This month our Cockatoo subscribers are on a thrilling, magical adventure with Kip and his friends in The Ten Riddles of Eartha Quicksmith. Here we quiz author Loris Owen on what inspired the book, her favourite fantasy reads and, most importantly, who she would want on her team in a quest.
The book we sent our Parakeet subscribers this month tells the beautiful and ultimately uplifting story of Olive, whose family is in the midst of a terrible grief. We're delighted to be able to share an exclusive extract from The Elephant as well as our recommended books for kids about grief and mental health.
The book we sent our Cockatoo subscribers this month is a brilliant debut that is laugh-out-loud funny, moving and relatable in so many ways. We asked author Helen Rutter to tell us what inspired her to write the book and all about her favourite funny reads for kids.
This month our Parakeet subscribers are reading Knight Sir Louis and the Damsel in Distress, a laugh-out-loud tale written and illustrated by brothers Greg and Myles McLeod. Here Myles ('the writey half') tells us all about working with his big brother and which other funny books for kids he would recommend you read next.
We've always found being part of our local small business community incredibly valuable. Marieke Syed is the founder of SNACKZILLA and lives just a few streets away. We were excited to talk with Marieke about her business, her experience of lockdown and the importance of reading for her family.
We enjoy making life that bit simpler for parents when it comes to anything book-related, so have put our heads together and come up with over 40 children’s book character costumes that are easy to recreate. Some require a bit more crafting than others but half term seems like the perfect time to get started and even enlist the children’s help too!
Don’t panic if you haven’t got your costume sorted yet, as we’ve got some super easy World Book Day costume hacks for you, plus lots of other creative ways you can celebrate with your young bookworms.
This month we sent our Parakeet subscribers the brilliant Noodle the Doodle by Jonathan Meres, a charming and super fun story inspired by his very own Labradoodle pup, Pablo! So for this month's exclusive interview, who else would want to meet than Pablo himself? Here he tells us all about life as a literary Labradoodle.
The book we sent our Cockatoo subscribers this month is a thrilling, atmospheric and very moving adventure story set in a vibrant city in the midst of an epic monsoon. It really had us on the edge of our seats! Here we quiz author Ele Fountain on what inspired the dramatic setting and which other adventure stories she would recommend you read next.
This month our Cockatoo subscribers have been reading The Orphans of St Halibutsby Sophie Wills. We love the book’s quirky humour, David Tazzyman’s amazing illustrations, and especially the brilliant and brave cast of characters. Here Sophie tells us what inspired the book and which other funny books for kids she would recommend you read next.
Our Parakeet subscribers are kicking off the year with a fantastic, swashbuckling adventure story, brilliantly illustrated by Mark Elvins and combining two of our favourite themes for this age group: pirates and detectives! Here author Derek Keilty tells us what inspired his new series and which other pirate books for kids he would recommend you read next.
2020 definitely isn’t making it easy for those that like to shop at the last minute – severe postal delays, supply issues and restrictions around shopping on the High Street aren’t a great combination. So, we've come up with a few really thoughtful ideas, for both adults and children, which can be sorted out quickly and easily from home. You just need access to a computer and printer!
