Publisher: Oxford University Press

Isla and the Sky

Greg Stobbs

Picturebook

Sometimes Sky is vast, bright, and blue; sometimes she is dark and thunderous, her raindrops reflecting the town below.

Isla loves all Sky’s moods and tries to capture the variety in her paintings.

When Sky rains or clouds over, however, all the other townspeople grumble and moan.

Sky decides she should just try to be happy all the time, so people aren’t cross with her.

But this is harder than it looks and soon the world below-and Isla’s paintings-start to suffer.

Can Isla convince big, bold Sky to let all her feelings and colours show?

What happens to Sky when she is on the brink of bursting?

Isla and the Sky is a gorgeous new picture book from Greg Stobbs, celebrating the power of art and emotion.

The Awesomely Adventurous Librarians

Donna David & Victoria Stebleva

Picturebook

We all know that librarians are superheroes, but does anyone know what they really do when the library lights go out and the readers have gone home?

In Sleepy Creek Library, living and breathing stories have to be retrieved from the Land of Books.

Rida loves helping her grandad in the Sleepy Creek Library.

She makes a list of all the readers’ requests and passes it to Grandad to retrieve them.

But when Arun asks for a book so adventurous no one has ever been able to catch it, Grandad says he can’t help.

Can Rida secretly journey to the Land of Books and find the story herself?

This action-packed adventure is perfect for inspiring a new generation of book-lovers!

Food Fight

Alex Latimer

Picturebook

The Fruits and the Vegetables have been fighting forever!

But best friends Grape and Mushroom decide it’s time for things to change.

They meet in secret and hatch a plan to end the fighting once and for all.

And so they set off on an epic journey to the very top of the fridge to ask the legendary Wise Old Cheese for help-that is, if he even exists.

Join these tiny peace envoys on their courageous mission as they eventually find the solution in an unexpected place.

A laugh-out-loud picture book about conflict resolution.

Bear vs Dragon

Marcela Ferreira & Mark Chambers

Picturebook

When Bear meets Dragon on an old, rickety bridge, they don’t see eye to eye.

Bear thinks Dragon should stand aside and let him pass and Dragon thinks Bear should definitely let her go first.

Fur is ruffled, and sparks fly in their heated conversation, but who is going to back down?

Meanwhile, the bridge is getting creakier and creakier!

Otters vs Badgers

Anya Glazer

Picturebook

The otters and the badgers live on either side of the river, but they have never seen eye to eye.

Neither group can cross to the opposite riverbank.

But one day shy otter-baker Francie accidentally ventures into the badger lands in search of a new ingredient.

As the two sides begin arguing again, she has unwittingly set off a new chapter in their ongoing feud.

But maybe Francie’s stunning new cookies-otter-baked but with badger-territory ingredients-may finally help them learn to get along.

A funny and heartfelt story of tolerance, compromise and finding common ground.

Anya Glazer’s detailed artwork will immerse readers in the rich world of otters and badgers, and reward multiple readings.

Provides a fun-packed introduction to conflict resolution … and cookery!

Told in rhyme, this story of an egg features some well-known and some less well-known dinosaurs. Using bright and bold colours, the pictures fill the pages, and the text font varies according to who is speaking. There is something very tactile about the drawings, no complex details, just engaging dinosaurs. Exactly what small children will enjoy about this book. The story is an often-used one with a twist. The lost egg is talking, but of course, the reader cannot see who is inside the egg and so cannot see which type of prehistoric creature’s egg it is. Each dinosaur asks specific questions about what it might look like based on its features- obviously, the Tyrannosaurus is fixated on teeth!

There is instant appeal in both the repetitive rhyming text and the illustrations; even the not-so dinosaur fixated child will enjoy the rhythm in the text and the cheerful, friendly nature of the prehistoric world. The inside covers provide an array of lesser-known dinosaurs, which I particularly enjoyed looking at, being a bit of a dinosaur fan myself.

Isadora Moon and the Pop Stars

Harriet Muncaster

Chapter 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!

The Diary of Wiska Wildflower: The New School

Harriet Muncaster

Chapter book

The first book in an exciting new series from the creator of Isadora Moon, Harriet Muncaster.

Told in diary format and packed with beautiful full-colour illustrations, this is the enchanting story of Wiska Wildflower and her search for friendship at Inkcap’s Academy.

ONE day until I go to my new school.
Eeeek!
It’s called Inkcap’s Academy and it’s in Twitching.
TWITCHING!
Yes, I now live on the completely opposite side of Wiskling Wood to my old school in Acornia, and more importantly, MY FRIENDS…

Wiska Wildflower is relieved when she makes friends with Cleobelle and Primrose on her first day at Inkcap’s Academy.
They love Wiska’s drawings and ask her to help them design matching outfits for a special fashion show in Spellbrooke City.
But the more Wiska gets to know her new friends, the more she feels she must hide her true self and follow their rules.
Can Wiska find the bravery she needs to get her creative spark back and discover true friendship?

Michael Morpurgo’s Myths & Legends

Michael Morpurgo

Short story collection

Award-winning children’s writer and former Children’s Laureate Sir Michael Morpurgo has collected classic tales of heroism and adventure and put them all in one place. Here! From brave heroes and battling beasts to mighty gods and magic spells, these are timeless tales to treasure forever. Eye-catching colour illustrations bring the magic of these myths and legends to life. There are lots of stories to choose from, including Mulan, Icarus, and Hercules the Hero, plus a retelling of Gawain and the Green Knight written by Sir Michael himself, so whether you’re looking for a quick read or a longer story to lose yourself in, something to read alone or a tale to share, there’s an enchanting story within for everyone to find. A sumptuous gift edition for young readers to treasure, and a perfect companion to Greatest Animal Stories and Greatest Magical Stories.

The Eagle of the Ninth

Rosemary Sutcliff

Chapter book

The Ninth Legion marched into the mists of northern Britain – and they were never seen again.

Four thousand men disappeared and their eagle standard was lost. It’s a mystery that’s never been solved, until now.

Marcus has to find out what happened to his father, who led the legion. So he sets out into the unknown, on a quest so dangerous that nobody expects him to return.

The Eagle of the Ninth is heralded as one of the most outstanding children’s books of the twentieth century and has sold over a million copies worldwide. Rosemary Sutcliff writes with such passion and attention to detail that Roman Britain is instantly brought to life and stays with the reader long after the last page has been turned.

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