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Jill Tomlinson never intended to be a writer. She trained as an opera singer, and then decided to have a family whilst her voice matured. But illness intervened, and she had to find another outlet for her energies. She started on a journalism course, and by the third lesson decided she wanted to write for children. So she did!
It did not come easily. Her first story, The Bus who went to Church, was rejected by sixteen publishers before it was accepted for a picture book. Several other picture books followed until she felt a need to stretch herself further. She wrote five short stories about a hen wanting to visit an aunt and her chicks, and Methuen thought that if she wrote another five stories on the same theme the book would fit well into their new ‘Read Aloud’ series.
This is one of the all time classics of young children’s fiction and this beautiful gift box set includes the picture book and an adorable true-to-character plush toy of Plop. A lovely, calming bedtime read with a wonderful uplifting finish. Perfect for story-led play, children can re-enact the tale as they learn like Plop, not to be afraid the dark.
Suzy the little striped cat is always curious; so curious that she often gets into all kinds of trouble. And that is exactly what happens when she climbs into a hot air balloon and finds herself swept up in the air and across the sea. Will Suzy ever get back to her own home? An exciting story for beginner readers. ~ Julia Eccleshare
A young gorilla wants to be as strong and brave as his father but everyone thinks he is young and rash. How can Pongo show how grown up he can be? Luckily, Pongo realises that being grown up isn’t just about being strong and brave! When his baby sister is born he learns how to be a grown up in other ways. ~ Julia Eccleshare
Hilda the hen wants to visit her new baby relatives but how will she get there? Hilda needs to find a way of making the journey to her aunt’s farm safely and reliably. Luckily, Hilda is a very resourceful hen! Hilda’s feisty character make her an engaging character in this entertaining story. ~ Julia Eccleshare
Plop is a baby owl. Perfect in every way - except for one. He's afraid of the dark! But he soon discovers, through a variety of new friends, that dark can be fun and exciting and magical! This is a story for very young readers.
An absolute must for all those who love animals. Otto is the first penguin chick to be born that year and he has to teach all the other chicks to swim, to dive and so on, but of course he must learn how to do it first and all by himself because the adult penguins seem preoccupied with other things! Tomlinson’s simple, lighthearted and often humorous writing style are great for those who read a little as they’ll be encouraged to read all the more and become hooked on the reading bug.
A bumper volume of The Owl who was Afraid of the Dark, The Hen who Wouldn’t Give Up and The Cat Who Wanted to Go Home in one volume.
This is a perfect story for animal lovers young and old, filled with tenderness and love combined with a subtle humour. Soft focus illustrations take readers right into the cold world of the penguins living in Antarctica. The beautiful pictures provide the perfect background for a story that’s also full of information about the life of a young penguin. Young Otto and his friend Leo are still small enough to be perched on their father’s feet but they are old enough to begin to ask questions about the amazing world around them. Through their questions and their dad’s answers the wonderful world of penguins is revealed. Based on Jill Tomlinson's classic story for slightly older readers, The Penguin who wanted to Learn, this stunning story together with some beautiful illustrations from the hand of Paul Howard brings the life of a penguin to life for toddlers too. Great to read aloud at bedtime.
Plop is a baby owl. Perfect in every way - except for one. He's afraid of the dark! But he soon discovers, through a variety of new friends, that dark can be fun and exciting and magical! This is a story for very young readers. The Lovereading Comment: This is one of the all time classics of 20th Century children’s fiction, which has now been beautifully brought together into a picture book for the nursery complete with the story, games and songs on CD by the wonderful Bill Oddie. If your child is at all fearful of something, then this is the perfect book to allay those fears for The owl who was afraid of the dark has a wonderful uplifting finish.
An enchanting story that will bring just a touch of sadness but also a huge amount of joy. This story touches upon so brilliantly the feeling of being lost and of finding home again.
An absolute must for all those who love animals. Otto is the first penguin chick to be born that year and he has to teach all the other chicks to swim, to dive and so on, but of course he must learn how to do it first and all by himself because the adult penguins seem preoccupied with other things! Tomlinson’s simple, lighthearted and often humorous writing style are great for those who read a little as they’ll be encouraged to read all the more and become hooked on the reading bug.
Plop is a baby owl. Perfect in every way - except for one. He's afraid of the dark! But he soon discovers, through a variety of new friends, that dark can be fun and exciting and magical! This is a story for very young readers.
