Dawn McNiff – författare

Collins Big Cat supports every primary child on their reading journey from phonics to fluency. Top authors and illustrators have created fiction and non-fiction books that children love to read. Book banded for guided and independent reading, there are reading notes in the back, comprehensive teaching and assessment support and ebooks available.Spike used to be a cat-burglar, but he’s given up his life of crime to live with retired police officer, Police Nan. Now he’s a baddie-turned-goodie, and enjoys his comfy life of cream, cuddles and cat naps. One problem: if Police Nan hears about a crime, she just can’t help herself. On goes her old police helmet, and off she bustles to solve the case. Only Police Nan’s a bit rusty these days … she needs Spike and his sharp, ex-cat-burglar brain to dig her out of trouble and help solve the crimes. Join Police Nan and Spike as they travel to Paris to solve the mystery of the toyshop robber in this hilarious story by Dawn McNiff.White Plus/Band 10+ books provide challenging plots and vocabulary as well as opportunities to practise inference, prediction and reading stamina.Pages 46 and 47 allow children to re-visit the content of the book, supporting comprehension skills, vocabulary development and recall.Ideas for reading in the back of the book provide practical support and stimulating activities.

Miss Moon is taking her alien class on a school trip to… Earth! From slurping spaghetti in Europe, to ice-skating in Antarctica the alien class travel the world, zooming from continent to continent. Will the wonderful sights Earth has to offer save the trip from being anything but SO boring?

Highly engaging, illustrated picture book to be read out loud to children aged 4-7

Ideal for reading aloud at home with your child

Helps expose your child to rich language and curriculum-linked vocabulary 

Includes key terms from Geography and the topic area of Planet Earth

Part of the Bug Club reading series used in over 3500 schools

‘These books are a great start to addressing the wider curriculum and the vocabulary issues that schools are identifying.’ - Assistant Head, Primary Academy

The Bug Club Shared books are highly engaging, beautifully illustrated stories designed to be read out loud to children. The programme exposes children to rich, curriculum-linked vocabulary, helping to build an understanding across school subjects and cultivate a love for reading.

Woody wants to get un-weird - and fast! And he''ll find help in the most unlikely of places.Woody is forever worried about being different. He thinks himself weird and a bit of a wuss, and two bullies Della and Casey make sure he doesn''t forget that. It doesn''t help that his mum is slightly bonkers. She dresses up as a sheep for a living - mostly for her job as a children''s entertainer. And not to mention the fact that she forces Woody to wear old granny jumpers that she finds down the local charity shop. Gooner the dog doesn''t help either, always getting Woody in some awkward, smelly and rather messy situations! But Woody''s got a plan to get unweird - and fast! Just in time for his first day at secondary school. He starts off with some rules . . . ''Don''t listen to Mum about anything to do with your life, ever''. . .and. . .''don''t wear old lady clothes''. And with the help of his way more normal, yet rather extravagant GlamMa and the discovery of his Dad''s peculiar lucky charm, he soon finds a new sense of charm, un-weirdness and a heap load of shenanigans come his way!

Book Band: Purple (Ideal for ages 6+)A heart-warming family story, ideal for children practising their reading at home or in school.Little Bear lives with Daddy Bear at weekends, and usually they play games like Monster Chase and Daddy-is-a-Big-Climbing-Frame. But today, all Daddy Bear is doing is tap-tap-tapping on his keyboard. Waiting is so boring! Can Little Bear convince him to play? This charming story from Dawn McNiff is perfect for Key Stage 1 (KS1) children who are learning to read by themselves. It features fun illustrations from Andy Rowland and explores a topic many young children will relate to._______________Bloomsbury Young Readers are the perfect way to get children reading, with book-banded stories by brilliant authors like Julia Donaldson. The series is ideal for both home and school, with gorgeous colour illustrations, tips for parents, and fun activity ideas. Online guided reading and teaching notes, written by the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE), are available at bloomsburyreaders.com. 'Every child needs a Bloomsbury Young Reader.' - Julie-Ann McCulloch, Teacher

Book Band: Purple (Ideal for ages 6+)A heart-warming family story, ideal for children practising their reading at home or in school.Little Bear lives with Daddy Bear at weekends, and usually they play games like Monster Chase and Daddy-is-a-Big-Climbing-Frame. But today, all Daddy Bear is doing is tap-tap-tapping on his keyboard. Waiting is so boring! Can Little Bear convince him to play? This charming story from Dawn McNiff is perfect for Key Stage 1 (KS1) children who are learning to read by themselves. It features fun illustrations from Andy Rowland and explores a topic many young children will relate to._______________Bloomsbury Young Readers are the perfect way to get children reading, with book-banded stories by brilliant authors like Julia Donaldson. The series is ideal for both home and school, with gorgeous colour illustrations, tips for parents, and fun activity ideas. Online guided reading and teaching notes, written by the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE), are available at bloomsburyreaders.com. 'Every child needs a Bloomsbury Young Reader.' - Julie-Ann McCulloch, Teacher

Book Band: Purple (Ideal for ages 6+)A heart-warming family story, ideal for children practising their reading at home or in school.Little Bear lives with Daddy Bear at weekends, and usually they play games like Monster Chase and Daddy-is-a-Big-Climbing-Frame. But today, all Daddy Bear is doing is tap-tap-tapping on his keyboard. Waiting is so boring! Can Little Bear convince him to play? This charming story from Dawn McNiff is perfect for Key Stage 1 (KS1) children who are learning to read by themselves. It features fun illustrations from Andy Rowland and explores a topic many young children will relate to._______________Bloomsbury Young Readers are the perfect way to get children reading, with book-banded stories by brilliant authors like Julia Donaldson. The series is ideal for both home and school, with gorgeous colour illustrations, tips for parents, and fun activity ideas. Online guided reading and teaching notes, written by the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE), are available at bloomsburyreaders.com. 'Every child needs a Bloomsbury Young Reader.' - Julie-Ann McCulloch, Teacher

A pirate-packed picture book about the arrival of a new sibling - with real lift-the-flap letters! Author, Dawn Mcniff, perfectly voices Jay and his antics paired with swashbuckling mischief and humour from The Leaf Thief illustrator, Nicola Slater.There's a new baby at home, and Jay isn't sure about her AT ALL. There's only one option - for Jay to run away with the pirates! Sounds fun and full of adventure, right? Well, Jay's letters home soon reveal life on the ship isn't all pirate parties, sea shanties and pieces of eight. . . In fact, perhaps a little sister isn't so bad? And maybe Jay would rather come home after all? This funny, pirate-tastic story is told entirely through letters between Jay and his family - with six fold-out letters to open and look inside. Along with Nicola Slater's artwork bringing lashings of character to every scene, this picture book is one to treasure! Perfect for fans of Emma Yarlett's Dragon Post, The Jolly Postman and Meerkat Mail.

A festive picture book about celebrating Christmas all year - with real fold-out letters! Packed with merry mischief and humour from author, Dawn McNiff, and bestselling The Leaf Thief illustrator, Nicola Slater.Jay LOVES Christmas and wants nothing more than to celebrate EVERY DAY. . . ALL YEAR. But his Mum and Dad have said NO. They won't even let him put the Christmas tree up in August! So Jay only has one option - to run away to the most Christmassy place on Earth, the North Pole. Joining Santa and the elves sounds fun and full of festive joy, right? Well, Jay's letters home soon reveal that maybe there is such thing as TOO MUCH jolly Christmas spirit, even for him. And perhaps Jay doesn't want to miss out on summer BBQs, camping trips, football matches and trick-or-treating with his family after all. Can he make it home just in time for the BIG NIGHT?!This funny, magical story is told entirely through letters between Jay and his family - with six fold-out letters to open and look inside. Along with Nicola Slater's artwork bringing lashings of character to every scene, this picture book makes the perfect gift! Ideal for fans of Emma Yarlett's Christmas Post, The Jolly Christmas Postman and Dear Santa.

Have fun with face masks in this lift-the-flap, out-and-about adventure!Toddlers today are growing up in a world where adults wear face masks outside the house. Everyone is wearing them, from the bus driver to the shop assistant!In Smiley Eyes, Smiley Faces, they can take an interactive journey through the town, meeting different face-mask-wearers along the way. Toddlers can then lift the mask-shaped flaps to reveal the smiley faces underneath the bright, colourful masks. They can even lift their own mask at the end of the day with the surprise mirrored finale!Zoe Waring's bright artwork and charming characters encourage interaction and play as small children engage with the new world around us.(Please refer to the WHO guidelines for advice on children and the wearing of face masks.)This novelty Ladybird title:Introduces the worldBoosts motor skillsRecommended for children aged 2+

Dear Izzy, I’m a Sky Dog now. I live in Dog Heaven, because I died...When Alfie the dog dies, he sends his owner Izzy letters in the post from his new address: The Nicest Cloud, Dog Heaven, The Sky. He wants her to know that he misses her – so much! – but his new home in heaven is BRILLIANT. There are postmen to chase, angels to tickle his tummy, and he never even has to take a bath! Can his letters comfort Izzy, who is is feeling lost without him? Sensitively balancing humour and raw emotional truth, this is a beautifully observed tale sure to reassure children experiencing loss and grief for the very first time.