Shoo! by Susie Bower and Francesca Gambatesa, Pushkin Press, September 2021 We have been utterly charmed by Shoo! by Susie Bower and Francesca Gambatesa. It's a masterclass in writing an irresistible picture book! Step 1: Create a fantastic main character – Grumpy Mrs Golightly who DETESTS all animals and considers them noisy, stinky and bothersome creatures. Step 2: Give her a flaw – she can't abide chaos and needs to have everything under control. Step 3: Introduce a high-s

Find out why we adore this charming tale about an imaginary pet and a very real friendship. Discover how Ged develops his stories and creates his artwork, learn how he managed to avoid wearing glasses for most of his youth, and see some of his earlier books... Scribbly is a sensational story about the imagination, making friends and believing in yourself from one of our favourite authors and illustrators, Ged Adamson. After Maude and her mum move house, Maude feels lonely. Sh

Charlie Chooses by Lou Peacock and Nicola Slater, Nosy Crow Charlie Chooses is an adorable story about a boy so scared of making the wrong decisions, he’s unable to make up his mind about anything. Charlie’s fear of making mistakes means he often misses out. When a rescue dog picks Charlie to be their owner, he realises that sometimes the best things that happen to us are beyond our control. As someone who focuses far too much on the insignificant, constantly stresses about t

Today I'm Strong by Nadiya Hussain and Ella Bailey, Hodder (Hachette) What's it about? A little girl loves school most of the time, but on the days when "school feels sad," it's more challenging. There's a classmate who can be unpleasant and often makes the girl feel uncomfortable and unhappy. Thanks to the help of her friend, a magnificent tiger, the girl is able to summon her inner strength. What can we learn? We are all strong, even when it doesn't feel that way, and bully

Pencil Dog by Leigh Hodgkinson We adore this beautiful book about the bond between a girl and a dog. This is no ordinary canine - he’s also a pencil who "always has the most WONDERFUL stories right at the tip of his nose." Time flies when they are together, they make friends with mermaids and wild animals, discover new worlds, explore jungles, travel in boats and on magic carpets. Pencil Dog is always there to catch the girl when she falls, until one day he isn't. Just like a

The Dead Zoo by Peter Donnelly, Gill Books Mr Gray is the owner of the Dead Zoo, which houses an extensive collection of stuffed animals from all over the world. He maintains order in his museum with a set of strict rules; no laughing, talking or running about, and most importantly, no touching the animals. Mr Gray prefers his exhibits to people and doesn’t have any friends, until a mischievous mouse moves in and turns his carefully curated universe upside down. “Mr Gray was