Layn Marlow has been illustrating and writing for children since 2005. Her titles have sold over a million copies worldwide and been translated into more than 20 different languages.
Layn’s warm and well-observed picture books include the award-winning Hurry Up and Slow Down (OUP, 2008) and A Very Strange Creature (written by Ronda Armitage – Orchard Books 2009).
TOO SMALL FOR MY BIG BED
Piper is a little tiger cub whose daily dilemma will be familiar to toddlers everywhere. During the day he wants to be brave and fearless, he wants to do everything all by himself. But as bedtime approaches, Piper doesn’t want to be brave, he wants to feel Mummy by his side. So every night he pads over to Mummy’s bed. Through gentle demonstration that he is big enough to do all sorts of things all by himself, and reassuring him that she’s never far away, Mummy is able to persuade Piper to sleep through the night in his own bed.
Learning one of life’s lessons becomes something to savour in this beautiful picture book that focuses on an important toddler milestone.
Written by Amber Stewart. Illustrated by Layn Marlow.
YOU MAKE ME SMILE
It’s the first snowfall of winter and the little girl in this story is filled with that sense of wonder we all experience when the world turns white. She builds a snowman and gives him a twig smile so that they may share a moment of happiness and know the promise of a friendship that will be renewed each year.
Told through a simple narrative and with stunning illustrations, this is a book that focuses on the bonds of love and friendship and the pleasure we can give to each other with just a smile: messages that are perfect for the Christmas season.
Written and illustrated by Layn Marlow.
I'LL CATCH YOU IF YOU FALL
The message in this book is that we all need someone to watch over us. Through beautiful watercolour paintings that flood the pages with colour and atmosphere we follow a little boy, his mother, and grandfather on a boat trip and their return to the safety of the harbour and home. The pictures are so evocative that they transport us onto the deck of the little fishing boat on the ocean, they let us taste the salty spray of the waves, hear the rumble of the storm, and see the guiding brightness of a star that shines as darkness falls. But the book is more than the depiction of a journey, it’s a lyrical exploration of what it means for us to be loved and nurtured and how each of us wants to feel safe and secure, even at those times when we crave adventure and independence.
This is an unashamedly lyrical book. With powerful words and beautiful illustrations, it is bound to become a favourite at bedtime.
Written by Mark Sperring. Illustrated by Layn Marlow.
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