Collins Big Cat

From sea birds to woodland birds - this colourful photographic book introduces children to a wide variety of birds from around the world.

This witty information book describes real and imaginary creatures, and answers the question - are they real? Some of the creatures are from myths and legends, while others are genuine. Included are the Loch Ness Monster, about which there is disagreement, the vampire bat, and the yeti.

Hansel and Gretel are left all alone in the Brown Wood, and have to try to find their way home. This retelling of the Grimm fairytale is by award-winning author, Malachy Doyle.

We all know recycling is important, but what actually happens to the things we recycle? This photographic information book looks behind the scenes at how we recycle, what can be done with recycled material and what the benefits are.

It was Pirate Captain Codspawn's birthday. But what was his birthday surprise? It wasn't the beetles in the butter. It wasn't the spiders in the sugar. And it wasn't the special pirate pie that Cook had baked. But it was the best present a pirate could ever want!

Find out about the natural disasters people face around the world, what effect they have on towns and cities and how we can help to protect people from them. Packed with fact files and maps showing disaster spots as well as high impact photographs, this book will tell you all you need to know 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!

It's a game of hide and seek and Dad the crab is looking for Tim, but he can't find him anywhere. As he hunts around the seabed he finds lots of other crabs in different hiding places, but will he ever find Tim? Written and illustrated by Shoo Rayner this is a fun story with lively, colourful

The Hat Maker sets off on his weekly visit to market, armed with an overflowing cart of hats to sell - but when he stops for a nap in the woods a group of chimps take the opportunity to steal his hats. Will the Hat Maker learn a valuable lesson, or will the chimps always be one step ahead? This

This non-fiction book takes us on a trip with a little girl and her dad as they go for a journey on the big, red bus.

It's night time and many animals are sleeping, but deep in the forest a flying squirrel is waking. She is hungry and looking for food; what will she find to eat? Beautiful photographs show clearly how the flying squirrel moves, what she eats and where she lives.

Once, there were 100,000 tigers in the world, but now these beautiful creatures are under threat of extinction. Find out the reasons for the decrease in tiger numbers, and what we can do to change it, in this photographic information book by Louise Spilsbury.

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

This picture story follows Granny's race against the clock. It's two o'clock and Granny has just one hour to reach her destination. As the minutes tick by, the story shows Granny's increasingly imaginative modes of transport, from skateboard to jet pack, before revealing why she is in such a hurry

Follow this simple instruction text with clear photographs of each stage to learn how to plant your own pips.

An informative picture book that presents a larger-than-life look at the fly and explains that flies can be very useful - despite their capacity to carry germs and cause disease! The humorous cartoons, captivating photographs and informative captions provide a fascinating insight into this common

Spider McDrew gets the chance to play for the Parkfield school football team, in the end-of-season cup draw. As usual though, things are not plain sailing for Spider who lets his side down by giving away a crucial penalty kick. Poor Spider is a pitiful sight as he stands on the touchline all alone.

The brightly coloured photographs in this picture book show common minibeasts that most children will be familiar with. Photographs alongside the minibeasts show children grouped and made up to resemble the insect featured.

What different objects can children use during play? Find out in this photographic non-fiction book.

This non-fiction book explains how sea creatures have spines, stings and teeth and other means to protect themselves from hungry predators. Packed with stunning underwater photographs, there is much to entrance young readers.

Poor Rat! No one wants to be his friend. But when the other animals see how sad he is, they all try to make him feel better. This gentle rhyming story is written and illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark.

When Cat and Dog play in the park, Dog gets into a mess. Cat tries to tidy him up, but ends up getting even messier! This funny story features the lively characters Cat and Dog.

If you dip a net into a pond, what will you see when you scoop it out? This non-fiction book supports work on nature and the world around you.

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

Is There Anyone Out There? investigates whether there is life beyond planet Earth. The non-chronological report examines what we already know about the Solar System and the possibility of life on other planets. It also offers ideas of what aliens in certain sorts of environments might look like.

Joe is waiting for his friend Harry, but each time there is a knock at the door he finds an unexpected visitor waiting for him - each with an unusual problem for him to solve. This humorous story was written by nine-year-old Collins Big Cat Writing Competition winner Dominic Butters and has been

A hungry man and his wife baked a small bun. But as soon as they put it on their plate, the bun jumped up and ran off. This lively version of the traditional story of the gingerbread man is by Martin Waddell.

A photographic non-fiction book that explains the many different types of robots and their uses. The report tells how robots help us in industry, security, and in exploring uninhabitable environments such as other planets, volcanoes, and the depths pf the ocean.

This unique persuasive text takes the form of a fictional holiday to Mars, presenting factual information about the red planet. The text draws comparisons between Earth and Mars, and considers aspects of space travel such as weightlessness and the lack of oxygen.

Do you know how to turn a small, fat thing into a long, thin thing? It's easy - just take a bean and grow a beanstalk! This simple instruction text shows you exacly how to do it.

The lives of a donkey, a dog, a cat and a rooster are turned upside-down when they are abandoned by their owners. Do not fear, however, as these remarkable animals use their wit and sheer determination to get themselves out of their ominous situation. Discover how they use music to save themselves.

'It's time to tug up that gigantic turnip' says the old man who planted it, but how will he and the old lady pull up such an enormous vegetable!

Far, far away, in deep, dark space, was a star. A tiny twinkle. But it was Star Boy's home. Star Boy lived there all alone, with only his robot, Ace, for company. And although Ace was fun to play with, he was just a robot. For his birthday, all Star Boy wanted was a surprise - but how could a robot

This adventure story recounts the first round-world voyage of Tudor explorer Sir Francis Drake through the eyes of Dickon, a lame stowaway, who goes on to become Drake's cabin boy and personal hero. Readers learn about the harsh life that sailors in Tudor times experienced as they coped with

Bill longs for someone to talk to. Then one day the door to his room opens and...a giant bottom comes in! Legs, arms, chest follow as bit by bit, Bill's new giant friend appears. When his friend's last bit finally arrives and he is in one piece, they have plenty to talk about!

Find out how a female vampire, a hairy Troll having a bad hair day, a Super Billy-Goat who is a super pain, and a seriously weird commercial break, all find their way into this twist on a fairytale!

This hilarious set of poems by award-winning and much-loved poet Roger McGough explores the weird and the wonderful. Filled with brand new poems and accompanied by wonderful illustrations from Natalie Kilany, this book will resonate with young readers everywhere.

Collins Big Cat is a guided reading series for ages 4-7 edited by Cliff Moon. Top children's authors and illustrators have created fiction and non-fiction books that your children will love to read, banded to help you choose the right book for every child. Practical ideas for guided reading are

This fantasy story is about two monkeys, who look smart in their new clothes. Mojo has new shoes, and Weeza has a new hat ... until it flies away in the wind. In their humorous search, Mojo and Weeza mistake a pan, a nest and a turtle for Weeza's hat, before retrieving it from a muddy pond.

World War 2 is over and things in Britain are changing. For Philip and his family this means moving out, from the grey, cramped city to wide open spaces. But Gran doesn't want to leave her home for so many years. What will the family do?