Tony Bradman

Tony Bradman was born in 1954 (not during the Jurassic era, as his children have been known to claim). He went to school in London, and then Cambridge University. After university he worked in the music press, then became Deputy Editor of Parents magazine, and began reviewing children’s books. He had his first book for children published in 1985 and became a full-time author in 1987.

He is perhaps best known in the UK for his Dilly the Dinosaur stories. His books have sold more than two million copies worldwide and he has been published in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Sweden, Spain and Japan amongst others.

Tony loves films and popular culture. He lives in Beckenham, Kent with his wife Sally and their three children Emma, Helen and Thomas and Rufus the cat.

TONY BRADMAN Q&A:

If you were a Viking warrior, what would your name be? And what about your battle cry?

I love Viking warrior names – my favourites are Erik Bloodaxe, Ivar The Boneless and of course, Harald Hardnut. I’d like my name to be exciting too! But the Vikings had a great sense of humour, and I’m not very tall, so I’d expect they would call me stumpy or something like that. My battle cry would be easy – “Yaaaaaaagggghhh”

Which of the places in the book would you most like to visit: Russia, Norway or Constantinople? Why?

I’d like to visit them all. Constantinople is now called Istanbul, and it’s an ancient city full of interesting things. I studied Russian at school and so I’d love to visit places like Novogorod and Kiev. And in fact, I’ve just booked up to go to Oslo, capital of Norway – and the first place I’ll visit is the Viking Ship Museum….

If you were a Viking warrior, and could have any person from history/film/books in your gang – who would you choose? And Why? What would the gang be called?

I’d pick all the great Viking warriors – Harald Hardnut, Erik Bloodaxe, the Godwin brothers Tostig and Harold, maybe Thor the Norse God, Beowulf, Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, Boromir and Faramir from Lord of the Rings and loads of others. What would we be called? Why The Cool Vikings, of course!

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Featured Books, with extracts by Tony Bradman

Dilly and the Birthday Treat
Tony Bradman
This is a funny, cheeky story about one very naughty little dinosaur. It's Dad's birthday and Dorla has already got him a present. Dilly has nothing to give him but Dad says that all he wants is for Dilly to...
Format: Paperback - Released: 01/08/2011
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Under the Weather: Stories About Climate Change
Tony Bradman
Perfectly pitched for younger readers, this is a timely collection of stories about an urgent matter that will affect everyone’s future. The stories have a global perspective with different authors tackling the different consequences of the world warming up. Crucially,...
Format: Hardback - Released: 05/11/2009
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Young Merlin
Tony Bradman
Reading age 8, interest age 10+. Powerfully but simply written this is the dramatic story of the boyhood of the young Merlin. Even as a boy Merlin knows he is different: he has special magical powers. What he doesn’t know...
Format: Paperback - Released: 02/10/2009
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Alien: Betrayal
Tony Bradman
Well loved and prolific author Tony Bradman has written a follow-up to the extremely popular Alien. When Jake discovers he has been betrayed by someone in his squad he needs to find out who it was.  Utterly gripping, it is...
Format: Paperback - Released: 15/09/2009
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Flora the Fairy's Magic Spells
Tony Bradman
All the horrors of tests are laid to rest in this gentle story about a young fairy who worries about her magic powers. When the teacher announces a spell test, Flora gets into a panic. Boastful Harry is sure he’ll...
Format: Paperback - Released: 01/03/2009
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Michael
Tony Bradman
A wonderful celebration of a boy who is thought to be bad but is just... different! At school, Michael’s teachers despair of him. He is late, scruffy, cheeky and doesn’t listen. He loves reading and sums and science. But NOT the...
Format: Paperback - Released: 01/01/2009
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Daddy's Lullaby
Tony Bradman
A tender story of how a Dad gives night-time comfort to a tiny baby. When Dad comes home from work all seems quiet, everyone is asleep. But are they? Dad finds the baby awake and sets about comforting it with...
Format: Board Book - Released: 02/06/2008
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Harald Hardnut
Tony Bradman
A reading age of 8+ and an interest age of 10-14.  For some thrilling real life action and adventure, you won’t get much better than Tony Bradman’s Harald Hardnut. The most reluctant reader will devour it quickly. Plenty of fighting...
Format: Paperback - Released: 22/05/2008
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Dilly's Bumper Book of Stories
Tony Bradman
Dilly the Dinosaur, famous for his exceptionally loud, 150 mile-an-hour scream when he doesn’t get what he wants, is here celebrated in a dozen stories. Unfortunately, Dilly always attracts disaster so, it is not surprising that in each of this...
Format: Paperback - Released: 06/05/2008
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The Perfect Baby
Tony Bradman
A wonderfully quirky story by Tony Bradman about a little girl who is not happy with the arrival of a little brother into the world is complemented brilliantly by some illustrations that are sure to get the smallest little child giggling away!
Format: Paperback - Released: 04/05/2008
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Assassin
Tony Bradman
This is a terrific page-turner that will have particular appeal to children of 9+ who have a reading age that is below that level. Tony Bradman has created a really believable and powerful adventure set in Roman times that will...
Format: Paperback (b Format) - Released: 26/06/2007
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Tommy Niner And The Mystery Spaceship
Tony Bradman
This is a fantastic new series, perfect for boys aged 6+ who are just starting out on the fun of reading alone, or perhaps for those boys who aren’t yet hooked on reading but will become so having met Tommy...
Format: Paperback - Released: 31/05/2007
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Creaky Castle: Tom's Dragon Trouble
Tony Bradman
Great book and a terrific series for boys about mischievous meddler Tom Bailey and his riotous medieval family. Tony Bradman is brilliant at bringing alive his stories through some wonderful characters and a great deal of wit and humour too.
Format: Paperback - Released: 27/04/2007
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Creaky Castle: Tom and The Dark Knight
Tony Bradman
Hilarious fun from medieval times. When Tom rashly claims that his father is the best jouster in the world he soon finds himself in trouble. How can he save his overweight and unfit father from the skilful and superfit Black...
Format: Paperback - Released: 31/01/2007
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Like Father, Like Son?
Tony Bradman
Dads and the welter of emotions that surround them, especially for their sons! Tony Bradman has gathered together a collection of twelve excellent brand-new stories exploring the many different roles dads can play in their sons’ lives and the complicated...
Format: Paperback - Released: 15/05/2006
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