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Topic: Reading for Pleasure

Little Bear’s Spring

Picturebook

Little Bear’s Spring is a glorious reminder for children and adults of just how wonderful the natural world is, and that, sometimes, the unlikeliest of friendships are the best kind.

Little Bear has just woken up from his long winter sleep. But when he pokes his head out of the den, the world around him is vast, white and silent. The only thing he sees is a smooth little stone, just as alone in the snowy wilderness as he is. He nestles it in tight to his fur and off they go in search of friends.

Little Bear’s Spring is a lyrical story about friendship, with a gentle introduction to spring and what happens to the natural world when the seasons change. Written by star picture book author Elli Woollard and illustrated by Briony May Smith, whose artwork brings a sun-dappled springtime landscape to life with breathtaking beauty.

Feelings

Picturebook

Help curious preschoolers find out more about themselves with these fantastic lift-the-flap board books.

Find Out About: Feelings helps curious preschoolers get to grips with their feelings and emotions – a key topic for both them and their parents. Featuring friendly child characters and familiar situations, they will find answers and reassurance when they are feeling happy, sad, frightened, brave and everything in between. With fun flaps to lift and a memory game at the end, this is an excellent book for children and parents to share together.

The Rabbit, The Dark and the Biscuit Tin

Picturebook

If bedtime is a battle, then this hilarious, inventive picture book from international bestseller, Nicola O’Byrne, is exactly what you need.

Rabbit has had a very good idea. He does NOT want to go to bed and so he puts The Dark in the biscuit tin so that he won’t have to. Now he can stay up all night long! But The Dark gently reminds Rabbit of all the reasons why the dark and night are needed. What about all the nocturnal animals? And surely you can’t have a yummy breakfast of toast and honey and fresh orange juice unless you’ve been to bed? But the very BEST thing about nighttime has to be a bedtime story, doesn’t it? Rabbit is finally persuaded and lets The Dark out of the biscuit tin . . . the moment the story starts, Rabbit falls fast asleep. Goodnight, Rabbit!

A funny and original bedtime story with fabulous surprise fold-out pages!

From the bestselling author of Open Very Carefully, winner of the Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize 2014.

A Good Place

Picturebook

Follow four adorable insect friends as they look for a good place to live. A delightful picture book from the award-wining author and illustrator Lucy Cousins.
Four insect friends are looking for a place to live – one that has flowers for Bee, leaves for Ladybird, a pond for Dragonfly and dead wood for Beetle. But – oh no! – with dangers all around, a good place is not so easy to find.
This story brings the natural world to joyful and vibrant life for young readers, inviting them to consider what they can do to help make our planet a good place for all living creatures

Kew: Lift and Look Fruit and Vegetables

Picturebook

How many places can fruit and vegetables grow?

Lift the flaps to see what is inside the greenhouse, behind the orchard gate and growing underground. From leafy green vegetables, to colourful tropical fruit and jewel-like berries, there is lots to discover on every page. With vibrant illustrations and simple, accessible text, this is the perfect introduction to fruit and vegetables for little ones.

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is a world famous centre for botanical and mycological knowledge. With two inspiring gardens at Kew in London, and Wakehurst in Sussex, visitors are enchanted with the wonder of plant diversity. Over the past 250 years Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew has made innumerable contributions to increasing the understanding of plants and fungi, with many benefits for humankind.

Bloomsbury’s Lift and Look board books have large cut-out flaps, specially designed for small hands. They also feature bright and beautiful illustrations and fun, engaging text, which children will adore. Available in a range of young children’s favourite topics, including Bugs, Garden, School, Dinosaurs and Space.

Lulu Gets a Cat

Picturebook

Lulu wants a cat. Mummy says pets are a lot of work, so Lulu is eager to find out more. She reads all about cats in the library. She takes care of her stuffed toys and shows Mummy how responsible she can be. When she finally gets to adopt a little cat, Lulu knows just what to do. Lulu Gets a Cat is a picture book that explores preparing to adopt a pet, learning responsibility, caring for a new pet, first experiences, empathy and much more. With rich and emotive illustrations it communicates the everyday life of a child and the relationship with their parents.

Oh No, George!

Picturebook

It’s hard work being good all the time – and it’s especially hard for a dog like George! A laugh-out-loud, visual romp from the acclaimed author-illustrator of A Bit Lost and Shh! We Have a Plan.

In this hilarious read-aloud by the multiple award-winning author-illustrator of A Bit Lost and Shh! We Have a Plan , Harris is off to do some shopping. “Will you be good, George?” he asks his dog. George hopes he can. He really wants to … but chocolate cake is just so very delicious and he does love to chase cat… What will George do now? Shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal and the Roald Dahl Funny Prize, Chris Haughton’s distinctive artwork perfectly accompanies the innocent charm of affable George, a dog trying to be good – with hilarious results!

Kitchen Disco

Picturebook

At night when you are sleeping There’s a party in your house, It’s a pumping, jumping, funky bash When all the lights go out . . .

When the sun goes down, the Kitchen Disco starts up – and all the fruit in the fruit bowl come out to play. There are lemons who break-dance, tangerines who twirl and some very over-excited apples.

Kitchen Disco is a zany and hilarious rhyming picture book for young children, featuring a stunning holographic foil spread in the middle of the book.

Octopants

Picturebook

The perfect pants are hard to find for someone shaped like me. Could Octopants be just the job? Why not dive in and see . . .?

There are all-in-ones for urchins and slipper-socks for eels… but will Octopus ever find a pair of pants to fit? A hilarious rhyming romp, packed with underwater underwear!

Pip and Posy: The Friendly Snail

Picturebook

Pip and Posy are best friends – they love to play, and make things, and have fun. But just occasionally they get cross or sad, and sometimes things go wrong that are beyond their control. And that’s when kindness and understanding – and a cuddle – make everything better.

In The Friendly Snail, Pip and Posy are spending a lovely afternoon outside, but while Pip wants to do some quiet gardening, Posy wants to have fun playing noisy games.

When Posy’s racket frightens Pip’s new snail friend back into its shell, Pip gets cross . . . Oh dear! But then a big, greedy bird tries to take Pip’s snail, and it turns out Posy’s loud voice can be quite useful, after all!

A heart-warming, relatable story about valuing each other’s differences.

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Stone Girl Bone Girl

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