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Author & Illustrators

Mike Byrne Books

Count down from 10 with Santa’s cheeky little reindeer! Ten Christmas Bottoms is a laugh-out-loud rhyming story for preschoolers – a festive twist on the nursery rhyme Ten Green Bottles.

At the North Pole, a gang of mischievous little reindeer sneak out of their stalls, fly off with Santa’s sleigh and munch their way through far too many sprouts! With hilarious rhymes, busy scenes full of surprises, and a special fold-out ending, this book is perfect for festive bedtime giggles and storytime fun.

Learn & play!
• A number line to count up to 10 and back down again
• A page of simple adding up
• Bold, playful illustrations to keep little readers engaged

Written by Barry Timms and illustrated by Mike Byrne, Ten Christmas Bottoms is a must-have for toddlers and preschoolers who love silly stories and counting fun!

For more Sums with Bums check out Ten Green Bottoms and Ten Red Bottoms!

Frank the pizza is desperate to live his best life. Can he find his way?

Making friends isn’t always easy, and all Frank the Pizza wants is someone to accept him for who he is. So when he gets invited to a birthday party, his parents worry and warn him to be careful … but Frank is already planning his outfit.

At the party, no one seems to get his jokes and he ends up lonely in the corner – until he meets Frances. As the night goes on, these new friends become more daring and suddenly the party takes an unexpected turn. Were Frank’s parents right? Is life dangerous when you’re delicious?

A high-energy rhyming book featuring a particularly cute bunny who pays a visit to a new friend. Fans of The Tiger Who Came to Tea or The Lamb Who Came to Dinner will recognise the trope and will be excited to find out what kind of impression the bunny at the door will leave.

There’s a thump on the door and a bunny is there. Bunny is a very happy house guest who loves to eat breakfast, bounce around and sniff out chocolate eggs!

The perfect book for Easter and beyond, capturing the joy of spring, hospitality, unexpected friendships and of course, of chocolate!

Chapter bookDyslexia-friendly
dyslexia-friendly
 Popular children’s author Nicola Davies returns with another wonderful book that draws out the special relationship between children and animals – this time with a festive twist. Published in Barrington Stoke’s ‘super-readable’ and dyslexia-friendly style, this is a short chapter book that readers will find easy to pick up and hard to put down.

Jake stands out from many of the other children at his school and Christmas is a time that is especially difficult for him, with the bright lights, loud noises and changes in routines causing him a great deal of anxiety. When Jake befriends a lost dog, which he calls Susan, a beautiful bond begins to form that helps Jake to stay calm and cope with the difficulties he faces. After a while, Susan’s real owners turn up to reclaim their missing dog and Jake and his family need to find a way forward while their world feels like it has fallen apart.

This is a touching and inclusive story that is well suited for the 6-8 age bracket or for less confident readers in the upper primary years. Readers will find the story engaging and are likely to feel deeply empathetic towards Jake. The narrative sensitively explores the idea that Christmas is not an easy time for everybody, while also drawing out festive values of family, kindness and compassion for those in need.

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