Böcker i Collins Big Cat-serien

Read the fantasy story by Julia Donaldson about a mermaid and a greedy octopus, filled with colourful illustrations.

Julia Donaldson tells the tale of the misfortunate characters Bonny and Sandy, who are forever arguing. One day a little man comes to stay, and it looks as though their luck has changed.

The red balloon flies up, up and away! Follow the balloon's journey over the captivating landscape of the rooftops, river, mountains and the sea in this simple non-fiction recount.

Bert's Band like to play as they march down the street. When they win the cup, they arrive back at their home town at midnight, and very carefully remove their shoes and socks so as not to disturb the townsfolk as they march down the street - playing at full belt! This lively text is ideal to read aloud, with lots of opportunities to join in.

Rebecca went to the funfair with mum and dad. She didn't like the hall of mirrors, and the rollercoaster made her turn green - but when she won lots of prizes on a stall, she decided that she liked it after all! The funny illustrations show Rebecca's gradual change of opinion, and include lots of details for early readers to talk about.

'There are sounds all around you...Which sounds do you like?' This is a simple non-fiction book about the wide variety of sounds we head and how they are made. The text is illustrated with lively photographs of children listening, and making noise!

A bright, action-packed non-fiction book that explains how to dance. The step-by-step instructions include sequential words at the start of each sentence: First, Next, Then, Now and Stop. Photographs of children dancing support and clearly demonstrate the actions referred to in the text.

This comical story is a patterned, counting text about a band of pirates searching for treasure. One-by-one, they get into trouble and make a hasty retreat back to the pirate ship. Helpful vignettes of the pirates at the top of each page help children count how many pirates are left.

Worm is fed up with earth for lunch and wants something more exciting. He tries eating grass, bark and even a leaf on the advice of various animal friends - and almost becomes lunch himself when a hungry bird appears!

A wordless picture book about a birthday party. The photographs provide a window on all the preparations, the birthday tea, the guests arriving at the party, the gifts and the games. Come and join the fun!

Where do you see stripes around you? This non-fiction picture book looks at all sorts of stripes. Do you see them on a zebra's fur, or as shadows on the pavement, or on a bright, woolly jumper? Alongside each photograph is a close-up snapshot that magnifies the various textiles and materials in detail.

How do different animals carry their babies? In this book readers will discover, through a series of photographs, that some animals carry their young by the teeth, some on their backs and others in a special pouch.

The photographs and text in this non-fiction picture book combine to give an account of a child getting ready to go out skateboarding. The book presents a glimpse of what makes this exhilarating activity so popular.

What happens when Mum is in the garden tidying up, but thechildren just want to play? This simple, humorous story book shows two boys creating mayhem while Mum works on, unaware. It explores the different places they find to play, from the tent, to the sandpit, through the grass, the leaves and the mud before finally ending up in the bath.

This simple picture book with a familiar theme, looks at the different thigns that a family take on a picnic; the rug, the basket, the sandwiches, the cakes and the drinks. The scene is set for a perfect picnic, until the wasps arrive!

What's inside a nut? What's inside a pod? What's inside you and me? The clear photos in this book will show children what's inside all sorts of things, from a pea inside a peapod to the skeletons inside us.

It's a lovely day for walking in the park. Before long the dog is chasing a duck through the mud, and dragging its owner into mud and a pond. The dog is taken home, shakes water all over the car and Dad, and at home gets hosed down in the garden - along with poor Dad!

Who ate the cake? Tec the detective follows the crumbs to find out. Children follow Tec as he trails his suspects, until he finds the vital clue that leads him to the guilty party! Martin Chatterton's colourful illustrations bring the characters of Tec and his faithful hound vividly to life, and provide lots of talking points throughout the story.

This captivating non-fiction book compares pet cats and wild cats, pointing out the features common to both. Each spread consists of a beautifully illustrated and labelled feature of a domestic cat on the left, and a high quality photograph of the corresponding feature in a wild cat on the right.

In this simple non-fiction report we are introduced to the various creatures in a typical pond: frogs, snails, dragonflies, pond-skaters, fish and birds. Each spread features a high quality photograph of the creature on the left, and artwork of pupils and their teacher studying the animals in their natural habitat on the right.

'It is dark in the park. It is dark in the street.' This superb patterned non-fiction text uses atmospheric illustrations to show what happens in the neighbourhood when it is dark. Who can be found in the city streets when children are tucked up in bed? Which animals prowl in the wood by the light of the moon?

Hippo wants to play on the see-saw. But who will play with him? In this humorous story a hippo wants to go on a see-saw, but no other animal is heavy enough to get hippo off the ground. It takes a group of animals to do it - and in the end, it is a tiny mouse that makes the difference.

Bill went for a walk. He went over a river, up a hill and into a wood and behind a waterfall. A few steps behing Bill, however, is a hungry bear with an eye on Bill's sandwiches. The bear's attempts to grab the sandwiches are foiled be a variety of minor disasters.

Gran has sent an exciting birthday present but how long will Woody have to wait for his gift, a model house, to be built? The new flatpack toy presents Woody's family with a challenge but as the days go by, Woody has an idea of his own. Who needs a kit to build a house when the gift comes in a box large enough to design a house of your own?

In this non-fiction recount of a family trip to the dump, simple text combined with Ley Honor Roberts lively and inimitable cartoon-photo collage style brings environmental issues to life. The family's journey around the dump shows how different materials are sorted into different containers, ready for recycling.

What do you like to eat? This non-fiction recount features several children answering the question over the course of a day. It features different types of food using photographs, labels, speech bubbles and a clock face showing when different meals are typically eaten.

Tec the detective turns up again for another mystery. This time, Tec sets out to discover that he is the culprit as the litter came out of a hole in his pocket!

Mole sets out to see the wind. He asks every animal he meets if they see the wind and they all say no. The illustrations tell a different story: windswept trees, blowing leaves and litter show that the wind is actually blowing, though invisible to them.

A simple non-fiction book that shows where people shop for shoes, food and other things. Photographs show children role-playing in different types of shops while illustrations show typical examples of such shops.

It's midnight, and the guinea pigs are not in their cage! In this humorous story, two guinea pigs stray from their cage to a park before returning home again in time for breakfast. Their night-time adventure is told through a series of illustrations with very simple repetitive text.