Nosy Crow's Blog, page 25

Octopus Shocktopus shortlisted for the 2021 BookTrust Storytime Prize

The shortlist for the 2021 BookTrust Storytime Prize were announced today – and we’re delighted that Octopus Shocktopus, written by Peter Bently and illustrated by Steven Lenton has been shortlisted this year!

The prize, which is now in its third year, celebrates and promotes the best books for sharing with young children and is run in association with the CILIP Youth Libraries Group. The winners will be chosen by an expert panel of librarians, educators, and children’s book consultants.

When a giant octopus arrives, the children LOVE their new friend; he makes the perfect slide and is fantastic at football! But some of the grown-ups aren’t so pleased. Will they drive him away . . . or will they realise just how helpful an octopus can be?

Take a look inside:

Buy the book.

You can find out more about the BookTrust Storytime Prize, and view the shortlist, here. The winner will be announced later this year.

Congratulations Peter and Steven!

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Take a look inside Everything You Know About Dinosaurs is Wrong!

This September we’re very excited to be publishing Everything You Know About Dinosaurs is Wrong, written by zoologist Dr Nick Crumpton and illustrated by Gavin Scott – an informative, inventive and entertaining new guide that will turn dinosaur fans into experts.

And today we’re delighted to share an early preview of the book!

Do you know all there is to know about dinosaurs? They’re mean, green and not very smart, right? Well, this book is here to show you that you’re WRONG! But don’t worry, even the experts can’t be right all the time . . .

So, let’s uncover the truth! From fossilised feathers to long-necked lookalikes, this ingenious book is packed with so many amazing dinosaur discoveries, you’ll soon become a palaeontology pro. Including jaw-dropping research that will debunk many myths about all kinds of prehistoric creatures – you’ll never look at a pigeon the same way again!

Take a look inside:

Everything You Know About Dinosaurs is Wrong will be published on September 2nd – you can pre-order a copy from Waterstones here, Bookshop.org here, or Amazon here.

If you’d like to stay up-to-date with all of our latest book news, including early preview, giveaways and new publications, you can sign up to our newsletter here – and you’ll never miss a thing.

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Take a look inside Pip and Posy: The Birthday Party – a brand new book from The Gruffalo illustrator, Axel Scheffler

This September we’re absolutely delighted to be publishing Pip and Posy: The Birthday Party – a brand new book in the much-loved and acclaimed series, from The Gruffalo illustrator, Axel Scheffler, and written by Camilla Reid.

Earlier this year, Pip and Posy made it to TV in a brand new animated series, available to watch on Milkshake and SkyKids now – you can find out more here.

And today we’re very excited to be sharing a first look inside this new book!

It’s Posy’s big day and she’s delighted with Pip’s present of a beautiful toy bus. The friends have fun with the bus, then play some energetic party games and, before long, it’s time for the birthday tea. But just as Pip is carrying the magnificent birthday cake to the table, he trips over the bus and flies into the air – along with Posy’s cake! All small children will enjoy finding out what happens next – and seeing how Pip and Posy make the best of a very, very sticky situation.

A relatable new Pip and Posy story about navigating life’s minor catastrophes, this is a brilliant new addition to the series – and perfect for sharing with toddlers and the very young this autumn!

Take a look inside the book:

Pip and Posy: The Birthday Party will be out on September 2nd – you can pre-order a copy from Waterstones here, Bookshop.org here, or Amazon here.

If you’d like to stay up-to-date with all of our latest book news, including early previews, giveaways and our latest books, you can sign up to our newsletter here.

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Take a look inside A History of the World in 25 Cities

This September we’re very excited to be publishing A History of the World in 25 Cities – a stunning illustrated book of extraordinary city maps, telling the story of human civilization throughout history.

And today we’re thrilled to be sharing an early preview of the book!

From the walled city of ancient Jericho to the modern-day metropolis of Tokyo, discover what cities can tell us about our past while also inspiring us to build a better future. Take a voyage of discovery and witness the birth of democracy in Athens, walk the lamplit streets of Benin deep in the West African rainforest, or discover what life was like in China’s long-lost capital city of Xianyang.

Featuring 25 specially created city maps, illustrated by Libby VanderPloeg, and co-authored by award-winning Tracey Turner and Andrew Donkin in consultation with specialist curators at the British Museum, this captivating book is packed with countless facts for curious readers to return to again and again.

With vibrant, carefully researched maps, followed by two gorgeously illustrated pages packed with fascinating information about what life was like in each city, this is the perfect gift for children who want to explore history around the world.

Take a look inside:

A History of the World in 25 Cities will be published this September – you can order a copy from Waterstones here, Bookshop.org here, or Amazon here.

Don’t forget to sign up to our newsletter here to be the first to know about our latest news, including early previews, new releases, giveaways and more.

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Take a look inside The Secret Garden – our new Nosy Crow classic

This September we’re absolutely delighted to be publishing the fifth title in our Nosy Crow Classics collection, The Secret Garden – a beloved children’s classic, beautifully retold by bestselling and award-winning author, Geraldine McCaughrean.

Like the other books in this collection, The Secret Garden will be published in a gorgeous cloth-bound hardback format, with a stunning foiled jacket, luxurious paper and a ribbon marker.

With enchanting artwork by Margarita Kukhtina, which brings this wonderful classic to life, this is a truly special book for young children and a timeless keepsake to be treasured for generations.

When Mary Lennox is sent from India to live with her uncle at gloomy Misselthwaite Manor, she is the most spoiled and contrary child you could ever meet. But she is also extremely lonely. Until one day, she discovers a walled garden that has been kept secret for years. With the help of a little robin, Mary unearths the key and unlocks the wonder that lies beyond the garden walls – and finds that making friends can be every bit life-changing as a magical garden.

A digital preview does not do this sumptuous book justice, but here’s a look inside:

The Secret Garden will be out this September – you can pre-order a copy from Waterstones here, Bookshop.org here, or Amazon here.

If you’d like to stay up-to-date with all of our book news, including early previews, award news and giveaways, you can sign up to our books newsletter with the form at the bottom of this page.

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Take a look inside I’m Thinking of a Sea Creature

This month we’ve published I’m Thinking of a Sea Creature, by Adam Guillain, Charlotte Guillain and Lucia Gaggiotti – the fourth book in this interactive, animal-themed series for babies and toddlers! With vibrant artwork, friendly rhyming text, and fun sliders on every page, this book is great for reading aloud.

And today we’re sharing a video preview of the book – you can see the sliders in action below!

Each child is thinking of sea creature . . . What do they look like? What do they eat? And what noise do they make? Follow the simple clues, make a guess, then spot the animal hiding in the beautifully illustrated scene and pull the slider to reveal the answer! With four favourite sea creatures to find – and animal noises too!

I’m Thinking of a Sea Creature is out now – you can purchase a copy from Waterstones here or Amazon here. You can find out more about the other books in the series – I’m Thinking of a Jungle, here, I’m Thinking of a Farm Animal, here, and I’m Thinking of a Pet, here.

Don’t forget to sign up to our books newsletter here to stay up-to-date with all of our latest books news, as well as early previews, giveaways and more.

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Nosy Crow’s Kate Wilson shortlisted for the 2021 Woman & Home Amazing Women Awards!

We’re absolutely delighted that our very own Kate Wilson, Managing Director and co-founder of Nosy Crow, has been shortlisted for this year’s Woman & Home Amazing Women Awards in the ‘Smashing the Glass Ceiling’ category!

The W&H Amazing Women Awards showcase the incredible achievements of women who, in midlife, “continue to overcome obstacles, defy expectations, and alter perceptions.” This year, finalists are shortlisted across three categories – Brand New Directions, Smashing the Glass Ceiling, and Changing our Country – and it’s wonderful to see Kate’s achievements recognised.

The awards team highlighted Kate’s success as a co-founder of Nosy Crow, which is currently celebrating its 10th year of publishing: “Starting with a handful of books 10 years ago, Nosy Crow now publishes 120 titles a year and generated £22m ($30m) in 2020.” It also recognised the company’s “innovative approach, including its Stories Aloud initiative, which provides free audio versions of all its picture books”, as well as partnerships with the National Trust and the British Museum.

Kate said: “In Nosy Crow, we have been able to build an organization from scratch, and being an independent company means that we’re not in thrall to corporate finances. I love being able to do what we think is the right thing.

“We published Coronavirus: A Book for Children about Covid-19, illustrated by The Gruffalo illustrator Axel Scheffler, as a free e-book three weeks after the first lockdown. It’s been viewed millions of times and there’s now a print edition. We are passing the profit from that to NHS Charities Together.

“We think hugely carefully about the messages we are giving to children – books are powerful because they shape minds!”

You can read more about the awards and see the full list of finalists, here. Congratulations Kate – and best of luck!

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Five ways you can help save the sea – a guest post from Anna Wilson, author of The Wide, Wide Sea

This month we’re thrilled to have published The Wide, Wide Sea – an inspiring picture book about protecting our coastlines and reducing plastic pollution, written by Anna Wilson and illustrated by Jenny Løvlie.

Today we’re delighted to share a blog from Anna on plastic pollution and five ways you can help to save the sea.

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I love the sea. I love sitting and staring at it. I love swimming in its crystal-clear shallows and diving down into its deeper, darker places. I love the birds that fly over it, the plants that grow in and around it and the fish and the bigger sea mammals that live, swim, hunt and play in it too. I love it when it’s calm and flat and glass-smooth. I love it when it is ink-black and raging with storms crashing overhead. It doesn’t matter how it’s behaving – I love it in all its moods.

Wild swimmer and author, Anna Wilson

I live a mile from the coast and I walk down to the edge of the land every day with my dog, Nala. In winter, the coast path and the beaches are pretty empty. Not many people live near my house and walkers don’t come this way often in the winter months. And yet, even at this time of year, you can see the effect that we humans have had on the sea because of one very ugly thing: litter. This is the only thing that I don’t like about living by the sea, because it makes me sad.

I was thinking about this when I wrote The Wide, Wide Sea. Most of the year I am like the child in the book, running down to the shore, shouting, “This is the best place in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD!” But when the storms come, the sea crashes high up on to the cliffs and with it comes a lot of litter, and then I am like the child in the book – angry and upset.

The huge waves are very powerful – they can easily lift large boulders and send them flying on to the beach. They also bring in plastic bottles and pieces of rope and all sorts of broken bits of rubbish and food packaging. I once found a toothbrush flung on to the beach after a storm. I have even found a dirty nappy.

Illustration of litter and plastic on a beach, taken from The Wide, Wide Sea

Sometimes I sit high on the cliff and watch the sea raging below and I imagine it’s as angry as I am. I imagine that it’s sick of the way we humans are treating it. It’s gathering up all the rubbish and it’s hurling it back at the shore as if to say, “Take this disgusting litter away – stop throwing it into me!”

Sometimes I go down early in the morning to swim and there is a seal bobbing around in the bay. Last summer he was there every morning, and once he chased me back to shore, nudging my toes with his snout! I climbed out and sat watching him and wondered what he thought about me swimming in his home. Did he think of me as one of those humans who throws nasty plastic into the water? Or did he see me as just another animal, enjoying the water as he was? I think it was probably the latter, because the thing is, we are animals, you and I. We are mammals, like the seal. We have just as much right to be swimming in the sea as the seals do. But with that right comes the responsibility of looking after the sea. Seals don’t throw plastic straws and dirty cups and packaging into the water – we do.

Illustration of a seal bobbing in the waves, taken from The Wide, Wide Sea

Do you love the sea as much as I do? If you love something, you usually want to look after it. Have a think about this next time you come to the seaside. Bring your picnics and have a lovely day, but take your litter home with you. And if you see a seal, make him a promise – that you’ll keep the sea clean and safe for him – for all of us.

Five Ways You Can Help Save the Sea:

Reduce your consumption of single-use plastics – if we stop buying them, there will be none to go to wasteReuse packaging instead of buying new – ice cream cartons make great picnic boxes, yoghurt pots are good for planting seeds, foil can be washed and used againRecycle responsibly – take litter to a recycling bank and never leave litter behind you on the beachDo a Two-Minute Beach Clean – bring a bag with you and walk up and down the tideline on the beach, picking up any bits of litter that you can find as you go, then recycle it when you get homeJoin a Bigger Beach Clean – there are many of these up and down the country, you can find clean-ups near you here.

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Thank you for the great tips, Anna! The Wide, Wide Sea is out now – you can buy a copy from Waterstones here, Bookshop.org here, and Amazon here.

Take a look inside the book below:

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Take a look inside Peekaboo Sun – the latest in the Peekaboo series by Camilla Reid and Ingela P Arrhenius

Last week we published Peekaboo Sun – the sixth title in this slider board book series, from the creators of the best-selling Felt Flaps series, Ingela P Arrhenius and Camilla Reid.

Designed for little hands – with 10 easy-to-use peekaboo sliders, bright artwork, and a surprise mirror ending – this is the perfect book to share with little ones.

And today we’re sharing a video demonstration of the book – you can see the book in action below!

Peekaboo Sun is available now – you can order a copy from Waterstones here, Bookshop.org here, and Amazon here. If you’re interested in more Peekaboo books, you can discover the other books in the series here.

Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter here for our latest book news, exclusive previews, giveaways and more.

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A Monster Ate My Packed Lunch is out today!

Today we’re very excited to have published A Monster Ate My Packed Lunch – a laugh-out-loud new instalment in the bestselling Baby Aliens series, from Blue Peter Award winners, Pamela Butchart and Thomas Flintham.

This hilarious, illustrated series for readers aged 7+ follows Izzy and her school friends on various dramatic adventures, from yetis and lollipop men to demon dinner ladies. In this new book, Izzy and her friends suspect there is a monster lurking in the lake…

Izzy and her friends are on a school trip to a big lake. Gary Petrie is excited because the lodges where they’re staying have ROBES AND SLIPPERS! The lake is dark and deep and a bit scary. But it’s when they open their packed lunches that they know! There’s a MONSTER in the lake and it’s coming for their CRISPS!

Read the first few chapters below:

You can order a copy of A Monster Ate My Packed Lunch from Waterstones here, Bookshop.org – an independent bookshop supporter – here, and from Amazon here.

We’ve also created some fantastic activities inspired by the book – draw your monster, solve some monster-themed anagrams, and colour in the book cover – which you can download here.

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