Joyce Dunbar - Author
Joyce Dunbar was born and brought up in Lincolnshire. She taught English for 20 years before becoming a full-time writer. Her books for children include This is the Star, which became a world-wide best-seller, and Mundo and the Weatherchild, which was runner-up for the Guardian Children's Fiction Award. The popular Mouse and Mole series has been animated for television with the voices of Alan Bennett and Richard Briers. She lives in Norwich.
A bad mood gives rise to a really joyous picture book. Duck is cross and out of sorts. She can’t paddle in the pond because it’s dry and she’s got no-one to play with. The other animals invite her to play with them but by then she’s really sulking, so deep in her bad mood – represented by an ever-growing black cloud over her head – that she grumps at them all, spreading her tetchiness. Then finally the black cloud bursts and all the animals, led by Duck, come together for a splashy, playful, raucous rendition of Singing in the Rain. Children will understand exactly how Duck feels, while Petr Horacek’s jewel-bright, richly textured artwork is spectacularly beautiful.
Tibs the legendary Post Office mouser is the hero of this story. He’s adopted by the sorters at Mount Pleasant to deal with the mice that are nibbling the mail, just like the real life Tibs, but here Joyce Dunbar lets her imagination take over: Tibs, lonely and missing his mum, makes friends with the mice rather than eating them, and soon they are willingly helping him keep the Post Office spic and span. Once the building is spotless there’s more excitement as the head postmaster prepares for a visit from Princess Elizabeth. The story is full of incident and the details both in the text and the illustrations will delight children. Tibs is a lively presence in Claire Fletcher’s gorgeous illustrations and the mice scamper across the pages with real glee. ~ Andrea Reece
It’s the middle of the night, but little pat-a-cake baby wants to bake a special cake and does, with the help of three laughing, mischievous baby helpers. And what fun they have – mixing the ingredients, whisking, stirring, sieving and shaking. The story is told in rhyme that is real fun to read aloud, and Polly Dunbar’s illustrations are full of life. As the little bakers dance and frisk across the pages, it’s impossible not to feel as light-hearted and joyful as they look. The story concludes with the cake baked and on a plate, with a slice for you, and a slice for me – and a slice for the Moon, who turns up for tea. Delicious! ~ Andrea Reece
It’s the middle of the night, but little pat-a-cake baby wants to bake a special cake and does, with the help of three laughing, mischievous baby helpers. And what fun they have – mixing the ingredients, whisking, stirring, sieving and shaking. The story is told in rhyme that is real fun to read aloud, and Polly Dunbar’s illustrations are full of life. As the little bakers dance and frisk across the pages, it’s impossible not to feel as light-hearted and joyful as they look. The story concludes with the cake baked and on a plate, with a slice for you, and a slice for me – and a slice for the Moon, who turns up for tea. Delicious! ~ Andrea Reece
Longlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal 2014 - One of our Books of the Year 2013 Cat lovers everywhere will relish this beauty of a book. Jill Barton’s glorious large scale illustrations capture the different moods of this changeable feline star. Good cat or bad cat? Joyce Dunbar’s lyrical and rhythmic text beautifully describes the many kinds of cat within the one creature. Entertaining and thoughtful, this is a book to enjoy again and again.
Cat lovers everywhere will relish this beauty of a book. Jill Barton’s glorious large scale illustrations capture the different moods of this changeable feline star. Good cat or bad cat? Joyce Dunbar’s lyrical and rhythmic text beautifully describes the many kinds of cat within the one creature. Entertaining and thoughtful, this is a book to enjoy again and again.
'This isn't any old night, this is a magic night!' A stunning picture book from a gifted storyteller and award-winning illustrator that perfectly captures the joy and anticipation of Christmas Eve. There's only one more sleep till Christmas and Lucas and Willow, the moon and the stars are all waiting ... While they wait, the children remember everything they love about Christmas, but they don't notice that the magic has already begun ...
A bad mood gives rise to a really joyous picture book. Duck is cross and out of sorts. She can’t paddle in the pond because it’s dry and she’s got no-one to play with. The other animals invite her to play with them but by then she’s really sulking, so deep in her bad mood – represented by an ever-growing black cloud over her head – that she grumps at them all, spreading her tetchiness. Then finally the black cloud bursts and all the animals, led by Duck, come together for a splashy, playful, raucous rendition of Singing in the Rain. Children will understand exactly how Duck feels, while Petr Horacek’s jewel-bright, richly textured artwork is spectacularly beautiful.
Dear Plunkett Please come to my party Theme: Pink Yours oinky, Priscilla Nothing or no one will make me wear pink! declares Plunkett the pig. But could there be one shade of pink that is perfect - for a boy or girl pig? And will Plunkett find true love, whatever his color?
Tibs the legendary Post Office mouser is the hero of this story. He’s adopted by the sorters at Mount Pleasant to deal with the mice that are nibbling the mail, just like the real life Tibs, but here Joyce Dunbar lets her imagination take over: Tibs, lonely and missing his mum, makes friends with the mice rather than eating them, and soon they are willingly helping him keep the Post Office spic and span. Once the building is spotless there’s more excitement as the head postmaster prepares for a visit from Princess Elizabeth. The story is full of incident and the details both in the text and the illustrations will delight children. Tibs is a lively presence in Claire Fletcher’s gorgeous illustrations and the mice scamper across the pages with real glee. ~ Andrea Reece
It’s the middle of the night, but little pat-a-cake baby wants to bake a special cake and does, with the help of three laughing, mischievous baby helpers. And what fun they have – mixing the ingredients, whisking, stirring, sieving and shaking. The story is told in rhyme that is real fun to read aloud, and Polly Dunbar’s illustrations are full of life. As the little bakers dance and frisk across the pages, it’s impossible not to feel as light-hearted and joyful as they look. The story concludes with the cake baked and on a plate, with a slice for you, and a slice for me – and a slice for the Moon, who turns up for tea. Delicious! ~ Andrea Reece
Dear Plunkett Please come to my party Theme: Pink Yours oinky, Priscilla Nothing or no one will make me wear pink! declares Plunkett the pig. But could there be one shade of pink that is perfect - for a boy or girl pig? And will Plunkett find true love, whatever his color?
It’s the middle of the night, but little pat-a-cake baby wants to bake a special cake and does, with the help of three laughing, mischievous baby helpers. And what fun they have – mixing the ingredients, whisking, stirring, sieving and shaking. The story is told in rhyme that is real fun to read aloud, and Polly Dunbar’s illustrations are full of life. As the little bakers dance and frisk across the pages, it’s impossible not to feel as light-hearted and joyful as they look. The story concludes with the cake baked and on a plate, with a slice for you, and a slice for me – and a slice for the Moon, who turns up for tea. Delicious! ~ Andrea Reece
Smudge is the only rabbit in the woods without a brother or sister. His mother tells him to wait for spring, but that is a long way off. In Autumn, Smudge builds a leaf-and-twig brother, but he blows away. He builds a snow sister in the winter, but she melts. Will Smudge's wish for a sibling ever come true?
Does Duck dazzle as much as the peacock? Does he dawdle like the tortoise, or does he dash like the hare? No? Well, what does Duck do? Does Duck ...dare? A gorgeous new story from the author of Tell Me Something Happy Before I Go To Sleep and the illustrator of Daddy Is My Hero.
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