CHILDREN'S BOOKS: A unique city, a chiller-thriller and a rabbit’s farewell

Dig deep into the past to discover the fascinating and tumultuous history of the unique city of Jerusalem, enjoy the final book in a spectacular rabbit world fantasy series, and join two plucky siblings as they battle to defeat forever a sinister dictatorship in a sparkling September selection

Age 11 plus
Jerusalem: The City That Changed the World
Simon Sebag Montefiore,
Rui Ricardo and Catherine Rowe

DISCOVER the fascinating and tumultuous history of the unique city of Jerusalem in this magnificent children’s book adaptation of international bestselling author Simon Sebag Montefiore’s seminal classic Jerusalem: A Biography. Brought to vibrant life by illustrators Rui Ricardo and Catherine Rowe, historian Montefiore’s account tells the story of an extraordinary city which is the capital of two peoples and the shrine of three faiths. A cast of extraordinary characters have played a part in the city’s history, including King David, Cyrus the Great, Cleopatra, the Maccabees, Julius Caesar, Herod the Great, Queen Melisende, Saladin, Suleiman the Magnificent, Catherine the Great, Napoleon, Winston Churchill, Ben-Gurion and Arafat. Some people have claimed that Jerusalem belongs only to them, but its stories show that it belongs to many. Montefiore tells thirty of the most remarkable stories in the city’s 3,000-year history and by explaining the Middle East’s political, religious and ethnic divisions, from 1000BC to 2000AD, the book acts an essential and timely guide to understanding today’s world.
(Hodder Children’s Books, hardback, £25)

Age 9 plus
The Fate of Podkin One-Ear
Kieran Larwood and David Wyatt

LITTLE rabbits can do great things… particularly when they band together! The final book in Kieran Larwood and David Wyatt’s spectacular rabbit world fantasy series, The World of Podkin One-Ear, sees our heroes launch one last epic battle to defeat the dreaded Gorm. And it’s pleasing to report that the nine-book series – which has had readers longing for each new book as it appears – once more delivers all those ingredients that children love... adventure, magic, danger, thrills and friendship. Podkin and his crew have brought together all the gifts which have helped on the mission to save rabbitkind. The gifts then melt and morph before their eyes, transforming into a suit of armour… one that will only fit a rabbit with one ear! And when Podkin puts it on, he is able to thwart any enemy. With every god and goddess from the spirit world rallying behind them, Podkin can now call together all the armies of the Five Realms… across every tribe and species, the forest wardens, packs of wolves, the warring rabbit tribes and the bone dancers are united in an attempt to vanquish the Gorm once and for all. Written with Larwood’s unique storytelling magic, exquisitely illustrated with full page artwork by leading fantasy illustrator Wyatt, and encompassing a breathtakingly imagined world full of memorable rabbit characters, this is a spectacular finale for a first class series.
(Faber Children’s Books, hardback, £14.99)

Age 9 plus
The Book of Stolen Dreams: The Final Battle
David Farr and Kristina Kister

INSPIRED by his own family history, which saw his Jewish great aunt and uncle courageously travel as unaccompanied children to escape Germany for London in the 1930s, David Farr, one of the UK’s leading screenwriters and a film and theatre director, plays a blinder with the stunning conclusion to his breathtaking trilogy set in Krasnia, a sinister dictatorship where children are banned from playing in public and only allowed outdoors for exercise and education. In this last dazzling adventure, we are whisked back into the lives of sister and brother Rachel and Robert Klein who have become the heroes of Krasnia. And after saving the world more times than she can count, things are finally starting to feel normal for Rachel. But life is never normal for a Keeper of the Key. When a famous movie-star returns alive and well to Krasnia after weeks lost in the desert, everyone is thrilled! Everyone, except Rachel. Something about the actor doesn’t feel quite right. Then Rachel realises the horrifying truth. With both their own lives and the fate of Krasnia at stake, Rachel and her brother Robert must return to the Hinterland, expose the truth and put an end to tyrant Charles Malstain’s evil plans once and for all. Once again, Farr brings us a fantastically imagined cast of characters, all set against a rich, gripping and timeless backdrop. With the beautiful illustrations of Kristina Kister, darkness, danger and mystery at every turn, and an exhilarating final chapter for our plucky siblings, this is a guaranteed thrill ride from first page to last.
(Usborne Publishing, paperback, £7.99)

Age 9 plus
A Day in the Life of Fossils, Fire and Other Fantastic Finds
Mike Barfield and Jess Bradley

WHEN were the first dinosaur fossils found, how were life-saving medicines discovered, and what happened on the first expeditions to the North and South Poles? Asking questions is all part of growing up and finding the answers can be fun… particularly when you dive into the fascinating facts inside this brilliant, illustrated, laugh-out-loud guide to amazing discoveries that changed the world. A Day in the Life of Fossils, Fire and Other Fantastic Finds is the fourth title in the A Day in the Life series, created by award-winning duo Mike Barfield and Jess Bradley and full of facts, laughs and amazing illustrations on every page. You can choose a subject and then dive in at your leisure.  And this time, they delve into some amazing and historic discoveries using a mix of graphic-style factual comics, as well as Secret Diaries, Bigger Picture pages, and Even Bigger Picture double-page spreads. From the treasures found in Tutankhamun’s tomb and Roald Amundsen’s ground-breaking expedition to the South Pole, to the uncovering of the first dinosaur, the accidental discovery of penicillin and the launch of the James Webb telescope, there are fascinating facts for every child to enjoy. Brought to life by the fun, friendly and informative style of award-winning cartoonist Barfield and Bradley’s awesome colour illustrations, this is the ideal gift for any child who likes to mix their learning with a big dollop of laughter!
(Buster Books, paperback, £10.99)

Age 7 plus
Werewolf Wood
Lan Cook and Jared MacPherson

IF your youngsters love spine-tingling stories and gamebooks where they are the hero and can choose how the story unfolds, then this spooky puzzle adventure is the perfect answer! Werewolf Wood – part of Usborne Publishing’s Mystery Gamebooks series – is the work of author Lan Cook and illustrator Jared MacPherson, and delivers heart-pounding chases beneath the full moon, mysterious figures lurking in the woods and fun picture puzzles to solve. All you need is two dice to get the game rolling… Everything seems normal when you arrive at your Grandma’s house deep in the woods... until night falls. The shadows start creeping closer, and eerie howls echo through the trees. Who – or what – is lurking in the woods? And why does Grandma’s dog keep barking? With exciting picture puzzles to solve, a story packed with spine-chilling scares and choices that lead to new twists and turns, this interactive adventure will keep you turning pages... if you dare!
(Usborne Publishing, paperback, £9.99)

Age 6 plus
Puzzle Slug and the Intergalactic Poop Robbery
Candice Whatmore

MEET Puzzle Slug… he needs your brain power to help him solve puzzles and save his planet! This clever and laugh-out-loud comic-style puzzle adventure is written and illustrated by Candice Whatmore who once stepped barefoot on a slug and has never quite recovered. The result is Puzzle Slug and the Intergalactic Poop Robbery, first of a new series full of riotous comedy, lovable characters and the occasional bottom-blast! Puzzle Slug’s Planet of Plopalot is under threat from the evil alien Dr Nox! Could the least likely hero in the galaxy save the day… and the planet? Only by solving every last one can Puzzle Slug avoid his planet being invaded... so he’s going to need plenty of help and brain power from readers. With interactive puzzles and intergalactic fun all the way, youngsters will be more than happy to return to Plopalot!
(Usborne Publishing, paperback, £7.99)

Age 7 plus
Toby and the Pixies: Pixie Pandemonium!
James Turner and Andreas Schuster

BUCKLE up and get ready to laugh out loud as illustrator, cartoonist and comic writer James Turner teams up with German-born cartoonist Andreas Schuster for another unstoppable ride into side-splitting silliness! Pixie Pandemonium! is third of their hilarious Toby and the Pixies graphic comic book series which is brimming with chaotic energy and pixie mayhem and was originally published in the hugely popular The Phoenix comic. So head off to an ordinary town and meet shy and anxious Toby Cauldwell who thought he was an ordinary schoolboy until a magical kingdom full of pixies in his garden named him their king! Now, whether it’s a trip to the dentist, going on holiday or wooing a school crush, the pixies are always on hand to assist their leader but end up causing complete and utter chaos in the process. In fact it’s total pandemonium with the pixies around! Brimming with all the zany slapstick fun that young readers expect from their comic book anti-heroes, this anarchic series delivers unlikely friendships, madcap antics and pixie-themed magic. And for readers who love to draw and want to create awesome characters just like Toby and the Pixies, the back of the book has a whole section of how-to-draw tutorials from illustrator Schuster plus links to The Phoenix comic club website where you can find draw-along videos, free printable material and top tips from tons of creators. Everything you could wish for when two superstar comedy creators let their imaginations run wild!
(David Fickling Books, paperback, £9.99)

Age 3 plus
Little Monsters Rule!
David Walliams and Adam Stower

‘One day I’m gonna SCARE the world!’ 

LITTLE ones will be chomping at the bit to get their claws into this fiendishly funny new picture book from the top team of bestselling author David Walliams and multi-talented illustrator Adam Stower. Little Monsters Rule! is the sequel to their number one hit picture book Little Monsters! and the new kid on the block is Furball, a lovable little yeti on his first day at Monster School. He can’t wait to learn how to be scary but it’s hard when you look like a cuddly toy. When the big monsters at the school make fun of Furball, Howler the little werewolf comes to the rescue. Together, can they prove that little monsters RULE? Packed with Walliams’ feel-good, funny vibes, and monsters big and small, this delightful adventure is ideal for encouraging imaginative play and emotional learning, and the perfect gift for your own lovable little monsters!
(HarperCollinsChildren’sBooks, paperback, £7.99)

Age 3 plus
How It Works: Tree
Isabel Otter and David Semple

BRANCH out with this super, chunky board book which has been specially designed for little hands and features interactive, peep-through pages to grasp and explore. Curious little readers will love learning all about our planet’s  TREE-mendous trees… how they grow from seed to seedling, then sapling, and change with the seasons. Written by Isabel Otter and beautifully illustrated by David Semple, this ingeniously simple but fascinating and entertaining first introduction to trees comes with layered board book pages and hours of fun!
(Little Tiger Press, board book, £7.99)

Age 2 plus
Clive Penguin
Huw Lewis Jones and Ben Sanders

THE brilliantly funny and quirky picture book tale of a penguin who doesn’t like the cold has now been adapted into a board book that is guaranteed to win the hearts of babies and toddlers. Surrounded by the same old snow day in, day out and always bloomin’ freezing, Clive Penguin wishes he was somewhere else. SOMEONE else. But, with an epic discovery just around the corner, the solution might be easier than he thinks… Real life polar-exploring adventurer Huw Lewis Jones and award-winning illustrator Ben Sanders work their special frost-filled magic on this story about getting what you need, rather than what you want. Readers will hoot with laughter at Clive Penguin’s unique voice that is perfectly matched with Sanders’ edgy illustrations complete with neon ink… and penguins!
(Little Tiger Press, board book, £7.99)

Age one plus
Lion's Cleaning Day
Nicola Kent

CAN YOU help Lion do the cleaning? Follow Lion around the house as he tidies up, does the hoovering and washes the dishes in this enchanting and interactive board book. Full of novelties for little hands, including flaps, sliders and wheels, this hands-on introduction to the grown-up tasks that fascinate toddlers is the latest title in an engaging and educational series from award-winning author and illustrator Nicola Kent. So roll up your sleeves, turn on the fun, and let your little ones get involved with what the grown-ups are doing!
(Little Tiger Press, board book, £7.99)