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Topic: Literacy

The Last Wolf

Picturebook

Once upon a time, Little Red set off into the woods to catch a wolf . . .

But the woods aren’t all they seem – and are there even any wolves left? Mini Grey re-imagines the classic Little Red Riding Hood fable in an entirely new way. Can Little Red help her new friends in need and recover the wild days of the past?

This is a powerful, moving and funny picture book which will have children and adults revisiting its exquisite pages time and time again, and discussing the important message it holds. From the award-winning author/illustrator of The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon, The Pea and the Princess and Biscuit Bear.

The Lost Words

Poetry

A timeless, beautifully designed book for children and adults alike, The Lost Words is a gift that will be pored over and cherished for years to come.

All over the country, there are words disappearing from children’s lives. These are the words of the natural world; Dandelion, Otter, Bramble and Acorn, all gone. A wild landscape of imagination and play is rapidly fading from our children’s minds.

The Lost Words stands against the disappearance of wild childhood. It is a joyful celebration – in art and word – of nearby nature and its wonders. With acrostic spell-poems by award-winning writer Robert Macfarlane and illustrations by Jackie Morris , this enchanting book evokes the irreplaceable magic of language and nature for all ages.

oceanarium book

Oceanarium

Non-fiction

Welcome to the museum that is always open to explore…

Step inside the pages of Oceanarium to enjoy the experience of a museum from the comfort of your own home. This stunning offering from the Welcome to the Museum series guides readers around the world’s oceans, from sandy shorelines to the deepest depths. Get up close and personal with giant whale sharks, tiny tropical fish, majestic manatees and so much more, travel the world from frozen Arctic seas to shimmering coral reefs, and learn why it is so important that we protect our oceans.

Intricate artwork by rising star Teagan White combines with expert text by education officer Loveday Trinick from the National Marine Aquarium, UK. A stunning exploration of the underwater world, and a must-have for any animal enthusiast.

Professor Astro Cat’s Deep-Sea Voyage

Non-fiction

Where did the oceans come from? Can you take a submarine to the bottom of the sea? What exactly is a coral reef? Learn about ocean creatures big and small, and how humans explore the underwater world in this incredible illustrated book on the depths of the sea.

Join your helpful guide, Professor Astro Cat, as he takes a dive from the seashore all the way to the ocean floor. From whales to deep-sea vents, there’s so much to discover on this Deep-Sea Voyage.

Interview with a Shark

Non-fiction

If you could talk to animals, what would you ask? Get familiar with 10 extraordinary ocean giants as they step up to the mic and share their habits, behaviour, likes and dislikes, favourite foods, and more. Each animal has its own story to tell… and its own attitude!

In this fun and fact-filled book, bite-sized text in a question-and-answer format is paired with colourful and engaging illustrations throughout, perfect for emerging or reluctant readers, or any young animal enthusiast who enjoys a bit of humour!

Features ‘interviews’ with a great white shark, blue whale, orca, sunfish, giant squid, narwhal, manta ray, octopus, conger eel, and angler fish. Plus, ideas for how to do your bit to help endangered species.

The Big Book of the Blue

Non-fiction

Why do octopuses have eight arms?
Why do crabs run sideways?
Are jellyfish made of jelly?
Yuval Zommer’s beautiful new book provides the answers to these and many more fishy questions. His wonderfully quirky illustrations show off all kinds of slippery, shimmery and surprising sea creatures, including sea turtles, whales, sharks, rays and seahorses. Chatty, funny and full of amazing facts, it will be devoured by children eager to find out about the most exciting creatures from the deep blue.

Belonging

Picturebook

A powerful account of the reclamation of an urban landscape told wordlessly through fascinating, detailed collage artwork.

Observed through the window of a house, a city street gradually becomes a place to call home as the inhabitants begin to rescue their street by planting grass and trees in the empty spaces. Year by year, everything begins to blossom… Told wordlessly and with stunning collage illustrations, Belonging explores the re-greening of the city and the role of community, the empowerment of people and the significance of children, family and neighbourhood in changing the urban environment for the better.

One Plastic Bag

Picturebook

The inspiring true story of how one African woman began a movement to recycle the plastic bags that were polluting her community.

Plastic bags are cheap and easy to use. But what happens when a bag breaks or is no longer needed? In Njau, Gambia, people simply dropped the bags and went on their way. One plastic bag became two. Then ten. Then a hundred.

The bags accumulated in ugly heaps alongside roads. Water pooled in them, bringing mosquitoes and disease. Some bags were burned, leaving behind a terrible smell. Some were buried, but they strangled gardens. They killed livestock that tried to eat them. Something had to change.

Isatou Ceesay was that change. She found a way to recycle the bags and transform her community. This inspirational true story shows how one person’s actions really can make a difference in our world.

Nellie Choc-Ice and the Plastic Island

Chapter book

Nellie Choc-Ice is on her way home to the North Pole at last! But things don’t go so smoothly when Captain Beardy-Beard’s trusty submarine grinds to a halt in an island of plastic – and they aren’t the only ones who are trapped. It’s up to Nellie to untangle everyone from the mess … But what are they going to do about all this plastic in the ocean?A touching and funny Little Gem from an author-illustrator dream team!

Journey

Picturebook

Be swept away on an elaborate flight of fancy in this Caldecott award-winning, wondrously illustrated picture book about self-determination and unexpected friendship.

The winner of the prestigious Caldecott Honor, and described by the New York Times as ‘a masterwork’, Aaron Becker’s stunning, wordless picture book debut about self-determination and unexpected friendship follows a little girl who draws a magic door on her bedroom wall. Through it she escapes into a world where wonder, adventure and danger abound. Red marker pen in hand, she creates a boat, a balloon and a flying carpet which carry her on a spectacular journey … who knows where? When she is captured by a sinister emperor, only an act of tremendous courage and kindness can set her free. Can it also guide her home and to happiness? In this exquisitely illustrated book, an ordinary child is launched on an extraordinary, magical journey towards her greatest and most rewarding adventure of all…

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Stone Girl Bone Girl

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