Little Pippa is no headless chicken. Quite the opposite, in fact. So when Mr Benedict tells his class on Sunnyside Farm that chickens can't see in the dark, Pippa sets out to discover the secrets of night vision. After visiting the library — and then the farm shop — Pippa takes a wheelbarrow of carrots to Mother Hen's Pantry where she cooks up the most delicious carroty banquet ever seen. She then invites her feathered friends to share it. They're all sceptical about what difference eating so many carrots will make but everything is so tasty that they soon gobble down every last mouthful. Then, on a starry, moonlit evening, the chickens discover the delights of seeing in the dark and Little Pippa's plucky determination is celebrated all night long. A quirky tale that will make you giggle and guarantee that you'll never see chickens in the same way again!

If you love a good story, then look no further. Oxford Children's Classics bring together the most unforgettable stories ever told. They're books to treasure and return to again and again. Ebenezer Scrooge hates Christmas. It's all humbug to him. But one Christmas Eve, he is visited by the ghost of Jacob Marley, and then by three more spirits... the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet To Come. Will the things they show Scrooge be enough to make him change his miserly ways and learn the true meaning of Christmas?

A heart-warming story, set in the days leading up to Christmas, about one little girl's magical encounter with a unicorn. Christmas is just days away. A little girl called Milly and her Mum are staying at Grandpa's house. Dad has been kept away but will join them just as soon as he can. But Milly feels a little forlorn, away from her friends and without her Dad. And then something wonderful happens. Milly meets Florian, a unicorn. One snowy night, he patters into Grandpa's house and transforms Milly's Christmas, filling it with friendship, surprise and sparkle. And somehow, Florian makes all Milly's wishes come true. Anna Currey has crafted a beautifully written and sensitively illustrated picture book that will delight every generation as families come together at Christmas. Upon its first publication this book received many warm reviews, including: A beautifully written and illustrated book. Publishing News and Softly realistic illustrations with just a touch of magic.

Christopher Nibble is so busy tending his dandelion patch that it's starting to take over his life and he doesn't even have time for football any more. Then he meets his new neighbour, Posie. She offers to help him out in the garden. When the dandelion seedlings start being nibbled by caterpillars, it's Posie's idea to keep them as pets. Mr Rosetti from the cafe gives them some empty sweet jars and Christopher and Posie feed their furry caterpillars and watch them grow. But one morning Christopher and Posie can't see any caterpillars in their jars. They have disappeared! Quite desperate, they make 'missing' posters and put them up all over Dandeville. It takes Mr Rosetti to reveal the miracle of metamorphosis to the two bereft guinea pigs. After the mystery is solved, Christopher and Posie's lost-and-found posters showing brightly coloured caterpillars and butterflies delight all the guinea pigs of Dandeville when they are displayed in a special exhibition at the art gallery. A contemporary environmental tale set in a wonderfully surreal world where guinea pigs drink cappuccino, play football, and visit art galleries!

Hugo is in no doubt as to what he and Bella should go as to the Hippo-Bird Fancy Dress Party. They will go as the princess and the pea and he will be the princess (of course!) leaving poor Bella to be the pea. Indignant, Bella refuses. She has a better suggestion — they will go as a mermaid on a rock and she will be the mermaid (of course!) leaving a huffy Hugo to be the rock. Hugo is not happy. But neither is Bella. They just can't decide on a costume and things reach a crisis when they both flounce off saying they don't want to go to the party at all. After time to consider, both Hugo and Bella calm down and (privately) both choose to dress as a pea as a gesture of making it all up to each other. So when they both arrive at the party as peas, Hugo and Bella announce proudly that they are 'two peas in a pod, just as it should be' underlining the message of the book that friendship is all about give and take. With wonderfully absurd illustrations from new talent Simon Rickerty and a great read-aloud text, this is a made-for-sharing picture book.

If you love a good story, then look no further. Oxford Children's Classics bring together the most unforgettable stories ever told. They're books to treasure and return to again and again. When wealthy Sara Crewe arrives at boarding school she's treated like a little princess. But then disaster strikes and Sara's world is turned upside down. She must endure a life of hardship at the hands of the cruel headmistress-spending her time as a servant, living in the attic. Only her imagination keeps her going, until one day something truly incredible happens...

Retold by renowned children's writer, Geraldine McCaughrean, here are all the best-loved fairy tales and more. Favourites such as Sleeping Beauty, Rumpelstiltskin, Snow White, Cinderella, Rapunzel, Hansel and Gretel, the Little Mermaid, and the Princess and the Pea are accompanied by other treasures such as the Three Gifts of the North Wind, Cap-of-Rushes, and the Tinderbox. As ever, Geraldine's writing style is original and dramatic, and she weaves magic into her world of knights, witches, frogs, and princesses. Sophy Williams' delicate and atmospheric colour illustrations throughout the collection complement the text beautifully to make this a perfect gift. This beautifully designed book will stand the test of time and give pleasure for many, many years. Booktrust. A sumptuous collection of fairy stories retold by Geraldine McCaughrean, who has an exceptional ability to spin out the magic of any story.'The Guardian.

'Shiver-me, shake-me!' said Bertie. The forest at midnight can be a scary place. Bertie has just set out on his first haunting. It's a journey that makes our little ghost feel jumpy: through a dark and lonely wood, past a howling wolf, a hissing snake, and a roaring dragon! So when he reaches a big old castle, Bertie doesn't really feel like haunting, he feels like hiding: especially when he's chased up the stairs by a dog. It's only when Bertie takes refuge in a draughty attic that he finds the perfect place to take up his position as resident ghost. A spine-tingling bedtime story that explores feelings of overcoming anxieties and feeling secure. 'A perfect bedtime read with a delightful hero who shows we can overcome our fears and fit in'.

A wonderful seasonal addition to the popular SHORT series. Over forty stories in one book — all of them very, very short! None of the stories are more than two pages long, but each of them is special and thought-provoking. Drawn from a range of sources, including stories from around the world about Christmas gift-givers, Christmas legends and Christmas traditions, as well as folk tales, narrative jokes, true Christmas stories, and original stories too, the stories are ideal for use in the classroom as well as for sleepovers, Advent bedtime stories, and just for dipping into.

Olga da Polga has left the pet shop to start a new life with her owners. Her home is now a large and airy hutch and it's not long before she meets Noel the cat, Fangio the hedgehog, and Graham the tortoise. Her garden companions soon discover that Olga loves an audience and from the moment she arrives she tells them stories about her wild and exciting adventures. Although they are not always sure whether to believe everything Olga says, one thing is certain — since Olga moved in, life is ineverr dull! Whether she's Olga the explorer, Olga the prizewinner, or Olga the storyteller, she is always Olga da Polga! Written by the beloved Michael Bond, with wonderful illustrations by Catherine Rayner, this is a gift edition for young readers to treasure.

The all new Oxford First Thesaurus, with new contemporary 3D artwork and easy-to-use page design, is the best thesaurus for children in their early school years. It is powered by the Oxford Children's Corpus, a unique electronic database of millions of words of writing for children. The colourful, simple layout gives entries in alphabetical order along with hundreds of carefully-levelled synonyms for each entry and engaging full colour illustrations. To make navigation as easy as ABC, we have included the full alphabet on every page with coloured tabs, the letter of the page is highlighted. There is a full index of all the words that are included in the book at the back. It is the ideal companion to the Oxford First Dictionary. Go online for free downloadable word games, puzzles, and activities on the www.oxforddictionaries.com/schools website.

This new 2012 edition of the Oxford Junior Illustrated Thesaurus features thousands of synonyms with new illustrations and photographs in a contemporary and easy-to-use design. Entries are simple and clear, and include example sentences to show the words in context. It is powered by the Oxford Children's Corpus, a unique electronic database of millions of words of writing for children. Writing tips on choosing the right word, character and setting vocabulary, and alternatives to words like 'nice' and 'good', are given to support young writers. Getting around the thesaurus is easy with the alphabet on every page, and coloured tabs highlighting the letter of the page. The Top 10 Tips for Writing Stories at the back are excellent. It is the ideal companion to the Oxford Junior Illustrated Dictionary. What's more, you can go online for fun word activities for school and home on the www.oxforddictionaries.com/schools website.

With its fresh new look, the Oxford Junior Thesaurus gives children starting KS2 the best writing support. It contains entries in alphabetical order, with thousands of imaginative synonyms with supporting example sentences. Many of them are age-appropriate citations from well-known children's authors, such as Dick King-Smith, Narinder Dhami, Jacqueline Wilson, and Roald Dahl. They show the words actually in use, and will inspire budding writers to use language more effectively and independently. Tinted panels provide more help for better writing with related words on various topics and alternatives for overused words. This is powered by the Oxford Children's Corpus, a unique electronic database of millions of words of writing for children. Extra material levelled to the curriculum for this age include tips for spelling success, punctuation, simple grammar, character and setting vocabulary, special features such as Top 10 Tips for Writing Stories, and help with letter-writing including text messages. Navigation is made easy with the guide words, and the full alphabet on every page with a coloured tab on the letter of the page. It is the ideal companion to the Oxford Junior Dictionary. For additional fun, free word games, puzzles, and activities, go online to the www.oxforddictionaries.com/schools website.

Ideal for all ages of French language learners. Linked to the new KS3 Modern Languages Framework and the KS4 National Curriculum and Scottish Guidelines — Key curriculum words are highlighted to help prepare for exams. Full colour thematic section focuses on vocabulary relating to jobs and work places, leisure and holidays, media and communications, restaurants, cafes and shops, family and friends, travel, transport and more. Easy navigation with outstandingly clear translations, language support and colour alphabet tabs on every page. Bite-size information boxes give cultural information and support on tackling tricky language issues. Example sentences to illustrate how the language works and to meet the Curriculum's sentence building requirements. Full French verb tables, with tenses translated. Extended entries in tinted panels for important function words, with clear explanations of usage and footnotes throughout.

Ideal for all ages of German language learners. Linked to the new KS3 Modern Languages Framework and the KS4 National Curriculum and Scottish Guidelines. Key curriculum words are highlighted to help prepare for exams. Full colour thematic section focuses on vocabulary relating to jobs and work places, leisure and holidays, media and communications, restaurants, cafes and shops, family and friends, travel, transport and more. Easy navigation with outstandingly clear translations, language support and colour alphabet tabs on every page. Bite-size information boxes give cultural information and support on tackling tricky language issues. Example sentences to illustrate how the language works and to meet the Curriculum's sentence building requirements. Full German verb tables, with tenses translated. Extended entries in tinted panels for important function words, with clear explanations of usage and footnotes throughout.

The Oxford Mini School Dictionary & Thesaurus is the ideal one-volume quick reference tool for the school bag. It is the only one of its kind for students ten years plus, ideal for primary school leavers about to start secondary school. Each page has the dictionary entries at the top with the companion thesaurus entries at the bottom making it easy to find the right words quickly. The dictionary contains clear simple definitions, up-to-date example sentences, and support on spelling, grammar and punctuation. The thesaurus provides thousands of up-to-date synonyms, alternative words and a special supplement on tricky words, confusable words, and overused words. It is powered by the Oxford Children's Corpus, a unique electronic database of millions of words of writing for children. The clear and accessible design, headwords in colour, the alphabet down the side of every page, and the matching dictionary and thesaurus entries on the same page make navigation easy. Plus, for free downloadable word games, puzzles, and activities, go online to the www.oxforddictionaries.com/schools website.

The Oxford Mini School French Dictionary is the perfect bilingual dictionary for pupils learning French. The two sides of the dictionary are clearly divided into French-English and English-French, with an essential verb table list in the centre with essential English translations for the different tenses. The headwords are carefully selected to suit beginners, and particular attention is given to computing, word-processing, and ICT terms. In line with curriculum requirements, there is a special section dedicated to vocabulary and phrases on French life and culture. The simple layout, the alphabet down the side of each page, and the clear print will help pupils navigate around the dictionary and take them straight to the translation they are looking for. This dictionary comes in a handy mini-size format with a new eco-friendly binding, perfect for school bags and for taking on holiday. For free downloadable fun activities in French, go online to the www.oxforddictinaries.com website.

The Oxford Mini School Spanish Dictionary is the perfect bilingual dictionary for pupils learning Spanish. The two sides of the dictionary are clearly divided into Spanish-English and English-Spanish, with an essential verb table list in the centre with essential English translations for the different tenses. The headwords are carefully selected to suit beginners, and particular attention is given to computing, word-processing, and ICT terms. In line with curriculum requirements, there is a special section dedicated to vocabulary and phrases on Spanish life and culture. The simple layout, the alphabet down the side of each page, and the clear print will help pupils navigate around the dictionary and take them straight to the translation they are looking for. This dictionary comes in a handy mini-size format with a new eco-friendly binding, perfect for school bags and for taking on holiday. For free downloadable fun activities in Spanish, go online to the www.oxforddictinaries.com website.

The Oxford Primary Thesaurus is the perfect thesaurus for confident young writers. It lists words in alphabetical order and gives thousands of synonyms, antonyms, and special topic words to encourage pupils to improve their writing. The contemporary new design with headwords picked out in colour and alphabet tabs on every page make navigation very easy. Tinted colour panels with extra information on overused words, topic words, and writing tips make finding and new or alternative words quick and simple. They also help to choose words for particular effects and for formal, informal, or subject-specific contexts. The Oxford Primary Thesaurus is an invaluable reference tool for pupils to reflect independently and critically on their own writing and edit and improve it. It is powered by the Oxford Children's Corpus, a language database of millions of words of writing for children. It is also the ideal companion to the Oxford Primary Dictionary. For linked fun word games, puzzles, and activities, go online to the www.oxforddictionaries.com/schools website.

The Oxford School Dictionary is newly available in a two-colour paperback with all the text of the bestselling hardback and more. Each entry contains clear definitions, numbered meanings, word classes, inflections, easy pronunciation guides, supporting example sentences and notes to help with using the words accurately. There are word origins for all root words. This is powered by the Oxford Children's Corpus, a unique electronic database of millions of words of writing for children. Along with this comprehensive coverage, additional Study Notes in the centre of the dictionary give added value. They focus on key grammar points, useful spelling tips and rules, and guides on using language effectively and well. There is a friendly and useful guide to using the dictionary dealing with FAQs such as, What do you use a dictionary for? How do I find the words I want? A good all-round dictionary in a clear accessible design and handy pocket format for 10 years plus. Go online for free downloadable word games, puzzles, and activities to the www.oxforddictionaries.com/schools website.