Age 9 plus
Murder at Wintertide
Fleur Hitchcock
MYSTERY fans will love cosying up with this wintertime tale
from an author who knows how to perfectly juggle deliciously dark murder
mysteries with fun and fascinating adventures. So if you love having your spine
tingled and your nerves jangled, dive into this festive chiller-thriller from
queen of middle grade crime Fleur Hitchcock. George and his dad are joining family members to celebrate
Christmas by the sea at Lyme Regis on the stunning Jurassic coast. But when a
body washes up on the beach, George can’t stop thinking about the strange
lights he saw on the cliff top... Neither can his cousin, Isla. Together, they
follow the clues, and as they draw nearer to the truth, they step further into
danger. On land, or at sea, someone is desperate to stop them, whatever it
takes. And that someone may be closer to home than they realise... There’s danger, murder and mayhem all the way in this
gripping, snow-sprinkled, seaside mystery which stars two super-sleuthing
cousins in a desperate battle to solve a murder that dishes up devilish twists
and turns as well as heart-stopping chills, thrills and spills. There is always a dark thread running seductively through
these Hitchcock thrillers but the menace is always tempered by a clever mix of
youthful adventures and classic intrigue. Best enjoyed in an armchair in
front of a blazing fire...
(Nosy Crow, paperback, £7.99)
Disney The Magic of Christmas
Walt Disney
DON'T miss out on all the festive fun packed inside this
simply marvellous search-and-find activity book which celebrates the magic of
Christmas with a host of family favourite Disney characters. Journey with Lilo
and Stitch, Belle, Cinderella, Mickey and Friends, Woody and Buzz and Mike and
Sully on an adventure through exciting, snow-covered kingdoms, explore iconic
Disney locations from enchanted forests, majestic castle and dazzling party
venues to cosy homes and snowy streets, and see if you can spot a range of
festive objects like Christmas wreaths, lanterns, ornaments and gifts. With
twelve scenes, packed with detail and covered in snow and decorated for the
holidays, this beautifully created search-and-find book is ideal or Disney fans
young, and old guarantees hours of entertainment!
(Studio Books, paperback, £7.99)
One Snowy Christmas Eve
Marc Bratcher and Korky Paul
THE ‘true’ story of Father Christmas is given a unique and
entertaining twist in a magical picture book from debut author Marc Bratcher
who was born with cerebral palsy but has never let it get in the way of his
prodigious imagination. One Snowy Christmas Eve – given colourful life and an
extra helping of humour by star illustrator Korky Paul’s artwork – stars a
wheelchair-bound Santa whose ingenuity and zest for giving cannot help but
snowball when he sets out to deliver presents. ‘I heard a tale some won’t
believe, on one snowy Christmas Eve...’ Meet the man who is destined to become
Father Christmas as he dashes through the snow on his wheelchair and gains
unexpected help and momentum from a group of resourceful villagers. And it’s
soon uphill and downhill all the way as he soon has a magnificent red suit, a
team of reindeer and a super-fast sledge to send him high into the sky to
deliver presents every Christmas Eve! Bratcher harnesses a catchy rhyming verse
for this traditional, and yet enchantingly fun and original, slant on the tale
of Santa and his reindeer.
(UCLan Publishing,
paperback, £7.99)
Santa’s Journey
Patricia Hegarty and Wazza Pink
‘When Christmas Eve falls on a calm, moonlit night, Look up to the skies for a magical sight. A jingling of bells and the whoosh of a sleigh – Santa and his reindeer are off and away!’
JOIN Santa and his reindeer
on their magical journey from the North Pole in this enchanting, layered pop-up
gift book. Watch Christmas come alive in five gorgeous pop-up scenes as Santa
flies across mountains and rooftops to deliver his precious cargo of presents.
Patricia Hegarty’s lyrical rhyming text and vibrant illustrations by Vietnamese
artist Wazza Pink bring the excitement of Christmas Eve to life in a rich and festive palette. From sleepily sparkling rooftops to a cosy
hearth with cookies and milk, these inviting Christmas 3-D scenes are the
perfect starter for the festive season!
(Little Tiger Press, board book, £14.99)
Penguin and Pup!
The Perfect Christmas
Hazel Gardner and Nikki Dyson
WHEN two best friends are VERY different personalities,
preparing for their perfect Christmas together is bound to be tricky! Meet BFFs
Penguin and Pup in this thoroughly heartwarming and laugh-out-loud Christmas
picture book from Preston author Hazel Gardner and bestselling illustrator
Nikki Dyson. Penguin is thoughtful, kind and loyal... he can be a bit cautious
with new things, and he’s very sensible. Pup, on the other hand, is a
fun-loving whirlwind! She always thinks big and sometimes gets a bit carried
away... Like lots of friends, Penguin and Pup like very different things, especially
when it comes to Christmas. Penguin is all about the simple things... most
importantly, a perfectly-sized Christmas tree, and maybe a mince pie. Pup, on
the other hand, wants a GIANT snow machine and a ten-course feast. Can they compromise
and find the perfect Christmas for both of them? Gardner’s rhyming romp is
packed with chaos and comedy, giant giggles and fabulous fun, while Dyson’s
colourful and characterful illustrations provide the icing on this Christmas
cracker. It’s an exuberant picture book for the whole family to enjoy and if
you're not sure if you’re more Penguin or more Pup, you can find out with the
quiz at the end. The perfect gift to get youngsters rocking around the
Christmas tree!
(Macmillan Children’s Books, paperback, £7.99)
The Littlest Christmas Tree
Jane Chapman
BIG bear hugs all round in this gorgeous Christmas picture
book from star author and illustrator Jane Chapman who works her special (and
adorable!) magic on a cosy and cuddly tale with family love and subtle
environmental messages at its warm heart. It’s almost Christmas, and all the
animals are out in the wood to pick the perfect tree. ‘Ours is little, just
like me!’ beams Cubby. Carefully, she and Daddy dig up the tree, put it in a
pot and take it home. Cubby quickly grows very attached to Little Tree. She
sings it songs and reads it stories, and on Christmas Day there’s one last
present... a bright red ribbon to go round Little Tree’s pot. But when
Christmas is over, and Little Tree has to go outside, Cubby is so sad! Luckily,
Daddy has the perfect solution... Little Tree will live right outside in the
garden until next winter, when the Christmas magic can start all over again.
Chapman’s beautiful illustrations add extra charm and piquancy to her
inspirational story which celebrates the joys that come from the natural world
and the important lessons that can be found in everyday family life.
(Little Tiger Press, hardback, £12.99)
Elves on Strike
Nicola Edwards and Pauline Gregory
IT'S Christmas Eve but all is not well in Santa’s busy
workshop! ‘We’re stressed! We all need to rest We keep getting tangled in tape.
Oh it just isn’t fair! All toys should be square! But here comes another weird
shape!’ Youngsters will love joining the Christmas chaos in this flap-filled
festive adventure from author Nicola Edwards and illustrator Pauline Gregory. The
toy-building elves are exhausted, the gift-wrappers are tangled in tape and the
reindeer-wranglers are ready to strike! Will Christmas be cancelled, or can one
elf’s quick thinking and festive spirit save the day? Lift the flaps to
discover every corner of the workshop, from the reindeer stables to the
wrapping room. There’s something for everybody in this charming and funny
picture book... children will be excited to peer under the intriguing flaps and
parents will empathise with the stressed, overworked elves! Capturing the
essence of a chaotic Christmas, Elves on Strike is also an entertaining and
heartwarming reminder of what Christmas is really all about!
(Little Tiger Press, paperback, £7.99)
Yetis Don’t Exist!
Kate Thompson and Loretta Schauer
IT must be totally discombobulating to discover that yetis
don’t exist... particularly when you ARE a yeti! Author Kate Thompson and
illustrator Loretta Schauer spread laughter and joy this Christmas with a very
furry and funny rhyming adventure starring a herd of yetis on the hunt for some
rather elusive humans. Have you heard the news? You’ve been BAMBOOZLED... YETIS
DON'T EXIST! The news swirled over mountains, skipped through lakes and out to
sea. Until who should hear it? Iggy the yeti and all his yeti friends... and they,
understandably, were a little bit surprised. So, the yetis who absolutely DO
exist, only had one option... to set off on a human search and help to change
their minds! The yetis trekked down steep slopes and through snowy forests when
suddenly they saw gleaming streetlights up ahead... but found a strangely empty
town! The yetis searched high and low, yet the humans were nowhere to be seen.
Surely that could only mean one thing! Thompson delivers the wonderfully winning
and wintry rhyme which has a HUGE twist in its tail and is brought to life by
Schauer’s colourful and comical illustrations. Laughter all the way!
(Templar Publishing, paperback, £7.99)
The Beaver Who Saved Christmas
Will Millard and Jo Lindley
WHEN a baby beaver gets trapped in a tangle of Christmas
decorations, a group of villagers are determined to save not just the beaver
but to keep the beavers’ home safe and rubbish-free. Written by BBC presenter and
expedition leader Will Millard, and beautifully illustrated by Jo Lindley, this
heartwarming picture book was inspired by a true story about a baby beaver and
a dam made of decorations. In a beautiful village next to a creek, Elin and her
Grandad are excited to decorate their home together for Christmas. But tinsel
and broken lights cling to trees, wrapping paper and plastic decorations have
rolled into gardens and blown away down the hill, and a baby beaver gets
trapped in the lights. Once safely rescued, the baby beaver amazes the world in
a viral video when it builds a dam out of... Christmas decorations! Inspired to
keep the beavers’ home safe and rubbish-free, Elin’s village comes together to
clean away the broken Christmas decorations, giving the beaver – and each other
– the happiest Christmas ever. Millard’s story is based on a village’s
real-life decision to consider their impact on the environment and to start
making Christmas decorations that can be used over and over again. With
fascinating facts about beavers, the real events behind the true story and
instructions on how to make a beaver decoration out of card, a pine cone and a
leaf, this is storytelling and creativity with an important environmental
message.
(Hodder Children’s Books, paperback, £7.99)
Waiting for Santa
Lucy Cochran and Heidi McKinnon
HAVING your photo taken with Santa is surely one of the best
things about Christmas... but what if the queue is long, you only have little
legs... and you aren’t good at waiting? Children – and their parents – will
laugh out loud at this joyful and relatable celebration of Christmas, and all
its fun and frustrations. ‘Only 702 more elf-steps until Santa!’ says Ren. ‘I
need a coffee,’ says Mum. ‘I need a phone charger,’ says Dad. ‘I need a toilet!’
says Harry. ‘Meoooowwwwww,’ says Moloko the cat. Ren and Harry are very excited
to see Santa. Just around the next corner and they will be there, right? Wrong!
The line is looooong, and it is possible that bringing their cat to a crowded
department store wasn’t The Best Idea the kids have ever had?! But it’s
Christmas time, and there is magic in the air... Written with wit and warmth by
Melbourne-based author Lucy Cochran and colourfully illustrated by bestselling
author and illustrator Heidi McKinnon, Waiting for Santa was inspired by a true
adventure and is a magical reminder of the ups and downs of family life, and
the unmissable magic of Christmastime.
(A&U Children’s Books, hardback, £12.99)
Clementine's Christmas
Annie White
A LOVABLE family dog creates comedy Christmas chaos in a
high-octane picture book from Melbourne author and illustrator Annie White. The
Clementine series has become a favourite with young readers and the dog’s
frantic antics at the festive season are set to make everyone giggle. It’s
Christmas Day at Clementine’s house. The tree is trimmed, the gifts are all
wrapped, and the family is full of excitement. But when it’s time to open the
presents, something isn’t right. What has Clementine been up to? This exuberant
story – brought to life by White’s colourful and richly detailed illustrations
– is packed full of child-appeal, laughter... and Christmas joy!
(Catch a Star, paperback, £8.99)
Night Night, Sleepy Elves
Selina Wood and Gareth Williams
FOLLOW five adorable elves as they help busy Santa prepare
for Christmas... and then fall asleep, one by one! Featuring Gareth Williams’
bold and beautiful illustrations, and a bouncy rhyming text from Selina Wood,
this imaginative new instalment in the Night Night series is ideal for
toddlers’ bedtime in the run-up to the big day. It’s Christmas Eve and Santa’s
elves have been working hard all day in the North Pole workshop preparing for
Christmas. One by one, the elves finish making toys, wrapping gifts and
polishing up the reindeers’ bells, then sleepily head to bed ready for
tomorrow’s celebrations. Little ones will adore the chunky flaps, peek-through
windows and the sleepy surprise at every turn of the page. Festive fun all the
way to Christmas!
(Little Tiger Press, board book, £7.99)
Tatty Mouse Christmas
Hilary Robinson and Mandy Stanley
HAVE festive fun with a mend it, make it mouse in this fabulous lift-the-flap festive adventure in the delightful Tatty Mouse board book series from the stable of Catch a Star, an imprint of New Frontier Publishing which was established in Australia in 2002 with the motto ‘to inspire, educate and uplift.’ The books feature a little mouse who is the ultimate recycler and introduce toddlers to the need to care for our environment and the exciting ways of doing it.
And in Tatty Mouse Birthday, we discover how role model Tatty Mouse prepares for Rabbit Max’s surprise birthday party. With flaps to lift, Hilary Robinson’s joyful and rhythmic text, Mandy Stanley’s colourful and fun illustrations, and a can you find? element to the stories, little ones will love to learn from every Tatty Mouse adventure! (Catch a Star, board books, £7.99 each)
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