Stories to Share

Kate Heap

Mar 2

Sharing stories is very special - building relationships, spending time together, developing language, learning about the world around us.

Here is a collection of beautiful, new, illustrated stories that are perfect for reading together.

Find out more from the publishers' descriptions below:

The Midnight Panther by Poonam Mistry (Templar Books) ~ October 2022

Panther is not like the other cats. Leopard has beautiful spots, Tiger has impressive stripes and Lion has a magnificent mane. Panther is small, shy and dark.

One night he decides to go and find out where in the jungle he really belongs. Finally summoning the courage to scale the treetops, he answers the call of moonlight and ink-black night. Perhaps up among the stars he will find out something about his own strength and beauty.

A stunning fable about courage and finding your place in the world, with beautiful illustrations by Greenaway-shortlisted Poonam Mistry. The perfect gift book.

Pick a Story: A Dinosaur + Unicorn + Robot Adventure by Sarah Coyle & Adam Walker-Parker (Farshore) ~ January 2023

An empowering reading experience that puts young readers in charge!

Dicover not one but three fun-filled worlds in this PICK A STORY adventure, giving parents fntastic value and guaranteeing every storytime is different with many possible story arcs! The series offers an incredibly empowering experience for young readers, with research showing that giving readers choice helps to inspire a lifelong love of reading.

With twists and turns, hilarious dynamic characters illustrated by Adam Walker-Parker, and decisions on every page, this book takes young readers on a whirlwind adventure through th eworld of dinosaurs, unicorns and robots.

Now We're Together: Adventures in Real Life by Nicola Edwards & Jenny Bloomfield (Little Tiger) ~ January 2023

This world of ours buzzes and fizzes with light.

Phone glare. Screen blare. It's so noisy and bright.

We're scrolling, eyes flicking but what do we see?

Am I seeing you? Are you seeing me?

This life-affirming picture books takes readers on an adventure away from the glare of phone screens. Admire the wonderful world around us and take a moment to appreciate spending time with loved ones.

Gentle rhyming text from Nicola Edwards and stirring, inspiring artwork from Jenny Bloomfield reminds us how much wonder and magic is out there if we put down our phones.

Frank and Bert: The One Where Bert Learns to Ride a Bike by Chris Naylor-Ballesteros (Nosy Crow) ~ January 2023

The hilarious fox and bear double act from bestseller Chris Naylor-Ballesteros is back for a second adventure.

Bert is CERTAIN he can ride his bike as well as Frank, but he is very wobbly! And even when they BOTH try riding Frank's bike . . . it still goes very wrong! Will the best friends make it all the way down from the big hill? Of course! All they need is a little bit of confidence and trust in each other!

This warm and entertaining story about friendship is guaranteed to get children giggling!

Every Nosy Crow paperback picture book comes with a free 'Stories Aloud' audio recording - just scan the QR code and listen along!

Lots of Dots by Pippa Goodhart & Anna Doherty (Tiny Owl) ~ March 2023

Jaguar is feeling very lonely being all on her only! Why doesn't anyone else look like just like her? When clever Ladybird comes to play, she points out that they have more in common than Jaguar might think – they both have simply spectacular spots! Snake and Rockhopper are dotty too, and so the top secret dotsy club is formed! Zebra is so sad when he can't join the club because of his stripes. The club will just have to become a PATTERNS club so he can join in the fun too! But wait! What is a game that all the animals can play together? No one can think of anything! Monkey has an idea, but he's all plain – he can't join the patterns club! Yet, Monkey doesn't mind one bit. He is part of the best secret club of all, the Everybody Club, and anyone can join – the badge of honour is in your heart! The animals agree that the Everybody Club is the best of all.

Bear and Bird: The Picnic and Other Stories by Jarvis (Walker) ~ March 2023

Bear didn't really like the painting. I mean, look at it. But he liked Bird a lot, and it would remind him of her…

Bear and Bird are best friends! And while they don't always understand each other, they both agree: all they want is to make the other happy. So, when Bear forgets to pack for a picnic (but pretends that he didn't), Bird doesn't let on that she knew all along. And when Bird discovers that Bear has more of a certain talent than she does, well, Bear finds a touching way to make her feel better...

Full of funny mix-ups and comic misunderstandings, as well as genuine warmth and affection, these four stories are the start of an irresistibly charming new chapter book series from award-winning creator Jarvis.

Madeline Finn and the Rescue Dog by Lisa Papp (Old Barn Books)

Madeline Finn has a brand-new puppy and lots of responsibilities. She has to walk Star, and feed him, and make sure he has a safe place to sleep. But, she learns, the most important thing is love. So when Madeline Finn visits an animal shelter, she has lots of questions about the dogs who live there.

Do they get to play outside? Do they get to sleep under blankets? Does anyone read to them? Does anyone tell them they love them? Madeline Finn is determined to help the shelter dogs. But can she find a way to make each one of them feel special? With the help of some friends and a few good books, she just may discover that even small people can make a big difference.

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