Nicholas Allan – författare

It's a busy year for the Queen - she has lots of important events to attend. Meanwhile, a little girl is wondering what knickers Her Majesty will choose to wear on a school visit! Will they be her 'at home' knickers - adorned with corgis - or her 'garden party' knickers, or perhaps her woolly Balmoral ones...?Both children and adults will love this very special and endearing insight into a child's imagination, from the best-selling author-illustrator of Father Christmas Needs A Wee and Jesus' Christmas Party.Recently, the Queen visited a nursery in Norfolk and enjoyed a display based on the book:"...just to make it special, there was one element that was not quite so traditional: pants. These were not just any pants, either. They were the Queen's Knickers, and at Dersingham Infant and Nursery School, in Norfolk, they were put on special display in honour of their royal visitor" ~ Valentine Low, The Times

A big sister is horrified when she can't fit into her swimming costume. Her BOTTOM IS SOO BIG! But her little sister has some good advice.There follows a wonderful romp through history and fairyland, as the little sister explains exactly why a big bottom can be useful. Father Christmas needs one for crash landings and, if you are a queen, a big bum is vital to keep you comfy while sitting on your throne . . . Once again Nicholas Allan combines laugh-out-loud humour with real insight that cannot fail to raise a smile.

A simple introduction to reproduction. Every single day, Willy, a small sperm, practices for the Great Swimming Race. But, when the day arrives, will Willy be able to swim faster than his 300 million friends? He'll have to if he stands a chance of meeting the marvellous egg.Join Willy on his biggest adventure yet! Hilariously funny, warm, and playful, this is a picture book that appeals to both children and grown-ups."Fresh, original, and imaginative. . . . Allan's achievement is in couching fascinating facts within the construct of a gentle, direct narrative. A little knowledge is a wonderful thing, and as the rest of the facts of life fall into place, Allan's readers will look back on this book with a mixture of fondness and wry amusement." -The Guardian

Whenever Picasso does something different, people say, "No! No! No! Picasso!" But Picasso doesn't listen. Instead, he says . . . "Yes!". He paints all-blue pictures, all-pink pictures, plus pictures from the front and side all at the same time! He makes art out of bike bits and he can draw pictures in less than 60 seconds! Soon he becomes the greatest painter in the world. But he still wants to be different . . .

Aunt Edna has created a no-nonsense nanny android to make sure Billy and Alfie don't have any fun. But then Alfie discovers how to override Auntie Anne-Droid's programming and nothing can stop them eating all the Cheeki Choko Cherry Cakes they like ... until the real aunt Edna is kidnapped!

Babette and Bill are joined by a ribbon of hearts. They are always together through thick and thin. But when Babette falls ill, the two friends are parted and they are both broken hearted. Until they discover that even when they can't see the ribbon of hearts it is always there pulling them together.Warm, poignant and funny, this book is a wonderful celebration of friendship. A sensitive and beautifully told story written in association with the International Children's Heart Foundation that will touch anyone affected by illness. The mission of the International Children's Heart Foundation is to bring the skills, technology and knowledge to diagnose and care for children with congenital heart disease to developing countries.'Endlessly inventive, Nicholas Allan knows just what appeals to young children.' Parents in Touch

Father Christmas is back, and this time he's had three helping of sprouts! As he tries to deliver the presents, his tummy rumbles, gurgles and groans, but Father Christmas knows he must keep it in - he doesn't want to wake anyone up! Will he come up Trumps?

A jolly escapade through the world of potties, royalty and tiny accidents in this hilarious romp from the bestselling creator of The Queen's Knickers, Nicholas Allan.It's time for the prince to use his potty, so it's off to the Royal Potty Workshop! There are singing potties, potties pulled by corgis, and even super-duper flying Royal Robo-Potties!But it's hard work finding the perfect potty for the job ... especially when disaster strikes. Can the Royal Baby find his own solution?Praise for The Royal Nappy:"Lots of fun" The Sun

Dill the dog knows his time is up so he packs his case and tells Lily, his owner, that he's off "up there". "Can I come too?" asks Lily. "Er . . . not yet," replies Dill. While he is waiting for the angels to collect him, Dill explains to Lily what he thinks heaven is like: hundreds of lampposts to pee against, lots of whiffy things to smell and bones everywhere - with meat on them! But Lily completely disagrees, she thinks heaven is quite different. Luckily, they agree to disagree just in time for a fond, and very poignant, last goodbye. Nicholas Allan is unique among picture book creators for his combination of off-beat humour and child appeal.

In this riotous rhyme from Nicholas Allan, the queue for the loo gets very long indeed, as a series of multi-coloured animals impatiently join!Count, spot colours, spot animals, and all join in to find out who's in the loo...

From the creator of The Queen’s Knickers comes a hilarious and charming look at what makes each dad different, and why dads are the very best!This dad can't sing like a pop star or cook like a chef...but, he can help with tricky homework, tell amazing bedtime stories and give the best piggybacks! Find out what else makes dads the best in this special celebration of fathers everywhere!Both children and adults will love this hilarious insight into the special relationship between father and child.

Shortlisted for the British Book of the Year Awards, a hilarious story jam-packed with royal pants from the author of the award-winning, bestselling, funny family favourite The Queen's Knickers!The King cannot rule without his Royal Pants. He has a pair for every occasion: coronation pants (he can't be crowned without them), organic pants (edible in royal emergencies) and even inflatable space-pants (because one never knows when they might come in handy). But in a boxer-shorts blunder at the Royal Mail, the King's undies have been posted to his subjects nationwide! With his Y-fronts gone wandering, how will the King possibly cope?'A delightful tale' GuardianThe Queen's Knickers has been a bestselling family favourite for 30 years, and won The Sheffield Children’s Book Award and The Coventry Inspirational Award. Praise for The Queen's Knickers:'Made my four-year-old son hoot with laughter' Daily Telegraph'Cheerily irreverent' Guardian'Pure fun' The Mail on Sunday'Naughty and charming' Evening Standard

A special new enlarged edition of the bestselling Christmas story told from the point of view of the grumpy innkeeper. When a night of angels, shepherds and bright stars keeps him from his sleep, is there anything that will cheer him up?

"Father Christmas needs a wee.He's been drinking drinks since half past three . . ."At each different house that he visits Father Christmas drinks and eats all the goodies left out for him. Before long he really, really, really needs a wee. So much so that he even forgets to leave the presents behind. But he dashes back, delivers all the pressies and flies home at high speed to avoid an embarassing accident . . . there's just one tiny problem . . . he's lost his house key!Find out what happens and whether Father Christmas ever gets to relieve himself in this brilliant and fabulously funny counting book from the talented author/illustrator Nicholas Allan!

When Dreams Collide is Nicholas Allan's intimate pilgrimage across the former states of Yugoslavia. Shedding the received knowledge of headlines, he explores the splintered co-evolution of these lands over the last ten centuries, guided by the inimitable Rebecca West's masterpiece, Black Lamb and Grey Falcon. Written 80 years in the past, West's account serves as a fascinating reference for the optimistic interwar years of the 20th century between the Ottoman decline and the Nazi onset. The evolving balancing act of Tito's Yugoslav experiment and the atrocities following its break-up were still to come.Collapsing empires and proud young nations, monasteries and mosques, brotherhood, hatred, war, music, frescoes, food, costume, people, mountains, rivers and seas, the distant rumbles of the centuries take many forms. At a turning point in his own life, Allan is drawn to explore this complex area, through the lens of his part Eastern European heritage. He records personal encounters and richly drawn characters interwoven with history and art, politics and religion (too often one and the same).Enhanced with delightful hand-drawn maps of the Balkans including Montenegro, Kosovo, Serbia, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia. 73 informative photograph's showing some the areas key historical figures including Ibrahim Rugova, Hitler, Prince Paul of Yugoslavia, Tito, Draza Mihailovic, Slobodan Milosevic, Alecksandar Vucic, Alija Izetbegovic, Radovan Karadzic, Ante Pavelic, Franjo Tudjman, and Fitzroy Maclean.