The Literacy Classroom
Improving, inspiring and supporting
English teaching and learning
Early Years Recommended Fiction
Worst in Show
by William Bee, illustrated by Kate Hindley
In this hilarious, raucous tale of competition, friendship and finding your own unique place in the world, Albert enters his pet monster, Sidney, in ... The Best Pet Monster in the World competition! And he has very high hopes. Sidney, however, is a rather gentle monster, who enjoys long soaks in bubble-filled baths while nibbling on some sugary fairy cakes. And a champion monster has to be, well, monstrous to win - they must be able to fly, full of parasites, super smelly, extremely warty and fiercely fire-breathing! Round after round, Sidney tries his hardest, but Albert soon begins to realize that Sidney's best talent might not be a very "monstrous" one after all... With ever-calamitous competition scenarios, witty one-liners and an action-packed gatefold, this is a wonderful celebration of every kind of monster - warts and all!
The Littlest Owl
by Caroline Pitcher and illusrated by Tina Macnaughton
Deep inside the willow tree the last baby owl is born. He's so very small, a downy white ball. The other owls grow and learn to fly, but no matter how hard he tries, the littlest owl can't quite do it. 'I will', he says. 'Just you wait and see'. Then one night, a howling storm forces the owls from their home. Will the littlest owl make it to safety?
Dave
by Sue Hendra and illustrated by Liz Pichon
Dave is a great big ol’ greedy guts. He loves his dinners. One unfortunate day, after eating a bit too much, he gets stuck in his cat flap. How will he escape? The answer will have you rolling around the floor with laughter.
Hoot Owl, Master of disguise
by Sean Taylor , illustrated by Jean Jullien
From masterful storyteller Sean Taylor and exciting, celebrated graphic artist Jean Jullien, comes the laugh-out-loud tale of Hoot Owl. Hoot Owl is no ordinary owl - oh no! - he's a master of disguise! And he will use his expert camouflage powers to trick his unsuspecting prey into succumbing to him! Tiny animals of the night ... beware! But, somehow, Hoot Owl's prey keeps escaping... Hmmm, perhaps he isn't quite as masterful as he believes. Will he ever succeed in catching himself some dinner? Hilarity, ridiculousness and very bad costume changes abound in this wildly inventive new title
Ten Little Dinosaurs
by Mike Brownlow , illustrated by Simon Rickerty
Ten little dinosaurs set off in search of adventure. But what will the ten little dinosaurs do when then meet a grumpy triceratops? And a stomping diplodocus? And a HUNGRY t-rex?
Meet all your favourite dinosaurs in this romping prehistoric adventure. With lots of things to spot and count on every page, this noisy rhyming story from the creators of the bestselling Ten Little Pirates is perfect for sharing again and again.
Something Different
by Jill Lewis, illustrated by Ali Pye
Somewhere, not so far away, there’s a cave filled with wonderful creatures called the Little Somethings.
On Star Gazing Night, the Little Somethings are looking out for all kinds of different stars. They see a diamond star, a sapphire star, and then… Something Different flies to the ground! He certainly looks different. After all, he has black ears, curly antennae and lots of legs.
Will Bob convince the rest of the Little Somethings that maybe Something Different isn’t so different after all?
Blown Away
by Rob Biddulph
Come on an unexpected journey with a fearless blue penguin in the most captivating picture book debut of the year! Winner of the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize.
Meet Penguin Blue, in this Waterstones Children’s Book Prize winning tale!
It’s a windy day, and he has a brand new kite – but where’s he going on this maiden flight?
Penguin Blue and his friends go on a gloriously illustrated adventure full of good ideas, homesickness and the perils of kites, from the sparkling new talent Rob Biddulph
Lost and Found
by Oliver Jeffers
A magical tale of friendship and loneliness, a boy and a penguin.
There once was a boy… and one day a penguin arrives on his doorstep. The boy decides the penguin must be lost and tries to return him. But no one seems to be missing a penguin. So the boy decides to take the penguin home himself, and they set out in his row boat on a journey to the South Pole.
But when they get there, the boy discovers that maybe home wasn’t what the penguin was looking for after all…
The Very Noisy House
by Julie Rhodes, illustrated by Korky Paul
This rickety old house can be very noisy. Clomp! Clomp! Clomp! Goes the old lady's walking stick. In the room above, the dog wonders if that noise is a knock at the door - woof! Woof! Woof! And that wakes up the ginger cat in the room above who thinks the dog is chasing her - meow! Meow! Meow! Then the frightened cat wakes up the baby in the room above - waaah! Waah! Waah! Follow the riotous noises on each floor of the creaky old house as each resident makes their own crazy din.
This delightful rhyming text is ideal for sharing with young children, providing many opportunities for them to join in. Written by a first-time author and illustrated by a highly successful picture book artist, this is sure to be a winner with both young and old.
The Bus is For Us
by Michael Rosen
Renowned author Michael Rosen offers a quintessential book for young children who love things that go.
Small children take great delight in rides whether by bicycle, car, boat, or plane. But best of all is taking the bus, because the bus is for everyone! Complemented by beautiful artwork from Gillian Tyler, this playful rhyming narrative by Michael Rosen will rev up little listeners to join right in."
The Farmer's Away! Baa! Neigh!
by Anne Vittur Kennedy
In a rhythmic read-aloud picture book, brimming with the irresistile sounds that farmyard animals make, Anne Vittur Kenny wonders, What mischief do the horses and cows and sheep get up to when the farmer's back is turned? Well, there's boating (of course!), as well as a picnic, a rollercoaster ride, a hot-air balloon, ballroom dancing and ... oh no! Could that arf! arf! arf! mean the farmer's heading back? Even the youngest of listeners can read this book aloud by following along with the pictures and making each animal's trademark sound.
What the Jackdaw Saw
by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Nick Sharratt
The jackdaw wants all his friends to come to his party, but when he calls out his invitation the animals just touch their heads. Why won't they answer? And what do their actions mean? Luckily a brown owl can help him with the puzzle!
This book about friendship and sign language was created by Julia Donaldson, author of The Gruffalo,with a group of deaf children in a workshop organised by the not-for-profit organisation Life & Deaf which helps deaf children to explore their identities through poetry, film, performance and art.
A Splendid Friend, Indeed
by Suzanne Bloom
Stunning illustrations capture the exasperation of Bear, whose solitary reading and writing are continually interrupted by persistent Goose. In the end, Bear is won over and to his own surprise, declares Goose a Splendid Friend, Indeed! A very funny story with a warm message about not judging others.