With levels of insomnia on the rise, the idea of enjoying a full night of good quality sleep seems to have become a dream of its own.
This pocket-sized collection of comforting poetry is the perfect nighttime soother that makes putting the phone down easy, in exchange for a few moments of mindful bliss.
In this second book within a brand-new series, discover the lullabies cherished by cultures across the world, verse that worships and praises the nighttime as well as poems that encourage gratitude and optimism for the day ahead, featuring words from literary greats such as Emily Bronte, W.B Yeats and Robert Louis Stevenson.
Let this tranquil poetry anthology improve your sleep and overall wellbeing.
Jane McMorland Hunter writes and edits books on the good things in life: gardening, nature, cookery, craft and poetry, whilst also working part-time at Hatchards Bookshop, London. She has written and edited several books, including A Happy Poem to End Every Day, Ode to London, Favourite Poems of England, A Nature Poem for Every Day of the Year and Nature Writing for Every Day of the Year. She lives in west London and can be found on social media @alittlecitygarden.
With 100 carefully chosen poems, featuring verse about the beauty of the nighttime as well as an array of restful, tranquil, and meditative verse, 100 Poems to Help You Sleep is an essential pocket-sized guide for anyone in search of better-quality sleep.
After a 2021 study showed that 42% of individuals feel their sleep improves from reading before bed, the push to reduce screentime has become increasingly imperative. This calming collection makes putting down the phone down easy, with its comforting words reshaping your nighttime routine.
As the second in a new series of pocket-sized poetry, discover classical lullabies cherished by cultures all over the world and poems that encourage gratitude and optimism for what each day can bring. Observe the night sky with Emily Brontë, visit the Lake Isle of Innisfree with W. B. Yeats, and experience Shakespeare’s most calming verses.
Poems include the serene ‘In the Evening’ by Nikki Giovanni, the upbeat ‘Everything Is Going to Be Alright’ by Derek Mahon, the nursery classic ‘My Bed is a Boat’ by Robert Louis Stevenson, and many more that are just perfect for the quiet hours of the night.
100 Poems to Help you Sleep by Jane McMorland Hunter is publishing by Batsford and out now.
An absolute note perfect novel based on Maria Callas’s love affair with Aristotle Onassis. A fictionalised story of the ultimate Diva of Opera. I was obsessed with this book and did not want to put it down. I have always been a fan of Maria Callas, and Daisy Goodwin is a writer at the top of her game.
In the glittering and ruthlessly competitive world of opera, Maria Callas is known simply as la divina: the divine one. With her glorious voice, instinctive flair for the dramatic and striking beauty, she’s the toast of the grandest opera houses in the world. Yet her fame has been hard won: raised in Nazi-occupied Greece by a mother who mercilessly exploited her, Maria learned early in life how to protect herself.
When she meets the fabulously rich shipping magnate, Aristotle Onassis, her isolation melts away. For the first time in her life, she believes she’s found a man who sees the woman rather than the legendary soprano. Desperately in love, Onassis introduces her to a life of unbelievable luxury, mixing with celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
And then, suddenly, it’s over. The international press announce that Onassis will marry the most famous woman in the world, former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, leaving Maria to pick up the pieces.
Diva is sexy, glamourous and an absolute must-read. Available here.
HRT Husband Replacement Therapy Kathy Lette
Kathy Lette is known for her wit and this book is no different. It takes serious issues and even tragic moments, and tells them with humour and aplomb. Endlessly entertaining, and both heartwarming and funny, HRT Husband Replacement Therapy is a great antidote to reality. Escape between the pages.
An outrageously funny, heartbreaking read – when Ruby finds out she has cancer on the brink of her 50th birthday, she decides to start living instead of complying…
Ruby has always been the generous mediator among her friends, family and colleagues, which is why they’ve all turned up to celebrate her 50th birthday.
But after too many glasses of champers, Ruby takes her moment in the spotlight to reveal what she really thinks of every one of them. She accuses her husband of having an affair and lambasts her mother for a lifetime of playing her three daughters against each other – it’s blisteringly brutal.
As the stunned gathering gawks at Ruby, the birthday girl reveals that she has terminal cancer, and has cashed in her life savings to take her two estranged sisters cruising into the sunset for a dose of HRT – Husband Replacement Therapy. But is Ruby being courageous or ruthlessly selfish?
Another belter from Kathy Lette. This time four women reunite for the first time in decades as they enter midlife. The world has decided they are no longer relevant and so they take their revenge. It’s a fantastic, escapist comedy. Throughly enjoyable with many laugh out loud moments.
WHEN THE ODDS ARE AGAINST YOU, IT’S TIME TO GET EVEN.
Matilda, Jo, Penny and Cressy are all women at the top of their game; so imagine their surprise when they start to be personally overlooked and professionally pushed aside by less-qualified men.
Only they’re not going down without a fight.
Society might think the women have passed their amuse-by dates but the Revenge Club have other plans.
After all, why go to bed angry when you could stay up and plot diabolical retribution? Let the games begin…
I needed a moment after finishing this book. Damn, it’s a masterpiece. The story about a former child actor who quit at the top of her game because of the actions of the director she worked with for years. It’s a forensic take on Hollywood and the metoo movement. Ella Berman knows her characters inside out. The relationships between them is tender and realistic. You won’t be able to put this book down.
Grace Turner was one movie away from Hollywood’s A-List. So no one understood why, at the height of her career and on the eve of her first Golden Globe nomination, she disappeared.
Now, one year later, Grace is back in Los Angeles and ready to reclaim her life on her own terms.
When Grace is asked to present a lifetime achievement award to director Able Yorke – the man who controlled her every move for eight years – she knows there’s only one way she’ll be free of the secret that’s already taken so much from her.
The Comeback is a moving and provocative story of justice – a true page-turner about a young woman finding the strength and power of her voice, from the author of Reese’s Book Club pick Before We Were Innocent.
CONTRIBUTORS INCLUDE: Fearne Cotton, Matt Haig, Katie Piper, Melanie B, Holly Willoughby, June Sarpong, Izzy Judd, Beverley Knight, Dermot O’Leary, The Duchess of York, Jo Malone CBE, Paul Weller, Alex Scott MBE, Dr Julie Smith, Emma Bunton and Melissa Hemsley
I absolutely adore this book. Kindness is the most important thing. This book is full of quotes and wisdom, as well as things to do and advice. It is perfect for adults and children and is beautifully illustrated. Buy in bulk to hand out this Christmas.
Unlock the incredible power of kindness with this small book with a huge heart.
Packed with inspirational quotes, tips, actions and pearls of wisdom from famous personalities, experts and inspirational leaders alike, each page of this beautiful book will help you be kinder to yourself, to other people, and to the planet. Be Kind celebrates kindness in all its forms and demonstratesthat kindness can truly change the world.Kindness is your superpower, and this book will teach you how to use it well.
Rosie Nixon lives in Surrey and is an author, coach and broadcaster. A former magazine editor in chief, she is the founder of Rosie’s Reinvention Retreats, a series of carefully curated ‘retreats in a day’ to support midlife women. She is a mother of two and the author of three previous novels, The Stylist (2016) and sequel, AmberGreen takes Manhattan (2017), and Just Between Friends (2020). Be Kind is her first non-fiction book.
The Perfect Christmas book from the Queen of Christmas. Best read with a hot chocolate for extra festive feels. It has family drama, a love story and it’s set in a Cotswolds village. Bliss.
Will this Christmas finally bring comfort and joy?
A PAINFUL SECRET
Imogen loves her job as an events organiser, and her colleagues are in awe of her. But Imogen isn’t the person she pretends to be, and she’s hiding painful truths about her past. But as long as she can keep on top of her work, Imogen can put everything else to one side.
AN ACT OF KINDNESS
And then Imogen makes a catastrophic mistake at work, and finally realises it’s time to reset. When her favourite client, Dorothy, invites her to spend Christmas with her and her family, in her cottage in the Cotswolds, it sounds like the perfect way for Imogen to take stock.
FINDING HAPPINESS AT CHRISTMAS
Imogen soon settles into idyllic cottage life, especially with the prospect of a new romance on the horizon … but when long-buried secrets and unwanted faces from the past resurface, Imogen’s new peace is threatened. Will Imogen end up alone this Christmas, or can she find it in her heart to forgive and move on?
This is a sumptuous page turner. The lives of two women are told expertly. It’s a glamorous love story which is both heartwarming and heart-wrenching. Perfect for fans of The Crown.
A royal princess. A dress lost for decades. A love story waiting to be uncovered… London, 1988: Meredith has landed her dream job at London’s most prestigious fashion house, creating beautiful gowns adorned with intricate beads and embroidery. But now Meredith is about to create a dress like no other for the most famous woman in the world: Diana, Princess of Wales. As Meredith pours her heart into this career-defining dress, she works under the handsome and exacting William in the workroom.
William, and this commission, could end up changing her life in more ways than one… New York, 1997: The red carpet has been rolled out on Park Avenue for the auction of Princess Diana’s dresses for charity. Of the eighty items listed for sale, only seventy-nine will sell.
Because dress Number 19 is missing… England, 2018: Jayne has met all the neighbours in her new building bar one: Mrs Chalis on the first floor. When she finally meets Meredith Chalis in the hallway, she is taken aback by how upset she seems and offers her help. Entering her home, Jayne immediately knows something is very wrong. The house is in complete disarray and there is no sign of Meredith’s husband.
But then Jayne sees the most beautiful evening dress thrown over a chair and reads the note laid beside it.
Jayne realises that Meredith has an incredible story to tell… and only she can help uncover it…
Perfect for fans of Strictly and historical fiction. We’re a sucker for a wartime story, and this is a page turner.
You’re invited to a show to remember at the prestigious Buckingham Hotel . . .
In London 1942 the war is far from over for soldier Raymond de Guise. His wife Nancy is overjoyed to be reunited with her husband, and to introduce him to their son. But their safety is threatened once more as Raymond returns to the ballroom at the Buckingham Hotel, ordered to discover the dark secrets held by the glittering high society. On the dancefloor Raymond uncovers a dangerous relationship that could change the course of the war, and also threaten his marriage to Nancy. Can he protect his King and his family before it is too late?
A DANCE FOR THE KING is a pageturning and epic wartime story filled with drama, mystery, dance and romance.
I am lucky enough to get invited to the HQ Digital Showcase. The last one I went to had the amazing Louise Candlish talking about her new book. Louise is incredibly talented and there was such a buzz in the air when she was talking. A true superstar author with a fantastic career. We hung on her every word. There wasn’t much information about the book but it was about holiday homes and the housing crisis. I knew immediately that I wanted to read it. I couldn’t wait. Luckily, time goes fast and the book was in my hands soon enough and, damn, what a corker. My invitation to Pine Ridge did not disappoint. Charlotte and Perry have owned their clifftop holiday home for years and now their city friends, Amy and Linus, have bought a home nearby. The two couples and their families look forward to a fun summer socialising and sipping rosè. Problem is, the locals are sick of being priced out of their home and now they’re protesting, headed up by the charismatic Robbie. What follows is an intriguing novel that entertains with every single page. I read Our Holiday months ago and it has stayed with me. From the well-rounded characters you can’t help but feel you really know, to the clever plot that weaves every trail together beautifully. Our Holiday is one of the books of the year. Written by a writer at the top of her game. This is the perfect summer thriller. Grab a copy now. You won’t regret it.
The Booksellers Association (BA) hasIndependent Bookshop Week 2024 Announces Ambassadors and Early Initiatives announced this year’s official campaign spokespeople and initial plans for Independent Bookshop Week (IBW), the annual celebration of independent bookshops across the UK and Ireland. It will take place between 15-22 June 2024 with Hachette UK returning as the headline sponsor.
This year, renowned broadcaster and author of Murder at the Monastery (6 June 2024), Rev Richard Coles, celebrated journalistand author of Everything is Everything: A Memoir of Love, Hate and Hope, Clive Myrie and award-winning novelist and author of In The Shadow of the Wolf Queen, Kiran Millwood Hargrave will be participating in IBW as official ambassadors. They will also be appearing at bookshop events all across the UK – with more details and venues to be revealed.
Independent Bookshop Week 2024 returns with a packed line-up of exciting initatives from the inaugural Big Book Club to the sixth year of High Five for Bookshops supported by National Book Tokens and many more.
EXCLUSIVE POEM
With the success of poems created by Brian Bilston, Hollie McNish and Dean Atta, critically acclaimed spoken word performer George Mpanga, known for his artistry as George the Poet, has created a bespoke Independent Bookshop Week poem to support the campaign. The poem will be shared on social media at 6pm on Wednesday 19 June.
HIGH FIVE FOR BOOKSHOPS
High Five for Bookshops, the successful national giveaway from National Book Tokens, is back for a sixth year. The giveaway supports indie bookshops across the UK and Ireland to reward their most loyal local customers.
Bookshops participating in Independent Bookshop Week each receive 100 vouchers with unique codes, which customers can use to claim a £5/€5 National Book Tokens e-Gift card to spend instore.
Since its launch, High Five has continued to grow year-on-year, with 92,000 vouchers sent to indies in 2023 – a 200% increase since 2019. The giveaway is a valuable, footfall-driving asset to the annual Independent Bookshop Week celebrations.
BIG BOOK CLUB
Launching this year, the Big Book Club strand of IBW will celebrate the role of indies in bringing people together via a shared love of reading. The Big Book Club will see indie bookshops across the UK and Ireland holding book club evenings on the same day, on Wednesday 19 June. Participating bookshops confirmed so far include: The Beckenham Bookshop, Booka Bookshop (Bridgnorth), Booka Bookshop (Oswestry), Book-ish (Abergavenny), Book-ish (Crickhowell), Hungerford Bookshop, Jaffé & Neale, The Mainstreet Trading Company, and Wantage Bookshop.
BOOKSHOP CRAWLS
All booklovers are once again invited to organise their own Bookshop Crawl to celebrate IBW. The Bookshop Map on the homepage of the Books Are My Bag website is a useful resource to find your closest local indies and plan your route.
INDIE TWINNING
With its success making it a firmly established strand of IBW, Indie Twinning returns for a fifth year, with independent publishers and independent bookshops teaming up to develop bespoke programmes of activity across the country. Look out for special offers, exclusives, social media take-overs, bespoke bookshop windows and much more.
GUEST BOOKSELLING
Authors, poets and illustrators are invited to get involved with IBW with Guest Bookselling. Allowing guest booksellers to learn more about a new side of the booktrade and supporting local indies, and an exciting opportunity for bookshop frequenters to have a chance encounter with authors, poets and illustrators, this is a win-win for all!
Bookshop.org, the online bookshop with a mission to support and celebrate indies in the UK, will again be offering free shipping on any purchases made on the website the last weekend of IBW, Saturday 22 and Sunday 23June 2024.
Rev Richard Coles, said: “Booksellers around the market towns and cathedral cities of the UK have been so very genial and welcoming to me as I’ve spent many an enjoyable day visiting them to talk about Canon Daniel Clement, parish murders and dachshunds. I wouldn’t be in the wonderful position that I now find myself in – crime writer! – without their considerable efforts and support, so I am hugely grateful. It all began for me with an independent bookseller, The Oundle Bookshop, in Northamptonshire where, when I was 8 years old, my grandfather bought me my first proper book – The Complete Sherlock Holmes Short Stories – and without knowing it set me on this gilded path.”
Kiran Millwood Hargrave, said: “Independent bookshops are like treasure troves staffed by the most erudite and lovely dragons. Each knows their hoard inside out and I feel so lucky whenever I get to visit and ask for their recommendations, coming away with hidden gems and glittering storytelling riches. I love the high ceilings of Forum Books in Corbridge, the gorgeously-painted windows of Booka Bookshop, the pitch perfect curation at Porty Books and of course the dazzling array at my local, Mostly Books. But every shop I visit is distinct and precious, and offers an experience as unique as the people who run them – and that is what makes indie bookselling such a vibrant and vital part of the book world.”
Hazel Broadfoot, President of the Booksellers Association, said: “This is such a wonderful celebration of indie bookshops, and everything they bring to their local communities. Bookshops are not just about selling books – they connect people with books and authors – and each other! Independent Bookshop Week is an opportunity to shine a light on their hard work and creativity that brings so many cultural benefits to their high streets. In my bookshop, Village Books Dulwich, we have our planning under way – we’ll be joining in the fun and hosting lots of events for our customers of all ages to celebrate the power of books and reading.”
Emma Bradshaw, Head of Campaigns at the Booksellers Association, commented: “Independent Bookshop Week is one of the highlights in the book industry calendar. Throughout the week, we aim to celebrate not only the vital role the independent bookshops play in their local communities, but also the work of individual booksellers. We are thrilled to have the support of so many parts of the book trade; it’s a joy to see everyone brought together by the joy of books and a love for independent bookshops. This year’s programme of events, initiatives and exclusives is sure to be better than ever, and we’re very excited to kick off the celebrations in June!”
David Shelley, CEO Hachette UK, said: “We’re proud to continue our headline sponsorship of Independent Bookshop Week, an integral part of our happy and important partnership with the Booksellers Association. Independent bookshops are the beating heart of our industry, and this is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the vital work that they do, up and down the UK and Ireland, getting our author’s books into the hands of readers with such passion and dedication.”
Follow the latest developments via social media: #IndieBookshopWeek @BooksAreMyBag
World Book Day is upon us and The Gruffalo a first read for 1 in 8 children.
The Gruffalo most popular first read for British children as nation prepares to celebrate World Book Day
One in eight children have The Gruffalo read to them as their first book
The Very Hungry Caterpillar and That’s Not My… series complete the top three
44% of parents read to children from birth
However, those parents who were late to reading themselves could be stunting their own child’s progression
As the nation prepares to celebrate World Book Day on March 7, a new study has unveiled that The Gruffalo is the go-to book when it comes to reading to our children for the very first time.
The survey, commissioned by The Works, aimed to uncover reading habits among parents and children and whether our own experiences of reading influences how we read to our children, as well as the top books we read to children today.
And the results proved overwhelmingly favourable towards Julia Donaldson titles, with The Gruffalo taking the crown as the number one read book to children. Joining The Gruffalo among the most popular, but just outside the top 10 were the likes of Zog and Room on the Broom, meaning one in five children have a Donaldson book read to them as their very first story.
Donaldson books were joined by some old favourites, including The Very Hungry Caterpillar, which is still the second most read book to children as a first read despite being over 50-years-old, while the That’s Not My… series, written by Fiona Watt, is the third most common set of books read to children as their first reads.
The full top 10 first books parents read to their children:
The Gruffalo
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
That’s Not My…
Guess How Much I Love You
Peppa Pig
Spot
The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Dear Zoo
Winnie the Pooh
Harry Potter
When it comes to the age in which we’re reading to our children, book lovers will be pleased to see that 44% of parents pick up a book to engage their children in storytime from birth, while a further 27% of parents do so from under the age of two.
However, the study also revealed that 10% of adults today don’t remember reading their first book until they were in secondary school, resulting in parents 20% less likely to read to their child under the age of two. Alongside this, less than one in five parents that don’t recall reading until after the age of 12 will introduce reading to their own children from birth.
World Book Day takes place on Thursday March 7, 2024. The Works are supporting the charity and are encouraging children and parents to bring their £1 book token into stores between February 15 and March 31 to exchange their token for a book from the World Book Day 2024 range.
I adored this smart speculative thriller. It’s original and lots of fun. This is in development by Archewell, Prince Harry and Meghan’s production company. This brilliant book is a about a woman who is murdered, brought back to life as a clone, and then solves her own murder. A must read.
The Returned Amanda Cassidy
This book had me completely hooked. It is about a woman who is told her son died in a fire, only for her son to seemingly come back to life decades later. A detective is called back to her hometown and the memories she left behind. It was smart and full of stunning prose. Amanda Cassidy is a writer to watch. I rarely reread a book but The Returned has earned a place on my book shelf. Cassidy is a stunning voice in Irish crime fiction. This book is disturbing and twisty. Leaving me hooked from the first page.
The Miraculous Sweetmakers: The Frost Fair Natasha Hastings
This dazzling historical fantasy novel sweeps you up to a beautiful world. Natasha Hastings is a stunning writer. This middle grade novel is heartwarming and perfectly written. My children aren’t quite old enough for it yet, but I loved it. I can’t wait for the follow up next year.
It’s winter, 1683, and the Great Frost has swept into London. By day, thirteen-year-old Thomasina and her friend Anne peddle sweets on the frozen river, hearing rumors of the magical Frost Fair that awakens there at night. They say if you can find it, Father Winter himself will grant any wish you have. And Thomasina has an impossible wish: the return of her twin brother, whose death left her family fractured.
Unfortunately Yours Tessa Bailey
I love Tessa Bailey and these two characters from Secretly Yours were my favourite and I could not wait for the sequel. I was not disappointed. This enemies-to-lovers story fizzles with chemistry and racy sex scenes. It is fun and heartfelt as Natalie and August find their way to each other.
The Last List of Mabel Beaumont Laura Pearson
This book about an eighty-something woman who’s husband dies and then she decides to tick of his last list. It says Find D. Mabel decides to find their old friend Dot. What follows is a heartwarming story with great characters. Fantastic.
Nineteen Steps Millie Bobby Brown
I loved this historical fiction novel from the star of stranger things. While there was some controversy around the ghostwriting, it is a fantastic and immersive novel based on Millie’s grandmother’s story. I loved the ending.
The American Boyfriend Ivy Ngeow
The American Boyfriend has all of the hallmarks of a great thriller. Fantastic characters, a great location (Florida) and a plot that keeps you guessing. This pacy book is full of great moments. I loved the ending. Just brilliant.
The Shallows Holly Craig
The Shallows was definitely one of my favourite books of 2023. I could not put it down. Everything from the plot to the characters is pitch perfect. It’s a brave and wild ride.
Emma and Ariella, neighbours in one of Sydney’s most exclusive suburbs, appear to have it all—perfect homes, perfect husbands, perfect lives. But they both know dark secrets lurk beneath the surface and shallow waters can’t hide Ariella’s. Now she has been found murdered.
HarperCollins division One More Chapter has acquired four new titles in Julie Shackman’s bestselling Scottish Escapes series.
Senior commissioning editor Jennie Rothwell acquired World All Language rights from Selwa Anthony at Selwa Anthony Literary Agnecy in a four-book deal, that sees The Bookshop by the Loch publish in Spring 2024.
The first title in the series, A Secret Scottish Escape, published in 2021 and has been a bestselling novel for the division. Collectively the series has now sold over 100k across all formats, with The Cottage in the Highlands having published on 1st December.
The Bookshop by the Loch follows book lover Lexie who is bereft when she discovers that her beloved local bookshop is up for sale. Desperate to save the shop, she takes things into her own hands, but not everyone is happy with her enthusiasm. And when the owner’s nephew Tobias arrives on the scene with some ideas of his own, the two are not happy at the prospect of having to work together…
Jennie Rothwell says: “I absolutely love working with Julie, her writing is uplifting and provides much needed escapism, and I love the balance of romance and mystery that she brings to her readers. I’m incredibly proud of what Julie has achieved in such a short space of time and can’t wait to continue working with her and watching her brand grow as she continues to find new readers.”
Julie Shackman says: “I am thrilled and delighted to be continuing my writing journey with the amazing One More Chapter. They are a first-rate team and it really is just like being part of one big happy family. I can’t wait to bring more romance and mystery to the readers with my Scottish Escapes series!”
‘My daughter loves these books. From the moment they were in her hands she was excited. I have read them to her numerous times now.’ Catherine Yardley.
Author AnnaEmilia got her first cat at the age of thirty. The special relationship that ensued was the inspiration behind her series, ‘Little Cat and Friends’, which is both an ode to her cat Molina and also a vital addition to any educator’s playbook. Anna struggled with reading as a child, and she is uniquely aware of how children learn and crucially, what keeps their attention.
Utilizing a variety of fonts and colours, the books contain simple, child-like conversations and questions, designed to help parents address a number of topics, from siblings to adoption and more. They are also just plain fun to read, with words that jiggle up and down, whimsical illustrations and stories that will delight children and parents alike.
Synopses:
‘The Little Cat’ The Little Cat has a new Mummy and a new home. Join her as she gets herself into some tricky situations while exploring her new surroundings. She’s so excited. Will she ever be able to settle down and go to sleep? This simple and appealing story will delight young children, especially those with a new pet.
‘Making Friends’
Little Cat has a new Mummy and a new home. Now she needs to go outside and make some friends. Will she find any? Follow Little Cat’s adventures as she looks to explore her new world and finds out what her new name will be. Will she like it? A simple yet delightful tale about exploring, meeting new people, gaining confidence and making friends.
‘Tiny Kitten’ Molina is surprised when a new brother arrives. She decides she won’t like him and is very sad until she helps Mummy choose his name. When her friends come to visit, they love her brother. Will she learn to love him too? A charming story about dealing with change and how first impression aren’t always right.
“When I struggled to read, there weren’t a lot of tools out there to help,” says Anna. “These books would have been an absolute treat for me. For any parents who have children with dyslexia or other learning difficulties, I suggest using your child’s own pet or perhaps a favourite toy as a reading buddy. This helps build confidence. I also think that as you read to your children, you should consciously make mistakes. Explain to your children that making mistakes is absolutely okay – and it’s a natural part of reading and of life. This will help your child realize that their own mistakes aren’t the end of the world. In fact, they might start to relish the effort of learning to read. Once you take away the fear of failure, they will feel so much more confident and happy – just like Little Cat!”
Readers – both big and small – have been entranced with the series since its inception.
“A beautiful book, The Little Cat is absolutely loved by my 3 year old boy Emile. Utterly charming and beautifully illustrated, it is an everyday bedtime story book in our household,” writes Delphine.
Ben agrees, writing, “All my children love the stories and the pictures, very colourful and easy to read, they can’t put the books down!”
All three books in the ‘Little Cat and Friends’ series are available now from Waterstones, Amazon, and all leading bookshops as well as the author’s own website:
AnnaEmilia is passionate about helping children become confident with reading. Her series, ‘Little Cat and Friends’ was born from her own struggle with reading as a child, and from the love she has for her own cats.
