A Busy Day for Birds by Lucy Cousins out now in paperback!

Peck, hop, flap and make some noise in A Busy Day for Birds, a story full of colour, rhyme and feathered friends – now in paperback!

Flap your wings, fly up high, open your beak and sing in this fun action rhyme story about fantastical birds by multi-award-winning author Lucy Cousins. 

"Can you imagine ... just for one day ... you're a busy bird? Yes, a bird! Hooray!" Can you stand on one leg like a flamingo or waddle like a penguin? How about say "cock-a-doodle-doo!", "tuwit-tuwoo" and even "tra-la-la"? What a busy day you will have! A bouncy read-aloud book to be enjoyed; beautifully illustrated with bold, bright colours and packed with all sorts of wild and wonderful birds!

We went behind the scenes with author-illustrator Lucy Cousins and found out all about the making of the book in this video…

We're not the only ones who love A Busy Day for Birds!

“A picture book aviary of brilliantly painted plumage ... a riotous, interactive, zingingly colourful book – perfect to share with the very young.” Guardian

“A real joy, popping with colour and energy, an irresistible read-aloud rhyme.” The Bookseller

Pick up a copy of A Busy Day for Birds in your local bookshop.

Join in the fun and download our free A Busy Day for Birds activity sheets.

We Found a Hat by Jon Klassen out now in paperback!

Hold on to your hats! From the Kate Greenaway-winning creator of I Want My Hat Back and This Is Not My Hat comes the conclusion to the celebrated hat trilogy, We Found A Hat, now all out in paperback!

Two turtles have found a hat. The hat looks good on both of them. But there are two turtles. And there is only one hat... 

The conclusion to Jon Klassen’s hat trilogy is both hilarious and heart-warming, the shifting eyes of the two turtles telling the tale through three perfectly paced parts.  Jon Klassen’s deceptive simplicity and deliciously deadpan humour is woven into the narrative and will surprise readers with an unexpected new twist at the end…



“Picture-book lovers will delight in We Found a Hat … it’s short on words but long on meaning” Guardian

Take a peek inside the books in their very own animated trailers:
         
         
          

And here we went behind the scenes with Jon Klassen and found out a bit a bout his inspiration making the book!
         
Be the first to get your hands on a copy of We Found a Hat and pick up a copy at your local bookshop.

Join in the fun and download our We Found a Hat activity sheets. 

WIN His Royal Tinyness - plus Sally Lloyd-Jones and David Roberts Q&A

Once upon a time there was a happy family. Until one horrible no good day when a new ruler was born…

New York Times bestselling author Sally Lloyd-Jones’ hilarious narrative voice is brought exquisitely to life by David Roberts, illustrator of Ada Twist, Scientist, in this home-grown fairy tale about a little girl with a new baby brother. 

Marianna, the most beautiful, ever so kindest princess, lives happily with her mum, dad and gerbil. Happy, that is, until the new baby comes along. His Royal Highness King Baby is so smelly. He’s so noisy. And all the talk in the Land is about him – non-stop, All the time! Has there ever been such a time of wicked rule?!

Author & Illustrator Q&A

We were very excited to welcome Sally and David to Walker HQ to answer some questions on His Royal Tinyness, watch the video below.

            

WIN His Royal Tinyness

To celebrate the launch of His Royal Tinyness we’ve got TEN COPIES of the book with exclusive limited edition prints to give away! To enter just answer this question:
In His Royal Tinyness what is the name of the little girl?

a)       Sally

b)       Tilly

c)       Marianna

To enter, just email competitions@walker.co.uk with 'His Royal Tinyness' in the subject line,

before 15th October 2017. Terms and conditions apply.

Pick up a copy of His Royal Tinyness at your local bookshop!

Sally Lloyd-Jones is the author of Skip to the Loo, My Darling!, illustrated by Anita Jeram, Handbag Friends, illustrated by Sue Heap, and Time to Say Goodnight as well as How To Be a Baby, by Me, the Big Sister which was in the New York Times bestseller list, and its sequel How to Get Married. Sally lives in New York City. Find her online at sallylloyd-jones.com and on Twitter as @sallylloydjones.

David Roberts is the author-illustrator of the Dirty Bertie books and the illustrator of many books for children, including the bestselling Eddie Dickens trilogy, written by Philip Ardagh, the Kate Greenaway-shortlisted The Dunderheads, written by Paul Fleischman, and the picture book The Dumpster Diver, written by Janet S. Wong. Born in Liverpool, he now lives in London. Find him online at davidrobertsillustration.tumblr.com/.

Top new picture books this September

We have a fabulous selection of beautiful and fun picture books for you this September, including: 

Owl Babies 

A special 25th anniversary edition of a bestselling modern classic, Owl Babies is a comforting read for any toddler who has ever worried about mum leaving them alone. 

With a foreword and gorgeous golden foil on the cover and spine, this edition is one to share and treasure.




His Royal Tinyness

New York Times bestselling author Sally Lloyd-Jones’ hilarious narrative voice is brought exquisitely to life by David Roberts in this home-grown fairy tale about a little girl with a new baby brother. 

Marianna, the most beautiful, ever so kindest princess, lives happily with her mum, dad and gerbil. Happy, that is, until the new baby comes along. All the talk in the Land is about him – non-stop, All the time! Has there ever been such a time of wicked rule?!

Watch a Q&A with Sally and David here.

I Want to be in a Scary Story 

From the team behind the acclaimed Hoot Owl, Master of Disguise comes a very scary read-aloud story … or is it? Monster wants to be in a scary story – but is he brave enough?

Brilliantly interactive, children will delight in the wickedly funny turn-of-the-pages, see themselves in the goofy, unconventional monster, and revel in the bold, hilarious illustration of celebrated graphic artist, Jean Jullien.

Follow the Track All the Way Back 

From Ben Mantle and Timothy Knapman comes the story of a Little Train who is going out on the track, all by himself, for the very first time! But before he goes, his mummy and daddy remind him: “When it’s time to come home, no matter how far you are, just follow the track all the way back, where we’ll be waiting.” 

Young readers will share Little Train’s trepidation and excitement in this uplifting and extraordinary read-aloud adventure. 

A Busy Day for Birds 

Flap your wings, fly up high, open your beak and sing in this fun action rhyme story about fantastical birds by multi-award-winning author Lucy Cousins. 

"Can you imagine ... just for one day ... you're a busy bird? Yes, a bird! Hooray!" A bouncy read-aloud book to be enjoyed; beautifully illustrated with bold, bright colours and packed with all sorts of wild and wonderful birds!

We Found a Hat 

Hold on to your hats! From the Kate Greenaway-winning creator of I Want My Hat Back and This Is Not My Hat comes the much-anticipated conclusion to the celebrated hat trilogy. 

Two turtles have found a hat. The hat looks good on both of them. But there are two turtles. And there is only one hat... Evoking hilarity and sympathy, the shifting eyes tell the tale in this perfectly paced story in three parts, highlighting Jon Klassen’s visual comedy, deceptive simplicity and deliciously deadpan humour.

The Little Adventurers: What Bear? Where?

From the award-winning Philip Ardagh, and rising illustration talent Elissa Elwick, comes the second installment in a brand-new picture book series! 

Meet the Little Adventurers – Finnegan, Sprat, Floss and Peanut. With an activity idea and an information page the Little Adventurers four will encourage hours of immersive play, and will ignite the imagination of curious explorers everywhere.

You can get your hands on all these books at your local bookshop. Happy reading! 

5 Reasons we LOVE Maisy

Lucy Cousin’s beloved Maisy Mouse has been around for over 25 years now. So why do we love Maisy so much? Well, here are five reasons from the Maisy team at Walker to get started…

1) Maisy is an excellent role model for girls and boys of all ages

Want to drive a train? Fly to the moon? Board a pirate ship and search for buried treasure? Maisy has done it all! From playing football to making lemonade to growing her own garden, Maisy is never afraid to take on a challenge. Little ones and grownups take note; anything is possible for girls, boys or – in Maisy’s case – mice!

2) Maisy is a good friend

Whether it’s taking a scared Charley to the dentist when he has a wobbly tooth, comforting Eddie when he’s having a tough day, or picking out the perfect present for everyone, you can always rely on Maisy to be there for her friends! Maisy always brings wisdom, laughter and fun… not to mention the best snacks!

3) Maisy is creative

Here at Walker, we love a good “crafternoon”… and so does Maisy! From her inspired fancy dress Zebra costume to the colourful works of art hanging all over her house, Maisy books are full of resourceful ideas and creative things to make and do. In fact, when we are working on the Maisy books, it’s usually a good excuse to crack out the glitter glue…

4) Maisy is adventurous

When Maisy heads out on a day trip or to ride the tallest roller coaster at the funfair, it often prompts us to get our own boots on and go out on adventures. As much we all love to curl up with a good book, Maisy’s passion for camping, swimming and the big, beautiful world in general is great for inspiring us to go outdoors.

5) Maisy is just so fun and colourful

Maisy’s creator, Lucy Cousins, has always loved working with bright, bold colours, and Maisy is no exception – her whole world is full of vibrant colours and characters. Every detail, from clothing to the tasty feasts, just pops on the page. It’s a joy to look at and work with, and a big reason why Maisy is still so fun, lively and well-loved after all this time. 

So there you have it! Just five of the many reasons we love Maisy so much. Did we miss anything off the list? Let us know why you love Maisy below! 

Don’t forget to check out Maisy’s latest lift-the-flap adventure Beep, Beep Maisy!... not that she needs to toot her own horn when we’re so happy to do it for her.

Win the Picture Book of the Month, Owl Babies

A special 25th anniversary edition of a modern classic, Owl Babies reassures young children that Mummy will always come home.

"The perfect picture book" Guardian

A special 25th anniversary edition of a bestselling modern classic, Owl Babies is a comforting read for any toddler who has ever worried about mum leaving them alone, or any child starting pre-school for the very first time. 

Sarah, Percy and Bill the baby owls wake one night to find their mother gone. And as the darkness gathers and they perch patiently on their branch waiting for her return, oh how they worry! Never has the plight of young ones who miss their mum been so sensitively told or so beautifully rendered as in this tale from picture book masters, Patrick Benson and Martin Waddell and, with a foreword and gorgeous golden foil on the cover and spine, this edition is one to share and treasure.

                       

Celebrate the 25th anniversary of the beloved owl babies with this board book and paperback edition of the bestselling bedtime classic, which continues to comfort young readers the world over! 

WIN!

We have five Owl Babies goodie bags to give away! Each goodie bag includes the paperback and board book editions of Owl Babies, plus stickers and a poster. To enter, just email your name and address to competitions@walker.co.uk with ‘Owl Babies PBP' in the subject line for your chance to win. 

Competition closes on 5th October 2017. Terms and conditions apply.

Pick up a copy of Owl Babies in your local bookshop and join in the fun and download our free Owl Babies activity sheets.