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Baby’s First Words

Baby’s First Words is a lovely board book that takes you through Baby’s day with both her parents and shows all the words they encounter along the way. From basic nouns such as ‘door’, ‘bicycle’, ‘teddy bear’, ‘owl’ and ‘chair’; including animal sounds, like ‘hoot’, ‘bleat’, and ‘neigh’; onomatopoeias such as ‘brrrrm’, ‘beep’, and ‘Zzzz!’;…

Can’t Catch Me!

‘I’m going to catch you!’ says little lion as he chases animals in the savannah, but they are proving difficult to trap as they suddenly disappear from view, concealing themselves in clever places. Little lion will not be dissuaded from his fun and continues his game of hide-and-seek, until he meets his match in a…

Demeter and Persephone

An ancient story retold. This book is a version of the story of Persephone’s abduction by Hades and the subsequent search for her by her broken hearted mother Demeter. The language used is very accessible to young readers of all levels yet it conveys the classical roots of the story. The short, direct sentences add…

Finn at Clee Point

Finn at Clee Point delights on many levels. The story centres around Finn and his friendship with the Finer family who are outcasts from the little fishing village. Forbidden by his parents to associate with Davey Finer, Finn is defiant and revels in the friendship. This is a coming of age story in which Finn examines…

Lola’s Fandango

Lola desperately wants to distinguish herself from her older sister – in seeking refuge in her parents' closet Lola discovers her mother's polka dot flamenco shoes. Aided by her father Lola learns to flamenco dance, not just any dance, but the Fandango. Anna Witte’s text is infused with the rhythms, beats and sounds, whilst Lola’s…

Rona Long-Teeth

Rona Long-Teeth is a retelling of a Tahitian folktale about a young girl whose mother spends her nights eating innocent people from their village. The girl, Hina, falls in love with a local boy who tells her about Rona’s terrible secret. Hina’s mother is clever and follows her daughter to her secret meetings with her friend…

The Hungry Wolf

The Hungry Wolf is book number 3 in Barefoot Books’ series of animal stories for early readers. It draws its inspiration from trickster tales from around the world and particularly North America. It is the story of a persistent (and hungry) wolf who is trying to eat a clever little lamb. The little lamb, of course,…

Wild Swans

Wild Swans is Xanthe Gresham Knight’s retelling of the classic Hans Christian Andersen tale, in which the King’s eleven sons are transformed into swans by their step-mother, and his one daughter must save them by knitting shirts for them out of nettles that cruelly sting her hands. This version crucially changes the figure of the…

Will You Help Doug Find His Dog?

Will You Help Doug Find His Dog? is a funny and interactive book that asks readers to join in Doug’s quest to find his missing dog. Doug, whose name of course sounds a lot like ‘dog’ (some sentences become quite funny to say!), gives us clues to what his own dog looks like and the…