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Hidden Planet by Ben Rothery

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ACHUKA Book of the Day Wed 11 Dec 2019

‘This is my love letter to Planet Earth; a celebration of her hidden species, from the bold and the beautiful to the interesting but ugly. And while not a complete list, I hope that these few give a glimpse of the outstanding diversity of nature’ – Ben Rothery

A truly breath-taking reference guide to the lives, behaviours and characteristics of a wide variety of our planet’s wildlife, Hidden Planet makes stunning use of Rothery’s phenomenally detailed illustrative work to bring some awesome creatures to life. Pangolins, birds of paradise and even a satanic leaf-tailed gecko adorn these exquisitely designed pages, making Hidden Planet an exceptional gift for all animal lovers.

Waterstones

Meerkat Christmas by Emily Gravett

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From the multi award-winning creator of the Meerkat Mail, this gorgeous festive treat is full of Christmas card flaps to lift, as Sunny the meerkat travels the world in the search of the perfect Christmas.

Sunny wants a white Christmas, with a decorated tree, carols and sprouts for dinner … none of which he can see at home in the Kalahari desert. So off he heads to find the perfect Christmas elsewhere, before realizing that maybe Christmas isn’t all about the trimmings.

Waterstones

Kitty And The Tiger Treasure by Paula Harrison ill. Jenny Lovlie

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One of the first two titles in a 6 book series for 5 and over from Oxford Children’s Books, all written by Paula Harrison and illustrated by Waterstones Children’s Book Prize winner Jenny Lovlie.

The other title is…

Kitty and the Moonlight Rescue

Both have illustrations predominantly in orange and black throughout, with some pleasing gold metallic shininess on the front covers. Further titles planned for 2020. 

The two titles together would make a great gift.

Illustrator website: http://lovlieillustration.com
Illustrator Instagram: http://lovlieillustration.com/instagram

Waterstones

Board Games To Create And Play by Ian Livingstone

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Board Games to Create and Play teaches you how, in just half an hour, you and your friends can come up with a new game and start playing immediately. Just decide on a theme for the game, pick a rule set from the book, agree on some variations, doodle onto one of many board game designs and gather your die and counters.

Perfect anyone who wants to flex their creative muscles – a great gift purchase.

Waterstones

Osbert by Noel Streatfeild ill. Susanne Suba

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Available again after nearly 70 years out of print…

Aunt Cathy’s wedding is tomorrow, but Father insists on keeping Osbert the family dog away from the festivities. Father says he’s too unsightly! Can the heartbroken children work a miracle in time? 

Suba, a Hungarian-born American illustrator, died in 2012 (b. 1913).

“A charming historical curiosity.”

Collectable and giftable.

Waterstones

Red Riding Hood retold by Beatrix Potter ill. Helen Oxenbury

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Never before published in a standalone volume, Beatrix Potters’ delightfully dark adaptation of the original fairy tale is perfectly complemented by the light and shade of Helen Oxenbury’s magical pictures. A rediscovered gem from the illustrious Potter archive.

“This being Potter, she makes it even darker than the original; the wolf, drawn as a sly old dandy by Oxenbury, will make little bones shake.” Alex O’Connell, THE TIMES

Waterstones

Time For Lights Out by Raymond Briggs

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ACHUKA Book of the Day Thu 21 Nov 2019

Time for Lights Out is a collection of short pieces, some funny, some melancholy, some remembering his wife who died young, others about the joy of grandchildren, of walking the dog… He looks back at his schooldays and his time as an evacuee during the war, and remembers his parents and the house in which he grew up.

“A mesmerising jumble of jokes, drawings and elderly gripes… All human life – and death – is here in this lucky dip of memories and fears, irritations and idle thoughts… [Time For Lights Out] has black humour galore…and, as always, Briggs’s drawings have a touch of magic about them, conjuring human beings and their foibles out of a few precious lines.” Craig Brown

Feature interview in The Times by Nick Tucker >>>

Waterstones

 

Snow Foal by Susanna Bailey

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“A book to read in a day and remember for a lifetime,” says Jacqueline Wilson.

A beautiful and heart-wrenching middle grade debut, full of love, healing, friendship and hope. 

When eleven-year-old Addie goes to stay with a foster-care family on a remote Exmoor farm in the midst of a very cold winter, she is full of hurt, anger and a deep mistrust of everyone around her. Until one day, when she rescues a tiny wild foal from the moorland snow and Addie discovers that perhaps she’s not so alone after all. And as adventure and unexpected friendship blossom, Addie is determined that both of them will know what is to be home again soon . . .

Waterstones