Our September books have arrived! With brand new fiction, picture books, novelty and activity books, there’s something for everyone – here’s what you can find in shops today!
We’re thrilled to publish a brand new Bizzy Bear book, with Bizzy Bear: Ambulance Rescue. Push and pull the five chunky sliders and learn about the important job of a paramedic. Read along as Bizzy Bear drives the ambulance, helps an injured little tiger, and takes him safely to the Hospital to be looked after. Illustrated by Benji Davies, and rich in visual details and touches of humour, Bizzy Bear’s action-packed adventures inspire imaginative play and are perfect for very little readers!
Today we’re publishing Listen to the Dance Music, the latest book in our Listen To The… series of noisy books – sure to get littles ones dancing away. Stylishly illustrated by Marion Billet, the book features lots of music for different kinds of classic dances like the Tango, the Waltz, and Rock ‘n’ Roll – there are six in total – and each spread has a button with a different sound. Get ready to shake your stuff and bust out those awesome dance moves!
We’re thrilled to publish four new picture books today! First up, is This Zoo is Not for You – a hilarious tale about fitting in, kindness and comic misunderstandings from Ross Collins, the creator of the award-winning There’s a Bear on My Chair. When a Platypus visits the zoo, the animals assume he’s come about the vacancy and he is swiftly taken through a rigorous interview process. But the platypus is far too bland for the chameleons, not nearly graceful enough for the flamingos, and he doesn’t know any cool tricks that will impress the monkeys… Whatever will he do? This Zoo is Not for You is a rollicking rhyming picture book, and has a heartfelt story about acceptance and belonging at it’s core.
Take a look inside:
Next we have What’s Next Door?, the latest picture book from Waterstones Children’s Book Prize-winner Nicola O’Byrne. What’s Next Door? is a follow-up to the bestselling Open Very Carefully, and is a unique interactive book with cleverly designed die-cut pages. Carter the crocodile is back, but he’s not happy. All he wants to do is find his way home, but he can’t get there by himself… He needs a little reader to help him!
Take a look inside:
We’re publishing Stardust today – a wonderfully moving story by award-winning author Jeanne Willis, all about the importance of being true to yourself and following your dreams. Brimming with stunning illustrations from Briony May Smith, the story follows a little girl who dreams of being a star, but somehow her sister always seems to shine that little bit brighter. Artfully tackling the delicate sibling dynamic, Stardust shows readers that being yourself is beautiful and that everyone can shine in their own special way.
Take a look inside:
The last of our four September picture books, available from today, is I See the Moon, a dreamy collection of sixteen favourite lullabies, rhymes and poems for sharing at bedtime. Sparkly silver foil on every page adds a little extra moonlight magic to Rosalind Beardshaw‘s beautiful artwork, showing wonderful natural scenes and lots of sleepy animals and babies. I See the Moon is the perfect collection of soothing verse to share little ones at bedtime.
Take a look inside:
We’ve published not one, not two, but THREE new books from The British Museum, and they’re all out now! First up are two new books in the First Concepts series: Colours and Opposites. These captivating board books encourage children to engage with learning concepts, packed with gorgeous photographic images of amazing artefacts from the archives of The British Museum. You can also find out more about each object by scanning the QR code at the back of the book!
To round off the British Museum books, we’re excited to publish Mixed-Up Masterpieces: Funny Faces today. This is the first in a seriously silly series of Mixed-Up Masterpieces, featuring artefacts from The British Museum. Children can solve the puzzle by matching up the correct faces or animals on the split pages – and then mix them all up again to create 2000 hilarious combinations. To find out more about each of the objects, simply scan the QR code at the back of the book.
Today, we’ve also published a trio of beautiful non-fiction in partnership with The National Trust next month. First up, we have Getting Ready For Christmas: A Sticker Storybook – it’s Christmas in the countryside in this enchanting sticker book, beautifully illustrated by Tara Lilly. With over 100 stickers to add to the festive family scenes, this is the perfect sticker book to enjoy during the countdown to Christmas. From adding toys into the toyshop windows to decorating the Christmas tree with baubles and a star, this cute sticker storybook has fresh yet nostalgic charm.
And get ready for the fourth in our series of First Concept books, illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw, out today. Up and Down: A Walk in the Countryside is a charming board book for the very young, following two little children on a day in the countryside, where they spot all kinds of animals and plants in their natural habitats, learning about opposites as they go – it’s perfect for sharing again and again.
Our final National Trust book publishing today is The Secret Diary of Jane Pinny: Victorian House Maid (and Accidental Detective), the second book in our Secret Diaries series. Jane Pinny has moved to the very grand Lytton House to be a Maid Of All Work. And being a Maid Of All Work means that she has to do… well, ALL the work, obviously! Cleaning, dusting, scrubbing, washing – there’s SO much to do in a Victorian country house. But when a priceless jade necklace belonging to the lady of the house disappears, Jane turns accidental detective (with the help of her best friend, a pigeon called Plump…) – can she solve the mystery of the missing jewels before it’s too late? Written by Roald Dahl Funny Prize-winning author Philip Ardagh and brilliantly illustrated throughout by Jamie Littler, the Secret Diaries series is packed with great characters, exciting plots, and full of interesting, accessible historical facts.
Take a look inside:
We’re so happy to publish The Invincibles: The Beast of Bramble Woods this month, written by Caryl Hart and illustrated by Sarah Warburton. Nell and Freddie Spoon are desperate to join Nell’s older brother and his friends as they camp in the garden, but their plans are scuppered by an eight-thirty bedtime! So they come up with a plan to sneak back out and play some tricks… This is the third book in the Invincibles series – hilarious two-colour fiction, with the perfect amount of detail and adventure to keep kids enthralled until the very last page.
Look inside:
Get ready for The Spectre Collectors: Too Ghoul For School, the first book in a comic, action-packed adventure series from award-winning author Barry Hutchison. Denzel is having no luck with his maths homework. First, it’s too difficult, then there’s a terrifying mess of smoky black tendrils that wants to kill him, then two teenagers explode through his window holding guns and throwing magic. They are the Spectre Collectors, and spooky is their speciality. Realising that Denzel has a special gift, they sweep him off to their headquarters for training. Tested with awesome weapons and ancient magic, Denzel realises just how little he knows. But there’s a serious problem on its way from the Spectral Realm, so Denzel has a lot to learn. FAST. Packed with awesome gadgets, this book is as thrilling as it is funny.
Take a look inside:
Congratulations to all of today’s authors and illustrators!
