Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Author & Illustrators

Sahar Haghgoo Books

Princess Minna: The Best Princess

Chapter book

Princess Minna loves to sort out mix-ups and mishaps in the kingdom! In this full-colour, illustrated chapter book, join her on her hilarious quest to be the best princess OF ALL!

Princess Minna lives in Castle Tall-Towers with the King and Queen, Raymond the Wizard and her best dragon friend, Lorenzo. There are often mix-ups and mishaps in the kingdom and Princess Minna loves to sort them out!

She can tame unicorns, kiss frogs and fight dragons (apart from Lorenzo) and she is very good at fixing things before it’s time for bed.

In The Best Princess, Princess Minna’s mirror ALWAYS tells her that she’s the best princess of all, so she’s SHOCKED when one day it says that PRINCESS SKY-BLUE is the best! Princess Minna sets out to put things right again but learns instead that being a BEST FRIEND is far better!

Full of colourful illustrations, these short, funny stories are perfect for readers just moving on from picture books and visual readers.

Princess Minna: The Big Bad Snowy Day

Kirsty Applebaum & Sahar Haghgoo

Chapter book

Princess Minna loves to sort out mix-ups and mishaps in the kingdom! In this full-colour, illustrated chapter book, join her on a funny, exciting adventure to help Granny and her friends, and still have time for a snowball fight!

She can tame unicorns, kiss frogs and fight dragons (apart from Lorenzo) and she is very good at fixing things before it’s time for bed.

In The Big Bad Snowy Day, snow has fallen overnight and poor Granny Hoody is snowed in! Princess Minna has to fix things. But Granny Hoody lives in the dark forest and there’s a big bad wolf who lives there too. Can Princess Minna find Granny’s cottage or will she stray from the path and meet the WOLF instead?

Full of colourful illustrations, these short, funny stories are perfect for readers just moving on from picture books and visual readers.

Princess Minna: The Enchanted Forest

Kirsty Applebaum & Sahar Haghgoo

Chapter book

These stories are perfect very first chapter books for young readers. The text is larger and wider spaced than most chapter books and the pages are fully colour-illustrated with a bright and bold palette.

Princess Minna is an adventurous, modern princess who is full of life and keen to use her resourcefulness to help whoever is in need along the way. From dealing with dragons to saving a prince in distress, Minna always has an adventure to tackle head on.

Not short of funny moments, this early chapter book series makes for a highly entertaining reading book for children ready to move on from picturebooks to something short and illustrated with multiple chapters.

Here Be Monsters

Jay Hulme & Sahar Haghgoo

Poetry

A sea-born creature, who never quite belongs, discovers who she really is, in this powerful illustrated song about metamorphosis and finding your true home.

Writer Jay Hulme’s ‘little epic poem’ is a tender and uplifting parable about the transgender experience, with breathtaking illustrations by Iranian-British illustrator Sahar Haghgoo. For young readers age 5 and up.

Here Be Monsters is part of the 10 Stories to Make a Difference collection: ten original illustrated stories for young readers, all inspired by the theme of Difference. The collection features a mix of well-known and emerging writers and illustrators, giving a platform to untold stories and diverse new voices. Proceeds from sales supports Pop Up’s work in deprived schools, marginalised communities, and with talented aspiring and emerging writers and illustrators.