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Author & Illustrators

David Roberts Books

An exquisitely illustrated history of the women’s suffrage movement, created by the New York Times-bestselling David Roberts and introduced by BBC presenter Lauren Laverne.

It is over a century since the first women won the vote in the United Kingdom, and Suffragette tells the story of their fight. This is a tale of astounding bravery, ingenuity and strength.

David’s writing is accessible and his artwork full of rich detail, bringing to life the many vivid characters of the women’s suffrage movement – from the militant activist and wheelchair user Rosa May Billinghurst to the world-famous Emmeline Pankhurst, Millicent Fawcett and Emily Wilding Davison.

Covering the whole range of female and male suffragist experiences – from aristocrats to the middle and working class as well as a look at the global struggle for universal suffrage, Suffragette: The Battle for Equality makes a fantastic introduction to a fascinating topic. David Roberts’ exquisite artwork and clear, exceptionally well-researched text make this the perfect gift.

This 128 page book is fully colour illustrated on every page, and has been completed with advice from June Purvis, Emeritus Professor of Women’s and Gender History at the University of Portsmouth.

Inspired by the words of Jo Cox, ‘We have more in common than that which divides us,’ and dedicated to ‘every child who has ever had to leave their home behind,’ this book is a showcase of thoughtfulness, empathy, kindness and inclusion.

Firstly, the vibrant palette of neon pinks and oranges stands out, drawing your eye to the cast of inclusive characters shown throughout, many subverting stereotypes of gender, race, and disability – showing wide-ranging positive representation.

The premise of the story is that somewhere in the world is someone who has the same likes, dislikes, sense of humour and interests as you and the reader is invited to imagine this with the dual illustrations showing two very different characters, sharing a characteristic. Once the connection has been made, the reader is invited to think about how they could support and care for this person if they needed shelter or friendship after having to leave their home, encouraging giving, sharing, listening and talking as ways to make them feel welcome.

Meet Dirty Bertie – a boy with nose-pickingly disgusting habits! He’s full to bursting with madcap plans and crazy ideas, and if it’s trouble you’re after, look no further – Bertie’s sure to be up to his neck in it. Join Bertie as he stages a school dinner revolt, takes Whiffer to dog training and sabotages his sister’s sleepover. It can only end in chaos!

The Troll is a truly delightful picture book by national treasure Julia Donaldson, and a book that we absolutely love at BooksForTopics HQ.

The story offers a fresh perspective on a familiar grumpy character, adeptly mixing the well-known troll from the traditional Three Billy Goats Gruff tale with a fun pirate story arc. The hungry troll, perpetually stuck with a fish diet and constantly outsmarted by goats, finds his path crossing with a rough-and-tumble crew of equally food-limited pirates.

The genius of this book lies in how these two seemingly separate storylines run in perfect parallel, leading to a wonderfully gleeful conclusion. David Roberts’ quirky, characterful illustrations are full of humour, perfectly complementing Donaldson’s witty, rhyming text.

This is a fantastic KS1 read-aloud that holds a unique charm, making it highly recommended.

Calling all Dirty Bertie fans! Dirty Bertie – the boy with nose-pickingly disgusting habits – is back for another helping of comic chaos! More disgusting than ever, with crazier plans and increasingly madcap schemes, Bertie continues to delight his legions of fans who revel in his revolting ways.
Join Bertie in Zombie! his 21st adventure, as he finds himself on the run from a zombified Eugene, discovers a new dance craze, and gets caught up in some monkey business on a trip to the zoo.
Dirty Bertie is a hugely popular series created by David Roberts. With each hilarious story approximately thirty pages long and split into chapters, Dirty Bertie is ideal for reluctant boy readers or readers in search of hilarity but with a short attention span.

This is a wonderful collection of three classic fairy tales (Cinderella, Rapunzel and Sleeping Beauty), lovingly retold by Lynn Roberts-Maloney and fantastically reimagined by David Roberts’ illustrations.

Cinderella is set in a 1920s/30s world, full of art deco style and carefully-researched tributes to the era throughout the illustrations. Her horse and carriage gets updated to a sort of Rolls Royce Phantom and the dishes that she labours over have a very Clarice Cliff feel, for example. Setting the tale in this period is a masterstroke, as the period was full of decadence for the likes of a prince. There are slight changes to the plot but it is still pretty true to the well-known versions, overall.

Rapunzel is given a 1970s remake. In a decade of long hair and rock and roll, her tower is a tower block with a broken lift and her Prince is a lead singer in a band. Music is a recurring theme and that 70s youth culture pervades. As in all three stories, the female lead is refreshingly empowered and takes her fate in her own hands.

For me, Sleeping Beauty is the pick of the bunch. Here, the illustrations are closer to the style of the recent Iggy Peck, Ava Twist and Rosie Revere books, for which David Roberts is most familiar. The twist is a bigger one this time with no prince at all and a leap into the future. There’s still a happy ending and a truly satisfying one at that. As with the other two tales, it invites comparisons and re-readings of more traditional versions and would be a worthy addition to a unit of work on fairy tales in class.

From award-winning illustrator David Roberts comes Dirty Bertie – the boy with nose-pickingly disgusting habits! With comic chaos and madcap schemes, these highly-illustrated stories are perfect for new readers.

Join Bertie as he concocts a magic potion for Miss Boot to make her forget the dreaded maths test, finds himself at Know-All Nick’s house for the worst sleepover ever and unexpectedly wins out over the school bully.

This story follows Aaron, a boy who loves stories but struggles with writing due to his difficulty in deciphering letters. But when his turn to write a story for the class comes around, inspiration strikes, and he finds another way to share his tale through the pictures he draws.

This book is part of a larger series that has gained popularity in schools, and for good reason. The other titles, such as Rosie Revere, Engineer and Iggy Peck, Architect are also engaging and give validity to the talents and strengths of each individual.

We love Aaron Slater, Illustrator as an empowering storytime read that can also lead to discussions about helping individuals find ways to personally thrive as well as touching on themes of dyslexia and the power of art.

A new rhyming picture book from the popular Questioneers series (popular for Rosie Revere, Engineer & Iggy Peck, Architect). Sofia Valdez is a Mexican-American girl who campaigns for improvements in her local area, showing the difference that individual voices can make when they engage and get involved with their communities.

We love this story featuring a girl called Rosie who has a passion for inventing and a dream of becoming a famous engineer. Along the way Rosie must learn how to respond to mistakes. When one of her inventions crashes to the ground, Rosie must choose between giving up on her dreams or listening to her Great-Great-Aunt’s wise advice about embracing mistakes positively and using them to learn something new.

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