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A beautiful story of rescue and recovery in the hands of kindness. A sad, exhausted little hen is rescued from the crowded cages of the chicken farm and discovers the joys of freedom.

It's a hard life for the hens forced to lay eggs in crowded cages. But one sad, exhausted little hen is rescued, given a name, and discovers grass, worms, bugs, puddles, friends and freedom in her new home.

Now there's grass and freedom and the little hen is given a name, Gwen!  She is given a rainbow coloured vest to keep her warm whilst her feathers grow back. she is a very happy hen indeed.  And one day she gives everyone a big surprise...

This delightful picture book with captivating illustrations is a perfect gentle introduction to animal rights and well being.

Carol Thompson is the author and illustrator and Carol's work is a belief in the power of picture books and stories to show a child that there is 'someone else like me!'

Otter- Barry Books are a unique independent children's book publisher, really making a difference to children and books around the world

Sue Martin  Children's Literacy Specialist

 


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


 

My Mum is a beautifully illustrated, stereotype-busting celebration of all the everyday things one child's mum does to make her so wonderfully awesome!

My Mum says that when I arrived
I was like a star
drifting
down
from the sky
and into her life.

The story follows mother and child from before the child is born, celebrating the bond between mother and child even when the child is just a dream. With a wonderful inclusive feel, all mother and child relationships are celebrated in this story – whether biological or adoptive mothers.

A joyous spirit of adventure is present throughout the story, following mother and child as they take on life's big and small adventures – together. From sailing a ship around the garden and exploring forests, streams and meadows to telling stories in a cosy den and cuddling before bedtime, a child reveals all the simple yet amazing things she loves to do with her wondrously adventurous mum.

With lyrical text by Susan Quinn and imagination-filled illustrations from Sarah Mathew, My Mum is a joyous celebration of motherhood, perfect for enjoying together as mum and child – creating a special reading experience for children to treasure.

The perfect gift for new mothers, or Mother's Day, My Mum celebrates the unique bond between mother and child, no matter how this relationship starts.

A beautiful book that is staying with me for my granddaughter and Grandma moments!

Sue Martin - Children's Literacy Specialist

Part of Books Go Walkabout, Stories across the world.

Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


A story of love, care and rescue from internationally acclaimed picture book creator, Barraux. It is the story of fleeing... from all you have known and landing into the unknown. But on the way you may need some help!

One day Jonas the lighthouse keeper and his friend Blue the whale rescue a tired, bedraggled bird from the sea...a bird who has made a perilous journey from a far-off country, fleeing war and great danger.


This beautiful story of care, refuge and freedom is told and illustrated with compassion and empathy.

A perfect book from Otter-Barry Books, for all ages to reflect on journeying alone, needing and offering help and for all those who are currently travelling across the world to find peace and a place to call home.

Sue Martin - Children's Literacy Specialist


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


Join 15 diverse children in an inspirational 'We Can!' festival. Real children helped to create this book, to show the kind of world they would like to live in. A safer, greener, kinder place – can we make a difference.? This brilliant follow-up to You Can! gives a resounding 'Yes!'

This is a book full of  hope and inspiration for a better world, starting with young children. The pages are full of wonderful illustrations from Steve Antony which compliment the text from author Alexandra Strick so well.

Published by OtterBarry Books We Can, Make a Difference fits beautifully with their  aim to make a difference in children's books.

Sue Martin - Children's Literacy Specialist

 


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


Discover the magical world of Carnival of the Animals in this musical reimagining of this celebrated suite for children – push the button in each breathtaking scene to hear the vivid sound of an orchestra playing from Camille Saint-Saëns’ score.

One day, two brothers discover a magical animal kingdom behind their bookcase. They are greeted by the royal lion with his shaggy mane; ask for directions from an old lonely tortoise; take a ride on some lumbering elephants; topple a skeleton of dinosaur bones; and swim among a school of shimmering fish. If only they could take them all home...

The book includes extracts from ‘The Swan’, ‘Aquarium’, ‘Fossils’, and ‘Finale’ (From Disney’s Fantasia) along with a totally new story to link the pieces together.

As you and your little one journey through the magical scenes, you will press the buttons to hear 10 excerpts from the suite’s music. At the back of the book, find a short biography of the composer, Camille Saint-Saëns, with details about his composition of Carnival of the Animals. Next to this, you can replay the musical excerpts and, for each of them, read a discussion of the instruments, rhythms and musical techniques that make them so powerful. A glossary defines musical terms.

The Story Orchestra series brings classical music to life for children through gorgeously illustrated re-tellings of classic ballet, opera and program music stories paired with 10-second sound clips of orchestras playing from their musical scores. With The Story Orchestra keyboard sound books, children can play the famous melodies themselves with the sound of a real grand piano.

Beautifully presented and makes a wonderful gift.

Sue Martin - Children's Literacy Specialist

Part of Books Go Walkabout, Stories across the world.

 


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


A Home that means the World is a book full of compassion. A wonderful book with beautifully delicate illustrations about a world of turmoil. The story moves slowly on and takes you into a world of chaos where home is always the best place.

 Flora slept and woke.
She felt sun
And wind
And every day she searched the horizon for something small
That would grow into a home.

One day, a weaver ant family’s world is turned upside down when their home is destroyed.

With only a few belongings on their backs, they set off in search of a place to live, meeting many creatures on the way. Some are kind, some are not so kind. Some of the places are warm, some are cold. Sometimes the creatures they meet are friendly, sometimes they are not. And some are on similar journeys, moving across the land.

They stay here and there, under and over ground, up high and down low. But none of the places feel quite right. Will the weavers ever find somewhere they can call home again?

This heartwarming read from award-winning author/illustrator Victoria Turnbull teaches values of inclusivity and community, putting the concepts of displacement and asylum into terms that young children can easily understand. A book that encourages kids to be welcoming and considerate, empowering them to be kind to all.

Frances Lincoln Children's Books, an imprint of Quarto publishes unique collections of amazing books.

This really is a book that every home should have!

Sue Martin - Children's Literacy Specialist

Part of Books Go Walkabout, Stories across the world.

Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


Blue Monster wants to play with Rabbit - but Rabbit is sleeping and doesn't want to play. SO... what should Blue Monster do?

A fun book with meaning! Blue Monster just can't help himself from upsetting his friends in a BIG way! But together they sort it out he is forgiven, and they stay friends!

Blue Monster does something you should NEVER do and then... he does it again and again! Now he DEFINITELY has no one to play with! He feels sad, lonely and VERY guilty. But when Blue Monster opens  his mouth and YAWNS... what a surprise!

Things may get better after all! If Blue Monster only says he's sorry.

A wonderfully funny and surprising picture book about friendship and forgiveness, that's perfect for reading aloud.

Petr Horácek was born in Prague and studied at the Academy of Fine Art. After graduating in 1994, he moved to England. His first two picture books were published in 2001, winning the 'Books for Children' Newcomer award. Since then he has gained a string of international distinctions. His books for Otter-Barry include The Last Tiger, The Perfect Present, shortlisted for the BookTrust Storytime Prize 2024, and The Star Whale with Nicola Davies. He lives in Worcester.

Otter-Barry Books publishers have a wonderful portfolio of unique and beautiful children's books.

Sue Martin - Children's Literacy Specialist

Part of Books Go Walkabout, Stories across the world.

Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


 

Meet 38 extraordinary children: an electric child, a flying child, elastic, invisible, miniature, a child made of cake. Each child describes their characteristics, tells anecdotes, and presents the special powers that make them unique. A “class photo” brings everyone together with a quiz finale for readers to discover their own superpowers.

The Remarkables is a big book of fantasy and humour that entertains and provides a way to talk about emotions and identity. Through Clotilde Perrin’s unique imagination, this inclusive encyclopaedia celebrates individuality, strengths and differences, allowing every reader to explore what miraculous superpower they would wish for—or might have.

Known for her original lift-the-flap explorations of fairytale stories, Perrin here turns the lens onto her child readers, showing each one that they are a superhero.

Gecko Press publishes amazing books and The Remarkables is a book like no other. each page is packed with interesting and mind blowing concepts, designed to explore thoughts and places beyond every day life. I love it!

Sue Martin Children's Literacy Specialist

Part of Books Go Walkabout, Stories across the world.

 

 

 


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


Beautiful book of play rhymes, love the illustrations, perfect for young children to have fund and to learn new words.

Find hamsters, dogs, robins and unicorns, little cars and big diggers – and of course Big Red Dragon, in this brilliant collection of 15 action rhymes for young children and babies.

Rhymes celebrate festivals and special events, such as Easter, Halloween, Diwali, Christmas and Chinese New Year. With clear instructions to parents and carers, there are fun activities and lots of joining in for every rhyme, for babies, toddlers and older children too.

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.

Illustrations by Carolina Rabei bring the poems to life with wonderful colours and characters.

Another excellent book from Otter-Barry Books, beautifully produced and delightful to read.  A book for nurseries, schools and at home too, perfect!

Sue Martin Children's Literacy Specialist

Part of Books Go Walkabout, Stories across the world.

Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


A diverse and inclusive collection of original poems for younger children by a top performance poet.

Would you like to eat a caterpillar cake? Join a rocket race into space? See crazy crocodiles at the zany zoo or play with a furry, purry cat? Wherever these 16 fun-filled poems lead you, they will brighten your day.
Splashing at the seaside, story time at school, playing in the bath or riding home on Daddy's shoulders - this brilliant, read-aloud collection for young children has lots to join in with and lots to explore in the brightly coloured illustrations.

A wonderful feel good factor to this book from Otter- Barry Books published in early August. It is packed with poems and beautiful illustrations from Krina Patel-Sage. A great book for early years readers in nursery, school or home. Poems which children will remember and brighten everyone's day.

Matt Goodfellow tells you more about this book, really good and brings it alive!

Sue Martin Children's Literacy Specialist

Part of Books Go Walkabout, Stories across the world.

 


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.