Spotlight: The Light in the Night By Marie Voigt

Betty loves her night-time stories, especially the one about Cosmo: a bear that is afraid of the dark.

So when Cosmo comes to life, it is the perfect opportunity for Betty to help him overcome his fear and show him the beauty of the night.

With a lantern in one hand and Cosmo’s paw in the other, join Betty on a wonderful adventure that will light up every child’s story time!

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About the Author

Marie Voigt is an exceptional new picture book talent, with degrees in both Media Design and Marketing. After a successful career in TV, branding and graphic design, Marie realised that making picture books allows her to combine all her passions and skills in the most fulfilling way.

With her work, Marie hopes to delight and inspire so that she may have a small impact on helping make our world that little bit brighter and happier.

Spotlight: Rosie is My Best Friend by Ali Pye

Join these two best friends on a day full of fun!

Rosie and her best friend spend every day together - helping the adults with the gardening and the shopping, learning new tricks, and playing in the park. They even explore outer space and the deepest oceans! When there are scary monsters, they stick together, and although they make new friends, they always come back to each other. There's nothing better than having a best friend, and Rosie is the best best friend you could possibly ask for. 

This gorgeous new book has a clever twist that will tug on the heartstrings!

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About the Author

Ali Pye studied fashion communication at Central St Martins School of Art in London, worked as a copy editor and started a family before finally getting it together to enrol on a part-time MA in illustration at Kingston University. She graduated in 2010, gave up the day job in 2011 and now does what she loves for a living.

Spotlight: PBS KIDS Once Upon A Time. . . A Handbook for Little Storytellers By Early Childhood Experts at PBS KIDS

Once Upon a Time... is a creative storytelling kit from the early childhood experts at PBS KIDS.

Gather round . . . it’s story time! Once Upon a Time. . . is packed with games, prompts, silly scenarios, and creativity-boosting illustrations to get kids as young as 3 or 4 comfortable and confident telling stories. The book is sure to jumpstart the imagination and get the whole family sharing amazing tales about a grumpy bear, a ticklish pirate, a goofy astronaut, and anyone or anything else that they can dream up.

The book comes with 2 wipe-off boards. Kids can draw and erase any idea, character, or action that pops into their head! The options for creative play are endless.

Research shows that storytelling is a wonderful activity for kids (and adults!) of all ages. It:
*Boosts creativity
*Increases focus
*Sharpens memory
*Enhances verbal skills
*Builds confidence

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Spotlight: The Sea Saw By Tom Percival

A beautiful, emotionally satisfying look at how nothing is ever truly lost if you keep it in your heart...

When Sofia loses her beloved teddy after a day at the beach, she is heartbroken. But the sea saw it all, and maybe, just maybe, it can bring Sofia and her teddy back together. However long it may take...

Exquisite collage artwork is paired with an assured, moving text in this very special picture book.

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About the Author

It could be said that Tom Percival had an unconventional childhood in a remote and beautiful part of South Shropshire. But you can just as easily rephrase that by saying that he grew up in a ramshackle and freezing-cold caravan with no electricity or heating. Whichever way you look at it, these formative years are almost certainly what first got him interested in writing and drawing. After trying a few cities on for size, he decided that deep down he had always been a country boy and now he lives on the edge of Rodborough common in Gloucestershire with his girlfriend and their two young sons

Spotlight: The Untold History of the United States, Volume 2: Young Readers Edition, 1945-1962 by Oliver Stone, Peter Kuznick, Eric Singer (Adapted by)

Rediscover pivotal moments in America’s past in this second volume of the young reader’s edition of The Untold History of the United States, from Academy Award–winning director Oliver Stone and Peter Kuznick.

There is history as we know it. And there is history we should have known.

Complete with poignant photos and little-known but vitally important stories, this second of four volumes traces how people around the world responded to the United States’s rise as a superpower from the end of World War II through an increasingly tense Cold War and, eventually, to the brink of nuclear annihilation during the Cuban Missile Crisis. 

This is not the kind of history taught in schools or normally presented on television or in popular movies. This riveting young readers volume challenges prevailing orthodoxies to reveal uncomfortable realities about the US role in heightening Cold War tensions. It also humanizes the experiences of diverse people, at home and abroad, who yearned for a more just, equal, and compassionate world. This volume will come as a breath of fresh air for students, teachers, and budding young historians hungry for different perspectives—which makes it a crucial counterpoint to today’s history textbooks.

Adapted by high school and university educator Eric S. Singer from the bestselling book and companion to the documentary The Untold History of the United States by Academy Award–winning director Oliver Stone and renowned historian Peter Kuznick, this volume gives young readers a powerful and provocative look at the US role in the Cold War. It also provides a blueprint for those concerned with shaping a better and more equitable future for people across the world.

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About the Authors

Oliver Stone made such iconic films as Platoon, Wall Street, JFK, Born on the Fourth of July, Natural Born Killers, Nixon, Salvador, and W.

Peter Kuznick is professor of history and director of the award-winning Nuclear Studies Institute at American University and is currently serving his fourth term as distinguished lecturer with the Organization of American Historians. He has written extensively about science and politics, nuclear history, and Cold War culture.

Eric S. Singer is a high school and university educator. He holds an MEd in curriculum and instruction and a PhD in United States history, and served as the principal researcher for The Untold History of the United States documentary series and companion book. He lives near Washington, DC, with his wife and daughter.

Spotlight: You Are My Happy by Hoda Kotb and illustrated by Suzie Mason

From Hoda Kotb, the Today show co-anchor and the #1 New York Times bestselling author of I’ve Loved You Since Forever,comes a book about gratitude for the things in life—both big and small—that bring us happiness.

As mama bear and her cub cuddle together before closing their eyes for a good night’s sleep, they reflect on the everyday wonders of life that make them happy.

Inspired by her own nighttime routine with her daughter, Haley Joy, Kotb creates another beautiful treasure for parents and children to enjoy together. With charming and lush illustrations from bestselling artist Suzie Mason, this soothing yet playful lullaby explores the simple joy of taking a moment to be grateful.

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About the Author and Illustrator

Hoda Kotb is the Daytime Emmy Award, Edward R. Murrow Award, and duPont-Columbia Award-winning Today show co-anchor and Dateline NBCcorrespondent. Hoda is the author of two adult New York Times bestselling books, including Hoda: How I Survived War Zones, Bad Hair, Cancer, and Kathie Lee. Of all her accomplishments, her proudest moment is the adoption of a baby girl, Haley Joy, in February 2017. She lives in New York City with her boyfriend, Joel Schiffman.

Suzie Mason is a freelance illustrator who draws lovely things—from animals to fairies to multicolored pumpkins—and adores using bright colors to create happy artwork. She is the illustrator of Elephants, written by Rebecca Heller and published in the UK. Suzie works in her little house in beautiful Bournville, England, where she lives with her husband and ball-of-fuzz kitty.