Search results for ""thames hudson ltd""

Ravens & Red Lipstick shortlisted for Photography category in the British Design and Production AwardsRavens & Red Lipstick provides a visually bold survey of Japanese photography’s recent history. Drawing together extensive research and a succession of engaging dialogues with both emerging and established photographers, Lena Fritsch traces its development chronologically from the severity of post-war Realism to the diverse ingenuity of photography in contemporary Japan, via the work of movements and groups such as Vivo in the 1960s and‘Girl Power’ in the ’90s. Interspersed are fascinating original interviews with some of the most influential photographers of each era, from Daido Moriyama to Nobuyoshi Araki and Rinko Kawauchi. Interrogating the business, education and art-institutional backdrops to each movement, Fritsch masterfully demonstrates the centrality of these contexts to the form and reception of a cross-section of Japanese photographic works. Fritsch’s great achievement is to bring observations from a range of disciplines to bear on her commentary with imagination and clarity. As a result, this comprehensively illustrated volume is both an accessible introduction and an illuminating work of analysis for general readers and aficionados alike.

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An inspiring tale from Michael Morpurgo and Michael Foreman celebrating the world’s most iconic train, Flying Scotsman, and its greatest fan, a young girl named Iris. Iris knows everything there is to know about Flying Scotsman. Her dad is the famous train’s driver, and every year her favourite birthday treat is a trip to see him at work. But each time Flying Scotsman pulls away, Iris wishes more than anything that she could be in the driver’s cab, just like her dad. Then again, who’s to stop her… Published in association with the National Railway Museum, York, Flying Scotsman and the Best Birthday Ever takes readers on a journey through the golden age of steam travel, paying tribute to the women who kept the railways running during the Second World War. With family at its heart, the story is warmly written and joyously illustrated by national treasures Michael Morpurgo and Michael Foreman.

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Exploration has never been more popular and any idea that there is nowhere left to explore is instantly disproved by the contemporary explorers who are showcased here. Most of the accounts are written by the explorers themselves, and they all vividly describe challenging and extraordinary expeditions to some of the remotest parts of the world, in extremes of temperature and aridity, often alone and on the edge of danger. Some of these explorers are very experienced and are already celebrated worldwide, others are young and less well known and just starting to make their mark; all are driven by ambition, aspiration and passion.With 25 illustrations

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From Classical times to the 19th century, the great quest to discover and define the intoxicating diversity of the natural world attracted a host of intrepid thinkers and explorers. Aristotle and Linnaeus set out to classify nature; Joseph Banks and von Humboldt made perilous journeys to collect and record it. Antony van Leeuwenhoek discovered bacteria with a homemade microscope and James Hutton revealed the immense age of the Earth. Mary Anning hunted fossils; others insects, birds and plants. Georges Cuvier pondered extinction, and Charles Darwin proclaimed the origin of species. With their radical thinking and commitment to close observation, these pioneers laid foundations for the specialist scientists of today. Here thirty-nine of them are brought vividly to life by an array of experts, with illustrations from the unmatched archive of the Natural History Museum, London.

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The story of the Highland clans is a gripping one, full of celebrated names and heroic deeds. It is also, as Alistair Moffat reveals, the story of a fearless people, shaped by the unique traditions and landscape of the Scottish Highlands. Here, he traces the history of the clans from their Celtic origins to the coming of the Romans, through the great battles of Bannockburn and Flodden, to the Clearances and the present day. The images bring the stories to life with historical portraits and depictions of significant events such as the battles or the Highland dances, to name but a few. The story of the clans is also about the pain of leaving, with the great emigrations to the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Complete with a clan map and an alphabetical list of the clans of the Scottish Highlands, this is a must for anyone interested in the history of Scotland.

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This third, updated and expanded edition of Christiane Paul’s acclaimed book investigates key areas of digital art practice that have gained in prominence in recent years, including the emergence and impact of location-based media, interactive public installation, augmentive and mixed reality, social networking and file-sharing and tablet technologies. It explores themes raised by digital artworks, such as viewer interaction, artificial life and intelligence, political and social activism, networks and telepresence, and issues surrounding the collection, presentation and preservation of digital art. It also looks at the impact of digital techniques and media on traditional forms of art such as printing, painting, photography and sculpture, as well as exploring the ways in which entirely new forms such as internet and software art, digital installation and virtual reality have emerged as recognized artistic practices.

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Stimulate your senses, and discover the incredible benefits of natural essential oils with Aromatherapist in a Box, an instructional card set by Jo Kellett and illustrator Elin Svensson. Understand the 50 most common essential oils and their therapeutic uses with this attractive and practical box. Following the instructions on the cards, you’ll learn how to treat a host of ailments in an entirely natural—and surprisingly effective—way. The cards give you all the information you need to choose and apply the right essential oils—lavender, sandalwood, neroli, peppermint, and many more—and the book tells you how to make your own candles, massage oils, and bath salts.

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Four Seasons: Create Four Elegant Collages with the Images in this Surprising Kit is a unique introduction to the art of collage. In the same style as her trademark collage “pin-ups,” Maria Rivans presents four “seasons” with all the images and backgrounds you need to re-create them yourself; and after the satisfying process of composition, the four finished collages will work together as complementary artworks to adorn your walls. Maria provides a choice of backdrops, hundreds of surprising collage elements (which the reader cuts out themselves), and the practical advice—you bring your own spin for a unique, contemporary result.

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What should you look for when you're re-reading a draft? What are the most common mistakes first-time authors make? How can you inject excitement into flat prose? How do you make readers root for your protagonist? What verbs should you avoid, and which must you use? Why should you mix long and short sentences? This ingenious toolkit answers all these questions and hundreds more. Drawing on years of successful writing and publishing, and careful study of scores of how-to-write manuals and style guides, the Writing Coach will challenge, advise, encourage and inspire. And because the cards address universal problems of story and style, they won't just help novelists, but anyone who writes. So whether you want to create better books, blogposts, press releases, memoirs, news stories or screenplays, you'll get the coaching you need.

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Discover the calming power of the flow state with Forest Dream, a 1,000-piece circular puzzle that captures the natural beauty of the woods.   We all know flow, even if we don’t yet know what to call it: that blissful state of absorption, when you’re so engaged with what you’re doing that you don’t notice the time passing. Psychologists have discovered that this still, almost meditative condition brings us a host of mental health benefits: balance, tranquility, and stress reduction. Jigsaw puzzling is an easy way to find flow, which is why it has boomed so dramatically in recent years.   With the first of Skittledog’s Flow puzzles, illustrator Elin Svensson’s Forest Dream uses harmonious forms and colors, inspired by the forests of her native Sweden, to take the puzzler on a gentle journey to a place of calm.   In a new spin on the traditional jigsaw, this circular design, cente

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The best photo assignments from the Monocle archive, published to mark the magazine's fifteenth anniversary. Back in 2007 the first issues of Monocle magazine hit newsstands and kiosks around the globe. At its core was a pledge to commission all original photography – capturing the world on film, on the ground and in the moment. The cover of that first issue featured a Japanese helicopter pilot from the country's defence force – taken as part of a 10-day reportage assignment for both photographer and writer. In the years since, Monocle has continued in its pursuit of documenting the world through its unique lens – from embassies and residences to world leaders and cultural stars. Each issue has featured a dedicated photographic Expo section celebrating lesser-known locales, obscure events and curious characters through truly outstanding photography. Alpine wrestlers, Syrian outposts, French legionnaires, noodle-makers, game show hosts and private member’s clubs have all graced the pages. The Monocle Book of Photography draws on the best of these photographic stories from an archive a decade and a half in the making. A handsome linen bound edition with the highest quality gloss paper and printing, the book also features supporting text about the photo assignments and the stories behind them, including first hand accounts from the photographers involved.

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Among the many treasures of the al-Sabah Collection, Kuwait, are hundreds of chess and other games pieces dating from the 7th to the 19th centuries ce. Intricately crafted in a rich variety of materials, including ivory, wood, ceramic, glass, jade and agate, these tiny objects are of enormous historical and artistic significance. They not only mark the evolution of familiar games into their modern forms, but also evoke the imperial palaces, military camps and herders’ tents in which they were played over many centuries, from the Sasanian period through the Islamic era in Central Asia, Iran, present-day Iraq and northern India. The chess pieces include both early figural sets and the more abstract forms that later became popular throughout the Islamic world. Dice, pachesi sets and a medieval Arabic treatise on chess complete the collection.

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Bridget Riley is one of the most important British painters of our time. Since the early 1960s, when she first gained recognition with her powerful black and white paintings, the artist has continued to explore the principles of abstraction in startling and original ways. Through her systematic engagement with colour, tone, form and structure, Riley pushes the boundaries of perception, challenging us to look at the world anew. This landmark publication brings together for the first time all of Bridget Riley’s known paintings, including well over 650 works ranging from the late 1940s to 2017. Each painting is illustrated with a full-page colour image, many of which have been sourced from the artist’s extensive archive and rarely published. Drawing on archival research and expert knowledge, the publication includes an introductory essay, explanation of materials and methods, extended exhibition history, biographical information and explanatory notes. The publication benefits from the remarkable input of Bridget Riley herself, who has been present at every stage of the project and has provided first-hand information about her work and exhibition and sales history. Bridget Riley: The Complete Paintings is a seminal visual resource and provides the most comprehensive overview of the artist’s paintings to date.

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Chronicling a journey of close observation across some of the country’s most picturesque states via the medium of 60 entertaining, informative profiles, Mexico: A Culinary Quest captures the essence and spirit of Mexican food history as well as a wide range of contemporary cooking styles. The profiles represent a cross-section of both walks of life and social classes: nuns; grande dames; campesinos; barrio residents; creatives in the arts, architecture, music, film and media; businesspeople – and, of course, great chefs. The lively profile texts are accompanied by specially commissioned photographs of both people and places, focusing the aesthetic interplay of visual and textual narratives. While food is at its heart, the lure of Mexico: A Culinary Quest is not just the featured personalities – their tables, their menus, their local specialities, their kitchens – but the country’s magnificent settings and landscape. From Yucatán to Tabasco, from Nueva Leon to Chiapas, from famous watering holes to local holes in the wall, Mexico: A Culinary Quest is a feast for both the eyes and the intellect.

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This spectacular collection of nearly 200 jewelled weapons and priceless accoutrements from the Indian subcontinent was assembled over many decades by Sheikh Nasser and Sheikha Hussah al-Sabah for The al-Sabah Collection, Kuwait. Produced for aristocratic patrons who valued the arts, these richly decorated edged weapons and other princely objects bear witness to the legendary opulence and refinement of the Indian courts during the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries. Many incorporate decorative features originating in Central Asia, the Iranian world, China, and even Renaissance Europe, testifying to centuries of trade, travel and warfare. At the same time, these ornate and uniquely Indian weapons are masterpieces of a long and unparalleled tradition of artistic craftsmanship on the subcontinent, displaying distinctive techniques of gemstone setting, hardstone carving, enamelling and blade damascening.

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The spiral is the natural form of growth, and has become, in every culture and in every age, man’s symbol of the progress of the soul towards eternal life. As the inward-winding labyrinth, it constitutes the hero’s journey to the still centre where the secret of life is found. As the spherical vortex, spiralling through its own centre, it combines the inward and outward directions of movement. In this original and engrossing book, Jill Purce traces the significance of one man’s central symbols from the double spirals of Stone Age art and the interlocking spirals of the Chinese Yin Yang symbol to the whorls of Celtic crosses, Maori tattoos and the Islamic arabesque. Many of the superb images here were intended as objects of contemplation; for the spiral is a cosmic symbol.

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The ultimate guide for aspiring artists with a love of manga. Following How to Draw a Graphic Novel, Balthazar Pagani returns, joined by manga expert Asuka Ozumi, to demystify the process of creating manga, from the creative spark that inspires a story, to what it's like to work in a professional manga studio. Featuring the work of Italian manga illustrator Silvia Vanni, and told from the point of view of two young manga fans, How to be a Manga Artist delivers a blend of professional advice and practical tips to guide aspiring creators, including how to construct a compelling narrative, develop characters your readers will fall in love with, and the basics of printing, digital file set-up, and self-promotion. How to be a Manga Artist also includes a specially commissioned chapter by renowned Japanese illustrator Fumio Obata - who encourages readers to look beyond the aesthetics of manga and to put themselves into the story to develop a style that is entirely original and true

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Our protagonist Zach develops a love of reading thanks to the stubborn efforts of his friend Ro, who reveals the imaginative power of books. Zach isn’t convinced that books are for him – they’re too long, they’re boring and he would rather watch TV. But thanks to his friend Ro’s stubborn efforts, Zach falls for books hook, line and sinker, and loses himself in a world of dinosaurs, princesses, pirates, football and rocketships – anything and everything the library has to offer. The benefits of reading for pleasure are well researched. As well as being linked to academic attainment, reading for pleasure can increase empathy, our understanding of our own identity, and improve mental health. These outcomes are most likely when reading takes place out of free choice. Through lively rhymes and dynamic illustrations, The Library Book helps early readers understand the plethora of books available to them through their local library and encourages parents, guardians and teachers to help children find books that appeal to their personal interests. Written in a catchy rhyming style by bestselling author Gabby Dawnay, The Library Book will trigger a love of words in readers of all abilities, while Ian Morris’ inventive watercolour illustrations – which are reminiscent of two British illustration greats, Quentin Blake and Chris Riddell – make Zach’s emotional journey come alive. The combination is a picture book that will inspire a love of libraries, reading, books and words in even the most reluctant reader.

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The latest book in Shinsuke Yoshitake’s bestselling ‘Imagination’ series takes a whimsical and wildly inventive look at maps. If you get lost, it’s simple – you just look at a map, and hey presto! You can find out where you are. But might there be other things a map can show? How about treasure maps, maps of your feelings, maps of how things work…? When you think about it, a map can have a million uses. This charming new picture book by Shinsuke Yoshitake is an ingenious exploration of the wonderful world of maps and how they help to guide us.

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Using luminous HUV printing, Bang immerses readers in the awe-inspiring phenomena of the natural world. In this follow up to the highly acclaimed Glow, award-winning illustrator Jennifer N. R. Smith takes us on a breathtaking tour of the planet's most astonishing natural phenomena - from explosive volcanoes and geysers to dancing lights in the night sky. The Earth may seem solid and stationary but deep beneath its surface it is constantly changing, twisting and transforming. Its unbridled power is what generates surreal natural phenomena and dramatic landscapes, as well as devastating natural disasters. In this lavishly illustrated book, young readers will discover the explosive power of volcanoes, a cave filled with giant crystals, a hot spring pool filled with bathing snow monkeys, dinosaurs hidden between layers of rock and an incredible ecosystem that can survive the boiling hot waters around hydrothermal vents, as well as extreme weather and incredible optical phenomena, inc

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An original retelling of a classic Taoist tale. Once upon a time, there was a tiny grain of sand. Its life was rather boring, until one day it made a wish. Suddenly the grain of sand found out what it might be like to be something else – but is the grass always greener? This rendition of a classic fable tackles an age-old question: how can you be happy with your lot in a world full of temptation? With bold, contemporary illustrations and a rhythmic and witty text, this book is funny, lively and wise.

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A colourful, fact-filled introduction to the world of fish. There are 1,001 fish inside this book, and they can’t wait to show you the ocean. Follow them and meet a host of fascinating creatures that live below the waves. Dive into the deepest depths, find out why humans need to take care of the sea - and watch out for hungry predators! Awash with lively illustrations and full of fascinating facts, this book is a must for all children interested in the natural world.

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This charming and imaginative story in the bestselling If I had... series imagines life with an octopus as a pet. I really want a clever pet, a pet with many charms. The sort of pet with talents, and a large amount of arms Have you ever thought about what the best aquatic pet would be? It's an octopus, of course! Playing different ball games simultaneously and staying camouflaged when it’s bedtime is eight times the fun – just watch out for the ink... With vibrant illustrations and playful rhymes, If I Had an Octopus is a delightful bedtime story that follows a little girl's flight of fancy as she imagines the advantages and disadvantages of having an octopus for a pet.

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Now available as a board book: the award-winning illustrated bedtime story about a little girl who imagines what it would be like to have a dinosaur of her very own. As read by Eddie Redmayne for CBeebies Christmas Day Bedtime Story WINNER of the 'Best Preschool Book' - Made For Mums Awards 2018 A little girl dreams of having her very own pet. But what kind of animal would make the best companion? A mouse is too small; a cat is too ordinary; and a fish is too… wet! As she plays with her toy dinosaur, inspiration strikes. What about a real, live dinosaur? She could ride it to school. It would need lots of food to eat, a swimming pool to drink from, and a dino flap so it could come and go. At the end of a day spent busily imagining, the girl trudges up to bed with her little plastic dinosaur. As she falls asleep, the dinosaur from her daydreams stands in the garden with its head poking through the bedroom window, making her dreams come true.

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You can find joy in the simplest objects – even a humble rubber band! You can have fun pinging it or playing with it in the bath. But you can also use it to do exciting, unexpected things, like bungee jumping out of a plane, or sneaking a furtive snack. The only limit is your imagination! Renowned author-illustrator Shinsuke Yoshitake brings his trademark wit and thoughtfulness to this charming book, which honours children’s attachment to their favourite things while opening the door to a world of exciting new objects and experiences.

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Written by award-winning Black British children’s author Sharna Jackson, Black Artists Shaping the World celebrates the diversity of work being produced today by Black artists from around the globe, introducing young readers to twenty-six contemporary artists from Africa and of the African diaspora. Sharna Jackson’s experience as a children’s author who has worked for over a decade in the cultural sector, both at Tate in London and at Site Gallery in Sheffield, is combined here with the curatorial expertise of Dr Zoé Whitley, Director of London’s Chisenhale Gallery and co-curator of the landmark Tate exhibition ‘Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power’. Their book features artists working in a variety of media from painting, sculpture and drawing to ceramics, installation art and sound art. Artists featured include British Turner Prize-winning painters Lubaina Himid and Chris Ofili; renowned South African visual activist Zanele Muholi; Nigerian sound artist Emeka Ogboh; Sudanese painter Kamala Ibrahim Ishag; Kenyan-British ceramicist Magdalene Odundo; African-American artists Kerry James Marshall, Faith Ringgold, Amy Sherald and Kehinde Wiley; performance artist Harold Offeh; and moving image artist Larry Achiampong. The result is a refreshingly contemporary celebration of Black artists at work today that will serve as inspiration to a new generation of aspiring young artists. Winner of Five Awards: • SLA Information Book Award, Judges Award Winner, Age 13-16 category 2022 • SLA Information Book Award, Children's Choice Winner, Age 13-16 category 2022 • SLA Information Book Award, Judges Choice Winner 2022 • Junior Design Awards - GOLD medal winner • Made for Mums Awards - GOLD award With 62 illustrations in colour

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Young history buffs and celebrity fanatics alike will enjoy this humorous and irreverent introduction to King Tutankhamun written by Egyptologist and TV presenter Dr Chris Naunton. Readers hear first-hand from King Tutankhamun how he became the ruler of ancient Egypt at the tender age of nine, and what it was like to be rudely awakened from the afterlife by British Egyptologist Howard Carter in 1922. They'll endure him bragging about his collection of blingy 18-carat gold sandals, and wonder how to discern fake news from the truth surrounding Tut’s mysteriously premature death. Naunton's expert text is accompanied by Guilherme Karsten's illustrations, giving the boy King a contemporary make-over for celebrity-obsessed readers, and letting children in on all the juicy details of an extraordinary life.With 48 illustrations in colour

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BRONZE award winner, MadeForMums Awards 2021 BRONZE award winner, Junior Design Awards, 'Best Designed / Illustrated Book For Children' category Marvellous Magicians celebrates the work of eight pioneering illusionists, both famous and under-represented, whose tricks have been the making of modern magic. Through a magical blend of biography, history and illustration, it brings these amazing magicians and their illusions into the spotlight. They include one of the first female magicians, Adelaide Herrmann, and African American illusionist Richard Potter, alongside such well-known greats as Houdini and his namesake and inspiration, Houdin. Two spectacular fold-out pages reveal the secret workings of the Automata Chess Player and Howard Thurston’s dramatic transformation of an empty box into a world of wonders, while themed spreads explore the early history of magic, the eight effects of magic on which all tricks are based, the magician’s tool box, and the under-appreciated role of the magician’s assistant. For its finale, Marvellous Magicians explores the hidden societies who have kept the secrets of illusions closely guarded for decades, provides advice on becoming a magician and introduces readers to contemporary magicians from around the world including Australia, China, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK and USA. Written in a theatrical style and illustrated with original gouache paintings, Marvellous Magicians is the perfect book for all aspiring magicians.

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A big noise echoes around the world, causing chaos and confusion. What could it be? A strange force from another world? An out-of-tune saxophonist? A meteor crashing into a horn factory? And where does it comes from? Everyone’s in for a big surprise when the truth comes out!

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Harold is turning seven years old. He’s never had a real birthday party. His parents are too grumpy. But this year is going to be different. Thanks to an amazing man named Mr. Ponzio, something incredible is going to happen on Harold’s birthday – and it’s going to be absolutely extraordinary

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Tony T-Rex’s Family Album is a humorous history of dinosaurs as told by Earth’s last surviving dinosaur, Tony. Tony pens a no-holds-barred family history, and the stories that surface reveal the defining characteristics of some of the most memorable creatures from the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. Tony’s memoir includes tales about his great-great-great-grandpa ‘Greedy Guts’ Bill, the Brachiosaurus who was known to eat stones to help with indigestion, and beak-mouthed Aunt Norni the Sinornithosaurus, the first female dinosaur ever to achieve flight. It also presents the family’s blackest sheep – a Ceratosaurus called Horace ‘The Horn’ who, in a time of great scarcity and hunger, took a bite out of one his hunting buddies and pursued a lifestyle of cannibalism. Featuring the quirky illustrations of Rob Hodgson, Tony T-Rex’s Family Album stands apart from the numerous dinosaur books on the market for its characterful creatures and humorous approach to palaeontology. It is the first in a series that brings archaeology alive for young children.

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Peter Sís blends a true story from his childhood with the fictional adventure of Robinson Crusoe to create a magical picture book filled with heart and imagination that readers will want to return to again and again.

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Why is a flamingo pink? Can a parrot talk? Is a bald eagle really bald? This follow-up to the hugely successful The Big Book of Bugs, The Big Book of Beasts and The Big Book of the Blue answers these questions and many more. It opens with introductory spreads explaining how to recognize different bird’s eggs, the bird family tree, why different species of birds have different beaks and feathers, and why some birds migrate and travel vast distances every year. Subsequent spreads, illustrated with various habitats, are dedicated to specific varieties of bird, including hummingbirds, peacocks, flamingos, bald eagles, secretary birds, albatrosses and red-crowned cranes. Some will teach children how to spot different birds within a specific variety, for example how to differentiate the American robin from the European robin. Others explore bird habitats, for example showing how birds adapt to live in cities. Finally, the book invites young bird spotters to protect birds where they live and make their gardens bird friendly. This is a big, beautiful book to look at again and again.

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From the creators of the bestselling Franklin’s Flying Bookshop, Jen Campbell and Katie Harnett, comes another charming tale about two book-lovers Franklin and Luna. Luna and her best friend, Franklin the dragon, love stories and want to visit all the places they’ve read about in books. But for all their reading they still don’t know where dragons come from. And Franklin is now so old – 605 to be exact – he can’t remember himself! They search high and low, but to no avail. Until one evening, Luna’s tortoise, Neil Armstrong, notices something far away in the sky… The three friends set out on their biggest adventure yet – all the way to the moon – in the hope of reuniting Franklin with his long lost family.

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What are you wearing today? Spots or stripes? Snowsuit or swimsuit? Well, it depends! These pages are packed with interactive tabs that put children in the driving seat. A pop-up book with flaps to lift, tabs to pull and plenty of surprises! This product complies with the essential requirements of the relevant European health, safety and environmental protection legislation.

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This charming book takes readers on a thrilling adventure through London with the most amazing of all nannies, Mary Poppins, as a guide. Hélène Druvert’s intricate lasercuts and delicate illustrations show the city and its sights at their very best, and offer a wonderfully imaginative introduction both to London and to the world of Pamela L. Travers’ eternally popular Mary Poppins.

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Tuwim’s rhythmic poem Locomotive invites us aboard an old steam train as it chuffs and puffs out of the station. As it races along, rattling and clattering past bridges and valleys, we look inside some of the train’s many carriages. There’s a wagon of bananas, one full of pianos, another is carrying animals off to the zoo, there are giraffes and elephants and bicycles and umbrellas, and a trio of men, all eating sausages. Le Witt and Him’s illustrations capture inventively the smoke and the speed and the humorous cargo. Replicating the original edition, this book includes two more short stories – the well-loved folk tale about a turnip so enormous that the farmer can’t pull it up and the hilarious story of chatterbox birds who can’t agree on anything. Harking back to precedents in Russian children’s book-making and looking forward to the Picture Puffins and other hugely successful models in Britain and North America, Locomotive stands out as a beacon of quality and imagination that works its charm on children and parents in the twenty-first century just as much as it did on its first publication eighty years ago.

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An activity book with a contemporary twist, Think and Make Like an Artist explores how artists find ideas and turn them into finished artworks. First, children discover how artists think, research and experiment, then they try out art projects for themselves. Children are encouraged to set their imaginations free and to respond to clever visual prompts and suggestions, enabling them to create entirely unique artworks. Moving beyond the traditional, canonical approach to art, the book covers a wide range of media and introduces fresh new creative ideas and practices, giving children the confidence to make their own creative decisions. Winner: Children’s Trade 9-16 Years category, British Book Design & Production Awards

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A short, entertaining text narrated by the young Tony introduces Miró, a quiet, kind and smartly dressed man, who ‘dreamed when he was awake’ and painted wonderfully strange worlds filled with magical animals. The book is beautifully illustrated with some of Miró’s finest works, as well as evocative archive photography by Lee Miller and specially commissioned artworks by children done in the style of Miró. Tony recalls a visit by Miró to his childhood home and a trip to London Zoo, during which Miró asked to see ‘large birds, snakes, and strange creatures of the night’. With its vibrant colours and artworks, this book will inspire and appeal to art fans of any age.

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This inventive and beautifully produced pop-up book follows a couple and their small dog as they journey across the sea in a tiny sailing boat, encountering extraordinary boats from all around the world as they go. Gérard Lo Monaco is one of the world’s finest paper engineers, and this is reflected in the rich detail of the pop-up boats. The five Pantone colours give the book a contemporary feel with a touch of nostalgia that will appeal to children and adults alike.

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This book teaches children of 7+ how to make fashionably cool mix-and-match clothes for a standard 30 cm (12 in) plastic doll. Its approach is simple, quick and fun, and the results are extremely stylish. At the beginning of the book, children are encouraged to be creative and adapt the patterns to make their own designs. The main section of the book includes patterns for nine garments, each with an actual-size pattern on the page to use as a template, along with super-clear instructions and illustrations of each step. Helpful tips and inspirational photographs of the dolls modelling the finished clothes run throughout the book, and a section at the back sets out the basics of sewing, including how to thread a needle, do a running stitch and sew on poppers and buttons.

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Strap yourself in an prepare for take off! This is a first: a flying course for children who relish the detail of dials, widgets and flight panels, and who dream of one day becoming airborne. Using plenty of photographs, diagrams and illustrations, this book offers children their very own flying lessons. Covering the essential science and technology of flight, it is filled with stacks of stats and facts, and will be essential reading for all turbocharged kids in thrall to the wonder of flight.

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