Books

I've divided the books on this page into:

• Board Books
• Picture Books
• Collins Big Cats Phonics
• Collins Big Cat
• Reading Planet
• Read On
• Winnie the Witch
• Tadpoles
• Oxford Reading books

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Board Books

I Can Count!

Illustrated by Emily Rand
isbn: 9781035035854

'One teddy, one moon, and one orange fox. Two kittens, two mittens, and two spotty socks...' Lots of things to find and count, and an open-out surprise at the end.

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You Choose Bedtime

Illustrated by Nick Sharratt
isbn: 9780241730577

'Where will you sleep? The choice is up to you. Cot? Bed? Car? Kangaroo?' Lots of you choose fun that culminates in a final spread that offers eight lift-the-flap tiny books, each with their own story.

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You Choose Farm

Illustrated by Nick Sharratt
isbn: 9780241730720

'First, choose a hat and your favourite wellies. Strawberry? Bear? Dinosaurs? Jellies?' Vehicles and animals and jobs and more choices to make until the end of our visit when we list eight animal home flaps to find out who sleeps where.

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Colours of Things

Illustrated by Emily Rand
isbn: 9781035034611

'Red cherries, a red door, red jam and a parrot. Orange bunting and T-shirt, marigolds and a carrot,'... and on we go through lots of colours until we see them 'all mixed up'. Images crammed full of wonderfully eclectic mixes of objects of the relevant colours.

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Picture Books

You Choose

Illustrated by Nick Sharratt
paperback isbn: 0552547085
board book isbn: 9780241764671

A big catalogue full of pictures to browse through and choose the things we'd all like to be able to choose in real life, if only we could - where to live, who to live with, what pets to have, what to wear, what to eat, where to sleep, and more. Hundreds of different choices, some sensible, some daft. This book was chosen as a picture book to be given to all three year olds by Bookstart charity, but the book works well with a wide age range (including adults), as something to be looked at alone or as a focus for discussion or even as a starting point for story ideas.

It has also been given away to Year 7 children through the Booked Up scheme.

Winner of the 2011 Mumsnet Children's Book of the Year for 3-4 Year Olds.
Shortlisted for the Coventry Inspiration Awards.
Winner of York Library's Favourite Children's Picture Book Ever.

NB The latest edition of the book has the added extra of shiny card pages with part stories and letters to be completed by choosing stickers and sticking them in to make your own story.

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You Choose Your Dreams

Illustrated by Nick Sharratt
isbn 0241334977

Formerly published as Just Imagine, this bright fun catalogue of visual ideas asks you to imagine yourself differently. Perhaps so tall you could look down on an aeroplane? So small you could fly a bird? What if you could do magic? Or be made of something different? Stretch your imagination!

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You Choose in Space

Illustrated by Nick Sharratt
isbn: 9780141379296

Spreads rich in pictures of space crafts, planets, aliens, jobs and foods and places and animals and more. Food for fun discussion and choices and story-making, in the same format a perennially popular You Choose.

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You Choose Fairy Tales

Illustrated by Nick Sharratt
isbn: 9780241488874

With its shimmering golden cover, this You Choose book offers fun with fairy tale characters as you make choices that will take you on your own fairy tale story journey. Who will you be? What about companions? Equipment? What foe might you face? Don't forget to choose what to wear and eat, and much much more.

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Chapatti Moon

Illustrated by Lizzie Finlay
isbn: 9781848531284

Mrs Kapoor cooks herself a delicious dinner, but a honking goose makes her drop a chapatti that rolls away, leading to a chase all over the place by a growing band of animals and people. But Mrs Kapoor gets her chapatti in the end, and it tastes 'wonderfully moony'!

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My Very Own Space

Illustrated by Rebecca Crane
isbn: 9781838743406

Little text, but with lots being shown in Rebecca's lovely expressive pictures, this picture book shows the story of Jack rabbit's attempt to find some peace and quiet in which to read his Space Bunny book - but then begins to miss his friends and family after all.

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Daddy Frog And the Moon

Illustrated by Augusta Kirkwood
isbn: 1999955625

A lyrical story in which Daddy Frog seeks the perfect gift to show Baby Frog how much he loves her. But, meanwhile, we see that he is missing out as Baby Frog develops from tadpole to small hoppy frog... but all ends hoppily happily as at last they come to understand each other.
Click here to see Pippa reading Daddy Frog and the Moon

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Happy Sad

Illustrated by Augusta Kirkwood
isbn: 9781916205420

When Toby finds a sad mermaid in a rock pool he takes her home to make her happy. But, away from her family and the sea, the mermaid is 'happy sad'. What should Toby do?

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Collins Big Cats Phonics

Nature and Design

isbn: 9780008552138

Read and see how animals and birds can influence cutting edge science, from turbine blades copying the bumps on humpback whale flippers to termite nest design influencing the cooling and heating circulation systems in modern buildings.

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Discovering Dinosaurs

isbn: 9780008681258

Find out how early dinosaur fossils were interpreted as being from dragons and cyclopses. How children have made dinosaur discoveries. How we have learned of the hundreds of millions of years of changing Earth and changing dinosaur life... and how nearly all of that ended with a massive meteorite strike. Could we, should we, bring dinosaurs back? Plenty to learn and think about in this big topic!

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The Grasshopper and the Ants

Illustrated by Janbjuan Oliver
isbn: 9780008352059

The traditional Aesop fable, but with a slightly kinder ending!

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Red Hen

Illustrated by Kay Hiatt
isbn: 978-0007516339

An early reader version of the traditional tale.

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Collins Big Cats

Oh No, Rosie!

Illustrated by Sian James
isbn: 978-0008398958

When Megan is told that she is going to have to move house and school, she is comforted by the promise of a dog. Rosie isn't the dog she had in mind, but proves useful in making new friends.

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Reading Planet

Rising Stars, White Galaxy: The Little Mermaid

isbn: 9781510441736

A child friendly early reader version of Andersen's traditional tale. In this story, Margaret, a child mermaid, wishes she had legs so that she could join the children playing on the beach.

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Read on

Short, colour-illustrated, fast-paced books for teenagers.  Easy to read.

This Boy

Illustrated by Iva Sasheva
isbn 9780007464708

A romantic ghost story in which young Kerry meets the ghost of a young man killed in the First World War; a young man who gives her something rather special…

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Winnie the Witch

Under the author name 'Laura Owen', but written by me, these are books with four short stories in each about Winnie the Witch and her cat Wilbur, famous from the picture books. Wonderfully, madly, energetically, funnily illustrated in black and white by the inimitable Korky Paul. As you can imagine, they've been great fun to write, and there are more books on the way.

Winnie and Wilbur: The Santa Surprise

Illustrated by Korky Paul
paperback isbn: 9780192767462
x hardback isbn: 9780192767455

The very first chapter book about Winnie the Witch and Wilbur! Winnie thinks that its not fair that Santa who gives so many presents doesn't himself get a visit from Santa, so she and Wilbur set out to put that right. Full of magical disasters and wonders and fun, this books is fully illustrated with coloured pictures.

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Read With Oxford: Stages 4-6

These are the stories already published as Winnie and Wilbur story books (scroll down to see), but carefully trimmed and reworked, and the pictures coloured, to make reading books within the Read with Oxford scheme:

Stage 4:
Winnie Makes Trouble
isbn: 978-0192773739 Buy from Hive

Winnie in the Sun
isbn: 978-0192773760 Buy from Hive

Chilly Winnie
isbn: 978-0192773746 Buy from Hive

Winnie at Work
isbn: 978-0192773753 Buy from Hive

Winnie's Witchy Tales
isbn: 978-0192773777 Buy from Hive

Winnie's Holiday Fun
Isbn: 978-0192773722 Buy from Hive

Stage 5:
Tidy Up, Winnie
isbn: 978-0192765239 Buy from Hive

It's Teatime, Winnie
isbn: 978-0192765215 Buy from Hive

Winnie Dresses Up
isbn: 978-0192765222 Buy from Hive

Winnie's Awful Aunties
isbn: 978-0192769176 Buy from Hive

Tellytastic Winnie
isbn: 978-0192769152 Buy from Hive

Time Travel, Winnie
isbn: 978-0192769169 Buy from Hive

Stage 6:
Go, Winnie, Go!
isbn: 978-0192765253 Buy from Hive

Winnie's Problem Pets
isbn: 978-0192765260 Buy from Hive

Party Time, Winnie
isbn: 978-0192769183 Buy from Hive

Winnie's Outdoor Fun
isbn: 978-0192765246 Buy from Hive

Winnie's Animal Antics
isbn: 978-0192769206 Buy from Hive

Warbling Winnie
isbn: 978-0192769190 Buy from Hive

Winnie Spells Trouble

illustrated by Korky Paul
isbn 9780192748461

Winnie finds herself in all sorts of trouble; trouble in running the afterschool club, trouble when Auntie Aggie comes to stay, trouble in Ancient Egypt, and even trouble with her own double!

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Winnie Adds Magic

illustrated by Korky Paul
isbn 9780192748478

What will Wilbur think when Winnie decides to get a new kitten?  And what will happen with Winnie and Wilbur decide to go camping, bring magic into school, and even find themselves in full armour, competing in a medieval joust?!

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Winnie The Bold

illustrated by Korky Paul
isbn 9780192748485

What will Wilbur think when Winnie decides to get a new kitten?  And what will happen with Winnie and Wilbur decide to go camping, bring magic into school, and even find themselves in full armour, competing in a medieval joust?!

 

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Winnie's Alien Sleepover

illustrated by Korky Paul
isbn 9780192748492

Wilbur gets the chance to star in a TV advert, but it’s studying the real stars in the sky that brings Winnie into contact with an interesting alien.  Magic gets zapping when Winnie loses her beloved teddy bear, and it produces very strange results when she tries riding a bike instead of a broom!

 

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Spookie Winnie

isbn 9780192748454

This time Winnie is helping out with the school’s Halloween party, turning back time, struggling with wayward wands!

 

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Winnie Goes Wild

isbn 9780192748447

Winnie turns detective, has a day of doing things differently, finds herself and Wilbur in the jungle, and resorts to magical measures in order to keep warm.

 

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Nitty Winnie

Illustrated by Korky Paul
isbn: 9780192748430

In which Winnie Abracadabras a time machine to whisk Wilbur and herself back to dinosaur times, organises a witchily Winnie-style wedding, finds herself stranded in a sandcastle as the tide comes in ... and mixes nits and maypole dancing with hair-raising results.

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Winnie Goes For Gold

Illustrated by Korky Paul
isbn 9780192748423

There's a wackily Winnie-style Olympic feel to the school Sports Day when Winnie decides to help out, and ends-up as a winner herself! In the other stories in this book, Winnie tries her hand at babysitting, throws a house party that gets out of hand, and tries to save some birds from extinction.

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Winnie shapes Up

Illustrated by Korky Paul
isbn 9780192748416

What happens when you attach a sat nav to a broom?  Aliens happen!  In the four stories in this book, Winnie and Wilbur don’t only sort out their alien problem.  They also try to get fit, enter a pancake race, and try to help the children with their sponsored silence.  Magic makes mayhem of them all!

 

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Winnie Takes the Plunge

Illustrated by Korky Paul
isbn 9780192748409

When Winnie gets flushed down the toilet and out to sea, who do you think will save her?  Wilbur the cat and Jerry the giant, of course!  Only Winnie could make music from squeaky mice, and make a street party that even a shy giant can enjoy.  But how will she react to an encounter with a not very friendly abominable snowman?  Read and find out!

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Winnie Goes Batty

Illustrated by Korky Paul
isbn 9780192748386

In which Winnie joins the circus as a high wire act that turns her into a clown, she floats off in a bubble to get away from her troubles … and finds some new ones, she digs such a deep hole in a search for treasure that she creates a cooling swimming pool and discovers new bugs, and she goes in search of bats to cook but decides that she likes them better as friends.

Chosen for the Richard And Judy Children’s Book Club. 
Chosen for the libraries’ Summer Reading Challenge

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Winnie On Patrol 

Illustrated by Korky Paul
isbn 9780192748393

Winnie takes over crossing patrol duties at school with results that please the children more than the adults.  She tries out ordinary life, and decides that being a witch is best after all.  Winnie tries to get her house into order, but the furniture starts to take over.  And she wants the perfect costume to win her the fun run … but the costume she ends up in wins her something quite different. 

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Winnie's Big Catch

Illustrated by Korky Paul
isbn 9780192748379

Winnie goes into production with a new line in knickers, she tries to tidy her life, she takes to the football field during a vital match, and she gives Wilbur the birthday treat of his dreams when she takes him out in Stinky Stan’s fishing boat.

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Whizz-Bang Winnie

Illustrated by Korky Paul
isbn 9780192748324

In which Winnie loses Wilbur one hot day, Winnie hatches some eggs with interesting results, Winnie tries to help out on the school’s Book Day, and Winnie joins in a race and gives the men a run for their money!

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Giddy-Up, Winnie!

Illustrated by Korky Paul
isbn 9780192748362

In which Winnie decides to go horse racing, invites her awkward relatives to tea, makes the garden rather special for a visit by the children from school, and takes a different kind of holiday. All helped, of course, by good old Wilbur.

Shortlisted for the Coventry Inspirational Books Award,
Raring 2 Read book of the year.

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Winnie Says Cheese

Illustrated by Korky Paul
isbn 9780192748331

In which Winnie meets her match with a grumpy tooth fairy, where she creates a one-witch band, where she tries, not very successfully, to make herself more beautiful, and where Wilbur's chances at the cat show are put in jeopardy by fleas!

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Winnie The Hive

Illustrated by Korky Paul
isbn 9780192748355

Winnie takes on the job of School Cook, she tries to turn Wilbur into a better kind of pet, she turns nature lover in search of a rare owl, and she has trouble building an extension to her house, all with fairly disastrous results!

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Mini Winnie 

Illustrated by Korky Paul
isbn 9780192748348

In which Winnie and Wilbur have to cope with a visit from an awful Auntie, Winnie tries her hand as a cleaner at the school, Winnie uses a ghost writer to help her enter a poetry competition ((note the ghost writer’s initials!), and when Winnie gets shrunk to the size of a teaspoon.

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Tadpoles

Short, early reading books with colour illustrations..

Dragon Magic

Illustrated by Lesley Danson
1405282444

A story about how getting to know people can be the best form of ‘defence’ The King is in a flap about strangers coming, so he orders Big John the Blacksmith to make a strong gate to keep them out.  But Big John’s dragon, Huff, is too old to breath much fire, so Jess finds a new dragon, Puff, who enables her father to make a gate that is strong, but not in the way that the King had expected.

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Dragon Boy

Illustrated by Martin Ursell
isbn 9781405282383

Grandpa tells Lily a strange tale of a boy who was brought up by dragons. 'And was that boy you, Grandpa?' asks Lily.

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Oxford Reading Books

The Reading Web books are the very simplest of little reading books, but Oxford Reading Tree's Treetops readers provide proper short novels with chapters and lots of illustrations for extending reading at different levels.

Rocket Girl

Illustrated by Ben Whitehouse
isbn: 9780198414742

A wordless story for pre-readers, showing a dropped present of a toy rocket girl coming to life to make her own way to the birthday girl she was intended for.

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The Ups and Downs of Elodie Taylor

Illustrated by Alessia Tunfio
isbn: 9780198421306

A (20,000 word) chapter story about Elodie who longs to make her parents proud, but who tends to get things wrong. She may be slow at reading and bad at spelling, but surely she can win at something? She finds her way to shine in a surprising way that makes her Grandma, visiting from Trinidad, very proud indeed.

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Puss in Boots

Illustrated by Thomas Radcliff
isbn 9780198305897

Youngest brother of three, Jack, inherits just a cat whilst his brothers get the mill and the donkey. But that cat soon proves to be an exceptionally clever one that wins Jack both love and a big enough fortune to make his brothers cross!

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Sleeping Beauty

Illustrated by Bee Willey
isbn 9780198305927

Princess Aurora is having a lovely christening party until the fairy who hadn't been invited arrives! She will have to sleep for a hundred years, but will find happiness at the end of that, as will somebody surprising in this new twist to the tale.

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The Frog Prince

Illustrated by Yannick Robert
isbn 9780198339564

The traditional tale told with a child princess who doesn’t want to be friends with a cold wet frog.  But a promise is a promise…

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The Jungle Book

Illustrated by Mike Spoor
isbn 9780198448624

t was fascinating to read the entire original Jungle Books by Rudyard Kipling, and then select and rework them to produce a single episodic story following Mowgli’s life from being adopted by wolves when he was a baby, through adventures with friends Baloo, Bagheera and Kaa, fighting the tiger Shere Khan, and finally having to decide whether to live as an animal or a man.

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Tom Thumb And The Football Team

Illustrated by Philippe Dupasquier
isbn 9780199151868

A retelling of the traditional story of Tom Thumb, but in this version Tom Thumb is the inventor of table football - and King Arthur becomes a fan!

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Sister Ella

Illustrated by Jane Bottomley
isbn 9780199184514

What if Cinderella didn't tell the truth and actually it was the step sisters she labelled as 'ugly' who were actually nicer and Ella who was the spoilt one? This is the journal written by one of those sisters. Pages at the back tell about what life was like in the eighteenth century.

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Snooty Prune

Illustrated by Peter Kavanagh
isbn 9780198447702

Prunella doesn't like her name or the way she looks, so when she tries to get a friend by writing to a pen pal club she makes herself sound more interesting than she really is. But she mightn't be the only one playing that game!

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Hamper's Great Escape

Illustrated by Caroline Holden
isbn 9780198447603

Clare and Sam's hamster escapes. They need to find it quickly because Gran (or is it Grandad?) is scared stiff of mice.

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