Author & Illustrators

David Baddiel Books

Welcome to the world of David Baddiel, the acclaimed comedian, screenwriter and more recently, much enjoyed children’s author.

Best known for his work alongside Rob Newman and Frank Skinner in the 1990s and his co-creation of iconic football anthem “Three Lions,” Baddiel has also made a significant splash in the world of children’s literature. Since publishing his first children’s book, The Parent Agency, in 2014, he has hooked in young readers with his hilarious and heartwarming stories that often explore themes of family, friendship and identity.

David Baddiel’s chapter books, generally aimed at readers aged 8-12 (Key Stage 2 readers), include popular titles such as AniMalcolm, The Person Controller, and Birthday Boy. These imaginative tales along with his reputation as an entertaining writer have earned him widespread praise and recognition, featuring on various BooksForTopics booklists, including selections for KS2 reading lists, recommended reading list for Year 6, children’s book recommendations and our Branching Out: Booklist for Fans of Wimpy Kid.

If you’re looking for funny children’s books, books for reluctant readers or engaging stories for upper primary school children, explore the works of David Baddiel.

Author’s Website: https://www.davidbaddiel.com/

If you are new to David Baddiel’s books for children, we recommend Head Kid as a good book to start with.

The Parent Agency

David Baddiel & Jim Field

Chapter book

The Parent Agency is an epic wish-fulfilment adventure for every child – and for the child in everyone.

Barry said, a third time, “I wish I had better parents!” And then suddenly the entire room started to shake…

Barry Bennett hates being called Barry. In fact it’s number 2 on the list of things he blames his parents for, along with 1) ‘being boring’ and 3) ‘always being tired’.

But there is a world, not far from this one, where parents don’t have children. That’s far too random for something so big and important. In this world, children are allowed to choose their parents.

For Barry Bennett, this world seems like a dream come true. Only things turn out to be not quite that simple…

AniMalcolm

David Baddiel & Jim Field

Chapter book

From David Baddiel, the brightest new star of children’s books and winner of the LOLLIES award, comes a laugh-out-loud adventure for every child who ever wondered what it might be like to be a bit of an animal…

Malcolm doesn’t like animals.

Which is a problem because his family love them. Their house is full of pets. What the house is NOT full of is stuff Malcolm likes. Such as the laptop he wanted for his birthday.

The only bright spot on the horizon is the Year Six school trip, which Malcolm never thought his parents would pay for. And yet there he is, on the bus, heading to… oh no. A farm.

Over the next days, Malcolm changes. He learns a lot about animals. More, in many ways, than he would like. He learns what it’s really like to be an animal. A whole series of animals, in fact…

It does make him think differently. And speak differently. And eat differently. And, um, smell differently. But will he end up the same as before?

Because sometimes the hardest thing to become is… yourself.

Birthday Boy

David Baddiel & Jim Field

Chapter book

A hilarious rollercoaster ride of pure entertainment for 9+ readers everywhere, Birthday Boy is the new Baddiel Blockbuster: featuring David’s inimitable and award-winning combination of wish-fulfilment, heart and hilarity, all brought to life by regular collaborator Jim Field’s witty, stylish illustrations.

What if it was every day?

This is the story of Sam Green, who really, really, really loves birthdays. He loves the special breakfasts in bed. The presents. The themed parties. Blowing out the candles on his cake. Everything.

He is so excited about his 11th birthday, in fact, that he wishes it was his birthday every day.

So, at first, it’s quite exciting when his birthday happens again the next morning. And again. And again. And again…

But it’s not long before things start to go wrong. Soon, disaster strikes, threatening something Sam loves even more than birthdays.

Sometimes you have to be careful what you wish for…

The Boy Who Got Accidentally Famous

David Baddiel & Steven Lenton

Chapter book

From million-copy bestselling author David Baddiel comes a laugh-out-loud story for readers of 8 and up that takes you on a roller-coaster ride of fame and friendship…

Nothing extraordinary has ever happened to Billy Smith. In fact, every single thing about him is ordinary, including his name. But when a documentary crew turns up at Billy’s school to film the new TV series School Daze, everything changes.

Billy shouldn’t stand out: all the other kids are much more interesting than him. But when remixes of his boring class presentation go viral, Billy finds himself accidentally an overnight star. With his friends Bo and Rinor by his side, his life turns into a whirlwind of red carpets, TV shows, albums and even the possibility of meeting Sunshine De Marto – the coolest girl on the planet. But as everyone knows, fame comes with a price…

The Boy Who Got Accidentally Famous is an epically entertaining tale, brought to life with illustrations by the brilliant Steven Lenton, which asks the question – what if everyone suddenly knew your name…?

Future Friend

David Baddiel & Steven Lenton

Chapter book

From million-copy bestselling author David Baddiel comes a laugh-out-loud and inspiring new adventure for all readers of 8 and up that is ahead of its time – 1,001 years ahead, to be precise…

The year is 3020.

Pip@256X#YY.3_7 is lonely and bored: she goes to virtual school on her G-Glasses, she only has a talking cat and parrot to hang out with, and she can’t even leave her LivingSpace due to the extreme heat and floods outside.

Until the day that Pip explores a glowing ring in a lab and finds herself in a warehouse, in 2019.

Where she meets boy-inventor Rahul – who is also lonely and bored.

Together, Rahul and Pip are no longer lonely. But they have a whole load of new problems, including hiding talking animals from Rahul’s parents, and finding a way back to the future.

Plus – just maybe – saving the world…

Future Friend is a terrifically entertaining time-slip adventure that combines action, laugh-out-loud humour and the importance of friendship, in a story that asks the question – what would happen if your best friend came from the future?

Only Children

David Baddiel & Jim Field & Steven Lenton

Short story collection

MEET ALFIE… THE BOY WHO COULD DO WHAT HE LIKED!
Previously published for World Book Day 2016
Alfie has a routine. To be honest he has a lot of routines.
But then one day Alfie’s babysitter is unavailable, and Alfie’s parents get Mrs Stokes instead. Mrs Stokes doesn’t do routines. Instead, she just tells Alfie to do what he likes. And that’s when things start to go weird.
Does everything get hilariously out of control? Yes.
Does Alfie learn a valuable lesson? Nah. This isn’t that kind of story…

DISCOVER CHRISSIE… THE GIRL WHO HAD NEVER BEEN ON A TRAIN!
Chrissie loves trains. She has train books, train pictures – and, of course, model trains. But Chrissie has never been on an actual train. In part, because Chrissie doesn’t find getting around as easy as other people. Then, Chrissie finally gets on a train, with her Grandpa Henry, to go down to London for an important operation. Her parents and Henry hope the journey will take Chrissie’s mind off things.

And they’re right: but in a way they couldn’t possibly imagine. Because Chrissie’s trip from Scotland to London turns out to be quite literally magical – and changes her life forever.

MARVEL AT ARIEL… THE CHILD WHO HAD NEVER BEEN ON HOLIDAY!
Every year, Max, Lily and Jack are taken to Snoring-On-Sea for their holiday – quite possibly the most boring town in the world. There’s nothing to do and nothing to see – even the beach at Snoring-on-Sea is dull and grey.

But this year, something DOES happen. The children meet someone on a tiny island out at sea – a mysterious child called Ariel. Ariel claims to have never left their tiny island, and to Ariel, everything about Max, Lily and Jack’s lives is amazing – fish and chips, fizzy drinks… even the view of the brick wall out of their bedroom window.

And their new friend forces Max, Lily and Jack to see Snoring-On-Sea in a whole new light…

Three hilarious, heart-warming and adventure-filled stories that will have you laughing out loud!

Small Fry

Cory Loftis & David Baddiel

Chapter book

A funny, exciting, David vs Goliath adventure with a heart-warming father-son relationship – perfect for fans of Danny the Champion of the World, Millions, and Ratatouille.

The story of one boy and his brilliant burgers!

Benny Burns spends every weekend helping his dad by working at their burger van, parked outside the local football ground. And when Benny finds his grandfather’s old recipe book and begins following its instructions, he starts cooking INCREDIBLE food – so good, in fact, that he attracts the unwanted attention of fast-food giant Bonkers Burgers! and its CEO, Bodley Bonkers.

To Bodley, Benny and his burgers are a threat that must be eliminated… by any means necessary.

And so, along with his dad and his two best friends, Jasper and Mina, Benny must find a way to defeat Bonkers Burgers, help rescue his dad’s business, and share his passion for cooking with the world – a mission that leads to him competing with the world’s greatest chef to cook the best burger.

Virtually Christmas

David Baddiel & Steven Lenton

Chapter book

The HILARIOUS new novel and the year’s most perfect festive gift – from million-copy bestselling author David Baddiel.

It used to be the most WONDERFUL time of the year, but for years Christmas has been taken over by Winterzone.

All the things that made Christmas special are gone: the human connection, the baubles passed down through generations, even the rubbish cracker jokes.

Instead, Christmas is run by robots, while 3D holograms of Santa Claus called Santavatars check if you’ve been naughty or nice – and on Christmas Eve, all of the presents are delivered by ZoneDrones instead of Santa’s reindeer!

But when they stumble on a curious clue, eleven-year-old Etta and her friend Monty find themselves thrown into a fight to bring back Christmas. Racing against time and against the might of Winterzone, they must find the real Santa – before the true meaning of the festive season is lost forever…

The Taylor Turbochaser

David Baddiel & Steven Lenton

Chapter book

Amy thinks the world of her Dad, but ever since the accident happened, Amy’s Dad can’t bear to see Amy. Following a car accident, in which Amy’s Dad was driving the car, Amy is left in a wheelchair but she is determined to prove to him that being in a wheelchair doesn’t stop her from doing anything and, with the help of her friend and inventor Rahul, she might just do it. The stakes have never been higher!

Following on the back of the success of AniMalcom, The Person Controller, Birthday Boy and The Parent Agency, Baddiel whips up a fun adventure that explores the hopes and dreams of car-obsessed Amy Taylor. Tricky subjects such as life-changing accidents, divorce, sibling and evolving parent-child relationships are all handled sensitively, with Baddiel’s recognisable brand of sharp humour.

Steven Lenton’s illustrations capture each stage of the story perfectly. A real page-turner, each of the characters of the book balance and enrich the story, even poking light-hearted fun at those glued to their technology or struggling to keep up with it.

This book will be relished individually by readers in KS2, appealing to both girls and boys alike, and would also make fun, upbeat class read at the end of the day.

Head Kid

David Baddiel

Chapter book

A Freaky Friday tale for a new generation, Head Kid is a body-switch story with a difference that will appeal to fans of funny books and situation comedy.

When Ryan Ward, child prankster extraordinaire and his new headteacher Mr Carter swap bodies, there are unexpected consequences. Each finds out what it is like to be the other and neither is prepared for what they discover. With the school due an inspection and the staff trying to avoid it being closed down, Ryan (Mr Carter) and Mr Carter (Ryan) must somehow learn to appreciate each other’s point of view and find a way to work together to secure the school’s future.

David Baddiel’s writing is fast-paced, touching and very funny. Fans of David Walliams’ books will enjoy the similarities between the two authors, although this is longer and a little meatier with a pleasing depth behind the fun. Ryan is a character children can relate to and the problems encountered by him and other central characters will feel familiar to many readers: coping with bullying, having an absent parent, caring for an elderly relative. There is a good mix throughout the book of tender moments and laugh-out-loud scenes.

The book raises questions about leadership, responsibility and the consequences of your actions. It could form the basis of a discussion around different political systems (dictatorship or democracy?). What would you do if you were in charge of school? Why? What might happen if you made those changes? There is perhaps an obvious link to the role of school councils and pupils having a voice and influence in schools.

Appreciation is also a key theme in the book. Being able not only to accept and understand another’s point of view, but also why they might feel that way is an important skill for children to develop in these days of online comments and unsolicited opinions. This book definitely manages to illustrate the importance of understanding others. My first David Baddiel book, I would highly recommend Head Kid for readers in Key Stage 2.

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