Ghosts and vampires, zombies and werewolves. A mirror with danger at its heart. A child is delighted to discover she is a witch, and a village disappears under a fairy curse. Then a selkie finds her way back to the waves, before a blood moon rises, bringing its own secrets ... Full of the spooky and the gothic, fairy tales and poetry, this is a brilliant and intriguing collection where nothing and no one is as they seem. Bringing together authors from across the UK: featuring Penny Ayers, Michael Bartlett, Patrick Booth, Amaris Chase, Holly Anne Crawford, Ivor Daniel, Amanda Jane Davies, Daphne Denley, J. J. Drover, Harriet Hitchen, Rebecca McDowall, Jane Phillips, Angela Reddaway, Joe Robson, Margaret Royall, with illustrations by Lorna Gray

BEFORE THEY WERE HEROES…

"Rescue? Is that what you call it? Throw a rock and then run? And I bet that's as far ahead as you'd planned." Penelope made a face. "Boys! Always thinking about heroics and never about what needs to happen day to day."

Odysseus, Prince of Ithaca, is sheltered, protected – and bored! More than anything he longs for adventure – but the Age of Heroes is over. The monsters have all been slain; the treasures have all been found; there's nothing left for Odysseus to do.

But just as Odysseus is sure that nothing interesting will ever happen to him, the gods step in and stir things up. And the trouble with real adventures is they never go the way you think they should. Pretty soon, the young prince discovers that the hardest part of being a hero is living long enough to tell the tale…

No one wants to hear the little boy play his ukelele anymore...Clink, clunk, clonk. And no one wants to watch his father make things disappear...Zoop! Zoop!

Until the day the fearsome giant Abiyoyo suddenly appears in town, and all the townspeople run for their lives and the lives of their children! Nothing can stop the terrible giant Abiyoyo, nothing, that is, except the enchanting sound of the ukelele and the mysterious power of the magic wand.

Nikki Maxwell's favorite fairy tales get dork-tastic twists in the eighth book of the #1 "New York Times "bestselling Dork Diaries series
After a bump on the head in gym class on April Fool's Day, Nikki has a wild dream in which she, her BFFs Chloe and Zoey, her crush Brandon, and mean girl Mackenzie all end up playing the roles of some familiar classic fairy tale characters. Of course, the stories don't go quite as expected--because they each have a very special Dork Diaries spin
The Dork Diaries series has more than 13 million copies in print worldwide

When a mean fairy doesn't get invited to her party, Sheeping Beauty is cursed to one day sleep for eternity! In this retelling of a classic fairy tale, Sheeping Beauty helps early readers build confidence in their reading skills by using simple sentences alongside colorful illustrations! Included is a page for caregivers and teachers that suggests creative writing and reading prompts.

Two hilarious fairy tales with a difference by the author of ELLA ENCHANTED- just spin the book round to read a different story!

In The Fairy's Mistake, when a fairy gives gentle Rosella the gift of gemstones that fall from her lips every time she speaks, her life looks rosy.

But a greedy Prince insists on marrying her and makes her speak endlessly. Her horrible twin sister Myrtle meanwhile has been cursed with a series of frogs, bugs and snakes issuing from her mouth. So how come she can now get everything she wants?

And in The Princess Test, Lorelei is terribly sweet, but she can't do a thing for herself except bruise horribly and embroider exquisitely.

Prince Nicholas's parents are conducting a series of impossible tests on Perfect Princesses in order to find a wife for their son. Will Lorelei pass all the tests and save the Prince from the lip-licking Crocodile Princess?

Two hilarious fairy tales with a difference by the author of ELLA ENCHANTED - just spin the book round to read a different story! Here, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella get a modern spin... In Princess Sonora and the Long Sleep, Princess Sonora is a terrible know-it-all, blessed at birth with supernatural intelligence. She is scheduled to marry a very dull Prince, but legend takes its course and she sleeps for a hundred years - only to be rescued by the curious Prince Christopher, who's desperate to learn why his country's sheep are all going bald... And in Cinderellis and the Glass Hill, Princess Marigold's father can't stop questing. His latest quest is to find Marigold a Prince brave enough to ride his horse up a glass hill and fetch three golden apples. Cinderellis lives with his farming brothers, who have no interest in his amazing inventions. So he tests his sticking powder on his horses' feet and rides up the glass hill...

This NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW Best Illustrated Book is now in Board Book format just in time for the holidays
This irresistible retelling of the Gingerbread Man by Jim Aylesworth and illustrated by Barbara McClintock is now in board book format for the first time, and it's a perfect treat for cookie lovers everywhere.
Children enjoy chiming in with Aylesworth's charming, rollicking refrains, accompanied by whimsical animal images and a delicious recipe for gingerbread men. (Note: the text has been adapted to fit board book format)

"A classic is something utterly strange and original, and yet as deeply familiar and necessary as your own hands. The Iron Man is like no other story in the world and, fifty years after its first publication, we need it as much as ever." -- Philip Pullman

Part modern fairy tale, part science-fiction myth, The Iron Man describes the unexpected arrival in England of a mysterious giant "metal man" who wreaks havoc on the countryside by attacking the neighbouring farms and eating all their machinery. A young boy called Hogarth befriends him, and Hogarth and the extraordinary being end up defending and saving the earth when it is attacked by a fearsome "space-bat-angel-dragon" from outer space. Ted Hughes' classic tale, with its message of peace and hope, is known and loved all over the UK and is an exciting collaboration between Walker Books and Faber and Faber. This beautiful, small-format paperback celebrates 50 wonderful years of Ted Hughes' classic tale.

WINNER OF THE V&A BEST ILLUSTRATED BOOK OF THE YEAR

Griswald is a little gnome who lives in the rain gutter. The one day, a storm washes him down the drainpipe into an old rain barrel. At first, Griswald is unsure about his new home, but soon he meets all the animals, birds and plants that live in the garden and has wonderful adventures with his new friends. Through the seasons, Griswald explores a whole new world in the garden, gets into sticky situations, helps his new companions and even learns to dance! Perfect for bedtime, each easy-to-read chapter tells a different story of Griswald's adventures and is filled with beautiful illustrations of lively gnomes and sprites, colourful plants and flowers, and characterful animals and birds. This delightful chapter storybook from Daniela Drescher, the much-loved creator of In the Land of Fairies and the Little Fairy series, will enchant and entertain children everywhere.

From the well-loved Aesop's fable. The sun and the wind live in the sky. One day, the wind wants to play a game. Can he take a coat off the girl below? The wind blows and blows, but it's no good. Then the sun says, "Can I try?" With fun activities after the story, and online audio in both British English and American English.

With a search-and-find element, this picture book is perfect for all unicorn fans! When a little girl is told there's no such thing as unicorns, she doesn't believe it for a second. Surely unicorns exist? After all, they're always in books and films! But if she's has any chance of proving that unicorns are real, the little girl needs proof! Super bright and shiny foiled cover makes this book THE perfect gift for little ones Spot the hidden unicorn on each page Inside illustrations are as special, fun and bright as the front cover, children will pour over each page! And so starts a wonderful journey. Do unicorns exist? There's only one way to find out...

Chang is the best painter in all of China, so it's Chang the Emperor sends for when his new temple needs painting. But why is Chang painting dragons without any eyes? Is it true, as he claims, that if you add eyes, painted dragons come to life? This delightful retelling has sweet, simple text and gorgeous illustrations, with plenty for children to spot as Chang paints his surprising dragons.

Princess Mini and her friends at Royal Fairy Academy take care of sick unicorns in this super-sweet story in the QUIX chapter book line that's perfect for emerging readers. Oh, no! The unicorns of Candy Kingdom are sick. Princess Mini and her friends are worried the hot, red horns mean their poor unicorns are in danger. What is making them ill? And can everyone work together to find a sweet cure?

Cassy the clumsy crocodile leaves a trail of destruction at the Everglades Department Store. But her clumsiness saves the store from a pair of greedy robbers. A comical story for children growing in reading confidence, part of the Usborne Reading Programme developed with reading experts at the University of Roehampton. Also available with an audio CD with a dramatic listen-along recording with music and sound effects, followed by a read-along version with prompts for page turns.

Stories about the selkie have been told for hundreds of years by those who live near the North Atlantic and North Sea. Sometimes called "seal folk," the selkie, as humans, are tall and strong with dark hair and eyes. Extremely private, they keep their seal coats hidden away until they get restless and are called to the sea, and take on their seal forms. Find out what Selkie likes to eat, where she lives, how she spends her time on land and in the sea, and learn a Selkie lullaby. Lilting and lyrical, with acrylic paintings that recall the ocean's depths, this magical book is ideal for both bedtime and playtime. Features a paper doll, clothes, and seal.

A beautifully written Christmas tale, brimming with humanity and hope, by best-loved author, Timothee de Fombelle. On a quiet Christmas night, a swallow takes flight from Africa, searching for something it cannot quite name. A disenchanted driver sits alone in his yellow truck, yearning to be home. And a man walks through the snowy streets, feeling utterly alone. But when the three destinies meet, it seems their search for hope, belonging and kindness has finally ended. An atmospheric and heart-warming story, perfect for this very special time of year.

Exiled from his homeland, Prince Rama must brave through an odyssey in search of his wife, Princess Sita. She's been captured by a demon that Rama must overcome before taking his place as the rightful ruler. A dramatic tale of love, abduction and battle will play out in a world thronged by heroes, deities and demons. The timeless Ramayana has thrilled readers and listeners since the fourth century B.C.