Andrew Wightman – illustratör

There's an epidemic sweeping the nation Symptoms include: *Acute embarrassment at the mere notion of 'making a fuss' *Extreme awkwardness when faced with any social greeting beyond a brisk handshake *An unhealthy preoccupation with meteorology Doctors have also reported several cases of unnecessary apologising, an obsessive interest in correct queuing etiquette and dramatic sighing in the presence of loud teenagers on public transport. If you have experienced any of these symptoms, you may be suffering from VERY BRITISH PROBLEMS. VERY BRITISH PROBLEMS are highly contagious. There is no known cure. Rob Temple's hilarious new book reveals all the ways in which we are a nation of socially awkward but well-meaning oddballs, struggling to make it through every day without apologising to an inanimate object. Take comfort in misfortunes of others. You are not alone.

Have you ever . . . *Watched in horror as someone helps themselves to the last roast potato?*Broken out in hives at the suggestion that you 'Introduce yourself...' over Zoom?*Been extra dramatic while rubbing in the shop's hand sanitiser, so everyone knows how thoroughly decent you are?. . . then you may be suffering from VERY BRITISH PROBLEMSVery British Problems are sweeping the nation like never before. They are in our homes, in our Zoom calls, in the queue for the supermarket, in our schools, cafés, parks, rivers, cities, towns, villages, glove boxes, sock drawers . . Basically, they're inescapable. There is no vaccine. There is no cure. So there we have it, we're stuck with the malady of Britishness for the foreseeable. Nightmare, isn't it?Ah, well. Could be worse. Not quite sure how, though, off the top of my head. Any thoughts?PRAISE for VERY BRITISH PROBLEMS'Hilarious' Daily Express'Temple pays affectionate and comic homage to the sheer quirkiness of being British' Good Book Guide'A corking Christmas stocking filler' Weekend Sport'Had us guffawing into our Earl Grey tea' Bella

Enter the hilarious world of Sam Quigley, the strange-fact-obsessed owner of two stick insects called Twiggy and Wiggy in Exploding Beetles and Inflatable Fish.Sam really likes interesting facts, the kind that will make you shout "Wow! I never knew that". Things like:- Woodlice don't wee – instead a smelly gas comes wafting out of their shells- There is a fish with a stomach so stretchy it can swallow things twice as big as itself- Bombardier beetles can explode like toxic water pistols!Written by Tracey Turner, this STEM-focused book is packed with incredible facts and stats about the world’s weirdest animals. With a narrative that will have readers hooked, plus cool cartoon-style illustrations by Andrew Wightman, it’s a perfect book for fact fans, animal lovers and reluctant readers alike.