took refuge seven years earlier. The arrival of a friend of the family, Yara Fielding, starts an adventure that will take Rosa deep into the lush beauty of the Amazon rainforest in search of jaguars, ancient giant sloths and somewhere to belong. What she finds is Yara’s lively, welcoming family on the banks of the river and, together, they face a danger greater than she could ever have imagined. Fans of Ibbotson’s book will love discovering what happened to the children of the original stars, orphan girl Maia, and Finn, the mysterious boy who lived alone on the wild river shores of the Amazon. With the stunning artwork of Katie Hickey on the book cover, a richly imagined and magical story that children will return to again and again, and its important messages about saving the rainforests, this is both a super gift book and a wonderful teaching aid.
(Macmillan Children’s Books, hardback, £12.99)

Age 7 plus
Action Dude
Andy Riley

IF you think Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham and Die Hard-era Bruce Willis are the coolest action heroes in town… you obviously haven’t met Charlie Munderdrew. Sorry, that should read Action Dude because he’s changed his name! Emmy-winning screenwriter and million-copy-selling author and artist Andy Riley is on his best imaginative form with a fantastic, laugh-out-loud graphic novel that is packed full of explosions and friendship and fun… and yet more explosions! Star of this comic caper fest is the eponymous Action Man. First Name… Action. Second Name… Dude. He lives for danger, he lives for excitement, he also lives with his mum because he’s only nine years old. Action Dude is always jumping out of helicopters, crashing ships, running along the tops of cranes and walking out of buildings just before they explode. He’s the bravest action hero there ever was… except that he’s terrified of spiders. (But don’t ever tell anyone that!) When the robots in a new theme park go haywire, the city needs a hero. It’s up to Action Dude to come to the rescue. After all, no one else is crazy enough to just walk in there and save everyone! Action Dude – the first of three books by the author and artist of the hilarious King Flashypants series – is a riot of slapstick comedy, anarchic action and crazy characters. Ideal reading for your own all-action mischief-makers!
(Welbeck Flame, paperback, £7.99)

Age 7 plus
Freddy The Superstar
Neill Cameron

BEING different to everybody else at your school isn’t always easy when you are the most super-amazing, superhero robot with super-awesome powers! There can’t be too many ‘superlatives’ when it comes to much-loved comics creator Neill Cameron’s fully illustrated Awesome Robot Chronicles. This is a series which positively fizzes with fun, firepower and frantic antics, but also cleverly celebrates unity, uniqueness and diversity. Freddy The Superstar is the third laugh-out-loud adventure with rocket-boosting Freddy and finds him and his pals, not least long-suffering Riyad, getting involved in the school science fair. Naturally, his robot abilities means Freddy is suddenly the centre of attention… and Freddy one hundred per cent loves that! But will Freddy let this brush with fame go to his head? Of course he will… but that might not go down so well with his friends! Cameron once again turns on his own creative boosters as he cleverly balances moments of pure comedy with insightful lessons on negotiating friendships, stepping out of the spotlight to let others shine, and tackling the tricky emotions of growing up. With its quirky, comic-strip style narrative and format, illustrations that zing with humour and energy, and a cast of lovable and empathetic heroes, this entertaining and inspirational series is ideal for both avid and reluctant readers.
(David Fickling Books, paperback, £6.99)

Age 7 plus
Panda in the Spotlight
Sarah Horne

THE best of friendships can be formed in the most unexpected ways! Take Callum Campbell… life is good for Callum’s family and Pudding, their real-life panda, who escaped from the zoo and arrived as the live-in nanny, but is now their very best friend and a BIG part of the family. Share laughter, love and lashings of knockabout fun with the second book of author and illustrator Sarah Horne’s adorable and heart-warming adventure series starring a panda whose great talent is talking… and acting! In their new outing in the spotlight, Pudding and Dad’s hit stage show, Panda-mime, has been wowing audiences… but then ambitious journalist, Penni P, twigs that Pudding is a real-life talking panda. If she exposes the truth, her story will be everywhere and the family will be in big trouble. Penni woos the family with false promises of fame and fortune in Hollywood in order to find her proof. Soon, everyone is starry-eyed except Callum. Can he expose Penni and stop her from breaking the story that could tear his family apart? Panda in the Spotlight is a delight for both children and grown-ups… a big, furry, panda-sized bear hug with pawfuls of comedy, fabulous illustrations and some important messages about childhood, anxiety, belonging, truth and the reassuring warmth of family love.
(Chicken House, paperback, £6.99)

Age 3 plus
The Upside-Down Detective Agency
Ellie Hattie and Brendan Kearney

CAN two super-sleuthing sloths (slowly but surely) save the day when a thief puts the brakes on a fast-moving racing car driver? Budding detectives will love putting their skills to the test in this fast and furious, slow and steady interactive crime caper from top author and illustrator team Ellie Hattie and Brendan Kearney. Stop thief! Someone has stolen the diamond warp drive from Lady Velocity Speed’s car. Lady V is on the fast track to success but without the diamond warp, she’ll never win The Big Race. Can sleuthing sloths Stan and Stella crack the case? Maybe with a helping hand… and hey, reader, that’s you! Little ones will love helping this pair of topsy-turvy, crime-busting buddies crack their latest case. Packed with prompts, cues, hidden clues – and giggles – this intriguing, immersive adventure helps develop problem-solving techniques, encouraging little readers to take their time and try new perspectives. Hattie’s engaging and interactive narrative, and Kearney’s lively and intricately detailed illustrations are the perfect match for an adventure that will have little mystery fans raring to go!
(Little Tiger Press, hardback, £11.99)

Age 3 plus
The Mystery of the Golden Pyramid
Adela Norean and Aaron Cushley

A TALKING dog, a jewelled casket and a quest for stolen treasure! Mystery, excitement and adventure are never far away in this fabulous picture book – brimming with flaps to lift and holes to peep through – from the vivid imaginations of author Adela Norean and illustrator Aaron Cushley. When Sophie walks into the bedroom of her new home, she discovers an extraordinary dog called Ari waiting to take her on a magical Egyptian adventure full of puzzles, pharaohs, pyramids and precious amulets. Lift the flaps and peep through the intriguing holes to help her save King Nebra and solve the mystery of the golden pyramid. Norean’s spectacular, all-action mystery story is brought to glorious and colourful life by Cushley’s extraordinarily rich and detailed illustrations. Add on the eye-catching gold-foiled cover and you have the perfect, interactive book for your own little Ancient Egyptian adventurers!
(Little Tiger Press, paperback, £7.99)

Age 3 plus
Lionel and Me
Corinne Fenton and Tracie Grimwood

YOUNG and not-so-young, little and not-so-little, well-behaved and not-so-well-behaved… the best friendships can be formed from the strangest pairings! Australian author Corinne Fenton and fellow Aussie, illustrator Tracie Grimwood, team up for an enchanting and heartwarming picture book which celebrates the eternal joy of friendship and the rewards that come from being patient. When dachshund puppy Lionel arrives in his house, Maverick is unimpressed. Lionel seems to be getting all the family’s attention, eating tastier-looking food, and generally making everybody smile. Will there ever be enough love to go round for the two dogs? Fenton’s gentle, cautionary tale explores feelings of jealousy and compassion with humour and wisdom, while Grimwood’s charming, soulful illustrations bring all the action and emotions to life.
(New Frontier Publishing, paperback, £7.99)

Age 3 plus
Meadow and Marley’s Magical Mix
Katie Mantwa George and Natalie Creed

EVERYONE needs a sense of belonging and that is the powerful message that shines out from this beautiful and thoughtful picture. Written by diversity and inclusivity expert Katie Mantwa George, who has a British and South African heritage, and dedicated to her young niece and nephew, Meadow and Marley’s Magical Mix opens the door to empowering conversations with youngsters about their own mixed-heritage backgrounds. Meadow and Marley are on a mission to understand their heritage. When the lively duo head out on a trip to the market with their auntie, they discover there is so much to learn from delicious food and curious passers-by. In fact, the most important lesson of the children’s day out is discovering that their backgrounds are a magical mix. Brimming with the adorable and vibrant illustrations of South African artist Natalie Creed, this inspirational, action-packed adventure enables little ones, and their parents, to cultivate pride in a unique mixed-heritage background.
(Little Steps Publishing, paperback, £7.99)

Age 3 plus
You Can Be A Supercat
Rosamund Lloyd and Chris Dickason

YOUNGSTERS can practise their super-cuddle powers with this enchanting board book celebrating the power of kindness and friendship. Do you have a problem? Do you need a friend? Have no fear: Supercat is here! She’s the kindest puss on the planet. Our lovable, huggable superhero is here with one simple mission… to cheer up everyone with her super-sunny smile. This colourful board book – brimming with Rosamund Lloyd’s bouncy, rhyming text and Chris Dickason’s perfectly punchy illustrations – has a detachable, fun felt mask to pull out and wear. Packed full of sunny smiles, warm friendships and shared laughter, pre-schoolers will LOVE learning how to practise their own super-kind powers and to be budding superheroes!
(Little Tiger Press, board book, £7.99)

Age one plus
Touch and Learn Space
Becky Davies and Mei Stoyva

LET little fingers do the learning with this fun and educational board book which is simply out of this world. Touch and Learn Space is part of an early-learning series for toddlers. Each book contains soft felt finger trails with educational value, so little learners can trace and discover. Here, youngsters are invited to touch, trace and learn about space. Simply follow the felt finger trails to launch a rocket into space, orbit the sun like a planet and even bounce on the moon. This bright, interactive book is the perfect blend of learning and fun, with keywords to spot on every spread and stepped felt pages for toddlers to grasp and turn. There’s so much to spot in space! Also available: Touch and Learn Farm and Touch and Learn Things That Go.
(Little Tiger Press, board book, £7.99)

Age one plus
When Mummy Works
From Home
Paul Schofield and Anna Terreros-Martin

SINCE the Covid-19 pandemic, working from home is increasingly becoming the norm. But for parents of pre-schoolers, this can pose challenges for both grown-ups and children. So here are two delightful, rhyming board books from debut author Paul Schofield which capture all the mayhem and magic of home working, and help little ones to understand the concept of sharing their parents’ time (and energy!). Toddlers love to burst in on a video call and Mummy and Daddy would love to play, but they have to finish their work first. 

On the upside, there can be a kiss between calls and a sticky cuddle at lunchtime! 

With familiar domestic situations brought to vibrant life by Anna Terreros-Martin’s emotive illustrations, When Mummy Works From Home, and partner book When Daddy Works From Home, explore and celebrate some of these sometimes chaotic moments in a heartwarming and humorous way that will appeal to young readers. Ideal books for anyone returning to work after parental leave, or adjusting to home-working.

(Templar Publishing, board books, £6.99 each)

Age from birth
Vehicles
OKIDOKID and Liuna Virardi

OPPOSITES are part of everyday life and it’s a concept that children are never too young to learn. So here’s an inventive board book series that teaches little ones first opposites in the most delightful and entertaining way. Second in the series – which was created by OKIDOKID, an agency founded by Justine de Lagausie who now works hand-in-hand with children’s author Raphaël Martin – is Vehicles which lets little ones discover a world of opposites with things that go. From the highest hot air balloon to the lowest submarine, little hands will love lifting the flaps of this bright and chunky board book. Featuring the bright, stylish and quirky illustrations of Liuna Virardi and simple, accessible pairings ideal for language development, the book’s fold-out flaps transform the pictured scenes to make the opposite come to life. Simply lift, learn and explore, and look out for more books coming soon in this inventive opposite series.
(Little Tiger Press, board book, £6.99)