A new range of books promotes shared reading with children and adults

Willow Tree’s Picture Story books and chapter fiction stories are all designed to generate a love of reading. They have launched a range of adorable animals which have adventures, work through squabbles and welcome new family members. Cat & Dog is about tolerance, the understanding of different viewpoints and realising that we are all different to each other. Based on the relationship between a nocturnal cat and a diurnal dog, this delightful book is about the friendship between two very different animals. It highlights the importance of learning to accept others even when they may seem very unlike the familiar. Sensitively illustrated in full colour throughout by Zoe Waring and written engagingly by Helen Oswald, Cat & Dog is an absorbing story that children and parents will enjoy time and time again.

Cuddle the Magic Kitten is the first captivating story in a new series about a magic kitten that enthralls best friends Olivia and Grace. Cuddle takes the girls on an adventure to Ancient Egypt and the Pyramids where they meet the Pharaoh and find his precious missing cat, Cleo. Line art illustrations throughout the book help to maintain interest and support reading comprehension. Children on the journey of reading alone will find these drawings and the clear typography encourage their interaction and sense of achievement. And a teaser of the first chapter in the next series will whet their appetite for more. Author Hayley Daze is the pen name of Jane Clarke, author of Dinosaur Cove, with over 1million copies sold worldwide.

Meanwhile, Muddle the Magic Puppy takes his chums on an adventure on a magic flying carpet in Arabia. A brand new edition of this engaging story about the magic – and naughty – puppy sees Muddle taking his best friends Ruby and Harry along with him with humorous results. In Arabia they win the flying race, meet a princess and a also genie who grants a wish that will change lives forever. Children on the journey of reading alone will find the line drawings and clear typography aid their interaction and sense of achievement. This is another title by Hayley Daze.

Hattie Peck teaches children that families come in all shapes and sizes. And no more eclectic than Hattie’s family. Hattie is a beautiful, kind and truly “clucky” hen who loves eggs. So much so that she travels the world collecting them. She brings these eggs home and hatches them into her large adopted family – including a crocodile, hedgehog, flamingo, tortoise and more! This delightfully illustrated book is all about the importance of family – and gives readers a sensitivity to adoption and fostering. Author and illustrator Emma Levey is a finalist at the Association of Illustrators Awards. The books are ideal for shared reading during literacy work in the early years, or for sharing with family members at home. See willowtreebooks.net for more details about the titles. And if you would like our expert reviewers to read a new book, please email editorial@ euromediaal.com.