Some Picture Book Highlights of 2020, so far...

With over a quarter of the year gone already, we thought we'd take a look back at some highlights from the past three months...

Not an Alphabet Book: The Case of the Missing Cake 

As Bear travels from A to Z, visiting all sorts of characters, objects and extraordinary places along the way, can YOU help him search for the culprit? But, wait! Are those crumbs on Bear’s page? And are those Bear-shaped pawprints next to the empty cake stand? It seems our narrator might not be as reliable as we first thought...


Money-Go-Round

Mr Toad has a shiny gold coin. He gives it to Miss Mole to pay for a room in her hotel. Now Miss Mole can pay Sam Stoat for painting the hotel, and Sam Stoat can pay back Mr Badger ... until the coin might just end up back where it started! From renowned poet Roger McGough and Kate Greenaway Medal winner Mini Grey, this is an inspired and witty tale featuring beloved characters from The Wind in the Willows.


Love From Alfie McPoonst: The Best Dog Ever

When Alfie the dog dies, he sends his owner Izzy letters in the post from his new address: The Nicest Cloud, Dog Heaven, The Sky. He wants her to know that he misses her – so much! – but his new home in heaven is BRILLIANT. There are postmen to chase, angels to tickle his tummy, and he never even has to take a bath! Can his letters comfort Izzy, who is feeling lost without him?


Would You Like a Banana?

Gorilla is hungry but there is absolutely no way he’s going to eat a banana. Not even a teeny taste. Not with some bread or standing on his head. Even if you eat one too, which is something you might do.
This brilliant and hilarious picture book from award-winning illustrator Yasmeen Ismail will have everyone laughing at this all-too familiar family situation!

Circle - now out in paperback!

"Simple shapes and succinct story express big ideas. Makes us consider fear of strangers, the power of the imagination, being brave and standing by friends" - Sunday Times

From the dynamic, dream team of Jon Klassen and Mac Barnett comes the final instalment in the hilarious shape trilogy, Circle, now out in paperback! 

Triangle and Square are visiting Circle, who lives at the waterfall. When they play hide-and-seek, Circle tells the friends the one rule: not to go behind the falling water. But after she closes her eyes to count to ten, of course that's exactly where Triangle goes. Will Circle find Triangle? And what OTHER shapes might be lurking back there?

Watch the brilliant trailer for Circle below:

You can also download Circle Activity Sheets, here. 

Top picks of the month for March!

As we wave a chilly farewell to Winter and embark on what we hope will be a lovely Spring, here are some of our top picture books publishing this March:

1. What's Next? by Timothy Knapman and Jane McGuiness 

Curious Baby Badger loves exploring. He is eager to see, and know, more of the world beyond his den. So, one night, his daddy takes him on a moonlit adventure through the still, black-and-white forest up above their underground home. And that sets Baby Badger's imagination soaring. What's daytime like? he wonders. What's next? 

2. Bunnies on the Bus by Philip Ardagh and Ben Mantle 

The bunnies have taken over the bus and they're on a wild ride across the streets of Sunnytown!  There are bunnies on the roof! Bunnies in the aisle! DO sit down, bunnies, or you’ll end up in a pile! Eventually, they come to a stop ... at the train station. And what's that they've spotted? A TRAIN! Uh-oh, here we go again… A hilarious romp of a book, with a fantastic read-aloud rhyming text and spectacular illustrations.

3. My Grandma and Me by Mina Javaherbin and Lindsey Yankey 

While Mina is growing up in Iran, the centre of her world is her grandmother. Whether visiting friends next door, going to the mosque for midnight prayers during Ramadan, or taking an imaginary trip around the planets, Mina and her grandma are never far apart... At once deeply personal and utterly universal, this story is a love letter of the rarest sort: the kind that shares a bit of its warmth with every reader.

4. Little Green Donkey by Anuska Allepuz 

Little Donkey LOVES eating grass – it’s just so sweet, and crunchy, and juicy! His pillow is even made from grass so that he can roll over in the morning and eat his own bed. “Why don’t you try some other food?” suggests his desperate mum, putting on a juggling display of colourful fruit as a way to entice her little one to eat something new. But Little Donkey sees no need. Until, that is, he catches a glimpse of his reflection…

5. Best Place in the World by Petr Horacek

"Do you think this is the best place in the world?" Hare asks his friends, Rabbit, Bear, Duck and Owl. Certain there must be somewhere better out there, Hare sets out on an adventure that takes him to mountains higher than the clouds, sun-kissed beaches and starlit deserts. But even the most beautiful place isn't perfect without friends to share it with, and perhaps the best place in the world is actually closer than Hare thinks.

Get your copies of our top picks of the month at your nearest bookshop! 

Bunnies On The Bus by Philip Ardagh and Ben Mantle

"The relentless anarchy and fruity rhyming scheme makes for a thrilling ride for younger children and their tongue-twisted parents. To be chanted at high speed and followed by a little lie-down." 

The Times, Children’s Book of the Week

Bunnies on the Bus!

Bunnies on the Bus!

No wonder there's a fuss about the bunnies on the bus! 

The bunnies have taken over the bus and they're on a wild ride across the streets of Sunnytown! They whizz past the bus stop, swerve around corners and zoom over crossings on a non-stop roller coaster adventure!

There are bunnies on the roof! Bunnies in the aisle! DO sit down, bunnies, or you’ll end up in a pile! Watch out! Move out of the way! Hold onto your tails! There are ... BUNNIES ON THE BUS! And they aren't stopping for ANYONE!

A hilarious romp of a book, with a fantastic read-aloud rhyming text and spectacular illustrations.

Download Bunnies on the Bus activity sheets here.

WIN yourself a copy of this fantastically funny new picture book as well as a plush rabbit and carrot, some stickers and even your very own bunny headband!

Just enter below, it couldn't be simpler:

Competition closes midday Thursday 2nd April.

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