Learn how to be a word virtuoso, discover the fascinating history of four entangled nations, meet the new kid on the block who’s giving Harry Potter a run for his money, and find answers to all your most curious questions in a sunshine holiday collection of super children’s books
Age 8 plus
Britannica’s Word of the Day: 366 Utterly Elevating
Utterances to Stretch Your Cranium and Tickle Your Humerus
Patrick and Rennee Kelly, Sue Macy, Josy Bloggs, Emily Cox
and James Gibbs
BECOME a word virtuoso, an entrepreneur with pizzazz, or a renowned raconteur… and you’re sure to be an indubitable success!
If there are words that leave you befuddled, here’s your chance to impress your pals and widen your vocabulary… all in the space of one year. Simply turn the pages of this entertaining and beautifully illustrated book which features 366 crackerjack words, all carefully selected by the masterminds at Britannica Books to highlight the best of the English language.
Britannica Books is a reference imprint for young readers,
published in an exciting partnership between What on Earth Publishing and
Encyclopaedia Britannica, and this imaginative and cleverly conceived book aims
to help convert young readers into lifelong word lovers. Youngsters follow a menagerie of animals as they teach one
new word for each day of the year, including a pronunciation guide, definition,
sample sentence, and interesting trivia about the word’s usage or etymology. Each month concludes with an outlandish story (but with an
educational purpose) that features all the new words learned. Bursting with fun
and fascinating facts, delightful challenges, and surprising words,
Britannica’s Word of the Day will turn (young and older) word aficionados into
passionate logophiles!
(Britannica Books, hardback, £12.99)
Age 7 plus
Lands of Belonging: A History of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh
and Britain
Donna Amey Bhatt, Vikesh Amey Bhatt and Salini Perera
There are many ways of telling the same story, and how you tell it depends on your point of view. Some stories are so complicated, or difficult to explain, that they are not often told at all. Like the story of how a company ended up running a country, or how one man drawing a line on a map could change the lives of millions of people forever. Lands of Belonging aims to piece together the interesting, surprising, and sometimes very sad story of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, which were once all one country, and how these now separate countries have shaped one another over the centuries.
From exploring the vast empires and amazing inventions of
ancient India, to revealing the challenges faced by South Asian migrants to
Britain – or celebrating the amazing culture, innovations, inventions, and
achievements of British people of South Asian heritage today – the book shows
how the past, present and future of these four countries will always be
intertwined. With consultancy by Rajbir Hazelwood, historian of South
Asia and Modern Britain, children learn about the foundation of the East India
Company to India’s involvement in supporting Britain during both World Wars, to
India’s fight for independence and the British government’s decision to
Partition the country, resulting in the largest migration of people in history. From exploring India’s past and its empires and religions, through
British rule and on to independence, this stunning, gold-foiled book is ideal
as a gift, for school libraries, or to simply read, learn and enjoy at home.
(Nosy Crow, hardback, £14.99)
Age 9 plus
Spellstoppers
Cat Gray
THERE'S a new kid on the block this summer… and he’s giving
Harry Potter a run for his money! Escape into the fun and magic of a sparkling
summertime adventure from Irish-born author Cat Gray whose writing is inspired
by the magical moments of her own childhood. And in this atmospheric and
thrilling tale, which blends much-loved classic tropes with a cast firmly
rooted in a contemporary world, we travel to Yowling, a secretive seaside
village where magic is just one step away and meet Max who has spent years
thinking he is cursed because whenever he touches anything electrical it
explodes. But then he is sent to Yowling and discovers he is a Spellstopper,
someone with the rare ability to drain dangerous build-ups of magic and fix
misbehaving enchanted items. When Max’s Grandad is kidnapped by the cruel
Keeper of the malfunctioning magical castle that floats in the bay, only Max’s
gift can save him. Together with his new friend Kit, Max throws himself into an
adventure filled with villainous owls, psychic ice cream and man-eating
goldfish. But can he really pull off the biggest spellstop ever? Written with
all the fantasy and wonder that seduces young readers, Gray’s fast-paced,
all-action, twisting and turning adventure is brimming with spells, sorcerers
and selkies, and characters that children will take to their hearts. Explosive
magic for all middle-graders!
(Usborne Publishing, paperback, £7.99)
Age 8 plus
Hetty and the Battle of the Books
Anna James and Jez Tuya
FRIENDSHIP, libraries and books, books, books come under the
spotlight in author Anna James and illustrator Jez Tuya’s glorious love letter
to libraries. Hetty and the Battle of the Books – which features a charming and
heartfelt story about the trials and tribulations of a school friendship group and
their fight to save the school library from closure – comes from a writer who
believes passionately in the importance of school libraries. The library is
Hetty’s very favourite place in school and, since falling out with her best
friends Ali, Mei and Rocket, she has been spending even more time there. So she
is absolutely horrified when she learns that her head teacher is planning to
close it down, claiming there aren’t enough funds to keep the library going.
There is no way Hetty’s going to sit back and let this happen. But can she
repair her broken friendships and build support for her library campaign? Let
the Battle of the Books commence! Perfectly pitched to inspire youngsters to
learn to love books and libraries, and printed in in Barrington Stoke’s
trademark dyslexia-friendly format, this joyful celebration of youthful
determination is brought to life by Tuya’s vibrant and characterful
illustrations. Booked for success…
(Barrington Stoke, paperback, £6.99)
Age 7 plus
What About: Science
Bertrand Fichou, Marc Beynié
and Pascal Lemaitre
WHAT is the sound barrier, why is the sky blue, why do we
yawn and what’s inside a camel’s hump? Curious children love asking questions
so here’s the perfect book to give them the answers they want. What About:
Science is a fact-filled, full-colour question and answer book that explores
the many branches of science – including chemistry, physics, biology and geology
– and offers easy-to-understand answers to your youngsters’ questions in a fun,
quirky and child-friendly way. Discover if it’s possible to walk on Jupiter,
find out the difference between a lightning bolt and a lightning flash, learn
what’s inside your brain, and find out why the sea has tides. Authors Bertrand
Fichou and Marc Beynié provide readers with 80 pages of educational,
science-related facts and Pascal Lemaitre embellishes the learning game
with eye-catching, cartoon-style illustrations that entertain readers and help
them remember the important facts. Cleverly created to serve as either a family
or classroom read-aloud book, and with all the educational content reviewed by
a science expert, the science of learning has never been so much fun!
(Twirl Books, hardback, £12.99)
Age 7 plus
Little Badman and the Rise of the Punjabi Zombies
Humza Arshad, Henry White
and Aleksei Bitskoff
GET ready for more madcap fun, hilarious mischief and total
mayhem with the third, laugh-out-loud Little Badman adventure. Humza Arshad,
one of the UK’s most popular British Asian personalities, brilliant comedy
writer Henry White, and illustrator extraordinaire Aleksei Bitskoff, have been
winning belly laughs all round with these coruscating comic capers starring Humza
Khan, aka Little Badman, Eggington’s greatest rapper, and Umer and Wendy, his
crazy crew, who have already battled against alien slugs and time travelling
robots. But this time, Little Badman might have finally met his match as he starts
a new school. He’s already been out rap-battled by the school bully, laughed at
by his classmates… oh, and we haven’t even mentioned the ancient magical orb
causing havoc and very possibly leading to world destruction. At least Humza
has found someone to help with his homework. It’s just a shame this friend isn’t
exactly… alive! Expect zombies causing havoc, a world in danger from mass
destruction, and a new girl called Aisha as the gang are called on to save the
world yet again. Fast-paced comedy, heartwarming friendships and gigglesome
antics for all the family to enjoy!
(Puffin, paperback, £7.99)
Age 4 plus
Sometimes I’m a Baby Bear, Sometimes I’m a Snail: Ways to
Say How We Feel
Moira Butterfield and Gwen Millward
'Today I’m a Bear cub. I want to hug. I wouldn’t
mind a cuddly squeeze. I’m Bear cub, so yes, please!’
DEVELOPING emotional and social intelligence is a huge part of young children’s development, and parents are often left grappling with how best to discuss feelings of shyness, social anxiety and respect for physical boundaries with their pre-schoolers. So here’s a delightful picture book from author Moira Butterfield and illustrator Gwen Millward that gently and entertainingly explores the different ways to say how we feel. Sometimes a child feels cuddly like a baby bear or playful like a puppy but at other times, they would rather be quiet and alone like a snail, safe in its shell. Which animal do you feel like today? Using Millward’s superbly imagined and illustrated cast of animal characters – with their ultra-expressive faces and mimicry of human behaviour – Butterfield’s funny and child-friendly story gives little ones the tools to understand and express their own emotions, and to be sensitive to the feelings and boundaries of other children who might want their own space too. With input from a child psychologist, some simple tools for little children to deal with everyday situations and express and understand a range of feelings, and a final, helpful spread providing notes on encouraging children to use the animal idea to express their feelings, this is a must-have book for parents, teachers and carers.
(Welbeck Editions, hardback, £12.99)
Age 3 plus
Lifesize Baby Animals
Sophy Henn
WE all see pictures of adorable baby animals… but how big
are they really, and how would you measure up against them? Award-winning
author and illustrator Sophy Henn takes little ones on an exciting and
revealing lifesize adventure in the third book of a fun, creative and educational
non-fiction, picture book series which lets youngsters see animals at their
actual size, and discover curious facts about their habitats and behaviours. Simply
step into this fabulously illustrated, large-format book and see how you
measure up against some of the world’s most amazing baby animals. Go eye to eye
with a baby blue whale, snuggle up with some red panda cubs, and open the fold-out
pages to discover a lifesize baby African elephant! This interactive and
original journey into the animal world features lifesize illustrations of some
of the smallest and largest baby animals in the world and invites children to
think about how they compare with these amazing creatures. With Henn’s playful
text, her rich detailed and energetic, colourful illustrations, and a clever
introduction to measurement featuring an inventive baby animal size chart, this
is the ideal fit for your curious youngsters. And don’t miss the other books in
the series… Lifesize and Lifesize Dinosaurs.
(Farshore, paperback, £8.99)
Where Has All The Cake Gone?
Andrew Sanders and Aysha Awwad
(Macmillan Children’s Books, hardback, £12.99)
Age 3 plus
The Worry Tiger
Alexandra Page and Stef Murphy
WE all have worries… but how do you help a young child to
cope with these natural anxieties? Author Alexandra Page and illustrator Stef
Murphy, the talented duo behind the outstanding picture book, The Fire Fox,
turn their talents to another moving and atmospheric tale which offers little
ones soothing, mindful messages to calm their youthful fears. It’s
show-and-tell tomorrow and Rory can’t sleep because he is anxious… he doesn’t
have anything special to share with the class. But everything changes when Rory
meets his very own worry tiger. ‘Try this,’ says the tiger. ‘See how quiet you
can be. Tiptoe like a tiger and tell me what you see.’ Soon he is breathing
deep to smell the jungle scents, stretching to join the monkeys high up in the
trees and listening carefully to the creatures all around. And not only does he
sleep soundly… he finally has a picture and a story to share with the class.
Exquisitely illustrated by Murphy and with Page’s gentle, calming rhyme, The
Worry Tiger has a gorgeous gold-foiled cover, includes a set of fun and easy
mindfulness exercises at the back of the book, and will help children to relax
and speak about what might be feeding their anxiety. Picture perfect and a joy
to read aloud.
(Two Hoots, hardback, £12.99)
Age 2 plus
Little Tiger: Amazing Animal Tales
Baby Koala: Amazing Animal Tales
Anne Rooney and Carolina Rabei
WE all see pictures of adorable baby animals… but how big are they really, and how would you measure up against them? The ever-inventive book boffins at Oxford University Press have worked their magic on an exciting and innovative new picture book series which delivers incredible baby animal survival stories and optional flaps which open to reveal amazing facts. And hot from the jungle is Little Tiger who loves to play, pounce and explore with his family… but sometimes his adventures can get him into a spot of trouble! The heartwarming story – illustrated by Carolina Rabei and featuring an animal family living in the wild – has big flaps to open and tiger facts to discover but can also be enjoyed with the flaps closed.
Little ones will love lifting the big flaps where they can find out if they are taller than a tiger’s tail, and there’s a line of marching ants to spot on every page. And in Amazing Animal Tales: Baby Koala, illustrated by Qu Lan, we meet a little koala who likes to stay close to Mum as the pair snuggle up together, safe in the top of a eucalyptus tree. But one day, when danger threatens, Baby Koala must be brave and bold. Youngsters will delight in meeting the koala and her family, and there’s the fun of measuring their finger against a tiny newborn koala and spotting a feathertail glider (or pygmy gliding possum) on every page. Fun, facts and furry delights!(Oxford University Press, paperback, £7.99 each)
Age 2 plus
Cars Cars Cars!
Donna David and Nina Pirhonen
BUCKLE up your seatbelt, and say ready, steady, go!
Youngsters will love the thrill ride as they follow fifty colourful cars along
the road, up, down, around and back again on a busy rhyming adventure. Cars
Cars Cars! is the second book in a super, interactive picture book series that
began with Trains Trains Trains! and is now speeding down the track with little
readers at the wheel. Fast cars, slow cars, ready steady go cars… which do you
like best and can you find your favourite? Car-mad pre-schoolers can enjoy spotting
and counting fun all the way with this bright, joyful and informative picture
book from author Donna David and illustrator Nina Pirhonen. There are different
cars to follow and count on every page, and take your foot off the brake for an
exciting fold-out race at the end. These pre-school picture books have been
specially developed to encourage pre-reading skills and expand language and
vocabulary. And with a Did You Spot? challenge at the end of the book, reading
tips for parents and carers, a super-shiny foil cover, David’s fun, read-aloud
text, and Pirhonen’s busy, colourful illustrations, Cars Cars Cars! is the
perfect ticket to ride for your toddlers!
(Macmillan Children’s Books, paperback, £6.99)
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