Little Fish and Mummy on Mother's Day!

Happy Mother’s Day! Walker is celebrating with a lovely, brand-new shaped board book from the world of Hooray for Fish! In this heart-warming rhyming story from the wonderful Lucy Cousins, Little Fish is having a special day, just him and Mummy Fish:

My mummy’s orange just like me.

We both have yellow spots.

I love my mummy very much,

I know she loves me lots.

  

It’s got the team thinking about all the things we share with the mum-figures in our lives, related or otherwise. No one’s mentioned yellow spots, but here are some choice love-filled testimonies from us all:

Nghiem Ta, Art Director

When I was growing up, my mum was strict and fearsome. To us kids, all she did was work and cook... all the little things we took (and take) for granted! Now, as a grown-up, I see my mum as the wonder she is. She’s accomplished so much on her own and is such an inspiration to me.

And she still cooks amazing food! Yum!

Isabelle Gamon, Art Director

When I was a child, I desperately wanted a Barbie Dream House, but couldn’t buy one. Instead, my mother spent a week building my doll her very own home, complete with real wallpaper and hand-knitted furnishings. This to me sums up all that is wonderful about my mum: she is resourceful, creative, dedicated, and filled with unconditional love.  It also might be why I’m now obsessed with Grand Designs...

Bonne fête des mères, maman. Bisous.

Ruby Constable, Assistant Editor

When I was little, my grandma used to tell me the most extraordinary bedtime stories, which turned out were actually the plots of famous book and films. My absolute favourite was Jane Eyre. Charlotte Brontë’s version is alright, but my gran does a satisfyingly terrifying Bertha impression and could tell the whole story in the ten minutes before lights out. She also made up a beautiful lullaby about butterflies, which I later discovered had the same melody as The Godfather theme tune. 

Happy Mothers’ Day gran. You’re weird, I love it.

Hannah Whitaker, Senior Creative Editor

When I was a six, my father made me a beautiful dolls house which I used to play with all the time. My daughter Amelia - who is eight - has it in her bedroom now, and we love to spend time together moving all the furniture around!

Inês Amaral, Designer

Me and my mum both love cabbage, steamed fish and chewing on bones. Not a pretty picture, but my mum’s satisfaction with having food companion makes it very worth it.

Happy Mother’s Day mum, you are and always be my inspiration, moral compass and favourite chef.

Rachel Boden, Senior Commissioning Editor

My children and I share a love of books. Funny ones, sad ones, magical ones. I still read to them every night. We do silly voices – my seven-year-old daughter does an excellent Texan drawl for completely inappropriate characters (e.g. Rainbow Fairies). No room is complete without a shelf of books, as proven when my son built himself a house in Minecraft, aged 6, and included a golden throne and a floor-to-ceiling bookcase. I am hoping for a golden throne as a Mother’s Day gift this year…

What special thing do you share with the mothering figure(s) in your life? Let us know below! And don’t forget to pick up a copy of Little Fish and Mummy, swimming into a bookshop near you!

CBeebies Bedtime Stories featuring A Busy Day For Birds

We are delighted to say that A Busy Day for Birds by Lucy Cousins will be read out on CBeebies Bedtime Stories on Sunday 3^rd February at 18:50. 

Actress Celia Imrie, known for many roles including in Calendar Girls and Bridget Jones will be reading the book! 

Before then you can go behind the scenes with multi-award-winning author and illustrator Lucy Cousins and find out about A Busy Day for Birds in the video below.

            

Top new picture books for April!

A brilliant selection of picture books out this month; there are hiding fish, fruit-stealing elephants, and Nancy once again explores London, this time in paperback!


Where is Little Fish?

Little Fish is playing hide-and-seek with his fishy friends. Can you find him? Babies and toddlers will love searching for Little Fish behind the coral, beneath the shell and inside a treasure chest. 

This gorgeous lift-the-flap book features the vibrant artwork of Lucy Cousins, multi-award-winning creator of Maisy.



Count with Little Fish

Join Little Fish on an underwater journey, and count from 1 to 10 along the way. Little readers will love Lucy Cousin’s bright, bold characters and will delight at the final page, teeming with colourful fish of all shapes and sizes. 

Inspired by Hooray for Fish!, this charming counting book features the spotty Little Fish and his fishy friends! Perfect for babies and toddlers and fans of Lucy Cousins.




No, Nancy, No!

From Alice Tait, illustrator of the iconic London Range, comes a stylish, action-packed lift-the-flap book – the perfect introduction to the capital city for first-time sightseers! 

Blending her joyful London scapes with the story of a mischievous little girl, Nancy, and her long-suffering dachshund, Roger, Alice creates a wild and calamitous chase by boat, bus and bike across all of London's most famous and best sights – from Buckingham Palace to the Tower of London…


Ruby in the Ruins

Ruby and Mum have lived through the terrifying London Blitz and are waiting for Dad to come home from the war. Ruby hardly recognizes the tall man who steps off the train, but when she falls in the ruins nearby, there’s only one person who she wants to rescue her. 

A classic picture book about family love, set in post-war London, from the much-loved and award-winning Shirley Hughes.



That Fruit Is Mine!

One day, deep in the jungle, five elephants discover a new tree – a tall tree – and, atop that tree, the most mouth-wateringly delicious fruit any of them had ever seen. “MINE!” each elephant cries. “Mine, mine, mine, mine, MINE!” But who will get there first? And will the elephants spot the five tiny mice, planning and plotting, slowly approaching that tip-top branch? 

 With fresh vision, hilarious characterization and beautifully textured art, Anuska Allepuz tells a tale of teamwork and sharing; a comedy and fable with a contemporary edge.


King of the Sky
           
Shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal.

Starting a new life in a new country, a young boy feels lost and alone – until he meets an old man who keeps racing pigeons. Together they pin their hopes on a race across Europe and the special bird they believe can win it: King of the Sky. Nicola Davies’ beautiful story – an immigrant’s tale with a powerful resonance in our troubled times – is illustrated by an artist who makes the world anew with every picture.


The Pencil: 10th Anniversary Edition

A special 10th anniversary edition of a modern classic, The Pencil is a playful, witty, wonderfully quirky story about the power of imagination. Say hi to Banjo! Once a pencil draws him, there's no telling what will come next – a dog, a cat, a chase (of course), and a paintbrush to colour in an ever-expanding group of family and friends. But it's not long before the complaints begin – "This hat looks silly!" "My ears are too big!" – until the poor pencil has no choice but to draw … a rubber. Oh no!  With gorgeous golden foil on the cover and spine, this edition is one to share and treasure.


Pick up copies of all these books at your local bookshop.

Little Fish

Hello, I am Little Fish!

Today is a very special day for me: Walker Books has published TWO new books about me and my friends!

Making books is SO much fun. It takes a long time and lots of hard work, though! I’ve made a special photo montage of all the best bits – come and have a look.

Here are the Design and Editorial team talking through the story. They help decide how the book will look and what it will say! Can you spot me listening in?

Here I am with Mummy Fish in the sparkly PR and Marketing department! They help people hear all about the brilliant books that Walker makes.

I got flown all the way to Italy for the Bologna Book Fair! I still prefer swimming to flying, but it was so much fun.

The book fair is where publishers display all the fantastic books they’re making for the next year.

Even little fish like me need a break. Lucky for me, Walker Books is right by Vauxhall City Farm, so I got to visit all sorts of animals and make new friends like this flip-flap fantastic goat! No fish, though…

Wow! Look at these splish-splashing books. These are called “advance copies”. They’re copies of the new books that come into the office before they hit the shops so that everyone can read through one more time to be sure they’re absolutely perfect.  

 WIN!

You can pick up copies of my new books Where is Little Fish? and Count with Little Fish in your local bookshop, but we also have five sets to giveaway to some lucky readers! To enter, just email your name and address to competitions@walker.co.uk with ‘Little Fish' in the subject line for your chance to win.

Competition closes on 7th May 2018. Terms and conditions apply.

Win our Picture Book of the Month - Splish, Splash, Ducky!

Splash in puddles, dance with raindrops and join in with Ducky Duckling on a lovely, rainy day.

Quack, quack, quack! Ducky Duckling loves playing outside in the rain. He hops with frog, squirms with wriggly worm and splashes with the fishes. But when the rain stops, Ducky feels sad. Can Daddy help cheer him up? 

With bright, bold illustrations and a rhythmic text from multi-award-winning Lucy Cousins, Splish, Splash Ducky! shows younger readers the joys of a rainy day.

WIN!

We have five copies of Splish, Splash, Ducky! with posters to give away! To enter, just email your name and address to competitions@walker.co.uk with ‘Splish Splash Ducky' in the subject line for your chance to win. 

Competition closes on 1st April 2018. Terms and conditions apply.

Pick up a copy of Splish, Splash, Ducky! in your local bookshop.

Lucy Cousins is the multi-award-winning creator of Maisy. Her unique titles fascinate toddlers with their child-like simplicity, bold outlines and vivid colours. 

Other titles include Hooray for Fish! – the bestselling New York Times Top 10 Best Illustrated Children's Book Yummy; the critically acclaimed Peck Peck Peck, which won Best Picture Book in the Booktrust Best Book Awards, as well as the British Book Design and Production Award in the Children's Trade category; and more recently A Busy Day for Birds.

A Busy Day for Birds by Lucy Cousins out now in paperback!

Peck, hop, flap and make some noise in A Busy Day for Birds, a story full of colour, rhyme and feathered friends – now in paperback!

Flap your wings, fly up high, open your beak and sing in this fun action rhyme story about fantastical birds by multi-award-winning author Lucy Cousins. 

"Can you imagine ... just for one day ... you're a busy bird? Yes, a bird! Hooray!" Can you stand on one leg like a flamingo or waddle like a penguin? How about say "cock-a-doodle-doo!", "tuwit-tuwoo" and even "tra-la-la"? What a busy day you will have! A bouncy read-aloud book to be enjoyed; beautifully illustrated with bold, bright colours and packed with all sorts of wild and wonderful birds!

We went behind the scenes with author-illustrator Lucy Cousins and found out all about the making of the book in this video…

We're not the only ones who love A Busy Day for Birds!

“A picture book aviary of brilliantly painted plumage ... a riotous, interactive, zingingly colourful book – perfect to share with the very young.” Guardian

“A real joy, popping with colour and energy, an irresistible read-aloud rhyme.” The Bookseller

Pick up a copy of A Busy Day for Birds in your local bookshop.

Join in the fun and download our free A Busy Day for Birds activity sheets.

Top new picture books this September

We have a fabulous selection of beautiful and fun picture books for you this September, including: 

Owl Babies 

A special 25th anniversary edition of a bestselling modern classic, Owl Babies is a comforting read for any toddler who has ever worried about mum leaving them alone. 

With a foreword and gorgeous golden foil on the cover and spine, this edition is one to share and treasure.




His Royal Tinyness

New York Times bestselling author Sally Lloyd-Jones’ hilarious narrative voice is brought exquisitely to life by David Roberts in this home-grown fairy tale about a little girl with a new baby brother. 

Marianna, the most beautiful, ever so kindest princess, lives happily with her mum, dad and gerbil. Happy, that is, until the new baby comes along. All the talk in the Land is about him – non-stop, All the time! Has there ever been such a time of wicked rule?!

Watch a Q&A with Sally and David here.

I Want to be in a Scary Story 

From the team behind the acclaimed Hoot Owl, Master of Disguise comes a very scary read-aloud story … or is it? Monster wants to be in a scary story – but is he brave enough?

Brilliantly interactive, children will delight in the wickedly funny turn-of-the-pages, see themselves in the goofy, unconventional monster, and revel in the bold, hilarious illustration of celebrated graphic artist, Jean Jullien.

Follow the Track All the Way Back 

From Ben Mantle and Timothy Knapman comes the story of a Little Train who is going out on the track, all by himself, for the very first time! But before he goes, his mummy and daddy remind him: “When it’s time to come home, no matter how far you are, just follow the track all the way back, where we’ll be waiting.” 

Young readers will share Little Train’s trepidation and excitement in this uplifting and extraordinary read-aloud adventure. 

A Busy Day for Birds 

Flap your wings, fly up high, open your beak and sing in this fun action rhyme story about fantastical birds by multi-award-winning author Lucy Cousins. 

"Can you imagine ... just for one day ... you're a busy bird? Yes, a bird! Hooray!" A bouncy read-aloud book to be enjoyed; beautifully illustrated with bold, bright colours and packed with all sorts of wild and wonderful birds!

We Found a Hat 

Hold on to your hats! From the Kate Greenaway-winning creator of I Want My Hat Back and This Is Not My Hat comes the much-anticipated conclusion to the celebrated hat trilogy. 

Two turtles have found a hat. The hat looks good on both of them. But there are two turtles. And there is only one hat... Evoking hilarity and sympathy, the shifting eyes tell the tale in this perfectly paced story in three parts, highlighting Jon Klassen’s visual comedy, deceptive simplicity and deliciously deadpan humour.

The Little Adventurers: What Bear? Where?

From the award-winning Philip Ardagh, and rising illustration talent Elissa Elwick, comes the second installment in a brand-new picture book series! 

Meet the Little Adventurers – Finnegan, Sprat, Floss and Peanut. With an activity idea and an information page the Little Adventurers four will encourage hours of immersive play, and will ignite the imagination of curious explorers everywhere.

You can get your hands on all these books at your local bookshop. Happy reading! 

5 Reasons we LOVE Maisy

Lucy Cousin’s beloved Maisy Mouse has been around for over 25 years now. So why do we love Maisy so much? Well, here are five reasons from the Maisy team at Walker to get started…

1) Maisy is an excellent role model for girls and boys of all ages

Want to drive a train? Fly to the moon? Board a pirate ship and search for buried treasure? Maisy has done it all! From playing football to making lemonade to growing her own garden, Maisy is never afraid to take on a challenge. Little ones and grownups take note; anything is possible for girls, boys or – in Maisy’s case – mice!

2) Maisy is a good friend

Whether it’s taking a scared Charley to the dentist when he has a wobbly tooth, comforting Eddie when he’s having a tough day, or picking out the perfect present for everyone, you can always rely on Maisy to be there for her friends! Maisy always brings wisdom, laughter and fun… not to mention the best snacks!

3) Maisy is creative

Here at Walker, we love a good “crafternoon”… and so does Maisy! From her inspired fancy dress Zebra costume to the colourful works of art hanging all over her house, Maisy books are full of resourceful ideas and creative things to make and do. In fact, when we are working on the Maisy books, it’s usually a good excuse to crack out the glitter glue…

4) Maisy is adventurous

When Maisy heads out on a day trip or to ride the tallest roller coaster at the funfair, it often prompts us to get our own boots on and go out on adventures. As much we all love to curl up with a good book, Maisy’s passion for camping, swimming and the big, beautiful world in general is great for inspiring us to go outdoors.

5) Maisy is just so fun and colourful

Maisy’s creator, Lucy Cousins, has always loved working with bright, bold colours, and Maisy is no exception – her whole world is full of vibrant colours and characters. Every detail, from clothing to the tasty feasts, just pops on the page. It’s a joy to look at and work with, and a big reason why Maisy is still so fun, lively and well-loved after all this time. 

So there you have it! Just five of the many reasons we love Maisy so much. Did we miss anything off the list? Let us know why you love Maisy below! 

Don’t forget to check out Maisy’s latest lift-the-flap adventure Beep, Beep Maisy!... not that she needs to toot her own horn when we’re so happy to do it for her.