The tender story of Smudge and his dream to have a brother or sister will appeal to any child awaiting the birth of a new sibling

Smudge is the only rabbit in the woods without a brother or sister. His mother tells him to wait for spring, but that is a long way off. In autumn, Smudge builds a leaf-and-twig brother, but he blows away. He builds a snow sister in the winter, but she melts. Will Smudge's wish for a sibling ever come true? This touching tale of the arrival of a new baby is perfectly complemented by gentle illustrations.

Nightlights is a book of stories to read to children, but stories with a difference. It's a collection of twenty interactive meditation stories that have bene specially written to calm and relax your child at bedtime, while at the same time engaging and stimulating his or her imagination. These stories also help children in many other important ways. They help them to focus their minds and develop their powers of concentration and visualization, as well as learn more about emotions and feelings. Although not meditations in the strict sense, they do serve as a good preparation for learning real meditation later on. They also foster imagination and creativity, help children deal with their burgeoning anxieties, and help them take their first steps towards developing their own unique identity.

In the Introduction, Civardi provides techniques to help parents develop their out-loud reading skills, shows how to create the right mood, and gives practical advice on how to talk with your child about what he or she has just heard. After each story, there is a brief list of affirmations which help to settle the message in the minds of both parent and child.

Matilde non riesce a dormire perché ha paura di fare brutti sogni. "Pensa a qualcosa di bello" le suggerisce il suo fratellone Tommaso. Ma Matilde da sola non ce la fa e gli chiede di aiutarla. Insieme a lui pensa a tutte le belle cose che la aspettano al mattino quando si sveglia... Una storia da leggere e rileggere ad alta voce prima di fare la nanna. Età di lettura: da 3 anni.

Best-selling Taiwanese illustrator Jimmy Liao teams up with renowned British author Joyce Dunbar to present a fantastical, heartwarming tale.

Why can't Jo-Jo go to sleep? He doesn''t like the darkness under the bed — a monster might be hiding there. And one is! It's a tiny speck of a monster with a huge appetite for darkness, gobbling it up under the bed, in every nook and cranny, and in the wide world outside, growing bigger with every bite. Soon there is no darkness left anywhere, from the earth to the stars. All the world is light, but the monster still has an empty feeling inside. Only a sleepless boy will help him be fulfilled at last.

A curious chick is disappointed at all the things his mother says he cannot do, such as swim like a duck, until he discovers one wonderful thing he can do very well.

Bossy Zoe pretends she is a queen, but her friends ignore her until she offers them magic lemonade.