Why am I passionate about this?
I grew up in London, close to Richmond Park, where I got to know many of the characters who have since popped up in my stories. I bird-watched, caterpillar-collected, and pond-dipped, and my bedroom had a floating population of minibeasts. My first picture book, Fred and the Little Egg, was about a bear cub trying to hatch an acorn, and my stories have continued to reflect my love of nature. My Fletcher’s Four Seasons series follows a kind-hearted fox cub as he explores his wood through the changing seasons. I hope my books will inspire children to explore and care for the natural world too.
Julia's book list on nature and the seasons
Why did Julia love this book?
This hilarious tale of a squirrel struggling to cope with its tree losing its leaves in autumn shares a theme with Fletcher and the Falling Leaves, but makes it very much its own thanks to its delightfully dramatic main character. Squirrel is a hoot from start to finish, outraged one minute, trying to relax with yoga and a hot bath the next. The book has colourful, expressive illustrations, a wonderful final page twist, and some bonus facts at the back about autumn, trees, and squirrels.
1 author picked The Leaf Thief as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 2, 3, 4, and 5.
A brilliantly funny picture book about
seasons, written by Alice Hemming and illustrated by Nicola Slater.
Squirrel is so cross. Yesterday there
were loads of beautiful leaves on his tree,
but today? Today some are missing and Squirrel is convinced
that someone has stolen them... there's
a leaf thief on the loose!
Join Squirrel on a mission to find the culprit,
and meet so many fun animals on the way, while
you find out how the world takes on different colours
as the months pass by.
A laugh-out-loud book about the changing
seasons, with extra information in
the back for…