Flights of Fancy: Stories, Pictures and Inspiration from Ten Children’s Laureates

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Waterstones Children’s Laureate, the incredible authors and illustrators who have held the title have come together to make one magical anthology, full of inspiration to help children’s imaginations soar.

Each former Laureate has their own riveting section: will you take a word for a walk with Noughts and Crosses author Malorie Blackman, perform a play with Julia Donaldson, the author of The Gruffalo, or start a poem with Michael Rosen? There’s a wonderful introduction by Michael Morpurgo which explains how the idea of the Children’s Laureateship was first dreamt up by him and the then Poet Laureate Ted Hughes.

This is a truly wonderful book which shines a light on how some of the biggest names in children’s books harness their own creativity, as well as being a guide to help children discover their talents. Chris Riddell’s brilliant cartoons of all the Waterstones Children’s Laureates at the end is a particular treat.

A fantastic compendium to treasure, which also makes a great gift: £1 from each sale is being generously donated to BookTrust, who have the honour of managing the Waterstones Children’s Laureate.

Look inside the book at some exclusive pictures and activities