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In this fourth hilarious graphic-novel adventure, Peanut, Butter and Crackers are getting excited about Christmas. But then they discover someone living in their Christmas tree!

It’s Peanut’s first Christmas and he’s very excited to open the gifts under the tree. Crackers explains that he must wait until Christmas and the dogs go off for their daily walk. But while Peanut and Crackers are having lots of fun with their friends at the dog park, someone sneaks into their house.

Meanwhile, happy to be left alone at last, laid-back cat Butter is so busy enjoying some peace and relaxation, he doesn’t even notice that he’s not alone. And when the dogs get home, it’s not long before they sniff out the stranger living in their Christmas tree and bark a CODE RED!

Experience the true spirit of Christmas with this rich celebration of the nativity story – newly reissued.

With words from the King James Bible and stunning silhouettes by Jan Pienkowski, the master of dramatic design, the very first Christmas is brought gloriously to life.

A classic and the perfect Christmas gift.

Laugh yourself silly with the latest hilarious adventure in the InvestiGators series! InvestiGators: Case Files is a special solve-along edition of the full colour comic book series by John Patrick Green. Find clues, spot suspects and crack six new cases alongside the InvestiGators! Perfect for fans of Dog Man and Bunny vs Monkey.

Immersive mystery-solving fun – the perfect book for holidays, car journeys and rainy days!

Mango and Brash are back, and this time they’re asking you to help them crack the case! The InvestiGators have been given the G.R.I.D., a brand-new tool to help gather evidence and clues. Using the prompts in each chapter, readers can make their own deductions alongside the Gators and solve the case! Featuring plenty of familiar faces from investigations past, and packed full of hilarious hijinks, join Mango and Brash as they get to the bottom of cases big and small!

Collect all the books in the InvestiGators series by John Patrick Green: InvestiGators, Take the Plunge, Off the Hook and tons more. Don’t miss Agents of S.U.I.T., the spin-off series featuring Mango and Brash’s colourful coworkers.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling creators of the Food Group series comes a Christmas picture book featuring the ever-popular character the Big Cheese. Perfect for holiday promotions, this book includes a tear sheet of twelve holiday cards and festive foil on the cover.

Every December, the Big Cheese hosts a gigantic jamboree with flashy decorations, sparkling outfits, extravagant gifts, ear-bursting music, and jaw-dropping entertainment. It’s the #1 party in town and it can’t be beat!

But this holiday season, mere hours before the festivities, disaster strikes! With no backup plan in place, the Big Cheese must call in a big favor to help save the big day. But will Christmas still be Christmas if it’s not quite so grand?

You don’t want to miss this hilarious, charming, and thought-provoking continuation of Jory John and Pete Oswald’s bestselling Food Group series.

Serve up the eighth picture book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Food Group series from Jory John and Pete Oswald!

The Humble Pie likes to give others the spotlight. Aw, shucks!—they deserve it!

But when he’s paired with his best friend, Jake the Cake, for a school project, he soon realizes that staying in the shadows isn’t always as sweet as pie. Readers of all ages will laugh along as their new pie pal discovers that letting your voice be heard always takes the cake!

Jory John and Pete Oswald serve up another heaping plate of laughs and lessons with this empowering, witty, and charming addition to their #1 New York Times bestselling series!

Join Chloe Savage – winner of the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2024: Best Illustrated Book – on a journey across the cosmos with Commander Julia, her team of Astro scientists and her trusty dog, Khan, as they search for life in the stars. Travelling for ten years in their packed spaceship, they visit countless moons and planets of every size and colour, searching for the answer to the greatest question of all: “Are we alone?”

And, just as they’re about to give up … Khan leads them to an incredible discovery – the existence of a (friendly!) alien race. Getting to know this welcoming species calls into question everything these space explorers have ever known – about what to do next, who they are, and what it means to have a home…

Sure to be a favourite for aspiring astronauts and will inspire a love of science, space exploration, and nurture curiosity in the solar system and our galaxy, and beyond. This book is filled with Chloe’s incredible trademark detail – space stations, spaceship cross-sections, and underground crystal caves.

The Artemis III mission aims to land astronauts on the moon in 2026 … and, after that, what’s next?

Part of the HIDDEN WONDERS series for children: award-winning, picture book adventures where science meets myth and magic, making STEM accessible to all children.

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.

Half vampire, half fairy, totally unique!

Isadora is special because she is different.

Her mum is a fairy and her dad is a vampire and she’s a bit of both.

Isadora is so excited.

She has been invited to go to a pop concert with her friend, Araminta.

She has never seen a band like Glitterbat before.

The music is gothic and vampire-y and ELECTRIC.

She can’t wait to show the dance moves to her friends at school.

But will they understand, or will they think her vampire music is a bit strange?

With irresistible pink and black artwork throughout by author/illustrator Harriet Muncaster and a totally unique heroine with an out-of-this-world family, this is a beautiful, charming and funny series of first chapter books.

Perfect for fans of Claude, Dixie O’Day, and Squishy McFluff, Isadora Moon is the ideal choice for readers who want their magic and sparkle with a bit of bite!

Join Izzy the Inventor in a laugh-out-loud chapter book series that brings together science, magic and a very lovable unicorn. Packed full of illustrations and easy-to-read text, this series is perfect for newly independent readers and fans of Isadora Moon.

Izzy’s back in Fairytale Land to help Henry win the MAGIC COMPETITION with some secret science… but little does she realise it’s A TRAP! The Elf Inspectors are after Izzy for bringing too much science to Fairytale Land. Now Izzy must try and help the Little Mermaid escape from a sea witch and persuade the Elf Inspectors that science can save the day. And if she doesn’t? Then Fairytale Land will be shut down… for good!

Every book contains ideas for science experiments and a QR code with links for more to try at home.

Join Sarah and Mr Pottifer in their magical plant shop, where fantastical creatures grow on trees!

It’s nearly Christmas Day when an unexpected visitor arrives – it’s Santa, and he needs their help!

His reindeer are in bed with Antler Flu and without them, he can’t deliver his presents on time. But growing well-behaved reindeer isn’t as easy as it seems. . . and before long the mischevious creatures have created a rather MERRY MESS!

Can Sarah figure out a way to save Christmas before it’s too late?

This rhyming story full of festive fun celebrates being different, and the importance of teamwork.

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