Jo Lodge, Jungle Animals

Mantra Lingua, | Suggested age range: 0-3

Dual Language. Available in 20 languages

'As tall as a giraffe', 'As snappy as a crocodile' - a simple phrase accompanies each of these delightful pop-ups of the different animals in the jungle. Robustly made, these pop-ups will survive a lot of handling!

The Giant Turnip

Henriette Barkow (Illus. Richard Johnson), The Giant Turnip

Mantra Lingua, | Suggested age range: 3-5

Dual Language. Available in 22 languages

Adapted from the traditional Russian tale, this version of the story tells how Miss Honeywood's class plant and water and weed their vegetable garden. When they return from holiday they find that one vegetable has grown and GROWN. How they manage to pull the giant turnip from the ground and turn it into soup for all makes a warmhearted story celebrating the bounty of nature and the pleasure of joint endeavour.

Elmer's Friends

David McKee, Elmer's Friends

Milet, | Suggested age range: 3-5

Dual language. Available in multiple languages

Elmer the patchwork elephant introduces his friends - Zebra who is the stripiest, Giraffe who is the tallest, Snake who is the longest, and so on. A vibrant introduction to some of the most common animals in a bright, easy-to-handle board book.

The Swirling Hijaab

Na'ima bint Robert (Illus. Nilesh Mistry), The Swirling Hijaab

Mantra Lingua, | Suggested age range: 3-5

Dual language. Available in 20 languages

A little girl can recreate herself in many different roles and in many different places with a swirl of her mother's hijaab. Dressed in this, she can be a warrior queen or a beautiful princess; it can be a Bedouin tent or a cloth for a tea party. So many different ways to play and, best of all, she can always be comforted by it at the end of a busy day. The illustrations convey the imaginative play that lies at the heart of this story.

Lion Fables

Jan Ormerod, Lion Fables

Mantra Lingua, | Suggested age range: 3-5

Dual language. Available in 28 languages

Two fables from different countries highlight the differences between a powerful animal such as a lion and a small animal such as a mouse or a hare. How power can result from qualities other than size or speed lies at the heart of fables which explore human characteristics. In 'The Lion and the Mouse', the lion saves the mouse, never thinking that one day the mouse may save him. In 'The Hare's Revenge', the hare tricks the boastful lion and sends him crashing headlong into a well. Two thought-provoking stories with strong illustrations that reflect powerful characteristics at work.

Fox Fables

Dawn Casey, Fox Fables

Mantra Lingua, | Suggested age range: 6-7

Dual Language. Available in 34 languages

Fox Fables is two stories in one volume. The first is a version of an Aesop's fable. The fox and the crane try to outwit each other with tricks about different ways of eating. The second is a Chinese story, 'The King of the Forest'. Here, the cunning fox needs all his skills to outsmart the tiger and prove that he really is the King of the Forest. Children can draw lessons from both while enjoying the tense drama and the beautiful illustrations.

Yeh-Hsien: A Chinese Cinderella

Dawn Casey (Illus. Richard Holland), Yeh-Hsien: A Chinese Cinderella

Mantra Lingua, | Suggested age range: 6-7

Dual Language. Available in 24 languages

The very oldest story of Cinderella comes from China, although it has been adopted all over the world. Yeh-Hsien has a wicked step-mother and mean sisters who keep her in drudgery. When spring comes, Yeh-Hsien longs to go to the Spring Festival in the village but she knows she will never be allowed to. Luckily, she has a magic fish... All ends happily in this beautiful version set against a vivid Chinese background.

Grandma's Saturday Soup

Sally Fraser (Illus. Derek Brazell), Grandma's Saturday Soup

Mantra Lingua, | Suggested age range: 6-7

Dual Language. Available in 30 languagues

Mimi loves her Grandma and during the week everything she does reminds her of the things Grandma does and says. Most of all, they remind her of Grandma's wonderful Saturday soup, full of yams and green bananas and cho-cho and pumpkin and much else besides. It is delicious! Luckily, when Saturday comes around, Mimi visits Grandma and gets a helping of her most favourite soup. Grandma's stories about Jamaica are picked up in the atmospheric illustrations which contrast snowy scenes of life at home with the warmth and light of the Caribbean.