Ross Collins – illustratör

With a focus on building phonics skills, this collection includes seven fun stories with colourful illustrations. It is ideal for children who are developing early reading skills. Find out about Singing Dad and Viv's Odd Pet, as well as Ron Rabbit's job at the fish and chip shop! Tips for reading together explain the letter patterns that each story focuses on and identify any words children may find tricky, helping you to get the most out of the collection.Former Children's Laureate and author of The Gruffalo, Julia Donaldson, has captivated children all over the world with her lively and engaging stories. Songbirds is a phonics programme carefully created by Julia to support children who are learning to read and is used in schools to inspire a love of reading. There are eight Songbirds story collections for you to enjoy.Featuring much-loved characters, great authors, engaging storylines and fun activities, Read with Oxford offers an exciting range of carefully levelled reading books to build your child's reading confidence.Find practical advice, free eBooks and fun activities to help your child progress on oxfordowl.co.uk. Let's get them flying!

With a focus on building phonics skills, this collection includes seven fun stories with colourful illustrations. It is ideal for children who are developing early reading skills.Read about the Trunk and the Skunk, find out why Gran is so cross and discover how Ron Rabbit makes a rocket! Tips for reading together explain the letter patterns that each story focuses on and identify any words children may find tricky, helping you to get the most out of the collection.Former Children's Laureate and author of The Gruffalo, Julia Donaldson, has captivated children all over the world with her lively and engaging stories. Songbirds is a phonics programme carefully created by Julia to support children who are learning to read and is used in schools to inspire a love of reading. There are eight Songbirds story collections for you to enjoy.Featuring much-loved characters, great authors, engaging storylines and fun activities, Read with Oxford offers an exciting range of carefully levelled reading books to build your child's reading confidence. Find practical advice, free eBooks and fun activities to help your child progress on oxfordowl.co.uk. Let's get them flying!

With a focus on building phonics skills, this collection includes seven fun stories with colourful illustrations. It is ideal for children who are growing in reading confidence. Find out what Spike has to say, why Nasim is an unusual kind of knight and what happens to the snake and the drake. Tips for reading together explain the letter patterns that each story focuses on and identify any words children may find tricky, helping you to get the most out of the collection.Former Children's Laureate and author of The Gruffalo, Julia Donaldson, has captivated children all over the world with her lively and engaging stories. Songbirds is a phonics programme carefully created by Julia to support children who are learning to read and is used in schools to inspire a love of reading. There are eight Songbirds story collections for you to enjoy.Featuring much-loved characters, great authors, engaging storylines and fun activities, Read with Oxford offers an exciting range of carefully levelled reading books to build your child's reading confidence.Find practical advice, free eBooks and fun activities to help your child progress on oxfordowl.co.uk. Let's get them flying!

With a focus on building phonics skills, this collection includes five fun stories with colourful illustrations. It is ideal for children who are growing in reading confidence. Discover why Usman loves reading, read about the Cinderella Play and find out why Mr and Mrs Brown are upside down! Tips for reading together explain the letter patterns that each story focuses on and identify any words children may find tricky, helping you to get the most out of the collection.Former Children's Laureate and author of The Gruffalo, Julia Donaldson, has captivated children all over the world with her lively and engaging stories. Songbirds is a phonics programme carefully created by Julia to support children who are learning to read and is used in schools to inspire a love of reading. There are eight Songbirds story collections for you to enjoy.Featuring much-loved characters, great authors, engaging storylines and fun activities, Read with Oxford offers an exciting range of carefully levelled reading books to build your child's reading confidence.Find practical advice, free eBooks and fun activities to help your child progress on oxfordowl.co.uk. Let's get them flying!

With a focus on building phonics skills, this collection includes six fun stories with colourful illustrations. It is ideal for children who are gaining more reading confidence. Find out what Clare does at the Fair, what happens at Tara's Party and how Jack meets the Giants! Tips for reading together explain the letter patterns that each story focuses on and identify any words children may find tricky, helping you to get the most out of the collection.Former Children's Laureate and author of The Gruffalo, Julia Donaldson, has captivated children all over the world with her lively and engaging stories. Songbirds is a phonics programme carefully created by Julia to support children who are learning to read and is used in schools to inspire a love of reading. There are eight Songbirds story collections for you to enjoy.Featuring much-loved characters, great authors, engaging storylines and fun activities, Read with Oxford offers an exciting range of carefully levelled reading books to build your child's reading confidence.Find practical advice, free eBooks and fun activities to help your child progress on oxfordowl.co.uk. Let's get them flying!

A wonderful phonics collection from bestselling author Julia Donaldson, designed to help children take their first steps in reading with confidence, this engaging boxed set combines fun stories, rewarding activities, and structured phonics practice to support early literacy development.Packed with 12 entertaining Songbirds phonics stories, this collection introduces beginner readers to a range of lovable characters and exciting adventures while reinforcing essential letter sounds and reading skills. Created by former Children's Laureate Julia Donaldson, the carefully levelled stories help children build fluency, confidence, and enjoyment as they progress.From meeting Bob Bug and Top Cat to discovering a host of memorable characters and humorous situations, young readers will enjoy practising their phonics through engaging stories that make learning feel fun and rewarding.The collection also includes helpful reading tips, colourful stickers, and a reward chart, giving children extra encouragement as they develop their reading abilities. Perfect for reading together at home, these books support independent learning while helping to foster a lifelong love of reading.Part of the trusted Read with Oxford programme, this phonics collection provides an ideal foundation for children who are beginning to recognise sounds, blend words, and build confidence in their reading journey.Key Features & Benefits• 12 Fun Phonics Stories - Provides plenty of enjoyable reading practice for beginner readers.• Created by Julia Donaldson - Written by the bestselling author of The Gruffalo and the acclaimed Songbirds series.• Supports Early Reading Skills - Helps children develop phonics knowledge, word recognition, and reading confidence.• Carefully Levelled Learning - Designed specifically for children progressing through Read with Oxford Stages 1-2.• Includes Rewards & Activities - Features stickers, reading tips, and a reward chart to motivate young learners.• Perfect for Home Learning - Encourages shared reading experiences while building independent reading skills.Why Readers Love This BookParents and children alike love the combination of fun stories, familiar characters, and structured phonics support. With plenty of encouragement built into every stage of learning, this engaging collection helps young readers develop confidence, practise key reading skills, and discover the joy of reading for themselves.

Do you scream over spiders or bolt from bats? In Scratch's Bad Reputations, Scratch the rat looks at animals that have a reputation for being scary but are they really bad, or just misunderstood?Oxford Reading Tree inFact is a non-fiction series that aims to engage children in reading for pleasure as powerfully as fiction does. The variety of topics means there are books to interest every child in this compelling series. The series is written by top children's authors and subject experts. The books are carefully levelled, making it easy to match every child to the right book.

'A tremendous, mighty ripper of a book. Contains kicks, laughs, hugs and a meteoric fart. Children will love it!' Jim Field, illustrator of Oi Frog and The Lion Inside'Has genuine warmth and depth, wonderfully supported by hilarious illustrations. Children will adore it . . . and adults can be reassured by the brilliantly positive conclusion. A classic in the making.' Vivian French, author of Yucky WormsBESTSELLING, AWARD-WINNING DUO, Gough and Collins, create pure picture-book perfection in this hilarious, whip-smart story about a circle of violence and how it finally gets broken.In a moment of fury, induced by a piece of stolen cake, Tad kicks his best friend Vlad and runs away to hide.Unable to retaliate, but similarly feeling rather cross, Vlad kicks Tad's mum who kicks the postman, who kicks a policewoman who kicks a politician . . . Until the kick travels around the whole world! Only to land back up at Tad's birthday party a year on . . .And then there's something WORSE than a kick in circulation. Oh, WHAT could be worse than a kick up the bum?It's up to Tad to wrestle with his anger and to break the cycle and send something better off round the world.Laugh-out-loud funny, with so many moments of shock and glee, this is the perfect teaching tool for any child who has ever had an outburst! For fans of I Want My Hat Back, I Really Want to Eat a Child and Not Now Bernard.

Dress to impress with There's Nothing Cuter Than a Puppy, a laugh-out-loud full-colour picture book from award-winning, bestselling Ross Collins and Tom Nicoll.Donkeys in dungarees, walruses in woolly waistcoats, hyenas in hoop skirts . . .The Cutest Creature Contest is full of tough competition!But there can only be one winner and there's nothing cuter than a puppy!Or is there . . .?Author Tom Nicoll and award-winning illustrator Ross Collins promise glitz, glamour and goofiness galore in this hilarious picture book with special cameos from familiar faces.

Dress to impress with There's Nothing Cuter Than a Puppy, a laugh-out-loud full-colour picture book from award-winning, bestselling Ross Collins and Tom Nicoll.Donkeys in dungarees, walruses in woolly waistcoats, hyenas in hoop skirts . . .The Cutest Creature Contest is full of tough competition!But there can only be one winner and there's nothing cuter than a puppy!Or is there . . .?Author Tom Nicoll and award-winning illustrator Ross Collins promise glitz, glamour and goofiness galore in this hilarious picture book with special cameos from familiar faces.

The good witches of Wadingburn are worried – there's a new witch in town with a bag of magic bones, and she's so evil she makes their toes ache... Another fun-filled fantasty in the Tales from the Five Kingdoms stories that started with The Robe of Skulls.Truda Hangnail is a very wicked witch, banned from the Five Kingdoms because of her use of deep magic. Then she comes up with a fiendish plan to restore evil to the Five Kingdoms, transforming the good witches of Waddingburn into shrivelled, wicked old witches who will help her take over King Frank’s kingdom on his fiftieth birthday. Luckily, a sweet-natured half-human, half-elf named Loobly is witness to Truda’s evil spell and sets off to fetch help. As the birthday party looms and Truda’s evil gathers strength, Loobly enlists the help of Prince Marcus of Gorebreath and Gracie Gillypot, as well as old friends Gubble the troll and Marlon and Alf the bats, to stop Truda and send her packing to the house of the Ancient Crones to face her just deserts.

The good witches of Wadingburn are worried – there's a new witch in town with a bag of magic bones, and she's so evil she makes their toes ache... Another fun-filled fantasty in the Tales from the Five Kingdoms stories that started with The Robe of Skulls.Truda Hangnail is a very wicked witch, banned from the Five Kingdoms because of her use of deep magic. Then she comes up with a fiendish plan to restore evil to the Five Kingdoms, transforming the good witches of Waddingburn into shrivelled, wicked old witches who will help her take over King Frank’s kingdom on his fiftieth birthday. Luckily, a sweet-natured half-human, half-elf named Loobly is witness to Truda’s evil spell and sets off to fetch help. As the birthday party looms and Truda’s evil gathers strength, Loobly enlists the help of Prince Marcus of Gorebreath and Gracie Gillypot, as well as old friends Gubble the troll and Marlon and Alf the bats, to stop Truda and send her packing to the house of the Ancient Crones to face her just deserts.

An exuberant, hilarious and wildly entertaining fairy tale with a cast of characters who are good, bad and very, very ugly.All is not well in the crumbling castle high above the mountain village of Fracture. The sorceress Lady Lamorna has her heart set on a new robe. A very expensive new robe. To get the cash she will stop at nothing, including kidnapping, blackmail and more than a little black magic. But she reckons without the heroic Gracie Gillypot, not to mention a gallant if rather scruffy prince, two chatty bats, the wickedest stepsister ever, a troll with a grudge – and some very Ancient crones.

An exuberant, hilarious and wildly entertaining fairy tale with a cast of characters who are good, bad and very, very ugly.All is not well in the crumbling castle high above the mountain village of Fracture. The sorceress Lady Lamorna has her heart set on a new robe. A very expensive new robe. To get the cash she will stop at nothing, including kidnapping, blackmail and more than a little black magic. But she reckons without the heroic Gracie Gillypot, not to mention a gallant if rather scruffy prince, two chatty bats, the wickedest stepsister ever, a troll with a grudge – and some very Ancient crones.

Hilarious third book in the Tales from the Five Kingdoms series which began with the popular The Robe of Skulls and features many of the same much-loved characters.It is a fine day for dwarf watching – at least that is what Gracie Gillypott and Prince Marcus think when they set out, quite unaware that Princess Marigold of Dreghorn has set her sights on Marcus, and decided to "follow him to the ends of the earth" – fan, frilly petticoats and all. All is not well; the dwarves are overworked and underpaid, having been expected to produce extra gold for wedding crowns for the wedding of Fedora and Prince Tertius; to deal with the problem, the Chief of Works sends for a couple of trolls who have an agenda of their own – to find a princess for their leader, who believes True Love will melt his heart of glass. Gracie is mistaken for a princess, Marigold gets in everyone's way, Gubble is forced to make a terrible choice ... but fortunately Marlon and Alf are there to save the day.

Hilarious third book in the Tales from the Five Kingdoms series which began with the popular The Robe of Skulls and features many of the same much-loved characters.It is a fine day for dwarf watching – at least that is what Gracie Gillypott and Prince Marcus think when they set out, quite unaware that Princess Marigold of Dreghorn has set her sights on Marcus, and decided to "follow him to the ends of the earth" – fan, frilly petticoats and all. All is not well; the dwarves are overworked and underpaid, having been expected to produce extra gold for wedding crowns for the wedding of Fedora and Prince Tertius; to deal with the problem, the Chief of Works sends for a couple of trolls who have an agenda of their own – to find a princess for their leader, who believes True Love will melt his heart of glass. Gracie is mistaken for a princess, Marigold gets in everyone's way, Gubble is forced to make a terrible choice ... but fortunately Marlon and Alf are there to save the day.

The fifth book in Vivian French's comic fantasy series Tales from the Five Kingdoms. In this hilarious new story, Gracie and Marcus, our much loved hero and heroine are faced with a zombie who is not only horribly evil but an excruciatingly bad musician.It's nearly Cockenzie Rood Day and Prince Albion wants a grand celebration. But his plans are ruined when he is kidnapped by the terrifying zombie Fiddleduster Squint, who wants to get into the Five Kingdoms. When Squint is refused entry across the magical border he and his creepy shadow go in search of giants with the intention of tricking them into causing all sorts of mayhem. It's a race against time but Gracie Gillypot, Prince Marcus and Gubble the troll manage to get there first and avert disaster. Albion can have his party after all, the giants are left in peace and our heroes return just in time to celebrate Queen Bluebell's birthday. What's more, as the series nears the end, it's clear that Gracie and Marcus are headed for a royal romance...

The fifth book in Vivian French's comic fantasy series Tales from the Five Kingdoms. In this hilarious new story, Gracie and Marcus, our much loved hero and heroine are faced with a zombie who is not only horribly evil but an excruciatingly bad musician.It's nearly Cockenzie Rood Day and Prince Albion wants a grand celebration. But his plans are ruined when he is kidnapped by the terrifying zombie Fiddleduster Squint, who wants to get into the Five Kingdoms. When Squint is refused entry across the magical border he and his creepy shadow go in search of giants with the intention of tricking them into causing all sorts of mayhem. It's a race against time but Gracie Gillypot, Prince Marcus and Gubble the troll manage to get there first and avert disaster. Albion can have his party after all, the giants are left in peace and our heroes return just in time to celebrate Queen Bluebell's birthday. What's more, as the series nears the end, it's clear that Gracie and Marcus are headed for a royal romance...

The sixth book in the comic fantasy series Tales from the Five Kingdoms – in which the borders are broken and the Five Kingdoms changed for ever.The Web of Power which keeps the Five Kingdoms safe from evil is under threat. Foyce is determined to destroy it so she can take a terrible revenge on her step-sister, Gracie Gillypot. Meanwhile the five Royal Families are in turmoil. Queen Bluebell is fed up with her tedious grandson, Vincent; Prince Tertius is suffering from the endless nagging of his new wife, Princess Fedora – and on top of everything else there’s a big tournament coming up. Things come to a head when Gubble the troll crashes into King Frank's study, and he and Gracie are thrown into a dungeon. A band of fearsome werewolves are gathering in the forests, and Foyce is among them. Will Gracie, Marcus and a handful of bats be able to save the kingdoms from total disaster?

The sixth book in the comic fantasy series Tales from the Five Kingdoms – in which the borders are broken and the Five Kingdoms changed for ever.The Web of Power which keeps the Five Kingdoms safe from evil is under threat. Foyce is determined to destroy it so she can take a terrible revenge on her step-sister, Gracie Gillypot. Meanwhile the five Royal Families are in turmoil. Queen Bluebell is fed up with her tedious grandson, Vincent; Prince Tertius is suffering from the endless nagging of his new wife, Princess Fedora – and on top of everything else there’s a big tournament coming up. Things come to a head when Gubble the troll crashes into King Frank's study, and he and Gracie are thrown into a dungeon. A band of fearsome werewolves are gathering in the forests, and Foyce is among them. Will Gracie, Marcus and a handful of bats be able to save the kingdoms from total disaster?

Watch out, supervillains. There's a new spy in town . . .Secret Agent Elephant isn't much good at hiding, or disguises, or driving fast cars - but he DOES look dangerously handsome in a tuxedo. Join the world's biggest, clumsiest super spy on his first mission: to find feline supervillain Vincent le Morte and stop him from destroying the world.Good luck, Agent Elephant. The world is counting on you. AND REMEMBER: DO NOT GET DISTRACTED BY THE MINI PIZZAS!The hilariously funny new book from rising-star Eoin McLaughlin and bestselling illustrator Ross Collins.

Watch out, supervillains. There's a new spy in town . . .Secret Agent 00 Elephant has struggled through his secret service tests and how he's ready to take on his first spy mission: to find feline supervillain Vincent le Morte and stop him from destroying the world.He just needs to stay away from those mini pizzas . . .Good luck, Agent Elephant. The world is counting on you. AND REMEMBER: DO NOT GET DISTRACTED BY THE MINI-PIZZAS!

Oh no! The famous Diamondo del Mondo has been stolen! There's something fishy going on. And no one knows fishy quite like . . . Inspector Penguin! Spot the clues throughout the book to help Inspector Penguin solve the mystery!Who could have broken into Baron von Buffetworth's super-secure top-secret safe? And where have they taken his precious diamond?There's only one detective who can solve this mystery: Inspector Penguin! That is, if he can keep his mind off tuna long enough to find some clues . . .An exciting, interactive detective story from the team behind Secret Agent Elephant.

Meet Knitbone Pepper, the lovable ghost dog haunting Starcross Hall and collect all his adventures!Winnie and Knitbone Pepper are thrilled when a vintage plane lands at Starcross Hall, bringing with it Martin the hamster's beloved ghostly owner. But this visitor is a human ghost, and that means only one thing - mischief! Packed with adventure, chuckles and woofs!

Meet Knitbone Pepper, the lovable ghost dog haunting Starcross Hall and collect all his adventures! Knitbone Pepper has made lots of new animal friends since becoming a ghost dog. But his beloved owner, Winnie, is missing him. Can the ghostly gang come up with a plan to help Winnie see Knitbone again? Packed with adventure, chuckles and woofs!