A classic collection of stories by Michael Rosen, Alexander McCall Smith, Ted Hughes, Michael Morpurgo and others, specially chosen for young readers of around eight by children's book expert, Julia Eccleshare. Mary Poppins takes Jane and Michael on a topsy-turvy day; a boy watches over a beautiful swan... These classic stories are wonderful to share and enjoy with your child at any time of the year, or would make the perfect birthday gift.

A wonderful collection of short stories, both traditional and modern, by 12 authors from all across Africa. Old fables that have been passed down through the decades sit alongside contemporary tales, giving a stirring insight into the continent and its storytelling tradition. The book includes maps and is boldly illustrated by Veronique herself, giving it an authentic ethnic feel.

If you add an adder to an adder they are prone to have a dance, they writhe around each other till the strongest gets a chance to PUSH the other down. Watch out for bossy Beetroot! Be enchanted by a Bluebell witch's thimble and spot a dive-bombing Lark or a cute Great-Crested Newt. From Adder to Wren, forty fantastic poems celebrate forty amazing animals, birds and plants and their beautiful names - which YOU can help poet Chrissie Gittins save from EXTINCTION. This is nature close up, exciting - and WILD.

Packed full of every type of poem you can think of, this quirky, wonderful collection of poems from Roger Stevens and Steven Withrow, with fantastic funny illustrations from Katie Abey, is a great way to get kids excited about poetry! "It wasn't me-or was it He, My evil, evil, evil twin? I didn't mean to be so mean. There goes my evil twin again." Join poets Roger Stevens and Steven Withrow for this magical mixture of poems. Sometimes funny, sometimes serious there's something here for everyone. Just remember though - whatever happens... it's not my fault! Book band: Dark Blue Ideal for ages 9-10

Eleven original stories bring the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous eras alive for young dinosaur fans. Read about an Allosaurus with toothache, a lonely Spinosaurus, a day-dreaming Stegosaurus, a nosy Brachiosaurus, a selfish Plateosaurus, a Psittacosaurus who finds a strange egg, and an Iguanodon who can't sleep!

Explorer, the graphic novel anthology series that launched in Spring 2012 with The Mystery Boxes and continued with The Lost Islands (autumn 2013), returns with a roster of comics artists creating new fantasy and science fiction stories around the theme of hidden doors both real doors and imaginary. Edited by New York Times bestselling comics creator Kazu Kibuishi, this latest collection includes clever and beautifully illustrated stories by Kazu Kibuishi (Amulet), Jason Caffoe (Flight), Amy Kim Kibuishi (Flight anthologies), Johane Matte (Explorer: The Mystery Boxes), Jen Wang (Koko Be Good), Steve Hamaker (well known as the colorist for Jeff Smith's Bone) and Faith Erin Hicks (Friends With Boys). The Hidden Doors is sure to receive the same critical attention and bookseller enthusiasm as its predecessors.

Kinders van die aarde is 'n bundel toeganklike kortverhale gemik op die jong leser. Die interessante verskeidenheid temas en die veelheid van vertelstyle - deur 'n keur van ons beste skrywers - sal jong lesers se lees- en leefwereld wonderlik verruim. Charles Fryer, die samesteller, is ook 'n bekende digter en literere redakteur.

Readers will be enchanted by this gorgeously illustrated collection of traditional tales from around the world! Each folk tale is illustrated in a unique style that brings each story to life. Fables include: Polar Bear Son (Inuit), Maui Goes Fishing (Maori), Why Whales Swim in the Sea (Patagonia), The Mouse Merchant (India), The Shark God (Fiji), and more. This short, 32-page chapter book will appeal to both avid and reluctant readers who enjoy imaginative retellings of classic fables and stories from diverse cultures.

"An enthralling, spooky, diverse collection." -- KIRKUS "An intriguing portal to folklore." -- SHELF AWARENESS "Readers will want to revisit this collection." -- SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL "Do you hear them? Never go outside when you hear THAT sound." Ghostly warriors, angry gods, and monstrous tyrants? That's just the start of this collection of folklore from the Pacific, retold in comics! The fourth volume of the "Cautionary Fables and Fairytales" graphic novel series is a thrilling, funny, and totally new take on stories spanning the entirety of the region, with loads of lesser known myths and legends from the Philippines, New Zealand, Hawaii, and beyond. Featuring the work of TINTIN PANTOJA, PAOLO CHIKIAMCO, ROB CHAM, TOKERAU WILSON, and more!

This handsome and easy-to-read mini edition features eight tales from beloved storyteller Hans Christian Andersen and pairs old favorites, including "Thumbelina" and "The Emperor's New Clothes," with lesser-known tales, such as "The Sandman" and "The Jumper." Acclaimed children's book illustrator Lisbeth Zwerger's evocative illustrations perfectly capture the mood of these enduring tales.

Give fun a chance! Surprise your mum with a chainsaw, be a bigger star than Tom Cruise, save the world with a plate of vegetables, start your new life in a taxi, rescue your family with a tomato, send your dad into a panic with a tractor, do a good deed with a paper bag on your head, pack your suitcase for a trip to the spleen, upset your auntie with ten kilos of chocolate, swap a bomb for three ice creams on a steam train . . . and lots more.

Evoking Beyonce's Lemonade for a YA audience, these authors have woven worlds to create stunning narratives that centre Black women and gender nonconforming individuals. With fantasy, science fiction and magic at their core, the stories are sharp, atmospheric and visual explorations of histories, relationships and alternate universes that you can't help but to get lost in. It will take you on a journey from folktales retold to futuristic societies and everything in between. Filled with stories of love and betrayal, strength and resistance, trauma and heroism, this collection contains an array of complex and true-to-life characters in which you cannot help but see yourself reflected. Witches and scientists, sisters and lovers, priestesses and rebels: the heroines of A PHOENIX FIRST MUST BURN are unforgettable and shine brightly.

Practising Buddhist and master storyteller Dharmachari Nagaraja weaves a thrilling narrative spell while at the same time conveying basic life lessons that will help children to develop their personality, deal with their anxieties, and find peace and confidence as they grow up. The stories explore themes from the Eightfold Path, which is Buddhism's practical route to a happy life. Topics covered, with the lightest of touches, include speaking in a kind and truthful manner, behaving with compassion, thinking selflessly and avoiding the pitfalls of egotism. Although providing gentle guidance on the art of living well, which is the basis of true happiness, each story is also compelling in its own right, featuring characters, settings and events that every child will find absorbing. Each narrative concludes with an affirmation that helps to draw out its positive message, while the superb, specially commissioned illustrations will delight your child and provide a starting-point for discussion and further enjoyment. The helpful introduction provides insights into the value of Buddhist principles for children and shows how visualisation, imaginative thinking and even first steps in meditation can help to nurture young minds and hearts.

Follow the yellow brick road into Oz, explore the Snow Queen's icy palace and join Alice in Wonderland in this collection of much-loved stories, including classic fairytales Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. Each beautifully illustrated tale in this hardback book takes just ten minutes to read - perfect for dipping into at bedtime.

Enjoy these classic fairytales like you've never seen them before with The Big Book of Princess Stories. All new illustrations bring these gorgeous princesses to life, making these beloved stories dance off the page. Whether you're buying your first fairytale book or adding another cherished title to your collection, this is the perfect gift for aspiring royalty of all ages. With timeless classics like Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and more, you'll never run out of bedtime stories again!

Pride comes before a fall. Wit is superior to brute force. Anything in excess can harm. Introduce readers to various morals and the fables behind them with this gorgeously illustrated collection of animal stories! Featuring fables such as The Greedy Fox, The Lion and The Rabbit, The Proud Peacock, and The Four Harmonious Animals, each tale is illustrated in a unique style. This short, 32-page chapter book will appeal to both avid and reluctant readers who enjoy imaginative, modern retellings of classic fables.

From Nicola Davies and Emily Sutton, the multi award-winning team behind Tiny and Lots, comes a spellbinding collection of poems about the oceans of the world and their shores. With this book, children can swim alongside dolphins and flying fish, pore over rockpools and sail from pole to pole and back, learning about everything from phosphorescence and plankton to manta rays and puffins – all in the comfort of their bedroom. Emily Sutton's exquisite watercolours capture the breathless excitement of a child's first glimpse of the sea, the majesty of ancient trading ships and the sheer, staggering wonder of the humpback whale. The perfect companion to international bestsellers A First Book of Nature and A First Book of Animals, this book is sure to enthral and inspire readers of all ages.

The 13 stories collected for this book address the transitional moment when we pass from the last stage of our childhood into the first stage of adulthood. The stories illustrate how a key event in our lives can force us to change our understanding of the world.

From wicked queens and fearsome beasts to sneaky witches and terrible giants, this stunning collection of darkly magical fairy tales gathers together stories of children who show true courage and face their fears. Rediscover seven classic emboldening tales, Hansel and Gretel, The Selfish Giant, Beauty and the Beast, The Spirit in the Bottle, Vassilissa, The Wild Swans and The Three Golden Hairs from renowned storytellers the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen, Oscar Wilde and more. Each story is enriched by atmospheric artwork from award-winning illustrator Scott Plumbe. Perfect for bedtime reading, this collection is an ideal gift for fearless children everywhere.

"A must for myth-loving middle schoolers." - SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL "And they lived happily ever after . . . I assume." Vengeful spirits, flying ogres, helpful teapots, ghost pepper ghosts, and trickster tigers? That's just the start of this lively collection of Asian folktales, reimagined and retold in comics! This second volume of the "Cautionary Fables and Fairy Tales" graphic novel series is a thrilling, funny, and totally unexpected take on stories spanning the entirety of the Asian continent, with loads of lesser-known myths and legends from Tibet, India, Indonesia, and beyond. Featuring the work of GENE LUEN YANG, NICK DRAGOTTA, BLUE DELLIQUANTI, CARLA SPEED MCNEIL, NINA MATSUMOTO, and many more!

A contemporary collection of original short stories by Anica Mrose Rissi that is sure to elicit chills, laughs, and screams, even from the most devoted fans of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark! A game of hide-and-seek goes on far too long... A look-alike doll makes itself right at home... A school talent-show act leaves the audience aghast... And a summer at camp takes a turn for the braaaains... This collection of all-new spooky stories is sure to keep readers up past their bedtimes, looking over their shoulders to see what goes bump in the night. So if you're feeling brave, turn the page.

Travel across the world with this beautiful collection of 20 nature stories. From the Ancient Chinese countryside to the dense forests of Norway, this book takes readers on a journey across cultures and continents, exploring the different ways we care for and show respect to our planet. Poignantly retold by Isabel Otter and with breathtaking artwork from Ana Sender, each story in this collection reminds us how important the natural world is to society. Moreover, the universal scape of these tales unites us as one global community. The perfect book for little nature lovers, this is a collection to treasure. Also available: The Lost Fairytales.

A beautiful anthology of poems for girls, from William Shakespeare to Adrienne Rich

A lovely collection of classic and modern poems that girls will turn to again and again throughout their lives, these poems are arranged by theme. Themes range from Friends to School, from Birth and Death to Nymphs, Mermaids, Fairies, and Witches. Poets include Dickinson, Plath, Milton, Lord Tennyson, Yeats, Auden, Keats, Cummings, Barrett Browning, Frost, and Whitman. Beloved author Jacqueline Wilson has taken great delight in selecting and arranging her favorite poems for this book, making it a truly personal collection. There are poems that will incite smiles, laughs, frowns, and tears, and that will stay with readers for the rest of their lives.