There’s a whole lotta dogs, a magic pony, and some brilliant fairy tale characters. These wonderful reads, filled with adventure, friendship and giggles, will take little readers and their imaginations to new and fantastic places.
Jim Panzee is having one of those days. Nothing can cheer him up and he’s in a BAD mood. His friends are trying really hard to turn his frown upside down, especially as it’s such a beautiful day. But poor Jim just can’t snap out of it and ends up having a bit of a meltdown. Maybe he just needs to be left alone to have a grumpy day… This modern classic about dealing with confusing feelings is a must-have for little readers.
Greg the Sausage Roll is so excited! He’s leaving the bakery, and his sweetheart Gloria, and heading for his first-ever holiday in the sun. He’s ready to give everything a go, from karaoke to swimming and eating ice cream. He just needs to make sure he doesn’t get BURNT! This is the latest pastry-based tale from the social media phenomenon LadBaby who created the No.1 bestseller Greg the Sausage Roll: Santa's Little Helper .
We know Adam Kay is an expert in the human body and now he’s created his first picture book which is equally disgusting! This hilarious story follows Amy, a tiny piece of sweetcorn who is swallowed by Noah, a medium-sized boy. Young readers follow Amy as she starts her funny and gloopy adventure through the human body, discovering amazing facts about digestion along the way. Children will love this poo-normous story – and adults will learn a thing or two too!
Join one of the world’s most famous bunnies in a brand-new tale of scampers and scrapes from this picture book series created by Rachel Bright and Nicola Kinnear. Peter knows he must help his mum with the housework but he’s sure he can find a more fun way of getting it done. It’s time to hang up the washing and he has a great plan but when Squirrel Nutkin gets involved, there’s no way it’s going to end well! More than 100 years after Beatrix Potter created her lovable animal characters, Head Over Tail will bring delight to family members old and young.
Speak Up!
Rocket is already changing the world with her passion for the environment and space , and now she’s putting her infectious energy into protecting her local library. This brilliant little girl is a bookworm who loves borrowing tales about inspirational figures like Rosa Parks. But she’s brokenhearted when she finds out the library is closing. What would Rosa do? Can Rocket use her voice to speak up and save the day?
What is an artist? Award-winning writer-illustrator Ed Vere has created a joyful celebration about the artist that can be found in all of us. This story follows one brave artist who goes on an epic adventure to share her art. But when she makes a mistake, she begins to question whether she really is an artist. She soon learns that it doesn’t matter if you colour outside the lines or make mistakes, the most important thing is that your art is full of heart.
Noor has an important question but no one in her family seems to have time to answer it for her. She has always wondered why her mum, and all the other hijabi women in her family, wear headscarves. Is it to hide snacks, or perhaps they’re spies and hiding their real identities? What IS the answer?! Just as Noor is about to give up on ever finding out the truth, her Ammu gets home and tells her exactly what she wants to know. This heart-warming picture book is a celebration of Muslim women and family bonds.
Big
This is a story about a girl who grew and grew but as she gets bigger, the world around her starts to feel smaller. Her size makes her feel out of place and invisible. But with the cruel words comes inner strength and the ability to learn self-acceptance. This is a beautiful picture book which explores the experience of being big in a world that celebrates small. Young readers will learn the importance of body positivity and that everyone is perfect in their own way.
Hairy Maclary loves adventure and getting into scrapes, and he usually has a few furry friends by his side to join in with the shenanigans. In this hilarious tale, the loveable mutt goes for a walk in town but soon finds himself facing a nasty surprise, in the shape of Scarface Claw! Lynley Dodd’s classic book contains lively illustrations and brilliant rhyming text which is a delight for children to read again and again.
Ron, Len and Henry Hinch are getting ready to move house but they’re not sure how they feel about it. They love their home and have lots of happy memories in it. As the packing boxes grow, so do their nerves. When the boys get to the new house things don’t feel quite right. Luckily Mum and Dad are on hand to reassure them and show them that change can be exciting. This is a sweet story from the Instagram sensation Sophie Hinchcliffe about family bonds and dealing with anxiety around change.
Bea is a child with a vivid imagination and a penchant for tall tales, especially when it comes to getting herself out of trouble! It was the fairy-cats who wiped mud all over the floor, honest! And the bathroom flood was caused by octoponies – really, it was! When a Yeticorn eats her sister Edie’s sweets and sneezes confetti everywhere, Bea has no idea what chaos her fib is going to cause. As Bea and her family grapple with this unusual creature on the loose in their house, can she finally find the courage to stop making up tales and tell the truth?
Fans of the Ten Minutes to Bed series will love this interactive rhyming adventure. The Princess’s little brother has gone missing, and she needs your help to find him. You’re going to need to tiptoe over, under, around and through the book, but whatever you do DON’T disturb the dragon!
This story from author-illustrator Al Rodin explores what happens when two strangers who are looking for the same things find each other. Both Lia and Lion are on the hunt for an adventure and a pet to keep them company along the way. The book follows the pair as they become friends and learn about conflict, compromise and how much better life can be when you share it with someone else.
Join Max as he decides to put on a wolf costume and cause some mischief outdoors. His mum calls him ‘Wild Thing’ and sends him to bed without supper – and that’s when Max’s wild adventure begins. A forest grows in Max’s room and an ocean rushes by with a boat to take him to the place where the wild things really are. This classic story by Maurice Sendak – which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year – will soothe the wildest of little imaginations, into a well-deserved slumber.
Pancakes and Cha-Cha are brothers who have found themselves in a world of magic where they encounter a genie who can make their wishes come true. The big question is – what should they wish for?! They like pizza a lot, so what about one the size of a paddling pool? Or maybe some magical powers? Young readers will love finding out what the pair end up with in this hilarious story of sibling love and learning to compromise from the creators of Jonathan the Magic Pony
This is another heart-warming story about the power of using your voice to protect what’s important to your community. In the beautiful, wild wild wood lives a gentle mole and his friends. Everything is hunky-dory until one day a SOLD sign appears in the wood. Mole writes a letter to Barry Bristlethwaite of Burnum Buildem Real Estate to explain that their home is not for sale. But it’s too late! The diggers arrive the next morning. Will Mole and his friends be able to convince Barry that their wood is worth saving?
TV star and influencer Kate Ferdinand has written a beautiful picture book about fairies, baking and blended families. Ash and Willow live in the Family Tree with their dad and the three of them love baking. One day, when they’re preparing to enter the Busy Beetle Bake-Off, their dad introduces them to a new fairy called Hazel who’s coming to live with them. The story follows the siblings as they get to grips with a new family member and try to create a winning cake. Will it all work out in the end?
This is another wonderful book that celebrates families and relationships between grown-ups and children. Lotte Jeffs’ fun rhyming story follows a little girl with two mummies who shares the magic of her family and discovers there’s magic all around her in other families too. My Magic Family is a great book for reading together and sparking conversations about all of the different ways a family can look.
Billy and her trusty feline friend Fatcat are back in a new adventure that takes them to the high seas where they must escape a naughty pirate and his stinky crew. When the pair find a mysterious message in a bottle, they soon find themselves face-to-face with Captain Howl who wants a piece of the action. Luckily the pair are used to getting themselves out of sticky situations – even when faced with singing mermaids and toffee-eating sharks!
The Very Hungry Caterpillar has been capturing hearts and imaginations since 1969 and is one of the most popular children’s books around the world. A copy of The Very Hungry Caterpillar is sold somewhere in the world every 16 seconds! This beautiful, bright and bold story, with its die-cut pages and finger-sized holes, will allow young readers to flip through the pages at bedtime with ease and excitement. Every toddler should be introduced to this furry little fella and his penchant for snacks!
What's that in your book? Oh my, it's a dinosaur! She's stomped her way right into the pages. This is so exciting! But wait a minute, she looks quite bored and has started to make a lot of noise. Will you be able to help her find some friends and avoid waking up the BIG dinosaur? This prehistoric addition to the bestselling Who's In Your Book? series will teach little ones when to be quiet and when they can be loud.
Who doesn’t love a good game of hide-and-seek? Definitely not Spot. The original lift-the-flap book puts readers in the role of the seeker to find this mischievous pup, by lifting the flaps on every page to see where he’s hiding. The simple text and colourful pictures will get pre-readers excited about holding a book and interacting with the story inside. Spot’s had some magnificent adventures over the years, but this fun story by Eric Hall was the very first, originally published in 1980. Where’s Spot? has remained in the book charts ever since and for good reason, too.
Papa and Little One have what turns out to be a special day as they search for the answer to Little One’s big question: what do we need? Join the seahorses as they discover there are many answers they could choose from. They definitely need clean water, a home, and friends – but what about each other? Perhaps that’s the most important answer of them all! This heart-warming picture book by multimedia journalist and seahorse dad Freddy McConnell celebrates the special bond between a parent and child.
This board book version of the classic picture book will set young imaginations alight with its beautiful joining of words, pictures and classic nursery rhymes. Each page offers endless adventures for little ones as familiar classics like The Three Bears, Mother Hubbard and Tom Thumb are brought to life before their very eyes. Help children unpick the story by finding characters hidden within the illustrations, or why not challenge them to a game of ‘I Spy’ to help them truly feel part of the story? A treat for the eyes and the imagination.
