A photo to several children's books for fans of Raya & the Last Dragon against a pink and orange ombre background with purple dragon silhouettes

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Reading lists

Books for kids who are obsessed with Raya & the Last Dragon

A photo of author and illustrator Nadia Shireen on a blue, red and white background, alongside a picture of Charles Schulz and his Peanut creations as well as Nadia's book Barbara Throws a Wobbler and The Incredible Book Eating Boy by Oliver Jeffers

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21 Questions

‘Don’t get it right, get it writ’: 21 Questions with Nadia Shireen

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Features

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Billy and the Pirates

Join Billy and Fatcat on their quest to escape Captain Howl in their third thrilling adventure, filled with singing mermaids and sticky toffee eating sharks. 
 
Ahoy there! It's time to sail the ocean blue with Billy and her trusty feline friend, as they embark on a noble seafaring adventure. 
 
Billy and Fatcat find a mysterious message in a bottle at sea. When suddenly something terrible happens: they bump into a pesky pirate and his smelly crew. Oh no! 
 
Fortunately for our courageous twosome, they're no strangers to peril: they always have a trick (or treat) up their sleeves. 
 
Nadia Shireen is back with her third instalment from our favourite heroine and hangry cat. 
 
Explore the other titles from Billy and Fatcat: 
Billy and the Beast 
Billy and the Dragon

Nadia Shireen enjoyed making homemade magazines and comics as a child. She studied law at university and then worked in magazine journalism; it was during this time that she started to draw again. After a lifetime of doodling in the sidelines, Nadia decided to pay some attention to drawing and in 2007 was accepted onto an MA course in Children's Book Illustration at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge. Her debut book Good Little Wolf received a mention in the Bologna Ragazzi Opera Prima Award and won the UKLA Book Award. Nadia has been shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize and the Waterstones Children's Book Prize. She lives in London.

Join Billy and Fatcat on their quest to escape Captain Howl in their third thrilling adventure, filled with singing mermaids and sticky toffee eating sharks. 
 
Ahoy there! It's time to sail the ocean blue with Billy and her trusty feline friend, as they embark on a noble seafaring adventure. 
 
Billy and Fatcat find a mysterious message in a bottle at sea. When suddenly something terrible happens: they bump into a pesky pirate and his smelly crew. Oh no! 
 
Fortunately for our courageous twosome, they're no strangers to peril: they always have a trick (or treat) up their sleeves. 
 
Nadia Shireen is back with her third instalment from our favourite heroine and hangry cat. 
 
Explore the other titles from Billy and Fatcat: 
Billy and the Beast 
Billy and the Dragon

Barbara Throws a Wobbler

From the creator of The Bumblebear and Billy and the Beast comes a hilarious story of one big bad mood - and how to make it go away...

Barbara is in a very bad mood. She won't admit it, but she is. 
 
She has a problem with a sock, and at lunchtime there's a strange pea... And even though she's at the park with her friends, it all just gets a bit much. Suddenly Barbara's WOBBLER is out of control! 
 
But what if Barbara and her Wobbler can work together, so she can be cheerful again? 
 
Winner of the UKLA Award and shortlisted for the Oscar's Book Prize and the FCBG Children's Book Award, Barbara Throws A Wobbler is a brilliantly funny and sensitive way to understand and deal with tantrums. 
 
 "These are the most brilliant, beautiful and silly picture-books out there at the moment. Little doorways of joy." Caitlin Moran 
 
"This book is AMAZING. It will be a modern classic!" - Richard Osman

The sensational Nadia Shireen returns with Barbara Throws a Wobbler, the hilarious story of a kitten, a sock problem, a strange pea - and a stupendous tantrum. Its guide to bad moods - from the huff to the seethe - is worth the cover price by itself; this is the sort of book that will make both children and adults laugh, and provide the perfect vocabulary to defuse (some) tense toddler situations.

Nadia Shireen's hilarious tale ... With illustrations the colour of bright, shiny jelly beans and a witty text that culminates in a genius guide to bad moods, Shireen's latest gem ought to come on prescription.

The Observer Best Children's Books of 2021

Just the picture book to use if you have ever witnessed a small person's meltdown... A fun way to learn about feelings

Top talent Nadia Shireen really understands what makes little children tick, and Barbara Throws a Wobbler gently nudges them to explore their tricky emotions ... If only real-life tantrums were equally hilarious.

Not only will this book get kids talking about their emotions and how to handle them, it'll have everyone in hysterics, too. An instant classic, you'll wonder how you ever lived without it.

For any child or parent that has ever had a fit of anger (so one for everyone, then)... Nadia Shireen is one of those rare illustrator-writers who can do both equally well.

Laugh-out-loud funny (with a great guide to grumpy moods . . .)

"Shireen's latest gem ought to come on prescription" The Observer's Best Children's Books of 2021. 
 
Barbara is having one of those days. She has a sock problem and there's a strange pea. Then, all of a sudden, Barbara's Wobbler is out of control! 
 
But what happens when a bad mood like this comes along? Barbara has a lot to learn about the ways of wobblers in this laugh-out-loud story from Nadia Shireen. 
 
A brilliantly funny and sensitive way to understand and deal with tantrums. 
 
"These are the most brilliant, beautiful and silly picture-books out there at the moment. Little doorways of joy." Caitlin Moran

Billy and the Dragon

A story of empowerment with fairytale twists, bags of humour and an adventurous heroine to boot.

Our fearless heroine Billy is back! But, something TERRIBLE has happened! 
 
Billy's loyal sidekick Fatcat is kidnapped by a fire-breathing dragon. Uh-oh! 
 
Luckily for Fatcat, Billy won't stand for that: off she goes on a brave rescue mission... 
 
Join Billy for another fairy tale adventure with a twist. 
 
'It's a great story for everyone, especially those not used to seeing themselves centre-stage'- The Guardian on Billy and the Beast 
 
'Shireen's latest book confirms her as one of the brightest and best picture book creators working in Britain today... Sensational.' - The Observer

These are the most brilliant, beautiful and silly picture-books out there at the moment. Little doorways of joy.

Nadia Shireen (Author, Illustrator) 
 Nadia Shireen enjoyed making homemade magazines and comics as a child. She studied law at university and then worked in magazine journalism; it was during this time that she started to draw again. After a lifetime of doodling in the sidelines, Nadia decided to pay some attention to drawing and in 2007 was accepted onto an MA course in Children's Book Illustration at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge. Her debut book Good Little Wolf received a mention in the Bologna Ragazzi Opera Prima Award and won the UKLA Book Award. Nadia has been shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize and the Waterstones Children's Book Prize. She lives in London.

'Shireen's latest book confirms her as one of the brightest and best picture book creators working in Britain today... Sensational.' - The Observer 
 
Our fearless heroine Billy is back! 
 
Whilst at a fancy-dress party, something terrible happens: Billy's loyal sidekick Fatcat is kidnapped by a fire-breathing dragon. Uh-oh! 
 
But luckily for Fatcat, Billy won't stand for that: off she goes on a brave rescue mission... 
 
Join Billy for a fairytale adventure with a twist. 
 
'It's a great story for everyone, especially those not used to seeing themselves centre-stage'- The Guardian on Billy and the Beast

Billy and the Beast

Introducing your new favourite heroine: Billy who doesn't blink an eye when faced with peril, or with beasts, or with hangry cats... 
 
A brilliantly funny empowering fable from Nadia Shireen.

While out on a lovely walk in the woods, Billy and her trusty sidekick Fatcat hear a terrible rumble... a terrible rumble coming from a Terrible Beast! 
 
He's making a Terrible Soup out of all of Billy and Fatcat's friends! 
 
Luckily, our brave heroine Billy has a trick or two up her sleeve (or in her hair)... Join quick-thinking Billy on her mission to defeat the Terrible Beast (and save those adorable little bunny rabbits too). 
 
Young readers will adore this hilarious story, packed with playful, energetic and simple to read text. 
 
'It's a great story for everyone, especially those not used to seeing themselves centre-stage'- The Guardian

It's still all too unusual to see a brown girl star in such a brilliantly funny and very commercial picture book and Shireen has created Billy in fantastic style. She's a very modern heroine, quick-thinking, courageous and resourceful with a stash of handy props in her truly excellent big hair. Children will adore the repetitive read-aloud text, endearing characters and just the right amount of peril for a bedtime story - with a highly satisfying ending. And visually it's a complete treat too: Shireen's typically lively bold graphics brim with energy and expression, aided by really striking design. This might just be my favourite of her fabulous books to date.

While the title may nod to a certain fairytale there's not even a whiff of ballgowns or romance in Nadia Shireen's joyous monster-slaying adventure. Refreshingly, the heroine here is a brown girl with a yellow cagoule, skinny jeans and a fabulously frizzy beehive in which she stashes essentials from emergency doughnuts to useful devices. British author Shireen has created her best character yet in the feisty and fun Billy, who rescues her woodland pals from the claws of a goofy green beast.

Clever Billy outwits a Terrible Beast who wants to eat her woodland friends. The characters are enterprising, the text surprising and the layout engaging, with paths that wind across the page and changes of perspective; and the pictures are humorous, not least the worried face of a fox dangling upside down.

Nadia Shireen's Billy and the Beast celebrates the experience of those often left out of picture books, with its brave brown heroine and the outrageous array of props she stores in her huge cloud of hair. Lively, energetic, full of well-timed humour (and a sidekick called Fatcat), it's a great story for everyone, especially those not used to seeing themselves centre stage.

One of The Observer's Best Children's Books of 2018! 
 
'It's a great story for everyone, especially those not used to seeing themselves centre-stage'- The Guardian 
 
From the author of Bumblebear, comes a new heroine for our times. Introducing: Billy! 
 
Whilst on a lovely walk in the woods, Billy and her trusty sidekick Fatcat hear a terrible rumble… a terrible rumble coming from a Terrible Beast… 
 
He’s making a Terrible Soup out of all of Billy and Fatcat’s friends! 
 
Luckily, our brave heroine Billy has a trick or two up her sleeve (or in her hair)… 
 
Join Billy on her mission to defeat the Terrible Beast (and save those adorable little bunny rabbits too). 
 
'A refreshing picture book star' - The Observer

The Cow Who Fell to Earth

A hilarious, heartfelt tale featuring the cutest little calf this side of the moon, from rising picture book superstar Nadia Shireen – author of The Bumblebear and Good Little Wolf

One night a star CRASH-LANDS right on top of a flock of bumbling sheep. 
 
But the star is not a star... It's a little lost cow. 
 
And all she can say is 'WOOOOOO'. How will she find her way home when nobody can understand a word she's saying? 
 
Packed with bold illustrations and hilarious text, this heartwarming story is the perfect bedtime read. 
 
"I haven't met a child who didn't LOVE these books. Sweet, funny, odd in a life-affirming way." - Caitlin Moran

Haven't met a child who didn't LOVE these books. Sweet, funny, odd in a life-affirming way. Like children.

There is something so refreshing and slightly cheeky about Nadia Shireen's sense of humour which makes every new picture book from her a real treat...At the heart of this zany intergalactic farmyard tale is a lovely story of home and belonging, and making friends with people that might, at first, look and sound very different from us. This is sure to become a bedtime favourite.

One night a star CRASH-LANDS right on top of a flock of bumbling sheep. 
 
But the star is not a star... It's a little lost cow. And all she can say is 'WOOOOOO'. How will she find her way home when nobody can understand a word she's saying? 
 
Both stylish and sweet, this hilarious tale is packed with Nadia Shireen's adorable animal characters - perfect for all those who loved The Bumblebear.

The Bumblebear

A cheeky, sneaky bear hatches a cunning plot to fool the bees and get his hands on some honey... But when he enters the world of the bees he discovers his true destiny!

Norman is a bear. A bear who LOVES honey. 
 
According to Norman, there can never be enough honey! And who has the most honey? The bees, of course! 
 
So, dressed up in his very best bee onesie, he thinks he looks quite convincing as he infiltrates Bee School with his eye on their huge honey supply. 
 
But how long will his disguise last? 
 
And when the hive is endangered, can he finally discover his true destiny and become. . . The Bumblebear? 
 
A rip-roaring, irresistible caper. ? Metro

The Bumblebear from rising star Nadia Shireen is an absolute joy. Norman is a bear who wants to be a bee in order to have easier access to honey so, obviously, he makes himself a bee costume and enrols in Bee School. The little bees grow to love their unusually large bee friend – until clever Amelia bee discovers the truth. Luckily, Norman can save the day. With its bold illustrations and witty humour, this is a book that adults will relish reading aloud time and time again.

Norman the bear loves honey so much that he disguises himself as a bee. A rip-roaring, irresistible caper.

a hilarious tale of a honey-loving bear who disguises himself as a bee to get easier access to the sweet sticky stuff.

Nadia Shireen has penned a delightful, fast paced narrative with a wonderful character - The Bumblebear is a fabulous picture book!

Norman is a bear that loves honey. A lot. But with the pesky bees always hovering round the stash, he needs a cunning plan. Dressed in disguise, Norman sneaks into Bee School – but will his cover-up be rumbled? And will Norman finally learn to be happy in his own fur? Funny and poignant, Bumblebear has a sweet message about acceptance at its heart. You’ll be reading it on repeat this summer holiday.

offers bold, lively artwork, spirited characters and a playful story

Norman is a bear. A bear who LOVES honey. 
 
According to Norman, there can never be enough honey; he needs to get his paws on more, more, more! 
 
And who has the most honey? The bees, of course! 
 
So, dressed up in his very best bee onesie, he thinks he looks quite convincing as he infiltrates Bee School with his eye on their huge honey supply. 
 
But how long will his disguise last? And when the hive is endangered, can he finally discover his true destiny and become. . . The Bumblebear?

Nadia Shireen

From the creator of Barbara Throws a Wobbler - the ultimate story to chase (and laugh) your worries away 
 
Geoffrey's got the jitters! It started last night when he was thinking about school - a funny, wiggly feeling in his tummy that grew and grew. But when Geoffrey's tummy jitters started talking to him - that's when he knew they were out of control. Geoffrey had to do something... 
 
Through a laugh-out-loud story and loveable character, Nadia Shireen shows how to understand and dispel anxieties, one jitter at a time. 
 
Praise for Barbara Throws a Wobbler: "This book is AMAZING! It will be a modern classic" Richard Osman

Nadia Shireen

Geoffrey Gets the Jitters

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