Once upon a time there was a huge family of children; and they were terribly, terribly naughty ... So begin the tales of the no-nonsense Nurse Matilda who uses magic to tame the mischievous children in her charge - and who changes their lives forever. The inspiration for the much-loved film Nanny McPhee, starring Emma Thompson and Colin Firth, the Nurse Matilda stories overflow with naughtiness, wit and timeless humour, making this collection the perfect gift for mischief-makers both young and old! The collection contains all three instalments in the Nurse Matilda series, accompanied by Edward Ardizzone's beautiful original illustrations: Nurse Matilda Nurse Matilda Goes to Town Nurse Matilda Goes to Hospital

A Welsh poet recalls the celebration of Christmas in Wales and the feelings it evoked in him as a child.

BY THE AUTHOR OF BALLET SHOES with beautiful illustrations by Edward Ardizzone 'A joyous, sunlight book. For me, the best Noel Streatfeild of all' HILARY MCKAY '"You have a whole wing of the house to yourselves. The glorious world outside to play in. All that the earth brings forth to feed you, and you stand there asking foolish questions until my head reels. Help yourselves, children, help yourselves." Then, flapping her cloak as if to shoo off a clutter of chickens, Great Aunt Dymphna was gone.' Summer will be different for the Gareth children this year. Their father, an epidemiologist, is ill abroad, and their mother must go to help him. So Alex, Penny, Naomi and Robin are sent to Ireland to stay with an eccentric distant relative. Great Aunt Dymphna is like nobody they've ever met. She lives in a ramshackle house, quotes swathes of poetry and flits about like a great bat. And, to the children's consternation, she expects them to fend for themselves. Despite tears and many mishaps, they learn something new every day, and living with Great Aunt Dymphna becomes an adventure.

Puffin Classics: the definitive collection of timeless stories, for every child. The Thing sitting in the corner seemed to be interested. It got up and moved towards Barney, into the light. Barney was glad to see it was Somebody after all. Funny way to dress though, he thought, rabbit-skins round the middle and no shoes or socks. Barney spends a lot of time by himself, and often goes wandering off alone. One day he is exploring by the edge of an old chalk-pit, when it gives way. Finding himself in some sort of cave, Barney is astonished to discover a 'somebody' living there: somebody with a lot of shaggy hair and two bright black eyes, wearing a rabbit skin and speaking in grunts. Barney names him Stig, and the two quickly become best friends. Of course nobody believes Barney when he tells his family all about Stig. But Barney doesn't care. He and Stig are far too busy having a brilliant series of unforgettable adventures. Much-beloved by children for generations, Stig of the Dump is the ultimate story about the joyful freedom of mucking around outdoors, having fun away from the grown-ups . . . ! "This lovely story about the unlikely friendship between Barney and stone-age Stig has stood the test of time . . . contemporary children will love reading about the pair's lively adventures" - Booktrust

The timeless classic story of Dylan Thomas's childhood Christmas memories, featuring the wonderful artwork of Kate Greenaway medallist, Edward Ardizzone in this mini hardback edition. All the Christmases roll down toward the two-tongued sea, like a cold and headlong moon bundling down the sky that was our street; and they stop at the rim of the ice-edged, fish-freezing waves, and I plunge my hand in the snow and bring out whatever I can find. . . Dylan Thomas's lyrical account of his childhood Christmases in a small Welsh town, featuring wolves, bears, hippos and Mrs Prothero's cat, has become deservedly famous. Beautifully illustrated by award-winning artist Edward Ardizzone, this classic edition is beloved by fans of Thomas's work and a perfect Christmas gift for young readers building their own childhood Christmas memories.

An ALA Notable Book "A captivating story, told with loving tenderness, whimsical humor, suspense, it has all the special magic that is Eleanor Estes' trademark. . . . Don't miss it." --Chicago Tribune Meet Pinky, a furious black kitten who adopts the Pye family. The Pyes have some of the smartest pets around--there's Ginger the intellectual dog, and Gracie the clever old cat--but Pinky is more than smart enough to earn a place in the Pye's hearts. She can box with Ginger, play games with Mr. Pye, and--Rachel and Jerry can hardly believe their eyes--even type out her life story!

The Little Girl and the Tiny Doll by Aingelda Ardizzone and illustrated by Edward Ardizzone has been delighting generations of children. There was once a tiny doll who belonged to a girl who did not care for dolls. One day when the little girl was shopping in the supermarket with her mother, she threw the tiny doll into a deep freeze. So the tiny doll had to stay there, cold and lonely, and frightened by people shuffling all the food round her. But someone came along who felt sorry for her, and thought of ways to make her happier, so the tiny doll began to smile again. Reissued in 'A Puffin Book' series of Puffin modern classics, this simple story with charming black and white drawings by Edward Ardizzone is a perfect book for young children.

'King's modern classic from 1963 is enduringly loved because it contains so many irresistible ingredients' - The Times Barney is a solitary little boy, given to wandering off by himself. One day he is lying on the edge of a disused chalk-pit when it gives way and he lands in a sort of cave. Here he meets a boy wearing a rabbit skin and speaking in grunts. He names him Stig. Nobody believes Barney when he tells his family all about Stig, but they become great friends, learning each others ways and embarking on a series of unforgettable adventures. Puffin Clothbound Classics are stunningly beautiful hardback editions of the most famous stories in the world, now including a beautiful 60th anniversary edition of Stig of the Dump, the poignant, humorous story of an unlikely friendship.

Following a prophecy of a former resident of their Brooklyn alley, two boys discover an underground passage behind their houses.

The Story Follows Belinda And Her Little Sister To Three Corners Of The Pitiusa Minor In Search Of Kind Senor El Medico On Behalf Of A Doll With A Particularly Severe Headache.

The Story Follows Belinda And Her Little Sister To Three Corners Of The Pitiusa Minor In Search Of Kind Senor El Medico On Behalf Of A Doll With A Particularly Severe Headache.

When barbarians invade Rome, Miranda the cat and her daughter Punka must find a safe place to hide from the chaos. They make their way through the burning city, collecting motherless kittens as they go. At last they reach the Colosseum--but even there, danger lurks!
How these fortunate felines survive to become the noble ancestors of the cats of modern Rome is all due to the cleverness of the cat they come to call Miranda the Great, Queen of the Colosseum!

Ten-year-old Connie, who lives in the Brooklyn neigborhood called The Alley, investigates a burglary with her friend Billy Maloon.

Early one morning the little train wakes up in his home town, Little Snoreing, and decides to go on an adventure. He chugs and puffs his way through villages, past castles and over bridges. But soon he gets tired, and the big city is a bit scary... there's only one thing for it; he'll have to head back! THE LITTLE TRAIN, Graham Greene's first children's book, was originally published in 1946 with Ardizzone's illustrations commissioned 28 year later. First published by The Bodley Head in 1974, this new edition brings the classic little train back to life for a whole new generation.

A reissue of a much-loved adventure which has stood the test of time and is as exciting today as when it was first published nearly 70 years ago. It all begins when Nick breaks the classroom window with his football, and the Headmaster says Nick has to pay for the damage. Nick has no more hope of raising the money than of going to the Moon, so that's when rivalling Ted's and Toppy's gangs decide to sign a truce and plan Operation Glazier to get the money for Nick. The plan goes smoothly and soon the money has been collected, but when it goes missing the boys turn detective to try and find the culprit.

A boy befriends a young caveman in this modern children's classic of friendship and adventure. Barney isn't supposed to go near the chalk pit. His grandmother and sister both told him the edge could give way and he could fall in--but what else is he supposed to do on a miserable gray day? It's not long before Barney falls into the pit and bumps his head. But where he lands is more than an old garbage dump: It's a home. There's a little hut built out of discarded junk, and more surprisingly, there's a boy, about Barney's age, inside. He speaks in grunts instead of English, wears a rabbit-skin loincloth, has shaggy black hair, and might be named something that sounds like "Stig." Barney befriends him immediately. Together, Barney and Stig go on all sorts of adventures, building a chimney for Stig's hut, joining a foxhunt, stopping robbers, and catching a leopard escaped from the circus! Barney and Stig's escapades have been delighting children for more than fifty years, while addressing important topics such as bullying, recycling, and language barriers. This timeless classic is sure to captivate readers young and old with its wit, imagination, and sense of adventure.

A girl sits in a dusty room, crammed to the rafters with books. Sunlight dances on the covers, between which are stories of magical worlds and faraway places, lands of princesses, kings, giants, and real children too. Eleanor Farjeon was that girl, who was so enchanted by her little bookroom that she recreated it by writing this wonderful collection of short stories. This charming book was the winner of the prestigious Carnegie Medal and is beautifully illustrated throughout by Edward Ardizzone, whose exquisite pictures immediately bring to mind the magical atmosphere of the stories