Format: Picturebooks

Whale Song

Picturebooks

A sumptuous non-fiction picture book by two of the most exciting talents in children’s books today.

Listen! Listen! Somewhere in the deep, deep blue, a humpback whale is singing.

In this poignant non-fiction picture book, bestselling children’s author Nicola Davies celebrates the beauty and power of the humpback whale’s song. Humpback whales listen and learn songs from each other – copying the distinctive patterns and sounds. This extraordinary book follows the story of one whale’s song as it spreads across the world’s oceans.

With spectacular artwork by award-winning illustrator Britta Teckentrup, this is a celebration of the beauty and mystery of the natural world.

Ella’s Night Lights

Lucy Fleming

Picturebooks

A dreamy bedtime story for any child who loves magic and fantasy, or stories of fairies and pixies! Now published into 22 languages worldwide!

Through stunning illustrations, child readers will be transported into an enchanting woodland world that stars a tiny little moth girl called Ella.

Ella has always dreamed of seeing the sunrise. But with her delicate gossamer moth wings, she can only come out at night. So when the moon is high, she collects as many shimmering beams of light she can find – a twinkle from a star, the glow from a lamp post… With her light, she guides lost and lonely animals to safety and sends light into children’s bedrooms to soothe them in their sleep.

Ella’s new friends, Sable the fox and Luna the Owl, want to return her kindness and they know the perfect way to do it! They will make something very special that will help Ella to see her very first sunrise…

Full of imagination, this is a cosy and magical tale that celebrates kindness and friendship – taking care of one another and enabling each other’s dreams.

Who Knows the Way to Mr Grimly’s Classroom?

Chris Priestly & Mariachiara Di Giorgio

Picturebooks

The first picture book from the best-selling author of Uncle Montague’s Tales of Terror, Chris Priestley, brought to life with incredible cinematic flair by Mariachiara DiGiorgio, winner of the Carnegie Shadowers’ Choice Awards for Illustration.

When Grace’s teacher, Miss Flytrap, asks her class, “Who knows the way to Mr Grimly’s classroom?” Grace puts her hand up straight away. “Me, Miss. I know the way, Miss!” But Grace is new to the school and she doesn’t, in fact, know the way. Not one bit. She doesn’t even know who Mr Grimly is. Undeterred, she sets off. But she could never have imagined just how treacherous, wild and epic the journey to his classroom would be, with twists and turns waiting around every dark and gloomy corner… Will Grace ever find Mr Grimly’s classroom?

Dancing Dumplings

Eva Wong Nava & Natelle Quek

Picturebooks

Celebrate the power of love, family bonds, the memory of traditions and sharing truly delicious food with this stunningly illustrated hardback picture book, jacketed with gold foil.

A little girl is shown how to make dumplings by her grandma and they absolutely love the ritual of cooking together: We roll. We fill. We pinch and pleat. We cook! When Grandma gets sick, the little girl takes her turn to make dumplings and help soothe her grandma back to wellness – channeling as much love and comfort as she can into her cooking. Luckily, delicious homemade dumplings hold a lot of goodness inside.

Drawing from her own Chinese heritage, author Eva Wong Nava shows, with lyricism, warmth and poetry, how cooking provides children with a sense of connection to their family, as well as a feeling of community, and how making food can be a hugely healing process. With stunning detailed illustrations from Natelle Quek, this is a delicious celebration of a book for any time of year.

Vicky and June: Friends at Play

Hoang Giang & Patricia Toht

Picturebooks

Join Vicky and June – the very best of friends – as they play, chat and laugh together in this first book in a charming new chapter book series from beloved author Patricia Toht.

Vicky the squirrel likes games that are loud and fast, like follow the leader (and she’s always the leader). June the hedgehog prefers to read, or play quiet games like hide and seek. But Vicky thinks June is a little too good at hiding!

Vicky and June like different things, but they are best friends, and best friends can always find something they both enjoy.

Written by beloved picture book writer Patricia Toht, author of Pick a Pine Tree, and brought to life with artwork from rising star Hoang Giang, Vicky and June’s beautifully illustrated adventures are full of warmth, humour and sweet, treasured moments. Join these best friends as they explore their cosy woodland world across four charming chapters in the first book in this brand-new series.

Perfect to read aloud together, or for children who are just starting to read by themselves.

The Tour at School: Because You’re the New Kid!

Katie Clapham & Nadia Shireen

Picturebooks

The hilarious and heartfelt debut picture book from Katie Clapham, illustrated by Nadia Shireen – creator of the bestselling, highly acclaimed Grimwood series and Barbara Throws a Wobbler – will help kids feel better about those first-day-at-school nerves, as well as encouraging all children to create a safe and welcoming space for others.

Because, really, starting school can be scary. And being a New Kid in a new school can also be very scary. Luckily, this book will help soothe first-day nerves, make kids feel excited about the challenge and also show children how to be the PERFECT Tour Guide and make any New Kid feel right at home. And did we mention this book is very funny? Because it really is.

So, come along and join THE TOUR with Katie Clapham and Nadia Shireen. First stop? The toilets. Because they’re great for singing in. (And also for weeing.) And don’t forget to show them the library and its one MILLION books (remember to use your quiet mouse voice!), the playground (where you can play Worldwide Hairdressers!) and … the EMERGENCY MEET UP PLACE (just in case anyone gets lost). But REMEMBER, sometimes when you’re a New Kid it can all be … a bit too much. And that’s when the New Kid doesn’t need you to be a tour guide anymore, they need you to be … a friend.

Hogbert

Briony May Smith

Picturebooks

Meet Hogbert – a baby boar with a big personality and a nose like no other! When Hogbert gets separated from his family he finds himself all alone in the forest. Can he find his way home?

Little Hogbert lives in a fairy-tale forest with his mummy and his brothers and sisters. One day, Mummy Pig decides it’s time for her babies to leave the nest for the first time – but they must remember to stick together … because the Big Bad Wolf could be about!

When Hogbert sniffs out a super-tasty trail, he forgets Mummy Pig’s words and finds himself all alone. Luckily he meets some new animal friends along the way – whom sharp readers may recognize from some of their favourite fairy tales! Can Hogbert learn to follow his nose and lead his new pals back to the safety of their families?

A lusciously illustrated story about making friends, taking your first steps towards independence and learning to trust your instincts, from the creator of The Mermaid Moon and Margaret’s Unicorn.

Bunnies on the Bus

Ben Mantle & Phillip Ardagh

Picturebooks

Watch out! Move out of the way! Hold onto your tails! Now in board book edition, there are BUNNIES ON THE BUS! And they aren’t stopping for ANYONE!

The bunnies have taken over the bus and they’re on a wild ride across the streets of Sunny Town! They whizz past the bus stop, swerve around corners and zoom over crossings on a non-stop roller coaster adventure! There are bunnies on the roof! Bunnies in the aisle! DO sit down, bunnies, or you’ll end up in a pile! Eventually, they come to a stop… at the train station. And what’s that they’ve spotted? A TRAIN! Uh-oh, here we go again… A hilarious romp of a book, with a fantastic read-aloud rhyming text and spectacular illustrations.

Sticky Mildred

Alastair Chisholm & Rikin Parekh

Picturebooks

For exasperated parents of sticky children comes a hilariously unexpected and surreal cautionary tale on cleanliness to get even the most reluctant kids excited about bath time.

Mildred Honeyfur LOVES being sticky and REFUSES to have a bath. She sets off to find the stickiest things in the world – doughnuts, pond slime, toffees and glue – until she becomes a ball of stickiness, rolling through the town sticking to everything … and everyone! Stuck in the ULTIMATE sticky situation, will Mildred ever be stopped?

Written by the winner of Blackwell’s Children’s Book of the Year and the Queen’s Knickers Award, Alastair Chisholm, with wildly imaginative pictures by Rikin Parekh, illustrator of Greg Jenner’s Totally Chaotic History series.

Well Done, Mummy Penguin

Chris Haughton

Picturebooks

From Chris Haughton comes a funny, suspenseful celebration of mothers set against an atmospheric Antarctic backdrop.

Mummy Penguin is off to find a fishy dinner for her family. She has to swim very fast, climb a slippery cliff – cu-crunch, cu-crunch, cu-crunch – and even tiptoe past some sleeping seals… Shh! All the while, Little Penguin looks on in awe and says: “Well done, Mummy Penguin!”

The icy – and treacherous! – Antarctic landscapes are breathtaking in this funny and exciting celebration of all that mothers do, and all that mothers are.

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Format: Picturebooks

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