With her magic paintbrush, Shen can paint steaming pots full of fish & oysters to feed the hungry people in her village, but when the evil emperor hears of her gift he commands Shen to paint gold for him instead. She is determined to keep her promise to paint only for the poor, but how can she match the emperor`s mighty power? In The Magic Paintbrush, Julia Donaldson`s brilliant verse combines with beautiful illustrations from Joel Stewart, creator of The Adventures Abney & Teal, to bring vibrant life to a traditional tale of how a little girl`s integrity can withstand the corruption of power & greed. This edition features a stunning redesigned cover, making it a must-have addition to the bookshelves of all Donaldson fans
- big & small!
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Full colour red Early Reader about the legendary Arthur, Merlin & the sword in the stone, written & illustrated by James Mayhew. Early Readers are stepping stones from picture books to reading books, perfect for building confidence in new readers & reluctant readers. A blue Early Reader is perfect for sharing & reading together. A red Early Reader is the next step on your reading journey. Long ago, in the days of knights & castles & magic, there lived a wizard called Merlin. One night, in a churchyard in London, Merlin casts a spell on a sword. He pushes it into a stone & writes magic words, saying: He who pulls this sword out of the stone, is the true King of Engl&. Then Merlin waits for the boy who will be king. Full colour Early Reader edition of the popular myth about the sword in the stone. ...

Angela Carter`s classic The Magic Toyshop is a story of discovery, dramatic growth & sexual awakening. Melanie ventures in the midnight garden wearing her mother`s wedding dress; having closed herself out of the house, she climbs the apple tree in front of her window in the black of the moon, naked, in an attempt to go back to her room. Omens of disaster swiftly follow, transporting Melanie from rural comfort to London, to her uncle`s mysterious Toyshop.A story that uses magic, myth & constant reference to fairy tales to drags you into a dark enchanted London, where everything seems to governed by fear, lust & danger. A London that is smoky, dichensian & truce, populated by her Uncle Phillips` uncannily life-sized puppets & by darkness, which surrounds all things & eats away their colours. Angela Carter`s writing is pyrotechnic, fuelled with ideas, packed with images & spangling the night with her starry language. & The Magic Toyshop established her as one of the most imaginative & original writers of the twentieth century. ...

Settle down by the fire & immerse yourself in this mesmerising new colouring book for adults & children alike. Join celebrations across the world & throughout the years, from skating at the Rockefeller Center to surfing in Sydney & frost fairs on the Thames to Victorian toy shops. Travel with the wise men following a star, spot Santa`s sleigh skimming over the rooftops & discover dazzling gingerbread houses with Lizzie`s intricate inky illustrations. Fans of mindfulness & art therapy will love this beautiful Christmas gift book. ...

The Magical City is a brand new colouring book by award-winning illustrator Lizzie Mary Cullen, exploring the hidden magic of cities. Open your mind to the hidden wonder of urban landscapes across the world with this beautifully intricate colouring book. From London to Luxor, follow cobbled pavements through winding streets, look up at skyscrapers soaring to the skies, & gaze over rooftops & dreaming spires. & as you colour & doodle your way through these illustrations, you`ll find hidden details emerge not only on the page but also in the world around you. For fans of Johanna Basford`s The Secret Garden & Millie Marotta`s Animal Kingdom, this is a stunning new colouring book for adults & children alike. ...

After centuries of mystery, the mythical Magical Unicorn Society has published its official handbook. These learned lovers of unicorns have created a treasure chest of unicorn lore
- the facts, the fiction, the where, why & what of these elusive beasts. This is the ultimate gift for anyone who truly believes. Discover the myth of the Gold & Silver Unicorns, & the legendary stories of the seven unicorn families. Find out about their unique powers, where they live around the world, what they eat & how to have the best chance of spotting one. Learn about the history of the Magical Unicorn Society
- from its foundation to the present day
- & how to become a member. With breathtaking artwork from Helen Dardik & Harry & Zanna Goldhawk (Papio Press), & stunning design & production, this special book gallops through a history of these mythical creatures & looks at their magical future.


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Yasha the magician
- sword swallower, fire eater, acrobat & master of escape
- is famed for his extraordinary Houdini-like

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` He scampered over rooftops, swam in deep water, leapt from balconies.` Set in the vanished world of the shtetl of nineteenth-century eastern Europe, this spellbinding fable tells the story of Yasha: magician, mesmerist, juggler, sword swallower, master of escape
- & breaker of hearts.
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Shortlisted for the 2017 Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature. ` How much risk is worth taking for so beautiful a prize?` The Magician`s Glass by award-winning writer Ed Douglas is a collection of eight recent essays on some of the biggest stories & best-known personalities in the world of climbing. In the title essay, he writes about failure on Annapurna III in 1981, one of the boldest attempts in Himalayan mountaineering on one of the most beautiful lines
- a line that remains unclimbed to this day. Douglas writes about bitter controversies, like that surrounding Ueli Steck`s disputed solo ascent of the south face of Annapurna, the fate of Toni Egger on Cerro Torre in 1959
- when Cesare Maestri claimed the pair had made the first ascent, & the rise & fall of Slovenian ace Tomaz Humar. There are profiles of two stars of the 1980s: the much-loved German Kurt Albert, the father of the `redpoint`, & the enigmatic rock star Patrick Edlinger, a national hero in his native France who lost his way. In Crazy Wisdom, Douglas offers fresh perspectives on the impact mountaineering has on local communities & the role climbers play in the developing world. The final essay explores the relationship between art & alpinism as a way of understanding why it is that people climb mountains.

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In The Magnetic North, Sara Wheeler documents her journeys around the Arctic regions of the globe. The book is the product of two years of smaller trips that add up to a circular, anti-clockwise voyage around the top of the inhabited world: from Siberia to Alaska, to Canada, to Greenl&, to Spitsbergen, to Lapland & back to Russia, to the White Sea. The book is part travelogue, part Arctic history, part scientific & political debate & part elegy to a fast changing region of the earth in the 21st century. Wheeler examines the allure of the Arctic & its hold on our imaginations, & encounters the people who live & work on the edge of the world in a book that tells of men eating boots, gulag ghosts & toxic polar bears… ...