Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

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Picturebook

What do you see when you look at a tree? Leaves and twigs and branches?
Or do you see a real, living thing, That moves, and breathes and dances?

Immerse yourself in this gentle picture book that encourages us to explore our connection with nature.

In association with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, this wonderful picture book explores themes of empathy, mindfulness and personal growth through the eyes of a child. Beautifully written and illustrated by the award-winning artist Emma Carlisle, What Do You See When You Look At a Tree? urges readers to reconnect with nature by asking questions that encourage critical thinking and reflection on their own development, as well as helping to establish a deeper appreciation for the environment and their place within it.

Stunning watercolour and hand-finished artwork draws parallels to the bestselling The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse, and evokes the classic nostalgia of E. H. Shephard’s much-loved Winnie-the-Pooh.

Mindfulness tips and information about trees are included at the back of the book for both adult and child to read together.

Picturebook

What is black and white? A penguin. What is black and white, and can’t fly? Still a penguin.

A hilarious, deceptively simple, interactive picture book which plays on a much-loved memory game – brought to life by the award-winning picture book maker John Kane.

A master of child-centric humour, John Kane’s best-selling series I Say Ooh, You Say Aah won the English Picture Book Awards 4-7 category and was shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards Children’s Book of the Year.

Non-fiction

In Football Rules the World, discover how football became the most popular game it is today, boasting a mind-blowing 3.5 billion fans worldwide!

The daring duo of Dan and Simon will usher you through the story of football – the highlights of course! You’ll meet the legendary players and inspirational managers of the beautiful game, relive the magic moments and read stories of epic wins and glorious goals from around the globe.

Wonderfully illustrated – bringing football’s history back to life – Football Rules the World is packed with plenty of jokes, funny characters, as well as the facts and stats that fans of Football Superstars have come to know and love.

Non-fiction

Discover the most memorable moments in football history in this fascinating Ultimate Football Heroes collection!

From the invention of the modern sport all the way to the present day, bestselling author and football expert Tom Palmer picks ONE HUNDRED of the most thrilling and significant goals, games, and players from more than 150 years of the Beautiful Game.

Featuring Pele’s World Cup, Maradona’s Hand of God, John Barnes’ Maracana magic, and the Lionesses’ European Championship triumph, this is an endlessly fascinating treasury of stories for fans of all ages.

Chapter book

If Hercules Braver is going to survive his new secondary school, he has to live up to his name, fast. He needs to become strong and tanned and popular, like a Greek hero. Not weak and pale and unpopular, like a Greek yoghurt. But his bid for popularity ends up saddling him with a set of impossible tasks … like cleaning out the monster-riddled school pond, facing up to the school bully and finding the headmaster’s missing cat.

Then Herc’s charming, impressive birth dad turns up after years living in Greece, and Hercules thinks his problems are solved. With God-like strength and awe-inspiring powers, could his dad even be … the real Zeus?!

And will Hercules learn what it truly means to be a hero?

A hilarious, accessible package brilliantly illustrated by David O’Connell. Ideal for fans of Louie Stowell’s Loki, Maz Evans, Marvel’s Thor films and Disney Hercules.

Hercules Braver’s are loosely based on the first three Labours of Hercules, ideal for all young fans of Greek mythology!

Warm-hearted representation of blended families and alternate father figures.

Picturebook

A poignant story about a baby elephant who gets lost in a mysterious jungle, from the acclaimed Kate Greenaway Medal-winning author-illustrator and former Children’s Laureate.

Ernest is a happy baby elephant. But when his curiosity gets the better of him and he leaves the rest of his herd to explore the alluring and dangerous jungle, he becomes very lost indeed. Amongst the undergrowth, he meets a rude gorilla, a weary lion, an impolite hippo and an uncaring crocodile. Will anyone help Ernest find his way out of the jungle and home to his mum? From the international phenomenon, Anthony Browne, comes a heartfelt, visually stunning picture book, about finding help in unexpected places.

Picturebook

Augustus the tiger was sad. He had lost his smile. So he did a HUGE tigery stretch, and set off to find it.

Chapter book

Discover the first brilliant adventure of reporter-in-training KATE and her mouse RUPERT, in this stunning book, filled with colourful illustrations.

Young reporter-in-training Kate and her mouse-accomplice Rupert are on board a train to visit Kate’s mum in the Arctic.

But as soon as the train departs, mysterious things start happening.

A packet of ginger nuts goes missing . . .
A collection of gymnastics trophies are stolen . . .
And some ancient scrolls disappear . . .

Fellow passenger Madame Maude seems the most likely culprit, until a surprising – and delicious – twist turns the whole investigation on its head!

Picturebook

From author-illustrator Katie Cottle comes a breath-taking journey about light pollution and saving the birds

When Ellie moves from her quiet village to a bustling city, she finds that the many different birds she loves to watch are missing. She stares out of her window, searches the skies on walks, but they are nowhere to be found. Then one night, she’s visited by a giant starling which asks for her help. The birds are lost because of the shimmering glow from the city’s bright lights.

Night Flight is a hopeful, inspiring story about the power of using your voice.

Chapter book

What would happen if we lost the happy endings to stories – imagine the tears at bedtime! A fantastic and magical tale about what happens when, one night, a wicked witch steals the happy endings to bedtime stories. It is up to Jub, the keeper of the happy endings, to save the day and ensure sweet dreams everywhere in this lyrical story about storytelling. In the tradition of classic fairy tales for children, Carol Ann Duffy and Jane Ray have created a truly compelling, surprising and beautiful story for children of all ages.

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