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Age Group: KS1

Graphic Novel

Two spud siblings face off in a series of epic challenges in the first of a hilariously silly graphic novel series from the bestselling creator of the Narwhal and Jelly books.

Rot is a mutant potato who wakes up feeling great, maybe even…the greatest in the world! But that only makes Rot’s brother Snot the grumpiest in the world. The only solution? An epic contest to prove who is the greatest once and for all, judged by the only impartial party they can find—their small fry little sister, Tot.

But as the stakes get higher through the muddy potato sack race, sacred hot potato roll, and a hilarious laughing contest, their rivalry spirals out of control. Suddenly Rot’s not feeling so spudtacular anymore. Will this tater trio ever be able to determine who the greatest in the world really is?

Chapter book

A magical new young fiction series from best-selling author and illustrator, Laura Ellen Anderson!

Meet Marnie Midnight – a little moth with BIG dreams!

Marnie Midnight is SO excited to be starting at Minibeast Academy. She adores everything about the moon and she can’t wait to learn about its magic. But Marnie soon discovers that nobody believes in moon magic anymore!

Marnie is determined to get to the bottom of this moon mystery. The little moth and her minibeast friends explore far and wide in their search for the truth. But will they survive a run-in with a rebellious rat or an out-of-this-world trip with the terrifying Early Bird . . . ? One thing is for sure, Marnie is a little bug having a BIG Adventure!

Non-fictionPicturebook

Unfold a world of discovery.

Small, Speckled Egg takes young readers from the small and familiar to new areas of knowledge where they really have to think big!

It starts with an egg that hatches into one of the most impressive birds on the planet – an Arctic tern. Watch her grow, learn to fly, and start her long migration from the Arctic to Antarctica and back again. A journey she does every year of her life.

Her lifecycle is turned into this easy-to-read story and the beautiful illustrations transport you to chilly polar landscapes. Additional captions are packed with information for able readers to expand on new areas of knowledge. The book touches on KS1 primary science topics: the lifecycle of a bird, food chains, migration, seasons and polar regions.

At the back of the book there is a giant fold-out map that includes a fun I-Spy game to take children back into the book to find the polar animals.

A brilliant addition to any home or school library with lots of detail that will be returned to again and again.

Look out for more science-based picture books in the Start Small, Think Big series including Little, Brown Nut.

Chapter book

From beloved children’s author-illustrator Alex T. Smith, the bestselling creator of the Claude series, How Winston Delivered Christmas, How Winston Came Home for Christmas and The Grumpus, comes a rip-roaring fast-paced illustrated adventure through space, perfect for newly confident readers!

Astrid Atomic, a 6 year old human person, goes to bed every night like every other 6 year old human person. But unlike many other 6 year olds she doesn’t stay there. The minute the lights are off and the coast is clear the Space Cadet siren goes off, her uniform goes on, and 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 – WHOOSH! – she blasts off on board the spaceship Stardust!

Along with her best pals Beryl, Professor Quackers and Zoink, Astrid is given her mission from The Chief – to clean up the Milky Way! But when a nearby alien is in trouble and with giant snaliens around, things aren’t likely to go to plan!

Don’t miss Astrid and the gang’s next adventure in book two: Astrid and the Space Cadets: Race from Planet Peril!

Non-fiction

See the world through Faith Ringgold’s eyes and be inspired to produce your own masterpieces.

Have you ever wondered exactly what your favourite artists were looking at to make them sculpt, sew, or paint the way they did? In this book, created in collaboration with The Metropolitan Museum of Art, meet inspiring American artist and activist Faith Ringgold. Step into her life and learn what led her to mix different media and craft powerful stories into quilts. Travel with her to the places that influenced her and see the causes she fought for.

In this charming illustrated series, follow the artists’ stories and find intriguing facts about their environments and key masterpieces. Then see what you can see and make your own art. Take a closer look at landscapes with Georgia O’Keeffe, or yourself, with Vincent van Gogh. Try printmaking at home with Hokusai. Every book in this series is one to treasure – perfect for budding young artists to explore exhibitions with, then continue their own artistic journeys.

Picturebook

From the award-winning Ed Vere comes a joyful and inspirational celebration of beauty, mistakes and the artist in all of us

One brave little artist goes on one epic adventure to share her art, and in doing so learns that it doesn’t matter if you colour outside the lines, that art is full of heart… and that maybe you are an artist too!

Non-fiction

Scientists often take a leaf from nature when devising inventions. Find out more and let your imagination soar:
Discover how nature has inspired some great creations, from the Wright Brothers’ first aeroplane to Eiji Nakatsu’s bullet train.
Meet brilliant birds, boisterous bats, and family trees as we celebrate the creatures of the sky.
Explore the human and natural world, from bee discos to the design of outer-space cameras.

Poetry

Telescopes and clocks and trains- all big ideas from human brains!

From bridges and boats to medicines and mobile phones, this book takes readers on a journey of discovery through all the amazing inventions human beings have come up with. Learn how rocks and stones helped create the pyramids and how modern materials such as concrete and nylon have changed our lives.

Lively rhyming text by James Carter and electrifying illustrations by Margaux Carpentier

Picturebook

A shipwrecked elephant makes his tiny island a home for the many friends who come to the rescue, in the new picture book from New York Times Illustrated Book Award winning author.

Caught in a storm, Arnold the elephant washes up on a tiny island. Along comes Mouse in a little dingy and Arnold steps aboard…uh-oh! They use the wreckage to make the island bigger. And here’s Dog—can this boat take Arnold’s weight? Uh-oh!

None of the animals can save the shipwrecked elephant but each broken vessel provides new materials for another intricate construction. Wheels and pulleys create a Ferris wheel, an elevator, a waffle maker. All the animals work as a team to build increasingly intricate constructions that turn the desert island into a fun park city. Soon there is a whole community and enough space for everyone!

As with all Leo Timmers picture books, Elephant Island has many layers of discovery. Tapping into the childhood pleasure of contraptions, this cheerful picture book is full of complex and playful visual detail and humour that Leo Timmers’ readers love. Preschoolers who enjoy Meccano and Lego will find joy on every page with the creation of each new imaginative construction, packed with mechanical detail on bright double page spreads. Translated by James Brown, Elephant Island is a runaway hit in Europe.

Non-fiction

New in the critically acclaimed Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the life of Rudolf Nureyev, one of the greatest male ballet dancers of all time.

Rudolf fell in love with dance as a child. But he was not allowed to go to ballet school until he was 17. There, he had to make up for lost time and hone his skills to compete with the other dancers. As a professional, he dazzled audiences with sensational performances and star power. He went on to become a world-renowned choreographer and master of perfection in dance. This inspiring book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the dancer’s life.

Little People, BIG DREAMS is a bestselling biography series for kids that explores the lives of outstanding people, from designers and artists to scientists and activists. All of them achieved incredible things, yet each began life as a child with a dream.

This empowering series of books offers inspiring messages to children of all ages, in a range of formats. The board books are told in simple sentences, perfect for reading aloud to babies and toddlers. The hardback and paperback versions present expanded stories for beginning readers. With rewritten text for older children, the treasuries each bring together a multitude of dreamers in a single volume. You can also collect a selection of the books by theme in boxed gift sets. Activity books and a journal provide even more ways to make the lives of these role models accessible to children.

Inspire the next generation of outstanding people who will change the world with Little People, BIG DREAMS!

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