New Releases by Valerie Thomas

Winnie loves the nearby museum. It''s full of fascinating things, especially in the dinosaur room. When an exciting competition is announced to draw or make a model of a dinosaur Winnie can''t wait to take part. But what did dinosaurs look like? Winnie waves her magic wand to transport herself and Wilbur back into the time of the dinosaurs . . .

Abracadabra! Everything is ready for a fabulous birthday. But when the party''s in full swing, Winnie toots her new trumpet . . . and everyone disappears! Without any guests, how can the party go on? Will Winnie and Wilbur find a way to bring their friends back to enjoy Winnie''s spectacular edible surprise? It''s a sugar-rush Winnie and Wilbur adventure! Korky Paul''s artwork is full of quirky humour and intricate details to pore over. The spellbinding new look of this bestselling series celebrates the wonderful relationship that exists between Winnie the Witch and her big black cat, Wilbur. Since Winnie and Wilbur first appeared in 1987 they have been delighting children and adults in homes and schools all over the world and more than 10 million books have been sold. Check out the website: www.winnieandwilbur.com

Winnie and Wilbur have had a few accidents on their wayward flying carpet. But then disaster strikes when Wilbur is whisked out of an open window! Winnie has to mount a daring broomstick rescue to get her beloved black cat back. It''s a rollercoaster Winnie and Wilbur adventure! Korky Paul''s artwork is full of quirky humour and intricate details to pore over. The spellbinding new look of this bestselling series celebrates the wonderful relationship that exists between Winnie the Witch and her big black cat, Wilbur. Since Winnie and Wilbur first appeared in 1987 they have been delighting children and adults in homes and schools all over the world and more than 10 million books have been sold. Check out the website: www.winnieandwilbur.com

When Winnie and Wilbur decide to grow some vegetables, they end up with a gigantic pumpkin that''s big enough to feed the whole neighbourhood. But when only the shell is left, a bit of magical recycling is required. It''s a supersize Winnie and Wilbur adventure! Korky Paul''s artwork is full of quirky humour and intricate details to pore over. The spellbinding new look of this bestselling series celebrates the wonderful relationship that exists between Winnie the Witch and her big black cat, Wilbur. Since Winnie and Wilbur first appeared in 1987 they have been delighting children and adults in homes and schools all over the world and more than 10 million books have been sold. Check out the website: www.winnieandwilbur.com

Whoops! Winnie the Witch has just sat on Wilbur . . . again! But that''s what happens if you share your black house with a black cat. Abracadabra! Can Winnie find a magical way to put a stop to the accidents? And how will she bring a purr-fectly happy ending to this story full of colourful surprises?

Winnie loves diving beneath the ocean waves . . . Wilbur isn''t so sure. So Winnie changes herself and her big black cat into creatures of the deep. But when her magic wand sinks out of sight, how will Winnie rescue it and find a way to see the wonders of the sea in safety?

Winnie is looking for adventure so she decides to go into space! She magics a rocket and Abracadabra, she blasts into orbit! It''s quite tricky dealing with all the controls in a rocket but it''s even trickier knowing what to do with hungry extra-terrestrial rabbits . . . will Winnie have enough magic up her sleeve to save the day?

Winnie is looking for adventure so she decides to go into space! She magics a rocket and Abracadabra, she blasts into orbit! It''s quite tricky dealing with all the controls in a rocket but it''s even trickier knowing what to do with hungry extra-terrestrial rabbits . . . will Winnie have enough magic up her sleeve to save the day?

Life seems to have it in for Franny Flanders. Her best friends aren’t speaking, her parents just divorced, and her hippie grandmother has moved in. The only karma Franny’s got is bad karma. Then Franny gets her hands on a box of magic recipes that could fix all of her problems. It could even change the world! Finally, life is looking up. But Franny is about to learn that magic and karma aren’t to be played with. When you mess with the universe, it can bite back in unexpected ways. Ouch!

Welcome to the wonderful world of Winnie the Witch! Join Winnie and Wilbur on the day her wand stops working, on the day her computer mouse causes mischief, and on the day they decide to go to the beach . . . Here, in one book, are three of Winnie and Wilbur''s craziest capers: Winnie''s Magic Wand, Winnie''s New Computer, and Winnie at the Seaside.

Winnie the Witch lives in a black house. She has black chairs and black stairs, black floors and black doors. The trouble is that Winnie''s cat, Wilbur, is also black. After sitting on him and tripping over him, Winnie decides to turn Wilbur into a green cat. But then he goes out into the long grass! Winnie is going to need a little magic to make sure she can always see Wilbur... A beautifully crafted story with a colourful final twist, this big book is ideal for sharing with a group. ''Both illustrations and story are truly memorable'' Books for Keeps Dedicated website at www.winnie-the-witch.com

Winnie the Witch is very pleased with her new computer. She decides to throw away her book of spells and her wand-from now on all her magic will be at the click of a mouse! When Wilbur tries to pounce on the mouse, things start to go wrong. Winnie wakes up to discover she has no cat . . . and no computer. She could really use a little magic but just where is it going to come from? This is a hilarious Winnie story for the digital age! ''unmissable'' Children''s Bookseller ''Paul''s artwork is as dynamic and arresting as ever. His comic touch is perfectly judged, stretching this simple story within reach of a wide age group'' The Guardian Enter Winnie''s website at www.winnie-the-witch.com

Winnie and Wilbur love their vegetables and Winnie decides to grow her own, so she digs a vegetable patch in her garden. She uses a little magic to speed up the growing process... only to end up with a garden overrun by enormous vegetables!

There was something on the doormat. Something with big green eyes . . . Winnie and her black cat, Wilbur, are all tucked into bed when, suddenly, Wilbur is woken up by a strange noise. There''s a baby dragon at the door! Soon Winnie finds her house filled with breaking bowls, armor clattering down the stairs, puffs of smoke . . . and even clouds of butterflies. What''s a witch to do?

It''s Winnie''s birthday and she''s celebrating in style with a garden party. She uses all sorts of magic to invite the guests and transform her garden into the perfect party venue. There are presents to unwrap and games to play but then things start to go wrong when Winnie toots on the magic trumpet that cousin Cuthbert has given her. All her guests disappear! Winnie''s party is suddenly in danger of being a rather bothersome occasion but, true to form, Winnie soon has everything back under control and she ends the party with a stunning edible surprise for all her guests to enjoy.

Fantasy fiction. Winnie''s flying carpet was just what she had always wanted, but then it flies off with Wilbur and heads straight to a funfair! Winnie has to resort to magic to stop the carpet in its tracks and rescue her beloved moggy. Then she takes Wilbur home and, ever the resourceful witch, she has an idea for a wonderful way to enjoy the carpet in the safety of her own garden.

Winnie lived in her black house with her cat, Wilbur. He was black too. And that is how the trouble began. Everything in Winnies house is black—the carpet, the chairs, the bed and the sheets, the pictures on the walls, and even the bathtub! And of course her cat, Wilbur, is black too—all except for his bright-green eyes. Whenever poor Wilbur closes his eyes and tries to take a catnap, Winnie stumbles right over him. Or accidentally sits on top of him. Until one day, when Winnie gets a brilliant idea. What if Wilbur were a different color?

It''s just after midnight. Winnie has gone to bed and is snoring peacefully when Wilbur is woken by a strange noise. He goes downstairs to investigate and, to his horror, discovers a baby dragon squeezing through his cat-flap! Wilbur is not impressed by the scaly visitor, especially when it starts chasing him around Winnie''s house. But the baby dragon just wants to play and, in his exuberance, manages to topple a grandfather clock and knock over a suit of armour. All the clattering wakes Winnie and she''s not happy about a baby dragon in her house, either. After all, there are puffs of smoke coming out of his nose and he might start a fire. So Winnie uses a little magic to turn the smoke into . . . a cloud of butterflies. This makes Wilbur feel better, he loves chasing butterflies! So now Winnie has a baby dragon and a cat who just want to play whereas she just wants to sleep! Winnie decides she''s had enough of babysitting a dragon and goes onto the roof to look for his mother. But how will she catch the attention of a mother dragon flying past? By magicking a full moon over her house! So with mother and baby dragon reunited, Winnie and Wilbur can finally settle down for an overdue good night''s sleep. This story is full of noisy antics: clanging clocks, clattering armour, crashing crockery and the sound of dragon wings beating are just some of the wonderful additions to the narration of Winnie''s Midnight Dragon on the accompanying audio CD.

Winnie decides she needs a seaside break, so she and Wilbur zoom off to the coast. Winnie makes a beeline for the sea to cool down. Wilbur makes a beeline for anywhere other than the sea - he hates water, and can''t bear getting wet. Winnie is having so much fun in the water that she doesn''t notice her broomstick being washed out to sea. She waves her magic wand in an attempt to get the broomstick back but it doesn''t really go according to plan. The mix of magic and mayhem that follows involves a surfer and a whale and, predictably, it''s poor Wilbur who gets the worst of things...In this paperback with audio CD edition, children can listen to the story with accompanying music and sound effects that really transport listeners to the seaside!

Winnie the Witch is getting ready for the Witches'' Magic Show. She can''t wait to show off her favourite spells with her magic wand. But when Winnie inadvertently puts her wand in the washing machine with her party dress it comes out crumpled, soggy, and certainly not in working order! How is Winnie going to wow her friends at the show? Wilbur dashes into town and buys a new wand for Winnie. She''s delighted and rushes with Wilbur to the show. The problem is her wand is only a trick wand and so when all eyes are on Winnie nothing happens as she tries to turn Wilbur into a green cat. In desperation, she waves her wand over and over and suddenly . . . a bunch of flowers bursts from the tip. The audience just loves Winnie and Wilbur''s hilarious routine and a disaster turns into a triumph! This is a magical story and the sounds of a clanking, fizzing washing machine, Wilbur racing against the clock, the hush of an expectant audience and roars of delighted laughter are just some of the wonderful additions to the narration of Winnie''s Magic Wand on the accompanying audio CD.

Winnie the Witch lives in a black house with her black cat, Wilbur. A beautifully-crafted story with a colourful final twist. This is the original Winnie the Witch story and the sounds of creaking doors and floorboards, comedy tumbles, squeaky bed-springs and squawking birds are just some of the wonderful additions to the narration on the audio CD.

Winnie the Witch is tired of winter. She''s tired of shivering in the cold and looking out at her garden covered in snow. And Wilbur is tired of frozen fur and whiskers. So Winnie uses a little magic to bring summer and sunshine to her house. But just as she settles down in her deckchair . . . hordes of people arrive. They are fed up with winter, too. But with the unruly crowd comes noise, and mess, and chaos! Winnie grows increasingly indignant. Why should all these people spoil her summer? Winter may be cold, but at least it''s peaceful. So Winnie summons back the snow to make her unwelcome visitors disappear. This is a great story that really conjures the contrast of frozen winter and scorching summer and the sounds of crunching through snow, Christmassy themes, summery birdsong and sun-seeking revellers are just some of the wonderful additions to the narration of Winnie in Winter on the accompanying audio CD.

Winnie the Witch is very pleased with her new computer. She spends hours exploring just what it can do and even orders herself a new wand on the internet. Winnie becomes so wedded to technology that she decides to throw away her book of spells and her old wand - from now on all her magic will be at the click of a mouse! Then, while Winnie is asleep, Wilbur tries to pounce on the computer mouse and strange things start to happen. Winnie wakes up to discover she has no cat, no computer and no way of getting either of them back because the dustmen have just collected her rubbish. She watches helplessly as her book of spells and wand disappear into the dustcart. But help is at hand - her new wand is delivered in the nick of time and Winnie manages to get everything back to normal . . . well, almost! This hilarious Winnie story is perfect for the digital age and the sounds of whirring computers and scanners, Wilbur''s hisses, squeaking mice and clattering dustbins are just some of the wonderful additions to the narration of Winnie''s New Computer on the accompanying audio CD.

La bruja Winnie vivía en una casa negra. Tenía el piso negro, las butacas negras, una cama negra con sábanas negras y cuadros negros colgados en las paredes. Hasta el cuarto de baño era negro. Por supuesto, su gato Wilbur también era negro. El único problema era que Winnie no podía verlo. Hasta que un día, la brujita decidió hacer un poco de magia. "[.] repleto de detalles divertidos, deleitará a muchísimos niños." Junior Bookshelf. "Profusión de detalles deliciosos y bromas visuales." British Book News. "Sus hilarantes travesuras ofrecen una placentera lectura." Oxford Times. The witch Winnie lived in a black house. It had a black floor, black chairs, a black bed with black sheets, and black paintings hanging on the walls. Even the bathroom was black. Of course, her cat Wilbur was also black. The only problem was that Winnie couldn''t see him. Until one day, when the witch decided to do a little magic.

Poems by members of This So Called Life, a writing workshop. Contributing Editors: C. E. Laine and Kathy Kubik, with poetry by Sherry Deanne Adams, Andrew Analore, Aaron Brauer, Pris Campbell, Corvin, David Curtis, David Durham, Deidre Elizabeth, Jason Fraley, Fulicasenia, Todd Heldt, Robert Kidd, Donna Hill, Poppy Hullings, Lisa Michelle Maloney, McGrittle, Dorothy Doyle Mienko, Mothdust, Nathan Novikoff, Nyktipolos, Rae Pater, Kari Rabarison, Redkat, J. Reed-Meeks, Heidi L. Nordberg, Sirrus Poe, Christopher R. Robbins, Don Schaeffer, D. K. Sterling, Melanie M. Stevenson, B. A. Stites, The Lost Lost Boy, Valerie Thomas, Paul Trombley, and Wintersong.

A Welsh adaptation of ''Winnie''s New Computer'', a hilarious story about the troubles of a witch and her cat when a new computer arrives at their home; for children aged 5-7 years.