Age 3 plus
The Bakery Dragon
Devin Elle Kurtz
IF you love funny fairy tales, delicious cakes and fantastic
beasts, then here is your truly GOLDEN chance to devour the heroic tale of a
tiny dragon with a heart of gold and a taste for freshly baked treats! In an
enchanting and award-winning picture book positively sparkling with golden
hues, Californian digital illustrator, visual development artist and background
painter Devin Elle Kurtz has let loose her talents on every young reader’s answer
to How to Train Your Dragon, Impossible Creatures and Raya and the Last Dragon…
crossed with The Great British Bake Off!
So meet Ember who has always been different from the other
dragons. His fearsome roar sounds more like a polite sneeze and when he
breathes fire, the villagers just pat his head and say awwww. Ember fears he
will never collect a respectable hoard of gold… until a chance encounter with a
baker causes his fortunes to turn (and his stomach to grumble). As the little
dragon soon discovers, the gold you make is way better than the gold you steal…
and gold that is shared? Well that’s best of all! Children will love this perfectly scrumptious picture book with
its gorgeous blend of magic, fantasy and baking, themes of sharing,
self-confidence and trying something new, all brought to life by pages packed
with luminous, enchanting illustrations and glowing golden panels. The perfect
read-aloud story for sharing at bedtime or when tummies are rumbling!
(Walker Books, paperback, £8.99)
Beast Mode: The Animal Awakens
J.J. Arcanjo
IT'S time to unleash your inner animal! If you loved the
thrills and spills of J.J. Arcanjo’s dazzling debut series Crookhaven, which
featured an unforgettable school for thieves, then you need to ‘book in’ with a
new gang of street-smart kids who have the most extraordinary ability… they can
shapeshift into powerful animals! Filled with the same bone-crunching action,
humour, mystery, and devilish twists that take your breath away, Beast Mode is
the new sensation from half-Portuguese, half-English writer Arcanjo and it’s
tailor-made for youngsters hooked on full-on adventure stories. Meet Caine, Ember and Blue, a ragtag group of young teens
with a dark secret… the ability to transform into powerful animals. They were
strangers forced together to survive but now they are ‘family’ and desperate to
find out who they were before and why someone has done this to them. Together
they must navigate a dangerous world where their extraordinary abilities are
both a blessing and a curse. And as they unravel the mysteries of their past
and how they came to be shapeshifters, they will face life-threatening
challenges, betrayals, and an organisation that seeks to harness their power
for evil. Can they master their inner beasts and keep their secret safe… or
will they be consumed by the darkness? Beast Mode, and its daring team of fearless adventurers, are
definitely ‘shaping up’ to be the next best thing for middle-grade readers so
prepare for the darkness, harness your own animal powers, and get ready for an
exhilarating ride!
(Starboard, paperback, £8.99)
Welcome to the Museum: Aviarium
Dominic Couzens and Teagan White
TAKE flight with the latest instalment of the brilliant Welcome
to the Museum series and explore a lavishly illustrated showcase of the world
of birds in all their diverse and colourful glory! 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 amazing tour puts on display an incredible collection of
birds of every shape and colour, enabling readers to wander through curated
exhibits on every page, all accompanied by an informative text. In this eye-catching new visit, presented in the form of a
large, high-quality book packed with amazing pictures and facts, youngsters can
fly high with gulls and terns, swoop and dive with swallows and flycatchers, go
hunting with owls and eagles, swim with penguins and ducks, and take a stroll
with kiwis and ostriches. Written by renowned bird expert and nature writer
Dominic Couzens, and breathtakingly illustrated by American artist Teagan
White, Aviarium is another winner for the groundbreaking Welcome to the Museum
series which presents a virtual museum for visitors of all ages, is open
twenty-four hours a day, and has sold more than 3 million copies worldwide. A
must-have gift for all bird lovers!
(Big Picture Press, hardback, £26)
Cat School: Odd Cat Out!
Rose Robbins
CAN a group of cat friends hatch a purr-fect plan to make a
kitten feel at home in her new class… or will it be a big cat-astrophe? Rose
Robbins – an acclaimed author and illustrator – uses her own experience of
growing up autistic to show what is possible, even in the most tangled of
situations, in the first of a new graphic novel trilogy set in an enchanting
cat school. Stars of the show are young kittens Tangle and Eno, and their new,
neurodivergent friend Pelly. And it’s the start of a new year at Cat School… a
place where curious kittens learn to become confident cats. After overcoming
their nerves, old friends Tangle and Eno look forward to their exciting new
schedules. They meet their classmates… including Pelly, a kitten who knows
she’s a little different and hides her true self to fit in. Can Tangle and Eno
learn to understand her? And can Pelly hang in there long enough to understand
them? Employing her own subtle voice and individual artwork, and inspired by
her childhood and experience as a teacher for people with additional needs,
Robbins brings young readers a beautifully created tale exploring new
experiences, anxiety, feelings, friendship and community. Laced with fun,
humour and empathy, and with fun extras like a map of the school, a cat
herbarium and cat school rules, this is the perfect book for any nervous school
starter.
(Scallywag Press, paperback, £8.99)
Your Planet Needs You!
Brilliant Jobs to Protect Your World
Elizabeth Laird, Will McDowall
and Paul Boston
INSPIRE children to learn about future eco careers and positive
solutions for climate change with this fact-packed book written by mother and
son team, award-winning novelist Elizabeth Laird and university innovation and
sustainability professor Will McDowall, and illustrated by artist Paul Boston. Sometimes
the news about climate change can sound scary but did you know that people all
over the world are inventing brilliant ways to solve the problem… and that you
could help? From scientists and farmers to carpenters and fashion designers,
discover the jobs you could do when you grow up to help our planet. Whether you
like looking after nature, working with big machines, solving tricky puzzles or
simply being creative, this book is packed with inspiration. With a gentle
introduction to the latest cutting-edge science and technology, this is an
accessible and engaging guide is packed with Boston’s richly detailed and
colourful illustrations and is ideal to start conversations about climate
change.
(Walker Books, paperback, £8.99)
The Elementals: Peo Saves the Trees
Love Ssega and Erika Meza
IF it’s adventure you’re after this summer, set sail for
magical Sealand and enjoy fun and amazing feats with a group of young
eco-warriors! The Elementals is the new escapade in a green-themed action series
for young readers from Love Ssega, a musician, producer and performing artist
of Ugandan heritage, and illustrator Erika Meza who was born in Mexico. Peo and
her friends will do whatever it takes to keep Sealand – their island home –
safe. They all have magical powers connected to the four elements… air, water,
earth and fire. And fun-loving but smart Peo is learning that her earth skills
are stronger than she knew! When she hears a call for help from a nearby island,
Peo is shocked to find that she can talk to trees. The Elementals set off
straight away, but when they arrive, all the trees are gone... Can they work
together to solve the mystery and save the trees? Tree-mendous fun from first
page to last!
(Little Tiger Press, paperback, £7.99)
Dogs and Bears
Max Porter and Dorothée de Monfreid
FIGHTING, brawling, squabbling – call it what you will. The
thing is, it’s never a good look, it results in upset and hurt, and it never
has a truly satisfactory ending. Max Porter, author of four hugely successful
novels including his multi-award-winning first novel, Grief Is the Thing with
Feathers, teams up with French illustrator Dorothée de Monfreid for his debut
children’s picture book, Dogs and Bears, a funny and sublimely ridiculous
pacifist story packed with poignant messages about peace. This third brawl just
happened. Nobody knew why… The dogs and the bears have been brawling for a
while. No one knows quite how it started. Was it the jackets, cloaks and
bandanas the dogs were wearing, or the smell of the sickly sweets that the dogs
were making? But today is the day of the third deciding brawl. The stage is
set. NO snack breaks and no biscuits. But halfway through the brawl, the world
is interrupted by an unexpected airborne event… it’s raining squids! This
uniting event will change the relationship of the dogs and bears forever!
Perfect for a time of world unrest and war, Dogs and Bears – with its timely message
about peace and de Monfreid’s all-action illustrations – satirises violence and
uses a cast of adorable animals to ask questions about human nature. A story
fighting to be heard…
(Walker Books, paperback, £7.99)
Mazy the Movie Star: On Stage
Isla Fisher and Paula Bowles
MAZY the Movie Star – everyone’s favourite pampered pooch –
is back with another dog-tastic adventure in Hollywoof! Mazy is the imaginative
creation of TV and film actress Isla Fisher who has teamed up with illustrator
Paula Bowles for these star-studded picture book stories set in a canine version
of Hollywood populated entirely by dogs. Everyone in Hollywoof knows Mazy the
Movie Star’s name but she has a secret wish… she loves dressing up and she
wants a new challenge to act on STAGE! But when Mazy lands her dream role in legendary
director Clint Eastwoof’s theatre production of Little Red Riding Hound, she
suddenly gets a bad case of… STAGE FRIGHT! Can Mazy learn to share her worries
and overcome her fears? With a little help from her friends, perhaps she’ll
find a way to shine wherever she goes! The sky’s the limit in this fun-filled
tale, gorgeously illustrated by Bowles and with a central message about trying
new things, sharing worries, overcoming your fears and gaining confidence.
Ideal for little ones starting nursery, pre-school and reception class.
(Welbeck Children’s Books, paperback, £7.99)
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