Search results for ""gecko press""

"The whole world is full of dead things," said Esther. "In every bush there is a bird, a butterfly, a mouse. Someone must be kind and look after them. Someone must make a sacrifice and see that all these things are buried." "Who must?" I asked. "We must," she said. Esther was very brave. I was little and scared. One summer’s day we started a business called Funerals Ltd., to help all the poor dead animals in the world. Esther did the digging, I wrote the poems, and Esther’s little brother, Puttie, cried.

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A fresh and exciting mapmaking adventure. Sal, Joe, Francie and Humphrey misplace their famous mapmaker mother as they begin the Great Race to map a rail route through an uncharted wilderness. Their father didn't return from his last expedition and now their money is gone. This race is their last chance.They have twenty-eight days to find and map the best route. There'll be bears, bees, bats, river crossings, cliff falls, impossible weather-but worst of all, they're racing five teams of adults who do not play by the rules.

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A story about who's the biggest-and being a good brother -in the best-selling series about Simon, the cheeky rabbit Simon is annoyed. Casper has grown a lot: three centimetres! But Simon is only one ridiculous centimetre taller than last time. "No way!" he says, "I'm the biggest!" Simon sees injustice everywhere. And he doesn't even care when silly Casper gets bullied at the park... Actually, he does care! And he can help out-so who's the biggest now?

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A story about friendship and shyness, full of light and colour, that plays out in a mini theatre Elise was frightened-of spiders, people, even trees. So she never went out, night or day. One day a strange thing flies in through the window and lands at her feet. And then there comes a knock at the door. Elise has a visitor who will change everything.This is a gentle, sympathetic story about a child who unwittingly brings light and colour-literally-into a lonely person's life.

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The fourth story in this big-hearted series takes on the most important case ever investigated in Detective Gordon’s forest—where is Buffy’s mother? Gordon faces his old nemesis, the fox, in an investigation that leads to the edges of the forest.

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There was once a cheeky little rabbit. You might know him already. When his mother told him, "Simon, tomorrow is your first day of school!" he replied,"I'm not going."

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A fascinating journey around the world of extinct animals, combining cartoons with naturalist drawings, and mythology with science. Did you know there was once a beaver that was two metres long? That the elephant-bird really did exist? And that the dodo once had a life beyond the pages of Alice in Wonderland? Have you heard of the megatherium, the glyptodon or the tratratratra?Through legend and mythology, anecdotes and scientific facts, the authors tell fascinating stories of the strange animals that disappeared before our time. The book is a tragicomedy, and a mine of information for everyone interested in the animal world.

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A high-spirited story about an enterprising only child and a father's juggle to work from home Mika's father works from home and he's very busy! He can never find time for the promised swimming trip. So Dad allows Mika to choose herself a pet from the store while he finishes the project-something quiet like a mouse. And so begins a wonderfully turbulent story in which Mika brings home one animal after another... The mouse gets lost so she gets a dog to find it. the dog is followed by a seal, the seal a penguin. How many animals can come to stay before a harassed father notices? This is a high-spirited story about an enterprising only child and a father's juggle to work from home.

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A visual history of the inventions, discoveries and technology that have shaped our world. In his signature playful style, Peter Goes brings together breakthroughs in science, IT, entertainment, medicine and everyday life. He shows us the earliest flute alongside tools and weapons, takes us from candle clocks to drones, from spectacles to genetic modification, from the toothpaste of Ancient Egypt to the clones of the future. These cross-sections of history highlight human ingenuity and hope, from the Stone Age to the world of tomorrow.

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Papa Monkey and Little Monkey are on their way home. But the street is very busy and they are going so slowly! Monkey loses patience and jumps onto the fire engine. Up the ladder from there and he joins a TV crew! Then the rubbish truck, a rabbit takeaway stall packed with carroty treats, Arctic animals traveling by snow globe, a jewel thief’s getaway car...

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Tell me three goodnight stories, please, please, says Little Bear. Three!? says her mother. YesI gave you three good night kisses! First, Little Bear hears the story of the Night Guardian, who lives in the woods and makes sure all the animals go to bed. But who tells the Night Guardian when its bedtime? The second story is about the brave girl Zhora, who seeks the forests most delicious blackberries. In the third we meet Bo, the little man with the big overcoat, who finds it hard to sleep. Finally, Little Bear falls asleep, and there in bed beside her are her new storybook friends.

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A funky little children's book that takes the "before and after" concept to unexpected places. A gust of wind, an elephant, a dive bomb, a spell: this funky "before" and "after" book will have you chuckling! What happens to a lion after the storm? His mane is swept into a dishevelled mess. What becomes of a pear after an elephant passes by? Pear jam! A frog after a spell? A prince. And the room after a battle? A big mess!

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An hilarious story about sibling rivalry and a child's impulse to run away from home-(and come back again!) "When my squawking baby brother arrived, I realised I needed a new family. No one seemed to mind when I packed my bag. I took a box and used my best handwriting to write 'FREE KID', then waited for some new parents to take me home." Waiting in a box like an abandoned pet and encountering the passersby changes the girl's perspective. At the end of the day, when her parents pretend they need an older sister for their new baby, she is ready to leave her box and go happily back home. In this comical twist on sibling rivalry, a girl decides she needs a new family-so she writes Free Kid on a box and waits in the street for some better parents to choose her. Translated from the Japanese edition, this accessible story is perfect for children starting on independent reading and is illustrated in a graphic comic style that really captures childlike subversive humour. Ideal for fans of Charles Schulz's Peanuts comic strip. A useful book to teach young children about welcoming a new baby sibling to the family, or exploring playful sibling relationships, through funny and lighthearted storytelling. Hiroshi Ito was born in Tokyo, Japan, and graduated from Waseda University with a degree in education. He began creating picture books while still a student and has since published many award-winning books. Praise for Free Kid to Good Home "Ito's deadpan humour and the character's emotive facial expressions inject jocularity in a welcome exploration of the anxiety that some children face in response to siblinghood." Publishers Weekly

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A very funny and philosophical illustrated chapter book by a bestselling author/illustrator pair about courage, true friendship and our most secret wishes, in which a lame duck takes a blind hen on a goose chase as they search for adventure and answers to some big questions. A duck spends her days limping around her backyard with the help of a crutch until one day a blind hen stumbles in, lost, and persuades the duck to embark on an adventurous journey. The duck will guide the hen; the hen will steady the duck's wobbly leg. They leave together for a place where their most secret wishes will come true. The pair come upon astonishing obstacles along the way—a wild forest, a cavernous gorge and many differences of opinion. The hen starts to wish she’d taken a guide dog rather than a duck! When the two finally arrive at their destination after all the hardships, they realize that their own backyard plus a little imagination offers as much adventure as a whole world. From the author/illustrator pair of Meet at the Ark at Eight “Hub’s standout debut in English… Delightful and deep.” Publishers Weekly, starred review

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Bjorn lives in a cave. The walls are soft, the ground is comfortable, and just in front there is new grass and a rough tree, perfect for back-scratching. A Bear Named Bjorn takes us into the forest with Bjorn the bear and his friends. One day the animals have their eye tests and try on the humans' lost spectacles. Another, they just sit, watching the leaves and playing cards on a tree stump. And on party night the animals borrow clothes hanging on the camping ground line-and return everything carefully in the morning, only a little bit used. Bjorn's thoughtful bear logic and small eccentricities are the heart of these mischievous chapters that are by turns contemplative and comical, odes to both nature and "human" nature. Winner of the coveted Pepite des Petits prize 2016 and a White Raven selection 2017. Contemplative and comical stories from Bjorn's forest for early readers.

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Watch the wolf put on his trousers, his T-shirt, his socks, and more. But what is his plan once he's fully dressed? Careful-he might bite! This boardbook has extra-thick board pages and strong cloth binding that will withstand many reads (it will need to!). It's a French bestseller, with bold illustrations and simple text, great for reading aloud, with a fun ending guaranteed to get giggles. It's also good for discussing getting dressed and different items of clothing.

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An almost single-color picture book tracks the path of grief, ending with the uplifting new beginning of a budding friendship based on understanding. When the little bird dies, his friend the bear is inconsolable. Full of grief, he locks himself in his house and ventures out again only when the smell of young spring grass blows through his window. He always carries a small box, which he opens for no one. He meets a wildcat who understands his need to carry the box. As the cat plays on her violin, the bear remembers all the beauty he experienced with the little bird. Now he can bury his friend, keeping him alive in his memories and feelings. The Bear and the Wildcat shows a way through paralyzing grief and simultaneously tells the story of a hopeful new friendship.

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Bear can't find his glasses. He must have left them at Giraffe's house. On the way over, Bear sees all kinds of animals he didn't notice last time: an elephant, a crocodile, a flamingo, a deer. And who's this long spotty snake lying on Giraffe's deckchair? The patient Giraffe finds Bear's glassesright where glasses always get lost, perched on his head. Then Bear takes Giraffe to meet these wondrous animals that he found on the way. Leo Timmers' details are full of expression and humorthe angle of Giraffe's neck and lift of his eyebrows, hiding his skepticism as he helps his friend, the dear, artless bear. Through an ingenious telling of this classic comical situation, Leo Timmers shows us how to enjoy the world through different eyes.

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An honest, humorous and factual book for children and early teens who want to understand and feel at home with their own bodies. Sometimes we feel uncomfortable in our own skin, sometimes invincible. Expert Katharina von der Gathen’s many years of experience working with children as a sex educator are the basis for this witty encyclopedia covering interesting facts about skin, hair and body functions alongside the questions that may affect us through puberty and beyond—gender identity, beauty, consent, self-confidence, how other people react and relate to us, and how they make us feel. With accessible and warm text, Any Body gently acknowledges common feelings of ambivalence about our bodies. Through showing body diversity and positivity, it encourages acceptance of self and others. The illustrations are relatably funny and include charts, cartoons and more—even a handy page of visual compliments. This compendium is an encouraging starting point for conversations with children navigating puberty and laying the foundations for body acceptance in a straightforward and highly entertaining way. Translated from the German edition by Shelley Tanaka.

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Illustrated in full color and packed with character and humor, this is the fifth whodunnit mystery in the awardwinning Detective Gordon series, fun to read alone or aloud. A Case with a Bang is the final book in the series of funny detective stories for early readers set in a friendly forest in which two determinedly fair police—retired-toad Gordon and the indefatigable mouse Buffy—solve the mystery and stop regularly to eat cake. Night brings a horrible humming, scraping sound in the forest. Someone has wrecked the badger’s trash can. Later, three large creatures are spotted up on the mountain. Detective Buffy discovers this seemingly small case really is a dangerous mystery—she comes back from her first investigation flat as a gingerbread, rolled over by something huge and terrifying. Back at the station, retired Detective Gordon is training a new young police assistant, and the cakes have run out in the forest bakery! While all the animals cower at the police station, Buffy remembers Gordon’s stories about trolls. Is it possible they do exist? Taking Gordon’s advice about how everyone thinks differently, she finds a way to communicate with the giant creatures—perhaps not so terrifying after all. The book leaves readers with a memorable Gordon message: Everyone thinks differently, strangers are welcome, cakes for everybody! This final instalment in the awardwinning Detective Gordon series is a multi-layered philosophical story about good detective work involving all, kindness to newcomers and doing the right thing. Winner of multiple awards and accolades, Detective Gordon is a mystery series with depth—perfect for reading alone for emerging readers, wonderful for reading aloud together as a chapter book. Translated from the Swedish edition by Julia Marshall.

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Once there was a little rabbit who did only what he wanted. When his mother asked him to tidy his room he cried, “Wooolf! The wolf is coming!" and, when she ran away, he did whatever he wanted. One day he did a wee where he wanted, and the wolf came to get him. "Wooolf!" he cried, but his mother didn't fall for that. The wolf got him! It was just Simon's father in a wolf mask. Simon promised never to cry wolf again. But when his mother opened the cupboard in the morning, a wolf cried "Awwoooo!" A funny new book with a twist ending in the worldwide bestselling series about Simon the cheeky rabbit.

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This big-hearted picture book captures the warmth and fun of a spontaneous summer’s day with friends, where one lovely activity leads to another until they all go back home to bake a cake (two cakes!) to finish. Raccoon decides to bake an apple cake. But he has no eggs, so visits his friend Fox, who needs a ladder to mend the roof. Badger will have one, but he needs help too, so they set off to find Bear. They stroll through meadows, meet up with Crow, nibble blackberries and find Bear fishing at the river. Soon the five friends are having the best day out—the sun shining on their fur, fishing, swimming, picnic and finally home to bake the cake—two cakes, because bears have big appetites. A Perfect Wonderful Day with Friends is a picture book to instantly capture the heart. Laconic narration, funny dialogue and exquisite illustrations tell the story of a carefree childhood day. Philip Waechter is one of Germany’s leading children’s author/illustrators with a beautifully classic illustration style.

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A warm father and son story in which an irresistible lion cub proudly tries to be just like Dad. Lionel can do everything Dad does: Dad combs his hair. So does Lionel. Dad scratches his arm. So does Lionel. Dad sings very, very loud. So does Lionel. But when Lionel throws all the toys in the air and they come down THUNK on Dad’s head ... Dad yells! Ow! So does Lionel! Dad stops to think. Then rushes back for a big hug—Dad is very, very happy, and so is Lionel! This fun story is a discussion tool for emotional learning—over enthusiasm, mistakes, feeling upset, reconciliation, love—and a father and son relationship rarely seen in board books. Boundary-pushing Lionel has a winning, mischievous grin, and his tolerant father provides a great model for parenting. This small and sturdy board book is just right for toddlers’ and preschoolers’ hands and ideal to read alongside a child. Lionel Is Just Like Dad is the third book in this original board book series, designed as standalone stories that introduce developmental milestones with tolerant humor, mischief and gentle guidance. Series includes Lionel Eats All By Himself and Lionel Poops. With stories drawn from the intense emotions of toddlers, this series is built to give children confidence and the freedom to discover who they are. Translated from the French edition by Daniel Hahn.

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A springtime fresh picture book about a good day out with friends—climbing mountains, swimming and singing—and the difference between storytelling and lies. Lisette and her friend Bobbi the lizard have never told a lie. But they are eager to try—it might be fun! They tell Popof they are going for a trip to the mountains. When Popof decides to come too, they realise they’ll have to make the mountain. A liar needs to improvise. In this funny story about imaginative play with friends, Lisette’s creativity and quick thinking make for a wonderful day out. Gently exploring the differences between storytelling and little white lies and the importance of good intentions, this picture book is ideal to read aloud with preschoolers. With illustrations that convey a range of mood and emotion, the animal friends are brimming with personality and childlike playfulness. Other books from Catharina Valckx: Lisette’s Green Sock Zanzibar Bruno

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Cricket Karlsson is going to become an artist just like her aunt, who loves cheese and art and always speaks her mind. Not like Cricket's mother, who is dieting and sighs at everything. But now Aunt Frannie has lost her joy and Cricket's best friend has dumped her for the horse girls. Eleven-year-old Cricket Karlsson is a warm and complex character with an artistic soul. This is a liberating and unexpected story about growing up, fitting in, and sorting out the adults in our lives that will reach the hearts of young readers (and older ones).

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Hattie is a street-smart country girl in her first year of school. She lives just outside of nowhere, right next to no one at all. Luckily she’s starting school and that brings new adventures. Hattie gets her first swimming badge, falls madly in love with a hermit crab and meets a best friend. Sometimes things go wrong—like when the hairdresser cuts her hair into stumps just in time for school photos. And while Hattie tries her best, it’s not always easy to be well behaved... Hattie is perfect for newly independent readers from Frida Nilsson, whose award-winning The Ice Sea Pirates was an international bestseller.

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Bear finds three tasty mushrooms on her way home through the woods. Her friend Weasel cooks them up in the frying pan. But the friends have a problem: how to share three between two? Bear and Weasel come up with one argument after another for why they should have more. Bear needs more because she’s big; Weasel needs more because he’s small and needs to grow. Weasel cooked them, but with Bear’s recipe ... Until the fox comes around the corner and snatches a mushroom. That solved the problem. They eat the two mushrooms and it’s time for dessert. Here comes Weasel with the scrumptious wild strawberries, three of them to share...

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A stand-alone follow-up to the acclaimed chapter books that began with New York Times Notable Book My Happy Life. What do you do if your best friend lives in another city and the adults can't keep their promises about when you'll see her? You have to sort it out for yourself! Dani's father is away and Dani is staying with her grandparents. When she is invited to Ella's party, she thinks of the world's best gift for the world's best friend: she, Dani, will be the present! Her grandmother agrees- if she's brave enough to take the train alone.So Dani sets out on a journey all by herself.

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A funky and fascinating collection of inventions that never caught on, from the authors of the international bestseller MAPS. When Leonardo da Vinci invented the tank, car, helicopter, glider, parachute, submarine, lift and telescope, over 500 years ago, he was considered a dreamer. Or even crazy. Today he is understood to be a genius, ahead of his time. This book collects ancient and modern inventions. Some are revolutionary, others comical, others were simply impossible. But each of them testifies to the extraordinary imaginations of their inventors. You will find here a flying bicycle, bubble telegraph, passenger clouds and passenger birds, mechanical chess players, a water clock, a concentration hood and many more incredible ideas.

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A perfectly simple interactive board book for babies that lets the child take charge of bathtime. Who enjoys having their ears washed? Little Rabbit doesn't like the idea, but it turns out to be not so bad after all. But he does need our help. When the blow-dryer breaks, we must blow his ears dry. Wfffff! Keep blowing! Now wrap him in the towel and bathtime is over. Squeaky clean, Little Rabbit! Joerg Muhle has created another loveable boardbook that invites children to turn on the shower, cover Little Rabbit's eyes, wipe the water off his nose. Fun for everyone: children, parents, and rabbits!

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Elephant wants to play hide and seek. You can play too, but you'll have to try your best - he's VERY good! Have You Seen Elephant is an absurd and heart-warming picture book from a brilliant storyteller with perfect comic timing. Watch out for the dog and the tortoise, too...

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Bert is eleven and wants nothing more than to fight in the war. But he soon learns that the secrets and danger of war dont always stay at the front line.

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A fast-paced, comical story for early readers, in which Dad’s hair takes off through the open window to freedom! One day, Dad’s hair decided it was tired of being brushed and combed. It wanted a life of its own, to see the world. It took off. Out of the bathroom, into the kitchen, and before you could say, “Hairsta la vista, baby!” it was gone. Dad gave chase around the town. He spots his hair hiding in the lawn, on the road, at the zoo —it’s amazing how many things look like hair. He gives up. Dad tries to accept life without hair. Then the postcards arrive. The hair is on a round-the-world trip and Dad is still bald. Until one day the unbelievable happens and the hair comes back. This is a fast-paced tour-de-force, a wonderfully absurd story packed with wordplay and full colour hilarious illustrations. When Dad’s Hair Took Off is a comical chapter book for early readers or for any child to enjoy reading aloud with a grownup who relates! A fun book to celebrate and share with Dad on Father’s Day or any day. Translated from the German edition by Melody Shaw, where it was shortlisted for multiple awards. Jörg Mühle studied illustration in Offenbach and Paris. He has been illustrating for books and magazines since 2000. He is the author and illustrator of worldwide bestselling interactive bedtime book for toddlers, Tickle My Ears.

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Play hide and seek in the city with a boy, his animal friends and a dinosaur that’s surprisingly hard to spot. The brilliantly interactive follow-up to international bestselling picture book, Have You Seen Elephant? Best friends boy, dog and elephant are VERY good at hide-and-seek. There’s a missing dinosaur in the city—who better to spot this elusive giant? They search the skate park, the museum, the subway... No one in the city can spot the dinosaur, not even this crack hide-and-seek team. But delighted readers will be pointing “There it is!” from the first page. This absurd, laugh-out-loud picture book for preschoolers is richly illustrated with David Barrow’s trademark beautiful use of light and colour and dramatic cityscapes—a guaranteed hit with dinosaur-loving toddlers. With clues, surprises and humour, this game-inside-a-book celebrates imaginative play and is perfect for sharing with children who will love being better at finding the dinosaur than their adult reader.

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An exuberant rhyming picture book about a school trip to the woods, where no one sees the danger—apart from quiet Liam, who pays attention and saves the day with his particular skill of hiding. It’s the class trip to Dismal Hills wilderness. The children aren’t worried about the legendary Grizzled Grist who lives here; they’re excited to show off their outdoor skills—foraging, climbing, trapping. No one’s impressed with Liam’s skill of hiding. But it turns out a hider can see what others think does not exist. A hider moves with soundless ease and treads as softly as the breeze. At times, a hider barely breathes—but what is this the hider sees? When the children and their frazzled teacher walk confidently into disaster, little Liam saves the day—a triumph for the quiet child no one notices. From the world of That’s Not a Hippopotamus: Good-natured, funny, and a fabulous readaloud to groups.” Best Books of 2016, School Library Journal “Buoyant fun for the very young.” Kirkus Reviews

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A delightful board book for toddlers and adults to have fun experimenting with words to create funny new ones. Selected as a White Raven 2022, Kirkus Reviews Best Board Books 2022 and Bank Street Best Children's Books 2023. Playful animals get up to everyday toddler mischief in this board book built on child-based wordplay, where each page twists animal names into funny new words that are fun to share. With illustrations drawn from a toddlers world, babies and young children will recognise each activity—getting dressed, playing, painting (including themselves), having a bath, using the potty—and see how the animal makes the mischievous most of it. The bumblebee breaks its toy—bumblebee grumblebee! The cockatoo is getting dressed—cockatoo sockatoo! The pelican tries out the potty—pelican smellican! What will turtle do? Everybody gathers for the final squirtle. Built for adults, babies and toddlers to share and read aloud, this fresh and sweet board book encourages experimentation with words and sounds, just by changing a letter or two. Other books by David Elliot: Oink Henry’s Map

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A large-format non-fiction picture book that describes the incredible creatures that once walked the Earth, with a lively mix of illustrations, comics and facts. Walk in the footsteps of the first fossil researchers to discover the earliest animal life on Earth. Explore the story of a spiny sea worm without tail or head, a walking fish, a peaceful sea dragon, and many other incredible creatures. Told through comics, illustrations and data, Fossils from Lost Worlds is also a fascinating insight into paleontology itself. It shows how science is a process of thinking and rethinking, questioning and learning. Through a timeline of animal reconstructions and major discoveries, we can track the beliefs and theories that have brought our knowledge to where it is today.

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The migrants must leave the forest. Borders are crossed, sacrifices made, loved ones are lost. It takes such courage to reach the end. At last the journey is over and the migrants arrive. This is the new place. Through extraordinarily powerful images, Migrants narrates the journey of a group of animals that leaves behind a leafless forest. It is the story of a great and unique migration, a journey where borders must be crossed, sacrifices made, loved ones left behind. With forceful simplicity, Migrants shows us the courage migration takes. Death looms throughout the journey. And arriving may mean burying a portion of the past.

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In this stellar picture book by New York Times Best Illustrated Book recipient Leo Timmers, three knights go looking in the dark for a dragon. The king won't sleep until they find it. The knights know everything about dragons. With only one candle between them, they go out into the night. Is that a dragon? Attack! Intricately detailed illustrations combine with a joyful rhyming text in this spirited take on mistaken dragon identity.

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In this expressively illustrated picture book about acknowledging differences and strengths, an overeager dinosaur school bus causes problems for the city’s transportation system—so the children find a place where oversize is perfect. Every morning, Leilong the school bus shuttles through the city, picking up children as he goes. But a brontosaurus longer than a tennis court and heavier than five buses causes big problems in the busy streets. The school decides he can’t be the bus anymore. The children must find a way to help their long friend fit in. Bei Lynn’s loose and vibrant illustrations bring to life the charming world of Leilong, where brontosauruses share the city with ordinary vehicles, and sliding out the bedroom window down the neck of the dinosaur school bus is an everyday activity. From the world of Leilong the Library Bus: “Intriguing dialogue and winning characters” Kirkus Reviews “A sweet adventure that celebrates dinosaurs and imagination” Youth Services Book Review “Reminds children just how it feels to be transported by a unique, original, and enchanting story” Midwest Book Review

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A bestselling and much-loved Gecko Press title now in board book A new play on the fable of the tortoise and the hare. This is a picture book for drivers of all ages. "Simply told, with a minimum of fuss, Who's Driving? is a good example of less is more... For best results, tackle at full throttle." The Age (Australia) "A joyous ride for any pre-schooler in love with the fast and the furious." Dominion Post (NZ)

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Illustrated in full color and packed with character and humor, this is the fifth whodunnit mystery in the awardwinning Detective Gordon series, fun to read alone or aloud. A Case with a Bang is the final book in the series of funny detective stories for early readers set in a friendly forest in which two determinedly fair police—retired-toad Gordon and the indefatigable mouse Buffy—solve the mystery and stop regularly to eat cake. Night brings a horrible humming, scraping sound in the forest. Someone has wrecked the badger’s trash can. Later, three large creatures are spotted up on the mountain. Detective Buffy discovers this seemingly small case really is a dangerous mystery—she comes back from her first investigation flat as a gingerbread, rolled over by something huge and terrifying. Back at the station, retired Detective Gordon is training a new young police assistant, and the cakes have run out in the forest bakery! While all the animals cower at the police station, Buffy remembers Gordon’s stories about trolls. Is it possible they do exist? Taking Gordon’s advice about how everyone thinks differently, she finds a way to communicate with the giant creatures—perhaps not so terrifying after all. The book leaves readers with a memorable Gordon message: Everyone thinks differently, strangers are welcome, cakes for everybody! This final instalment in the awardwinning Detective Gordon series is a multi-layered philosophical story about good detective work involving all, kindness to newcomers and doing the right thing. Winner of multiple awards and accolades, Detective Gordon is a mystery series with depth—perfect for reading alone for emerging readers, wonderful for reading aloud together as a chapter book. Translated from the Swedish edition by Julia Marshall.

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Cricket Karlsson is going to become an artist just like her aunt, who loves cheese and art and always speaks her mind. Not like Cricket's mother, who is dieting and sighs at everything. But now Aunt Frannie has lost her joy and Cricket's best friend has dumped her for the horse girls. Eleven-year-old Cricket Karlsson is a warm and complex character with an artistic soul. This is a liberating and unexpected story about growing up, fitting in, and sorting out the adults in our lives that will reach the hearts of young readers (and older ones).

Read more less

Bear finds three tasty mushrooms on her way home through the woods. Her friend Weasel cooks them up in the frying pan. But the friends have a problem: how to share three between two? Bear and Weasel each come up with one argument after another for why they should have more: I found them! I cooked them. I'm bigger. I'm still growing.... Until the fox comes around the corner and snatches a mushroom. That solved the problem. They eat the two mushrooms and it's time for dessert. Here comes Weasel with the scrumptious wild strawberries, three of them to share...

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A deft and delightful tale, packed with word play and madcap energy A class trip to the zoo descends into a chaotic hunt for the missing hippopotamus. Teacher, zookeeper and all the children join the search. The noise and drama reach a pitch, and no one thinks to listen to quiet Liam, who really might know where the hippo is hiding.

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Another classic in the best-selling series about Simon, a cheeky little rabbit who knows just what he wants. Once there was a little rabbit... "I'm not a LITTLE rabbit! I'm Super Rabbit!" Simon is not afraid of anything. He's Super Rabbit! But one day when he goes out to save the world, he comes across a situation he wasn't expecting.

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Simon-the little rabbit from Poo Bum-is back! There's a new baby in Simon's house. "When's that stupid baby going back to the hospital?" Simon asks his parents. But the baby is there to stay. What about all the scary wolves outside the house? The wolves that want to eat Simon up? Will his parents still protect him now they have a stupid baby?

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