Books with author Jo Empson

Rabbit enjoys doing rabbity things, but he also loves un-rabbity things! When Rabbit suddenly disappears, no one knows where he has gone. His friends are desolate. But, as it turns out, Rabbit has left behind some very special gifts for them, to help them discover their own unrabbity talents! This is a stunning debut picture book by author/illustrator Jo Empson. Rabbityness celebrates individuality, encourages the creativity in everyone and positively introduces children to dealing with loss of any kind.

Rabbit enjoys doing rabbity things, but he also loves un-rabbity things! When Rabbit suddenly disappears, no one knows where he has gone. His friends are desolate. But, as it turns out, Rabbit has left behind some very special gifts for them, to help them discover their own unrabbity talents! Rabbityness celebrates individuality, encourages the creativity in everyone and positively introduces children to dealing with loss of any kind.

Little Bird loves everything about his home. He's surrounded by his favourite branch, his favourite food, his favourite view and his favourite music. Why on earth would he ever want to change, even when his brother tells him that they must? Discover how Little Bird ends up finding happiness in his new home from home in this beautifully illustrated picture book. Perfect for all children who love home, however many they may have.

A silly, fun version of the game "telephone"—in which a grocery list committed to memory goes playfully awry. One day, Vincent's mother asks him to go to the store to pick up a few items: "a bunch of carrots, a box of rice, some China tea, a big, firm pear, and a tin of peas" to be precise. "And hurry home in time for tea!" she says. Sounds easy enough.Yet distractions are at every turn, causing havoc with Vincent's memory. All of a sudden, a tin of peas is replaced by a trapeze; a big, firm pear becomes a big furry bear; and a box of rice transforms into a box of mice!Needless to say, Vincent's mother is in for quite a surprise.Told with a playful rhythm for reading aloud and illustrated with exuberance and great child appeal, this humorous picture book will have kids laughing and asking for repeated readings.Praise for Chimpanzees for Tea!"British author-illustrator Jo Empson brings her wonderfully freewheeling, kinetic style to this lively read-aloud that will have youngsters giggling and shouting out the correct items from the list."—Shelf Awareness"Award-winning British author/illustrator Empson energetically illustrates her tale of ever more outrageous memory lapses with scribbly watercolors full of swooping action and bouncing wildlife that follow the swirling text across the pages. As much fun to read as it is to hear, and a real treat for the eyes."—Kirkus Reviews"With a wildly cavorting cast of characters [and] a playful text . . . this is hard to resist." —Booklist"The humorous text makes this a perfect read-aloud for all ages and a great memory game to play with school-age kids."—School Library Journal

Who will be crowned the most beautiful of all at the Jungle Jamboree? Lion, Leopard, Hippo, Zebra? The jungle creatures all try to change themselves in this beautiful book, bursting with wild splashes of colour and hilarious animal antics. But Fly has a surprise in store - soon the animals learn that they are lovely just the way they are, and that kindness is the most beautiful thing of all.

A silly, fun version of the game "telephone"—in which a grocery list committed to memory goes playfully awry. One day, Vincent's mother asks him to go to the store to pick up a few items: "a bunch of carrots, a box of rice, some China tea, a big, firm pear, and a tin of peas" to be precise. "And hurry home in time for tea!" she says. Sounds easy enough.Yet distractions are at every turn, causing havoc with Vincent's memory. All of a sudden, a tin of peas is replaced by a trapeze; a big, firm pear becomes a big furry bear; and a box of rice transforms into a box of mice!Needless to say, Vincent's mother is in for quite a surprise.Told with a playful rhythm for reading aloud and illustrated with exuberance and great child appeal, this humorous picture book will have kids laughing and asking for repeated readings.Praise for Chimpanzees for Tea!"British author-illustrator Jo Empson brings her wonderfully freewheeling, kinetic style to this lively read-aloud that will have youngsters giggling and shouting out the correct items from the list."—Shelf Awareness"Award-winning British author/illustrator Empson energetically illustrates her tale of ever more outrageous memory lapses with scribbly watercolors full of swooping action and bouncing wildlife that follow the swirling text across the pages. As much fun to read as it is to hear, and a real treat for the eyes."—Kirkus Reviews"With a wildly cavorting cast of characters [and] a playful text . . . this is hard to resist." —Booklist"The humorous text makes this a perfect read-aloud for all ages and a great memory game to play with school-age kids."—School Library Journal

Who will be crowned the most beautiful of all at the Jungle Jamboree? Lion, Leopard, Hippo, Zebra? The jungle creatures all try to change themselves in this beautiful book, bursting with wild splashes of colour and hilarious animal antics. But Fly has a surprise in store - soon the animals learn that they are lovely just the way they are, and that kindness is the most beautiful thing of all.

A silly, fun version of the game "telephone"—in which a grocery list committed to memory goes playfully awry. One day, Vincent's mother asks him to go to the store to pick up a few items: "a bunch of carrots, a box of rice, some China tea, a big, firm pear, and a tin of peas" to be precise. "And hurry home in time for tea!" she says. Sounds easy enough.Yet distractions are at every turn, causing havoc with Vincent's memory. All of a sudden, a tin of peas is replaced by a trapeze; a big, firm pear becomes a big furry bear; and a box of rice transforms into a box of mice!Needless to say, Vincent's mother is in for quite a surprise.Told with a playful rhythm for reading aloud and illustrated with exuberance and great child appeal, this humorous picture book will have kids laughing and asking for repeated readings.Praise for Chimpanzees for Tea!"British author-illustrator Jo Empson brings her wonderfully freewheeling, kinetic style to this lively read-aloud that will have youngsters giggling and shouting out the correct items from the list."—Shelf Awareness"Award-winning British author/illustrator Empson energetically illustrates her tale of ever more outrageous memory lapses with scribbly watercolors full of swooping action and bouncing wildlife that follow the swirling text across the pages. As much fun to read as it is to hear, and a real treat for the eyes."—Kirkus Reviews"With a wildly cavorting cast of characters [and] a playful text . . . this is hard to resist." —Booklist"The humorous text makes this a perfect read-aloud for all ages and a great memory game to play with school-age kids."—School Library Journal

Little Bird loves everything about his home. He's surrounded by his favourite branch, his favourite food, his favourite view and his favourite music. Why on earth would he ever want to change, even when his brother tells him that they must? Discover how Little Bird ends up finding happiness in his new home from home in this beautifully illustrated picture book. Perfect for all children who love home, however many they may have.

It’s 14 years since a mysterious global catastrophe – survivors call it The Event – wiped out most human life and literally reshaped the Earth. Whole continents split and sank.Felix is 13 and has no family, like most survivors. He also has no memory of the first eight years of his life. His reluctant guardian Anna refuses to fill in the gaps: she thinks ignorance is bliss.They live in the small farming settlement of Doggett Island in what’s left of England – sea levels have risen by over 400 feet, drowning every major city. Felix spends most days out on his kite boat, catching fish for the islanders. Despite this service, they prefer Felix to keep his distance, and not just because of his fishy smell. Felix is a ‘kinny’, one of a group of children his age who create very destructive gravity spikes if they get upset. It can even happen in their sleep. Kinnies seem to be some kind of side effect of The Event.The remnants of the British Army have formed a military government 50 miles across the London Sea in Aldershot, though it has little real power. The government offers Felix training to control his abilities and sends Edith, a kinny who’s been through the programme, to collect him. But before they can set out, a militia group attacks Doggett, hunting for Felix.Felix and Edith escape with little more than the clothes on their backs. Now they must try to outrun the gunmen in a desperate flight across a devastated, lawless land whose dangers aren’t always visible. Meanwhile, Felix discovers his power is far greater than he realised - but it may just save their lives long enough for them to discover why they’re being hunted in the first place. The answers could lie in Felix’s long-forgotten past…