CHILDREN'S BOOKS: Werewolf thrills, dragon magic and a treasure hunt

Get ready for fun, fantasy and werewolf frights in a thrilling adventure from a superstar writer and illustrator, escape into a mysterious realm where hope has wings, meet two children battling to find a much-treasured window, and discover why everything you thought about birds is wrong in an exciting new selection 

Age 8 plus
The Last Wolf
Rob Biddulph

JUST picture it… a thrilling werewolf adventure full of lies, betrayals, dread and danger, all brought to life by over one hundred spectacular illustrations! Superstar DrawWithRob author and illustrator Rob Biddulph – fresh from his much-loved Peanut Jones series – returns with the first book of a thrilling duology that will have youngsters howling with delight! The Last Wolf kicks off the Moonhaven Chronicles with a gripping fast-paced, spine-tingling mystery romp packed with full moons, werewolves and atmospherics so deep, dark and daring that youngsters will be turning the pages with the speed of a lightning strike.

Jax, Jovi, Esau and Fourth call themselves the Moonlighters. They live for full-moon adventures on curfew night… the night when they dodge the Nighthawks and enjoy roaming the empty streets of Moonhaven, a place trapped in fear of werewolf attacks. But when a rare werewolf attack rocks the town, the friends become prime suspects. With the Nighthawks closing in on anyone who was out after dark, they are forced to run – setting off a chain of rumours, secrets and betrayals. As suspicion spreads and the children become caught in tangled web of buried lies and hidden agendas, friendships are tested… and the truth may be more dangerous than any of them imagined. Biddulph’s dazzling verbal and visual reimagining of the werewolf legends – told in short, all-action chapters – is the perfect recipe for even the most reluctant readers who like their adventures to come with plenty of eye-catching pictures. So what are you waiting for? Get on down to Moonhaven and share in the fun, the fantasy… and the frights!
(Macmillan Children’s Books, hardback, £12.99)

Age 9 plus
Where the Dragon Waits
Tom Moorhouse

SIT back, make yourself comfortable, and enjoy escaping to a mysterious realm where hope has wings! Author, ecologist and freelance conservation scientist Tom Moorhouse sets his prodigious imagination to work (and inspires youngsters to do the same!) with an enchanting and endearing fantasy adventure full of magic, mystery… and dragons. After his dad’s boat crashes, Ed finds himself all alone on a strange beach. But then he meets a girl – headstrong Steff – who doesn't know where they are, either. As Ed and Steff explore a new realm full of mystery, they discover its deep and dark lore. They meet deadly butterflies, a pack of wolves with a secret and an armoured pangolin called Astolpho who reveals the only way home involves a dragon who lives at the top of an impossibly tall, rocky spire. Ed and Steff are drawn through legend and peril as they battle to unlock the truth about the dragon, themselves and their chances of ever returning home. The traditional fantasy elements, so beloved by young readers, mingle deliciously with Moorhouse’s unique brand of humour and exciting originality in this page-turning, heartfelt and ultimately uplifting story. A breathtaking book destined to win hearts and send young imaginations soaring!
(David Fickling Books, paperback, £7.99)

Age 8 plus
The Treasure Seekers
Cathy Faulkner

A COMMUNITY still raw from the traumas of the 1914-18 war and a deadly flu spreading from house to house… can two youngsters work together to save their village before time runs out? Longlisted in 2024 for the Carnegie Medal for Writing for her debut verse novel, Digging for Victory, Cathy Faulkner returns with another powerful and evocative story exploring themes of friendship and loss, of preserving the past and knowing when to let go. It’s November 1918 in the village of Aldwick. Stanley is convinced that the hundreds of years old stained-glass window in the church that Martha’s late grandfather removed for safekeeping during the war is the protection the village needs to solve all its problems, including his mother’s sickness. But Martha refuses to help him search for the window panels, wanting to keep her beloved grandfather’s secrets safe. When Stanley becomes ill as well, Martha realises she must act to help him and she begins her search for the panels, even as her father struggles with his own inner turmoil in the aftermath of the war. As the people who are most important to them suffer, Martha and Stanley step up their search. Can all the panels be found before it’s too late and can hope ever be restored? Employing the same verse format that wowed readers and critics with her first novel, and using her own interest in making stained glass windows as the backdrop to the story, Faulkner once again impresses with the elegance, insight and dramatic intensity of her writing.
(Firefly Press, paperback, £8.99)

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

IF you thought that birds are defenceless, that they all eat seeds, and that the world doesn’t need them, then you’d better think again! Bird fans will quickly become bird experts with this informative, inventive and entertaining exploration of the bird world which proves that any suggestion that birds are boring and not very smart is totally WRONG! Forget what you thought was true because zoologist Dr Nick Crumpton is here to help readers dig out the real facts about birds. From incredible feats of flight to super-powerful senses, discover how everything you think you know about birds is actually untrue in this in-depth, ingenious book. Discover why seagulls are not really mean, why there’s actually no such thing as a ‘seagull,’ why we’re wrong to think that nests are round and made of twigs, and that it’s wrong to think that although birds are everywhere, they are not at risk. With a fascinating, friendly, easy-to-understand text by Crumpton, Gavin Scott’s richly detailed and colourful artwork on every page, and twenty-nine spreads that puncture myths about birds, spotlight biodiversity and encourage children to see the wonder of the animals around them, this hardback gift book comes complete with a stunningly tactile cover and is ideal for all young nature lovers.
(Nosy Crow, hardback, £14.99)

Age 7 plus
Insectarium
Emily Carter and Dave Goulson

CREEPY-CRAWL your way into the Junior Edition of Insectarium, part of the brilliant Welcome to the Museum series, and explore the fascinating world of insects! Simply step inside the pages of this fact-packed book to enjoy the experience of a museum from the comfort of your own home. This stunning tour – created in collaboration with the Royal Entomological Society – showcases an incredible collection of insects of every shape and colour from around the world, enabling readers to wander through curated exhibits on every page, all accompanied by an informative text. In this eye-catching visit, packed with amazing pictures and facts, we discover that insects are essential for life as we know it.

There are at least one million species of insects, together making up over 80 per cent of all living species on Earth. Around 10,000 new species of insects are discovered every year. Learn about the secret world thriving right underneath your feet, discover how insects evolved into what they are today, how they work together and how they defend themselves. Walk the galleries to meet shimmering butterflies, jewel-like beetles, glowing fireflies and enormous stick insects in this beautifully illustrated guide to the insects that inhabit almost every corner of the globe. Learn why these small creatures have such a huge impact on the world around us and why we should be protecting them. Intricately detailed artwork by award-winning British illustrator and fashion designer Emily Carter combines with an expert text by award-winning author and University of Sussex professor David Goulson. A must-have for all budding entomologists and nature lovers.
(Big Picture Press, hardback, £12.99)

Age 3 plus
Don't Do It, Doug!
Maudie Powell-Tuck and Duncan Beedie

WE all know that little voice in your head… the one that says ‘Do NOT do that thing.’ Doug the hamster knows it but he ignores it… every single time! From shaking fizzy pop (uh-oh) to pressing oh-so-tempting red buttons and pulling forbidden levers, Doug just can’t help himself. Don’t do it, Doug! Will he ever learn to control himself? Little ones will adore sharing lovable Doug’s madcap misfortunes in this brilliantly funny picture from author Maudie Powell-Tuck and illustrator Duncan Beedie, the top creative team behind Hank Goes Honk. With subtle messages about the rewards of friendship and the unfortunate consequences of over-impulsive behaviour, brought to glorious life by Beedie’s vibrantly colourful and playful artwork, Don't Do It, Doug! is guaranteed to be a favourite read with both mischievous tots and (only occasionally!) mischievous grown-ups.
(Little Tiger Press, hardback, £12.99)

Age 3 plus
Welcoming the Lunar New Year
Lara Lee and Natelle Quek

GET ready to celebrate Lunar New Year, a festival of new beginnings, in this delightful heartfelt picture book from Australian chef and food writer Lara Lee, and Malaysian-born illustrator Natelle Quek, who now lives in England. Ren and his family are preparing for the New Year celebrations… cooking a feast and tidying up. But when Ren accidentally rips apart his mum’s dragon costume for the New Year parade, he has to ask his neighbours for help. As they provide him with the materials he needs to fix the dragon, he learns all about Lunar New Year traditions around the world and soon they are all celebrating together with a festive feast. Illustrated in Quek’s rich palette of colours, Lee’s story incorporates a gentle message about the values of the celebration. And give this year’s celebrations for the Year of the Fire Horse on February 17 an extra bite with the book’s recipe for tasty Chinese peanut cookies, and a lesson in Lunar New Year dragon craft. The perfect way to welcome a year full of happiness!
(Walker Books, paperback, £7.99)

Age 3 plus
The Awesomely Adventurous Librarians
Donna David and Victoria Stebleva

BOOKS, books, books! A visit to the library is always a treat and we all know that librarians are superheroes, but does anyone know what they really do when the library lights go out and the readers have gone home? Discover the answer and much more in author Donna David and illustrator Victoria Stebleva’s delightfully imaginative picture book which explores the idea that there is a book for everyone through a fun-filled adventure. In Sleepy Creek Library, living and breathing stories have to be retrieved from the Land of Books. It’s there that Rida loves helping her Grandad. She makes a list of all the readers’ requests and passes it to Grandad to retrieve them. But when Arun asks for a book so adventurous that no one has ever been able to catch it, Grandad says he can’t help. Can Rida secretly journey to the Land of Books and find the story herself? This action-packed adventure is perfect for inspiring a new generation of book-lovers. David’s original and creative spin on the theme of libraries and storytelling becomes a vibrant and atmospheric storybook-style adventure filled with Stebleva’s colourful landscape of birds, trees, flowers and whimsical figures. A story with a happy ending for little bookworms!
(Oxford University Press, paperback, £7.99)

Age 3 plus
Rock and Roll
Ruby Amy Thompson

HERE'S a brilliant new debut picture book that will rock and roll its way into your heart! Ruby Amy Thompson, who spent almost a decade working in entertainment and comedy television before going back to school to study illustration, delivers fun in the round with the tale of a super-strong lump of rock and a super-soft bread roll which find they have more common than they could ever have imagined. Rock and Roll are very different. Rock is strong and Roll is soft. Rock hates attention while Roll loves it. But hang on… maybe Rock can really roll, and Roll can really rock! With two unforgettable characters taking centre stage, Thompson’s bold and joyful artwork, big laughs, and a brilliantly playful layout in which Rock and Roll always appear on opposite pages whilst still being linked through shared experiences, there could be no better way to celebrate all the weird and wonderful things that bring us together!
(Little Tiger Press, paperback, £7.99)

Age 3 plus
I Am Strong Just Being Me
Laura Dockrill and Kip Alizadeh

DOES being strong mean you will always win a fight? Award-winning author Laura Dockrill and illustrator and visual artist Kip Alizadeh bring young readers a stunning and lyrical exploration of strength and its many guises in this poetic and powerful picture book.‘Is strong brave and fearless? Does it always win a fight? Does strong have a shouty voice? Is it always right?’ These are some of the questions that the inquisitive Bean asks Nanna one day while in the garden. From the power of silence to the strength of an embrace, this uplifting picture book offers an alternative to the stereotypes around strength, and encourages all children that they can be strong in their own way. With Alizadeh’s colourful and evocative illustrations adding extra power to an uplifting text celebrating the natural world as well as inspiring reflection, I Am Strong Just Being Me is the perfect book to help young readers challenge stereotypes and believe in their own inner strength.
(Little Tiger Press, paperback, £7.99)

Age 2 plus
Isla and the Sky
Greg Stobbs

MEET a little girl who loves the sky… and all its many multi-coloured moods! Author and illustrator Greg Stobbs – whose picture book Cloud Boy captured the hearts of both children and parents – returns with another joyful and empathetic tale celebrating feelings. With his busy, bold, painterly illustrations and a text full of empathy and creativity, Stobbs works his magic on a girl called Isla who finds inspiration for her artwork by looking upwards. Sky is vast, bright, and blue… but sometimes she is dark and thunderous, her raindrops reflecting the town below. Isla loves all Sky’s moods and tries to capture the variety in her paintings. When Sky rains or clouds over, however, all the other townspeople grumble and moan. Sky decides she should just try to be happy all the time so people aren’t cross with her. But this is harder than it looks and soon the world below – and Isla’s paintings – start to suffer. Can Isla convince big, bold Sky to let all her feelings and colours show? And what happens to Sky when she is on the brink of bursting? Stobbs’ inspirational and atmospheric story is given added emotional potency from his captivating illustrations, a visual feast of colour and sensory delights which inform and inspire little ones to understand and accept their own mood swings and feelings.
(Oxford University Press, paperback, £7.99)