What Are You Looking For?

This is a story-led introduction to watching birds and caring about garden wildlife. Alongside Lottie’s rescue attempt, it offers bird and migration facts and practical activities involving fat cakes and a bird bath.

Expect atmospheric Cornish tales where folklore, ghosts and magic meet farms, the sea and family life. The collection includes linked stories, including one about William, whose disability brings exclusion and cruelty from others.

This is a sensory nature story about friends hiking through the mountains and listening closely: rushing water, animal sounds, textures and echoes become the focus of their journey.

This is an outdoor adventure about a child investigating her grandmother’s disappearance, helping eagles in difficulty and discovering a stronger sense of belonging in the mountain community.

A tense survival adventure pairs a fast-moving journey with vivid Australian landscapes, environmental collapse and a close sibling relationship. The dogs are important companions, while family separation and uncertainty keep the emotional stakes high.

A dramatic, atmospheric story of companionship and courage, moving from cosy village life to stormy seas and back to communal celebration. The cat’s unusual power gives the legend a magical, memorable turn.

A gentle Chilean folktale about finding companionship, caring for someone who is not yours to keep, and living through separation. Its sea imagery and illustrations may invite close, unhurried attention.

A quiet story of making something beautiful in a neglected place, then finding connection through it. Its focus is on patient care, creative action and the gradual opening of a friendship.

Expect a richly illustrated, surreal story rather than a straightforward cosy tale. The Greenling brings abundance and connection, yet its arrival and departure carry an ominous, folkloric atmosphere.

This is a gentle beach adventure about a character whose plans repeatedly go wrong, then improve through friendship and a calming activity. Its central interest is recognising strong feelings and responding with compassion.

This is a tender but potentially painful story about a child living alongside a seriously ill sibling. Nature, friendship and imaginative activity offer connection, while the family faces worsening illness and possible bereavement.

This is a gentle, lyrical story about Polar Bear and Cub discovering the changing world together. Seasonal imagery frames the central reassurance that a parent’s love does not change.

Expect an ambitious illustrated adventure in which two sibling seeds face separation, danger and uncertainty while learning about Earth’s history and living systems. Its emotional centre is family loyalty, alongside a sustained interest in survival, connection and the natural world.

A coming-of-age story rooted in family life, rural work and affection for animals. Jody’s bond with Flag provides the central personal relationship, while the family’s livelihood connects the story to the land and its demands.

A richly atmospheric story about a hidden garden and friendship. Its movement from selfishness towards care sits alongside bereavement, illness, colonial prejudice and older attitudes that may need thoughtful discussion.

A gentle story about a child who is upset but not ready to talk, using a woodland walk to explore hidden feelings, shared understanding and the difference between appearances and inner experience.

This is an imaginative coming-of-age fantasy in which Arthur’s education happens through encounters with animals, Merlin and the world around him. Its strongest offering is a warm, humorous exploration of how experience might shape wisdom and leadership.

Expect a lively quest shaped by comic reversals: a gullible scarecrow and clever Jack search for home while facing legal pursuit and a plan to industrialise Spring Valley. Kindness and ingenuity help them resist the threat.

A myth-rich adventure that joins friendship, cultural detail and care for the natural world. Its imaginative journey gives children an active role in responding to environmental damage.

A warm, strongly moral story about an orphaned girl, changing homes and the relationships she forms. Its emotional centre is the contrast between Heidi’s mountain life and her unhappiness in Frankfurt.

This is a historical family story about rebuilding after hardship. Ellie’s practical courage, connection with nature and willingness to help others sit alongside grief, difficult choices and uncertainty about what people have experienced.

A gentle but serious rural story in which Spider’s connection with animals gives him purpose and belonging. It presents difference, kindness and courage through a character whose strengths are recognised by those who care for him.

This is a thoughtful story about a child carrying adult responsibilities who finds friendship, creativity and adventure while visiting Italy. An injured otter and the people Jakub meets help broaden his sense of who he is.

A quiet, visually led story about children restoring a neglected pond, following the place through changing seasons. Its appeal lies in close observation, shared effort and the gradual transformation of a familiar outdoor space.

This is a gentle winter tale about a young fox’s first snow, a practical need for mittens, and a journey that brings him into contact with unfamiliar people.

This is a grief-centred story about a child facing repeated family upheaval, resisting dependence, and encountering an orphaned wolf pup. Nature, animal care and an unfamiliar landscape appear to shape Nika’s emotional experience.