What Are You Looking For?

This fantasy adventure follows Tessa as she helps Lizzie and the shelter animals during a storm, while trying to uncover Lizzie’s wish.

A lively animal-centred class-trip story combines comic mishaps with Clifford helping a baby whale. The overview does not explain how the trip’s accidents are put right.

This true animal tale follows backyard turkey-raising and the particular personalities attributed to Royal, Snuggles and other animals. Its appeal appears to centre on observing their individual antics rather than on a stated practical guide to animal care.

This is an animal-rescue adventure in which the characters need to find help for a wild hare family while a snowstorm complicates their plans.

A treasure hunt, a friendship disagreement and an unexpected return of help shape this undersea adventure.

Animal rescue drives the story, alongside Stella’s difference of outlook from her hunter grandfather. The episodes include an injured mountain lion, a trapped fawn, an iguana and a colt’s birth.

A portal-fantasy adventure about three girls tasked with protecting magical animals, with friendship and the natural world among its stated themes.

This is a story about a child’s bond with a horse and a dispute over who should have the animal. Emma’s grandmother and the animal sanctuary are part of the setting.

A school-and-friendship story centred on Lucy’s place in her group, with her friends’ public exploits providing a contrast to her private fear.

A fantasy adventure about a solitary cat finding companionship and confronting an obscured past, set alongside a clan's struggle to survive drought. Belonging and adversity are central.

This is a quest fantasy in which music has unusual power and animals’ inner voices matter. Its imaginative conflict is paired with emotionally weighty separations, giving the adventure a tender as well as threatening atmosphere.

How to Babysit a Leopard is identified as a children’s book by Ted Lewin and Betsy Lewin, with Ted Lewin and Betsy Lewin credited for illustration.

Expect a warm family story with humour and emotional depth. Batty’s efforts to earn money, her singing talent and the changing relationships around her provide several strands beyond the central grief.

A clue-led wildlife mystery about three children trying to discover who stole three white wolf cubs. It offers suspense, travel and a determined group of friends, with danger connected to a cliff and a rescuing effort.

This is a calm, information-rich story about preparing a working farm for winter, with seasonal change shown through chores, crops, animals and richly detailed pictures.

A gentle introduction to Laika, space and the historical setting, combining a dog’s personal voice with factual material. Its bilingual presentation and illustrations may invite shared reading, while the real history gives the story emotional weight.

This is a fast-moving disaster story centred on children confronting a hurricane’s danger, while also carrying family worries, illness and efforts to reach or help people and animals.

This is a relationship-focused horse story about returning, reconnecting and recognising that a beloved place or person may not determine someone’s future.

A good choice to explore alongside a reader who enjoys imaginative fantasy with an emotionally unsettled protagonist. Its strongest interest appears to lie in how magical danger intersects with loneliness, family belonging and friendship.

This is a brisk child-centred mystery in which Benjie’s enthusiasm for spying and Pete’s protective actions help uncover burglaries. Suspense comes from the family’s vulnerability and Benjie’s capture, while humour and animal loyalty soften the danger.

An energetic pony adventure combining horse handling, competitions, a film-set setting and mysteries. Friendship is central to Issie’s attempt to manage lively horses, while a troubled actress and possible danger to ponies add complication.

A caring grandmother confronts a strong storm while trying to protect animals and her grandchildren. The story’s appeal appears to lie in determined action, family care and a challenge presented through weather.

A pet’s stay at the Puppy Inn creates the story’s central situation: Tuckerbean is apart from his owner and her mother while they travel. Expect an adventure-led read, with the exact events and resolution left open.

This is a factual, visually presented biography about a bear whose life became linked with Winnie-the-Pooh. It combines wartime travel, zoo history, photographs, illustrations and brief background information about bears and Milne’s books.

Expect an atmospheric historical fantasy centred on a vulnerable boy, an alchemist’s dangerous ambitions, and cats drawn into rivalry over magical inheritance. Its plot combines adventure with grim events and unsettling supernatural ideas.

A visually imaginative story about fear, self-soothing and growing independence. Toby’s rescue of Henry shifts bravery from something supplied by an object to something he begins to practise himself.

A search story about two siblings responding to a dog who may be lost.

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.

A lively story about affection, assumptions and comic cat chaos. It offers a warm intergenerational relationship, visual silliness and a clear opportunity to notice that loving intentions do not replace asking what someone wants.

This is an imaginative animal adventure with two contrasting protagonists: a calf escaping slaughter and a rejected boy pursuing him. The journey opens questions about compassion, human treatment of animals and how relationships can change thinking.

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 gentle family story centred on two male penguins who care for an egg and raise Tango. Its main emphasis is belonging, parenting and adoption, with wider questions about what makes a family.

Found offers a warm, imaginative seaside adventure centred on a close grandparent–grandchild relationship. The rescue of a seal pup brings excitement and peril, while the artwork shifts from realistic beach details towards strikingly fanciful scenes.

This is a playful environmental story in which Emily takes her imagined whale seriously, while Greenpeace offers factual explanations about migration, space and animals’ freedom.

A serious, emotionally charged story about a bereaved child facing prejudice, instability and threats to her bond with Joe. It may invite empathy, but its portrayal of rescue and belonging appears partly sentimentalised.

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 warm, quietly observant set of linked stories about friendship across generations, loneliness after moving, and animals needing care. Its emotional force comes from vulnerability balanced by companionship and hopeful outcomes.

A mysterious island adventure where friendship, fear and compassion matter. Children encounter local suspicion, a bullying family relationship, a stranded narwhal and the disruptive shadow of war.

A moving wartime narrative seen through a horse’s limited understanding, contrasting battlefield destruction with loyalty, care, and shared humanity. Its emotional force comes from the separation of Joey and Albert and the suffering of horses and people.

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 series of self-contained, startling tales rather than one continuous plot. Children encounter odd powers, unusual creatures, bodily changes, animals in danger and emotionally difficult family situations, usually within a comic or bizarre framework.

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.

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.