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Philip Ardagh was our Guest Editor in May 2010. Click here to see the books that inspired him.
Philip Ardagh, whose very first Grubtown Tale won him the Roald Dahl Funny Prize, is author of numerous books including the award-winning Eddie Dickens adventures, which have been translated into over 30 languages.
He wrote BBC Radio’s first truly interactive radio drama, collaborated with Sir Paul McCartney on his first children’s book and is a ‘regularly irregular’ reviewer of children’s books for the Guardian. Married with a son, he divides his time between Tunbridge Wells and Grubtown, where he cultivates his impressive beard.
And if your children love Grubtown then do get them to go to www.visitgrubtown.com
Drawing on the weird and wonderful characters and settings from the Grubtown books, visitgrubtown.com features six distinct Grubtown locations – including the Daily Herald newspaper office, the Duckhouse/Museum and Smoky’s cinema. The site incorporates fun audio and video - what more could you ask for!
Just like every other cat, Furry Purry Beancat loves a catnap. But unlike other cats, when Beancat wakes she finds herself about to embark on a whole new adventure! Shhh! Our furry (and purry!) heroine has woken up in a LIBRARY, and there's trouble afoot. There are plans to close it down, but with the help of two grumpy SPIDERS, can BEANCAT do what she does best and SAVE THE DAY?
If you’ve ever looked at a furry ball of purry cat asleep in the sunshine and wondered what they are getting up to in their dreams, then you’ve got something in common with Philip Ardagh. In these exciting, comic and purr-fectly written little adventures, he imagines his feline star, Furry Purry Beancat exploring one of her other eight lives while asleep. In the first story, she finds herself on a pirate ship, a pirate ship’s cat. She arrives at a particularly exciting moment too as the ship is under attack from fellow pirates. With her captain locked up in his cabin, things look bleak, but Furry Purry Beancat soon discovers that the ship’s rats are a resourceful bunch and together they turn the tide in favour of their own pirate crew. It helps that one of the opposing pirates, a huge chap called Ten-Tun, falls for Beancat, but really, who wouldn’t? The little story is packed with incident and adventure as well as some gloriously comic moments thanks in the main to the young rats. It’s irresistible reading, made even more so by fabulous black and white illustrations by Rob Biddulph. All in all, this is a real treat, and it’s great to know that there will be eight more Furry Purry Beancat stories to come.
Even among lovable children’s book characters, Furry Purry Beancat is in a class of her own. A beautiful, beautifully furry little pussy cat with the pinkest nose and the fluffiest tale, she has some very exciting adventures. Sometimes you see, when Beancat goes to sleep, she’ll wake up somewhere completely different and in another one of her nine lives and that’s when she knows an adventure is about to happen. In this story, she’s a railway cat – what could be better? And she’s arrived at the station in very interesting times – there are unscrupulous thieves targeting the passengers and they’re in cahoots with enemy spies up to no good. Fortunately, Beancat is not one to panic and with the help of a great supporting cast, including Yorkie the talkative cockatoo, she’s able to save the day and the life of her new friend, Polly. It’s beautifully told for young readers, a mix of excitement and charm and the illustrations by Rob Biddulph are purr-fect too. Funny, exciting and thoroughly charming.
Interest Age 5-8 | When Norman the Norman from Normandy’s dad, Great Big Norman, is killed in a fight (with ten Bretons from Brittany), Norman swears to visit every one of this dad’s three graves (long story) to pay his respects. He sets off with this dad’s HUGE sword on his not-very-wild boar Truffle and, without meaning to, indeed often without even noticing, avenges his father’s death. If that sounds quite bloodthirsty, it sort of is, but more than that, in the hands of this gifted comedy partnership, it’s just very, very funny. Part of Barrington Stoke’s excellent Little Gems series, this packs more laughs and entertainment into its short extent than books three times the length. High quality cream paper and a special easy to read font ensure a smooth read for all.
THOMAS SNOOP is in training to become a SPY. Entrusted with a TOP SECRET mission by the mysterious Lord Severn, right-hand man to the Tudor king, Thomas must travel to the magnificent Goldenhilt Hall - in the guise of a servant - in order to uncover traitors plotting against the crown. It will take all Thomas's wits and cunning to uncover the traitors lurking at Goldenhilt Hall - and he must do so without being discovered himself... Perfect for fans of Horrible Histories, filled with amazing facts and historical trivia, and brilliantly illustrated throughout, you won't be able to put this SECRET DIARY down! Discover other books in Philip Ardagh and Jamie Littler's hilarious Secret Diary series: The Secret Diary of John Drawbridge, Medieval Knight in Training The Secret Diary of Jane Pinny, Victorian House Maid (and Accidental Detective) The Secret Diary of Kitty Cask,Smuggler's Daughter
This cheery group of Little Adventurers will charm young readers with the fun they are having with their pets. Finnegan has brought his puppy, Licky Dog, Floss is showing off her cat Podge, Peanut’s pet is a little mouse called Pocket. Spratt, the littlest of the adventurers, has the most unusual pet of all. He has a leaf called Leafy. What on earth can a leafy do to impress Sprat’s fellow adventurers? Luckily, Leaf has plenty of surprises in store and soon the friends realise just what a special pet he can be. the Little Adventurers four will encourage hours of immersive play, and will ignite the imagination of curious adventurers everywhere. ~ Julia Eccleshare
The Grunts - Mr and Mrs and adopted son Sunny - are back, and as delightfully repulsive as ever. Yes, they wash with cheese (if there’s no soap to hand), eat roadkill, and argue with one another all the time (‘Choking hazard’ ‘Fly tip’ just some of the terms of abuse hurled) but they’re strangely lovable nonetheless. This new adventure sees them on the run from a group of criminals who hold the Grunts responsible for their misfortunes and culminates in a very funny chase involving a tractor, bunny slippers, a mummy on a sack and an enormous man in a bird suit. All ends happily for the Grunts, and there’s even a surprise revelation about Sunny’s background. There are jokes to appeal to readers of all ages while the author’s asides alone are worth the cover price. Axel Scheffler’s illustrations catch the daftness of the story perfectly. ~ Andrea Reece
The Grunts - Mr and Mrs and adopted son Sunny - are back, and as delightfully repulsive as ever. Yes, they wash with cheese (if there’s no soap to hand), eat roadkill, and argue with one another all the time (‘Choking hazard’ ‘Fly tip’ just some of the terms of abuse hurled) but they’re strangely lovable nonetheless. This new adventure sees them on the run from a group of criminals who hold the Grunts responsible for their misfortunes and culminates in a very funny chase involving a tractor, bunny slippers, a mummy on a sack and an enormous man in a bird suit. All ends happily for the Grunts, and there’s even a surprise revelation about Sunny’s background. There are jokes to appeal to readers of all ages while the author’s asides alone are worth the cover price. Axel Scheffler’s illustrations catch the daftness of the story perfectly. ~ Andrea Reece
Interest Age 7-12 Reading Age 7 Philip Ardagh is one of the funniest - and cleverest - authors around and his stories of the Green Men of Gressingham are not only laugh-out-loud funny, they do a fair bit of consciousness raising too. Peasant Squat is recruited by the outlaws specifically to help them see off the unpleasant and seemingly invincible knight Sir Jack de Zack. The way in which Squat does this is very ingenious indeed and though short, as all Barrington Stoke books are, it’s a thoroughly satisfying story. The narrative voice is particularly droll and the author’s interjections great fun. ~ Andrea Reece Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 7+ Barrington Stoke is the foremost publisher of dyslexia friendly books and those for reluctant readers. Here on Lovereading4kids we are constantly selecting new titles and refreshing our special dyslexia friendly category. Click here to view our current selection which is broken down by age range.
There are actually four stories for the price of one in this chunky little book. It brings together three of Philip Ardagh’s jolly adventures of the Green Men of Gressingham. The Green Men (brown men would be more accurate – their outfits are brown as it hides the dirt better) are a band of outlaws led by Robyn-in-the-Hat who, together with young knight-in-training Tom Dashwood, set about helping the poor and undertaking quests. The stories are perfect for young readers, packed with incident and humour, and full of appealing characters. Here they are enclosed within an extra comic story: the tale of their creation, as recounted through communications between the Author, and his hapless publisher, sent via Dotty, the Author’s assistant. It’s a clever way of breaking up the stories, though might set young readers wondering if all authors are quite so obsessed with lunch! ~ Andrea Reece ***This is the launch title of the Conkers, from Barrington Stoke, a new imprint of stories packed with brilliant extras like fun facts, quizzes and loads of gorgeous illustrations to tempt reluctant readers into longer stories.
One of our Books of the Year 2014 Award winning Philip Ardagh’s Mr and Mrs Grunt are as disgusting as ever as they trundle into this fourth adventure in their ramshackle caravan which, in a typically unusual way, is drawn by an elephant. Still up their always crafty and usually revolting tricks (and with lots of witty asides to the reader), Mr and Mrs Grunt have an encounter with a doctor who’ll find he has a lot less garden when he has treated a very swollen nose, engage in some serious skulduggery in the preserves, jams and jellies competition and even end up in prison (again). As ever, Sunny and Mimi have a lot to do just to keep the hilarious show on the road. ~ Julia Eccleshare
Shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize 2013 - June 2013 Book of the Month The Grunts, a family of doubtful charm to whom extraordinary and mostly disgusting things happen, are back for a fabulous new adventure. Everything that is revolting is crammed into this hilarious new story as Mr Grunt takes on the challenge of getting a POGI – Person of Great Importance – to a certain Mrs Bayliss. But Mr Grunt, Mrs Grunt and Sunny, their stolen son, who live in a madcap caravan and live off road kill are not the most reliable people to entrust with such a task...Fans of Roald Dahl’s The Twits will love the outrageous Grunts and their topsy turvey life.
Meet the Grunts! Mr and Mrs, their cat Ginger Biscuit, two donkeys Clip and Clop and Sunny, a child Mr Grunt stole off a washing line as a present for Mrs Grunt. The Grunts roam the land in a ramshackle and unlikely looking home on wheels. Their adventures are as unsavoury, unlikely and entertaining as they are as Axel Scheffler’s illustrations wittily show; fans of Andy Stanton’s Mr Gum and Roald Dahl’s The Twits will delight in this disgusting but amiable pair their terrible antics... Books in The Grunts Series: 1. The Grunts in Trouble 2. The Grunts All at Sea 3. The Grunts on the Run 4. The Grunts in a Jam
September 2012 Book of the Month. Meet the Grunts! Mr and Mrs, their cat Ginger Biscuit, two donkeys Clip and Clop and Sunny, a child Mr Grunt stole off a washing line as a present for Mrs Grunt. The Grunts roam the land in a ramshackle and unlikely looking home on wheels. Their adventures are as unsavoury, unlikely and entertaining as they are as Axel Scheffler’s illustrations wittily show; fans of Andy Stanton’s Mr Gum and Roald Dahl’s The Twits will delight in this disgusting but amiable pair their terrible antics...
History as it is never taught in schools is given a stylish brush up in this witty guide to all kinds of obscure events – some with more truth than others – never heard before but important to know. Obscure facts, like how Emperor Nero sneaked poison into his brother Britannicus’ drink which gives a vivid example of his legendary cruelty, bring the past to life by revealing the characters in it. Dipping in and out of this feast of fine stories is a delight – and informative too.
Reading age 7+, Interest age 8-12. The Green Men of Gressingham return with this sequel, available for the first time as a 4u2read. Full of twists, turns and fiery surprises! The Green Men of Gressingham are struggling to find things to do now that they are no longer outlaws. But just when things are getting boring, Lord Dashwood sends them on a very unusual mission! Can the Green Men complete it without setting their bottoms on fire? A hilarious story from an award-winning and hugely popular author. With a reading age of 7, it is particularly suitable for dyslexic, reluctant and struggling readers.
The prize-winning Grubtown series is back with a new ludicrous adventure which shows exactly why its predecessor won the Roald Dahl Funny Prize. This time Bunny Rabbits – far too many of them – paper aeroplanes and the Sun-Ripe Raisin Man are all involved in a delightfully daft but utterly absorbing story in a place where you can expect only the most unusual things to happen – and they do!
Interest Age 9+ Reading Age 7+. The Green Men of Gressingham are medieval outlaws. When a new tax is introduced, they turn to kidnapping! A hilarious play on Robin Hood. Barrington Stoke specialise in books for reluctant, struggling and dyslexic readers. Philip Ardagh is a recent winner of the Roadl Dahl Funny Prize so not surprising then that kids will love this. To view other titles we think are suitable for reluctant readers please click here. A Dyslexia Friendly title.
Meet Henry, an ordinary boy in an extraordinary house that’s jam-packed full of unexpected things. There's a gladiator in the basement and an arena in the garden. Step inside Henry's House and join Henry, his dog Mothball and a quirky cast of characters as they and the reader finds out everything there is to know about the ancient Romans. Fact-packed, fun-packed, get packed ... and head for Henry's House! To view all the titles in this brilliant series collaboration between Philip Ardagh and Mike Gordon click here or here to see more of Philip Ardagh's books, including the Grubtown Tales.
Winner of the Roald Dahl Funny Prize for the hilarious adventures in Grubtown, Philip Ardagh, or Beardy Ardagh as his fans know him, has added a fifth title to the series. Life in Grubtown continues on its crazy way. The mayor has just finished knitting his own home and declares a celebration for its opening. And if your children love Grubtown then do get them to go to www.visitgrubtown.com Drawing on the weird and wonderful characters and settings from the Grubtown books, visitgrubtown.com features six distinct Grubtown locations – including the Daily Herald newspaper office, the Duckhouse/Museum and Smoky’s cinema. From April 29 until June 3, a new location unlocks each week, treating users to a special Grubtown story, delivered in instalments. Readers are encouraged to interact with characters and objects, and can discover exclusive downloads. The site incorporates fun audio and video - what more could you ask for!
Grubtown continues to be full of oddballs and a ragbag of bungling buffoons. The town mascot PIJ pelican snatches a famous film star’s dog as she’s in Grubtown for the world premiere of her latest movie. As with every Grubtown Tale, the pace is fast and furious and full of hilarity so be ready when you burst out of your clothes as laughter won’t be something you can control. And if your children love Grubtown then do get them to go to www.visitgrubtown.com Drawing on the weird and wonderful characters and settings from the Grubtown books, visitgrubtown.com features six distinct Grubtown locations – including the Daily Herald newspaper office, the Duckhouse/Museum and Smoky’s cinema. From April 29 until June 3, a new location unlocks each week, treating users to a special Grubtown story, delivered in instalments. Readers are encouraged to interact with characters and objects, and can discover exclusive downloads. The site incorporates fun audio and video - what more could you ask for! And here is a special message from the author Beardy Ardagh: 'If you want to grow up to be a healthy, happy person with lots of friends, it’s very important that you read all the Grubtown Tales...'
Follow Henry as he tells you all about life in a castle. Learn how to make a bow and arrow, why did knights have coats of arms?, what life was like in the Great Hall as well as life down in the servants’ quarters and in the kitchens. Find out about suits of armour and jousting and what goes on at a banquet. Both the words and pictures in graphic cartoon style, take readers on a great journey into the past. To view all the titles in this brilliant series collaboration between Philip Ardagh and Mike Gordon click here or here to see more of Philip Ardagh's books, including the Grubtown Tales.
Henry’s house is full of very unexpected things. This time, the house is packed with all things Roman. There are gladiators, citizens, slaves and schoolboys. Find out all the details of how Romans lived their lives in this witty part fiction, part non fiction guide to the very different way of life of our very influential ancestors. Both the words and pictures in graphic cartoon style, take readers on a great journey into the past. To view all the titles in this brilliant series collaboration between Philip Ardagh and Mike Gordon click here or here to see more of Philip Ardagh's books, including the Grubtown Tales.
Fantastically and outrageously good fun, this is the latest story set in Grubtown, a very, VERY unusual place. Grubtown is not on a map and if anyone does stumble across it by mistake they’d come away shocked by the grubbiness of the place and by the beardiness of its inhabitants… Readers, however, can enter freely and will be entranced by the hilarious stories about why the lighthouse has gone dark and the great Grubtown jailbreak. And if your children love Grubtown then do get them to go to www.visitgrubtown.com Drawing on the weird and wonderful characters and settings from the Grubtown books, visitgrubtown.com features six distinct Grubtown locations – including the Daily Herald newspaper office, the Duckhouse/Museum and Smoky’s cinema. From April 29 until June 3, a new location unlocks each week, treating users to a special Grubtown story, delivered in instalments. Readers are encouraged to interact with characters and objects, and can discover exclusive downloads. The site incorporates fun audio and video - what more could you ask for!
Go back in time with Henry, his dog Mothball and his friend Jaggers. Together the three of them find out all they can about how the Egyptians lived. They meet the Pharaoh, learn about the Egyptian gods and goddesses and explore the Valley of the Kings and the tomb of the famous Tutankhamen. Both words and pictures take readers on a great journey into the past. To view all the titles in this brilliant series collaboration between Philip Ardagh and Mike Gordon click here, or here to see more of Philip Ardagh's books, including the Grubtown Tales.
A great introduction for 5+ year olds to the well-known, and sometimes not so well- known, facts about dinosaurs. There are masses of facts about dinosaurs crammed into this attractively produced and entertainingly written information book. Henry, his dog Mothball and his friend Jaggers find out all about dinosaurs with the longest necks, dinosaurs with feathers and wings and dinosaurs with terrible claws. To view all the titles in this brilliant series collaboration between Philip Ardagh and Mike Gordon click here or here to see more of Philip Ardagh's books, including the Grubtown Tales.
Masses of fascinating information is contained within this entertainingly written introduction (5+ year olds will love it) to how the body works. Henry is quite an ordinary little boy who likes finding things out. Helped by his dog Mothball and his friend Jaggers the caretaker, Henry explores the human body in his own particular way. Follow Henry through this hugely informative exploration of all aspects of how the human body works. To view all the titles in this brilliant series collaboration between Philip Ardagh and Mike Gordon click here or here to see more of Philip Ardagh's books, including the Grubtown Tales.
Fact finding Henry, Mothball the dog and Jaggers the caretaker are back for some more exploration in this introduction to every kind of bug from big hairy spiders to delicate silk-spinning silk worms. Entertainingly presented, there are loads of facts packed into both the words and pictures. Not to be missed for any eager 5+ year old. To view all the titles in this brilliant series collaboration between Philip Ardagh and Mike Gordon click here or here to see more of Philip Ardagh's books, including the Grubtown Tales.
Winner of the 7 - 14 yr old category of the Roald Dahl Funny Prize 2009. You cannot fail to find the town of Grubtown and its inhabitants hysterically funny. What goes on defies belief but if you've read books by Phillip Ardagh before then you'll know what we mean. In addition to getting a belly-full of laughs readers must be aware that the disgusting habits of most of the inhabitants could well rub off on the reader if they're not careful! And if your children love Grubtown then do get them to go to www.visitgrubtown.com Drawing on the weird and wonderful characters and settings from the Grubtown books, visitgrubtown.com features six distinct Grubtown locations – including the Daily Herald newspaper office, the Duckhouse/Museum and Smoky’s cinema. From April 29 until June 3, a new location unlocks each week, treating users to a special Grubtown story, delivered in instalments. Readers are encouraged to interact with characters and objects, and can discover exclusive downloads. The site incorporates fun audio and video - what more could you ask for!
From Public Enemies to St Paul’s Cathedral, every one’s fascination with lists will be satisfied once they’ve digested the 366 included in this attractive, chunky book.
From Public Enemies to St Paul’s Cathedral, every one’s fascination with lists will be satisfied once they’ve digested the 366 included in this attractive, chunky book.
Meet the family! Part One of the Eddie Dickens Trilogy, introduces Eddie’s new home – Awful End – where he is sent to live after the death of his parents from a disease which turns them yellow and make them smell like old hot water bottles. At Awful End he finds Mad Uncle Jack and Even-Madder Aunt Maud and enjoys some unusual, unexpected and hilarious adventures.
Watch out! Hold onto your tails! The bunnies are back. And this time they're in ... a BOAT! The bunnies are back! And this time, they've commandeered a BOAT! Watch out, Sunnytown beach, the Bunnies are dashing and a-splashing on a speedboat frenzy. They whoosh past the sail-boats, and zoooom across the sand, then it's up on to the jetty where silly billy Bunnies get all covered in spaghetti! But watch out, oh no, where are the bunnies off to now? To the airport, across the tarmac ... it's bunnies on the PLANE. Here we go again...
The purrrrfect new story for young readers this Halloween! From Philip Ardagh, bestselling author of The Grunts series, and illustrated by Rob Biddulph, award-winning creator of Draw With Rob, comes a charming new series for fans of Alex T. Smith, Pamela Butchart and Mr Dog! Meet Furry Purry Beancat - one extraordinary cat with nine extraordinary lives! Just like every other cat, Furry Purry Beancat loves a catnap. But unlike other cats, when Beancat wakes she often finds herself about to embark on a whole new adventure! Watch out! There's a WITCH in the village - or is there? With talk of potions, toads and spells flying around, will Beancat be able to sniff out the truth, before it's too late? 'Exciting and comic, these are purr-fect first adventures' - LoveReading4Kids LOOK OUT for more Furry Purry adventures: The Pirate Captain's Cat, The Railway Cat and The Library Cat!
A counting story that goes wrong when one hungry little T-Rex can't help himself from gobbling up the other dinosaurs! Let's count dinosaurs! Rex the T-Rex is 1. Add Patty the Diplodocus, that's 2. And here's comes Brian the Anklyosaurus to make 3. But wait, where's Brian gone? Rex? Rex! You didn't EAT him, did you? Oh NAUGHTY Rex! The truth is, you just CAN'T count on dinosaurs. In this counting book with a difference, Philip Ardagh and Elissa Elwick bring prehistoric chaos and trouble-making dinosaurs to every page for a truly fun, interactive way to learn how to count to 10.
Written by Philip Ardagh, Mistaken for a Bear is a true story about mistaken identities, brought vividly to life by debut illustrator Jamie Beard's richly atmospheric depictions of a grimy Victorian London. For young readers age 9 and up.
Just like every other cat, Furry Purry Beancat loves a catnap. But unlike other cats, when Beancat wakes she finds herself about to embark on a whole new adventure! Shhh! Our furry (and purry!) heroine has woken up in a LIBRARY, and there's trouble afoot. There are plans to close it down, but with the help of two grumpy SPIDERS, can BEANCAT do what she does best and SAVE THE DAY?
'...Out glides a limo, as sleek as a plane, With big gleaming hubcaps as bright as champagne' Children will delight in this silly tale of a dog prince in his truck with a very special delivery . . . With each page turn a new vehicle pops out of the last. This book has all the ingredients to charm and enthrall first readers and parents alike.
Eddie thinks his new fish, Frank, is boring, but he quickly realizes that Frank is anything BUT boring! Using the world's largest known database of writing for and by children, our experts have defined 300 ambitious words to help children succeed at school. We've combined these with finelly levelled books that help you develop support comprehension and fluency, while inspiring and engaging your young readers.
Even among lovable children’s book characters, Furry Purry Beancat is in a class of her own. A beautiful, beautifully furry little pussy cat with the pinkest nose and the fluffiest tale, she has some very exciting adventures. Sometimes you see, when Beancat goes to sleep, she’ll wake up somewhere completely different and in another one of her nine lives and that’s when she knows an adventure is about to happen. In this story, she’s a railway cat – what could be better? And she’s arrived at the station in very interesting times – there are unscrupulous thieves targeting the passengers and they’re in cahoots with enemy spies up to no good. Fortunately, Beancat is not one to panic and with the help of a great supporting cast, including Yorkie the talkative cockatoo, she’s able to save the day and the life of her new friend, Polly. It’s beautifully told for young readers, a mix of excitement and charm and the illustrations by Rob Biddulph are purr-fect too. Funny, exciting and thoroughly charming.
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