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Timothy Knapman is a children’s writer, lyricist and playwright. His children’s books have been translated into twelve languages and include Soon, illustrated by Patrick Benson, Time Now To Dream, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury, Dinosaurs Don't Have Bedtimes, illustrated by Nikki Dyson, and the bestselling Mungo and the Picture Book Pirate series. His titles have often been featured on CBeebies Bedtime Stories. He lives in Weybridge, Surrey. Read more about the author here.
Photo credit: Robin Farquhar-Thomson
An absolute treat to read aloud, this comic tale puts a new spin on the story of the gingerbread man. ‘Can’t catch me!’ sings Jake, ‘I’m the fastest mouse in the world’ and he can easily outrun Tom the cat, as well as the fox and the bear. But oh dear, pride comes before a fall and Tom proves that quick thinking can win the prize. Jake is a swaggering, cheeky presence in Simona Ciraolo’s vibrant illustrations and his comeuppance is gleefully celebrated in text and pictures. Great fun.
Today is a BIG day for little Train ... he's going out on the track, all by himself, for the very first time! Taking its place beside the classic The Little Engine That Could, young readers will share Little Train's trepidation and excitement in this uplifting and extraordinary read-aloud adventure, and rejoice in the gorgeously atmospheric artwork of illustrator Ben Mantle.
One of our Books of the Year 2016 There’s a dreamlike quality to this beautiful picture book. Two young children, painted by Helen Oxenbury with typical sensitivity, leave the safety of their garden to explore the forest when they hear a mysterious noise coming from the trees. Taking it in turns to reassure and encourage one another, they finally discover the source of the noise is Wolf Mummy singing her babies to sleep, a vision both wild and tranquil. The children return home and they too snuggle down to sleep lulled by her lullaby. Their cosy cottage, with its bright red quilt and lamp, is a distinct contrast to the green hues of the little wolves’ home, but the forest no longer seems a frightening place. Atmospheric, magical, this fairytale story will enchant readers. ~ Andrea Reece Meet the Illustrator – In conversation with Helen Oxenbury Shelley Fallows also had the opportunity to meet with Illustrator Helen Oxenbury to find out a little more about this award winning illustrator, mother and grandmother. Click here to read more.
An absolute treat to read aloud, this comic tale puts a new spin on the story of the gingerbread man. ‘Can’t catch me!’ sings Jake, ‘I’m the fastest mouse in the world’ and he can easily outrun Tom the cat, as well as the fox and the bear. But oh dear, pride comes before a fall and Tom proves that quick thinking can win the prize. Jake is a swaggering, cheeky presence in Simona Ciraolo’s vibrant illustrations and his comeuppance is gleefully celebrated in text and pictures. Great fun. ~ Andrea Reece
One of our Books of the Year 2016 There’s a dreamlike quality to this beautiful picture book. Two young children, painted by Helen Oxenbury with typical sensitivity, leave the safety of their garden to explore the forest when they hear a mysterious noise coming from the trees. Taking it in turns to reassure and encourage one another, they finally discover the source of the noise is Wolf Mummy singing her babies to sleep, a vision both wild and tranquil. The children return home and they too snuggle down to sleep lulled by her lullaby. Their cosy cottage, with its bright red quilt and lamp, is a distinct contrast to the green hues of the little wolves’ home, but the forest no longer seems a frightening place. Atmospheric, magical, this fairytale story will enchant readers. ~ Andrea Reece Meet the Illustrator – In conversation with Helen Oxenbury Shelley Fallows also had the opportunity to meet with Illustrator Helen Oxenbury to find out a little more about this award winning illustrator, mother and grandmother. Click here to read more.
September 2016 Book of the Month Little Sir Dancealot would fit right in on Strictly! This nimble-toed young knight has a novel approach to combat – he dances his enemies into submission, waltzing or jiving with them until the words ‘disco lights’ are enough to give any passing monster the frights! Then one day a dancing dragon appears and challenges Sir Dancealot to a competition – on ice. This zany idea is perfectly executed through a jolly rhyming text and lively illustrations. Kids will love the idea of Strictly with dragons, and you’ll be glad to hear that the two combatants are dancing happily together by the end – no blood on the dancefloor here! ~ Andrea Reece
Pity the poor mum in this story who has to wrestle a very lively young dinosaur fan into bed. Her little boy knows just how dinosaurs behave, what they like (mess, rampaging), and what they don’t like (baths, pyjamas, milk); what’s more, he’s going to roar his way through the day in full dinosaur mode! It’s hard to think of a rowdier, more rollicking story and the illustrations – characters as humans on one page, as dinosaurs on the other – are full of wonderful comic detail. Amazingly too it does end with our little dinosaur tucked up in bed asleep. Simultaneously zany and true to life, this is a lovely book for mums and sons to share. ~ Andrea Reece
Patrick Benson’s superb illustrations bring to life this touching adventure for a baby elephant. Early one morning the little elephant Raju sets off with his mother. On their way they see off a snappy crocodile and then both a slithering snake and a prowling tiger Raju gets tired and longs to be going home. But Raju’s mummy has a plan… When Raju sees what it is he knows it was all worth while! ~ Julia Eccleshare
Julia Eccleshare's Pick of the Month, May 2015 Patrick Benson’s superb illustrations bring to life this touching adventure for a baby elephant. Early one morning the little elephant Raju sets off with his mother. On their way they see off a snappy crocodile and then both a slithering snake and a prowling tiger Raju gets tired and longs to be going home. But Raju’s mummy has a plan… When Raju sees what it is he knows it was all worth while! ~ Julia Eccleshare .................................................................... Julia Eccleshare's Picks of the Month for May 2015 - Spotty Lottie and Me by Richard Byrne Bomber by Paul Dowswell The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge What the Jackdaw Saw by Julia Donaldson and Nick Sharratt Poppy in the Field by Mary Hooper Soon by Timothy Knapman
This vibrant, humorous and warm-hearted celebration of all the incredible things a dad can do is a classic about the specialness of dad (and their superhero sons!).
Dad might not have a superhero mask or wear his pants outside his trousers, but his super snores can be heard a thousand miles away, he tells super jokes and can even make super-scary monsters go away at bedtime.
A fabulously funny rhyming text with adorable illustrations. The perfect Easter treat!
April 2012 Book of the Month. My Adventure Island is a magical place where anything can happen particularly if you have a little bit of imagination. It's a brilliantly funny tale of mischief and mayhem by Timothy Knapman, author of the Mungo and the Picture Book Pirates, My Uncle Foulpest and The Great Easter Egg Scramble, perfect for any child with a sense of adventure. It is beautifully illustrated by Sarah Warburton, creator of the Rumblewick series.
Foulpest returns - our unlikely hero in the form of an ogre! Welcome back to Wally’s world - a hilarious offering of ogre uncles, evil weevils and more! My Uncle Foulpest: Dinosaur Disaster is the hilarious second instalment in the series by Timothy Knapman. Bringing more mad-cap adventures from Wally and Foulpest - an ogre with the best intentions who never quite gets it right! - young readers will giggle with glee. With adorable and hilarious illustrations by Sarah Horne, this is a surefire winner for young fans of humour, with two stories in one brilliant package.
Wally just wants to be an ordinary, normal boy living an ordinary, normal life - then his uncle Foulpest comes to look after him. Foulpest is an ogre, and he has other ideas. Foulpest means well, but he just can't help causing chaos - whether it's accidentally sending Miss Nutkin through the roof at the school parents' evening or employing some very dubious elves to clean up their house in time for a sleepover...
A Useful book about Friendship. A deliciously dark and funny tale, in which friendship comes before food. It's brilliantly and wackily illustrated by the uniquely talented Ben Cort who has of course also delivered on Aliens Love Underpants etc. Click here for an activity sheet related to this book.
More bookish adventures here when the pirates in the bedtime story Mungo loves come to life. Suddenly, armed only with a teddy bear, Mungo is the hero of the swashbuckling adventures. Bold, carton style illustrations make this a lively night time romp.
After a visit from Marigold Mulch, a plant expert, Lucy's classmates are each given a seed to plant, but Lucy is convinced her seed is an egg! 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.
TV celebrity Gaz Talent has vanished! Pip and Kit must try and track him down. 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.
Collins Big Cat supports every primary child on their reading journey from phonics to fluency. Top authors and illustrators have created fiction and non-fiction books that children love to read. Book banded for guided and independent reading, there are reading notes in the back, comprehensive teaching and assessment support and ebooks available. Baker Jake bakes wonderful homemade cakes, but the day before he is due to take part in a TV baking competition, his special whisk goes missing! Without it, Jake fears he will be beaten by the fiendish Maureen Buttercream, owner of the soulless Cakes-U-Like chain. So who has stolen the whisk? By the time the true culprit is revealed, Jake will have to find out whether he or his whisk is the real secret of his success. Join Baker Jake as he solves the mystery of the stolen whisk in this exciting story by Timothy Knapman. White Plus/Band 10+ books provide challenging plots and vocabulary as well as opportunities to practise inference, prediction and reading stamina. Pages 46 and 47 allow children to re-visit the content of the book, supporting comprehension skills, vocabulary development and recall. Ideas for reading in the back of the book provide practical support and stimulating activities.
Jake can't sleep. There are odd noises and he is scared. Suddenly, the Night Knight appears! Will the Night Knight help Jake or will Jake end up helping the knight? Oxford Reading Tree Story Sparks is an emotionally-engaging fiction series that will fire children's imaginations and develop their comprehension skills. The variety of authors and illustrators broadens children's reading experience, with something to appeal to every child. This story is one of six titles at Oxford Level 5, which are phonically decodable with some extra high-interest words to expand children's vocabularies and enrich the stories. All the books in the series are carefully levelled, making it easy to match every reader to the right book.
When the cruel king dies, it's time for the young prince to return home to rule. He travels through the kingdom in disguise, and on his journey he meets a thoughtful peasant girl who shares all that she has learnt with him about being honest, kind and fair. This gives the prince a wonderful idea ... Highly engaging, illustrated picture book to be read out loud to children aged 4-5 Ideal for reading aloud at home with your child Helps expose your child to rich language and curriculum-linked vocabulary Includes key terms from History and the topic area of power, leadership and democracy Part of the Bug Club reading series used in over 3500 schools 'These books are a great start to addressing the wider curriculum and the vocabulary issues that schools are identifying.' - Assistant Head, Primary Academy The Bug Club Shared books are highly engaging, beautifully illustrated stories designed to be read out loud to children. The programme exposes children to rich, curriculum-linked vocabulary, helping to build an understanding across school subjects and cultivate a love for reading.
Molly is playing in the garden when, from the corner of her eye, she spots a dark shape moving around on the ground - it was her shadow, copying her. Suddenly it speaks! They play together all day, even when it starts to rain. But as night fast approaches, Molly wonders if she will ever see her shadow friend again ... Highly engaging, illustrated picture book to be read out loud to children aged 6-7 Ideal for reading aloud at home with your child Helps expose your child to rich language and curriculum-linked vocabulary Includes key terms from Science and the topic area of light Part of the Bug Club reading series used in over 3500 schools 'These books are a great start to addressing the wider curriculum and the vocabulary issues that schools are identifying.' - Assistant Head, Primary Academy The Bug Club Shared books are highly engaging, beautifully illustrated stories designed to be read out loud to children. The programme exposes children to rich, curriculum-linked vocabulary, helping to build an understanding across school subjects and cultivate a love for reading.
The Emperor of the animal kingdom is tiny. But he demands a giant sculpture is made of him to show just how important he is. This means trouble for Scribbles the Baboon who is an amazing artist, but doesn't know how to carve a statue! Scribbles tries every material he can think of, but nothing seems to work ... Will he make a sculpture in time to show the Emperor? Highly engaging, illustrated picture book to be read out loud to children aged 6-7 Ideal for reading aloud at home with your child Helps expose your child to rich language and curriculum-linked vocabulary Includes key terms from Art and the topic area of sculpture Part of the Bug Club reading series used in over 3500 schools 'These books are a great start to addressing the wider curriculum and the vocabulary issues that schools are identifying.' - Assistant Head, Primary Academy The Bug Club Shared books are highly engaging, beautifully illustrated stories designed to be read out loud to children. The programme exposes children to rich, curriculum-linked vocabulary, helping to build an understanding across school subjects and cultivate a love for reading.
A sweet, suspenseful story of a baby badger and his dad with rich, atmospheric illustrations from Jane McGuinness. Curious Baby Badger loves exploring. He is eager to see, and know, more of the world beyond his den. So, one night, his daddy takes him on a moonlit adventure through the still, black-and-white forest up above their underground home. And that sets Baby Badger's imagination soaring. What's daytime like? he wonders. What's next? A tender father and son story of adventure, discovery and the comforting pull of home, paired with rich, evocative illustrations from Jane McGuinness.
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