Laura Cowan – författare

From hovering hummingbirds and dancing pink flamingos, to diving penguins and owls spreading their wings before your very eyes, birds fly off the page in this gorgeous pop-up book. Lyrically written and informative, this book is a delight to read aloud, introducing a lovely selection of birds in a wonderful, memorable way.

Walk on the Moon, stop off at the International Space Station, see the surface of Mars and discover the planets in a journey through our solar system. With five cosmic pop-ups, you will find your inner astronaut as you go on your first space adventure.

Bringing new insights from genre theory to bear on the work of the journalist and novelist Rebecca West, this study explores how West's use of and combinations of multiple genres (often in single works) was informed and furthered by her subversive feminist goals.Rebecca West's Subversive Use of Hybrid Genres analyzes West's sense of genres as dynamic and strategic processes with transgressive political ends rather than as fixed and reified taxonomies, a radical new approach at the time that is now mirrored in much contemporary theory. Surveying her oeuvre from this point of view, the book goes on to examine systematically West's writing from 1911-1941, including her early journalism and criticism, such novels as The Return of the Soldier and her controversial multi-genre epic Black Lamb and Grey Falcon.

This luxurious anthology of stories from all Shakespeare's plays, with beautiful illustrations and quotations, is the perfect introduction to Shakespeare. With stories of love, loss, joy and heartbreak, this collection will captivate young children with every page. The perfect book for children studying The Bard, or those who simply enjoy reading wonderful stories.Each story includes short details about the main characters, and famous and memorable quotations from the play. With a padded hardback cover, a ribbon marker and traditional binding, this is a fabulous book that will be referred to again and again, by both children and adults.

Bringing new insights from genre theory to bear on the work of the journalist and novelist Rebecca West, this study explores how West's use of and combinations of multiple genres (often in single works) was informed and furthered by her subversive feminist goals.Rebecca West's Subversive Use of Hybrid Genres analyzes West's sense of genres as dynamic and strategic processes with transgressive political ends rather than as fixed and reified taxonomies, a radical new approach at the time that is now mirrored in much contemporary theory. Surveying her oeuvre from this point of view, the book goes on to examine systematically West's writing from 1911-1941, including her early journalism and criticism, such novels as The Return of the Soldier and her controversial multi-genre epic Black Lamb and Grey Falcon.

Did you know that mammoths and pharaohs walked the earth at the same time? Or that over 30 types of gladiators fought in ancient Rome? This fascinating book is filled with 100 historical facts, bright, infographic-style illustrations, a glossary and index. There are also links to specially selected websites with video clips and more information.

Cinderella is sitting in the kitchen and crying. Everyone else is dancing at the palace. Suddenly the kitchen is full of light and magic. Cinderella is going to the ball!Includes a word list, 5 pages of activities and free online audio (British English and American English).500 headwords, 1,179 words

"Aladdin, I am your Uncle Abanazar. If you do as I say, we will be the richest men in the world." But why does Abanazar want a dusty old lamp? Could the lamp be magic?Includes a word list, 5 pages of activities and free online audio (British English and American English).800 headwords, 1,995 words

At night when you are fast asleep, another world awakens... Explore the world of night in this gorgeous picture book and discover nocturnal animals in the countryside, cities that never sleep and the secrets of the night sky. With lots to look at and talk about on every page and links to specially selected websites with more to discover.

Design and build a real, working website from scratch, using HTML, CSS and JavaScript. Written for complete beginners of all ages, this book uses simple step-by-step instructions -and zero jargon­- to help readers get to grips with basic web design and create their very own space on the internet. With bright quirky illustrations throughout and lots of extra advice and downloads via Usborne Quicklinks.

For thousands of years, the Moon has been the one thing in the night sky that everyone anywhere on our planet recognises. Trace the story of the Moon around the world and through history, from ancient legends about its creation, to its first sighting through a telescope, right up until the Apollo 11 mission and the first Moon landing in 1969.

The Wind lives in the sky with his friend, the Sun. The Wind isn't happy, and the Sun wants to help. Can the Wind learn something important?Includes a word list, 5 pages of activities and free online audio (British English and American English).300 headwords, 525 words

Anansi is king of the spiders: he may be small, but he's very clever. One day, offended that Elephant hardly even notices him, he challenges her to a tug of war. How can a tiny spider win against the mighty Elephant, or against the determined Rhino?With fun activities after the story, and online audio in both British English and American English. CEFR level: low A1. 300 headwords, 571 words.

Have you ever wondered what it feels like to be in an earthquake, or close to a volcano when it erupts? With lots of flaps to lift, this book takes you on a tour of shaking cities and rumbling volcanoes to discover why these forces happen, how they shape our planet, and how people live in places where they strike.

Long ago, the phoenix was a plain brown bird, overlooked by the dazzling forest birds. While the forest birds preened and sang, the phoenix quietly collected a store of food. When drought struck, the phoenix was able to come to the rescue. With fun activities after the story, and online audio in both British English and American English. CEFR level: low A1. 300 headwords, 504 words.

Celebrate the beauty of butterflies as they flit and flutter off the pages of this book. Incredible pop-ups show butterflies actually moving their wings, emerging from a chrysalis and migrating in clouds right off the page. Learn how butterflies' wings can help them hide or dazzle predators, witness the magical metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly, and even meet the biggest butterfly in the world at actual size!

Poppy and Sam love fairy tales, and in this collection you can enjoy six of their favourites: Little Red Riding Hood, Rumpelstiltskin, Cinderella, Goldilocks, Sleeping Beauty and the Three Little Pigs. With simple text and delightful illustrations, this is a perfect introduction to fairy tales for little ones.

Princess Miranda is lonely and bored. Her busy mother gives her a precious golden ball to play with, and Miranda drops it into the palace pond. A helpful frog retrieves it - but as payment, he demands to eat from Miranda's plate and sleep on her pillow. Will Miranda keep her side of the bargain?With fun activities after the story, and online audio in both British English and American English. CEFR level: A1. 500 headwords, 1116 words

You'll never guess how many stars there are in the universe, who the first astronauts were, or why sunsets are blue on Mars! Discover the answers to these and all sorts of weird and wonderful facts about what lies beyond Planet Earth, as you take this exciting journey into outer space.Chapters in this book include:- The Sun is a star- If aliens sent us a postcard...- Numbering the stars- How stars glow- Not all astronauts were human...- How rain falls on other planets- There's a snowman in space- Dirty snowballs with long tails- Snowball fireworks- A story of looking and learning- When is a planet not a planet?- Going up!- It's oh so quiet up here...- Everyday life in outer space- How to use a space toilet- From another star system far, far away...- Don't take a spaceship to Jupiter- The planets that are mushy on the inside- Baby stars make baby planets...- ...and baby stars eat baby planets- Who did it first?- What a mess!- Swerve!- How many people does it take to land on the Moon?- Keeping space germ-free- The universe awards- The Sun's light is a wavy rainbow- Sunsets on Mars- There's a travel network in our solar system...- Planet hunters- Ocean worlds- The secret behind a moon's wobble- Robot space adventurers- How to garden on the Moon- Measuring the universe- Light-distant chatting- Moon trees- Colds are even worse in space- Set sail for the stars!- Our galaxy is bubbly- Telescope time machine- When a star stops shining...- When a star becomes a hole...- Space words

Are you brave enough to delve into the chilling darkness of... THE DEEP? With no light, no heat and miles of sea above you, it might be the strangest, most extreme place on Earth. So, climb inside the submersible and plunge deep down beneath the sunlit surface where you'll discover disturbing and unusual creatures, explore alien-looking worlds and visit the deepest place in the entire ocean, all in this weird and wonderful flap book.Chapters in this book include:- The Deep- Journey to the Deep- The Twilight Zone- The Midnight Zone- Dark Clouds- The Abyss- Whale Fall- Stranger Places- The Deepest Place on Earth- A Sea of Fireworks- How Deep is the Deep?

The thought of making new friends turns Kerry Koala's tummy upside down. But luckily Miss Molly's treetop school is there to help. Here Kerry will learn how to start conversations, take turns and play fairly, and work through disagreements and apologise - as well as understand different kinds of friendship and how they can change and grow. A perfect way to start conversations with children about making friends, with humour, fun and a cast of lively animal characters.

You'll never guess how your body fights germs or how dinosaurs fought each other, what kind of animal is named after Sir David Attenborough and what sunsets look like on Mars. All is revealed in this delightful collection of four books. A brilliant addition to any family bookshop, the Big Book of Things to Know contains amazing facts from Lots of things to know about Your Body, Space, Animals and Dinosaurs in a single volume bursting with vibrant illustrations and packed with quirky and surprising things to know.Clear, approachable text will spark young readers' curiosity and is perfect for fact-hungry children to share with family or impress their friends with.Chapters in this book include:Your Body- Take a deep breath- Why do you have a belly button?- Babies are WEIRDER than you think...- You'll never guess how much you'll eat- Inside your tummy...- Which muscle is your strongest?- Excuse me!- How much time you'll spend on the toilet- All different shapes and sizes- One-of-a-kind prints- You're electric!- Your tongue only knows five tastes- Why Brussels sprouts are yucky- Your height changes even when you're fully grown- Space travel makes you taller- Why your blood is red- Ba-bump, ba-bump, ba-bump...- Every body needs help with something- Vital organs?- Ahh-choooooooo!- A LOT of snot- Drink up!- You couldn't live without...- Bodies worth MILLIONS!- You'll never guess who's hairier- Around and around the world...- Which is more tiring, standing or walking?- You're a lot like everyone else...- ...and you're quite like a banana- Remember, remember...- How your ears help you balance- Long ago hairdressers cut more than hair- How long a beard can grow- What's eating your lunch- Rumbling tummies- Your bones are alive- Funny bones- What's that smell?- What's the time?- OUCH!- Your brain can't hurt- Have a laugh- The tiniest things can hurt your body the most- How your body fights germs- You're about to yawn...- While you're dreamingSpace- The Sun is a star- If aliens sent us a postcard...- Numbering the stars- How stars glow- Not all astronauts were human...- How rain falls on other planets- There's a snowman in space- Dirty snowballs with long tails- Snowball fireworks- A story of looking and learning- When is a planet not a planet?- Going up!- It's oh so quiet up here...- Everyday life in outer space- How to use a space toilet- From another star system far, far away...- Don't take a spaceship to Jupiter- The planets that are mushy on the inside- Baby stars make baby planets...- ...and baby stars eat baby planets- Who did it first?- What a mess!- Swerve!- How many people does it take to land on the Moon?- Keeping space germ-free- The universe awards- The Sun's light is a wavy rainbow- Sunsets on Mars- There's a travel network in our solar system...- Planet hunters- Ocean worlds- The secret behind a moon's wobble- Robot space adventurers- How to garden on the Moon- Measuring the universe- Light-distant chatting- Moon trees- Colds are even worse in space- Set sail for the stars!- Our galaxy is bubbly- Telescope time machine- When a star stops shining...- When a star becomes a hole...- Space wordsAnimals- Ocean giants- The baby animal that's LARGER than its parents- How to spot a leopard... ...from a jaguar- Why horses dress up like zebras- Octopuses in disguise- How tiny ants are actually STRONGER than gorillas- How creatures go? HIGH can birds and bumblebees fly?- The secret of hornbills' nests- The great shell swap- Noisy animals you CAN'T hear- The cave of bats that's busier than New York- You'll hardly BELIEVE your eyes!- Which live LONGEST?- Animals from dinosaur times- Why whales blow bubbles- How do prairie dogs say hello?- Why sloths turn green in the rain- What makes flamingos pinkDinosaurs- Long, long, long, long, long, LONG ago- Dinosaur times- What dinosaurs ACTUALLY looked like- Dinosaurs the size of rabbits- What's the point of a dinosaur's tail?- How to tell what dinosaurs ate- Dinosaurs in shining armour- The largest creatures ever to walk on Earth- The island of Tyrannosaurus rex- The secret sounds of dinosaurs- From CHICKEN IMPERSONATOR to WRINKLE FACE- In the footsteps of dinosaurs- A trip to the dinosaur dentist- How ring-shaped nests kept dinosaur eggs safe- See inside dinosaur eggs

You'll never guess how tiny robots are helping bees, where giant robots are stopping traffic, what kinds of intrepid robots are exploring outer space and how clever robots learn to beat chess champions. Discover all this and lots more things to know about what robots can do, how they are designed and programmed and the part they will play in our future.