Anita Desai

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Raj Kaur Khaira

Discover the inspirational lives of fifty women from across South Asia - the perfect present for all supergirls in the making 
 
Through the fascinating, empowering life stories of 50 famous and under-celebrated women from Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, South Asian girls will have a chance to dream about lives for themselves that radically differ from the limited narratives and stereotypes written for them by their culture, wider society and the mainstream media. 
 
Brigng together the stories of leading entertainers (Meera Syal, Jameela Jamil, Mindy Kaling), pioneering business leaders (indra Nooyi, Anjali Sud, Ruchi Sanghvi) and a whole host of other equally remarkable but less well known figurers - from British Muslim spy Noor Inayat Khan to fearless activist Jayaben Desai - this book seeks to redress the imbalance for young girls of colour by empowering them to break new ground for themselves and inspire others along the way. 
 
Beautifully illustrated with striking portraits by ten international South Asian female artists, this is truly a book for all ages - a gift to be treasured by parents and children alike.

Stories for South Asian Supergirls

Vashti Harrison

Meet the little leaders. They're brave. They're bold. They changed the world. 
 
Featuring the true stories of 40 inspirational women creators - from writers to inventors, artists to scientists - this book is as inspirational as it is educational. Readers will meet trailblazing women such as revolutionary architect, Zaha Hadid, actor/inventor Hedy Lamarr, environmental activist Wangari Maathai, modernist painter and animator Mary Blair and physicist Chien-Shiung Wu. Some names will be familiar, some will not - but all these women had a lasting impact on their fields.

Little Leaders: Visionary Women Around the World

Joanna Troughton

This lively folk tale from Orissa, India, explains why tigers eat their food uncooked and why cats live with people. 
 
The tiger child is sent to fetch some more fire from the village, but on the way he gets distracted by his friends. By the time he gets to the village, he has forgotten what he has been sent to fetch.

The Tiger Child

A Folk Tale from India

Rashmi Sirdeshpande

Annabel Tempest

Could you be EXTRAORDINARY? This book will inspire you with the real-life stories of extraordinary people, showcasing a total variety of personalities and talents. Whoever you are, and whoever you want to be, read about the extraordinary stories of these 15 people, and decide how YOU will be extraordinary too! 
 
From around the world and throughout history, discover unsung heroes - and some well-known faces - brought to life with astonishing story-telling and illustration. 
 
Meet an artist, scientist, medic, environmentalist, musician, activist, writer, politician, and even a spy . . . above all, discover that there are MANY ways to be extraordinary and to make a real difference in the world. 
 
Featuring the real-life stories of: Aeham Ahmad, David Attenborough, Mo Farah, Keiko Fukuda Sensei, Stephen Hawking, Frida Kahlo, Abdul Kalam, Judith Kerr, Wangari Maathai, Nelson Mandela, David Nott, Michelle Obama, Krystyna Skarbek, Alan Turing, Sau Lan Wu

How To Be Extraordinary

William Steig

Read the book that inspired the famous film franchise in this wonderfully funny picture book. 
 
Before Shrek made it big on the silver screen, there was William Steig's SHREK!, a book about an ordinary ogre who leaves his swampy childhood home to go out and see the world. Ordinary, that is, if a foul and hideous being who ends up marrying the most stunningly ugly princess on the planet is what you consider ordinary.

Shrek!

Roald Dahl

Quentin Blake

Mr Twit is a foul and smelly man with bits of cornflake and sardine in his beard. 
Mrs Twit is a horrible old hag with a glass eye. 
Together they make the nastiest couple you could ever hope not to meet. 
Down in their garden, the Twits keep Muggle-Wump the monkey and his family locked in a cage. But not for much longer, because the monkeys are planning to trick the terrible Twits, once and for all . . .

The Twits (Colour Edition)

A book of black heroes, role models and everyday women who did extraordinary things. 
 
Featuring 40 trailblazing black women in the world's history, this book educates and inspires as it relates true stories of women who broke boundaries and exceeded all expectations. Debut author/illustrator Vashti Harrison pairs captivating text with stunning illustrations as she tells the stories of both iconic and lesser-known female figures of black history - from nurse Mary Seacole, to politician Diane Abbott, mathematician Katherine Johnson and singer Shirley Bassey.

Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History

Matthew A. Cherry

It's up to Daddy to give his daughter an extra-special hair style in this story of self-confidence and the love between fathers and daughters. 
 
Zuri knows her hair is beautiful, but it has a mind of its own. It kinks, coils, and curls every which way. Mum always does Zuri's hair just the way she likes it - so when Daddy steps in to style it for an extra special occasion, he has a lot to learn. But he LOVES his Zuri, and he'll do anything to make her - and her hair - happy. 
 
Tender and empowering, Hair Love is an ode to loving your natural hair - and a celebration of daddies and daughters everywhere.

Hair Love

Based on the Oscar-Winning Short Film

Allan Ahlberg

Mcnaughton Colin

Mr and Mrs Brick are builders, just like their mothers and fathers and grandmothers and grandfathers. But their new baby doesn't seem to be following in their footsteps. Instead of building things up, she keeps knocking things down! 
 
Based on the classic 'Happy Families' card game, this highly entertaining series is ideal for reading and sharing at home or at school. It is guided by the Education Adviser, Brian Thompson, and written by the award-winning author, Allan Ahlberg. 
 
'The best thing to happen to beginner readers since Dr Seuss' Children's Rights Workshop.

Miss Brick the Builders' Baby

Sheku Kanneh-Mason

Rekha Salin

Little Sheku LOVED music. He loved to hear the beautiful sounds that flowed from his cello as his bow danced across the strings. And he loved finding music in unexpected places... 
 
Little Sheku can't wait to play his cello in a concert with the animal orchestra. But when they discover a dragon has stolen the conductor, Little Sheku and the animals must embark on a music-filled adventure to the dragon's cave. Will they rescue the conductor in time to finish the concert? 
 
From globally renowned, award-winning cellist, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, comes this magical, musical picture book adventure that will inspire a love of music in readers of three and up. 
 
Sheku's lyrical writing weaves musicality into every sentence, drawing on his life-long love of the cello to tell his tale. Rekha Salin's stunning illustrations send music springing and singing from every page.

Little Sheku and the Animal Orchestra

Claire Freedman

Shaw Davidson

Rediscover the magical story of Mary Lennox, who arrives in the wild and windswept Yorkshire a sickly and miserable girl - until she discovers a forgotten, Secret Garden. 
 
As Mary works hard to bring the garden back to life, its magic begins to work on her too . . . 
 
This classic and beloved story has been beautifully retold by Claire Freedman and brought to glorious visual life by new illustration talent Shaw Davidson

The Secret Garden

Every Saturday morning the Gregg family goes off to shoot animals and birds. But the girl who lives next door hates hunting. 
Now it's made her so angry she's PUT THE MAGIC FINGER ON THEM ALL. And very strange things have begun to happen . . .

The Magic Finger

Mr Hoppy really loves his neighbour Mrs Silver, and Mrs Silver really loves her tortoise, Alfie. 
Oh, if only Mr Hoppy could perform some great feat that would make him a hero in her eyes! 
Then one day an amazing idea rushes into his head. 
 With the help of a magical spell, some cabbage leaves and one hundred and forty tortoises, can shy Mr Hoppy win Mrs Silver's heart?

Esio Trot

Natalia O’Hara

Lauren O'Hara

"Through the dark and wolfish woods, 
through the white and silent snow, 
lived a small girl called Hortense. 
Though kind and brave, she was sad as an owl because of one thing . . . 
Hortense hated her shadow." 
 
A beautifully illustrated dark fairy tale that will remind you of the fables you read as a child. A treasure not to be missed.

Hortense and the Shadow

Dick King-Smith

Mike Terry

Poppet is a little African elephant. When he is born, his mother warns him against mice because they run up elephants' trunks. Poppet spends some time asking various creatures if they are mice and then, to his horror, one of them says 'Yes'. However, Momo the mouse persuades Poppet that he's been told an old wives' tale and the two become friends. Poppet's mother is horrified but is won over in the end by Momo's eloquence.

Poppet

Every Saturday morning the Greg family goes off to shoot animals and birds. But the girl who lives next door hates hunting. 
Now it's made her so angry she's PUT THE MAGIC FINGER ON THEM ALL. And very strange things have begun to happen . . .

(Colour Edition)

Linda Chapman

Electra is very excited. Two of the older mermaids, Keri and Marina, have asked her if she would like to go camping with them on Craggy Island. What an adventure! 
 
But the adventure comes to an abrupt end when Electra's mum tells her that she is too young and won't let her go. 
 
How will Electra have any fun now?

Not Quite a Mermaid: Mermaid Rescue

Vivian French

Chris Fisher

Hector and Hattie and Harry and Hester set off to find a nice juicy hamburger. But Fox doesn&rsquo;t want a hamburger, and neither does Badger. What they want are four nice fat juicy hedgehogs for their tea! 
 
Two funny stories about four friendly hedgehogs, perfect for beginner readers.

Hedgehogs Don't Eat Hamburgers

When Electra hears of hidden treasure in the caves near Mermaid Island she is very excited. 
 
She and her mer-friends decide to form a treasure hunters club but their first hunt is abandoned when everyone gets stung by purple jellyfish! On the way home Electra finds a tiny rare dwarf seahorse surrounded by the same jellyfish. She swims in and saves him before he gratefully swims off to his secret seahorse lair. 
 
No one wants to explore very far after being stung and Electra gets very frustrated - in fact she and Sasha have a big fight about it. Sasha is so upset that she swims off - in the wrong direction! Electra swims after her but before they realise it they're both lost. Luckily the tiny seahorse appears again to lead them back to safety and on the way he leads them to a secret cave with a very special surprise!

Not Quite a Mermaid: Mermaid Treasure

Christopher Wormell

When Molly wakes up in the middle of the night, she hears the sound of a step on the stairs. It could be a crocodile creeping up to catch her . . . Or a giant giraffe outside on the landing . . . Or an enormous elephant turning the doorknob and opening the door . . . Or even a night monster come to gobble her up . . . 
 
But when Molly surprises the tiptoeing beast, she gets an even bigger surprise of her own! 
 
This edition is a beautiful reissue of a children's modern classic.

Molly and the Night Monster

Shirley Hughes

Down by the railway a white face looks out of a spooky old house, and Jim and Arthur hardly dare investigate.

It's Too Frightening for Me!

This beautifully illustrated volume educates and inspires as it relates true stories of black men in history. Illuminating text paired with irresistible full-color art bring to life both iconic and lesser-known figures. 
 
Among these biographies, readers will find aviators and artists, politicians and pop culture icons. The men featured include writer James Baldwin, artist Aaron Douglas, photographer Gordon Parks, diplomat Kofi Annan, comic book author Dwayne McDuffie, and musician Prince.

Little Leaders: Exceptional Men in Black History

Penguin presents Happy Families: The Audio Collection by Allan Ahlberg, read by Alexander Armstrong. 
Families come in all shapes and sizes, big ones, small ones, funny ones and even silly ones. In this first ever audio collection you can discover the story of Mrs Wobble the Waitress, Mr Biff the Boxer, Miss Dirt the Dustman's Daughter and many more of Allan Ahlberg's beloved Happy Families. 
 
This audio collection features 11 classic tales brought to life with original music and dazzling sound effects, all read in Alexander Armstrong's unique style. 
 
'Happy Families are the best thing to happen to beginner readers since Dr Seuss' - Children's Rights Workshop.

Happy Families: The Audio Collection

"O Bandit Queen!" the bandits cried. 
"Little horror! Poison weed! 
We'll give you everything a queen could ever need..." 
 
The bandits give their queen treasure, tigers, mischief and mayhem. But sometimes a little girl needs something more... 
 
A book about finding family in unexpected places, from the creators of Hortense and the Shadow.

The Bandit Queen

Boggis is an enormously fat chicken farmer who only eats boiled chickens smothered in fat. 
Bunce is a duck-and-goose farmer whose dinner gives him a beastly temper. 
Bean is a turkey-and-apple farmer who only drinks gallons of strong cider. 
Mr Fox is so clever that every evening he creeps down into the valley and helps himself to food from the farms. 
Now the farmers have hatched a plan to BANG-BANG-BANG shoot Mr Fox dead. But, just when they think Mr Fox can't possibly escape, he makes a fantastic plan of his own . . .

Fantastic Mr Fox (Colour Edn)

One rainy day, Sylvester finds a magic pebble that can make all his wishes come true. But when a lion frightens him on his way home, Sylvester makes a wish with unexpected consequences. Will Sylvester find his way back to his family? Winner of the 1970 Caldecott Medal, this modern classic is full of warmth, humour and joy.

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble

Barack Obama

An inspirational picture book for young readers from former President of the United States, Barack Obama. 
 
In this tender, beautiful letter to his daughters, former President Barack Obama has written a moving tribute to the ideals that have shaped his nation and thirteen groundbreaking Americans, including: 
 
The artistry of Georgia O'Keefe 
The courage of Jackie Robinson 
The patriotism of George Washington 
 
Barack Obama sees the traits of these heroes within his own children and within all children. 
 
Evocative illustrations by the award-winning artist Loren Long at once capture the personalities and achievements of these great Americans, and the innocence and promise of childhood. 
 
This book celebrates the potential within all of us to pursue our dreams and forge our own paths.

Of Thee I Sing

"The Pelican spread his huge white wings and flew down on to the road beside me. 'Hop in,' he said, opening his enormous beak . . ." 
 
MEET BILLY. A kid with a dream. He wants to turn an old wooden house into an incredible sweetshop full of treats! 
 
AND MEET THE LADDERLESS WINDOW-CLEANING COMPANY: Monkey, Pelican (Pelly) and Giraffe (who needs ladders when you've got a giraffe?!). 
 
They have just landed a big break cleaning all six hundred and seventy-seven windows of the mansion owned by the richest man in all of England! All they need now is a little help from Billy. 
 
Can these unlikely new friends make Billy's wildest dreams come true and take him on an adventure he'll never forget . . .?

The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me

The next audio collection from Allan Ahlberg stars more of his best loved characters, including Master Salt the Sailor's Son, Ms Cliff the Climber and Mrs Plug the Plumber. 
 
Features 9 classic stories brought to life with music and dazzling sound effects.

More Happy Families: 9 Classic Tales

Unicorn School is all abuzz with the news that there is going to be a school production of Sleeping Beauty. Willow is very excited by the news and dreams of playing the leading role. Her best friend Sapphire shyly confesses that she would like to try for the main part, too. Willow faces a big disappointment, but also learns a valuable lesson when Sapphire finds the courage to go on stage.

Unicorn School: The School Play

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Here, from Anita Desai to Salman Rushdie, are five books about families, India, marriage and the rest, to keep you going as the series moves on.

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