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My Book of Classic Nursery Tales by James Mayhew

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 12 Nov 2025

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See also:
A Symphony Of Stories [ACHUKA Book of the Day 11 Nov 2024]

A handsome home library edition of favourite tales, illustrated using cut-outs and collage.

A beautiful new collection of traditional stories for younger children, including all the favourite classics, delightfully retold and enchantingly illustrated by James Mayhew, internationally bestselling author and illustrator of Once Upon a Tune, A Symphony of Stories, the Mrs Noah series and many other much-loved picture books.

The stories included are: Goldilocks and the Three Bears* (England), Little Red Riding Hood (Germany), The Billy Goats Gruff (Norway), The Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf (England), The Enormous Turnip (Ukraine), The Tortoise and the Hare (Ancient Greece), The Gingerbread Man (North America) and , not so well known, The Vain Little Mouse (Spain).

Two pages at the end of the book provide background information on each of the tales. 

*James Mayhew always feels sorry for the bears so in his retelling they are much nicer than Goldilocks.

You can follow James Mayhew on

Hot Food: Nice! by Michael Rosen ill. Neal Layton

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Michael Rosen’s poem about his dad and the too-hot potato is one of the best-known and best-loved of all his poems.

This is the first time the poem has been illustrated in full colour, in a hilarious picture book.


Young Michael thinks his dad knows everything. But then one day, one terrible day, he found that his dad does NOT know everything: this is how it goes. They sit down to eat, and the potato’s a bit hot. Michael knows to blow on it to cool it down before eating it. His brother knows it, and his mum knows it. So why does his dad pop it straight into this mouth? And what happens next? 

You can follow Neal Layton on

Michael is there too:

As of 1 year ago:

Good Bits: Bits of Stories. Endless Fun. by Kes Gray ill. Ruby Wright

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 6 Nov 2025

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See also by Kes Gray:
A Mouse Just Ate My House [ACHUKA Book of the Day 12 May 2025]
Torla and Smorla and The Lower Than Average Cloud [ACHUKA Book of the Day 16 Jul 2024]
Oi Frog! (10th Anniversary edition) [ACHUKA Book of the Day 15 Apr 2024]
Daisy And The Trouble With Nature [ACHUKA Book of the Day 23 Mar 2020]

“All killer, no filler.” BfK 5-star review
“Action-packed, fast-paced, inventive and hilarious.” Imogen Russell Williams, The Guardian
“Ruby Wright’s brilliantly playful illustrations… add bundles of character to the narratives.” BookTrust

From a spaceship flight into a Black Hole, to a town plagued by zombie beavers; from a magical pen that knows all the answers to a test, to a crochet-loving pirate; this collection of original short stories by  Kes Gray will excite and inspire young readers not only to read on, but also to write and illustrate their own stories.

The layout, clever use of typography and illustrations make the stories exciting and approachable, and the short story form is perfect for a quick adventure somewhere new. 

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Celtic Folk and Fairy Tales: Magical Stories of Dragons, Fairies and Selkies from Scotland, Ireland, Wales and more retold by Lari Don ill. Elise Carmichael

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 17 Oct 2025

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A splendid new anthology of Celtic folktales fromScottish publisher, Floris Books

Travel to the magical Celtic lands to meet shapeshifting selkies, duelling dragons, a terrifying waterhorse, a cheeky changeling, a cunning fairy and a bloodthirsty giant…

In this sumptuously illustrated new collection, award-winning Scottish author and storyteller Lari Don retells classic tales of myth, magic and mischief.

Elise Carmichael’s exciting and luminous illustrations bring the rich shared folklore of the Celtic lands—Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Cornwall, the Isle of Man and Brittany—to life in an outstanding collection that will enchant younger and older readers alike.

Lari Don is an award-winning Scottish children’s author and storyteller. She is the author of more than 30 books for children of all ages, including the folktale retellings Dragon’s Hoard, Breaking the Spell and Girls, Goddesses and Giants, as well as picture books based on traditional tales such as The Secret of the Kelpie and The Treasure of the Loch Ness Monster. She lives in Edinburgh.

Elise Carmichael is an illustrator and graphic designer with a passion for children’s literature. She studied Art and Design at Towson University, Maryland, USA and has a Masters in Publishing from Edinburgh Napier University, Scotland. When she isn’t drawing, Elise enjoys hiking, photography and learning new languages. She also lives in Edinburgh.

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The Velveteen Rabbit & Other Classic Children’s Stories – Macmillan Collector’s Library edited Nicolette Jones

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 13 Oct 2025

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Beautifully produced with gilt edges, a ribbon marker, bespoke illustrated cover and real cloth binding, every Macmillan Collector’s Library hardback adheres to the same high production values.
See the full catalogue...

The touching story of The Velveteen Rabbit is a magical tale about the bond between a little boy and his favourite toy animal. It’s a story about the transforming power of love that has been enjoyed by generations since it was first published in 1922.

The theme of kindness runs through this lovely collection of stories. There’s Kenneth Grahame’s Reluctant Dragon, more interested in writing poetry than being fierce; in ‘The Land of the Blue Flower’ by Frances Hodgson Burnett, a young king encourages his citizens to plant flowers; and frosty Aunt Kapp succumbs to the warmth and charm of her family. 

You can follow Nicolette Jones on

Hansel and Gretel by Stephen King ill Maurice Sendak

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 3 Oct 2025

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“While the narrative’s characterizations and diction hew to tradition (“Nibble, nibble, little mouse, who is nibbling at my house?”), its horrors land with fresh force in an epic retelling that suits the illustrations’ eerie magnificence.” Publishers Weekly
“A stunning book for children who are drawn to stories that send a chill down their back.’ BookTrust 

How can this be? you might well ask. Well, Stephen King has written a version of Hansel and Gretel to accompany images the late Maurice Sendak originally created for an opera. Rest assured King fans,  this is a horror story.

Recommende conversation Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen follow the breadcrumbs for the New York Times.

The legendary Stephen King brings to life beautiful opera set and costume design illustrations by Maurice Sendak, the Caldecott Medal-winning creator of Where the Wild Things Are, in this thrilling, must-have reimagining of the Brothers Grimm’s fairytale, Hansel and Gretel.

This beautiful book includes a personal introduction from Stephen King and has been created in close collaboration with the Maurice Sendak Foundation. A stunning, high-quality hardback with jacket, it is the perfect gift for fans of King, Sendak and dark fairy tales.

Poems from a Witch’s Pocket by Laura Theis ill. Kate Lucy Foster

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 2 Oct 2025

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A witchy poetry collection for older children.

A hard-working junior witch strides around a magical landscape, learning her craft. Her cloak is stuffed with scraps of paper – letters, notes and lists – some of which have tumbled out and been collected into this book.

Nature blends with magic and sometimes more everyday concerns in these soothing, playful, empowering poems. A to-do list for planning a pumpkin party. A blessing for a tiny tree. An identification spell for a bird curse.

Poems from a Witch’s Pocket is an eerily enchanting collection aimed at pre-teens but suitable for all ages. 

Laura Theis grew up in a place where each street was named after a different fairy tale. She writes in her second language. Her work has appeared in POETRY, Oxford Poetry, Magma, Rattle, Mslexia, The Caterpillar, Tyger Tyger, and others. She received the Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize, the Oxford Brookes Poetry Prize, the Poets&Players Prize, the Hammond House International Literary Award, the AM Heath Prize, the Mogford Short Story Prize, as well as a Forward Prize nomination. Her poetry debut was the winner of the Brian Dempsey Memorial Prize, an Oxford Poetry Library Book-of-the-Month, and an Elgin Award nominee. Her collection A Spotter’s Guide To Invisible Things won the Live Canon Collection Prize and received the Arthur Welton Award from the Society of Authors. She lives in Oxford.

The Emma Press is an independent publishing house specialising in poetry, short fiction, essays and children’s books. It was founded by Emma Dai’an Wright in Winnersh, Berkshire, in 2012 and is now based in Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham, UK.

As a young British Asian woman who isn’t a poet I’m aware that my perspective isn’t the prevalent one in publishing. I’m very conscious that my reaction to texts isn’t necessarily going to be shared by a lot of people. But that’s hopefully what I’m bringing to the publishing industry and the readers. I’m picking out something that won’t necessarily speak to everyone, and that’s fine.

Emma Dai’an Wright, from an IBBY interview

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A Poem for Every Question by Brian Bilston ill. Joe Berger

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 26 Sep 2025

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See also:
50 Ways To Score A Goal And Other Football Poems [ACHUKA Book of the Day 14 Jun 2021]
Refugees [ACHUKA Book of the Day 10 Dec 2019]

This is a gloriously giftable large format hardback. The words and illustrations have been brilliantly page designed by the publishing team at Red Shed. I shan’t be giving my review copy away to anyone, but dipping into it regularly.

Funny and thought-provoking answers to curious questions … in poetry form! [Well, to be fair, some of the pages are more poetical than others, but that’s fine.]

Join renowned poet Brian Bilston for a hilarious, non-fiction adventure in 100 poems – with subjects ranging from science and animals to unicorns, pyramids, technology and MUCH more. [Indeed, very much more.]

Questions include …

How many stars in the Universe exploded today?

Who invented football?

Who is the champion weightlifter of the animal world?

How did the ancient Egyptians make a mummy?

Each fascinating question about the world around us is answered with one of Brian’s unforgettable, witty and characterful poems. Expect the hilarious, thought-provoking, poignant – and downright silly!

Brian’s poems are accompanied by an extra non-fiction explainer, filled with facts and written with just as much humour and heart as the poems. Prepare to find some amazing stories and information to share with your family, teachers and friends! [A clever ingredient this, as it will endear the book to a type of reader who might not naturally be drawn to a book of ‘poems’.]

Each page is brought to life with bright, humorous and characterful artwork by Bristol-based illustrator, animator and cartoonist Joe Berger.  [I just tried to choose a favourite illustration and couldn’t – they are all so good.]

You can follow Joe on

You can follow Brian the poet there too:

Norse Myths, Monsters and Viking Voyages by Stephen Davies ill. Seaerra Miller

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 23 Sep 2025

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See also by Seaerra Miller:
Mason Mooney, Paranormal Investigator [ACHUKA Book of the Day 21 Sep 2020]
and by Ingri and Edgar D’Aulaire
D’Aulaires’ Book of Norse Myths [ACHUKA Book of the Day 12 Oct 2023]

A gloriously large comic-style collection of Norse myths from Big Picture Press.

The Norse myths are some of the oldest and most famous stories ever told. This captivating comic book collection is a perfect introduction to a magical world – containing six tales full of gods, dragons, dwarves and giants.

Readers will discover how Odin created the world from the body of a giant, meet the mischievous trickster Loki, and learn how Thor came to possess his mighty hammer. There are colourful information spreads too, packed with fascinating information about Viking explorers, dramatic funerals and the mighty tree Yggdrasil at the centre of the Universe. Bursting with action and humour, this reimagining of the Norse myths will hook readers of all ages.

Follow the illustrator, Seraerra Miller, on Insta

Dragon Cat, Poems by Pie Corbett ill. Tom Morgan-Jones

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 3 Sep 2025

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“An outstanding collection, packed with riddles, surreal surprises and thoughtful poems. With his huge international following and and reputation among teachers, this collection will be the talk of the literacy world.” The Bookseller
“A wonderful range of poetic styles and techniques are included- riddles, acrostics, kennings- and the collection is rich in imagery and word play, making the poems not only a joy to read, but perfect for performing and sharing.” ThroughTheBookshelf

A highlight of the autumn is this overdue solo collection from Pie Corbett with dip-pen illustrations by Tom Morgan-Jones. Corbett’s work has appeared in various collections and anthologies, notably in several volumes of The Works, some edited by Paul Cookson and some by Corbett himself, as well as alongside his friends John Rice and Brian Moses in the joint collection Rice, Pie and Moses [1995]. In the early 1990s Corbett and Moses taught together at Marshlands primary school in Hailsham, ACHUKA’s home town. Full marks to Otter-Barry Books for producing this solo collection.

Look out for a lobster on the phone; watch Owl, silent ghost-flyer; glimpse a sprinting hot-dog. Check your pants for snakes, play football indoors and then… go looking for dragons. But make sure you keep your eye on Dragon Cat!

You’ll find surprises and adventures, riddles and word games plus lyrical, thoughtful poems in this outstanding collection from a hugely admired poet.

Here Pie talks about an approach primary schools could take to ensure children are introduced to the very best in rhyme and verse, from Reception through to Y6:

Follow Tom Morgan-Jones on Insta