18th July 2025 Top sellers
Jeff Kinney ( 1) Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Partypooper
Puffin, 21st, £14.99, HB, 9780241745168
In this 20th book in the Wimpy Kid series Greg throws an epic birthday party for himself.
Swapna Haddow Dave Pigeon: Turkey Dinner!
Faber, 9th, £7.99, PB, 9780571379293
Dave and Skipper are horrified when a turkey is on the menu in this festive story. Can the brave pair rescue the plastic- covered victim and work out how to get nut roast on the menu instead?
Sue Hendra, Paul Linnet We Wish You a Veggie Christmas
Simon & Schuster Children’s, 23rd, £7.99, PB, 9781398532151
Evil Pea gets hold of a powerful shrinking machine and shrinks the veggies to the size of tiny baubles. Will Santa’s little helpers find a way to save the day? This hilarious festive caper is part of the Supertato series.
Liz Pichon Tom Gates: Pesky Pets and Parties
Scholastic, 9th, £12.99, HB, 9780702313448
Tom’s iconic band DogZombies returns in the 24th title in Gates’ bestselling series.
Marcus Rashford, Marta Kissi (illus) The Breakfast Club Adventures: The Movie Monster
Macmillan Children’s Books, 9th, £7.99, PB, 9781035082070
Marcus gets caught up in chasing monsters while making a film to show off his football skills in the seventh
book in Rashford’s bestselling series.
Jamie Smart Bunny vs Monkey: Intergalactic Monkey Business!
DFB Phoenix, 9th, £12.99, HB, 9781788453271
Smart introduces a new character – Little Monkey – in the new instalment in his bestselling series. Publication will be supported by a national signing and event tour.
0-5 baby & toddler
Didier Cornille Big, Little: A Book of Opposites
Post Wave Children’s Books, 2nd, £9.99, HB, 9781836270362
Cornille explores opposites – empty/ full, round/square – in this elegant and stylish title, which has fold-out flaps that transform the illustration from one concept to another.
Hector Dexet Slide and Peek Santa Post Wave Children’s Books, 2nd, £7.99, board, 9781836271123
Pull the tabs to find out what present Santa has brought for each animal with this sweet board book, published with sliders to push and pull.
Julia Donaldson, Axel Scheffler (illus) Stick Man - The Present Hunt: A lift- the-flap adventure
Alison Green Books, 9th, £8.99, board, 9780702344572
Stick Man helps Father Christmas deliver the presents in this lift- the-flap story, based on Donaldson and Scheffler’s iconic picture book about a Stick Man who is separated from – and eventually reunited with – his family at Christmas. Scholastic will also publish the
foiled edition of The Scarecrows’ Wedding in paperback (2431) in October.
Kathleen Marcotte ABCs of Greek Myths Magic Cat Publishing, 9th, £8.99, board, 9781917044820
Toddlers will meet 26 figures from Greek mythology in this board book, which starts with Aphrodite and ends with Zeus. Published with gold foil on the cover.
Anna Milbourne, Cally Johnson- Isaacs (illus) There There Little Reindeer
Usborne, 9th, £7.99, cased board, 9781836042419
Help a little reindeer get ready for Christmas by stroking its velvety ears, patting its back and rubbing its nose.
Jamie Oliver, Adrian Johnson (illus) Let’s Make Cookies
Magic Cat Publishing, 9th, £8.99, HB, 9781917366670
This simple cookbook for the very young has basic instructions – mash the banana, squidge the butter – but the recipes really work. Four books in this new series from celebrity cook Oliver are coming in October, the other three are Let’s Make Pasta (649), Let’s Make Pizza (663) and Let’s Make Pancakes (656).
Camilla Reid, Jill Howarth (illus) Five Little Penguins
Macmillan Children’s Books, 9th, £7.99, board, 9781035031856
In the latest festive book in this “slide and count” series, little penguin chicks waddle, skip, sledge and slide through the snow.
Barry Timms, Mike Byrne (illus) Ten Christmas Bottoms
Macmillan Children’s Books, 2nd, £7.99, PB, 9781035022250
Count down from 10 with this festive addition to Timms’ counting series, and this time the bottoms belong to some cheeky reindeers.
Spencer Wilson Jingle Jumble Santa Happy Yak, 9th, £7.99, based board, 9781836002062
Turn the split pages of this book to make all kinds of silly configurations of Santa.
Characters
Disney Inside Out 2: Hello, I’m Anxiety DK Children, 2nd, £7.99, HB, 9780241788721
1 16
DK is launching a range of books based on
Disney’s Inside Out 2 film, including this introduction to anxiety. Similar books about embarrassment, joy and sadness will also be released in October.
Picture books
Jacinda Ardern ( 2), Ruby Jones (illus) Mum’s Busy Work
Macmillan Children’s Books, 2nd, £8.99, PB, 9781035081455
This book about the relationship between working mums and their children is based on real conversations Ardern had with her young daughter while she was prime minister of New Zealand.
Laura Baker, Stacey Thomas (illus) Squirrel and Bird
Little Bird, 2nd, £12.99, HB, 9781838917203
Readers are introduced to Squirrel (who is loud) and Bird (who is quiet) in this story about self- acceptance, pitched at fans of Odd Dog Out by Rob Biddulph and You Matter by Christian Robinson.
Catherine Barr, Chaaya Prabhat (illus) Colours of Nature
Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 23rd, £14.99, HB, 9781526671271
Learn about the kaleidoscope of colours that are in nature in this fact-filled, non-fiction picture book from Barr, a former Greenpeace campaigner.
Carys Bexington, Kate Hindley (illus) The Night Before Christmas in Neverland
Macmillan Children’s Books, 16th, £7.99, PB, 9781529078367
This festive picture book mashes together Peter Pan in Neverland and Clement C Moore’s poem, The Night Before Christmas. Sequel to The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland, now an animated feature on Sky Cinema, and also published in hardback (350).
Rob Biddulph I Follow the Fox HarperCollins Children’s Books, 9th, £7.99, PB, 9780008627706
Paperback publication of Biddulph’s gorgeous wintry adventure about a little boy who loses his teddy and goes on a magical, moonlight journey with a fox.
Alison Brown If You’re Merry and You Know It
Farshore, 9th, £7.99, PB, 9780008684983
Sing along to this Christmas story, which follows the rhythm of If
2
You’re Happy and You Know It and is about a group of animals going on a Christmas present hunt.
Lucy Brownridge, Kristjana S Williams (illus) The Fantastical Safari
Wide Eyed Editions, 9th, £20, HB, 9780711296725
Williams (The Wonder Garden) and Brownridge have created this lavishly illustrated exploration of both real and imaginary creatures. The giraffe and the octopus feature, as do shapeshifting foxes and fire-breathing dragons, and Brownridge explains the myths and legends that bring these creatures to life.
Lucy Brownridge, Sang Miao (illus) Joy to the Whole World!
Wide Eyed Editions, 9th, £14.99, HB, 9780711297913
Each two-page spread in this book about how Christmas is celebrated across the world covers the traditional foods, decorations and symbols of 10 different countries, including Mexico, Ethiopia, Australia and the UK.
Davide Cali, Magali Clavelet (illus) Vote Wolf
Wolf + Bird, 29th, £12.99, HB, 9781917194143
It is election time at the farm and Peter Piggles, Anne Hen and the Mouse brothers are all standing, but the winner turns out to be George Wolf, whose charm and wit may hide something sinister. This witty picture book introduces politics and the unreliability of the media to children aged four and up.
Matt Carr Bauble in Trouble Hodder Children’s Books, 9th, £7.99, PB, 9781444952155
A determined bauble tries to get out of the attic and onto the Christmas tree, where she belongs, and has to contend with sprouts, snowmen and a cat along the way.
Books Children’s Previews
FILIP WOLAK
JESSICA CHOU
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