Otter-Barry Books

They're all here...every kid in the class has their own poem. The pushy one, the shy one. The whizz kid and the daydreamer. The best-friender and the kid who runs in his wheelchair. The tough kid, the poet. And not forgetting the class hamster. This collection from an outstanding poet, Rachel Rooney, winner of the CLiPPA Award, is perfectly matched by the amazing witty and inventive illustrations by Chris Riddell, the former UK Children’s Laureate.

Find hamsters, dogs, robins and unicorns, little cars and big diggers, stomp like a dinosaur or fly like a big red dragon in this beautifully illustrated collection of 15 action rhymes, each with clear instructions for the parent or carer on how to act out the rhymes. Rhymes celebrate festivals and special events, such as Easter, Halloween, Diwali, Christmas and Chinese New Year. This book is a perfect companion to Jane Newberry’s very popular first collection, Big Green Crocodile, which was shortlisted for the CLiPPA award. At home, playgroup or nursery, the rhymes provide fun while also nurturing children’s responses to language, rhyme and images.

Little Rhino is lost in the big, crowded city and he's afraid his mummy will never find him, far from home, with no tall trees, yummy leaves or green grass anywhere. Maya wants to help but what can she do to make her home a place that Little Rhino's mummy will come to? Can Maya and everyone around her turn their homes and their city into a welcoming green space, with flowers, plants and trees - somewhere a little rhinoceros could call hom? his enchanting story shows how kindness, determination and community spirit can come together to bring about real change and make our cities greener.

Bring nature to the big city! Cities across the world are doing it – making themselves friendlier places for plants and wildlife – and happier, healthier places for all of us. Find out about Sky Forests and Bird-Friendly Cities, Spongy Spaces and Rain Gardens, Insect Super-Highways, Living Walls, Urban Jungle Food and all the other ways in which cities worldwide are changing. Have fun spotting the birds, insects and other creatures that share our cities. And look out for lots of activities, so that YOU can make YOUR city green!

The first in a funny and lively new chapter book series – Maple Street. Written for first readers, about a Black British extended family – Jake, older sister Ellie, little brother Sam, Mum, Dad and Grandad, all living in Maple Street. Jake in the Middle has four delightful interlinked stories about home and school life – Shoes, Shoes, Shoes! where naughty Sam runs off with Jake’s new trainers; Catch of the Day, where a favourite toy falls into the pigsty at the city farm; The Class Museum, featuring a special fossil Jake  ‘borrowed’ from Ellie’s bedroom; and All Fall Down, where Grandpa displays his amazing cricket skills.

Small poems are fabulous funSo I thought I would write this oneIt will not be too long I thinkCos my pen has run out ofOnly Neal Zetter could create a collection of short poems that includes 'The Loooooooooongest Poem in the Universe'. His new volume makes a great introduction to the fun, enjoyment and new understandings that poetry can bring. All are short, direct and entertaining. Whether reading with a single child or a group, they arouse immediate interest and are perfect for reading aloud. Year 6 children in a London primary school followed the production from draft to publication: here are some of the things they said about it. "A book where you go up and down and swirl around", "Neal's poems challenge me, but I enjoy figuring out the jokes", "His poems inspire me and make me want to ROAR with joy".

Dora really, really doesn't like parties! They are too loud and too busy. Maybe she won't have to go if a gorilla steals her party dress or if a giant frog eats her shoe!But...what if Dora could find a nice quiet place at the party, and someone else who doesn't like noisy parties? Then they could have a lovely time - in their own way. and that would be...absolutely, completely, totally and perfectly OK!

Island boy Aaron loves the sea. But he's a bit scared of going under the water. Then one day Aaron finds an octopus stranded on the beach. And as he helps Dad return it to the water, something amazing happens… a moment of magic between the boy and the octopus. Can Aaron lose his fear and go underwater? Maybe now he can help look after the sea creatures and be… Aqua Boy!

Let me tell you something, something about a bear... Here are eight majestic wild bears, brought to life in breathtaking watercolour paintings. Brown Bear, Black Bear, Polar Bear, Sloth Bear, Spectacled Bear, Sun Bear, Moon Bear. All are gloriously depicted, with lyrical descriptions of their lives in the wild. But of all the bears in the wild, wide world, which is the best bear of all? Your teddy bear, of course! Kate Greenaway medallist Jackie Morris, acclaimed illustrator of the international bestseller, The Lost Words, has created this spectacular gallery of bears to instil a love of wild places and a respect for all creatures.

As the world refugee crisis intensified, back in 2017 two teachers of Illustration at Worcester University had the idea of contacting illustrator friends around the world, asking them to draw and send an original postcard on the theme of Migration, to form an installation at the Biennale of Illustration at Bratislava, Slovakia. The response astonished them, with hundreds of cards and personal messages, forming a visually stunning show. The installation has since been mounted in South Korea and will be displayed at further places around the world, including Amnesty International's London offices in the summer of 2019. Over fifty of the postcards, mailed from 32 countries, are reproduced in actual size in this very special book, to be published on 9 May 2019. All the works have been donated and the book's royalties will be shared between Amnesty International and IBBY (International Board on Books for Youth). Leading children's book illustrators from the UK, including Christopher Corr, Neal Layton, Jackie Morris, Jane Ray and Chris Riddell, have contributed cards, along with illustrators from Argentina to Russia, South Africa to Iran. Australian illustrator Shaun Tan has written the Introduction. Janetta Otter-Barry, publisher of Otter-Barry Books, says: "It's an honour to be chosen as publishers of this book. The fragility of a mailed postcard and of a migrating bird come together so aptly to capture the theme of human migration. It is quite literally formed of images and messages of hope, and I think that people will cherish it for that reason as well as for its brilliant variety and heartfelt approach." Migrations: Open Hearts, Open Borders is edited by the International Centre for the Picture Book in Society at the University of Worcester, and will be published on 9 May 2019 by Otter-Barry Books. Hardback GBP9.99