But That’s Not What Harry Saw

When all you can do is muster a trip to the park, a visit to a shop or a walk outside, that’s OK. What can seem little to you can be HUGE to someone little.

Let your child’s imagination run wild with a simple trip to the park in this fun and charmingly illustrated book.

Butterflies in My Soup

With most of her friends married, Sylvia at 23 can find no good reason for turning down her boyfriend’s proposal of marriage. In her heart, though, she knows that she longs to be free to see more of the world before settling down to what she feels would be a humdrum life of a domestic city in the early 1960s. Having been dissuaded from accepting a teaching job in the USA, she continues her quest for an overseas posting until one day, she finds exactly what she's been looking for. A boarding school in Lushoto, a township in the Usambara Mountains, Tanganyika (Tanzania) needs a teacher.

With scant information about her destination, other than that African violets grow wild in the Usambara, Sylvia flies off to East Africa leaving her anxious family and a fiancé whose determination to wait for two years for her will be severely tested.

Nothing could prepare Sylvia for the amazing life that she was to lead, with experiences, friendships, and challenges that she could never have imagined, and with memories that she would cherish and try to recapture on a return visit many years later.

Butterfly Macabre

A train, a mask, and a woman with stardust in her soul.

Enter the mysterious and fantastical world of Butterfly Macabre, where an alien named Yulia, haunted by a past she can’t escape and fuelled by a desire for adventure, comes crashing to Earth. Here she meets Marshal, whose world is turned upside down as he’s exposed to the wonders of the universe. But as a deadly fate looms and a sinister voice begins to poison Yulia’s mind, she must navigate a treacherous path between trust and instinct. As secrets are revealed and a plan spanning eons unfolds, the lines between good and evil, life and death, past and future become blurred. With a cast of complex characters, including the enigmatic Cherry, Butterfly Macabre will keep you guessing until the very end.

Button's Christmas

Button was confused about her party dress and her wishes on Christmas. She wanted Santa to grant her gifts to other children because she already had it all. She is looking forward to Christmas and hopes to meet Santa, but will she?

Buzz the Balloon: Adventures in Africa

Listening to adults is very important! The little boy certainly learns a valuable lesson as he watches his balloon float up into the sky! When he let go of his balloon, this made him very sad. He had no idea this would be the start of an exciting adventure for his balloon! What a mischievous balloon indeed!! Buzz loves adventures and what an adventure he goes on! Did Buzz know what was in store for him when his friend let him go? Clever crocodiles!!! SNAP SNAP! Buzzing bees BZZZZ BZZZZ, Large lions! ROAR! Slithery snakes! SSSSSSS! What fun the balloon is having in Africa, as he floats around! Isn’t Buzz lucky! What kinds of adventures would you like to go on? What is your favourite animal? Why don’t you join Buzz on his adventures and fun! Learn about a few creatures as you travel with Buzz through different places in Africa.

By Jove!!!

Jove the wizard has unwittingly released a demon from the underworld. Aided by the Cosmic Dancer, the spirit that keeps the world in balance, he must return it from whence it came. Attacked by the Electric Warrior, foxed by the Flowers of Evil, this is not going to be easy.

Why is there a giant Glass Onion in the village pond and where did it come from?

Will the witches help, and can the Rainbow Demon finally be defeated?

All this, not to mention a dragon…

I said not to mention the dragon!!!

By Jove, this is going to be fun.

Bye-Bye, Inglaterra

In Bye Bye Inglaterra, Horace’s life is seemingly simple with only one daily decision to make - whether to walk or drive to work. However, this routine is about to be shattered when his bosses plot to get rid of him before selling the company for a hefty profit. Horace is completely blindsided when a sudden explosion rocks his world in the dead of night, leaving him and his wife Delia plunged into a sea of uncertainty and financial ruin. To many, Horace’s life would seem like a leisurely stroll through the park, but he had no idea what lay ahead as the gates of opportunity were about to slam shut on him. Follow Horace as he navigates the turbulent waters of unemployment and struggles to stay afloat in a world that has turned against him.

Cable Goes Camping

Cable the Crow continues to fear almost everything, even his own shadow, and is well known for often being just one step away from danger. He is frightened by things that many birds could not care less about, such as scarecrows, golf balls, and Scotsmen’s legs! He is also terrified of things that many birds are fearful of too.

Cable and his wife have always dreamt of going on holiday and now for the first time ever, they have decided to go camping.

Will they choose the right places to pitch their tent? Do they find a proper campsite, or are their choices typically hazardous? What sort of obstacles do you think they may come across? Surely, Cable and his wife Christine can manage this simple task; or can’t they? Join Cable’s tense holiday saga and find out if camping was a success.

With elements of humour, pattern, rhyme, and repetition, the story has an interesting plot that captures the attention of the reader.

The features of this book entail, high quality, engaging, varied, meaningful and colourful illustrations which add to the storyline, in conjunction with the integrated lively memorable text to raise a child’s sense of wonder and imagination.

There are some delicious words that roll off the tongue and beg to be repeated which enticingly connect to the illustrations and provide contextual clues for vocabulary development.

Cable the Crow

Once there was an easily frightened by almost anything, and not particularly sensible crow, named Cable who quit at the slightest hurdle. Bullied by his bossy wife to gather worms for their breakfast, he reluctantly sets about his given challenge, coming face to face with his worst nightmares and some just plain stupid obstacles on his journey. Meeting up with his quirky relatives and friends along this seemingly fruitless journey; does Cable finally succeed with this mission to gather worms? Does he make it back to his home safely in one piece? Join this exasperating journey with this very special crow and find out what happened.

An energetic and charming picture book, containing several short contemporary messages, such as litter and the environment etc., along with eye-popping detailed illustrations. There are nuggets of humour for the grown-ups reading aloud to children although the language is accessible for children to read independently, as they are developing their reading skills.

Café de Flore

Addressing the escalating global issue of mental health and suicide, Café de Flore is a serious book that provides inspiration and relief to those caught in the net of despair. Identifying the critical error made by mankind over the centuries. Café de Flore points towards an escape from the madness of the human condition.

An easily digestible form of philosophy, written with graceful authority, the book takes the reader on a journey that captures the sublime messages contained in the wreck of literature, poetry and prose.

Dostoevsky once said: “It takes something more than intelligence to act intelligently.” What more does it take?

Encouraging the world to stop thinking, to entertain a degree of madness, to live with passion and to laugh more. This book provides a fresh perspective on the perceived struggles and difficulties we find ourselves trapped in, in this sad and lonely world.

Called to Serve and Protect

How does a farm boy brought up on an isolated farm with no electricity, or running water supply, leaving school at fifteen with no academic qualifications, have a successful career in the police force and become an overseas police adviser? John describes his motivation to serve and protect, and takes you through his police career, including when he climbed the headstock of a disused colliery to talk down a disturbed teenager, had a convicted killer hold a knife to his throat, and took a loaded shotgun out of the hands of an aggressive teenager. He enumerates his progression through the ranks and describes an occasion when he refused to obey an order from his Chief Constable, which probably cost him a promotion.

Post-retirement, he worked for a private security company involved in the escorting of prisoners to courts and prisons and describes having to spend three days in the witness box at an inquest into the death of a prisoner in transit to prison. As an overseas police adviser sitting in a restaurant in Addis Ababa with his wife, a colleague and his wife, John saw a hand grenade come to a standstill just inches away from his legs and he expected to die, but miraculously survived.

Flown back to the UK for treatment he had his moments of fame, appearing on TV news and on the Big Breakfast show on Channel 4. Attending a presentation function at the Café Royal, he sat next to Lois Maxwell, the original Miss Moneypenny and the lady on whom her character was based.

Calm Pond

Are you looking for the ideal bedtime book for your child? A book where you and your child can connect to strong characters and develop essential life skills through fun?

Then look no further than Calm Pond!

Calm Pond is in Blackstone Edge. It is a wonderful place, a special place.

It can be quiet and beautiful, but it can also be noisy and fun as it is the home of some amazing creatures!

The creatures of Calm Pond live and work together, helping each other to form a strong community.

The nine short stories cover many topics to help children understand many life issues, such as equality, resilience, honesty, change, strengths and weaknesses, anxiety, differences, empathy, and bereavement.

Calm Pond – educating and entertaining!