HomeDiscoverChildrens articles10 Ladybird books by women authors and illustratorsChildren's reading lists10 Ladybird books by women authors and illustratorsTo mark International Women’s Day, we thought we would give a shout-out to some of our brilliantly talented women authors and illustrators.06 March 2023FacebookPinterestTwitterEmail Gretel the Wonder Mammoth by Kim Hillyard (2022) Author and illustrator Kim Hillyard keeps wowing us with her colourful animal creations and delightful stories involving important life lessons. Mabel the fly shows the power of believing in yourself; Ned the hamster teaches the importance of kindness; and wonder mammoth Gretel shows the bravest thing a person can do is ask for help. We can’t wait for Kim’s new book Flora and Nora Hunt for Treasure to come out in June! It follows two sea-faring cats who learn the value of friendship. Recommended reading age: 4-7 years old My Skin, Your Skin by Laura Henry-Allain MBE & Onyinye Iwu (2021) Early years expert and children’s media creator Laura Henry-Allain has put together this powerful book that addresses race, racism, and empowerment. My Skin, Your Skin explains difficult topics in easy-to-understand language and provides a conversation starting point for parents and carers. Laura’s new book My Family, Your Family publishes in October and explores the uniqueness of families. Recommended reading age: 2-7 years old When I’m Gone by Marguerite McLaren & Hayley Wells (2023) After being diagnosed with incurable cancer, Marguerite McLaren decided to write When I’m Gone as a love letter to her two daughters. Nobody lives forever and there will be bad and sad days. But there will also be good and happy days! This moving picture book will offer comfort to young children dealing with loss but it will also teach them the importance of loving and living life even after a parent has gone. Recommended reading age: 3-8 years old I Am, You Are by Ashley Harris Whaley & Ananya Rao-Middleton (2023) Disability activist Ashley Harris Whaley has written this beautiful book that offers practical advice on how to talk about disability and ableism. From explanations of what disability is to how being different creates a far richer society, I Am, You Are will help little ones build an anti-ableist stance. Recommended reading age: 3-7 years old Five Minute Mum: Starting School by Daisy Upton (2023) Author Daisy Upton is the mastermind behind the Five Minute Mum series for parents which features a host of quick games and activities that keep children busy and support their learning. The former teaching assistant has now written a guide for kids who are about to start school. Starting School will give children a glimpse of what big school entails from uniforms and packing their bags to making new friends and meeting their teacher. Recommended reading age: 3-5 years old Ten Minutes to Bed: Where's Little Unicorn? by Rhiannon Fielding & Chris Chatterton (2022) Rhiannon Fielding’s Ten Minutes to Bed series has been a huge hit among parents and children. Her sweet rhyming text alongside Chris Chatterton’s charming illustrations make these books the perfect aid for bedtime and settling kids down. In Ten Minutes to Bed: Where’s Little Unicorn? cheeky unicorn Twinkle has wandered off and it’s up to little readers to help find her with the liftable flaps on each page. Recommended reading age: 0-4 years old That’s Not My Name by Anoosha Syed (2022) Author and illustrator Anoosha Syed’s gorgeous book That’s Not My Name follows Mirha on her first day at school. Mirha is so excited to learn and play and make new friends. But she ends up leaving deflated as everyone keeps mispronouncing her name. Mirha starts to think she needs a new name, but Mama encourages her to speak up and correct her classmates and teachers. Everyone should be proud of their name! Recommended reading age: 3-5 years old Earn It! by Cinders McLeod (2022) Children can learn simple money lessons with author and cartoonist Cinders McLeod’s Moneybunny series. There are four books, Give It!, Save It!, Spend It! and Earn It! and each short tale explains the different ways you can use money with bunnies and carrots. In Earn It!, Bun has big dreams of becoming rich and famous, but she’ll have to work hard to get there. So, Bun’s mum offers to pay her one carrot a week to help out in the garden which will help Bun pay for singing lessons and make her dream a reality. Recommended reading age: 3-7 years old An Adventurer's Guide to Dinosaurs by Isabel Thomas & Yas Imamura (2021) Science writer Isabel Thomas has been dazzling readers with astonishing facts and activities in her An Adventurer’s Guide series. First, she took us into outer space where we learned all about the different planets, galaxies and asteroids. Then, we journeyed back in time to when dinosaurs roamed the Earth and learnt about the different plant and meat eaters. Isabel’s next book, which comes out in August 2023, will take us back in time again – to the time of the Ancient Egyptians! Recommended reading age: 4-10 years old Everything Under the Sun by Molly Oldfield (2021) Based on Molly Oldfield’s award-winning podcast Everything Under the Sun, the original QI elf has pulled together 366 questions asked by children from all over the world and enlisted the help of a myriad of experts to answer them. Find out how much bamboo a panda can really eat. Whether aliens actually exist. And what would happen if we didn’t have a prime minister? Recommended reading age: 5-8 years old
