Walker picture books in The Observer

In The Observer on Sunday 26th July, there was a lovely double page spread full of picture book reviews. There were three Walker books included...

It's a Groovy World, Alfredo! by Sean Taylor and Chris Garbutt

"Enormous fun to read aloud, with perking drawings in a 60s style of boogying flies, it is a book guaranteed to get the joint jumping"

The Most Wonderful thing in the World by Vivian French and Angela Barrett

"What makes the story irresistible is Angela Barrett's meticulous, romantic and occasionally mutinous illustration."

and...

Soon by Timothy Knapman and Patrick Benson

"A gentle book about traveling to the top, and about still being secure when you get there."

The article featured a beautiful big picture from Soon, and some jumping insects from Alfredo:

 

Find copies of all three books at your local bookshop.

Daisy Hirst visits the House of Illustration

This year, we published the debut picture book by Daisy Hirst, the highly acclaimed The Girl with the Parrot on her Head. In case you missed it, Daisy visited Picture Book Party and wrote this guest blog post for us upon publication. 

Daisy recently lead a workshop event at the House of Illustration in London. You can read a special blog post by Daisy herself, here on their website, and learn all about what Daisy and the children did.

Daisy will be back at the House of Illustration on Wednesday 5 August, find out more about that event and book your ticket here.

World Snake Day

Today, 16 July, is World Snake Day! Whether you love them or fear them, know little or lots about them – we at Walker Books agree that snakes are fascinating creatures.

This month we publish a new non-fiction picture book written by award-winning writer and zoologist Nicola Davies and illustrated by Luciano Lozano, called I (Don’t) Like Snakes.

In this educational book, a little girl who does not like snakes is persuaded by her family (avid snake fans) that snakes are in fact fantastic creatures. Will they change her mind? You’ll have to read it to find out!

In the meantime, whilst we observe World Snake Day here are some snake facts taken from I (Don’t) Like Snakes:

• “Snakes aren’t slimy. If you touch their skin it’s dry. It looks wet because they have a shiny, see-through outer skin. When that’s worn out or outgrown, the snake sheds it. And there’s a new skin underneath.”
• “Snakes smell with their tongues. They flick them out to collect smells. All snakes are hunters and smelling is how they find their prey.”
• “Snakes don’t have eyelids!”
• Did you know that some snakes can fly? “A few forest-living snakes flatten their bodies so they can glide like a floating ribbon from one tree to the next.”
• “Some snakes use POISON. They have hollow fangs, like a doctor’s needle, which inject venom. They strike like lightening, killing with just one bite.”
• “There are almost 3,000 different kinds of snake in the world. Some are as small as a shoelace and some big enough to swallow a child. Their beauty and variety demonstrate the amazing things that can be done with a body that is really just a tube!” 

Also, if you’re planning to visit London Zoo on Tuesday 26 August, you can meet Nicola Davies in person as she is running an event with ZSL herpetologist Iri Gill and ZSL Learning and Discovery Officer Charlotte Coales. The event is free if you have paid for zoo entry but you must book in advance.

More information about the event can be found here: http://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/whats-on/nicola-davies-%E2%80%98so-you-don%E2%80%99t-like-snakes%E2%80%99

Book of the month: Albert and Little Henry

From Jez Alborough, the award-winning author of Hug, comes a new picture book for young children, especially ones preparing for a new sibling. 

Albert and Little Henry is a story about Albert, who has grown from a little puppy into a big dog! But when his baby brother Henry comes along, something very strange happens ... he starts to feel small. Discover how Albert learns to feel big again in this adorable tale about new siblings. 

Download the Albert and Little Henry colouring in activity sheet.

WIN

We have five copies of Albert and Little Henry to give away, plus a picture book party goody bag including a selection of posters, stickers and activities. To enter, just answer this question:

What animal is Albert?
a) A dog
b) A horse
c) A rabbit

Email your answer along with your name and address to competitions@walker.co.uk with 'Albert' in the subject line before 31 July 2015, for your chance to win. Good luck!

By entering this competition, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions. Your details will not be shared with third parties.

Win a year's subscription to First Friends Magazine plus Abney & Teal books

We're really excited this week about the launch of a brand new magazine for 2- 4 year olds, called First Friends. It's packed with all your little one's favourite characters from the world of children’s books, and is perfect for keeping toddlers entertained over the summer hols.

First Friends is designed to help adults encourage and support children’s early learning steps, nurturing and developing the naturally inquisitive natures of the littlest of learners. Each themed issue will contain stories, rhymes and activities specifically aimed at fostering key learning skills, with notes to guide parents in how to inspire their children by recording and rewarding progress and extending the activities into other aspects of their everyday lives. The first issue includes a fun Abney & Teal porridge party sticker activity!


WIN
We have an annual subscription to First Friends magazine to give away to one lucky winner, plus three runners up will get a copy of The Adventures of Abney & Teal: Busy Days Sticker Activity Book.
To enter, just email your name and address to competitions@walker.co.uk with 'First Friends' in the subject line before 31 July. Good luck!

By entering this competition, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions. Your details will not be shared with third parties. 

Join the I CAN Hop & Walk

Join I CAN and other families to walk one mile and help raise vital funds for children who struggle to communicate.

We are thrilled to be working with I CAN to celebrate 20 years of Guess How Much I Love You with our 'Hop & Walk' family fundraiser event on 27 September. You and your family can enjoy a host of free activities, including, a warm up exercise routine, a story corner, face painting and more. Why not make it a family day out and bring along a picnic!

There is a minimum sponsorship of £50 per family and children aged 12 and under go for free. To start raising your sponsorship simply set up a Virgin Money Giving page or download our sponsorship form.

Guess How Much I Love You is a book which perfectly captures the bond between parent and child as Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare try to describe and measure their love for one another.

Everyone that enters before Sunday 6 September 2015 will be in with a chance of winning a fantastic Guess How Much I Love You gift pack, including a copy of the 20 year anniversary edition of the classic picture book, stickers, poster and a cuddly Nutbrown Hare plush toy!*

Your family of Nutbrown Hares will receive:
- A sponsorship form and poster
- Guess How Much I Love You Hare ears to wear on the day
- FREE Guess How Much I Love You activities on the day
- A medal and thank you certificate at the end of the race
- Support from our experienced events team

Learn more about I CAN's work
Join this fantastic, fun, family day out. Sign up now!
Visit the I CAN website to find out more.

Registration Fee : Adult: £7.50
Child (up to the age of 12): Free
Suggested minimum sponsorship: £50 

Are you brave enough to read this book?

“You could go off and play all day where Floyd lived. There was a field for racing and chasing games, which were his favourite. And up the hill there was the tree with a tyre, which was his other favourite. The only place you weren’t allowed to go was down in the valley behind the houses…”

…because that’s where the Bugaboo lives.  

Where the Bugaboo Lives is a fun, fresh “interactive adventure”, where YOUR choices shape the story. The first choice to make is whether you’re brave enough to read about the dreaded Bugaboo in the first place; warning: if you decide to read on, “you might not go to sleep ever again.” 

If you’re not too scared to keep reading, you’ll follow Floyd and his sister Ruby as they stumble upon the valley behind the houses. Soon, they come to a fork in the path. Here is where you, the reader, make your first choice: 

“And you can choose. If you want  Floyd and Ruby to go uphill… then turn the page. If you want them to go downhill… then turn to page 14.”

The choices YOU make throughout the book decide which weird and wonderful monsters Floyd and Ruby will meet. Sean Taylor has created larger-than-life creatures, including a “long-nosed prickle beast” and a “freaky flibbertigibbet”, brought to booming life by Neal Layton’s chaotic and colourful illustrations. 

There are over ten different possible routes to take in the book, so you’ll want to read it again and again. How will Floyd and Ruby get passed the “sour-face troll” or the “cool ghoul”? And if they do, what are they going to do when they meet the Bugaboo? 

 Not only is this book an absolute treat for the eyes and the imagination, but for the ears too. Sean Taylor’s wonderful Jabberwocky- and Dahl-like language begs to be read aloud: 

“If I touch this super-twang elastic, you’ll be pinged into a net. If I toggle this nozzle-pumper, a whizz-whirring scoop-you-up will sweep you off your feet. And if I whojamaflick this whojamaflip, you’ll drop like stones into a trap-hole that nobody can see!”

As well as all this, a lot of the joy of Where the Bugaboo Lives comes from Floyd and Ruby’s interactions as they experience the adventure together. This is the perfect book for families to read together, to see whether you agree on which path to take (and find out if your dad is actually a great big scaredy pants!) 

Find a copy of Where the Bugaboo Lives at your local bookshop.