Judith Kerr was born in Berlin, but left Germany with her family in 1933 to escape the Nazis. They arrived in England in 1936, having spent the intervening years in Switzerland and France. There she met her husband Nigel Kneale and they had two children together; Judith wrote ‘The Tiger Who Came to Tea’ for them, which has gone on to become a much-loved classic, I print for over forty years. She was awarded an OBE in 2012 for services to children’s literature and holocaust education, and celebrates her 90th birthday in 2013.

Emma studied art at the Royal College of Art. She has worked as a freelancer for magazines, publishers and advertising agencies as well as teaching art for several years, but now dedicates most of her time to children’s books.

David Walliams – comedian, actor and author – continues to take the children’s literary world by storm. His tenth novel, BAD DAD, was an immediate number one, following the triumph of THE MIDNIGHT GANG, the biggest-selling children’s book of 2016. WORLD’S WORST CHILDREN 2, which published in early 2017, spent four weeks at industry number one and eight weeks at the top of the children’s chart. They have achieved unprecedented critical acclaim – and RATBURGER, DEMON DENTIST and AWFUL AUNTIE have all won the National Book Awards Children’s Book of the Year. David’s books have now exceeded 100 non-consecutive weeks in the children’s number-one spot, and have been translated into 50 languages, selling more than 22 million copies worldwide. Born in London, Tony Ross went to art school in Liverpool. His cartoons have appeared in famous publications the world over. His first book, HUGO AND THE WICKED WINTER, was published in 1972. Tony has since written over 100 books and illustrated over 2000! His creations Towser and The Little Princess have been turned into TV series. David and Tony have worked on six bestselling picture books together, as well as eight of David’s phenomenally successful children’s novels – BILLIONAIRE BOY, GANGSTA GRANNY, RATBURGER, DEMON DENTIST, AWFUL AUNTIE, GRANDPA'S GREAT ESCAPE, THE MIDNIGHT GANG and BAD DAD. David and Tony also collaborated on the 2017 World Book Day title, BLOB, and the two blockbuster short story collections, THE WORLD'S WORST CHILDREN and THE WORLD'S WORST CHILDREN 2.

Judith Kerr was born in Berlin, the daughter of a distinguished German writer. She left Germany with her family in 1933 to escape from the Nazis and they arrived in England in 1936, having spent the intervening years in Switzerland and France.She was married to the writer Nigel Kneale. Their daughter Tacy is an artist, and their son Matthew is an acclaimednovelist. In 2012, Judith was awarded an OBE for her services to children’s literature and Holocaust education.

Emma Chichester Clark studied at the Royal College of Art. She has worked as a freelancer for magazines, publishers and advertising agencies as well as teaching art for several years, but now dedicates most of her time to children’s books. She lives and works in London.

Jory John is co-author of the bestselling All My Friends Are Dead and a sequel, among other humour books. This is his second picture book for children. He lives (and sleeps) in San Francisco, USA. Benji Davies is an animation director and illustrator of children's books. He lives in London with his wife, Nina, where he writes and draws all day long (almost!).

Mark Sperring is the author of several highly acclaimed picture books including the Sunflower Sword and Captain Buckleboots on the Naughty Step. He lives in Bristol where he also works as a bookseller. Claire Powell is a designer and illustrator based in London. After spending several years working as a design director in the world of channel re-branding, Claire is branching out into the world of picture books with this fantastic first offering.

Roman Milisic is one half of the avant-garde fashion label House of Diehl whose clients include Lady Gaga. He lives and works in New York.A. Richard Allen is a Society of Illustrators Gold and Silver award winner. He is best known for his work in advertising and in the press. He lives and works in Bournemouth, Dorset.

Mandy Stanley was born in Lowestoft, Suffolk. She attended Great Yarmouth College of Art and Design and then went on to do a fashion degree in Nottingham. Mandy has won awards for her soft toy designs and has also worked as a children's clothes designer. She now works full time as a children's book illustrator

Mandy Stanley was born in Lowestoft, Suffolk. She attended Great Yarmouth College of Art and Design and then went on to do a fashion degree in Nottingham. Mandy has won awards for her soft toy designs and has also worked as a children's clothes designer. She now works full time as a children's book illustrator

Clara Vulliamy trained at the Ruskin School and the Royal Academy. She is the daughter of author and illustrator Shirley Hughes, and has written numerous stories for children and babies. Clara lives in Twickenham with her husband and two children, who provide inspiration for her work.

Ted Dewan has been a full-time illustrator and cartoonist since 1988. He was grew up in Massachusetts where he became a science teacher, but moved to London in 1988, making a living from drawing for various publications and playing the accordion. He married fellow author/illustrator Helen Cooper and they had their first child in 1998. His picture book, Crispin, the Pig Who Had It All, won the Blue Peter Award and was an Honour book for the Kate Greenaway Award. The Bing series of eight books were first published in 2003. Ted lives with his family in Oxford.

Doreen Cronin is the author of the bestselling Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type and Giggle, Giggle, Quack.

Judith Kerr was born in Berlin, but left Germany with her family in 1933 to escape the Nazis. They arrived in England in 1936, having spent the intervening years in Switzerland and France. She met her husband Nigel Kneale at the BBC and they had two children together; Judith wrote ‘The Tiger Who Came to Tea’ for them, which has gone on to become a much-loved classic, in print for over forty years. She was awarded an OBE in 2012 for services to children’s literature and holocaust education, and celebrated her 90th birthday in 2013. She continues to write and illustrate children’s books at her home in London.

Daniel Howarth is a freelance graphic designer and illustrator. He lives near Exeter, with his wife and family, and works from his garden studio. www.danielhowarth.com

Daniel Howarth is a freelance graphic designer and illustrator. He lives near Exeter, with his wife and family, and works from his garden studio. www.danielhowarth.com

Daniel Howarth is a freelance graphic designer and illustrator. He lives near Exeter, with his wife and family, and works from his garden studio. www.danielhowarth.com

Michael Bond was born in Newbury, Berkshire on 13 January 1926 and educated at Presentation College, Reading. He served in the Royal Air Force and the British Army before working as a cameraman for BBC TV for 19 years. In 2015, Michael was awarded a CBE for his services to children’s literature, to add to the OBE he received in 1997. Michael died in 2017, leaving behind one of the great literary legacies of our time.

Gone & Upside Down (Twirlywoos)

Some guides to a subject could more or less be written by any expert in that field, but a small minority are unique creations of a rare individual who has their own view. Unfortunately most of the latter types of guides fail to be good general guides. Verity's genius makes him the exception. This book is arranged in chronological chapters that trace the evolution of poetry as an art form. At the same time, each chapter gives a most practical explanation of how that aspect of poetry that it covers works and why. The book is immensely readable, hugely informative, and adds to the ability of the reader to enjoy and to create poetry. It is a classic.' "Epictetus" (Amazon review) 'The great merit of Verity's approach is that he quotes lavishly throughout, not only from the poems themselves, but also from a variety of critics' LIBRARY REVIEWS 'Of his first book of sonnets Kingsley Amis wrote ‘They belong within the corpus of English poetry’ Excerpts of Interview with Kenneth Verity on The Vanessa Phelps BBC Radio programme on June 2009 on the News Page (off the Home page) 'The amount of reading which underpins this book is breathtaking. The great merit of Verity's approach is that he quotes lavishly throughout, not only from the poems themselves, but also from a variety of critics ... The chapter on poetry's figurative element is a model of lucid definition and telling illustration, showing how many layers of meaning may lie behind a single word' LIBRARY REVIEWS The author writes:'The intention of this book is to examine and analyse the essential nature of the phenomenon we call poetry; to seek an understanding of the power this art form exerts over mind and heart; to comprehend its potency; and to explain its perennial ability to command the respect of mankind'. Almost a library in one volume, this unusual book, written by an accomplished poet, examines the 4000 years old phenomenon of poetry. Combining history, literature and philosophy, it explains the underlying power of this art form and how its effect is exerted over human hearts and understanding. Since the Greeks at least, poetry has been accorded pre-eminence in the arts. Poetry’s aesthetic supremacy and inhering mystery has made it the foremost form of expression when human beings need to say something important in a special way. Poetry has been defined as the best words in the best order. In poetry, the author suggests, the eternal intersects the everyday – it has been said that poetry is the language in which man explores his own amazement. He shows how poetry has provided a vehicle for inspiration and fresh ways of thinking and interpreting the perennial questions of the human race. The author makes clear that poetry ‘works’ because it acknowledges the universality of human psychology, and because it unites emotion with reason and tempers imagination with understanding. Over 200 poets from both East and West are quoted, and the work of 10 master poets is critically analysed and assessed. The major factors involved in translating poetry are discussed, particularly the difficulty of conveying the meaning without losing the spirit. The central features of inspiration and creativity are elucidated. The unbroken stream of poetry carries resonances of the growth and decay of civilisations, the vicissitudes of wars, the effects of migrations and trading, the influences of religious belief. The author considers, from his own experience, that poetry remains peerless in evaluating and articulating the riches of the human spirit.

Have you ever wanted to know the best day of the week to buy groceries or go out to dinnerHave you ever wondered about the best time of day to ask someone out on a date or for a raise?Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon tells you the best time of the day, of the week, of the month or of the year to do almost anything. Do you know:The best time of day to be operated onThe best month to buy an iPodThe best day of the week to avoid lines at the LouvreThe best day of the month to make an offer on a houseGet more for your money, maximize your time, take better care of your health and be savvier about your career all by doing certain things at the right time. Remember: Timing is everything!