Andy Stanton

Good evening. Talking parrots in the rooftops? A giant cactus on the high street? Mosquitos so nasty that even their own friends don’t like them? Something’s gone terribly wrong in Lamonic Bibber . . . and Mr Gum is nowhere to be found. Yes, folks, Polly and Friday are facing their biggest challenge yet. So strap yourselves in, cry ‘HI-HO-WEIRDY!’ and get ready for an adventure so crazy your feet will melt with happiness! And I’m not just saying that, I’ve actually seen it happen. HOORAY!

Mr Gum and the Secret Hideout

Michael Morpurgo

Quentin Blake

“I bring you news of great joy. For tonight, in Bethlehem, a child has been born, a savior who is Christ the Lord.” When the shepherds are invited to follow the star to visit the child, one young boy is told to stay and mind the flock. But the Angel Gabriel returns for him, taking the boy on a magical, memorable flight to be the first to witness the Christmas miracle. With a gently wry narration by Michael Morpurgo and expressive illustrations by the extraordinary Quentin Blake, this inviting, uplifting story is destined to become a holiday tradition.

On Angel Wings

As soon as the bells stop ringing, I’m going to carry you home to your mother, back up to the Mountain Dragon’s castle . . . In her castle lair, high in the mountains of Switzerland, lives a terrible dragon. In the village below lives a little girl called Mimi. When Mimi finds a baby dragon in the woodshed, she makes a brave decision that will bring joy and peace to the village forever. This heartwarming holiday adventure for the whole family is the perfect combination of magic, adventure, and Christmas cheer.

Mimi and the Mountain Dragon

“It’s time for action,” said Mr Gum to nobody in particular. ‘Nasty action.’ Good evening. Mr Gum is a complete horror who hates children, animals, fun, and corn on the cob. This book’s all about him. And an angry fairy who lives in his bathtub. And Jake the dog, and a little girl called Polly. And there’s heroes and sweets and adventures and EVERYTHING.

You're a Bad Man, Mr. Gum!

Adam Guillain

Charlotte Guillain

Garry Parsons

Join Molly on her second magical rhyming adventure as she visits the enchanted dressing-up wardrobe in her Granny’s house. There are so many costumes to choose from in her magic dressing-up wardrobe. Today she’s going to be . . . a mermaid! With a whizz and a pop and a shower of stars, Molly dives below the sea and soon finds herself on a mission: she must race to save the mermaids’ shipwreck from some pesky sharks!

Molly's Magic Wardrobe: The Mermaid Mission

Katherine Woodfine

Karl James Mountford

PAC K YOUR TRUNK, WE’RE OFF TO RUSSIA! The young detectives TAYLOR &amp;amp;amp; ROSE are back with a brand new MYSTERY to uncover, and this time they’re in St. Petersburg! After their EXPLOSIVE and SUC C ESSFUL mission in Paris, and with MISS SOPHIE TAYLOR missing in AC TION, the SEC RET SERVIC E BUREAU has sent the fearless MISS LILIAN ROSE off to the misty canals and glittering palaces in St. Petersburg to find her SOPHIE and SAVE the day. MYSTERY and DANGER lies behind the gold statues and grand churches, but Lilian is PREPARED to put her agent skills to work. And is ready to show how good she is at being a SPY! Read the first in the TAYLOR AND ROSE SEC RET AGENTS series: PERIL IN PARIS The SINC LAIR’S MYSTERIES series: THE C LOC KWORK SPARROW THE JEWELLED MOTH THE PAINTED DRAGON THE MIDNIGHT PEAC OC K Perfect for fans of Enid Blyton, C hris Riddell’s Goth Girl and Robin Stevens’ Murder Most Unladylike series.

Spies in St. Petersburg

Good evening. Do you like bears called Padlock? Course you do. Do you like hot-air balloons? Course you do. Do you like tall sailing ships with mad sea captains, and horrifying old villains, and words like “wab!,” “tungler,” and “kelp?” COURSE you do! Well, guess what, THE TRUTH IS A LEMON MERINGUE.

Mr Gum and the Dancing Bear

Can it really be true that there’s an ancient curse on the town of Lamonic Bibber? And you guessed it, that old roo-de-lally Mr Gum and his trusty sidekick Billy William the Third have something to do with it. But . . . our favorite heroes Polly and Friday and the gingerbread biscuit Alan Taylor (only 15.24 cm tall) are determined to save the town (sigh of relief).

Mr Gum and the Power Crystals

Well, that old roo-de-lally Mr Gum and the hideous Billy William the Third are once more mucking things up for everyone. They’re a-schemin’ and a-hatchin’ an’ making their bad plans up on Goblin Mountain. And why? Because they’re raising up an army of goblins to stink up the town of Lamonic Bibber once and for all! Can the brave travelers (the wise old man Friday O’Leary and the small girl Polly) make it past the Three Impossible Challenges of Goblin Mountain and save the town from a fate worse than something very bad indeed? In an epic tale of courage, valor, and plain idiocy, only one thing is sure: the truth is a lemon meringue!

Mr Gum and the Goblins

Mr Gum is back in this second hilarious book and he’s as nasty as ever! In fact, he’s absolutely grimsters. But this book’s not just about him. Meet a gingerbread man named Alan Taylor who has electric muscles! Plus, all our favorite characters are also back: the little girl called Polly, the evil butcher called Billy William The Third, and the very wise man, Friday O’Leary. And, who could forget loveable Jake the dog, or the angry fairy who lives in Mr Gum’s bathtub and whacks him on the head with a frying-pan?

Mr Gum and the Biscuit Billionaire

Mr Gum’s back! But what’s he up to this time? Oh, dreadful things my friends, dreadful things indeed. It seems he’s found himself a brand new treat–rancid kebabs just dripping with dirty grey sauce. And he just can’t get enough of them. He’s gotta have more! More! Less! I mean, More! But not everyone’s too happy about Mr Gum’s new dinnertime arrangements and soon the town of Lamonic Bibber is gearing up for war. Can Polly and her friends save the town from being torn apart? Will Mr Gum’s hunger ever be satisfied? And who on earth is Thora Gruntwinkle? All will be revealed when you read What’s For Dinner, Mr Gum? You’ll see a gingerbread man driving through London! You’ll see an annoying little monkey driving everyone mad! You’ll see Friday O’Leary falling asleep in a hedge! Yes, it’s all there in glorious black and white, my friends. Except for the cover, which is in color. It’s Bonus.

What's for Dinner, Mr Gum?

Good evening and welcome to a tale of forests! Of legendary beasts! Of misbehaving children! Of caterpillars called Graham! And of a great big BEEFER of a cherry tree! But what dark secrets are hidden in that tree, where the leaves grow thick and green? Polly intends to find out, and she intends to find out by finding out. What will she find out? Read this book and you’ll find out!

Mr Gum and the Cherry Tree

Pippa Curnick

An easter EGGS-travaganza about the first ever egg hunt from bestselling authors Adam and Charlotte Guillain with illustrations by rising star, Pippa Curnick. Poor Easter Chick works so hard to make everyone’s Easter eggs but the Easter Bunny always gets all the credit. It’s time for Chick to hatch a cunning plan . . . which accidentally turns into the first ever Easter egg hunt! This rhyming picture book is choc full of Easter fun and has a brilliant message about teamwork that is perfect for reading all year round. Pippa Curnick’s bright illustrations are packed with humour and bring this Easter story to life.

The First Egg Hunt

Timothy Knapman

FOR REBEL GIRLS WITH BIG DREAMS! ARRRRR you ready for this unmissable girl power adventure? Join C aptain Sparklebeard as she sets sail against the seas and dares to be different! Peg dreams of adventure and has big ambitions, but when she asks to join the pirates crew they won’t let her join because she’s too small and she doesn’t even have a beard! But can Peg prove, against all odds, that she’s the greatest pirate there ever was? Perfect for fans of the chart-smashing Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World and tapping into the huge demand for stories featuring strong female characters, this is a pirate story like no other. Peg’s determination, ambition and courage to be herself will inspire a whole new generation of rebel girls. Smashing gender stereotypes and with an inclusive cast of characters, this is the must-have book to empower young children to have the courage to be themselves. So, buckle up, grab your sparkliest beard and get ready to join the best crew that ever sailed the seven seas!

Captain Sparklebeard

L. Frank Baum

Meg McLaren

Sparkly silver boots, ginormous jelly snakes and clouds of boiled sweets . . . This is THE WIZARD OF OZ - but not as you know it! Meet brave pre-schooler Little Dot as she embarks on a big adventure to the Emerald City, together with Toto, Tin Can, Scarecrow and Lion. This modern reimagining of a classic tale is a wonderful celebration of friendship, bravery and the importance of home.

Wizard of Oz

All aboard the train to Paris! It’s 1911, and the young detectives of TAYLOR &amp;amp;amp; ROSE are turning their talents to ESPIONAGE. On a case for the mysterious SECRET SERVICE BUREAU, the daring MISS SOPHIE TAYLOR and MISS LILIAN ROSE must leave London for the boulevards and grand hotels of Paris. But DANGER lurks beneath the bright lights of the city–and INTRIGUE and MURDER lie in store. As airplanes soar in the skies overhead, our heroines will need to put all their spy skills to the test to face the PERIL that awaits them.

Peril in Paris

Louise Greig

Shhhh! Can you hear that? A whisper from Grey. Quiet and a little shy. She does not shout out loud like Blue, or squawk like Green, or roar like Yellow. But though she’s quieter than the rest, Grey makes the other colors glow. Fun die-cuts throughout the book lead you through this story celebrating the quiet beauty of Grey as it meets Blue, Red, Green, Purple, Pink, Yellow, White, Brown, and Orange on an adventure through nature. Perfect for toddlers aged 3 years and up who are learning about colors and the world around them.

A Whisper from Grey

Corrinne Averiss

Gabriel Alborozo

The playground is packed with children playing, but Tom is sitting on a bench with his dad. He’s just not sure he’s brave enough to join in. He can’t see a space for himself anywhere in the playground. Not on the slide, or on the roundabout or on the swings. But when a little girl loses her teddy, will Tom have the courage to help? Gabriel Alborozo’s warm, friendly illustrations perfectly bring to life this gentle, empathetic story about overcoming fears and being yourself.

The Boy on the Bench

Hysterical historical comedy from the author of the award-winning and bestselling Mr Gum. Perfect for 7+ readers and fans of Horrible Histories, Roald Dahl and David Walliams. Time travel through the funniest and most mad moments in history, from the stone age to a million years in the future, all set in the town of Lamonic Bibber (home of Mr Gum). Meet the town’s most famous residents such as Natboff the caveman, Terry Shakespeare, a squirrel, Edith the witch, some grapes and mysterious Victorian inventor, Cribbins, who invented mysterious Victorian things. Learn LOADS of stuff about history along the way. You won’t learn anything about history.

Natboff!

Lee Wildish

When George plants a jellybean in his garden, it grows into an enormous beanstalk and George is sure there must be a friendly giant at the top. As he climbs bravely up the beanstalk, higher and higher, he encounters a magical pixie, a stinky troll and gets stuck in a very sticky web. Combining a classic fairytale story with fun rhyming text and silly humor, Jellybeans for Giants is the perfect picture book fun for children aged 3 years and up.

Jellybeans for Giants

Barroux

How many trees make a forest? Each animals thinks they know the answer, but they just can’t agree. Could a tiny, quiet voice have the answer? Simple yet humorous, this charming story is told in Barroux’s inimitable style and features a host of woodland creatures who children will love. The story encourages children’s to ask questions about nature and the environment and is a great way to open up discussion on a range of topics.

How Many Trees?

Simon Puttock

Daniel Egneus

One day, the Thing falls from the sky and four strangers stumble across it. They work together to take care of the Thing. But before long a media circus builds up around the creature, and the debate about the Thing spreads far around the world. What is the Thing? Who does it belong to? Is it any use for anything at all? This captivating picture book will be many things to many people: a story about thoughtfulness, an adventure in friendship, and an intriguing and gentle social commentary on the search for meaning in modern life.

The Thing

Sam Usher

Floss says STOP, Floss says GO! Floss says YES, Floss says NO! Floss is the playground boss! That is, until a new boy named Peter moves into the house on the opposite side of the playground from Floss. When Peter decides he doesn’t want to play along with Floss’ rules, she learns that having friends can be much more fun than being the playground boss. Corrinne Averiss’ high-energy storytelling is perfectly paired with Sam Usher’s classic Quentin Blake-esque artwork in this fun-packed playground story.

Floss the Playground Boss

Julia Donaldson

Sebastien Braun

A fantastic new picture book all about a football-playing spider, written by Julia Donaldson, author of The Gruffalo, with glorious full colour illustrations from the talented Sebastian Braun and a sparkling, glittery foiled cover. Spinderella the spider has a passion for football! She tries to play a match with her brothers and sisters but she doesn’t know how many spiders should be on each team. Even worse, she can’t count the goals! Luckily for Spinderella, her Hairy Godmother has a plan . . . Julia Donaldson does it again in this hugely engaging and funny story all about football, spiders and counting - what’s not to love! The perfect picture book for children of all ages - boys and girls alike. Julia Donaldson is the internationally renowned author of the best-loved picture books in the world, including The Gruffalo, What the Ladybird Heard, Sugarlump and the Unicorn and Night Monkey, Day Monkey. Julia Donaldson’s collaborations with Axel Scheffler have sold millions of copies, and Room on the Broom is now an Academy Award-nominated short film. Sebastian Braun studied fine and applied arts at Strasbourg University. He moved to London in 2000 and since then has been working exclusively on children’s picture books, having been published by Orchard, Walker, Campbell, HarperCollins and Puffin.

Spinderella

“Hurrah!” shouted George, “At last it is you. I’ve been looking so hard for the Yeti.” The monster looked down with a horrible howl . . . “Are you bonkers? My name is Netty!” Join George, a young and courageous explorer with all the pluck of a little Indiana Jones, on a quest to track down the elusive Yeti against all the odds. With only a map, a woolly hat and a tin of spaghetti in his rucksack, George sets off on his journey up the steep mountain path . . . and spots the Yeti immediately! But wait . . . just look at that lipstick! Can it really be the Yeti? Spaghetti with the Yeti is a funny rhyming romp, the perfect read-aloud adventure book for boy and girl monster lovers! Ideal for fans of Aliens Love Underpants and Supertato, Spaghetti with the Yeti was shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize and Highly Commended at the Sheffield Children’s Book Award. Perfect for kids aged 3+. Have you collected all of George’s Amazing Adventures: Spaghetti with the Yeti, Marshmallows for Martians, Doughnuts for a Dragon, Pizza for Pirates, Socks for Santa Treats for T. rex Adam Guillain is a performance storyteller and was the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre Writer in Residence. Charlotte Guillain is a prolific author of children’s fiction, non-fiction and picture books, and together they have created the hugely successful George’s Amazing Adventures series. Lee Wildish lives in Lancashire and has been illustrating from a very young age. He loves illustrating children’s books and thinks there’s nothing better than seeing people laughing at a book he’s illustrated. His titles include The Spooky Spooky House which was the winner of the Red House Children’s Book Award 2013, and the New York Times Bestselling How to Babysit a Grandpa.

Spaghetti with the Yeti

From the creators of “Spaghetti with the Yeti” comes another fast-paced rhyming romp, featuring an intrepid youngster out to find some martians. With his homemade rocket and map of the stars, George – a courageous young explorer – is sure the Martians will be easy to find. But when he touches down on the red planet, the Martians are nowhere to be seen, and George is all alone. Or so he thinks!

Marshmallows for Martians

Enid Blyton

The Enchanted Wood is the first magical story in the Faraway Tree series by the world’s best-loved children’s author, Enid Blyton. When Joe, Beth and Frannie move to a new home, an Enchanted Wood is on their doorstep. And when they discover the Faraway Tree, that is the beginning of many magical adventures! Join them and their friends Moonface, Saucepan Man and Silky the fairy as they discover which new land is at the top of the Faraway Tree. Will it be the Land of Spells, the Land of Treats, or the Land of Do-As-You-Please? Come on an amazing adventure – there’ll be adventures waiting whatever happens. Enid Blyton’s funny, magical adventure stories have become true classics, loved by millions and still selling thousands of copies every year. She is arguably the most famous children’s author of all time, thanks to series such as The Wishing-Chair, The Faraway Tree­, The Mysteries, The Famous Five and The Secret Seven.

The Enchanted Wood

Jan Fearnley

Harry and the Jaggedy Daggers The first charming instalment of the Bottlenose Bay series from award-winning author/illustrator Jan Fearnley. Harry the harbour mouse is heartbroken when his boat is dashed and smashed on the dangerous, mean old rocks - the terrible Jaggedy Daggers! But just as the sea brings mischief, it brings surprises too . . . A story about being brave. Even if you are very small and have only a teacup and a rusty teaspoon. Jan Fearnley is the best-selling author of Mr Wolf’s Pancakes and Arthur and the Meanies. Her beautifully crafted picture books are terrific for sharing and make for popular bedtime stories.

Harry and the Jaggedy Daggers

Lucy Richards

Night Monkey and Day Monkey’s worlds are as different as night and day! But in learning about each other’s opposite worlds and laughing at their own misunderstandings, they learn to be the best of friends. This boisterous and rhythmic read-along story is packaged as a mini book edition along with 10 chunky magnet characters and four magnetic scenes, so children can use their imaginations and play with the magnets after enjoying the story.