Oxford University Press

Lou John’s The Worry Jar tells the story of Frida and all of her worries. Frida is a little girl who worries all the time. Frida even worries about her worries! Every time Frida worries about something she picks up a pebble and pops it in her pocket. It doesn’t take too long before all of Frida’s worries start weighing her down and she struggles to do the things she enjoys like getting on the slide at the park or jumping in the pool with her friends. There is only one person who can make all of Frida’s worries go away, but now Frida worries that even her Granny won’t be able to help.

Who has not been embarrassed by their parents? The Dressing-Up Dad by Maudie Smith and Paul Howard introduces a dad who loves to dress up. His young son Danny and he dress up as a chicken, a rocket or a pirate and have a great time together. But Danny is getting older, and he starts to wonder if it wouldn’t be better to have an ordinary dad.

A tender and calming tale of overcoming inhibitions and learning to trust people as well as yourself. When unexpected music on the breeze breaks the stillness and piques Chi’s curiosity, she finds herself being led in a positive direction. A Song in the Mist is a true masterpiece and unforgettable in its potent simplicity.

Poor Billy wishes his family were a little more ordinary. His two mums – Mama and Mummy – are a bold, shanty-singing duo longing for adventure on the high seas! They are thrilled when the opportunity arises to set sail with their son on a class trip to the seaside ... but an embarrassed young Billy isn’t so sure.

If you have a child, or are a child, that loves dinosaurs, this is the book for you. It’s narrated by a charming sausage dog called Rex and features his closest friend, dinosaur-obsessed Daisy. Joel Stewart, author and illustrator, does not imagine that only boys like dinosaurs and it is refreshing to see that Daisy can appreciate these ancient animals despite her gender!

Homeschooled Tyler’s idea of fun is using her dad’s lab equipment to build a proton laser. When her dad announces that they’re moving to Happyville, and she’ll be starting at a high school whose motto is ‘The more popular you are, the happier you become!’, Tyler suspects that she’s in for a bad time. Luckily, she meets super geniuses Ashley and Dylan.

When an icy wind pushes an egg from its nest, five friendly dinosaurs must get it home before dark. But who does the egg belong to and will they figure it out in time?

Alex Latimer introduces young children to a range of dinosaur species as the little creature inside the egg repeatedly asks each one ‘Am I yours?’. One by one, they describe aspects of their physical appearance to the little creature inside the egg to find that they do not match.

The cover illustrations and title of this attractive book will amuse children straight away. Steve, Terror of the Seas is obviously nothing of the sort, he is a cute, smiling fish, smaller than most of the creatures that swim around him.

Lubna’s best friend is a pebble. Lubna finds Pebble the night that she arrives on the beach, bringing her new friend with her to the world of tents. She tells Pebble everything: about her journey to the world of tents, her brothers, her home and the war. When Lubna is frightened, she tells Pebble stories. Lubna takes care of Pebble, making sure that her friend is kept safe and warm. One day, however, a new boy arrives alone to the world of tents, and Lubna starts to wonder if it is time to pass Pebble’s magic on…

The summer that Mummy was ill and had to stay in bed, Nell was sad. She finds a little chick and the two soon become best friends. She takes her inside, names her Rosebud, and the pair spend all their time together. One morning, Rosebud disappears! Nell runs off through the garden and into the fields to find her. Nell finds something else; something beyond her wildest dreams. A circus!