Crispin: The Pig Who Had It All


Ted Dewan - 2000
    Crispin is the pig who has it all. And each Christmas he gets even more. But his toys always break or become boring. This year Santa has left Crispin a mysterious box that promises to be the "very best thing in the whole wide world." What could it possibly be?

that pesky rat


Lauren Child - 2002
    To belong to somebody, to be an actual pet.This is the funny, touching tale of how a pesky street rat finds home, sweet home!

Not Now, Bernard


David McKee - 1980
    He's found a monster in the back garden, but his mom and dad are just too busy to notice. So Bernard tries to befriend the monster. . . and that doesn't go quite to plan.

Haunted House


Jan Pieńkowski - 1979
    Yes, it is a quaint old place - chilly, though...The owner of the Haunted House is unwell, and it's not surprising. There's a ghoul in the cupboard, an octopus in the sink, a crocodile in the bath, and in every room, a sinister black cat watching it all with roving eyes. Every page of this thrilling pop-up book is packed with spine-tingling surprises, culminating in a spectacular final spread complete with a creepy creaking saw. Since 1979, hundreds of thousands of readers have taken this scared-silly tour of one of the best-selling pop-up books of all time. This is one Haunted House that remains as innovative and exciting today as it was twenty-six years ago-but now offers even more tantalizing twists.

Harry and the Bucketful of Dinosaurs


Ian Whybrow - 1999
    He cleans them up and makes them his own, carefully (and accurately) naming each one. Harry and his dinosaurs go everywhere together. But one day, after an exciting train ride, Harry accidentally leaves the dinosaurs on the train. Silly, charming illustrations accompany this whimsical text of a child being a child.From the Hardcover edition.

Mister Magnolia


Quentin Blake - 1992
    He has an old trumpet that goes rooty-toot -And two lovely sisters who play on the flute -But Mr Magnolia has only one boot.In this wittily rhyming picture book, Mr Magnolia has a full and happy life except for one serious omission - a boot. But one day, he receives a mysterious parcel, and at last Mr Magnolia can splash in the puddles with everyone else!

John Brown, Rose and the Midnight Cat


Jenny Wagner - 1977
    Rose's dog feels he can look after her without any help from a cat, but Rose has different ideas.

The Elephant and the Bad Baby


Elfrida Vipont - 1969
    All ends well as the Bad Baby learns to say 'Please' and his mother makes pancakes for everyone.Elfrida Vipont worked as a teacher, singer and writer. She wrote over 30 books and won the Carnegie Medal in 1950 for Lark on the Wing. Raymond Briggs has produced wonderful children's books including the classic titles The Snowman, Father Christmas and When the Wind Blows - all made into immensely successful films. Raymond lives in Sussex.Look out for these other titles by Raymond Briggs:The Snowman; The Elephant and the Bad Baby; Father Christmas; Fungus the Bogeyman; Raymond Briggs's Christmas Little Library; The Father Christmas it's a Bloomin' Terrible Joke Book; Jim and the Beanstalk; Father Christmas Goes on Holiday

Winnie the Witch


Valerie Thomas - 1987
    He was black too. And that is how the trouble began. Everything in Winnie's house is black - the carpet, the chairs, the bed and the sheets, the pictures on the walls, and even the bathtub! And of course her cat, Wilbur, is black too - all except for his bright-green eyes. Whenever poor Wilbur closes his eyes and tries to take a catnap, Winnie stumbles right over him. Or accidentally sits on top of him. Until one day, when Winnie gets a brilliant idea. What if Wilbur were a different color?

Little Tim and the Brave Sea Captain


Edward Ardizzone - 1936
    Things don't go to plan for Tim, the youngest ever sailor, when he stows away on board a steamer!

A Lion in the Meadow


Margaret Mahy - 1969
    and in fact the dragon was there too?

The Lighthouse Keeper's Lunch


Ronda Armitage - 1977
    At lunchtime he tucks into a delicious lunch, prepared by his wife. But Mr Grinling isn't the only one who enjoys it. Can Mrs Grinling stop the greedy seagulls stealing the lighthouse keeper's lunch?

Old Bear


Jane Hissey - 1986
    Bramwell Brown and his friends Little Bear, Duck and Rabbit attempt to rescue Old Bear from the attic using a number of ingenious methods.

The Night Pirates


Peter Harris - 2005
    Up, up, up the dark, dark house they climbed. Stealthy as shadows, quiet as mice. Only the moon was watching when they arrived. Only the moon was watching when they left. Only the moon & one little boy."Tom is awoken by a band of rough, tough little girl pirates, so what does he do? He joins their ranks! Together they set sail in search of treasure. But what will happen when they meet a crew of rough, tough grown-up pirates? Readers will be swept up in the spare, jaunty text, & quirky illustrations in this unexpected bedtime adventure.

The Boy Who Grew Flowers


Jen Wojtowicz - 2005
    Shunned at school because he sprouts flowers every full moon, Rink Bowagon makes a special pair of shoes for a classmate who is able to appreciate his unique abilities.