Chris Riddell

Ottoline is going away to the Alice B. Smith School for the Differently Gifted, and she has one worry she cannot quite shake: what if she does not have a special gift at all? Mr Munroe, her loyal and hairy friend, has a different concern. The school may be haunted. As lessons begin and the strange school starts to reveal its secrets, Ottoline must look closely, think carefully, and trust her own kind of cleverness. A ghostly rumor, unusual classmates, and mysterious happenings turn school into a case worth investigating. Full of detailed black-and-white illustrations, gentle humor, and puzzle-solving charm, Ottoline Goes to School is a warm mystery-adventure for readers who enjoy unusual schools, loyal friends, and clever heroines.

Ottoline and Mr Munroe usually do everything together, which makes it deeply alarming when Mr Munroe suddenly disappears. All he leaves behind is a strange clue written in string. Ottoline does not wait around. With her Amateur Roving Collectors’ travel pass, she sets off to find her best friend, following clues over, under, and on top of the sea. The journey is full of odd details, unusual places, and the kind of mystery that rewards careful looking. Ottoline at Sea is a charming illustrated adventure about friendship, worry, and determination. With Chris Riddell’s intricate black-and-white artwork and gentle humor, it is especially appealing to readers who like mysteries, travel adventures, and clever visual storytelling.

Little Green Raincape is on her way to Rapunzel’s party, and the wild wood is full of familiar faces behaving in very surprising ways. The path is long, the forest is tricky, and not every helpful stranger should be trusted. Green is clever enough to refuse suspicious apples, ignore questionable advice from wolves, and step into one fairy-tale problem after another with confidence. Along the way, she meets characters readers may recognize from classic stories, all woven into a fresh and funny adventure. Once Upon a Wild Wood is a lively picture book filled with fairy-tale twists, visual jokes, and warm, detailed illustrations. It is especially appealing for children who enjoy spotting characters and discovering how old stories can be playfully reimagined.

Jim is just trying to sleep when a shaggy head appears from under the bed. Mr Underbed is uncomfortable on the floor and would very much like to climb in. Jim kindly lets him, but one monster in the bed soon becomes a noisy problem. When Jim looks for another place to sleep, he discovers that his room is not as empty as it seemed. Drawers, cupboards, and hidden corners all have nighttime visitors of their own, and every one of them wants space in Jim’s bed. Mr. Underbed is a funny bedtime picture book that turns monster fears into comic chaos. With warmth and silliness, it invites young readers to laugh at the creatures that usually seem scary after dark.

Wendel is a brilliant inventor, but he has one terrible habit: when something does not work, he throws it on the scrap heap and starts again. Even Clunk, his loyal robot assistant, is tossed aside after a few messy mistakes. Wendel’s new creation, the mighty Wendelbot, seems like the perfect replacement at first. It cleans, organizes, and takes charge with alarming enthusiasm. Soon Wendel discovers what it feels like to be treated as unwanted junk, and getting his workshop back will not be easy. Wendel’s Workshop is a funny picture book packed with robots, inventions, chaos, and a gentle message about waste and second chances. It is ideal for children who enjoy mechanical mayhem, comic battles, and clever visual details.

Hedgehog is getting ready for his long winter sleep, but there is one thing he has never known: what winter is like. Snow, cold air, frozen quiet, sparkling days—he will sleep through it all. So he asks his friend Rabbit to save him a little bit of winter for spring. Rabbit wants to keep his promise, but he is forgetful, and winter is long. As the snow falls and food grows scarce, remembering a promise becomes harder than he expected. A Little Bit of Winter is a gentle woodland story about friendship, seasons, and doing your best for someone you love. Warm, funny, and tender, it is well suited to young readers who enjoy animal stories with heart.

Ottoline Brown is no ordinary girl. She lives in Big City with Mr Munroe, her small, hairy best friend, and together they care for the Brown family’s unusual collections while keeping an eye out for mysteries. When high-society dogs begin disappearing and jewels vanish across the city, Ottoline has the perfect tools for the case: sharp eyes, a love of disguise, and a partner who is always ready to help. Their investigation leads them toward the Yellow Cat, a stylish feline crook with a clever plan. Quirky, funny, and packed with detailed illustrations, Ottoline and the Yellow Cat is a charming first mystery in the Ottoline series. It is ideal for readers who enjoy detective stories, animal characters, and books with pictures worth studying closely.

Absurdia is not the sort of place where breakfast, bedtime, or trees behave properly. Fish snore in the sky, umbrellas grow like trees, and wardrobe monsters may be waiting just around the corner. A small boy tumbles out of bed and into this wonderfully topsy-turvy dreamland, where every page offers something strange to notice. As he explores, he meets odd creatures, searches for a dragon, and discovers a world where silliness has its own perfect kind of sense. With playful language and richly detailed illustrations, The Emperor of Absurdia is a picture book for children who love imaginative adventures, funny surprises, and dream worlds that feel both cozy and completely upside down.

Ottoline and Mr Munroe are excellent at puzzles, clues, and noticing what other people miss. When a mysterious purple fox invites them on a night-time safari through the city, Ottoline brings her field notebook and prepares to observe a hidden world. Their journey reveals secret animals, quiet corners, and poems left anonymously on lampposts. Mr Munroe studies the poems carefully, while Ottoline tries to understand who wrote them and why the writer might need help. Beautifully illustrated and gently mysterious, Ottoline and the Purple Fox is a clever city adventure for curious readers. It mixes detective work, friendship, humor, and a touch of tenderness, all in a richly drawn world made for careful looking.

Get ready to meet Long John McRon, the most unusual babysitter you will ever see! When your parents go out for the evening, Long John arrives with a whole crew of wild, swashbuckling pirates right behind him. Suddenly, a perfectly normal night turns into a riotous adventure beneath a glowing pirate moon. It is time to gather around the pot and make some magical Pirate Stew! With flying ships, massive doughnut feasts, and plenty of silly surprises, this rhyming adventure is an absolute blast to read aloud. You will want to join this wacky crew and sail away on a deliciously fun journey that proves anyone can be a pirate.

Flora is absolutely not like the other mice living in the walls. While her parents and siblings spend all their time scrounging for crumbs and hiding from danger, Flora is focused on getting an education. Every day, she quietly observes the kindergarten class in her country schoolhouse, paying close attention to the lessons until she actually learns how to read. Her family thinks she is wasting her time with useless human letters, but Flora knows her new skill is incredibly valuable. When a professional exterminator visits the schoolroom and leaves behind dangerous, sweet-smelling pellets, the hungry mouse family is ready to feast. It is up to Flora to read the warning labels and stop them before it is too late. Armed with her sharp mind and a powerful vocabulary, she must find a way to outsmart the exterminator and guide her family to safety. This clever, suspenseful tale shows that knowledge truly is the ultimate survival tool.

When Mom goes away on a business trip, she leaves Dad with one very important rule: do not forget to buy the milk! Unfortunately, Dad forgets. The next morning, a brother and sister wake up to dry cereal and a father who must make a quick run to the corner store. But what should have been a simple errand turns into an impossibly long absence. When Dad finally returns, he has a wildly unbelievable story to explain his delay. His excuse involves a time-traveling stegosaurus in a hot-air balloon, a crew of grumpy pirates, a volcano god, and some very strange, globby green aliens. Oh, and a perfectly normal, highly important carton of milk that must be rescued at every turn! From the brilliant mind of Neil Gaiman comes a spectacularly silly, mind-bending adventure packed with hilarious illustrations. This fast-paced, laugh-out-loud tale of time travel and treachery will leave you wondering just how far a father will go to ensure his kids can enjoy their morning breakfast.