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Publisher: Welbeck Publishing Group

Picturebook

Told in gentle rhyming verse, this beautiful non-fiction picture book follows the story of a flock of colourful macaws as they live their lives in the Amazon rainforest. Through the voice of one of the macaws, we hear about the bounty of the rainforest, as well as the challenges they have faced – threatened by the destruction of their home through machinery and forest fires to make room for vast plantations. Still, there are some areas where the land is protected and they can live a life of freedom among the trees… perhaps in the future, humans will learn the true value of the forest once again?

Accompanying non-fiction pages at the end of the book include information on on endangered macaws, the importance of the rainforest, and the causes of deforestation, as well as what we can do to help.

Non-fiction

Which animal lives on top of the Everest? Where can you spot the majestic condor? How does the ibex climb up rocks?

Mountains are home to 25% of terrestrial biodiversity and a multitude of fragile ecosystems. What if you could fly and discover those places and the incredible wild animals hidden at high altitude?

This large format book transports you to inaccessible places and helps you discover the incredible fauna that live in these mountains, volcanoes, hills or valleys.

Throughout the book is a search and find counting game enabling you to spot bats ready to take flight, sloths hanging from branches, wallabies and their babies, and butterflies aplenty.

Picturebook

Today I’m a baby bear
I want to hug.
I wouldn’t mind a cuddly squeeze.
I’m baby bear, so yes, please!

Developing emotional and social intelligence is a huge part of young children’s development, and parents are often left grappling with how best to discuss feelings of shyness, social anxiety and physical boundaries with their children. In Sometimes I’m a Baby Bear, Sometimes I’m a Snail, author Moira Butterfield deftly broaches the many different feelings children face – from feeling cuddly like a baby bear or playful like a puppy, to wanting some peace and quiet alone, like a snail curled up in its shell. Through these charming animal comparisons, we see that all feelings are valid and are given tools for how to respect boundaries. Gwen Millward’s lively illustrations bring every emotion vividly to life. A final spread provides extra tools to parents and carers to help young children express their feelings in a calm and constructive way.

Non-fiction

How on Earth do you play a bass that’s 3.5 metres tall? How can you play a theremin without touching it? Can you turn a cave’s stalactites into an organ? (Spoiler alert: yes, you can!)

Including a stunning central gatefold that opens out to reveal the family tree of musical instruments, this book is a visual celebration of the huge variety of instruments played across the world, from those you know to those you almost certainly don’t. Grouped into percussion instruments, wind, and string, as well as the weird and wonderful that defy categorization, readers will discover how they are all related to each other in ‘families’, and enjoy exploring the musical family tree as a fold-out poster.

Around the World in 80 Musical Instruments covers traditional instruments from various cultures, such as the gamelan and mbira, as well as the creations of modern artists and musicians, such as the Wintergatan Marble Machine and the eerie-sounding yaybahar. Readers will even discover a band that plays exclusively on instruments fashioned from fresh vegetables, and makes the offcuts into soup to serve to the audience!

Non-fiction

Step back in time to Ancient Rome and meet some of the many people who lived, worked, and played during that time. From a young slave boy to a fierce gladiator, a musician to a wealthy lady, and a mosaic artist to the emperor himself – each one will share with you the story of their own daily life. Together, they are the Romans.

Featuring 19 different characters from Roman times, as well as an introduction to the Roman world, a map of the empire and a timeline of key events, this book provides a new angle on a classic subject, bringing the ancient world to life.

Non-fiction

Filled with quizzes, stats and little known facts, plus illustrated and told with all the fun of a Tom Gates novel, the Football Superstars series is perfect for young readers five and up.

Is Cristiano Ronaldo your ultimate football hero? He has scored over 700 goals, won the Champions League five times and was the fastest player on the pitch in the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Discover how he went from kicking bottles in the streets of Madeira to becoming a football superstar at Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus.

Non-fiction

Filled with quizzes, stats and little-known facts, plus illustrated and told with all the fun of a Tom Gates novel, the Football Superstars series is perfect for young readers five and up.

Is Lucy Bronze your ultimate football heroine? The current England lionesses vice-captain is a three-time Women’s Champions League champion with superclub Lyon. She is a two-time French League winner and also earned third place for England at the Women’s World Cup in 2015.

Playing in her best position as a roving right-back, Bronze loves to get forward on the pitch and has scored some sensational volleys in huge matches for club and country! Her story is one of defying the odds: she overcame career-threatening knee injuries and was told she would never again play for England to become one of the finest and most-decorated English players in women’s football. An inspiration to young girls and boys alike.

The Football Superstars series is aimed at building a love of reading from a young age, with fun cartoons, inspirational stories, a simple narrative style and a cast of characters chipping in with quotes, jokes and comments.

Picturebook

Superheroes Don’t Get Scared… Or Do They? is an awesome rhyming tale about normalising fear and finding inner powers by realising there’s a hero inside of us all.

Scared Maisie Brown dreams of being a fearless superhero because they never get frightened, right? But when Dad explains that even the strongest, boldest and bravest hero can sometimes feel afraid, and that’s perfectly fine, Maisie realises there’s superhero in all of us.

With fun characters, rhyming text and a wonderfully relatable take-away message about normalising feelings, this heart-warming book is an amazing addition to any little hero’s bookshelf.

Chapter book

Lucy, Max, Charlie and Joe aren’t looking for new friends – they have too many of their own problems to worry about. But when the four of them, and Charlie’s faithful dog, Sherlock, spot a phantom figure on Southwold beach one winter’s night, they are thrown together to unravel a mystery that none of them expected.

The deeper they dig, the bigger the adventure becomes – motorboats and tracking devices, bedroom breakouts and daring sea rescues are all in a day’s work for the After-School Detective Club. But when their investigations lead them into trouble with the police, there is only one thing left to do – they must go undercover for a final showdown with a ruthless gang of smugglers who will stop at nothing to get what they want.

Non-fiction

When do you eat ‘bread of the dead’, or walk barefoot across red-hot coals? When might you dress up as a demon in a hairy suit and huge horned headdress? What are you celebrating if you climb an 18-metre-high tower made out of buns?

Includes a stunning central gatefold that opens out to reveal a calendar of all the festivals featured in the book. This is a visual celebration of festivals from across the globe, from the more familiar to those you might never have heard of before. Discover more about Junkanoo in the Bahamas, Juneteenth in the United States, Matariki in New Zealand and Poland’s Great Dragon Parade. As you journey around the world, explore celebrations of food and drink, nature, culture, religion and history, plus ways to mark the passing of the year.

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