Books by the author CATHERINE RAYNER

Abigail

Abigail

Catherine Rayner

Abigail loves to count. It is her very favourite thing. But when she tries counting Zebra's stripes and Cheetah's spots, they just won't sit still. It's hopeless! What will Abigail do? A beautiful book by award-winning author-illustrator Catherine Rayner, full of gorgeous illustrations of Abigail the giraffe and her friends Cheetah and Zebra. Abigail is a perfect bedtime read with a stunning fold-out night sky ending.

Characters: Abigail

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Arlo The Lion Who Couldn't Sleep

Arlo The Lion Who Couldn't Sleep

Catherine Rayner

Perfect for bedtime, Arlo The Lion Who Couldn't Sleep is a beautifully illustrated story with a gentle mindfulness message from award-wining author-illustrator Catherine Rayner.Shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal, it's especially helpful for little ones who have trouble going to sleep.Arlo the lion is exhausted. He just can't drop off, no matter what he tries. It's either too hot, or too cold; too loud or too quiet. But then he meets Owl. She can sleep through the day, which isn't easy when most other animals are awake! Will Arlo ever get any rest?Perhaps his new friend has some special tricks she can teach him to help him sleep . . .

Characters: Arlo

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Augustus and His Smile

Augustus and His Smile

Catherine Rayner

Augustus the tiger was sad. He had lost his smile. So he did a HUGE tigery stretch, and set off to find it.

Characters: Augustus

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Ernest

Ernest

Catherine Rayner

Celebrating ten years of this much-loved story, Ernest: 10th Anniversary Edition is a wonderfully imaginative book about a moose with a big problem from the award-winning Catherine Rayner.Ernest is a rather large moose with a rather large problem. He is so big he can’t fit inside his book! What is a moose to do? Luckily Ernest is also a very determined moose, and he and his little chipmunk friend aren’t going to give up easily. Will they find a way for Ernest to fit in?Featuring a surprise fold-out ending, children will love this brilliantly funny book from the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal-winning Catherine Rayner, illustrator of The Go-Away Bird by Julia Donaldson. Celebrating ten years of this much-loved story, Ernest: 10th Anniversary Edition is a charming addition to every child's bookshelf.

Characters: Ernest

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Harris Finds His Feet

Harris Finds His Feet

Catherine Rayner

Winner of the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal 2009Harris was a very small hare with very big feet.“Why do I have such enormous feet, Grandad?”Harris sighed.So Grandad shows Harris how to hop high into the sky, to climb to the tops of the mountains, and to run very fast. Harris not only learns about the world around him but also the importance of finding his own feet...A beautiful and remarkable story of a child’s journey to independence.

Characters: Harris

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Iris and Isaac

Iris and Isaac

Catherine Rayner

Iris and Isaac are NOT FRIENDS. Off they stomp, in a big huff, as far away from each other as possible. And as they stomp, they see funny, strange and wonderful things. If only the were together to share them...

Characters: IrisIsaac

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Molly, Olive and Dexter

Molly, Olive and Dexter

Catherine Rayner

Meet Molly the hare, Olive the owl and Dexter the fox, stars of a delightful new series for toddlers from Kate Greenaway Medal-winning artist Catherine Rayner. Molly the hare loves hide-and-seek. “You two hide,” she tells Olive the owl and Dexter the fox, and then she begins to count: “5, 4, 3, 2, 1 – ready or not here I come.” But when she opens her eyes, Molly finds the pair straight away! Soon Molly announces Olive and Dexter have to hide properly. Now she has the opposite problem: her friends have hidden too well... Wherever can they be? This is the first in Catherine Rayner's adorable new picture-book series – delivering the charm of the 100 Acre Wood in an irresistible package for toddlers.

Characters: DexterMollyOlive

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Norris the Bear Who Shared

Norris the Bear Who Shared

Catherine Rayner

Norris loves plorringes! When he spots one ripening in the afternoon sun, he sits back and patiently waits for the fruit to drop from the tree into his paws. But Norris isn't the only one who adores plorringes . . . pesky Tulip and Violet love them too and they can't wait for the one in the tree to ripen, so they scamper up the branch to investigate. So who will get their paws on the delicious fruit first?This beautifully written tale explores themes of friendship, patience and sharing, as well as teaching the five senses.

Characters: NorrisTulipViolet

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Smelly Louie

Smelly Louie

Catherine Rayner

Join the smelliest dog you'll ever meet on his quest to find his Special Smell in this brilliantly funny picture book adventure from the award-winning Catherine Rayner.Louie the dog has just had a bath - and he is NOT happy about it. He smells all wrong. Determined to get his Special Smell back, he goes on a hunt for it and meets lots of smelly things along the way - a fox, some interesting dustbins and a marvellously muddy puddle to roll in. Will he ever get his smell back? And, more importantly, will he be able to keep it this time . . . ?Smelly Louie is a wonderfully funny and very messy story from the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal-winning Catherine Rayner, illustrator of The Go-Away Bird by Julia Donaldson. Full of Catherine's trademark humour and richy-textured artwork, this funny canine tale will be a sure-fire hit with children and adults alike.

Characters: Louie

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Solomon and Mortimer

Solomon and Mortimer

Catherine Rayner

Solomon Crocodile and his friend Mortimer are bored. They want to find some fun, but what can they do? Tree-climbing is tricky, chasing lizards doesn't end well and flying turns out to be a lot harder than it looks. But then they spot the biggest hippo in the river. Just imagine the splash he'd make if two naughty crocodiles were to surprise him! But Solomon and Mortimer are about to get a whole lot more than they bargained for . . . Sure to delight fans of the original Solomon Crocodile, which has sold over 100,000 copies worldwide, Solomon and Mortimer is a warm, funny and charming tale from the Kate Greenaway Medal winning Catherine Rayner, which young children will ask for again and again.

Characters: MortimerSolomon

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Solomon Crocodile

Solomon Crocodile

Catherine Rayner

Poor Solomon is looking for some fun but no one wants to play. The dragonflies tell him to buzz off, the storks get in a flap, and the hippo? Well, the less said about the hippo, the better! But then somebody else starts causing trouble . . . and for once it is NOT Solomon. Could it be the perfect pal for a lonely crocodile?Solomon Crocodile is a snappy, happy, fun story with stunning artwork from the Kate Greenaway award-winning Catherine Rayner.

Characters: Solomon

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Sylvia and Bird

Sylvia and Bird

Catherine Rayner

Sylvia is the only dragon in the whole world, and she is very lonely . . . until one day, she meets Bird. Tiny and chirpy, so different from the huge dragon, Bird somehow changes Sylvia's life for ever.

Characters: Sylvia

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Victor, the Wolf with Worries

Victor, the Wolf with Worries

Catherine Rayner

A beautifully illustrated story with a gentle and encouraging message to help children deal with their worries – from the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal winner Catherine Rayner.Victor the wolf has lots of worries. He worries that he isn't brave enough, that he isn't big enough and that he isn't fierce enough. In fact, Victor feels anxious about almost everything. But when Victor shares his concerns with his best friend Pablo, he starts to feel a bit better. And with Pablo's help, Victor learns even more ways to deal with those pesky worrying thoughts. And as the worries grow smaller, Victor feels a bit bigger, a bit braver, and bit fiercer inside!Victor, The Wolf With Worries is a comforting and reassuring tale that is especially helpful for little ones who have trouble talking about their feelings.

Characters: Victor

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We check all suggestions, so please ensure that all recommendations are picture books aimed at children less than 6 years old.

Sam and Soraya

Built by Sam & Soraya

In 2022 we welcomed our little twins into the world. Since then we have been building up our home library full of baby books to try and give our boys the best start.

While books with characters called Sam are found in bookstores and charity shops throughout the land, we struggled to find any books with Soraya, Jasper, or Xander.

This gave Soraya the idea to compile a list of books for new parents and then Sam decided to turn it in to a website.