Tuesday 20 December 2016

Christmas Stocking Fillers

Christmas Stocking Fillers 
2016


With Christmas only a week away, there's still time to get some last minute books for your little ones (and older ones). Here's a delightful range for all ages:


The Winter Fox
Written by Timothy Knapman
Illustrated by Rebecca Harry
Published by Nosy Crow

This sparkly delight is for the little ones, aimed at ages 2+, and filled with sweet woodland animals.




Fox is too busy playing in the sunshine to be worrying about Winter coming but Rabbit, Owl and Squirrel keep warning him that he needs to find somewhere warm to sleep and food to store but Fox doesn't listen. When winer comes and its snowy and cold, poor Fox is hungry and all alone. But it's Christmas time and Fox makes a wish, luckily Santa hears him and sends him food and presents. Fox learns his lesson and surprises his animal friends by sharing his gifts. A sweet and heart warming tale about friendship - the perfect story to read on a cold winter night. Link here.



Sing Along With Me!
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
Illustrated by Yu-hsuan Huang
Published by Nosy Crow

This is the new seasonal edition added to the Nosy Crow slider board book series. With adorable imagery of cute animals and snowy scenes, little ones will enjoy interacting and exploring this very cute board book.





You can find a QR code at the beginning of the book to download the song or if you're like me, sing out loud when exploring the book with your child! I'm humming it now! Link here.



The Christmas Fairy
Written by Anne Booth
Illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw
Published by Nosy Crow

This is one for little bodies who can never sit still or be quiet long enough!




It's Christmas time and Clara is very excited; she can't wait to learn everything there is about being a Christmas fairy, but she just can't stay quiet or still long enough like a fairy should, and won't be able to attend the Christmas show if she can't learn to. Feeling sad and at a lost, Clara is ready to give up until Santa arrives and knows that Clara is the right fairy to save the Christmas show. A sweet story with fun, rhyming text. Link here.


Otto The Book Bear in the Snow
By Katie Cleminson
Published by Jonathan Cape Children's

This magical book will delight little readers and celebrates the imaginative world of books and the wonderful characters found inside them.





Otto and his friend Ernest, love nothing more than being borrowed from the library and read. At the library their friends are preparing for the winter party and Otto and Ernest are very much looking forward to it. However the next day, their book is borrowed and is forgotten when the family go on holiday. Otto and Ernest have to find a way to get back to the library in time for the winter party.
A beautifully illustrated book that will have you wanting to join Otto again and again on his wintry adventure. Link here.



A Letter For Bear
By David Lucas
Published by Flying Eye Books

I adore David Lucas' style in this heart warming tale; Bear delivers the post every day but has never received a letter himself. But one morning, the wind blows Bear over and all the addresses on his letters are smudged. Bear has to visit all of the animals and after seeing each family together in the warm, he feels more lonely than ever. But Bear has a plan and decides to send a letter to all the animals inviting them to his party. Laughing, singing and dancing entails.




A beautifully rendered book and is Flying Eye Book's first Christmas title and a what a lovely addition!
Link here.


The Snowman
 By Raymond Briggs
Published by Puffin

The Snowman is classic book that should be in everyone's bookcase. A book that uses no words to express the lovely, magical relationship between a boy and his snowman.





If you are not familiar with this story, it is about a boy who builds a snowman and when he wakes up during the night, he goes out to check on him only to find him alive. Inviting him inside the house, the snowman wants to explore everything which entails some funny mishaps and there's some magical flying as well!
The Snowman should be a Christmas ritual, as well as watching the short animation of this - The Snowman is a true Christmas classic, suitable for young and old. Link here.
William Morris
The Twelve Days of Christmas
With illustrations by Liz Catchpole
Published by Puffin Books

This stunning book includes hand picked pattens from the V&A's William Morris archive. They have created a beautiful book that brings the words of the classic Twelve Days of Christmas song to life and would make an impressive coffee table book for the festive period.




With a gilded fabric cover and thick matte pages inside full of gorgeous patterns and illustrations, this is a stunning book that has been finished to a high standard.
A lovely book that is for all ages and would make a lovely gift, especially for anyone who is a fan of art and design! Link here.


The Nightmare Before Christmas
By Tim Burton
Published by Puffin

Something a little different for the older children adults - This is the commemorative edition celebrating 20 years of The Nightmare Before Christmas, illustrated and written by Tim Burton, this is the book that came before the film.






Meet Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King, the most important person in Halloweenland. After years of organising frightful tricks and appealing tricks, Jack knows something is not quite right and fear is no longer ferocious. Then one night, Jack finds himself in a forest before a door with a Christmas tree on, which he opens and falls through, finding himself now in Christmas Town. He has finally found the feeling he wanted, though he goes a little bit too far, stealing away Santa and delivering presents with a little bite and scare. Scary antics and misery follow but it all works out in the end.
Featuring exclusive and never seen before original sketches - enjoy a little scare  with bells on.
Link here.



The Storm Whale Slipcase
By Benji Davies
Published by Simon & Schuster

The Storm Whale Slipcase edition will make a lovely gift for any loved one, young and old; With two beautiful hard back books inside and with a special edition print inside, you'll want to keep this for yourself!








The Storm Whale features Noi, a little boy who lives with his father and six cats by the sea. His father is a fisherman and when out at sea, Noi finds a little white washed up on the beach. What entails is a lovely friendship but Noi knows he has to return the little whale back to the sea. He just hopes he will see him again soon.
The Storm Whale in Winter once again features Noi, but this time it's the whale's turn to save Noi. Nod's father doesn't return from fishing one evening and Noi finds the boat stuck within the frozen ice. With no sight of his dad, Noi feels lost but when he hears a bump, he finds the little whale and his family trying to break the ice and send Noi to his father.

These heart warming books feature tales of courage and friendship, they're beautifully illustrated and will be a joy to read over and over again.

More product information can be found here.


Thursday 15 December 2016

Doodle Town

Doodle Town

By Dominika Lipniewska 
Published by Tate Publishing


From the author of 100 Colouring Book, Doodle Town celebrates the transformative power of drawing. Welcome to Doodle Town, where everyone and everything is a drawing...



Following the success of Dominika Lipniewska’s eye-catching 100 Colouring Book comes Doodle Town, a wonderfully whimsical drawing activity book that invites children to discover how, with just a pencil and an idea, they can transform the world around them. 

Packed with over 60 drawing activities, including creating designs for gravity defying hairstyles, releasing scribble clouds into the sky (who knows what kind of rain a scribble makes?) and playing mix and match with Doodle Town dog owners, Doodle Town is an entertaining and empowering introduction to imaginative drawing. 


This really is the book to go 'doodle crazy' on! Every page invites the reader (or in this case, doodler) to draw all over each page and just let their imagination run riot. There are loads of activities to explore and the large format book allows the doodler to have plenty of space to draw. A great present for any young artists out there or one to simply stop boredom setting in over the Christmas holidays.


Doodle Town is available to buy now from all good booksellers and from the Tate Publishing website.

I Am A Very Clever Cat

I Am A Very Clever Cat

By Katie Matyjaszek 
Published by Templar Publishing


We all know cats are very good at making us do whatever they want, but a cat that can knit? Introducing your favourite new cat, Stockton, he's extremely clever and pretty much good at doing everything, but is he any good at knitting a scarf?



Stockton can play violin, juggle, paint. He's just so smart and good at everything. But what he's really good at is knitting. If you are very lucky, he will show you how he knits a fancy scarf. He never gets in a tangle at all. Never. Not even a little bit.

Of course Stockton is too proud to ask for anyones help and it takes two brave little mice to help Stockton get untangled and save the day by knitting the most marvellous scarf. Stockton is still a very smart cat, but he now also has very clever friends!



Each spread is bursting with colour with Stockton's neon coloured wool, which is tangled EVERYWHERE! I love Stockton's character and you can't help root for this unlucky cat as he desperately tries to be good at everything and not want to ask for anyones help. The illustrations are adorable - Kasia has a new fan right here! 

The perfect story for any perfectionists out there or simply those that love a hilarious story. It's sure to have your funny bones in a tangle!



I Am A Very Clever Cat is available to buy now at all good bookshops and from the Templar website.