XXth Monthname 2025
into the forest, where she meets some real bears.
Tanya Rosie,
Chuck Groenink (illus) The Night of the Hedgehog
Walker Books, 5th, £12.99, HB, 9781529508000
A little girl and her father go outside at night to watch a mother hedgehog and her three babies. Based on the author’s own childhood experiences.
Lucy Rowland, Mike Byrne (illus) The Unicorn Who Came to School
Scholastic, 5th, £7.99, PB, 9780702318436
A cheeky unicorn starts a conga and steals everyone’s food in this mischievous and funny story about starting school.
Suzy Senior, Patrick Corrigan (illus) How to Spot a Mermaid
Farshore, 19th, £7.99, PB, 9780008614188
Join two mermaid enthusiasts as they hunt for their favourite mythical creature. This commercial rhyming story is a sequel to How to Spot a Dinosaur, and taps into a popular pre-school trend, says Farshore.
Saira Shah, Maria Gabriela Gama (illus) Super Nani and Captain Yaz
Templar Books, 19th, £7.99, PB, 9781800788121
Yazmin is very excited to meet Nani, the grandmother she
has never met, and when they cannot speak to each other they learn to communicate, thanks to Yazmin’s toys – her superheroes and a new rag doll. An uplifting story about the challenges of multi-cultural and multi-generational family relationships.
Natalia Shaloshvili Pavlo Gets the Grumps Walker Books, 5th, £7.99, PB, 9781529509465
This picture book, previously published in hardback, is about a gorgeous but grumpy cat who has got the grumps. A sweet reminder that everyone has good and bad days.
Zadie Smith, Nick Laird, Magenta Fox (illus) Weirdo Goes Wild
Puffin, 5th, £7.99, PB, 9780241623770
Maud the guinea pig is off into the wild with Kit, her owner, in this follow-up to Weirdo. Previously published in hardback.
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Helen Stephens Smelly Peggy Walker Books, 5th, £7.99, PB, 9781529523751
Now out in paperback is Stephens’ engaging story about a dog called Peggy, who loves rolling around in anything that is stinky.
Robert Tregoning, Laura Brenlla (illus) The Rock Family Band
Oxford University Press, 5th, £7.99, PB, 9781382054683
A quiet boy who does not fit in with his flamboyant rock family realises that they love him, and he them, when they come to support his flute recital. By the author of The Dress in the Window.
Kael Tudor, Daniel Wiseman (illus) The Laughing Book
Happy Yak, 26th, £7.99, PB, 9781836000136
Laughter is the best medicine in this book about how people giggle, guffaw, chortle and cackle, now out in paperback.
Jo Weaver Two Little Gorillas Hachette Children’s Books, 5th, £7.99, PB, 9781444973938
Now out in paperback is this story about welcoming others and overcoming feelings of jealousy, told through the eyes of a little gorilla.
Donette Williams-Harry, Amélie-Anne Calmo (illus) Carnival Queen
Little Tiger, 5th, £7.99, PB, 9781838917579
A little girl asks her community for help when her dress is ruined in this vibrant celebration of carnival, inspired by the author’s experiences of attending Notting Hill carnival. Published with end matter that explores carnivals around the world.
Eva Wong Nava, Holly Sterling (illus) Wednesday is for Wiggling!
Walker Books, 5th, £7.99, PB, 9781529509915
3
A little girl goes to the canal with Daddy on Sunday, sees her grandparents on Saturday, and gets wiggly with Mama on Wednesday in this sweet picture book about routine.
Bethan Woollvin Robin Hood Two Hoots, 26th, £7.99, PB, 9781529078329
Woollvin swaps the gender of one of our most famous folk heroes in this tale about a fierce and brave little girl. Also released in hardback (312).
Circle Yuen Our Dance Graffeg, 3rd, £8.99, PB, 9781802589894
A girl who loves to dance with her parents must learn to dance with them
in different ways after their separation – at home with mum and at a contact centre with dad. Written in collaboration with the National Association of Child Contact Centres.
Fiction 5-9
Rodaan Al Galidi, Geertje Aalders (illus) Arabic Folktales: The Three Princes of Serendip and Other Stories
Walker Books, 5th, £11.99, PB, 9781529524222
This collection of Arabic stories, stunningly illustrated with cut-paper artwork, has tales about donkeys, roosters, kings, sheikhs and paupers. First published in hardback in 2022.
Sally Gardner, Chris Mould (illus) Pernickety Boo
HarperCollins Children’s Books, 5th, £7.99, PB, 9780008602673
4 4
Paperback publication of Gardner and Mould’s whimsical tale about
Pernickety Boo, a well-educated umbrella with magical powers, and Sylvie, the young girl who finds him on the London Underground.
Isabella Harcourt ( 3), Hannah McCaffery (illus) Flora Stormer and the Magic Feather
Hachette Children’s Books, 12th, £7.99, PB, 9781408370056
In the third story about an adventurer who has Tourette’s Syndrome Flora travels to ancient Egypt, where she tries to help a ghost called Rana.
Alex Latimer
Gordon Wins it All Oxford University Press, 5th, £6.99, PB, 9780192788719
Gordon, the meanest goose on earth, tries yet again to change his ways in the third book in Latimer’s funny series.
Leah Mohammed My Magic Hamster: Cheeky Wishes
Hachette Children’s Group, 19th June, £6.99, PB, 9781801301398
Sana gets more than she bargained for when it turns out that Frank, her new hamster, can grant wishes. This funny young fiction title, divided into two stories, is for newly independent readers, says Hachette.
Julian Norton, Jo Weaver (illus) Adventures with a Yorkshire Vet: The Lucky Foal and Other Animal Tales
Walker Books, 5th, £7.99, PB, 9781529525601
This collection of 10 stories about different farmyard animals was first published in hardback in 2023.
Alex T Smith
Astrid and the Space Cadets: Danger at the Black Lagoon!
Macmillan Children’s Books, 19th, £7.99, PB, 9781035019809
Astrid and the gang decide to help two scientists track down a mysterious, never- before-seen fish called the Colossal Fang- Toothed Chompers in their third adventure, but the scientists are acting fishy and Astrid and the Space Cadets must work out how to avoid their treacherous trap.
Bella Swift, Kelly Caswell (illus) Sausage Dog Surfer
Hachette Children’s Books, 5th, £7.99, PB, 9781408374450
Stanley the sausage dog wants to impress the other pups on holiday, but he doesn’t know how to swim. Will he be able to make friends? This second in a series is published with black and white illustrations throughout.
Fiction 9-12
Eve Ainsworth ( 4), Luna Valentine (illus) Seeing Red
Barrington Stoke, 5th, £7.99, PB, 9780008705800
Ainsworth’s new football title for Barrington Stoke is about Amelia, who is lashing out in anger because of problems at home, and the team around her who help her get the support she needs. Promotes kindness and empathy while exploring anxiety and frustration.
Jasbinder Bilan Naeli and the Secret Song
Chicken House, 5th, £7.99, PB, 9781915947031
Naeli leaves behind her beloved India and travels to England to try to find the English father who abandoned her. All she has is his name and her violin. Her journey takes her from
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