It is an Australian summer. The sun is shining, the gulls are screeching and the sea is singing. Together they build a sandcastle, they have a picnic and they splash in the water. Then at the end of the day, Grandpa takes a sleepy Thomas home.

    Then again, it's perfectly boring for guinea pigs as extraordinary as John Willy and Freddy McGee! So, of course, when their cage door is left open, these two daring friends take the chance to escape. Out into the world they go, afraid of nothing. That is, until they suddenly hear—while inside the tunnels of a pool table: TAP! wumba BONK! tap-tap wumba BONK! Off they go again—this time back to their cage, but not for long! The wonderful cut paper pictures of Caldecott Honor artist Holly Meade take young children on an adventure they will thoroughly enjoy.

    

    But as the animal friends roll over to make more room, one animal after another gently tumbles out of the cozy den...until Little Mouse is left all alone. But Little Mouse misses his friends, so he comes up with the perfect solution to his problem.John Butler's charming version of a children's favorite countdown to bedtime features a simple but playful text and soft, pastel-colored illustrations of bright-eyed baby animals. The result is an irresistible read-aloud story that will invite delighted responses from young children.

    And soon all of the animals want to join them. First Dog, then Lion, and soon Kangaroo wants to come in, too. But when Hippopotamus tries to fit, the bathtime adventure begins.

    Michelle Robinson's beautiful rhyming text is perfectly accompanied by Nick East's gentle and atmospheric illustrations, which will delight and soothe little ones everywhere as they snuggle up in bed.This is the fourth instalment to the brilliant Goodnight... series, and is the perfect book for bedtime!Other titles to look out for:Goodnight Digger; Goodnight Tractor; Goodnight PrincessMichelle Robinson has always wanted to be an author like her hero Roald Dahl, but all they had in common was the same birthday and a love of chocolate. Now at last, Michelle is a real author too. She lives in Frome, Somerset with her husband, son and daughter. Visit her at www.michellerobinson.co.uk.Nick East has been working as a museum designer for the past 16 years but has always been a storyteller, whether as a child, filling sketchbooks with quirky characters, or as a designer displaying a collection of ancient artifacts. Nick lives near York with his wife and two children and, when he isn't drawing, he is out riding bikes and spending time with his family.

    Many of these stories never made it back home - until now.

    Holly Hobbie's intricate watercolors evoke the small kitten's hardscrabble life as powerfully as they do his blissful one. This story tugs the heartstrings and is a testament to the importance of pet adoption and the powerful ways that pets connect with their people.

    Her heroes are Marie Curie, Leonardo da Vinci and Thomas Edison, and one day she wants to be a famous inventor herself. So when she doesn’t win the school science fair, she’s devastated – especially as the judges didn’t believe she'd come up with her entry on her own. Because she's a girl.When Matilda shares her woes with her Grandma Joss, she's astonished to learn her grandma was once a scientist herself – an astrophysicist, who discovered her very own planet. Trouble is, Grandma Joss was also overlooked – her boss, Professor Smocks, stole her discovery for himself. And he's about to be presented with a Nobel Prize.Matilda concocts a plan. They'll crash the award ceremony and tell everyone the truth! So begins a race against time - and against Matilda's strict mum and dad! - on a journey through Paris, Hamburg and Stockholm, and on which they encounter a famous film star, a circus, and a wanted diamond thief...

    . . all about cupcakes! (Typical.)   Thank goodness Babymouse ate all of the Christmas cookies her mom made for Santa. Now she can make him something he really wants—CUPCAKES! But wait . . . what’s that rumbling in the other room? OH NO! A DRAGON!!!!! Can Sir Babymouse defeat her fiery foe and save Christmas?! Or at least save a cupcake or two? Maybe not. . . . Jennifer and Matthew Holm bring us Babymouse’s very first full-color adventure! With signature Babymouse humor, comic book–style panels, and oodles of pink-frosted cupcakes, new readers and devoted fans alike will find plenty to love.

    Ann James has had fun painting with flour, cocoa, icing and 100s and 1000s with adorable results that will inspire lots of rumbling tummies and cake making!Bright simple illustrations, card pages and rounded corners make this a perfect book for the very young.Shake, stir, mix, bake . . . . This little dinosaur just loves cake!

    . . and it's in Cat's barn! But a Hooot, Hooot is keeping Duck from getting any sleep. So Duck and Cat set off to search high and low to find out just who is doing all that hooting. Full of your favorite barnyard animals and their memorable sounds, young readers will love this delightfully funny and endearing story.Praise for Carin Bramsen's Duck and Cat books! Sleepover Duck! Cat and Duck are as delightful as ever in this third outing in the series . . . Little readers will feel the warmth of these loving, endearing friends. - Kirkus Reviews Duck's sleepover enthusiasm is infectious. - Publishers WeeklyChildren will enjoy the illustrations that make the animals look soft, fluffy, and expressive. - School Library Journal Just a Duck? Outstanding . . . An endearing story for group or one-on-one sharing. - School Library JournalThe tale is equal in every way to the visual appeal . . . Sweet, tender and delightful. - Kirkus ReviewsA gently funny story of the differences, similarities, and compromises that make for rewarding friendships - Publishers Weekly 2016 Buckeye Book Award nominee! Hey, Duck! A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together. - Kirkus Reviews. . . should tickle preschoolers. - Publishers Weekly

    Watch out! She can nip.A board book about brushing teeth featuring a lovable little crocodileDiscover the big moments and daily routines of every toddler’s life, with lovable animal characters and a playful, rhyming text. Each story features a child and their very own baby animal, brought to life by the creator of The Big Night-Night Book.

    And what she sees makes her eyes bug out! Glowworms light up the stage, the audience hums with anticipation, and a panel of judges grins . . . but wait, aren’t those fangs she sees glinting?The wild and witty team that brought us SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE DINOSAUR STOMP and MARTIAN ROCK is back with an exhilarating invasion of bombardier beetles, squirting stinkbugs, praying mantises, and one plucky little Damselfly who keeps her huge eyes open - and seeing in all directions. Once again, Carol Diggory Shields’s lively verse mixes fun, fancy, and fascinating fact, while Scott Nash’s exuberant artwork virtually flies off the page.

    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