Light-hearted and rambunctious [this] is a fairytale with a difference -- Guardian Best Children's Books of 2023

The fresh and funny story of a little princess who hates the stuffy palace, but loves the creatures she meets in the garden, from the award-winning duo Sir Michael Morpurgo (Children's Laureate 2003-4) and Emily Gravett.

Clara is a small, strong-willed princess who likes running wild, jumping ditches and climbing trees . . . but most of all, she loves collecting creepy-crawlies and making them her friends. That's not easy with a bossy butler and a pernickety nanny always on your case. When Clara discovers that an ogre she keeps in her shoe under her bed isn't an ogre at all, he offers her a way out of her predicament. There's only one thing she needs to do . . .

Written by one of Two Hoots's most acclaimed authors and illustrated by the award-winning Emily Gravett: the marvellous partnership who also created the bestselling picture book, A Song of Gladness.

It is a day like any other at the roadworks when Digger decides she no longer likes digging down into mud, dark and worms - she wants to dig UP! Although up is quite tricky to get to, with some ingenuity and balloons, Digger goes off on a grand adventure. But adventures aren't as fun without friends, so Digger must dig her way home.

With a witty text, bright colours and a finger trail to follow from the award-winning Morag Hood, young children and adults will love reading Dig, Dig, Digger! together.

A wonderful collection of short stories and poems from 40 black writers and illustrators . . . Brilliantly curated by Dapo Adeola - Joseph Coelho, Children's Laureate

A hugely entertaining, fully color-illustrated collection celebrating joy, perfect for children age 8 to 12 (and beyond!). Curated by Laugh Out Loud Awards winner Dapo Adeola, with a foreword by the acclaimed Patrice Lawrence. Joyful, Joyful is a book to sing about!

A large hardback packed full of colourful illustrations, Joyful, Joyful: Stories Celebrating Black Voices is the perfect gift to spread joy.

Featuring both exciting new talents and globally renowned creators - every poem and story is individually illustrated by an amazing artist.

With stories featuring a mythical whale, a message from the future, a Halloween dance competition, a talking book, a miraculous discovery in a moment of lost hope, the joy of jollof rice and so much more. The creators hail from around the world, from the UK and US, to Uganda, the Netherlands, Nigeria and more.

Colorful and beautifully illustrated, with artwork from an array of talented illustrators including Ken Wilson Max, Dapo Adeola, Dorcas Magbadelo, Odera Igbokwe and Denzell Dankwah, alongside stories and poems by the likes of Malorie Blackman, Alex Wheatle, Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé and Dorothy Koomson.

Contributors include: Adejoké 'Joké' Bakare, Alex Wheatle, Arantza Peña Popo, Ashley Evans, Awuradwoa Afful, Camilla Sucre, Camryn Garrett, Charis JB, Dapo Adeola, Denzell Dankwah, Dorcas Magbadelo, Doreen Baingana, Dorothy Koomson, Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, Funmbi Omotayo, Hannah Lee, Jeffrey Boakye, Jess Nash, Kelechi Okafor, Ken Wilson-Max, Kofi Ofosu, Koleka Putuma, Lewis James, Maame Blue, Malorie Blackman, Matilda Feyisayo Ibini, Michael Kennedy, Nathan Bryon, Odera Igbokwe, Ojima Abalaka, Olu Oke, Patrice Lawrence, Rahana Dariah, Robyn Smith, Rosaline Tella, Sharna Jackson, Snalo Ngcaba, Terrence Adegbenle, Tomekah George, Tracey Baptiste, Trish Cooke, Yasmin Joseph and Zaïre Krieger.

I adore Duck and Tiny Horse. Funny, silly and totally original. - Josh Widdicombe

Spaghetti Hunters is a brilliantly funny and wonderfully silly picture book, featuring a duck, a tiny horse and quest for spaghetti, from the award-winning Morag Hood - creator of The Steves, I Am Bat.

Duck has lost his spaghetti, and Tiny Horse has a plan to save the day. But what exactly do you bring to a Spaghetti Hunt? A spade, a fishing rod, a jar of peanut butter, cutlery and some binoculars, obviously.

Searching far and wide, Tiny Horse catches worms, a ball of string, even a snake - but no spaghetti. Disaster! Until Duck consults a recipe book and armed with flour, eggs and a pasta maker, sets about making his own spaghetti.

This infectiously comic story encourages reading and home-cooking, teaching children about where food really comes from.

An inspiring story perfect for little stargazers.

Luna loves the sky and finding out about all the wonders she can see above her. But the villagers can't stop worrying about the mythical Sky Dragon - a fearsome creature who is said to dwell in the sky.

Can Luna share her love of the sky and show the villagers that the Sky Dragon is nothing to be afraid of?

Featuring real constellations as well as facts about the milky way, eclipses, comets and other astronomical delights.

Luna and the Sky Dragon is a warm and playful story with lots to learn and talk about from Bethan Woollvin, the New York Times-bestselling creator of Little Red, I Can Catch a Monster and Three Little Vikings, and illustrator of Meet the Planets written by Caryl Hart.

A mindfulness storybook that weaves calming actions into a magical story, showing young children ways to soothe their own worries.

From the creators of The Fire Fox, Alexandra Page and Stef Murphy, shortlisted for Oscar's Book Prize 2022.

It's show-and-tell tomorrow and Rory is anxious - he doesn't have anything special to share with the class. But everything changes when Rory meets his very own worry tiger.

Try this, said the tiger. See how quiet you can be. Tiptoe like a tiger and tell me what you see.

Breathing deep to smell the jungle scents.
Stretching to join the monkeys high up in the trees.
Listening carefully to the creatures all around.

This enchanting story is full of mindfulness actions that anyone can take to feel calm.

The Worry Tiger is a gorgeously illustrated book with a gentle rhyme that's a joy to read aloud and will help children relax and speak about what might be feeding their anxiety.

Includes a set of fun and easy mindfulness exercises at the back of the book.

I Am Hattie the Hare is a charming tale about Hattie and all the beautiful creatures of her kind, written in playful rhyme by Pam Ayres.

We didn't always live here, once we had a sunny home,
We came here with centurions, all the way from Rome . . .

From grape green meadows to old-fashioned farms, hares travelled thousands of miles to find a home in our countrysides. What do they eat? What's their perfect habitat? Can you tell them apart from rabbits?

Wonderfully illustrated by award-winning artist Nicola O'Byrne, I Am Hattie the Hare is a follow-up to Amazon bestseller, I Am Oliver the Otter. Bursting with natural and historical facts interwoven throughout the story, and with an information spread at the end, that includes tips on where to spot these gentle and instinctive animals.

A defiant, moving and joyful picture book about the power of protest and the importance of books.

From the winner of the Macmillan Prize 2019, We Want Our Books is a stunningly illustrated story that shows how any child has the power to change the world.

Rosa wants a book. But when she gets to the library, she finds it is closed. What could be the end of the story is just the beginning, as Rosa and her sister Maria try everything they can think of to bring their community together and fight to get back their precious library.

A picture book that features big subjects in a child-friendly way, with beautiful artwork, making this the perfect discussion starter for curious children. From debut author and illustrator, Jake Alexander, winner of the Creative Conscience Gold Medal.

With colorful pages thronging with modern city life, Mooncat and Me tells the story of Pearl as she overcomes the anxiety of moving house and starting a new school, with the help of a giant white cat.

We can all empathise with Pearl's fear that 'I won't know anyone, and no one will know me' but as we watch her grow in confidence, we will learn that with a bit of imagination and determination, there's nothing we can't do.

The gorgeous, brightly coloured illustrations are full of busy people filling pavements and buses and cars, or seen through the windows of their homes, leading their different lives. Mooncat's own calm and reassuring presence encourages Pearl to explore the vibrant city with her mother, and to face school, where she soon finds there are friends to be made.

An uplifting, magical book perfect for sharing at bedtime that will leave children feeling warm, cosy and loved.

Freya and her mum have gone to a little cabin to get away for a while. The light has gone out of their lives since Freya's dad passed away. Freya isn't sure about going sledging, but when she meets a magical fox in the snow, she can't help but follow him into the forest - and on to a thrilling adventure.

A heartwarming bedtime story inspired by the Finnish Saami myth of the revontulet, or fox fires - the sparks that fly from the fur of a mystical fox to become the Northern Lights.

The Fire Fox is a gloriously illustrated, beautifully written story about the nurturing light of love that can't be dimmed, written by debut author Alexandra Page and illustrated by the exciting talent Stef Murphy. This enchanting picture book with its touching story of sadness, hope, love and joy begs to be read again and again.

'I adore Duck and Tiny Horse. Funny, silly and totally original' - Josh Widdicombe
'It's a hoot.' - The Sunday Times

Perfect for reading aloud, Teapot Trouble is a warm and silly picture book that children (and adults) will find hilarious.

Something or someone is living inside Duck's teapot! Who are they? What do they want? How will we get them out? Never fear, for Tiny Horse is here! Tiny Horse has a trampoline. She has a magnificent hat. She has a stick of celery. What more could anyone need to save the day?

A laugh-out-loud story with a message about kindness, starring Duck and Tiny Horse, the brave spaghetti hunters from Spaghetti Hunters. Morag Hood is the award-winning creator of Colin and Lee, Carrot and Pea, When Grandad Was a Penguin, Aalfred and Aalbert and I Am Bat.

Shortlisted for Oscar's Book Prize 2022

An uplifting, magical book perfect for sharing at bedtime that will leave children feeling warm, cozy and loved.

Freya and her mum have gone to a little cabin to get away for a while. The light has gone out of their lives since Freya's dad passed away. Freya isn't sure about going sledging, but when she meets a magical fox in the snow, she can't help but follow him into the forest - and on to a thrilling adventure.

A heartwarming bedtime story inspired by the Finnish Saami myth of the revontulet, or fox fires - the sparks that fly from the fur of a mystical fox to become the Northern Lights.

The Fire Fox is a gloriously illustrated, beautifully written story about the nurturing light of love that can't be dimmed, written by debut author Alexandra Page and illustrated by the exciting talent Stef Murphy. This enchanting picture book with its touching story of sadness, hope, love and joy begs to be read again and again.

'Funny, silly and totally original' - Josh Widdicombe

The hunt is on for a missing traffic cone in Runaway Cone, the entertaining sequel to Dig Dig Digger by Morag Hood, fun for both adults and young children.

Digger, Traffic Light and the cones are all ready to start the roadworks one morning when they notice that something's wrong . . . Gary the traffic cone is missing! And It's a disaster! They search left and right, high and low, but it's no use. Can they find Gary all by themselves? Or do they need to ask for help? What's going to happen when they find him?

A laugh-out-loud mystery adventure with fun, colourful illustrations and a twist at the end leaving readers excited for more.

Travel the globe in this inspiring journey through the animal kingdom. A Song of Gladness is a timely reminder of the beauty and importance of the natural world from two of today's most celebrated children's book creators.

From a blackbird in a Devon garden to leopards in the African savanna, hibernating bears and chimpanzees high in the forest canopy, A Song of Gladness reminds us all of our connection with nature, and with each other, and the urgent need for us to join together in caring for the planet and every creature in it.

Former Children's Laureate and CILIP Carnegie Medal winner Sir Michael Morpurgo's beautiful story is both moving and full of hope; the illustrations from twice CILIP Kate Greenaway-winning Emily Gravett are breathtaking. This gorgeous book is a classic in the making and the perfect gift for any animal and nature lover.

Travel the globe on an inspiring journey through the animal kingdom. A Song of Gladness is a timely reminder of the beauty and importance of the natural world from two of today's most celebrated children's book creators.

From a blackbird in a British garden to leopards in the African savanna, hibernating bears and chimpanzees high in the forest canopy, A Song of Gladness reminds us all of our connection with nature, and with each other, and the urgent need for us to join together in caring for the planet and every creature in it.

Former Children's Laureate and CILIP Carnegie Medal winner Sir Michael Morpurgo's beautiful story is both moving and full of hope; the illustrations from twice CILIP Kate Greenaway-winning Emily Gravett are breathtaking. This gorgeous book is a classic in the making and the perfect gift for any animal and nature lover.

I adore Duck and Tiny Horse. Funny, silly and totally original. - Josh Widdicombe

Spaghetti Hunters is a brilliantly funny and wonderfully silly picture book, featuring a duck, a tiny horse and quest for spaghetti, from the award-winning Morag Hood - creator of The Steves, I Am Bat.

Duck has lost his spaghetti, and Tiny Horse has a plan to save the day. But what exactly do you bring to a Spaghetti Hunt? A spade, a fishing rod, a jar of peanut butter, cutlery and some binoculars, obviously.

Searching far and wide, Tiny Horse catches worms, a ball of string, even a snake - but no spaghetti. Disaster! Until Duck consults a recipe book and armed with flour, eggs and a pasta maker, sets about making his own spaghetti.

This infectiously comic story encourages reading and home-cooking, teaching children about where food really comes from.

Meet some adorable ants in this colorful lift-the-flap adventure about ants and how they live, by Cara Rooney, the winner of the Macmillan Prize for Illustration.

With simple language and charming, brightly colored-illustrations full of funny details, A Little World of Ants is sure to be an instant hit with young children. Encouraging exploration and a deeper understanding of these intriguing insects, it's the perfect gift for any child, especially those obsessed with nature and the miniature world of minibeasts.