Search results for ""author christian birmingham""

A fictional account of the day a whale swam up the Thames, in which the whale makes an environmental plea to the boy who first sees him.At sunrise, young Michael spots a whale on the shores of the Thames and thinks he must be dreaming. But the creature is real and it has a message for him – one that only an open-minded child can deliver to the rest of the world. The whale warns that the earth’s days are numbered and that humans must put right the damage they are doing, but how can Michael fulfil his promise to tell others when neither his teacher nor his classmates will believe his story? Within hours, the city and the wider world have learned of London’s remarkable visitor, and all eyes are on the whale’s struggle against the receding tide. Michael must now join his new friend in a race against time to reach the ocean, and hold fast to his promise in the race to save the world itself.

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A moving story of a brother, a sister and a swallow, and how all are in some way victims of the horrors of landmines. Olly’s brother Matt wants to go and work with children who have been made orphans, through war, in Africa. He wants to be a clown and make them laugh. His mother and sister want him to stay in England and go to university. Hero, a swallow, has a journey to make too. He must fly to Africa for the winter to join all the other swallows. His journey is difficult and fraught with danger. Three separate stories are woven into one powerful and moving novel whose central theme not only exposes the horrors of war and of landmines, but also the endurance of the human spirit.

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There is magic and mystery surrounding the vale of Sleepy Hollow. It is home to a host of ghostly sounds and goblin spectres, none more infamous than the Headless Horseman. This figure rides out in the witching hour of night. If one is not careful, a traveller can lose everything in one evening – their wits, their heart, their head… The foolish school teacher, Ichabod Crane, is besotted with the lovely Katrina Van Tassel. Surely there can be nothing to stand in the way of his designs on her fortune. Sadly for him, imagination is a dangerous thing in Sleepy Hollow, and Katrina is in the sights of another who claims to have bettered the Horseman in a race. Which suitor will succeed and which is destined to become part of Sleepy Hollow’s legend forevermore?

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The glorious publication of Clement C. Moore’s timeless verse sees it brought to new life by the beautiful illustrations of Christian Birmingham. Every Christmas Eve brings with it hushed anticipation and wonder. Here is the story of this magical night, when children around the world await the arrival of the gifts that symbolise all the warmth and love of Christmas.

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Celebrating the twenty-fifth anniversary of the stunning, classic story of an unforgettable friendship with a glorious colour gift edition, fully illustrated by Christian Birmingham. “All my life I’ll think of you, I promise I will. I won’t ever forget you.” Bertie rescues an orphaned white lion cub from the African veld. They are inseparable until Bertie is sent to boarding school far away in England and the lion is sold to a circus. Bertie swears that one day they will see one another again, but it is the butterfly lion which ensures that their friendship will never be forgotten. From master storyteller Michael Morpurgo, this extraordinary tale of friendship, loyalty and overcoming adversity has spoken to readers the world over since it was first published twenty-five years ago. This stunning colour gift book, with new illustrations from Christian Birmingham, will be treasured by a new generation of children.

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When Black Beauty was born one sweet spring day, he could not have imagined the life ahead of him. Following his mother's advice to always try his best, he enjoys the adventures of country and city life, makes new friends and suffers from the cruelty and greed of his human masters. Beauty faces each challenge with bravery and kindness, and then a chance encounter with an old friend brings him the greatest joy of all. Anna Sewell's spirited story of the life of a horse has captivated generations of readers and Beauty's 19th Century world is gorgeously brought to life by Christian Birmingham's vibrant artwork.

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A boy living by a Scottish loch sees a beautiful silver swan land on the water. She remains at the loch, mates and there are soon five cygnets too. The boy watches them in awe and pride. When snowy winter sets in, all the birds and animals around the loch must scavenge desperately for food. The fox also has cubs to feed...A remarkably dramatic and compassionate story about Nature, magnificently told and stunningly illustrated with sweeping pastel landscapes.

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The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe has enchanted readers for generations and now will delight younger children as a picture book. Brought to life through Christian Birmingham’s stunning illustrations, this is a magical winter story for all the family. When Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy are sent to stay with a kind professor who lives in the country, they can hardly imagine the extraordinary adventure that awaits them. It all begins when the children explore the professor’s rambling old house. When they come across a room with an old wardrobe in the corner, Lucy opens the door and gets inside. To her amazement, she suddenly finds herself standing in a wood, with snowflakes falling through the air. Lucy has found Narnia, a magical land of fauns and centaurs, nymphs and talking animals and the magnificent lion, Aslan. They are joined by the beautiful but evil White Witch, who has held the country in eternal winter for a hundred years. Christian Birmingham’s exquisite illustrations bring the world of Narnia alive and provide the perfect setting for the carefully abridged story. It is a classic in its own right and a magical doorway to all the stories within the Narnia Chronicles.

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