Oliver Postgate's death in December 2008 was greeted with great sadness. For over forty years his name was synonymous with the best in children's television - Bagpuss, The Clangers, Ivor the Engine, The Pogles, Noggin the Nog, Pingwings. Oliver wrote and narrated the stories, while Peter Firmin illustrated the characters and made the puppets. Their classic films are still loved by viewers of all ages.In this delicious autobiography Oliver Postgate describes how he came to create his...

Murderous Maths: The Secrets of Sums is full of facts, tricks and tips to help children discover why numbers are nifty and arithmetic is amazing. Updated for the relaunch of the primary national curriculum in autumn 2014, children can learn all about prime suspects, diabolical division, sneaky signs and much more with simple explanations and hilarious characters to guide them through. Illustrated by Philip Reeve and presented in a bold, funky and accessible way so children can find out why...

The Little Red Hen works hard all year to grow grains of wheat to make bread. Not one of her friends is willing to help her, so do they deserve the delicious treat at the end? Simply written in lively, flowing text Usborne First Reading books are designed to capture the imagination and build the confidence of beginner readers. This book includes audio and links to downloadable worksheets and teacher's notes."Irresistible for children learning to read. " - Child Education Plus

The Ugly Duckling leaves home and goes out alone into the world. Will he ever find anyone to love him? Written for beginner readers, this illustrated retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's classic tale is brought to life by audio narration."Irresistible for children learning to read. " - Child Education Plus

The Three Little Pigs all set off to build a new home, but will their new houses keep them safe from the Big, Bad Wolf?

Is there a God, should I eat meat, where does the universe come from, could I live for ever as a robot? These are the big questions readers will be wrestling with in this thoroughly enjoyable book. Dip into any chapter and you will find lively scenarios and dialogues to take you through philosophical puzzles ancient and modern, involving virtual reality, science fiction and a host of characters from this and other planets. The text is interspersed on every page with lively cartoons, and th...

NOW A MAJOR FILM STARRING DAME MAGGIE SMITH'The first book that ever made me laugh out loud' Adam Kay'Utter genius' Daily MailIn 1974, the homeless Miss Shepherd moved her broken down van into Alan Bennett's garden. Deeply eccentric and stubborn to her bones, Miss Shepherd was not an easy tenant. And Bennett, despite inviting her in the first place, was a reluctant landlord. And yet she lived there for fifte...

David Mitchell, who you may know for his inappropriate anger on every TV panel show except Never Mind the Buzzcocks, his look of permanent discomfort on C4 sex comedy Peep Show, his online commenter-baiting in The Observer or just for wearing a stick-on moustache in That Mitchell and Webb Look, has written a book about his life.As well as giving a specific account of every single time he's scored some smack, this disgusting memoir also details:the singular, pitbull-in...

'Maeve's Times is funny and clever and kind, which are excellent qualities in both books and people' Irish Times'As someone who fell off a chair not long ago trying to hear what they were saying at the next table in a restaurant, I suppose I am obsessively interested in what some might consider the trivia of other people's lives.'Maeve Binchy is well known for her bestselling novels, but for many years Maeve was a journalist. From 'The Stu...

The Robot Riot! Test:Henry McThrottle suspects that the new girl, Roberta Flywheel, isA: a spy.B: a boy.C: a robot.Roberta writes in her diary that she is on a mission toA: kiss Henry.B: clean up the school.C: exterminate all humans.Henry and his friends ask Grant Gadget to buildA: a treehouse.B: a sandcastle.C: a robot-fighting robot.

The first volume of Clive James's autobiography.'I was born in 1939. The other big event of that year was the outbreak of the Second World War, but for the moment, that did not affect me.'In the first instalment of Clive James's memoirs, we meet the young Clive, dressed in short trousers, and wrestling with the demands of school, various relatives and the occasional snake, in the suburbs of post-war Sydney. His adventures are hilarious, his recounting of them even more so, ...

The dazzlingly funny second volume of Danny Baker's memoirs: the television years.Since my first book was published I have had countless friends and family members get in touch to say how come I hadn't included this story or that tale. Was I ashamed of being shot twice, once up the arse, in Jamaica Road? How long should a man live with such a secret? If by retrospectively dropping my trousers every few pages I can reveal a fuller picture of myself during these year...