Having a pet is a big responsibility, and that idea is pushed to extremes in this delightfully funny picture book series exploring what it might entail to take care of a really peculiar pet! Each story features a child who is delighted with their new wild pet . . . but is about to learn what it’s really like to have one about the house.

How to Feed an Elephant is a hilarious story about what might happen if an elephant came to stay.

Perfect for any child who has dreamed of an extraordinary pet, and wants to learn more about their favourite animals.

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Mirabelle’s mum is a witch, her dad is a fairy, and she is a bit of both!

When Mirabelle’s pet dragon Violet goes missing in the woods, the sensible thing to do would be for Mirabelle and her brother, Wilbur, to stick together to look for her in the creepy abandoned cottage she disappears into. But the two just can’t get along, and Mirabelle gets so cross that she says she wishes Wilbur would just disappear. She doesn’t mean for it to actually happen though!

Can she sort things out and get Wilbur to come back? Thankfully help is on hand, as the cottage isn’t quite as abandoned as it first appears. . .

A perfect gift for Halloween and beyond!

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Chi is a panda who loves to listen.

Being silent brings sounds to her ears: the swish of bamboo, the chitter of birds, and then one day, a new sound, gentle and sweet. The sound leads Chi to a boy, who blows breath through a piece of bamboo. Chi is enchanted and longs to make friends, but she is shy and hides instead.

As the boy searches for Chi and mist gathers in the forest, she must find the courage to help him-even if it means being seen…

A lyrical story from award-winning author Corrinne Averiss with beautiful illustrations from Fiona Woodcock, whose evocative and ethereal illustrations perfectly beautifully capture the remote landscape of the panda’s misty forest world. An ideal gift for young children to learn about the joy of making friends, the beauty of nature and the transformative power of music.

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It’s Leo’s job as the Guardian’s apprentice to protect the village from the monsters that lurk in the surrounding forest. Whenever a monster gets too close to the village walls Leo must venture out, using his magical map to first find the monster and then do battle with it.

In this book, Leo must track down the ghostly Frightmare-a powerful monster that haunts the abandoned ruins, breathing deadly blue fire at any intruder.

Series features:

• A series on an epic scale, Leo’s Map of Monsters will lead to a new fantasy adventure in every book where he learns that not all monsters are evil.
• A fantastic array of amazing beasts; this exciting fantasy adventure series is perfect for Beast Quest,ÌýPokemonÌý²¹²Ô»åÌýStar Wars fans, and it contains a gentle ecological message – can Leo find the balance between the world of monsters and humans?
• Stunning black and white illustrations throughout, including a double page map and illustrated endpapers that feature fact files on the monsters.
• Perfect for emerging readers. A great balance of easy-to-read text and detailed illustrations come together in a stand-out package.
• First person narration takes young readers right into the heart of the story.

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The Fourth book in the The Legend of Kevin series from creative powerhouse Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre.

Max and his best friend Kevin, the only roly-poly flying pony in Bumbleford, decide to enter the Magical Pony Club Steeplechase. Kevin is not particularly keen, as the other participants are all unicorns, and everybody knows that unicorns are quite snobby. But biscuits are promised, and Kevin wants to make Max proud.

As the competition heats up, our inseparable duo uncovers a conspiracy to steal the precious Periwinkle Cup. Max and Kevin will have to intervene to stop the thieves and retrieve the stolen trophy.

The post Kevin vs the Unicorns appeared first on Oxford Owl for 51ºÚÁÏÍø.

Children will love using their imagination to take the driver’s seat and pretend to use the digger’s controls to dig, move, and scoop!

This book puts the reader in charge, to build self-confidence and encourage following instructions, problem solving, and teamwork. The narrative is embedded with early learning skills such as recognition of colours, shapes, and numbers. This makes it perfect to share with children as a fun way to practise these key skills, while spotting their favourite vehicles and making the sound effects. The story ends with a sense of achievement as the finished house is revealed.

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Children will love using their imagination to take the driver’s seat and pretend to use the fire engine’s controls to switch on the siren, turn on the flashing lights, and start the engine!

This book puts the reader in charge, to build self-confidence and encourage following instructions, problem solving, and teamwork. The narrative is embedded with early learning skills such as recognition of colours, shapes, and numbers. This makes it perfect to share with children as a fun way to practise these key skills, while spotting their favourite vehicles and making the sound effects. The story ends with a sense of achievement as the reader puts the fire out, then drives the crew back to the fire station.

The post I’m The Fire Engine Driver appeared first on Oxford Owl for 51ºÚÁÏÍø.

Welcome to another brilliantly quirky adventure story from creative powerhouse Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre.

Bumbleford has been hit by a series of biscuit thefts. All the clues lead straight to the only roly-poly flying pony in town, and Max’s best friend, KEVIN! Max and Kevin are forced to go on the run. Will they find the °ù±ð²¹±ôÌýculprit before Kevin ends up in pony prison?

Book talk

Share your first responses to this book, before talking about key feelings and questions.

Open questions to get you started:

• What did you like best in this book?
• What do you remember most?
• What didn’t you like?

Then talk about the story in more detail:

• Was this book what you expected?
• Did you read it straight through, or did it take a while?
• What age person do you think would like this book best? Why?
• What did you think of the characters? – the people and the robots! Who is your favourite? Why?
• Astra’s request for ‘the Ultimate Cake’ has scary results! What lesson do we learn from this?!
• What did you think of the way everything turned out? Had you worked out what might happen? How?

More from Oxford Owl

• Reading and comprehension for age 7–8
• Reading for pleasure

The post Kevin and the Biscuit Bandit: A Roly-Poly Flying Pony Adventure appeared first on Oxford Owl for 51ºÚÁÏÍø.

Empowering words that help children to express their emotions.

This little book on Love is part of an exciting series exploring big topics with young children in a way that feels good.

Using carefully chosen words, such as ‘family’, ‘forever’ and ‘closeness’, it creates a special moment for grown-ups and young children to focus on what it means to love others, lose people or animals we love, and be loved.

Children can discover and understand new words to help them to talk about the ups and downs of first experiences and new emotions with confidence.

The engaging art style, fun characters and hardback picture book feel make this series accessible and perfect to share.

Each book includes reassuring tips on how to enjoy these books, encourage conversation and build language confidence. This series is special not only because it focuses on feelings in a child-friendly way, but also because it’s from Oxford, it’s packed with educational goodness that helps children develop and grow.

Build language confidence
Engaging picture books with handpicked words to help young children talk about the ups and downs of first experiences and new emotions with confidence.

Packed with educational goodness
Using 51ºÚÁÏÍø’s language expertise, these deliver big and small words to help children develop and grow.

Perfect for sharing and reading together
Picture book rhythm with fun illustrations and engaging narrative flow, helping grown-ups and young children talk together in a gently supportive way.

Get more from the books
Includes ideas at the back of the book to help grown-ups talk about feelings with children and an age-appropriate glossary to help children understand more challenging words.

‘I love these books (and so do my sons!). Not only are they beautifully illustrated but the content is pitched just right for having rich conversations with young children about values like kindness and bravery. These books will be a great resource for teachers and parents alike, helping them equip their children with the vocabulary they’ll need to understand and express their emotions better.’ – Adrian Bethune, Teachappy

More from Oxford Owl

• Vocabulary: tips for building vocabulary at home
• Series page: Big Words for Little People

The post Big Words for Little People: Love appeared first on Oxford Owl for 51ºÚÁÏÍø.

Empowering words that help children to express their emotions.

This little book on Doing Your Best is part of an exciting series exploring big topics with young children in a way that feels good.

Using carefully chosen words and phrases, such as ‘aim high’ and ‘teamwork’, it creates a special moment for grown-ups and young children to focus on what it means to be a do your best and be proud of yourself.

Children can discover and understand new words to help them to talk about the ups and downs of first experiences and new emotions with confidence.

The engaging art style, fun characters and hardback picture book feel make this series accessible and perfect to share.

Each book includes reassuring tips on how to enjoy these books, encourage conversation and build language confidence. This series is special not only because it focuses on feelings in a child-friendly way, but also because it’s from Oxford, it’s packed with educational goodness that helps children develop and grow.

Build language confidence
Engaging picture books with handpicked words to help young children talk about the ups and downs of first experiences and new emotions with confidence.

Packed with educational goodness
Using 51ºÚÁÏÍø’s language expertise, these deliver big and small words to help children develop and grow.

Perfect for sharing and reading together
Picture book rhythm with fun illustrations and engaging narrative flow, helping grown-ups and young children talk together in a gently supportive way.

Get more from the books
Includes ideas at the back of the book to help grown-ups talk about feelings with children and an age-appropriate glossary to help children understand more challenging words.

‘I love these books (and so do my sons!). Not only are they beautifully illustrated but the content is pitched just right for having rich conversations with young children about values like kindness and bravery. These books will be a great resource for teachers and parents alike, helping them equip their children with the vocabulary they’ll need to understand and express their emotions better.’ – Adrian Bethune, Teachappy

More from Oxford Owl

• Vocabulary: tips for building vocabulary at home
• Series page: Big Words for Little People

The post Big Words for Little People Doing Your Best appeared first on Oxford Owl for 51ºÚÁÏÍø.