I’m very excited to have four new books coming out in 2024. The first is New Arrivals at Willow Farm. It contains two stories, Snowy the Sheepdog and Cowslip the Calf. Each story is about a baby animal who’s having a hard time fitting in on the farm. The book is published by Barrington Stoke, who, to quote from their website, specialise in making ‘super-readable books to help every child unlock a love of reading. Alongside award-winning and engaging stories from the best writers, [their] books contain a whole host of specialist features designed to help dyslexic and reluctant readers.’ The gorgeous cover and inside illustrations are by Isobel Lundie.

 

These are the first stories in which I’ve written some sections from an animal’s point of view, and it was a really interesting challenge to imagine the world as a sheepdog puppy and a newborn calf would experience it. I hope you enjoy reading the stories as much as I enjoyed writing them.

 

A Llama Called Lightning will be published on 11th April. It’s the sixteenth book in the Jasmine Green series, but don’t worry if you haven’t read the other fifteen – you can read them in any order! I had such a good time finding out about llamas for this story; one of the highlights of last year for me was taking a llama for a walk in the woods at Bluecaps Farm in Sussex (you can see a picture in the Gallery on the ‘About Me’ page).

 

I can’t wait for the publication of The Great Farm Rescue in August. This is the final book in a trilogy that began with The Secret Hen House Theatre way back in 2012, and continued in The Farm Beneath the Water in 2015. These books are very much inspired by my own childhood on a farm, and Hannah and her siblings are partly based on me and my three siblings. I had so much fun writing this story about how Hannah, her siblings and her best friend try to raise two million pounds to save their farm and secure the family’s future.

 

In September, my second book with Barrington Stoke, Midnight Adventures in Primrose Park, will be published. It contains two stories about baby animals who end up in a city park at night. How will Dapple the Deer and Olive the Otter find their way back home? Luckily, Hassan and his mum Asma live near the park, and are able to help.

 

I hope you enjoy the new books!