It's a dark day for Itching Down. Four million wasps have just descended on the town, and the pests are relentless! What can be done? Bap the Baker has a crazy idea that just might work. Young readers will love this lyrical, rhyming text as they watch the industrious citizens of Itching Down knead, bake, and slather the biggest wasp trap there ever was!

    She longs to see the wondrous sites in the city, a place she has heard about from Pieter the horse. Quite by accident, her wish comes true one day when she falls into the canal and floats downstream on a raft.

    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

    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?

    It's Burglar Bill.Burglar Bill lives all by himself in a tall house full of stolen property. Every night (after eating his stolen fish and chips) he goes out to work... stealing things. But one day, Burglar Bill steals something very unexpected indeed! The Janet and Allan Ahlberg classic is the perfect bedtime story for all little readers everywhere. Allan Ahlberg has published over 100 children's books and with his late wife Janet, created many classics such as:The Jolly Postman Cops and RobbersFunnybonesEach Peach Pear PlumPeepo!

    Humphrey and his favorite toy, Mop, are looking for a place to play. They set off to find somewhere cozy and interesting, but nothing seems quite right. Then Mommy comes to help, and Humphrey and Mop find a warm, secret place that is just perfect. "Humphrey's Corner" introduces an endearing character who will remind readers of their own favorite toddlers, and will remind toddlers of their own cozy, interesting places.

    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.

    He's frightened of the dark, the dark all around, which not even Big Bear's largest lantern can light up. Big Bear finds a way to show Little Bear that there is no need to be afraid.

    Now she is lost and wandering. Waiting for a rescue signal from her mother, she fails to make friends with the strange creatures she encounters. Rabbits don't seem to understand her; windblown leaves won't stay still to listen. But at last, on a school playground, Beegu discovers a group of fantastic companions who are happy to let her join their games . . . until a grownup creature spoils the fun.Beegu's spirits are sinking lower than ever just as the mother ship arrives, in this simple, bittersweet picture book that shows us our world through the three eyes of an innocent outsider with the help of stylish art and a wry, understated text.

    Grouped in four progressive levels, Read and Share books - available individually for the first time - are specially selected for qualities that encourage literacy skills and a love of reading.Sixteen top-quality books with notes for extending reading fun inspire the confidence parents and children need to experience the joys of reading . . . together. Plus an informative Parents' Handbook!What is Read and Share??An expert selection of sixteen high-quality picture books by superb authors and illustrators, featuring a multicultural array of subjects, including poetry and rhymes, traditional songs, stories, and information books ?Four progressive levels - Beginnings, Early Steps, Next Steps, and Taking Off - each including four fabulous picture books?Two full spreads inside each book offering suggestions and activities inspired by the story, designed to help parents and children get the most out of each book - and build a foundation for reading success?A separate 24-page, full-color Parents' Handbook providing extensive practical information and detailed answers to many of the questions parents ask about encouraging their children's literacy

    Rabbits shouldn't believe what they read in fairy tales, but this book has the facts. (This book follows the National Carroticulum.)

    Meg is a cute well-meaning witch who lives with Mog and her owl. In Meg and Mog, we are introduced to a witch wardrobe and a witch's breakfast. Later Meg flies off to meet her witch friends for some spell-making at a Halloween Party. Unfortunately the spell does not go exactly to plan... The illustration is simple and with very bold, deep colours. Designed specifically to appeal to very young children, Meg and Mog has short simple sentences on each page, allowing the illustration to play an important part in the storytelling. If you enjoy the first Meg and Mog, enjoy more adventures in Meg on the Moon and Mog at the Zoo. (Ages 1 to 3 years.) --Victoria MacKenzie

    Given a magic fish-bone by a good fairy, Alicia can have whatever she wishes--provided she wishes for it at the right time. But it's never clear when the right time is, and sometimes the best magic is no magic at all....

    "The effect human beings have on the landscape around them is the theme of Baker's most recent tour de force....The artist's multimedia collage constructions are, as ever, fascinating in their realistic detail and powerfully convey the dramatic message.."--Horn Book.

    Funny and entertaining.