The perfect bed-time story for all those who hate the dark. Zhazha the porcupine and Duoduo the bear cub live in the DARK MUSHROOM FOREST. They are scared of the night. Awu the elephant arrives in the forest. Awu loves to eat darkness.He sucks it right up his trunk. 'It's yummier than bananas, crunchier than bamboo,' says Awu.'And it's got my name on it.' But when there's no darkness left lurking anywhere, everyone starts to yawn. Even the tigers lose their roars and the Dark Mushroom Forest becomes an annoying, yawning place. -A gorgeous picture book. The story and illustrations perfectly match and are quirky and charming. Feels like a classic! This book has SOUL! Sophie Anderson, The House with Chicken Legs -"This is a lovely bedtime story, full of beautiful images and reassuring thoughts, to send children happily off to sleep." - Parents in Touch

"Guaranteed free of unicorns and princesses, it's fun, empowering fiction for 5-8 year olds." David Nicholls, author of One Day "Every young girl should read this series!" Amanda Holden "I loved learning about how the ocean is in trouble." Tess, age 6 Join best friends Katy, Cassie and Zia on a series of amazing adventures as they work together to save the planet... On the hottest day of the year, the friends imagine a water slide coming out of Katy's bedroom window. As they plunge into an underwater world, they can't wait to explore. But when they meet a dolphin in distress, they realise the ocean is in big trouble. It's so full of plastic that the sea creatures have been forced to flee their homes. Can the friends come up with a plan to put things right?

If you love cute baby animals, come spend the day in the Australian outback with this adorable and bouncy kangaroo joey. From Ella Bailey's acclaimed series of beautiful and educational picture books comes another tale of how one young animal friend spends his day. He's only a little kangaroo, but that doesn't stop him being curious and learning all about life in his corner of our big blue planet.

The beach is full of things to spot. From shimmering seashells, buckets and spades to creatures scurrying in the breaking waves, little observers will love discovering the wonder in the world around them. Beautifully illustrated in paper collage by bestselling children's book creator, Clare Beaton, each page invites the reader to spot the wading birds, boats, sandcastles, seals and other wildlife at the beach. Contains an interactive spotting activity game!

Packed with awesome bug-filled activities to entertain and inform curious minds, The Genius of Bugs Activity Book celebrates the insanely interesting world of bugs. A companion to The Genius of Bugs fact book by Simon Pollard, this activity book presents some of the same incredible characters the sneaky portia spider, the killer brain-surgeon jewel wasp, New Zealands king of the creepies, the weta, and more doing what they do best. Can you outsmart the fearsome portia spiders prey? Spot the cunning orchid mantis? Decipher the fireflies secret code? Discover the bombardier beetles secret weapon? And many more creepy crawly puzzles and bugtastic brain teasers! Get up close and test your genius with these incredible bugs! The Genius of Bugs Activity Book is inspired by the blockbuster science exhibition Bug Lab, brought to Wellington this summer by Te Papa and Weta Workshop.

Meet Poppy - if you can find her!

Poppy loves bugs, and can usually be found carrying on conversations with ladybirds or sitting outside among the brightly coloured wildflowers . but good luck spotting her indoors and around people! She's a master of camouflage, always finding a way to blend into her surroundings.

But when a very special bug lands on her grandma's birthday cake, Poppy can't resist popping out to see it. Soon the rest of the guests notice the beautiful dragonfly, and Poppy too. Maybe it's OK to stand out sometimes, just like the vibrant wildflowers and shimmering insects Poppy loves.

This poetic and evocative story celebrates the shy and introverted kids among us, as well as the other small creatures to be found if we look closely enough.

Animals in Danger follows some of the most endangered animals on our planet. This fact-packed and timely series looks at the plight of rhinos, elephants, polar bears, orangutans, lions and gorillas, and explores the efforts being made to save them. Beautiful photographs accompany sensitively written text, encouraging young readers to care about our planet and the animals in it. LIONS Majestic, powerful, and in danger! Find out what makes these ferocious felines so special, and why they need our protection. Discover... * Why male lions have manes. * The biggest threats to their survival. * How you can help to save them. ...and much more!

Discover a spine-tingling collection of toxic animals, and learn about the astonishing strategies they use to deliver venom and poison. Creatures from all around the animal kingdom wield a mysterious weapon that is key to their survival: poison! These sophisticated concoctions are designed with precision to defy predators or subdue prey. Big-eyed fuzzy critters with a deadly bite; tiny flashy octopuses that can kill in minutes; sinister spiders, snakes and scorpions...

Take a closer look at natures amazing insect architectthe hornet! Each year, a young female hornet queen selects just the right spot and designs a nest of six-sided cells. Every cell is made from a paper-like material she creates by mixing wood with her own saliva. Once she has a small structure, she lays an egg in each cell and raises her young. Soon the queen has a whole family of workers, which continue to build more cells and increase the size of the hive. These workers also hunt insects for food, care for the queen and her young, and protect the nest. In this exciting book, you can learn what makes hornets similar to and different from other insects. Close-up diagrams reveal extraordinary details about hornets bodies, both inside and out. And you can perform an activity that helps you understand how a female hornet queen creates the paper-like material for her nest. Learn more about this exciting member of natures fascinating Insect World!