a curious question for every day of the year

Everything Under the Sun

"The only thing better than the questions, in this delightful and informative book, is the answers." - Neil Gaiman 
"This book is GLORIOUS. It's heart-and-soul fabulous, page after page." - Stephen Fry 
"One of the best kids books I have ever had the pleasure of reading" - Pandora Sykes 
"This book is heaven on a stick" - Sophie Dahl 
 
A wonderful new paperback edition of 366 curious questions asked by children from around the world, based on the award-winning podcast by original QI Elf, Molly Oldfield. 
 
How much bamboo can a giant panda eat? 
Do aliens exist? 
What we would do if we didn't have a prime minister? 
Why do hammerhead sharks have such strange-shaped heads? 
 
Find out the answers to these curious questions and much, much more! 
Ponder where ideas come from with award-winning illustrator, Rob Biddulph. Find out why you taste things differently when you have a cold with Michelin star chef, Heston Blumenthal. Learn about everything from how astronauts see in the dark to what the biggest dinosaur was with experts from the Natural History Museum. 
 
Fascinating facts are accompanied by gorgeous illustrations making the perfect gift for Christmas. Whether you read a question a day, or dip into it whenever you are feeling curious, this is a book to treasure and share all year round. 
 
Illustrated by Momoko Abe, Kelsey Buzzell, Beatrice Cerocchi, Alice Courtley, Sandra de la Prada, Grace Easton, Manuela Montoya Escobar, Richard Jones, Lisa Koesterke, Gwen Millward, Sally Mullaney, and Laurie Stansfield. 
 
Praise for Everything Under the Sun: 
 
"Trivia fans will relish Everything Under the Sun" - The Guardian 
"A brilliant book for any child, but particularly those who don't love reading stories" - David Walliams 
"A wonderful gift for families" - Evening Standard 
"A wonderful collection of 366 curious questions about everything from science to nature, dinosaurs to space" - Scottish Sun 
"Simply mesmerising compendium" - Waterstones 
"As cute as it is educational" - Babyccino Kids 
"This is a book to treasure all year round" - My Baba 
"An absolute delight" - David Walliams

Molly Oldfield (Author) Molly Oldfield is the host of 'Everything Under the Sun', a weekly podcast answering questions from children all around the world. The podcast went straight to Number 1 on the 'kids and family' Apple podcasts chart, when it launched in November 2018 and it won Bronze for 'Best Family Podcast' at the British Podcast Awards 2019. Molly also writes the weekly Kids' Quiz in the Guardian. She is known as The Original QI Elf and spent twelve years researching and writing questions for the BBC quiz show. She is also the author of several other children's books - The Secret Museum, Wonders of the World's Museums and Natural Wonders of the World. 
 
You can find out information about how to send in questions to the podcast at: www.everythingunderthesun.co.uk Momoko Abe (Illustrator) Momoko Abe was born in Japan and has been drawing ever since she can remember. Aged 20, pursuing her passion for visual storytelling, she came to the UK to study filmmaking, and still works in the TV and film industry alongside her illustration work. Momoko is an AOI World Illustration Award Shortlist artist. She lives in London. Kelsey Buzzell (Illustrator) Kelsey Buzzell is a freelance illustrator living in Oregon, USA. Kelsey finds regular inspiration from the forests, rocky beaches and high desert and all the creatures that live in the Pacific Northwest. She especially loves vintage shopping, outdoor adventures with her family, and a good mystery novel. Beatrice Cerocchi (Illustrator) Beatrice Cerocchi was born in Rome in 1989 where she lives and works. She started to get interested in illustration when she went to her first Bologna children's book fair in 2004. During high school she attended two illustration courses at Ars in Fabula, in Macerata, Italy. She kept studying and after a master's degree in Architecture at Roma Tre University she went to Milan to take a postgraduate course at MiMaster, where she obtained a master's in editorial illustration. Her works have been featured in several magazines and picture books. She was selected at Bologna, Shanghai and Beijing Children's Book Fair. In 2021 she took part in the exhibition "Italian Excellence - The New Generation of Italian Children's Illustrators" organized by Bologna Children's Book Fair. Alice Courtley (Illustrator) Alice Courtley is an illustrator based in the UK. She creates playful images with a blend of people, animals and backgrounds inspired by real life. Her work has been recognised for prizes such as the Batsford Prize and featured in exhibitions such as the AOI's 'Inspired to Innovate' in London. She has been shortlisted for the Klaus Flugge Prize 2023. Sandra De La Prada (Illustrator) Sandra De La Prada was born in Barcelona, where she grew up and still currently lives. She comes from a family where drawing is a prominent hobby: her father drew, her aunt, her cousin, her grandmother, even her great-grandfather, so she spent many hours of her childhood drawing. It was something natural and enjoyable for the family. She grew up to study Fine Arts, although also enjoyed other artistic subjects such as Photography and Cinema. Sandra started working as an illustrator about eight years ago, when she finally made up her mind to go for it. She works under the supervision of her two cats, Chicho and Rudo, who advise her in moments of mental block. She loves listening to podcasts (all kind: pop culture, humour, news) whilst working, but when she needs great concentration, it only works with music or, even better, silence. Sandra dreams of working in a studio overlooking her garden, hopefully someday. Grace Easton (Illustrator) Grace Easton studied Illustration at Central Saint Martins, Brighton University and Minneapolis College of Art and Design. She is an author and illustrator now based in South London. Grace's debut picture book Cannonball Coralie and the Lion published with Lincoln Children's Book in 2018. Manuela Montoya Escobar (Illustrator) Manu Montoya was born in Medellín, Colombia, in 1990. She studied Graphic Design and Advertising in her hometown and Art Direction in Barcelona, where she actually lives. She grew up both in the city and the country and spent most of her childhood drawing, playing with plants, animals, and exploring the woods. Manu has worked for advertising agencies such as DDB and McCann Worldgroup and as an illustrator for SM editorial, Cruïlla, Penguin Random House, Usborne, Little Brown and others. Richard Jones (Illustrator) Richard Jones was born in Coventry, in the West Midlands and grew up in Leamington Spa, UK. After three years of painting, film making and art history at college he moved down to Devon, UK to study Illustration. After graduating, he worked in a busy city library for almost 15 years. He now writes and illustrates full time. Lisa Koesterke (Illustrator) Lisa Koesterke is a freelance illustrator and designer with a love for bold, bright colour palettes, fun patterns and quirky characters. With German roots, Lisa grew up in sunny Australia and is currently living by the Italian seaside where she dreams up new illustrations from her small studio. Gwen Millward (Illustrator) Gwen Millward is an artist and writer who lives in Bristol with her son. She has been creating children's books since she graduated from Edinburgh College of Art in 2002 and she loves illustrating the natural world (especially insects). Sally Mullaney (Illustrator) Sally Mullaney is an illustrator and people-watcher based in London. She studied at Manchester School of Art and Plymouth University, and now finds joy in drawing unsuspecting commuters or neighbours' cats with playful shapes, textures and an energetic line. Laurie Stansfield (Illustrator) Laurie Stansfield grew up in the beautiful city of Oxford before moving west to study illustration at the University of the West of England. She has worked as a freelance illustrator since graduating, and occasionally lectures back at UWE Bristol where she studied. 
 
Laurie creates her art digitally using loose line, lots of texture and a limited but punchy colour palette. She is inspired by nature and finds she has her best ideas when she's outside in the fresh air. She lives with her husband in Bristol, and works out of an inspiring studio space which she shares with a handful of up-beat creatives.

How much bamboo can a giant panda eat? 
Do aliens exist? 
What we would do if we didn't have a prime minister? 
Why do hammerhead sharks have such strange-shaped heads? 
 
Find out the answers to these curious questions and much, much more! 
Ponder where ideas come from with award-winning illustrator, Rob Biddulph. Find out why you taste things differently when you have a cold with Michelin star chef, Heston Blumenthal. Learn about everything from how astronauts see in the dark to what the biggest dinosaur was with experts from the Natural History Museum. 
 
Fascinating facts are accompanied by gorgeous illustrations making the perfect gift for Christmas. Whether you read a question a day, or dip into it whenever you are feeling curious, this is a book to treasure and share all year round. 
 
Illustrated by Momoko Abe, Kelsey Buzzell, Beatrice Cerocchi, Alice Courtley, Sandra de la Prada, Grace Easton, Manuela Montoya Escobar, Richard Jones, Lisa Koesterke, Gwen Millward, Sally Mullaney, and Laurie Stansfield.

Whale in a Fishbowl

"I'm Piper," said the girl. "And you're lovely." 
Wednesday's reflection shone in Piper's eyes. 
"But you don't belong in there." 
 
Wednesday is a whale, who lives in a fishbowl. She is called Wednesday because she is right in the middle of everything. 
 
She lives in the middle of the busy streets, surrounded by tall skyscrapers. But, if she jumps high enough she can see a calm bit of blue in the distance. She doesn't know what this blue is, but her heart leaps when she sees it. 
 
When a little girl tells Wednesday she belongs in the sea, she doesn't know what she means. What is the sea? Wednesday has never seen it... or has she? 
 
Touching and uplifting, this beautiful story is about longing to be free and finding your place in the world.

Troy Howell (Author) 
 Troy Howell has been writing and illustrating books for more than 25 years. His many awards and distinctions include starred reviews in Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal; an American Bookseller Pick of the Lists; an Educational Press Association of America Distinguished Achievement Award; and Merit Awards from the Los Angeles Society of Illustrators and the New York Society of Illustrators. 
 
Richard Jones (Illustrator) 
 Richard Jones has over 20 years experience in creative arts, and has illustrated a number of books for young children including Town Mouse, Country Mouse and Feelings by Libby Walden. He lives and works in Devon.

Wednesday is a whale who lives in a fishbowl right in the middle of a city - it's the only home she's ever known. But if she jumps high enough out of her bowl, Wednesday can see a calm bit of blue in the distance. She doesn't know what it is, but when she sees it, her heart leaps. Then one day, a little girl in a paisley dress presses her nose against the glass of Wednesday's fishbowl. 'You're lovely,' she tells Wednesday. 'But you don't belong in there.' Wednesday belongs in the sea. But what is the sea? Wednesday has never seen it. Or has she? 
 
One day she jumps higher out of her bowl than ever before and sets in motion a breath-taking chain of events that will carry her to her rightful home. 
 
Touching and uplifting, this beautiful story is about longing to be free and finding your place in the world.

Rose Tremain

Richard Jones

A beautiful story ... Tremain's debut is first class ... Iron Robin combines everyday childhood themes with a pinch of fantasy, all brilliantly visualised by Jones's expressive artwork.

Iron Robin, about the friendship between a boy called Oliver and a rusty metal bird, felt soaked in folklore and magic. Magnificent layered drawings by Richard Jones added to its richness and depth.

A magical and soothing story for young readers

"Iron Robin combines everyday childhood themes with a pinch of fantasy, all brilliantly visualised by Jones’s expressive artwork" - The Guardian 
 
From an acclaimed voice in literature comes a children's story steeped in magic. 
 
Oliver loves birds - watching them soar into the sky and wishing that just sometimes they would stay close. 
 
So when he discovers a robin made of iron, he thinks he's found the perfect friend - even if his pet dragon isn't quite so certain! When the robin begins to glimmer and hop, Oliver is overjoyed, but in a terrible turn of events, this new friend is lost. 
 
But the magic of Iron Robin and the joy of friendship means that there is wonder and excitement ahead for Oliver... 
 
This lyrical and funny story is the perfect bedtime story to share together.

Iron Robin

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Praise for Iron Robin

A beautiful story ... Tremain's debut is first class ... Iron Robin combines everyday childhood themes with a pinch of fantasy, all brilliantly visualised by Jones's expressive artwork.

Iron Robin, about the friendship between a boy called Oliver and a rusty metal bird, felt soaked in folklore and magic. Magnificent layered drawings by Richard Jones added to its richness and depth.

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