John Dougherty

From the award-winning creators of The Hare-Shaped Hole, It Won’t Be Forever helps young children cope with separation anxiety by showing how love keeps families connected, even when they’re apart.  In the woods there lives a fox family. One of the cubs, Vixie, has a close relationship with her dad, Rey. He makes her feel safe and he's always there for her when she feels lonely, worried or sad.  One day, Rey tells the family that he has to go away for a little while and Vixie worries. She can’t bear to be apart from her dad!  But Rey reassures her that he’ll be back before she knows it and gifts her a kingfisher feather as a reminder of love. He promises that as soon as he can, he’ll be back home.  So Vixie is brave and carries on without her dad. And when she misses him lots, she looks at her feather and feels connected to Rey, even though he’s far away.  And sooner than she knows it, her daddy comes back! And Vixie knows that missing her dad’s not unbearable, never. For she understands truly, it won’t be forever.  Warm, lyrical text and expressive illustrations come together to create a sensitive and emotionally intelligent exploration of separation anxiety. Perfect for sharing at bedtime or during moments of transition It Won’t Be Forever offers young readers reassurance that difficult feelings are natural, absence does not mean loss and love always brings us back together.

 A beautiful companion title to the critically acclaimed The Hare-Shaped Hole, The Bear-Shaped Hole is a profound, heart-warming story that helps children understand and prepare for loss.  Gerda and Orlo are best bear friends. When Gerda was there, Orlo always had time for a game or a story, a joke or a rhyme. He was never too busy to listen, to talk, to help, to share, or to go for a walk.But slowly, something starts to change. Orlo reveals he is ill, and as he softly explains to Gerda, he is not going to get better. Gerda is overwhelmed by emotions she cannot quite explain, but Orlo gently helps her prepare, so they can spend their time together making memories that will last a lifetime. When the time comes, Gerda can fill the Bear-Shaped hole in her life with the special moments she shared with Orlo. This brand new picture book is the latest powerful and moving tale from John Dougherty and Thomas Docherty, the award-winning creators of The Hare-Shaped Hole. This sensitively written and beautifully illustrated story explores the process of preparing for loss as well as the experience of loss itself. The Bear-Shaped Hole is a gentle, heartfelt tale that helps children navigate and understand the complex emotions associated with loss. Perfect for parents looking for a way to address sensitive topics, it covers a range of themes to support meaningful conversations. 

In Twice Upon a Time, three mysterious old women bestow magic on Will and Courtney, but things don''t go according to plan. You''ve never read fairy tales quite like these. Will they end happily ever afte? hucklers is a series of funny novels, short stories, anthologies and comics that make reading a pleasure for 7-11 year olds. There is something for everyone in this varied collection which is packed with fantastic illustrations.Books contain inside cover notes to support children in their reading. Help with children''s reading development also available at www.oxfordowl.co.uk.The series is written by top children''s authors and edited by award-winning author Jeremy Strong. The books are finely levelled, making it easy to match every child to the right book.

Čo si počne malá korytnačka, keď jej najlepší priateľ jedného dňa zmizne? Keď sa Ňufko vyparí a ostane po ňom len diera, Pufko nevie, čo si počať. Ako si má poradiť s toľkým smútkom? Ako môže znova nájsť svojho kamaráta? A čo ak sa mu to nepodarí? Hravý veršovaný príbeh dvoch zvieracích priateľov rozpráva o strate a smútku, ale aj o nádeji a zmierení. Táto obrázková knižka pomôže rodičom malých detí pracovať s detským smútkom zo straty blízkej osoby a prostredníctvom názorných obrázkov a vhodného slovníka im poskytne nástroje na jeho zvládnutie. Za citlivé spracovanie náročnej témy a svoju užitočnosť získala prestížne ocenenia KPMG Children‘s Books Ireland Award 2024, UK Literacy Association Award 2024, nominovaná bola aj na Oscar´s Book Prize 2024.