Best Selling Books by Alex Latimer

Can you make a duck blink? Probably not. But you can try, in this irreverent and hilarious staring contest between you and a duck that never, ever blinks. Do you see that duck over there? That duck doesn''t blink. Even if you look away then look back real quick. Even if you tell it a really funny joke! Perfect for fans of interactive stories like Do Not Lick This Book and Duck! Rabbit!, The Duck Never Blinks will have kids and adults alike bawling with laughter as they spend time with this one very sly duck.

Dream up anything you like, dear reader, and watch it come to life on the next page—just no tigers! This fun read-aloud about creativity and perspeverance will have your reader giggling and inspired, all while our hero learns that with a bit of practice, even the wildest challenges can be tamed. This book is MAGIC! Imagine anything you like, and the illustrator will draw it on the next page. There''s only one rule: DON''T THINK OF TIGERS! Ready? Oh dear. You thought of tigers, didn''t you? Please, think of anything else. A cow doing ballet? No problem! Just no tigers. Our illustrator really, really can''t draw tigers... Or can he? As his hilariously silly and irresistibly charming drawings of tigers improve, Alex Latimer delivers a subtle but important message about practice, creativity, and embracing imperfection. A fun read-aloud that''s sure to delight time and time again, this is the perfect book for kids who love to draw—and for those who don''t (but might soon!).

Excellently positioned for fans of Are You My Mother? and dinosaur lovers, this heartwarming picture book will have little ones guessing from start to end. Oh, no! A lost dinosaur egg has rolled out of its nest! Can a group of friendly dinosaurs help the egg search for its parents? First they must discover what kind of dinosaur is inside the egg. What does that egg look like inside of its shell? Surely, there must be a way to tell! Do you know what kind of dinosaur is inside? This fun and unique tale features Alex Latimer''s signature bold art style and a bouncy rhyme and refrain that makes for a fun story-time read.

The Meanest Goose on Earth is back! Honkingly funny storytelling from bestselling author Alex Latimer-highly illustrated and full of laughs, this is the perfect series for emerging readers. Gordon is THE MEANEST GOOSE ON EARTH. Well . . . he used to be, but now, he''s trying to change his ways and be a GOOD GOOSE. The trouble is, it''s really tricky to be kind and patient and good, especially when you''ve always been mean. In Gordon Wins It All, Gordon decides he wants to be good at EVERYTHING, so he arranges Grover Garden''s first-ever GRAND TOURNAMENT. He''s determined to win every event and prove he''s the best goose around, even if that means cheating with the help of his old friends at the Meanest Goose Society. But will Gordon''s selfish scheme be everything he dreamed of? For more mean goose antics read, Gordon Starts a Band.

Unlike his colourful friends, Frank is a very plain caterpillar. But he sees the beauty of the world and appreciates what he does have.

Dave the dragon has been stuck in his book for as long as he can remember. Dave really doesn''t like the ending where the villagers try to turn him into dragon soup! But what if Dave had the power to change how his story ends? What if all he really needs is to stop doing what is expected of a dragon and start doing what he really wants? In this innovative picture book, Dave the dragon wanders through the pages of Dragon Soup, rewriting the story with hilarious results. Dragon Dave teaches children to be brave, question and embrace change.

Why didn''t the other planets invite Earth to their vacation? Soon they''ll find out the wonderful truth about Earth''s "fleas" and change their minds . . . Earth turns up on the vacation she wasn''t invited to and finds all the other planets in the solar system in the hot tub—even Pluto! Then she discovers exactly why: it looks like she has fleas! Yuck. Earth asks everyone to take a look inside her atmosphere, and they''re amazed by what they see . . . birds, fish, creatures galore, and yes, even fleas. The Trouble with Earth is the perfect story to teach us to be kind and less quick to judge others.

Have you ever wanted to change how a story ends? Then this is the picture book for you! Help!Dragon Dave has been stuck in this book FOREVER.He reallywants to get out. The story always has a very sticky ending . . .But when Prince George shows Dave that words can be re-written, will Dave be braveenough to change his story? This funny, innovative picture book is a story of empowerment, friendship, and daring to be different! Written by master storyteller Alex Latimer, author of many picture books, including Pip & Egg Illustrated by new rising talent Phillip Cullen Features important messages, subtly woven into a child-friendly story, with bags of humour and fun Encourages children to be brave, question often, and to embrace change when it feels right

Help! Dragon Dave has been stuck in this book FOREVER. He really wants to get out. The story always has a very sticky ending . . . But when Prince George shows Dave that words can be re-written, will Dave be brave enough to change his story?

In this quirky twist on the fable "The Boy Who Cried Wolf," a boy''s outrageous excuses turn out to have an unexpected element of truth. Tim witnesses some strange happenings around his house, but no one believes his explanations. In fact, no matter what Tim says, his parents just punish him with chores. To save himself, he hatches a clever plan to expose the truth. Will it work, or will Tim have to spend the rest of his life raking the yard? Bubbling with wit and humor from start to finish, author-illustrator Alex Latimer''s debut picture book with wacky characters like ninjas, pirates, crocodiles, and time-traveling monkeys, will have readers of all ages laughing out loud.

Pip and Egg are like two peas in a pod. But as their friendship grows, so do they - for Pip this means growing roots, but Egg grows wings, and she can''t wait to use them. Though Pip wishes he can follow Egg on her adventures, his roots are strong. So he watches his friend fly away. But true friends always find their way back to each other.

Vastrap. Our very own nuclear testing site, so far into the desert that the Russians and the Americans don’t even have a clue about it. You don’t mess with an Afrikaner, not if you don’t want to get a proper klap. An unauthorised nuclear blast beyond belief at Vastrap Airbase outside Upington not only winds up the Americans, but also launches Africa’s first spacecraft. Propelled by an engine harnessing the power of a nuclear bomb never disarmed in the eighties, the rocket leaves Earth without its pilot or crew. But how did this spaceship, designed by the previous government to extend the Afrikaner’s history as a nation of pioneers, survive? And more pressingly, who’s working its joystick? Small-time journalist Greg Hall sets out to uncover the details of the ship that has captured the world’s imagination. In the wreckage of the blast, he discovers a man badly burnt and almost dead. A man who has an alarming story to tell and a frightening plan of his own. Funny and thrilling, The Space Race twinkles with its author’s humour and trademark irony.

Violet is wild. She growls at the dog, draws on the walls, and slurps her cereal straight from the bowl. Violet''s Gran takes her to the zoo for a relaxing trip but, after a mix-up, Violet spends the night with the monkeys and a monkey goes back with Gran. Worse still, Gran and Violet''s parents don''t even notice! Will there be chaos or will a lesson be learnt? A charming and hilarious story about learning to be well behaved without completely losing your wild side, from the author and illustrator team behind ''Woolf''.

Pip and Egg are like two peas in a pod. But as their friendship grows, so do they - for Pip this means growing roots, but Egg grows wings, and she can''t wait to use them. Though Pip wishes he can follow Egg on her adventures, his roots are strong. So he watches his friend fly away. But true friends always find their way back to each other.

In this hilarious story about outwitting a bully, it turns out that someone small can be more powerful than someone big! Lion bullies all the other animals until finally they can''t take it anymore. They post an ad, asking for help. One animal after another tries and fails to defeat Lion. Can no one stop him? Finally, a rabbit arrives. No one thinks that such a small animal will be brave enough or strong enough to defeat Lion. But this rabbit might just be smart enough! A hilariously quirky tale from Alex Latimer, filled with visual puns, wordplay, and an entertaining and unique message about working together.

Godfrey used to be an egg, then he was a tadpole. Now, Godfrey is a frog. He changed quickly and it was all very exciting. He''s waiting for the next change . . . but it seems there isn''t one. Is this it? Godfrey thinks. It''s not very exciting. Bear has wonderful claws, Deer has impressive antlers, Heron has majestic wings. Godfrey buries himself in the mud and hides away from the world. He doesn''t want to be just a frog. Can Brinley the minnow, Radcliffe the snail, and Penelope the shrimp convince Godfrey that a frog is a pretty special thing to be?

One act of kindness makes a big difference in this ocean animal picture book that shows kids ages 4-8 the importance of friendship, self-esteem, and caring for nature! Lula’s home on the beach is going to be torn down for a highway, but can she put a stop to it with the help of an adorable sea creature? Lula loves living by the sea, but her family must move away soon. Counting down the days until she leaves, Lula walks along the beach to find keepsakes and discovers something much more valuable than a souvenir. Lula befriends a small sea monster that she names Bean. Each day Lula returns to the beach to feed him. And each day Bean grows bigger and bigger. But what will happen to Lula''s new friend once she moves away? From popular kids picture book author-illustrator Alex Latimer, this is an adorable story book for kids ages 4-8 that highlights the importance of environmental conservation inside a moving tale of friendship, bravery, and kindness. Perfect for budding activists and young fans of ocean animals!

A wolf and a sheep fall in love. They have a son that they call Woolf – he’s half wolf, half woolly sheep! This is Woolf’s story. It’s not easy being different – not quite fitting in with one group or another. When Woolf tries to impress the wolves, he finds it fun for a while, but they’re a bit too wild. When when he tries to follow the sheep, he finds it all a bit, well, boring. Can Woolf find his own way in life and make his own friends that like him for who he is, not who he’s trying to be?