Pages of Contentment with our Must-Have Children's Books

From Wimpy Kid to Winnie the Pooh: the year’s biggest Children’s hits. [Pages of Contentment] Dear Reader, Two gorgeous signed editions lead the charge today in our line-up of the children’s books most deserving of your consideration in the final Christmas countdown. [Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets] First out of the gates and in impossibly limited supply is the signed second volume of Jim Kay’s properly-stunning realisation of [J.K. Rowling]’s extraordinary universe. In eye-popping full colour, [Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Illustrated Edition] picks up directly from the visual majesty of Kay’s interpretation of [Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone], presenting an illustrated vision of the boy wizard’s world that is somehow both familiar and yet utterly unexpected. Inscribed by the artist himself, we’ve held on to handful of copies strictly for Waterstones.com - needless to say, our supply is unlikely to last long so we would genuinely recommend prompt action if you are looking to secure your copy. [Find out more] [Ottoline & the Purple Fox] Our love for writer, illustrator and Waterstones Children’s Laureate [Chris Riddell] knows absolutely no bounds – his services as Laureate have been utterly tireless – and we’re thrilled to be able to present our second signed opportunity in the elegant shape of Riddell’s [Ottoline and the Purple Fox]. This is the fourth in the utterly beguiling Ottoline series, featuring the doughty and resourceful Ottoline Brown, a young girl forever to be found in adventure with her unlikely friend, the Norwegian bog-man Mr. Munroe. In this latest story, the pair find themselves in the company of a rather enigmatic fox who helps them see their city in a whole new light, all whilst juggling with a typically bizarre mystery of lampposts and anonymous poems! Brimming with invention (and the appearance of someone rather special from Mr. Riddell’s extended creative universe), again our hoard of these signed copies is limited. [Find out more] [The Tale of Kitty-in-Boots] 2016 has been quite the year for anniversaries and two in particular have held our attention as booksellers. At the outset of the year, a stir surrounding the discovery of an as-yet unpublished manuscript by [Beatrix Potter] neatly coincided with the 150th anniversary celebrations of her birth: by September, [The Tale of Kitty in Boots] was born, a magical new addition to the Potter canon, illustrated by none other than Sir Quentin Blake. Somehow in his exuberant line, Blake found something new and darkly comic in Potter’s writing and the result is a properly fresh, modern take on a world we thought we knew so clearly. It’s rare anything can be described as an instant classic but this has to be it. [Find out more] [Winnie Pooh: The Best Bear in All the World] Not to be outdone, A.A. Milne and E.H. Shepard’s redoubtable furry hero Winnie the Pooh this year reached the grand old age of ninety, sparking much Pooh-stick celebration and the publication of [Winnie the Pooh: The Best Bear in All the World], a splendid compendium of new tales for those yearning to return to the Hundred Acre Wood. With contributions from established children’s voices Paul Bright, Brian Sibley, Jeanne Willis and Kate Saunders, it’s bucolic, joyful stuff, uniquely featuring a new addition to the Pooh menagerie – a penguin, inspired directly by photographs of Milne’s son Christopher playing with a toy of just such an animal. A penguin might indeed make an unusual forest companion but Mark Burgess’s Shepard-inspired artwork makes it all work beautifully. [Find out more] [We're Going on a Bear Hunt large plush] [We're Going on a Bear Hunt] [We're Going on a Beat Hunt small plush] The cornerstone television animation this Christmas looks to be a simply sumptuous adaptation of Michael Rosen’s enduring classic for younger children, [We're Going on A Bear Hunt]. From the same animation team who produced the stunning Raymond Briggs-inspired [The Snowman and the Snowdog], this Channel 4 special captures all the gentle magic of Rosen’s tale (with Rosen himself providing the voice of the bear!). Nothing however quite beats the experience of leafing through the original text – even some 25 years on, Helen Oxenbury’s illustrations still seem to breathe with sheer love for life – and now you can even experience [We're Going on A Bear Hunt] in the company of our two sizes of plush toys, one for children who would like to look after a rather [large bear] and one suitable for those who might manage with a new friend a little [smaller]. Needless to say, both furry fellows are going down a storm this Christmas. [Find out more] [The Midnight Gang] The two books jousting for number one slot this year probably need little introduction. When David Walliams stepped into the arena of children’s writing in 2008 with [The Boy in the Dress], it marked the unbridling of a talent that has held young minds entranced ever since. [The Midnight Gang] is Walliams now tenth book for children and contains all the wild invention you’d expect as we’re hurled behind the scenes of the chaotic Lord Funt Hospital, the destination of hapless young Tom (following his unfortunate collision with a cricket ball). Like all Walliams books, at its centre sits a tale of enormous warmth and spirit: as the Telegraph recently had it, with every book this whirlwind of a talent completes ‘just get better and better.’ [Find out more] [Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Double Down] Jeff Kinney meanwhile rolls straight back in to the bestseller lists with the eleventh Wimpy Kid outing, [Double Down]. Yet again, Kinney shows no sign of flagging and if anything our wastrel (but somehow entirely loveable) hero Greg Heffley is only just hitting his stride with his ever-deeper paranoias and ludicrous get-rich schemes. This time around, the cultural references come thick and fast as Greg finds himself inspired to pick up the mantle of the film-making greats, but what if his relatives from beyond the grave are watching him, 24/7? It’s laugh-out-loud material (whatever the age, in truth!) that still continues to address at least some real-world anxiety: a deservedly winning formula. [Find out more] [The Racehorse Who Wouldn't Gallop] ‘I wanted to write about a world I know and understand, but, at the heart of it, I wanted to create a heroine who is different. She might wish she looked and sounded like all the other girls at school, but her connection with animals makes her unique.’ In the pages of [The Racehorse Who Wouldn't Gallop], Clare Balding has stepped effortlessly from the worlds of her chart-topping memoirs to a deliver a hugely affecting, funny and empowering tale of how sheer self-belief can make anything possible. Perfect for any child who’s horse-barmy, or indeed any who might enjoy a tale that side-steps a good deal of cliché: here's a really believable central character who, as the author puts it, ‘learns that you don’t always win by following the crowd.’ It’s a great, confident debut. [Find out more] [Tales of the Peculiar] Our final two will be of enormous appeal to older children. In no time at all, [Ransom Riggs] has captivated imaginations on both sides of the Atlantic with his outlandish series of gothic adventures that began with his visually and narratively impressive [Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children]. This year’s new and beautifully-bound [Tales of the Peculiar] fleshes out yet more of the Miss Peregrine universe, presenting ten satisfyingly unnerving tales that read almost as a new kind of folklore, from forked-tongued princesses to a girl who can tame nightmares. Andrew Davidson’s extraordinary woodcuts provide precisely the right visual weight and the entire package is a class act, either as a coda to Riggs’ series or making the perfect stand-alone introduction. [Find out more] [The Lie Tree] Frances Hardinge’s [The Lie Tree] brings us full circle with this special edition adorned with the spectacular illustrations of [Ottoline]’s Chris Riddell. Some of you may remember Hardinge’s memorable 2015 win of the Costa Book of the Year for this same book (the first time a children’s title had claimed this prize since Philip Pullman in 2001) and this is very much a celebratory gift edition, hard-bound and providing the perfect platform for Riddell to explore the nuances of Hardinge’s deft gothic fantasy. On the surface the novel plays sleight of hand with its Victorian-murder trappings, but it’s not long before one of the strongest female leads in young adult fiction begins to be drawn toward a mystery of incredible power. It’s a wonderful book and fully deserving of this deluxe treatment. [Find out more] [The Christmasaurus] Before we go, a last call too for our Half Price offer on Tom Fletcher’s [The Christmasaurus], probably the most rampantly-festive book to appear this season and a perfect read-aloud treat. Our Half Price comes to a close at midnight tonight (of Wednesday 14th, in case you come to this late) so do take advantage if you want to experience a slice of unparalleled Christmas-inspired magic. With all best wishes, Your friends at Waterstones [Facebook] [Twitter] [Instagram] [YouTube] [View email online]. Sadly replies to this particular email will not be read or generate any responses, but we always welcome feedback and any queries or thoughts are best addressed to our customer support booksellers using our [online form]. You might also find the answer on our [Help pages]. 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