Children’s books
♥︎made with love♥︎
Welcome to Mama Makes Books! In 2026 we are proud to be celebrating our 5th birthday as a small, independent UK publisher that creates books for children, from newborns to 8-year-olds. Our books are made with love for our children and our planet. We hope you enjoy discovering them as much as we did making them.
NEW PUBLICATION:
SNEEZES AND WHEEZES
ALL BOOKS & OFFERS
Illustrated by Paula Bowles
Meet Rex and his dinosaur crew – they’re here to help you handle everyday toddler challenges!
Rex to the rescue! When his friends have the sneezes and the wheezes, the dots and the spots, the ouchies and the grouchies, Rex is on hand with blankets, plasters, get-better cream and things to cheer them up, Until Rex himself gets the sneezes and the wheezes. Who will be there to look after him? His grandpa, Big T, of course. And when they’re better, his friends all repay the kindness.
Packed with interactive fun – a ‘find-me’ flap, an 'opening eye' pop, and a big pop-up ending - Sneezes and Wheezes keeps toddlers aged 2 to 4 engaged while gently encouraging positive behaviours. The text has rhyme and repetition, playful dialogue and familiar themes, which make it a book you’ll enjoy reading together again and again.
Helps children to understand why they feel poorly and encourages kindness when others do too
Builds emotional confidence and independence
Interactive features keep toddlers engaged
Ideal for shared reading and learning through play
So if you want a book to cheer up your child when they are poorly, Sneezes and Wheezes will make it a bit better and put a smile on their face.
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Illustrated by Paula Bowles
Meet Rex and his dinosaur crew – they’re here to help you handle everyday toddler challenges!
“The Hatchlings are hatching. Quick come and see! Three little babies just like me. Out they pop one, two, three!”
Rex is excited to become a big brother, but he doesn’t know what big brothers do. His older friends are on hand to help. They all have siblings and each one shares their experience so he is fully prepared and ready to become the best big brother he can be. He even learns how to share… sometimes!
Packed with interactive fun – a ‘find-me’ flap, an 'opening eye' pop, and a big pop-up ending - The Hatchling keeps toddlers aged 2 to 4 engaged while gently encouraging positive behaviours. The text has rhyme and repetition, playful dialogue and familiar themes, which make it a book you’ll enjoy reading together again and again.
Prepares little ones for what to expect and how to make babies happy
Builds emotional confidence and independence
Interactive features keep toddlers engaged
Ideal for shared reading and learning through play
So if you’re a family expecting one, two or three new arrivals, The Hatchlings makes it easier to talk about - and a whole lot more fun.
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Illustrated by Paula Bowles
Put the fun back into bedtime with Rex and his dino friends! They’re here to help you handle everyday toddler challenges with warmth humour and a little dino magic.
BookTrust Book of the Day - A very sweet board book that makes bedtime fun for all little dinosaurs!.
• A funny rhyming story for 2 to 4s
• Encourages a good bedtime routine
• The ‘find-me’ flap, opening eye and pop-up keep young children engaged
• Ideal for shared reading and learning through play
• Builds emotional confidence and independence
Rex sets out to discover how his friends get to sleep. One by one they show him how to brush his teeth, enjoy a relaxing bath, find (and use) his own pee-pee tree and snuggle down with a good book. Enter Big T, Rex’s grandpa and hero, to put yawning Rex to bed, reminding him that sleep is the only way to power up for another day of play!
Whether you’re finding it hard to settle at night or just want a joyful story to enjoy at bedtimes, Not Sleepy makes bedtime easier to talk about - and a whole lot more fun.
Look out for Big Like You about healthy eating and trying new foods, The Hatchlings about becoming an older sibling and Sneezes and Wheezes about feeling poorly and caring for others.
Safety tested and printed on FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council) board.
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Hands are not for hitting or grabbing. They are for hugging, playing, making music and help you read this book!
Gentle Hands for Gentle Children shows young children all the wonderful things they can do with their hands – and addresses some of the things they shouldn’t do. With adorable illustrations of a diverse range of children modelling good and bad behaviours, this book encourages good behaviour and offers an explanation as to why they should use their hands for the amazing things they can help them do.
PUBLISHING FEB 2027
Illustrated by Paula Bowles
Meet Rex and his dinosaur crew – they’re here to help you handle everyday toddler challenges!
Rex is a spirited, curious little dinosaur with four older friends who are a guiding influence in his life. In Big Like You, Rex sets out to discover how he can become as big, strong, fast and smart as his pals. One by one they explain that eating their favourite superfoods might be the answer. He won’t find out unless he tries them, so he does. Enter Big T, Rex’s grandpa and hero, who is always a source of encouragement and love. He reminds Rex that if he continues to eat well, he might just become as magnificent as his grandpa!
Packed with interactive fun – lift-the-flaps, an 'opening eye' pop, and a big pop-up ending - Big Like You keeps toddlers aged 2 to 4 engaged while gently encouraging positive behaviours. The text has rhyme and repetition, playful dialogue and familiar themes, which make it a book you’ll enjoy reading together again and again.
Encourages healthy eating habits
Builds emotional confidence and independence
Interactive features keep toddlers engaged
Ideal for shared reading and learning through play
Whether you’re dealing with a picky eater or just want a joyful story to enjoy at mealtimes, Big Like You makes healthy habits easier to talk about - and a whole lot more fun.
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Listening Ears do not shut off and ignore others. They help us learn, connect with people and express how we feel. They wake up our brains and our bodies to help us think and stay safe.
Listening Ears for Good Listeners shows young children all the wonderful things their ears will do when they switch them on and really listen.
PUBLISHING FEB 2027
Mother&Baby Awards 2027 Shortlist: Best Product for a Newborn
This high-contrast, fold-out book is the essential first book for newborn babies. Called a game-changer by new parents, it’s a go-to for tummy time, car rides and nappy changes. Designed to be spread out in front of your baby, the panorama of images are perfect for keeping a baby’s brain busy while their muscles are hard at work.
• Suitable from birth to 1 year
• Side 1: bold black-and-white images with splashes of colour for developing vision
• Side 2: photographs of baby faces for older babies who love looking at other babies
• And for REAL giggles, there’s a mirror, because babies LOVE looking at themselves!
• Safety tested to the highest Toy Safety Standard of EN71 and carries the CE mark
• Designed for tummy time, but great for nappy changing, car rides and independent playtime
Sharing books with your child is one of the most beneficial things you can do to give them a head start in life, so why not start from birth? It’s proven to be good for them! Read our blog post: Fostering a love of books is proven to give young children an educational headstart.
There’s also Reading Time and Playtime! for more tummy time stimulaton.
Printed on FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council) board.
New York Times Best Board Book for Babies (2025)
A Made for Mums Silver Award Winner (2024)
Included in Scotland’s Baby Boxes given to all newborns (2022)
A BookTrust Bookstart book (2021)
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Playtime! is a high-contrast fold-out book with finger wiggle holes to encourage key developmental skills while you have fun together.
Like our bestselling book, Tummy Time!, it folds out and stands up in front of newborns during the all-important tummy time – a practice encouraged by healthcare professionals to prevent flat spots on the back of the head, and to strengthen muscles in their necks and upper bodies. These early months are also when a baby’s brain is developing faster than at any other time in their lives. Reading together is proven to accelerate language and literacy, giving children a head start in life.
A newborn baby’s world is a blur of light and dark and moving forms. They are attracted to high-contrast images, faces and movement, so this finger-wiggle book is a perfect first book. With babies turning their heads towards the movement, it helps build strength and flexibility, and gives parents a fun opportunity to engage with their babies face-to-face. The simple text introduces new vocabulary and encourages parents to read playfully with intonation, trumpeting loudly, like an elephant, or wagging the puppy’s tail excitedly.
One side features all your favourite animals and by putting your finger through the hole it becomes an elephant's trunk trumpeting loudly or a puppy’s tail wagging excitedly. On the other side is a wiggle train and only you know where the wiggly worm will pop out next. Your baby will love the anticipation and will turn their head towards the movement.
So go on. Read to your baby. It’s good for them!
Good for:
Bold black-and-white images with splashes of colour for your baby’s developing vision
Use the finger wiggle holes to entertain your baby as you read and play with the book together
The simple text will help your baby with sound making and introduces new vocabulary
Newborn to 12 months
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**Shortlisted for The Week Junior Book Awards 2024 - Children's Book of the Year: STEM Book**
**Shortlisted for the School Library Association's Information Book Award 2024**
**Books for Topics Recommended Reads: 50 Best Books for Year 1**
**Chalkdust Readers' Choice 2023**
That's Mathematics is a maths book like no other. It's a vibrant, colourful book for young children showing them that maths is useful, interesting, fun and EVERYWHERE! They use it every day when they count, share, play, do sport, make cakes or move to music.
Aimed at children from 5 to 8 years, the youngest can enjoy it as a picture book, reading Tom Lehrer's rhyming song lyrics and looking at Elina Braslina's joyful illustrations. They will pick up a basic understanding of real-world maths and learn some core maths language along the way. Older children are challenged to 'Try This' and 'Explore This' by author Chris Smith, who is a maths teacher, musician and all-round maths enthusiast. The activities are designed to deepen their curiosity and knowledge.
There are supporting online activities to continue the fun, plus notes for parents to encourage you to get involved and help you discuss topics covered and keep the learning going after the book is closed.
Good for
Introducing real-world maths to young children
Reading together - the main text is a rhyming song illustrated with busy images and lots to spot and talk about
Family fun – the whole family can get involved with the challenges
Introducing maths vocabulary, ideas and knowledge, giving your child a head start at school
TO HEAR THE SONG SUNG BY TOM LEHRER AND TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE BOOK CLICK HERE
FOR THE ONLINE ACTIVITIES CLICK HERE
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A Fun, Colourful Maths Activity Book for Ages 7-9
Give your child a maths confidence-boost with this vibrant, hands-on activity book designed to make real-world learning fun. Designed for children aged 7-9, it turns everyday situations - like cooking, sport, shopping, birthday parties and daily routines - into engaging maths challenges.
What’s Inside:
Number writing and number-order puzzles
Seek-and-find counting activities
Shopping and mental-arithmetic games
Pattern-spotting and problem-solving tasks
Full-colour, joyful illustrations by Elīna Brasliņa
This fun-packed activity book is based on lyrics by mathematician and musician Tom Lehrer and shows children that maths is useful, interesting and truly everywhere.
A perfect choice for parents looking for playful, meaningful maths practice at home.
Award-Winning Companion Title That’s Mathematics was chosen as a Best Book for Year 1 by Books for Topics and shortlisted for both The Week Junior Book Awards and the SLA Information Book Award.
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Reading Time is a high-contrast fold-out book that offers babies the opportunity to exercise their body and their brains while enjoying some reading time and bonding time with a loved one.
Like Tummy Time! (BookTrust’s Book Start Pick for 2021), the book opens out and stands up in front of newborns during the all-important tummy time, a practice encouraged by healthcare professionals because it prevents flat spots on the back of a baby’s head, and encourages them to use muscles needed for rolling, sitting and crawling. However, these early months are also when a baby’s brain is developing faster than at any other time in their lives. Reading together is proven to accelerate language and literacy, giving children a head start in life.
The book has bold black-and-white images with splashes of bright colour for a baby’s developing vision. The images are some of the first words children learn to say, such as cat, car, book and teddy, so it serves as a first words book, but it also has a soothing, rhythmical nursery rhyme based on “I see the moon, the moon sees me” which babies will love to hear their loved ones read. And there is mirror at the end to personalise the shared reading experience so the reader inserts their own name as they look in the mirror together.
“I see Mummy. Mummy sees me.
Say, “Night, night, Mummy. Night, night me.”
So go on. Read to your newborn. It’s good for them!
Good for
Newborn to 9 months
Perfect for tummy time, nappy changing time and together time
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Give a child the gift of self-belief and the power to shine brightly every day.
Sow the seeds of self-belief in your child at an early age with this transformative board book of daily affirmations designed to build self-worth, resilience and confidence in young children.
I shine like the Sun.
I am precious like the Earth.
I am gentle like the Moon.
I am mighty like the wind …
More than just phrases – they are the seeds that grow into beliefs that can be returned to in times of self-doubt. A child who believes they are 'mighty like the wind' will face challenges with positivity and fearlessness.
The beautiful collage artwork introduces children to the most powerful elements around them – including the Sun, the Earth, fire and water – and by asking them to repeat the accompanying affirmations, you are embedding self-esteem and a connection to the natural world.
The highlight of the book is its built-in mirror to reflect your child saying the most uplifting affirmation of all: 'I love myself. I love my world. I am happy to be me!'
• This is a positive tool for adults who want to impart in children a sense of self-love and love of the planet
• Low self-esteem impacts every area of a person’s life. Introducing the idea of self-talk and self-love at an early age will help to establish positive mental health and the resilience to cope with life’s challenges
• An affirmation mirror will make the phrases more impactful and the messages more powerful
Printed with eco-friendly inks on FSC paper.
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BABY LOOK! It’s your very first book. And you’re going to love it!
This multi-sensory playbook is a book to grow up with through each developmental phase from 8 months up to 2½ years. There is a surprise at every page turn — something to touch, slide, or see — to develop coordination and fine motor skills. The thick board pages and robust mechanisms are designed to withstand enthusiastic handling, and it's a fun way to learn counting, colours, parts of the body, and lots of new vocabulary.
210 x 210mm, board book with 8 pages, including touch-and-feel textures and embossing, a mirror, die-cuts, sliders and a cover wheel
Good for
6 months to 2½ years
Developing fine motor skills & vocabulary
Learning colours, counting, parts of the body, animal sounds, actions, emotions
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Baby say ‘hello’ to this very first word book, with bumpy pages, flaps, finger trails and tabs for easy page-turning.
BABY SAYS is a touch and say book, introducing babies and toddlers to first vocabulary. By seeing and feeling the embossed images, and hearing someone say the words, young children are using three senses to acquire language and make an association between picture and word.
Each spread has a theme: animals, family, park, mealtime and on the road, with lots to spot and say.
210 x 210mm, thick board book with rounded corners, tabs, 10 pages, flaps, embossing and embossed finger trails
Good for
1 to 3 years
Learning first vocabulary
Word-picture association
Developing fine motor skills
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These Choose Your Mood Board Books are a fun, interactive way for young children to recognise their emotions and develop their emotional vocabulary, using animal associations, decision-making and mood-lifting suggestions. Teresa Bellón’s animal characters brilliantly visualise the moods and feelings to help children identify their own. The double-sided ‘You Choose’ puzzle pieces offer different ways for children to play with the book and offer parents and carers a tool to open conversations to foster good mental health through play.
Happy as a Lamb focuses on emotions – 10 physical, reactive emotions, HAPPY, GRUMPY, EXCITED, SAD, SAFE, SCARED, JOYFUL, ANGRY, PROUD, EMBARRASSED.
So, are you as HAPPY as a lamb or as GRUMPY as a goat? Look at the illustrations, choose your mood, and if you’re grumpy, jump around the room like a spring lamb to lift your mood. This uses role-play, exercise and humour. So try it with your child when their grumpy. You’ll be laughing at one another soon enough!
Other suggestions include breathing techniques, mindfulness, or seeking help or comfort.
Good for…
Children 2 to 5
Focusing on 10 emotions, such as joy, sadness, excitement, embarrassment
Enabling children to identify their feelings and develop their emotional vocabulary
Tried-and-tested strategies to help turn negative feelings into more positive one
A fun and physical way for parents and carers to open up conversations
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These Choose Your Mood Board Books are a fun, interactive way for young children to recognise their emotions and develop their emotional vocabulary, using animal associations, decision-making and mood-lifting suggestions. Teresa Bellón’s animal characters brilliantly visualise the moods and feelings to help children identify their own. The double-sided ‘You Choose’ puzzle pieces offer different ways for children to play with the book and offer parents and carers a tool to open conversations to foster good mental health through play.
Brave as a Lion focuses on feelings – 10 long-lasting but often hidden feelings, BRAVE, WORRIED, CUDDLY, LONELY, CALM, JUMPY, BOLD, SHY, STRONG, LAZY.
So, are you as CUDDLY as a KOALA or LONELY as a LEOPARD? Look at the illustrations, choose your mood, and if you’re feeling lonely, find your best bear or human and tell them that you need a hug - hugging yourself feels good too. This encourages children to seek comfort and reassurance from a trusted person to make them feel better. So suggest it to your child for those times when they feel lonely.
Other suggestions include breathing techniques, exercise, humour, role play and mindfulness.
Good for…
Children 2 to 5
Focusing on 10 feelings, such as scared, tired, angry or upset
Enabling children to identify their feelings and develop their emotional vocabulary
Tried-and-tested strategies to help turn negative feelings into more positive one
A fun and physical way for parents and carers to open up conversations
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BABY LOVE is a touch-and-feel book that is ideal for bedtime. It follows the night-time routine, from tickles at changing time to snuggles at bedtime, with a gentle text that leads you through the book.
Inside are both gorgeous photos of babies and cute illustrations, providing lots of conversation cues to encourage speech and develop vocabulary.
It is also built to withstand lots of enthusiastic handling, with thick board pages, textures
and flaps that babies will love.
210 x 210mm
Board book with 5 spreads including touch-and-feel textures, glitter and flaps, FSC board
Good for
6 months to 2½ years
Bonding with your baby
A sensory and play-filled reading experience
Developing vocabulary
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Bright, bold and built for little hands, this sturdy flap book is a fun, interactive way to introduce the first 100 words in a child’s vocabulary, from the usual tractor and trains to spaghetti, swimsuit and superhero!
BABY’S FIRST 100 WORDS has five themed double-page spreads, each one with flaps to lift and a tab for easy page-turning. The themes are around the home, getting dressed, vehicles, animals and mealtime. The images are bright, colourful and inclusive, and the flaps are integrated (not stuck on), designed to be strong enough to withstand enthusiastic handling.
BABY’S FIRST 100 WORDS is the fourth book in our internationally successful Baby Sensory series for children 8 months up to 3 years old. Other titles are BABY LOOK!, BABY LOVE and BABY SAYS.
Each book is designed for children who like books that DO things with thick board, rounded corners, and so much inside to keep their attention. There are textures to stroke, wheels to turn, finger trails to follow, mirrors to look into and lots, lots more.
Good for…
• Children 1 to 3 years old
• Any toddler’s bookshelf
• Word-picture association is essential for developing vocabulary and speech
• Flap books are great for gross and fine motor skills
• Built for enthusiastic little hands: thick board pages and sturdy integrated flaps
• Page tabs make page-turning easier
• The words included are not just nouns, but include verbs and adjectives – carefully selected as the first words in a child’s vocabulary
• Diverse and inclusive
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Fluffy, Flying Seed is the fourth book in our Start Small, Think Big series that sets young readers on a journey of discovery, beginning from the small and familiar to new areas of knowledge where you really have to think big!
From the moment a child opens the textured cover with the peep-through hole, they will be transported to a meadow on a windy day to see tiny dandelion seeds being carried by the wind. One lands safely in a sunny patch of grass, the perfect place to grow. This is its story, how it grows, protects itself from frost, reproduces and becomes a food source for many creatures. There are facts interspersed within an easy-to-read story on primary science topics, such as germination, photosynthesis, seed dispersal, parts of a plant, and food chains. The story narrative progresses in a way that builds understanding and the gorgeous illustrations bring the story, and the science, to life.
Thinking big, the book shows why this much maligned wildflower is important for animals in the spring, and why it is so successful at surviving and spreading. A big fold-out world map shows the temperate regions where dandelions thrive, an illustrated life cycle, and an I-Spy game to take children back into the book to find and name the animals within the detailed pictures.
Good for…
Children 4 to 8
Primary science: the lifecycle of a plant, food chains, photosynthesis,
seed dispersal, parts of a plant and moreClear narrative text with two levels - main text written in the first-
person for emerging readers, and additional information for
confident readers or shared readingTextured cover with a cut-through, a big fold-out with world map
and an I-Spy gameBeautiful illustrations: a blend of non-fiction realism and picturebook beauty
230mm x 230mm hardback with textured cover and cut-through hole, 28 pages including a 6-page fold-out.
FREE SCHOOL RESOURCES AVAILABLE HERE
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Little, Brown Nut is the second book in our Start Small, Think Big series that sets young readers on a journey of discovery, beginning from the small and familiar to new areas of knowledge where you really have to think big!
From the moment a child opens the textured cover with the peep-through hole, they will be transported to the Amazon rainforest to see a huge fruit falling from the tallest tree.
Inside is a little brown Brazil nut, surrounded by 20 others. It sits and waits for an agouti, a rodent with teeth so strong that it can free the nut from its hard casing. The story of the Brazil nut tree and the agouti is told clearly and carefully, with facts about germination, photosynthesis, seed dispersal. The narrative progresses in a way that builds understanding and the gorgeous illustrations bring the story and the science to life.
Thinking big, the book shows why the rainforest is important to local people and the wider world.
To make this book truly special, there is a big fold-out at the back, with a world map, a picture lifecycle, and an I-Spy game to take children back into in the book to find the polar animals.
Good for…
children 4 to 8
primary science: the lifecycle of a tree, germination, photosynthesis and other life processes, the role rainforests play in a healthy planet
Clear narrative text with two levels - main text written in the first-
person for emerging readers, and additional information for
confident readers or shared readingTextured cover with a cut-through, a big fold-out with world map
and an I-Spy gameBeautiful illustrations: a blend of non-fiction realism and picturebook beauty
230mm x 230mm hardback with textured cover and cut-through hole, 28 pages including a 6-page fold-out
FREE SCHOOL RESOURCES AVAILABLE HERE
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TUMMY TIME! • READING TIME • PLAYTIME!
A special offer for our friends, online customers and Mama community, our three tummy time books for only £15 (RRP £20.97). Now your babies really won’t get bored during tummy time or nappy changing time because you can mix it up – look, read, play!
ONLY AVAILABLE HERE WHILE STOCKS LAST
SMALL SPECKLED EGG • LITTLE BROWN NUT • TINY FLOATING CORAL
A special offer for our friends and online customers, our three Start Small, Think Big books for only £22 (RRP £32.97). Expand your child’s world with these beautiful science-based books that focus on life cycles but open out to a world of discovery! Easy-to-read, narrative non-fiction for curious young children with two text levels – the main text for newly emerging readers and reading together. The caption text is for able readers and little David Attenboroughs who are fascinated by the natural world.
Small Speckled Egg - the life cycle of an Arctic tern, which covers core KS1 subjects, such as polar regions, migration, food webs and more
Little Brown Nut - the life cycle of a Brazil nut tree, which covers core KS1/2 subjects, such as the Amazon rainforest, food chains, pollination and more
Tiny Floating Coral – the life cycle of a coral on Australia's Great Barrier Reef, which covers core KS1/2 subjects, such as coral reefs of the world, oceans, food webs and more
ONLY AVAILABLE HERE WHILE STOCKS LAST
Click here for free online activity sheets for EGG
Did you know that farmers sometimes put duck eggs under broody hens to hatch them? The duckling and hen fall in love and it’s as natural as natural can be...until the duckling starts swimming!
CLUCK CLUCK DUCK is the first book about the humorous goings-on at the Funny Farm, illustrated by Rachael Saunders. Each book has an early-learning concept and CLUCK CLUCK DUCK introduces early maths skills. There is fun page of pop-up chicks to count, plus a surprise fifth egg. When a duckling hatches, the chicks accept their surprising sibling, and Mama Hen adores them all. But when grumpy old Sheep reveals the truth, what can the chicks do to reassure their sister and put Sheep in his place?
An uplifting, warm-hearted story of the nature of animals, family acceptance and love.
170 x 180mm, 10 pages with flaps and pop-up flaps
Good for
18 months to 3 years
Fun story time for toddlers
Introducing counting and early maths skills
Learning about animal nature and an understanding of the world
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Small, Speckled Egg is the first book in our Start Small, Think Big series that sets young readers on a journey of discovery, beginning from the small and familiar to new areas of knowledge where you really have to think big!
From the moment a child opens the textured cover with the peep-through hole, they will be transported to the Arctic. What will hatch from the speckled egg?
The cute fluffy chick that emerges will grow into one of the most remarkable creatures on the planet – an Arctic tern. Learn why it is extraordinary by seeing her grow up quickly, learning to fly and feed on the wing. At two months old, she is ready to embark on her record-breaking migration from the top of the world to the bottom and back again – a journey she does every year of her life. Her story is told clearly and carefully in a way that builds understanding, and it ends with the 50 fluffy chicks she has in their lifetime.
To make this book truly special, there is a big fold-out at the back, with a world map, a picture lifecycle, and an I-Spy game to take children back into in the book to find the polar animals.
Good for…
Children 4 to 8
Primary science: the lifecycle of a bird, food chains, migration,
seasons and polar regionsClear narrative text with two levels - main text written in the first-
person for emerging readers, and additional information for
confident readers or shared readingTextured cover with a cut-through, a big fold-out with world map
and an I-Spy gameBeautiful illustrations: a blend of non-fiction realism and picturebook beauty
230mm x 230mm hardback with textured cover and cut-through hole, 28 pages including a 6-page fold-out
FREE SCHOOL RESOURCES AVAILABLE HERE
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One big tractor, shiny and new.
One small tractor, rusty and blue.
TRACTOR TRACTOR is a farmyard opposites book, perfect for tractor-mad toddlers. There are flaps to lift and sliders to make the tractors move, along with a humorous rhyming story to make reading together fun.
The story begins when a new tractor arrives to help out with the harvest. Red is new, shiny, fast and strong. Blue is an old faithful, small and rusty but wise and calm. Lift the flaps and slide the sliders to see what happens in this warm-hearted story that shows, despite being opposites, young and old can make a great team and be the best of friends.
Ideal for children aged 1 to 3
Good for
18 months to 3 years
Fun story time for toddlers
Introducing the concept of opposites, teamwork and friendship
A great book for grandparents to share with their grandchildren
Also available in the Funny Farm series, Cluck, Cluck Duck, a counting book starring a duckling born into a chicken family. It’s a funny scenario, true to real rural life, but the underlying message is of family love, loyalty and acceptance.
FREE ACTIVITY SHEETS HERE
Links to your favourite retailer here: LoveReading (10% off and school donation) • Waterstones • Bookshop.org • Amazon
The third book in our Start Small, Think Big series that sets young readers on a journey of discovery, beginning from the small and familiar to new areas of knowledge where you really have to think big!
Tiny, Floating Coral starts with a tiny coral planula floating through the ocean in a soup of plankton, looking for a place to settle, divide and grow. It finds a place on a healthy reef off the coast of Australia. Learn about this remarkable animal, how it feeds, starts a colony and becomes a part of the Great Barrier Reef – a vast underwater city where other animals live, feed and bring up their young. The story’s narrative progresses in a way that builds understanding, and the delicate illustrations bring the story to life.
Thinking BIG, the book highlights that 25 per cent of marine life relies on the world’s coral reefs, and at the back the big fold-out map shows where they are. There is also an illustrated life cycle, and an Animal I-Spy to take children back into the book to find the reef animals.
Good for…
children 4 to 8
primary science: the life cycle of coral, marine food webs, metamorphosis, fluorescence, and other life processes, the role reefs play in a healthy ocean
Clear narrative text with two levels - main text written in the first-person for emerging readers, and additional information for confident readers or shared reading
Textured cover with a cut-through, a big fold-out with world map and an I-Spy game
Beautiful illustrations: a blend of non-fiction realism and picture-book beauty
230mm x 230mm hardback with textured cover and cut-through hole, 28 pages including a 6-page fold-out
FREE SCHOOL RESOURCES AVAILABLE HERE
To buy from us, a small independent business, click the ADD TO BASKET button.
Or click your favourite retailer here:
LoveReading (10% off and school donation) • Waterstones • Bookshop.org
Small, Sparkling Raindrop is the fifth book in our Start Small, Think Big series that sets young readers on a journey of discovery, beginning from the small and familiar to new areas of knowledge where you really have to think big!
From the moment a child opens the textured cover with the peep-through hole, they will be transported to the mighty Mekong River and the South China Sea. This is the story of the water cycle and the journey of a small, sparkling raindrop, how it forms, where it falls, how it contributes to the ecosystems of our mountains, rivers and seas. There are facts interspersed within an easy-to-read story on primary science topics, such as the impact of water on the land and different ecosystems, how vital it is for all living things, the environmental threats of over-fishing and pollution. The story narrative progresses in a way that builds understanding and the gorgeous illustrations bring the story, and the science, to life.
Thinking big, the book shows why clean, healthy rivers are vital for both people and wildlife, including the endangered Irawaddy dolphin severely threatened by over-fishing and pollution. A big fold-out world map shows the major rivers of the world, an illustrated water cycle, and an I-Spy game to take children back into the book to find and name the animals within the detailed pictures.
Good for…
Children 4 to 8
Primary science: life processes and how all living things need water;
states of matter; physical properties; erosion; rivers; watery habitats;
and the impact of healthy and unhealthy riversClear narrative text with two levels - main text written in the first-
person for emerging readers, and additional information for
confident readers or shared readingTextured cover with a cut-through, a big fold-out with world map
and an I-Spy gameBeautiful illustrations: a blend of non-fiction realism and picturebook beauty
230mm x 230mm hardback with textured cover and cut-through hole, 28 pages including a 6-page fold-out.
FREE SCHOOL RESOURCES AVAILABLE HERE
To buy from us, a small independent business, click the ADD TO BASKET button.
Or click your favourite retailer here:
LoveReading (10% off and a school donation) • Waterstones • Bookshop.org
WINNER OF BOOKS FOR TOPICS’ BEST BOOKS OF 2021: BEST CURRICULUM SUPPORT KS1
“A wonderful celebration of nature and the inspiring and diverse contributions that species make to the world we live in.” – Professor Helen Roy, member of the British Ecological Society
“Engaging and understandable for newly independent readers, and the style makes for a fabulous non-fiction read aloud.”– @MissNCleveland, teacher and book blogger
“I hope every primary school in the land buys a copy – they really should!” – Dr George McGavin, lecturer, scientist, explorer and BBC presenter
In this beautiful picture book, endorsed by the British Ecological Society and illustrated by award-winning Hannah Bailey, a teacher challenges her class to decide which is the most important animal of all. Seven children champion a different animal for the top spot.
Is it bees as master pollinators, or elephants who shape their landscape and spread seeds? Or tigers who keep populations in balance? Also included are beavers, bats, sharks and krill.
Learning why these animals are important develops an understanding of ecosystems and the interconnectedness of everything. With lots of information about these and other super-animals, this is a positive and gentle primer to the worrying issues of habitat loss, endangered species and climate change for young children.
Good for
Encouraging inquiry, discussion & critical thinking
Cross-curricular primary science
Learning about animals and their contribution to the planet
FREE SCHOOL RESOURCES AVAILABLE HERE
To buy from us, a small independent business, click the ADD TO BASKET button.
Or click your favourite retailer here:
Love Reading 4 Kids (10% off and school donation) • Waterstones • Bookshop.org • Amazon
There’s always something happening at the Funny Farm…
TRACTOR TRACTOR and CLUCK CLUCK DUCK are companion books about the humorous goings-on at the Funny Farm – ideal for toddlers from two up to four years old. CLUCK CLUCK DUCK is a sweet book about family love and loyalty that introduces the concept of counting. TRACTOR TRACTOR is all about teamwork and finding friendship in unlikely places, introducing the concept of opposites
The rhyming stories are fun to read, and there are big flaps for little ones to lift and sliders to slide, so they can make the chicks pop up out of their eggs or the tractors go forward and backwards to harvest the hay. There are little animals to find on every page, too.
170 x 180mm, 10 pages with flaps and sliders
Good for
18 mos +
Fun rhyming story time for toddlers
Introducing early learning concepts, opposites, counting, teamwork, family and friendship
Great books to enjoy with your children, grandchildren or in nursery settings
A fascinating delve into the life of an African dung beetle, covering its life cycle and the super-strength it takes to keep the planet tidy.
This book will feed the curiosity of the youngest of readers who are:
• keen to know how the world works
• fascinated by nature
• enjoy learning new information
The story is carefully written for children learning to read, with additional factual captions for more advanced readers.
And here’s the WOW-factor – a large fold-out map of Africa at the end, with diagrams and a fun I-Spy game to take children back into the book to find and identify animals in the pictures.
Small, Shiny Dung Beetle is part of the Start Small, Think Big series of science-based picture books:
• Aimed at children aged 4 to 8
• Covers KS1 primary science subjects that children learn at school: life cycles, parts of an insect, grassland food webs, metamorphosis, predation and other life processes, the role decomposers and recyclers play in a healthy ecosystem
• High-quality educational content, beautifully illustrated
230mm x 230mm hardback with 28 pages including a 6-page fold-out.
Printed on FSC paper with eco-friendly inks
FREE SCHOOL RESOURCES AVAILABLE HERE
To buy from us, a small independent business, click the ADD TO BASKET button.
Or click your favourite retailer here:
LoveReading (10% off and school donation) • Waterstones • Bookshop.org • Amazon
Featured in BookTrust's Great Books Guide 2025-2026
Meet the planets and discover why Earth is so special in this heart-warming story about our solar system.
Somewhere in our vast universe floats a little blue dot. This dot is Earth and she is surrounded by lots of impressive planets – Saturn with his ice-crystal rings and 146 moons, fiery Mars with his huge storms and volcanoes, bright and beautiful Venus... Earth feels small and insignificant, until the other planets tell her why she is the envy of them all. And then a child also has something important to say…
🌟 “This is an absolutely brilliant start to a child’s understanding of space, planets and the solar system… a joy to read.” Children's Librarian and Reviewer @erinlynhamilton
• A perfect introduction to the solar system for 4 to 8 year olds
• A fun story that delivers lot of information about the planets in a way that is easy to understand
• Features all the planets with their vital statistics and key facts
• Includes a subtle message about celebrating difference and reassuring those that may feel unimportant next to others
• Longlisted for the School Library Association's Information Book Award 2024
Sustainably produced - printed on FSC paper, with eco-friendly inks and varnish, laminate-free
To buy from your favourite retailer: Amazon • Love Reading for Kids (a percentage to a school of your choice) • Bookshop.org • Waterstones
Happy as a Lamb and Brave as a Lion
"Bright, fun, interactive board books perfect for helping children explore their emotions" - LoveReading4Kids
“Really clever board books … enabling communication about feelings, which feels fun and has a toy-esque quality that children will love.” - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, BookTrust
Perfect for children 2+. Spark emotional intelligence with these playful books that:
• Help your child to develop their emotional vocabulary so they can tell you how they are feeling
• Have fun animal characters that cleverly visualise the feelings so children can identify their own
• Include suggestions for turning unwanted feelings into more positive and healthy ones - with breathing techniques, exercises, mindfulness and play
• Puzzle pieces which turn the books into a game and encourage play
Use both titles and address the different needs of basic emotions and complex feelings:
Happy as a Lamb includes 10 emotions: happy, grumpy, excited, sad, safe, scared, joyful, angry, proud and embarrassed
Brave as a Lion includes 10 feelings: brave, worried, cuddly, lonely, calm, jumpy, bold, shy, strong and lazy
SPECIAL OFFER: Buy both books from Mama Makes Books, a small, independent children’s books publisher, and get FREE p&p! Use code FREEP&P2024 at checkout.
BROWSE OUR CATALOGUE
UK 2027, trade catalogue
MAMA’S BLOG
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Children’s books
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