Watch the Trailer for Craig Shuttlewood's Trace the Trail books

Craig Shuttlewood, author of the popular Who's in the Tree That Shouldn't Be, has a pair of wonderful interactive Trace the Trail books for toddlers out at the end of next month - Through the Town is a tactile adventure through the hustle and bustle of the big city, while Around the World takes you from the highest mountains to the deepest oceans. Both are filled with an adorable cast of friendly animals and children will love tracing the pathway through the books with their finger.

This special trailer gives a sneak preview of the fun illustrations:

Let us know what you think of the trailer in the comments below or on Youtube, or on Twitter using the hashtag #TracetheTrail.

You can pre-order both books from all good bookshops or online at Hive:
Trace the Trail: Around the World
Trace the Trail: Through the Town

Or Amazon:
Trace the Trail: Around the World
Trace the Trail: Through the Town

Levi Pinfold's Greenling coming September 2015 - sneak preview

From award-winning illustrator Levi Pinfold comes a stunning modern fable about nature's power. We've a special preview of this magical tale, which will be published this September, featuring some of the spectacular illustrations that bring this ensorcelling tale vividly to life:

When Mr Barleycorn picks a green baby that had been growing, he could scarcely imagine the consequences he would set in motion, with courgettes sprouting in the kitchen and carrots out of the television.

 Mrs Barleycorn insists the baby must go, but the bounty and beauty of nature has a strange power to bring the whole community together.

Painting with watercolour and gouache, Levi Pinfold creates evocative imagery from imagination and memory, and Greenling will be no exception. Pre-order your copy today.

Get Levi's Best Emerging Illustrator-winning debut Django or the Kate Greenaway medal-winning Black Dog, both available now. Alternatively, unfold his wonderful contribution to the Pictura line and colour in the black and white illustrations in his meticulous Medieval Town.

Around the World in a Week - Competition Time!

Following our journey around the world in a week using the Maps Poster Book we've a chance to win a copy of this stunning celebration of the world.

But first, a recap of our adventures:

 Day 1: Thailand

 Day 2: Norway

Day 3: Germany

Day 4: Italy

Day 5: Peru

Day 6: Spain

Day 7: Kenya

For your chance to win a copy, simply like Templar Publishing on Facebook and share this post on Facebook (click on this link and then click 'share'). Why not use the chance to let us know where in the world you'd most like to travel to...?

Entries are closed at 9pm this Sunday (22/03/15). Entries are limited to UK residents only.

Around the World in a Week with the Maps: Poster Book - Kenya

The final stop in our trip 'around the world in a week' is Kenya, and Stephanie is here to tell us about her experience of it:

My name is Stephanie, and in 2010 I spent an incredible, unforgettable month in Kenya…

I decided to take a ‘gap month’ before University, facing the challenge of an expedition which would see me cope with a bucket for a shower, climb Mount Kenya, volunteer at an orphanage, go on safaris and spend a day with the Masaai tribe.

Those four challenging but wonderful weeks left me with a longing to go back…

The people I met were amazing. Despite having very little, their spirits were always high and on the whole, they were so friendly.

And the children I met at St. Stephen’s orphanage in the village of Timau were unforgettable. On the first day, we listened to them excitedly tell us everything they knew about England - mainly that we were rubbish at football but that Beckham was ‘cool’. We painted their bedrooms, looked after the babies and taught the older children English. One day, as a thank you, they took us on a surprise trip. After walking for at least an hour, we arrived at a beautiful waterfall hidden by lush foliage. This was their secret hideaway, and to be shown it by them was incredibly moving. But they had one more treat in store for us to show their gratitude, presenting us each with a hand sculpted wooden elephant to remind us forever of our ‘friends’ in Kenya.

Asides from the people, it was the wildlife and the landscape that stood out for me. From the bitter cold of Mount Kenya, the friendly feel in the rural villages, to the hustle and bustle of Nairobi – Kenya is a hugely varied country.

At first (and perhaps expectedly after a long flight) the African landscape looked bleak, and it took a while to get used to the expanse of yellow grass with only the occasional shrub and acai tree. By the end of the trip, I had fallen in love.

Seeing wildlife like zebra, giraffe, wildebeest, warthogs, gazelle, rhino and snakes in the wild is a sight you simply cannot compare to seeing them behind bars. Even now, going to the zoo to see animals like these is bittersweet. And on safari, there is always the hope that you might see something incredible – rather than have it listed on a guide. Like the time we were on our way home, only for our guide to drive the jeep through the undergrowth until we hit a sudden stop. With branches poking into our windows, we peered out to see the end of a trunk winding itself around a bundle of leaves. Through the gaps in the trees was the visible outline of an elephant. It was incredible.

Just like the entire trip. And camping for a month in Africa sounds like a bit of a nightmare, but honestly, falling asleep under the stars, having eaten dinner around a campfire and listening to the sounds of the African bush is absolutely magical.

Maps: Poster Book is available now from all good bookshops - put the world on your wall today.
Paperback
9781783702039 
£12.99

Celebrate British Science Week with some of the best science books for children

It's British Science Week, a ten day celebration of science, technology and engineering. What better way to get children excited in science than with some our inspiring science books, on everything from Astronomy to Natural History, Chemistry to Maths.

Infographics: Space (£10.99, published April 2015)

What is a black hole?  How big is the universe?  Why is the Sun hot? Seeing is believing with this book that shows you the facts, the third in the Infographics series.

Also available: Infographics: Human Body & Infographics: Animal Kingdom

Rebel Science (£12.99, published February 2015)

If you think scientists are dull, boring egg-heads in white coats who hang about in labs and don’t have any friends… then you’re wrong. The big brainiacs of history were extraordinary clever, but that doesn’t mean they were always right. They made mistakes, they argued, they performed strange experiments. They took risks, they broke the rules, they were dangerous… They were rebels.

The Really Gross Body Book (£14.99, published March 2015)

This gorgeously gross interactive book is packed with fun facts on farts, snot, vomit, wee, spit and more bodily excretions! Find out how much snot we swallow in a year, how many times we fart in a lifetime, and whether it’s really true that some people use urine as a mouthwash...

Little Explorers: My Amazing Body (£8.99, published March 2015)

How fast do fingernails grow? How does breathing work? What’s really going on under the skin? In this first-information book, the first in the Little Explorers series, getting the answer is as easy as lifting the flaps. Discover the human body inside and out!

Animalium (Welcome to the Museum) (£20, published September 2014)

Welcome to the Museum, in the first of a series that brings a beautifully illustrated curated collection of exhibits together. This iconic book features a different branch of life in each chapter, from the simple sponge to the enormous elephant – no budding natural historian should be without this book!

How the World Began (£14.99, published September 2014)

The fifth title in the How It Works series, this covers billions of years from the formation of the universe to the modern day in a whistle-stop pop up history of the planet. As well as delving into the past, the book also encourages young readers to think for themselves about the future of the planet. It is sure to delight and inspire budding young scientists.
Also available: How The World Works, How The Weather Works, How Animals Live, How We Make Stuff

           

Insiders Space (Insiders Series)

Insiders Sharks (Insiders Series)

Insiders Oceans (Insiders Series)

Insiders Rainforest (Insiders Series)

Insiders Human Body (Insiders Series)

Insiders Dinosaurs (Insiders Series)

(all £7.99, all published February 2015)

The newly re-launched Insiders series covers everything from space to sharks, dinosaurs to the deepest oceans. Packed with facts and illustrative diagrams, if you need one book to cover everything you ever wanted to know about a subject, these are the books for you.

That's Life (Super Science) (£14.99, published October 2014)

The award-winning Super Science series is a breath of fresh air, explaining key elements of science in a fun, straightforward way. With interactive novelties and experiment suggestions, these are sure to inspire a love of science. Life! covers all things biological, from simple cells to humans and all their twiddly bits, from food webs to the secret lives of plants, and from respiration to echolocation and genetic variation!

Also available:

Marvellous Maths

Feel the Force (Super Science)

Molecule Mayhem (Super Science)

The Sound of Mucus (Stinky Science) (£5.99, February 2014)

Science just got super stinky, with our sticker activity book! Find out about all the gruesome things your body does in The Sound of Mucus, Use the stickers to help with the activities, while you learn about all the things that are too gross for school! There are also some smelly stickers so you can be a real Stinky Scientist!

FICTION:

Laika the Astronaut (£6.99, published May 2014)

With beautiful illustrations, Owen Davey takes us on a journey with Laika, the Russian space-dog, as he explores the frontiers of space. While mission control thinks that Laika has been lost, Davey shows us what he thinks really happened to the plucky astro-pooch.