NOMINATED FOR A CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR ILLUSTRATION 2025.

AS SEEN ON MILKSHAKE'S STORY DEN IN MARCH 2025!

Everybody knew that a big fierce troll lived in the cave. Only one child cannot turn their back on the troll. One day, he draws a flower with every petal coloured in but one, and leaves the chalk outside the cave. The next day, the flower has been completed. Day-by-day, the boy and the troll finish each other's drawings, until they one shows a boy holding hands with a fierce, scary troll. "But you're not a troll," says the boy. "You're a boy - just like me." Patience, kindness and the power of art win out in the end: the two boys wordlessly draw together. Soon everyone joins in and forgets that there was ever a troll inside the cave.

This touching story delicately embodies the philosophy of art therapy, in the face of isolation and difficult emotions. From the creative duo behind A Shelter for Sadness, award-winning artist David Litchfield's illustrations are a joyful celebration of pavement art, which is sure to have little ones reaching for their own chalks.

Living Standards in Southeast Asia: Changes over the Long Twentieth Century, 1900-2015 examines changes in living standards across the ten countries of Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Thailand, Brunei, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos) from the early years of the 20th century to the early 21st century. It covers both the last decades of the colonial period, the transition to independence and the decades from 1960 to the 2010s. The study uses a range of monetary and non-monetary indicators to assess how living standards have changed over time. It examines the outcomes in the context of debates about economic growth, inequality and poverty alleviation which began in the 1960s and 1970s, and continue to the present.

Includes an invaluable chart listing all published and in-process ISO and CEN documents with interpretive guidance Discusses the validation of various processes, including radiation, moist heat, ETO, and parametric release Addresses plasma, UV, E-beam, Pure Pulse, and other technologies Explores packaging considerations This book presents vital information on international sterilization standards and guidance on practical application of these standards in the manufacturing process. It covers validation, industrial sterilization methods, emerging sterilization techniques, laboratory testing, manufacturing of sterile devices, and device reuse. Excerpted from The Validator, edited by Anne F. Booth, more than fifty experts share their knowledge of current technologies in easy-to-understand articles that establish methods to ensure compliance. Contents include reviews of ISO sterilization standards, industrial sterilization methods and technologies, and support testing methodologies.

The validation and radiation sterilization process for biomaterials and medical devices requires careful planning to ensure regulatory compliance followed by precise accuracy in execution and documentation. This in-depth guide details all steps from prevalidation planning to final report and ongoing monitoring and control. Sterilization Validation & Routine Operation Handbook: Radiation provides a framework for the validation and routine operation of an irradiation sterilization process. The guidance presented complies with ANSI/AAMI/ISO 11137: 1994, Sterilization of health care product-Requirements for validation and routine control-Radiation sterilization and the newly published AAMI substantiation of 25 kGy using VDmax procedure. The author discusses methods to aid in comprehending the requirements in these standards. She also provides practical procedures for the validation and routine monitoring and control of specific gamma and electron beam radiation sterilization processes.

Spring has sprung, and little Rabbit is excited to play with his friend Bear! There's just one problem: Bear doesn't want to come out of hibernation. There's too much of everything outside! With the help of friends Rabbit, Squirrel and Fox, Bear becomes excited to enter the outside world once again! Everything is more bearable with good friends who let us take our time.

The validation and radiation sterilization process for biomaterials and medical devices requires careful planning to ensure regulatory compliance followed by precise accuracy in execution and documentation. This in-depth guide details all steps from prevalidation planning to final report and ongoing monitoring and control. Sterilization Validation & Routine Operation Handbook: Radiation provides a framework for the validation and routine operation of an irradiation sterilization process. The guidance presented complies with ANSI/AAMI/ISO 11137: 1994, Sterilization of health care product-Requirements for validation and routine control-Radiation sterilization and the newly published AAMI substantiation of 25 kGy using VDmax procedure. The author discusses methods to aid in comprehending the requirements in these standards. She also provides practical procedures for the validation and routine monitoring and control of specific gamma and electron beam radiation sterilization processes. Background chapters provide needed information on radiation sterilization technologies, sterilization microbiology, validation approaches and working with a radiation sterilization contractor. Much of the information in this new book is presented in convenient tables and charts, with diagrams and other schematics that simply illustrate appropriate validation methodologies. Sterilization Validation & Routine Operation Handbook: Radiation brings together in one resource information scattered throughout many documents and will be useful to all those involved in the sterilization of medical materials, drugs and devices.

Even saints need second chances... The new heartwarming Christmas adventure with the Sisters of Saint Philomena, about friendship, family and forgiveness, for fans of AJ Pearce, Katie Fforde and Call the Midwife. Everyone loves Sister Bridget. The cheerful Mother Superior of St Philomena's convent is friend to many in the town of Fairbridge and the irrepressible caller at the weekly Parish Bingo. There is nothing she can't sort out with a kind word, a cup of tea and a slice of her amazing chocolate cake. But is everything as rosy as she thinks? As the Christmas tree goes up and festive cheer rises, a visitor arrives at the convent who doesn't like Sister Bridget one bit. Good intentions don't always go to plan. Sister Bridget learns that secrets are bubbling to the surface back home in Ireland - especially for her younger sister Mary. She will need to face up to past deeds, however well-intended. With the help of her friends, and the power of love and forgiveness, maybe she can finally make things right. With warmth and grace, Sweet Mercies reminds us that none of us is perfect, and everybody deserves another chance at finding peace and happiness. Praise for Anne Booth's previous novel Small Miracles: 'Charming, witty and warm, Small Miracles is a gentle gem of a novel, a cheery balm in troubling times.' AJ Pearce, bestselling author of Dear Mrs Bird 'With gentle humour, and surprising twists and turns, this is just the book we need in these difficult times. I didn't want it to end' Katie Fforde 'This book felt like a hug' ***** Reader Review

Sadness has come to live with me and I am building it a shelter. I am building a shelter for my sadness and welcoming it inside. A small boy creates a shelter for his sadness, a safe space where Sadness is welcome, where it can curl up small, or be as big as it can be, where it can be noisy or quiet, or anything in between. The boy can visit the shelter whenever he needs to, every day, sometimes every hour, and the two of them will cry and talk or just sit, saying nothing. And the boy knows that one day Sadness may come out of the shelter, and together they will look out at the world, and see how beautiful it is. A poignant and heart-warming picture book exploring the importance of making space and time for our own griefs, small or large, sensitively visualized with David Litchfield's stunning illustration. Anne Booth was inspired to write this book by the words of Etty Hillesum, a Holocaust victim who wrote: 'Give your sorrow all the space and shelter in yourself that is its due, for if everyone bears grief honestly and courageously, the sorrow that now fills the world will abate. But if you do instead reserve most of the space inside you for hatred and thoughts of revenge-from which new sorrows will be born for others-then sorrow will never cease in this world. And if you have given sorrow the space it demands, then you may truly say: life is beautiful and so rich.' (Esther 'Etty' Hillesum (15 Jan 1914 - 30 Nov 1943)

This book examines the evolution of fiscal capacity in the context of colonial state formation and the changing world order between 1850 and 1960. Until the early nineteenth century, European colonial control over Asia and Africa was largely confined to coastal and island settlements, which functioned as little more than trading posts. The officials running these settlements had neither the resources nor the need to develop new fiscal instruments. With the expansion of imperialism, the costs of maintaining colonies rose. Home governments, reluctant to place the financial burden of imperial expansion on metropolitan taxpayers, pressed colonial governments to become fiscally self-supporting. A team of leading historians provides a comparative overview of how colonial states set up their administrative systems and how these regimes involved local people and elites. They shed new light on the political economy of colonial state formation and the institutional legacies they left behind at independence.

When Jessie's gran gets a white Alsatian puppy, it's the start of a downward spiral of strange and worrying behaviour. But life at home is only half the problem - at school Jessie's class is studying the rise to power of the Nazi party and soon Jessie starts seeing alarming parallels between modern life in her sleepy village and that of 1930s Germany. With one eye on the past and one on her ailing gran, Jessie starts to see a connection - something long-buried, troubling and somehow connected to another girld, and another white dog.

'Charming, witty and warm, Small Miracles is a gentle gem of a novel, a cheery balm in troubling times,' AJ Pearce, bestselling author of Dear Mrs Bird Small Miracles takes the reader on an uplifting journey as three unforgettable nuns learn more about life, love and friendship than they could ever have imagined. The perfect read for Christmas. The 1990s are proving tough for the convent. The order of the Sisters of Saint Philomena is down to its three last nuns. The place that Sisters Margaret, Bridget and Cecilia call home is in dire need of repairs and, with no savings and no new recruits, they are facing the prospect of having to sell up and leave behind the friends and neighbours in the parish community that they love. That is, until ninety-year-old Cecilia decides to play the newly launched National Lottery and a series of small miracles begins to unfold... Three nuns play the lottery to save their failing convent, resulting in a story of friendship, community, faith and love, for fans of Call the Midwife. READERS LOVE SMALL MIRACLES: 'A charming, quirky and comforting read.' ***** 'It was such a relief in stressful times to read a book where all the characters were lovely and it was a pure joy to curl up with this.' ***** 'Truly heart-warming and highly recommended' *****

Indonesia is often viewed as a country with substantial natural resources which has achieved solid economic growth since the 1960s, but which still faces serious economic challenges. In 2010, its per capita GDP was only nineteen per cent of that of the Netherlands, and twenty-two per cent of that of Japan. In recent decades, per capita GDP has fallen behind that of neighbouring countries such as Malaysia and Thailand, and behind China. In this accessible but thorough new study, Anne Booth explains the long-term factors which have influenced Indonesian economic performance, taking into account the Dutch colonial legacy and the reaction to it after the transfer of power in 1949. The first part of the book offers a chronological study of economic development from the late nineteenth to the early twenty-first century, while the second part explores topics including the persistence of economic nationalism and the ongoing tensions between Indonesia's diverse regions.

Lucy is on holiday with her family when she meets a curious little kitten called Star. He's a tiny little thing and he follows her everywhere. Christmas is drawing near and the snow begins to fall thick and fast. When Star, and then Lucy, find themselves in serious trouble-lost in a snow storm-Lucy's magic snow globe is their only hope. Close your eyes and make a wish-miracles can happen. This warm and festive story is an ideal present for a child to read during the festive season. Animal-lovers everywhere will delight in Sophy WIlliams's gorgeous illustrations and the simple language and short chapters are perfect for developing readers or to be read aloud. Fans of Anne Booth's previous titles in this series - Lucy's Secret Reindeer, Lucy's Magic Snow Globe, Lucy's Winter Rescue, and Lucy's Magical Surprise - won't be able to resist this latest Lucy story!

A heartwarming picture book about friendship, flying and the joy of sharing books.

In this story, there is a little girl and a gosling. And they both love each other very much. The girl and the gosling's very favourite thing to do is to visit the library and choose new books. But one day, there is a book the girl will not share. Before Gosling can peek inside, she slams the book shut and says: "I don't like this book. Let's play something else." After, the book goes missing, the girl and the gosling's friendship is changed.
Then one night, Gosling finds the missing book and leaves. Will the girl be able to be able to find Gosling in time? And put things right and say sorry before it's too late?

This reassuring story teaches children that honesty and trust are what help friendships fly and is effortlessly brought to life by David Litchfield's atmospheric scenes and Anne Booth's warm and rich storytelling. The perfect bookshelf companion to The Duck Who Didn't Like Water, I'm Sticking With You and Pip & Egg.

Indonesia is often viewed as a country with substantial natural resources which has achieved solid economic growth since the 1960s, but which still faces serious economic challenges. In 2010, its per capita GDP was only nineteen per cent of that of the Netherlands, and twenty-two per cent of that of Japan. In recent decades, per capita GDP has fallen behind that of neighbouring countries such as Malaysia and Thailand, and behind China. In this accessible but thorough new study, Anne Booth explains the long-term factors which have influenced Indonesian economic performance, taking into account the Dutch colonial legacy and the reaction to it after the transfer of power in 1949. The first part of the book offers a chronological study of economic development from the late nineteenth to the early twenty-first century, while the second part explores topics including the persistence of economic nationalism and the ongoing tensions between Indonesia's diverse regions.

A lyrical, heart-warming message of love from someone far away When Big Bear and Little Bear have to say goodbye, Big Bear tells Little Bear about all the ways she'll send a hug from afar: I can change my hug into bird song early in the morning, or into the sea so I can wave at you when you are on the beach. Join Little Bear on his adventure to discover all the many different ways to feel a hug from a loved one, even when apart. A soothing and uplifting story for every child who is missing someone.

'Charming, witty and warm, Small Miracles is a gentle gem of a novel, a cheery balm in troubling times.' AJ Pearce, bestselling author of Dear Mrs Bird In the summer of 1995, three nuns play the lottery to save their failing convent and set off on an adventure to Italy in search of a miracle. A joyful, heart-warming story of friendship, community, faith and love. The 1990s are proving tough for the convent. The order of the Sisters of Saint Philomena is down to its three last nuns. The place that Sisters Margaret, Bridget and Cecilia call home is in dire need of repairs and, with no savings and no new recruits, they are facing the prospect of having to sell up and leave behind the friends and neighbours in the parish community that they love. That is, until ninety-year-old Cecilia decides to play the newly launched National Lottery and a series of small miracles begins to unfold... Small Miracles takes the reader on a joyful and uplifting journey as these three unforgettable nuns learn more about life, love and friendship than they could ever have imagined. ***Sweet Mercies, the new Christmas adventure with the Sisters of Saint Philomena, is available for pre-order now!***

When Boots the puppy bounces into Lucy's life, fun and friendship are never far behind. He's waiting for his forever home, and until he finds one Lucy is determined to give him the best Christmas ever, taking him out and about and giving him all the love he's missed. But they're going to need the help of all the friends they have made when Boots slips his lead and gets lost. Will Boots find a way home? Lucy needs to make a wish. . . This warm and festive story is an ideal present for a child to read during the festive season. Animal-lovers everywhere will delight in Sophy WIlliams's gorgeous illustrations and the simple language and short chapters are perfect for developing readers or to be read aloud. Fans of Anne Booth's previous titles in this series, Lucy's Secret Reindeer, Lucy's Magic Snow Globe, Lucy's Winter Rescue, Lucy's Magical Surprise, and Lucy's Search for Little Star won't be able to resist this latest Lucy story!

Lucy's help is needed when a donkey foal is about to be born. Will she be able to gather everyone together in time? And how can she and her friend, Rosie, raise enough money to help bring the harvest mice back to nearby fields? While at the village carol concert they meet someone who is set to deliver a truly magical Christmas surprise. This warm and festive story is an ideal present for a child to read during the festive season. Animal-lovers everywhere will delight in Sophy WIlliams's gorgeous illustrations and the simple language and short chapters are perfect for developing readers or to be read aloud. Fans of Anne Booth's previous titles in this series, Lucy's Secret Reindeer, Lucy's Magic Snow Globe, and Lucy's Winter Rescue won't be able to resist this latest Lucy story!

I want a friend,' said Arthur, 'I want a friend right now. I want to make one RIGHT AWAY But I am not sure how.' Join Arthur at nursery school in his determined search for a friend - could he dig a hole to trap one, or catch one in a net? His ideas don't seem to be going to plan, but then Lily appears and he is soon having lots of fun and playtime adventures! Bouncy rhymes and hilarious illustrations make this first experiences tale about friendship an enchanting read!

To the Keeper of this Book - it's time for you to visit the magical Kingdom waiting within. Believe in yourself - that will give you wings to fly! When Maya receives a special colouring book - The Magical Kingdom of Birds - she is transported to a beautiful realm filled with magnificent birds and their fairy friends. But the kingdom is in trouble - evil Lord Astor has a plan to capture and cage the tiniest residents, the hummingbirds - and as Keeper of the Book it's up to Maya to protect them. Packed with beautiful illustrations, information on the real birds that inspired the story, and includes a special colouring page!

Jack Wilson was born in 1923, the eldest son of mill workers. Money was never plentiful and so as a child he knew poverty, but lived surrounded by the love of his family. It was as a member of the Royal Navy during the Second World War that he travelled the world facing constant danger and wondering whether or not he would ever see his wife and family again. Lurching ships in icy seas with the constant threat of being washed overboard, the hidden dangers of enemy submarines, lucky escapes as well as his brush with the D-Day landings are only the beginning of Jack's story. The end of the war came and Jack began his service as a policeman, working his way through the ranks from Constable to Chief Inspector. No day was ever the same as one minute he dealt with the mundane, but was also faced with kidnappings, murders, and the hunt for missing persons, as well as a frightening siege at the hands of armed I.R.A. gunmen. As a policeman he always wanted the best outcome for the crimes which he became involved with and at the heart of his policing were the principles he had learned in his early life, of respect, truth, honesty and family loyalty. Jack is generous of spirit, proud and caring... and this is his story.