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Picture Books and Early Readers 2020

Picture Books

Angry Cookie

Laura Dockrill & Maria Karipidou
 

OH NO! Barbra the cactus won’t stop playing her recorder, the yummy strawberry toothpaste has run out, and now – to top it all off – Cookie has to have his hair cut! Which all makes for one VERY ANGRY little cookie… But perhaps you, the reader, can find a way to turn his grumpy frown upside down?



Bad Cat

Nicola O’Byrne
 

Fluffykins is a lovely cat. He wouldn’t do anything naughty . . . He’s knocked over the flowers, tangled up all the knitting, bent the blinds, trodden on the laptop AND scratched the sofa . . .


Because I Stubbed My Toe

Shawn Byous
 

A young boy stubs his toe, which leads to a sequence of silly events and one delicious ending.


Bunnies on the Bus

Philip Ardagh & Ben Mantle
 

Watch out! Move out of the way! Hold onto your tails! There are … BUNNIES ON THE BUS! And they aren’t stopping for ANYONE! The bunnies have taken over the bus and they’re on a wild ride across the streets of Sunnytown!

Visit the Reading Club for more Bunnies on the Bus fun!


I Am a Tiger

Karl Newson & Ross Collins
 

A small, bold and cheeky mouse with very big ideas declares “I am a tiger” and manages to convince a raccoon, a fox, a snake and a bird not only that this is true, but that they are not what they think they are. When a real tiger turns up, can the persuasive and fearless little rodent manage to persuade the tiger that he is a mouse!

Visit the Activities page for more I Am A Tiger fun!


Keith Among the Pigeons

Katie Brosnan
 

Keith is a cat, but he’d rather be a pigeon. He loves to watch them and learn their ways, but they won’t let him get too close. Will Keith ever make friends with the pigeons and learn how it feels to be one? Will he ever find out who he really is and feel comfortable just being Keith?

Visit the Activities page for more Keith Among the Pigeons fun!


Molly Mischief: My Perfect Pet

Adam Hargreaves
 

Molly wants a pet – a big pet. But Molly being Molly, mischief is never far away!

Visit the Activities page for more Molly Mischief fun!


Mr Brown’s Bad Day

Lou Peacock & Alison Friend
 

Mr Brown is a Very Important Tiger who works in a Very Important Office. He carries a Very Important Briefcase and does Very Important Things all day long. But when his Very Important Briefcase goes missing, Mr Brown’s world is turned upside down. And what about the Very Important Things inside?


Nine Lives Newton

Alice McKinley
 

Meet Newton – the dog who thinks he has nine lives and infinite luck. And if Newton has nine lives, then that means he can do all his favourite things but be MUCH more daring. But what if Newton’s got it all wrong and he’s not quite as invincible as he thinks he is?


Not Yet, Zebra

Lou Kuenzler & Julia Woolf
 

Annie said to the animals, ""Please stand in a line. I’m painting my alphabet. I’m not ready for you…"" Annie wants to paint an alphabet using her animals, but Zebra simply can’t wait until the end for his time to shine.


Perfectly Polite Penguins

Georgiana Deutsch & Ekaterina Trukhan

 

Penguins are ALWAYS perfectly polite. But then Polly the not-so-polite penguin decides that being polite is BORING! Uh oh!


Show and Tell

Rob Biddulph
 

All children know that Show and Tell day is the best, and every member of Class 2L is sure they’ll BE the best…But who, and what, will really impress the teacher and win the prize? From aliens and parrots to robots and carrots, there’s an impressive collection on show. But can this small class learn a big lesson in what really matters?


Superkitty versus Mousezilla

Hannah Whitty & Paula Bowles
 

It’s the day of the picnic party and the residents of Big City are busy making preparations, when disaster strikes . . . the shelves of Mr Fizz’s Pop Shop are empty and nothing remains but a trail of crumbs at Mrs Appleton’s Bakery!

But there’s no need to despair – Superkitty and her team of Sensational Superheroes are on the case! But when they track down the culprit, things aren’t quite what they seem . . .


This is Gus

Chris Chatterton
 

Gus the grumpy dog doesn’t like much of anything, not going walkies, not playing fetch, and especially not making new friends. So what will Gus do when a lively little puppy appears on the scene? Is grumpy Gus really a big old softie – maybe, or maybe not…


Tiny Ant

Claire Freedman & Claire Powell
 

It’s time for the jungle talent show, and all the animals want to show off what they can do! The acrobatic lion, dancing gorilla and juggling monkey are all determined to impress the judges. But up against the mighty beasts of the jungle, what can Tiny Ant do?

Tiny Ant

Claire Freedman, Claire Powell

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Who’s Afraid of the Quite Nice Wolf?

Kitty Black & Laura Wood
 

The Quite Nice Wolf doesn’t fit in with the local wolf pack. He commences training to become a proper wolf – one that’s BIG and BAD. Can he help the wolf pack with their master plan?


Will You Help Doug Find His Dog

Jane Caston & Carmen Saldana
 

Help Doug find his dog by patting, tickling, and calling to the correct dogs based on Doug’s clues! As you select dogs, the pool will narrow until a surprise ending reveals Doug’s dog-and why he went missing.


You Can’t Call an Elephant in an Emergency

Patricia Cleveland-Peck & David Tazzyman
 

Help Doug find his dog by patting, tickling, and calling to the correct dogs based on Doug’s clues! As you select dogs, the pool will narrow until a surprise ending reveals Doug’s dog and why he went missing.


Early Reader Books

Agent Weasel and the Fiendish Fox Gang: Book 1

Nick East
 

Meet Agent Weasel: woodland super-spy. Can he foil the dastardly Fiendish Fox Gang once and for all? And will he still be home in time for tea and biscuits? Perfect for reading alone or sharing together, for fans of The Bolds and Mr Gum.


Al’s Awesome Science: Busy Bodies!

Jane Clarke & James Brown
 

Al is researching the effects on his body of travelling in a time machine. Trouble is it’s hard to experiment without any mess, especially when your neighbour’s cat Precious is in the same house with Al’s naughty dog Einstein. Experiments about digestion, nutrition, facts about the body, balance and space travel.

Visit the Activities page for more Al’s Awesome Science fun!


Older Not Wiser (Bad Nana, Book 1)

Sophy Henn
 

Jeanie’s Grandma is BAD. Not bad like a vampire or a gangster or anything, more like . . . up to no good. Sometimes she can be a bit embarrassing but most of the time she’s REALLY fun, especially when she gets Jeanie involved in her mischievous schemes. Everyone says she’s old enough to know better . . . but she doesn’t seem to care one bit. In fact, Jeanie thinks she might quite like it!


Billy and the Mini Monsters: Monsters Go to School

Zanna Davidson
 

Billy’s Mini Monsters really want to go to school with him. But Billy really doesn’t want them to. He’s got enough trouble with the school bully, Basil Brown. But perhaps having MONSTERS around will be more helpful than Billy imagines…



Bug Belly: Babysitting Trouble

Paul Morton
 

It’s Bug Belly’s turn to babysit! The taddies and froglets in Top Pond can’t wait to try out their uncle’s cool water slides, death-defying dragonfly drops, and fancy frogball games.

But when Bug Belly’s tummy goes GURGLE-GURGLE GLUMP! everyone knows it spells one thing – TROUBLE! As Bug Belly launches himself off the slide in pursuit of scrumptious worm snack, he accidentally knocks loose all the rocks that are damming up Top Pond . . .

Suddenly, he’s in a race against time to get the taddies to safety before they get stuck in the mud. Will his penchant for yummy snacks lead him and the taddies astray, straight into the hungry jaws of Old Pike, Heron or Sneaky Snake? Luckily, nobody in Top Pond has more ingenious plans up than this Top Frog…

Visit the Activities page for more Bug Belly fun!


Chick and Brain: Smell My Foot!

Cece Bell
 

“Maybe your foot smells good.
Maybe your foot smells great.
But I will not smell your foot until you say PLEASE.”

Meet Chick and Brain. And their friend Spot. Chick likes to follow the rules. Brain might not be as smart as he looks. And Spot just wants to eat lunch.


Jasper and Scruff

Nicola Colton
 

Jasper is desperate to impress the Sophisticat society members, and doesn’t want Scruff bounding into his life to create chaos in his flat. But sometimes, friends know exactly what you need…


Pippi Longstocking and the Snirkle Hunt

Astrid Lindgren & Ingred Nyman
 

Pippi Longstocking makes the everyday extraordinary, and spreads fun wherever she goes. Join her and her friends Tommy and Annika as they set out to find a snirkle!


Rabbit and Bear: A Bite in the Night: Book 4

Julian Gough & Jim Field
 

Rabbit is surprised: some of the trees in the valley seem to be flying south for the winter.
His friend Bear is sure that trees can’t fly.
Then there’s a loud CRUNCH! from Very Near By. It sounds like the world’s largest rabbit, eating the world’s largest carrot.
There’s a new creature in Rabbit and Bear’s valley, and he’s trying to Change Everything.


Riding a Donkey Backwards: Wise and Foolish Tales of the Mulla Nasruddin

Sean Taylor & Shirin Adl & Khayaal Theatre
 

Would you like to know how a thief can turn into a donkey, how a cow can climb up a pole or why you should spoon yogurt into a lake? Mulla Nasruddin knows the answers and he might also tell you why he rides his donkey backwards! Here are 21 riotous tales about Mulla Nasruddin, celebrated throughout Muslim cultures for his riddles and wisdom. He is one of the great comic characters in world literature and his stories are guaranteed to make you laugh – and think!

Visit the Activities page for more Riding a Donkey Backwards fun!


The Funniest Animal Joke Book Ever

Joe King
 

You’ll fall out of your tree laughing at these hilarious animal jokes! What is black, white and red all over? A sunburnt penguin! What do you call a pig who knows karate? Porkchop! What do you call an elephant in a phone booth? Stuck!


The Great Pants Robbery

Heather Pindar
 

Grandma Lil, granddaughter Julia and dog Sniffy all live in Little Snorington, where nothing ever happens – until now. There’s a pants robber on the loose and, with Sergeant Bodgit more interested in his goats and allotment, Lil and Julia are on the case!


The Truth About Dinosaurs

Guido Van Genechten & Natascha Biebow
 

What do chickens and dinosaurs have in common? Almost everyone thinks that dinosaurs are extinct. But is it true? Open this book and find out!


Unipiggle the Unicorn Pig: Unicorn Muddle

Hannah Shaw
 

Welcome to TWINKLELAND KINGDOM, where everything is 100% perfect. Except Princess Pea…

Today’s the day the princess has to choose her own PERFECT unicorn at the Royal Unicorn Parade.

All is well until the muddy UNIPIGGLE appears and creates a very big muddle. It looks like Princess Pea has met her PERFECT match…


Wigglesbottom Primary: Break-Time Bunnies

Pamela Butchart & Becka Moor
 

All is chaos in Year 2! An unexpected visitor, a bewitched violin and an invasion of bunnies! What can it all mean???


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