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Oxford University Press
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Contains tales from the West Indies and Guyana. The tales in this work contain various characters, including Mr Snake, Monkey, Mancrow, the bird of darkness, and Anasi, the spider and his old adversary, Tiger. |
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Aye-Aye has just joined Miss Deer's Academy for Aspiring Picture-Book Animals. His classmates all look rather more conventionally cute and fluffy than he does. They are the sorts of animals you'd expect to find in a picture book. But Aye-Aye would love to be in a picture book-it's his absolute dream. His naturally kind and cheerful disposition endears him to the other animals, except the rather mean Rabbit Twins. When Miss Deer announces a class competition to find the most helpful animal with the promise of a special prize, Aye-Aye wonders if it might even be the fulfilment of his dream. But skulduggery is afoot. The Rabbit Twins want the prize for themselves and they're prepared to use all sorts of dastardly means to improve their chances of winning. As the plot unfolds, their deceitful ways in fact do the opposite as, each time, they act as the stimulus for Aye-Aye's kindness to shine through. So will Aye-Aye be the winner? And will the prize turn out to be just what he's always dreamed of? All will be revealed in this story about being hopeful, being helpful, and, above all, being yourself. |
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At school, Roald Dahl looked forward most to those special days when the local chocolate company sent every pupil a large box of chocolate bars for testing. Years later he wrote a children's book inspired by the chocolate testing. It was one of the first of a string of incredibly funny, rude and amazing stories, which millions of children have read and enjoyed. |
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'Twinkle twinkle chocolate bar Your dad drives a rusty car Press the starter Pull the choke Off he goes in a cloud of smoke'. Anon Here is a collection of poems and rhymes for very young children. With themes ranging from pets, magic and weather to favourite foods, families and toys, there are poems for every occasion. And the mix of cautionary verse, nonsense rhymes, lullabies, lyrical poems and comic verse adds up to an anthology to suit all moods and moments. There are contributions from Michael Rosen, Wendy Cope, Charles Causley, Valerie Bloom, Brian Moses, Spike Milligan, Jack Prelutsky and many, many more. Each poem is accompanied by full colour artwork — from a diverse range of illustrators including Tony Ross, Nick Sharratt, Ian Beck, Brian Wildsmith and Korky Paul. |
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We know that Winnie has a heart of gold. Why else would she decide to entertain her sisters, uncle, aunt, and cousin in her own home? Why else would she want to do her bit to reduce energy consumption and help save the world's wildlife in the process? Why else would she offer to give a frazzled mother a break and look after her fractious baby? But when it comes to the school sports' day, Winnie brings a touch of Olympic magic (even if that magic doesn't go quite to plan) and really does 'go for gold'! Four crazily funny stories featuring everyone's favourite witch, her big black cat, Wilbur, and a zany supporting cast of new characters. Korky Paul's exuberant black line illustrations complement the humour, slapstick, and moments of real drama that run through each story. Pure magic! |
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Winnie and Wilbur whizz off for a holiday at the seaside. Winnie can't wait to dive in and explore life under the sea but Wilbur isn't so sure. Water is very wet after all and he feels quite at home dozing on land. But Winnie has an idea. ABRACADABRA! Wilbur has been turned into a cat-fish! Suddenly Wilbur doesn't mind getting wet and he's having so much fun that Winnie decides to turn herself into an octopus so they can swim with the fishes together. But oh no! Winnie drops her wand and it sinks out of sight. They must find the wand or risk being sea creatures forever. After a thorough search of the ocean they find it in a shipwreck at the bottom of the sea and Winnie uses her magic so they can enjoy the ocean safely, as a witch and a cat. Join Winnie and Wilbur under the sea for another irresistible adventure. |
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Winnie and Wilbur whizz off for a holiday at the seaside. Winnie can't wait to dive in and explore life under the sea but Wilbur isn't so sure. Water is very wet after all and he feels quite at home dozing on land. But Winnie has an idea. ABRACADABRA! Wilbur has been turned into a cat-fish! Suddenly Wilbur doesn't mind getting wet and he's having so much fun that Winnie decides to turn herself into an octopus so they can swim with the fishes together. But oh no! Winnie drops her wand and it sinks out of sight. They must find the wand or risk being sea creatures forever. After a thorough search of the ocean they find it in a shipwreck at the bottom of the sea and Winnie uses her magic so they can enjoy the ocean safely, as a witch and a cat. This edition comes with an audio CD where the story is narrated over an imaginative soundtrack of music and effects. Join Winnie and Wilbur under the sea for another irresistible adventure. |
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Winnie is fascinated by space and she decides the time is right for a little space exploration. Wilbur is not so sure. Winnie's magical rocket is quite tricky to steer through the universe and poor Wilbur can't even bear to look. He feels a little less anxious when they land on a faraway planet and Winnie unpacks their special space picnic. The inhabitants of the planet are small, with long ears and twitchy noses. They're curious and friendly but these space rabbits have rather strange eating habits — they munch on metal! And, for the space rabbits, Winnie's rocket is particularly tasty. So when it is nibbled clean away, Winnie has to use some quick thinking and some magic to keep the rabbits happy and to rustle up an alternative means of getting home. This glorious galactic picture book takes Winnie and Wilbur on an amazing journey into outer space. But however exciting flying saucers, shooting stars and space rabbits might be, Winnie's a witch who knows there's no place like home! |
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Winnie the Witch lives in a black house. She has black chairs and black stairs, black floors, and black doors. The trouble is that Winnie's cat, Wilbur, is also black. After sitting on him and tripping over him, Winnie decides to turn Wilbur into a green cat. But then he goes out into the long grass! Winnie is going to need a little magic to make sure she can always see Wilbur... This is a beautifully-crafted story with a colourful final twist. This is the original Winnie story and the sounds of creaking doors and floorboards, comedy tumbles, squeaky bed-springs and squawking birds are just some of the wonderful additions to the narration of Winnie the Witch on the accompanying audio CD. |
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Winnie the Witch is very pleased with her new computer. She spends hours exploring just what it can do and even orders herself a new wand on the Internet. Winnie becomes so wedded to technology that she decides to throw away her book of spells and her old wand — from now on all her magic will be at the click of a mouse! Then, while Winnie is asleep, Wilbur tries to pounce on the computer mouse and strange things start to happen. Winnie wakes up to discover she has no cat, no computer and no way of getting either of them back because the dustmen have just collected her rubbish. She watches helplessly as her book of spells and wand disappear into the dustcart. But help is at hand — her new wand is delivered in the nick of time and Winnie manages to get everything back to normal... well, almost! This hilarious Winnie story is perfect for the digital age and the sounds of whirring computers and scanners, Wilbur's hisses, squeaking mice and clattering dustbins are just some of the wonderful additions to the narration of Winnie's New Computer on the accompanying audio CD. |
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Winnie's sisters have given her a flying carpet but Winnie is struggling to find something nice to say about it in her thank-you letter as the carpet has been more than a little wayward. Winnie decides to give the carpet one last chance but then disaster strikes. The carpet swoops off with poor Wilbur as its unwilling passenger. Winnie tries to catch it but the carpet is too fast for her and it heads straight for a funfair where it subjects Wilbur to a string of crazy rides. Winnie has to resort to magic to stop the carpet in its tracks and rescue her beloved moggy. Then she takes Wilbur home and, ever the resourceful witch, she has an idea for a wonderful way to enjoy the carpet in the safety of her own garden. This story is full of noisy antics: a collision with a rubbish truck, a splash-down into a pond, and a sequence of exciting rides at the funfair are just some of the wonderful sound-effect additions to the narration of Winnie's Flying Carpet on the accompanying audio CD. |
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There are new arrivals in the Sawdust family and Olga is very keen to meet them. Who are the mysterious creatures living in a palace upstairs in the bedroom? It isn't long before Olga finds out — and the lucky newcomers are just in time to hear her very first poetry recital! |
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Lots of exciting things are happening in the Sawdust household, and Olga da Polga is right in the thick of them. First of all she finds a strange jigsaw puzzle that looks good enough to eat, and then she discovers a mysterious visitor in the garden who thinks that she looks good enough to eat! How is Olga going to get out of this sticky situation? More crazy schemes and outrageous tall tales from the fantastic Olga da Polga. |
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Olga da Polga goes visiting and meets Boris, a Russian guinea-pig. Olga and Boris become firm friends, and Olga is surprised to discover that Boris can tell even taller tales than she can! Soon, the time comes for her to return to her own garden, but Olga doesn't mind — she can't wait to tell all the other animals about her trip and to give them a demonstration of her Russian dancing skills... |
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Olga is delighted when the Sawdust family move her inside their house for the winter. She has her own box in the corner of the dining room where she spends her days watching the comings and goings in the house. But when she decides to do a spot of decorating, things don't go according to plan... More fun and mayhem from the outrageous Olga da Polga and all her garden friends. |
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It's a busy time in the Sawdust household and Olga is right in the thick of it. She gives out advice to the other animals in the garden, takes part in a sponsored squeak, and even goes jogging! But even though she has lots to do, she still finds time to entertain her friends with her tall tales and amazing stories. |
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As the bicentennary of the French Revolution draws near, Dickens' historical novel serves as a timely reminder of nineteenth-century reactions to that great upheaval. Set between 1757 and 1793, A Tale of Two Cities views the causes and effects of the Revolution from an essentially private point of view, showing how private experience relates to public history. Dickens' characters are fictional, and their political activity is minimal, yet all are drawn towards the Paris of the Terror, and all become caught up in its web of human suffering and human sacrifice. This edition includes extensive explanatory notes giving crucial background information about the Revolution and Dickens' sources. 'the best story I have written' Charles Dickens. |
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'Thus, gentle Reader, I have given thee a faithful History of my Travels for Sixteen Years, and above Seven Months; wherein I have not been so studious of Ornament as of Truth.' In these words Gulliver represents himself as a reliable reporter of the fantastic adventures he has just set down; but how far can we rely on a narrator whose identity is elusive and whoses inventiveness is self-evident? Gulliver's Travels purports to be a travel book, and describes Gulliver's encounters with the inhabitants of four extraordinary places: Lilliput, Brobdingnag, Laputa, and the country of the Houyhnhnms. A consummately skilful blend of fantasy and realism makes Gulliver's Travels by turns hilarious, frightening, and profound. Swift plays tricks on us, and delivers one of the world's most disturbing satires of the human condition. This new edition includes the changing frontispiece portraits of Gulliver that appeared in successive early editions. |
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What is 'nothing'? What remains when you take all the matter away? Can empty space — a void — exist? This Very Short Introduction explores the science and the history of the elusive void: from Aristotle who insisted that the vacuum was impossible, via the theories of Newton and Einstein, to our very latest discoveries and why they can tell us extraordinary things about the cosmos. Frank Close tells the story of how scientists have explored the elusive void, and the rich discoveries that they have made there. He takes the reader on a lively and accessible history through ancient ideas and cultural superstitions to the frontiers of current research. He describes how scientists discovered that the vacuum is filled with fields; how Newton, Mach, and Einstein grappled with the nature of space and time; and how the mysterious 'aether' that was long ago supposed to permeate the void may now be making a comeback with the latest research into the 'Higgs field'. We now know that the vacuum is far from being empty — it seethes with virtual particles and antiparticles that erupt spontaneously into being, and it also may contain hidden dimensions that we were previously unaware of. These new discoveries may provide answers to some of cosmology's most fundamental questions: what lies outside the universe, and, if there was once nothing, then how did the universe begin? |
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Over 600 concise articles, arranged in alphabetical order, which explain and illustrate points of grammar, usage, vocabulary, idiom, style, and pronunciation. For this new edition, the whole book has been thoroughly revised and, in places, reorganized and rewritten. |
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