Ten books with words and pictures
Here are ten books in which words and pictures work really well together.
The list reflects the fact that books with pictures are not just for the very young; some will appeal to oler readers and even teenagers.
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Handa's Surprise
Author: Eileen Browne
Publisher: Walker Books
Interest age: 3+
Reading age: 5+Glorious images of an African village convey the sights, smells and colours of the landscape, its animals and its food in a story told as much through pictures as through words.
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Wolves
Author: Emily Gravett
Publisher: Macmillan Children's books
Interest age: 3+
Reading age: 4+This is a humorous, highly imaginative and original picture book and even comes with an alternative vegetarian ending!
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The Story of Tracy Beaker
Author: Jacqueline Wilson Illustrator: Nick Sharratt
Publisher: Random House
Interest age: 8+
Reading age: 8+Tracy lives in a children's home but constantly hopes that her absent, glamorous Mum will come and take her away.
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Penguin
Author: Polly Dunbar
Publisher: Walker Books
Interest age: 2+
Reading age: 5+Polly Dunbar's illustrations are gorgeous and her palette stylish - from the endearing Ben's rosy cheeks to the magnificent turquoise lion who eats him up.
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Mr Gum and the Dancing Bear
Author: Andy Stanton Illustrator: David Tazzyman
Publisher: Egmont
Interest age: 7+
Reading age: 8+Mr Gum is a very nasty man. He is mean, cruel, smelly and ruthless and has a dastardly plan to make money out of Padlock the bear.
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The Graveyard Book
Author: Neil Gaiman Illustrator: Chris Riddell
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Interest age: 11+
Reading age: 11+After his family are killed, Bod is brought up in a graveyard by ghosts.
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Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Author: Jeff Kinney
Publisher: Puffin
Interest age: 8+
Reading age: 8+Greg Heffley is a normal American kid, albeit one with a habit of getting into (and out of) trouble.
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Box of Tricks
Author: Katie Cleminson
Publisher: Jonathan Cape
Interest age: 3+
Reading age: 6+Every child loves an empty box and here, with the help of some magic, it contains a fantasy birthday party.
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Tales From Outer Suburbia
Author: Shaun Tan
Publisher: Templar
Interest age: 11+
Reading age: 10+These often thought-provoking stories look at the reactions ordinary people have to the unusual situations they find themselves in and feature a host of different illustrative styles ranging from collage to painterly Edward Hopper-esque scenes.
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Outlaw: The Legend of Robin Hood
Author: Tony Lee Illustrator: Sam Hart and Artur Fujita
Publisher: Walker Books
Interest age: 11+
Reading age: 9+This is a captivating retelling of the Robin Hood story with punchy dialogue and suitably dark and atmospheric images.