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Author & Illustrators

Caryl Hart Books

Peter Pan (Picturebook)

Picturebook

The beloved childhood classic by J.M. Barrie is retold in rhyme in a sumptuous new gift book edition with beautiful new art.

A beautiful picture book retelling for young children in rollicking rhyme by award-winning author, Caryl Hart. With beautiful illustrations by Sarah Warburton this timeless keepsake gift book is a one to treasure and share. With sumptuous details including cloth binding, foil cover, full colour illustrations throughout, textured paper jacket, ribbon marker and head and tail bands.

When Peter Pan flies into the Darlings’ room one dusky evening, he convinces Wendy and her brothers to come with him to the magical world of Neverland, where children never grow old. It’s the beginning of an amazing adventure featuring a cast of classic characters, from the mischievous Lost Boys and jealous fairy Tinker Bell, to the villainous Captain Hook and his pirate band. But will the Darlings choose to stay in Neverland or return to London to grow up like normal children?

Full of magical adventure, this favourite classic is the ultimate bedtime picture book.

I Can Do It By Myself

Caryl Hart & Zoe Waring

Picturebook

A hilarious celebration of children learning how to do things independently and how giving it a go is as important as getting it right the first time.

Five words to sum up the book would be: independence, growth, positive, playful and inspiring.

My Small World: Frozen

Caryl Hart & Harry Woodgate

Non-fiction, Picturebook

There are creatures galore in my land made of snow
And huge floating icebergs wherever you go.
My small world is waiting, so come take my hand,
I’ll show you who lives in my cold, frozen land . . .

Discover a world full of ice, snow and sea, and meet the magnificent creatures who live on our frozen planet. From cuddly polar bear cubs playing in caves, elegant reindeer galloping across the snow and narwals and orcas who splash in the waves to the families of penguins who march across the South Pole, there is so much to see.

This interactive series from bestselling author Caryl Hart and Waterstones Children’s Book Prize winner Harry Woodgate promotes imaginative play for early years, and features a handy how-to guide with ideas to help readers create their own small worlds.

Girls Can Do Anything

Ali Pye & Caryl Hart

Picturebook

To this day, my eldest girls still cry out the mantra, ‘I’m a girl! I’m fantastic! I’m strong, brave and proud!’ This empowering book showcases girls engaging in diverse activities, from climbing mountains to leading nations. Its rhythmic prose and inclusive illustrations inspire young readers to pursue their dreams, reinforcing the message that gender will never dictate, or indeed restrict, your capabilities.

Lunch on a Pirate Ship

Caryl Hart & Kristina Stephenson

Picturebook

Come with Jack on a quest for the perfect lunch – you never know who you might meet!

Jack doesn’t want to eat his boring old lunch. He’d rather have lunch on a pirate ship! But what do pirates actually eat?? Rotten fish stew – eeuuuwwww! And so begins a rollicking, imaginative adventure over sea, through caves and into the lair of a troll before Jack decides that actually Mum’s cooking is pretty good after all.

Crisp, characterful illustrations from Kristina Stephenson, creator of the best-selling Sir Charlie Stinky Socks series, complement this energetic, rhyming text by Caryl Hart.

Perfect for fussy eaters, people who are too busy playing to come in for tea, and anyone who’s ever eyed their dinner with suspicion.

Supermarket Zoo

Caryl Hart & Ed Eaves

Picturebook

Supermarket Zoo is a charming and humorous picture book which is perfect for EYFS and Year One classrooms.

The story centres around a little boy called Albie, who has to go supermarket shopping with his mum. This trip, to his surprise, is to a very special sort of supermarket where he can buy animals of all sorts of shapes and sizes. It is such a unique premise for a story and one which can link to a wide range of EYFS topics and interests. The routine of supermarket shopping is highly relatable to young children and there are lots of scenes which can spark discussion as part of ‘Personal, Social and Emotional Development’ activities; for example, Why does Albie dislike shopping so much at the start of the story? To support ‘Knowledge and Understanding of the World’, the animals and their real habitats and diets can be explored and there are so many ‘Mathematical Development’ opportunities; from counting the animals on mum’s list to weighing and measuring the different animals that Albie puts in the trolley.

Of course, the humour in the book links to the silliness of a supermarket zoo. The funny smell and enormous trolley sets the scene perfectly for lots of weird and wonderful encounters within. Albie’s interactions with his mum mirror familiar interactions between parents and children in this situation and it is never explained whether his trip really happened or it was all in his imagination, which is fantastic point for discussion afterwards.

The book also uses some really effective vocabulary choices to emphasise the size of the animals that are being put into Albie’s trolley. This makes it a superb choice to support the development and extension of language models within the EYFS class.

The illustrations are delightful and have enough detail to be able to compare with real life versions of the animals (with one spectacular exception!). It’s a lovely story and would make a great addition to any shopping or animal topic as well as being a super book to share with a class of younger children for story time.

The Girl Who Planted Trees

Anastasia Suvorova & Caryl Hart

Picturebook

This book is absolutely beautiful! It is a tale of determination, hope, resilience and community.

Caryl Hart has written a story about a little girl who wants to make change happen. Determined to see the ‘great grey’ mountain turn back into the lush forest that it once was, the girl plants a seed from her fruit. When she returns later, she is disappointed that it has not taken at all. Under the watchful eye of her grandfather, she plants a variety of seeds and this time is determined to water them every day, and soon she sees results. Shoots turn in to saplings, and soon they are as big as she is! But how will she cope when a disaster strikes and her saplings are all destroyed in a fierce storm? Just as the trees grow in the story, so the girl becomes a mother and grandmother thereafter. Her life of determination has brought about environmental change for the good of the community.

The story is brought to life by the illustrations of Anastasia Suvorova, with vibrant colours that reflect the hope and sunlight of the story.

A key feature of this book is the QR code on the inside sleeve. This gives the reader access to an audio version of the book. This is read beautifully by Willow Nash and includes a ‘ping’ for when to turn the page, enabling young children to look at the pictures while the book is being read to them.

Meet the Dinosaurs

Bethan Woollvin & Caryl Hart

Picturebook

Caryl Hart’s ‘Meet the Dinosaurs’ is more than just a dinosaur picture book. She has a wonderful talent for writing a rhyming narrative that weaves in facts seamlessly. In this book, readers can learn about the appearance, diet and behaviours of a range of well-known dinosaurs with a non-fiction narrative that is great fun to read aloud in EYFS.

The book is perfect for promoting children’s vocabulary and language skills. With eye-catching and vibrant illustrations from the amazing Bethany Woollvin, ‘Meet the Dinosaurs’ is a must-read for parents and educators alike.

How to Save a Superhero

Caryl Hart & Ed Eaves

Picturebook

Albie doesn’t want to tidy his toys away but when a comic-book baddie snatches one away, he has to chase after them! Follow Albie into a world of flying superheroes, crazy contraptions and daring rescues in another fantastically fun adventure from the bestselling team of Caryl Hart and Ed Eaves.

My Small World: Dinosaurs

Caryl Hart & Harry Woodgate

Picturebook

My small world is waiting, so come take my hand,
Ill show you who lives in my Dinosaur Land.

Come on an adventure of a lifetime through the land of the dinosaurs! Meet Europasaurus, the helpful herbivore; a whole family of Stegosaurs and many, many more. Then, at the end, learn how to build your very own Small World, with instructions and a handy How To guide!

From bestselling and award-winning author Caryl Hart and Waterstones Book Prize winner, Harry Woodgate, comes this fantastic new series.

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