‘Jeanne Willis is the nearest we have today to Hilaire Belloc, and one of the few children’s authors who can write in verse without forcing it’
Sunday Telegraph
Jeanne Willis was born in St Albans and trained as an advertising copywriter at Watford College. She worked for various agencies creating press adverts and TV, cinema and radio commercials. She is now a full-time writer. Her hobbies include gardening, reading (non-fiction), natural history and collecting caterpillars. Jeanne has also worked on scripts for TV, including POLLY POCKET and THE SLOW NORRIS , and a pilot TV series for DR XARGLE . She lives in North London with her husband and two children.
Jeanne has written many titles for Andersen Press, including TADPOLE’S PROMISE which won the Smarties Silver Prize 2003 in the 5 and under age group.
Jeanne's Books
0. Caterpillar Dreams - Hardback
£10.99 by Jeanne Willis
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842709139) Two curly caterpillars dream of all the things they will do when they become butterflies. Autumn comes, and they settle down to sleep, eager to wake up and have their dream realised. But Nature has a different dream, a different plan for them...
0. That's Not Funny! - Hardback
£10.99 by Jeanne Willis
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842709511) One day, just for a joke, Hyena puts a banana skin on Giraffe's path. When Giraffe slips and collides with a tree, a chain of unfortunate events begins which involves all the other animals. Hyena laughs and laughs at their misfortune. But the other animals have the last laugh when Hyena gets a fitting comeuppance and trips up on his own joke!
There was once a Nanny Goat who wanted kids more than anything in the world, but she couldn't have any of her own. Adopting seems like the perfect solution, but the kid she adopts is different to the others – in fact, he’s a tiger cub!
But the Nanny Goat doesn’t care. When her mistrustful sisters kick her kid out of the herd, she resolutely stands by him, and her trust in him is repaid when he saves not just her but also his cousins from becoming a hungry tiger’s dinner!
Flabby Cat and Slobby Dog were very lazy. They ate and ate and ate. And they slept and slept and slept. But when they woke up, they were most uncomfortable. The sofa had shrunk! Or so they liked to think...
0. Who's in the Loo? - Paperback
£6.99 by Jeanne Willis
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781849390217) 'Who's in the loo? There's a very long queue. Is it an elephant having a poo?' If your house has many occupants, then this witty rhyme from the irreverent and observant pen of Jeanne Willis will resonate profoundly. Adrian Reynolds's exuberant illustrations highlight the fun!
Read along with the audio CD to bring the story to life! The second track of the CD has page-turning prompts.
0. The Rascally Cake - Paperback
£5.99 by Jeanne Willis
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842707173) The ghastly Mr Skumskins O'Parsley's favourite dishes include wormcast butties, squashed tadpoles on toast and bogey burgers. O'Parsley decides one day to bake an extra special cake, with more revolting ingredients than you can possibly imagine. However, when the cake decides to eat HIM, he realises it is time to mend his ways.
The rollicking rhymes by Jeanne Willis are accompanied by Korky Paul's exuberant illustrations.
Little Hairy Monster is sitting on a rock licking a lollipop, when along comes Scary Monster. “I’m bigger than you!” says Scary Monster. “Give me your lollipop!” But Little Hairy Monster won’t, no matter how much he tries to bully her, and Scary Monster is in for a big surprise...
A light-hearted take on bullying, which young children will love.
0. Big Bad Bun - Hardback
£10.99 by Jeanne Willis
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842709252) There never was a rabbit as bad as Big Bad Bun. Or so you'd think if you read the letter which he left on his bed after school one day...but it turns out Big Bad Bun (whose real name is actually Fluff) might not be as bad as he makes out. His school report aside, that is!
0. Sloth's Shoes - Hardback
£9.99 by Jeanne Willis
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9780862645793) This witty narrative nonsense poem tells how from the top of the Thunder Tree the news filters down that Sloth's birthdsy party is to be held that very day at three. The animals busily prepare for the celebrations: the Baboons bake the cake, The Potteroos stitch him the finest Birthday Shoes, and the guests assemble. But poor Sloth is so, so slow that by the time he arives the party's over, his cake's a year out and the shoes several sizes too small. Writer Jeanne Willis and artist Tony Ross have established a successful partnership with the hugely popular Dr Xargle series. Fans of their wacky, vibrantly upside-down humour will not be disappointed with this tragi-comic tale of a Sloth who misses his own birthday.
This is the tale of Mucky Mabel Who had no manners at the table Who blew her nose on the serviette And made the tablecloth all wet A cautionary tale to delight all children by award-winning author Jeanne Willis, accompanied by colorful, funny illustrations by Margaret Chamberlain.
Everyone in Brian's family has their own ideas about what Brian should be. His mother wants him to be a famous violinist and makes him practice for hours. His father wants him to be a computer wizard, his older sister forces him into ballet tights and his uncle sees him as a jockey. His family keep on nagging him until he finally announces what HE wants to be. A poignant but funny tale about adults letting children just be children. 'Mary Rees's illustrations, very much in the tradition of Quentin Blake, are entertaining. . . a sophisticated product' - Times Educational Supplement
Flabby Cat and Slobby Dog were very lazy. They ate and ate and ate. And they slept and slept and slept. But when they woke up, they were most uncomfortable. The sofa had shrunk! Or so they liked to think...
0. Old Dog - Hardback
£10.99 by Jeanne Willis
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842706978) ‘You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.’
The Young Pups don’t want to visit Grandpa – he is so
boring , and only ever wants to talk about the olden days. They don’t believe Grandpa was ever young or fun, so Grandpa sets out to prove them wrong, and show them that there is life in the old dog yet!
0. Who's in the Loo? - Paperback
£5.99 by Jeanne Willis
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842706985) 'Who's in the loo? There's a very long queue. Is it an elephant having a poo?' If your house has many occupants, then this witty rhyme from the irreverent and observant pen of Jeanne Willis will resonate profoundly. Adrian Reynolds's exuberant illustrations highlight the fun!
0. Grill Pan Eddy - Paperback
£5.99 by Jeanne Willis
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842707111) 'I'm Grill Pan Eddy! Everybody ready?
Catch me if you can!'
Help! There's a mouse in the house! Grill Pan Eddy is an irrepressible, noisy and unwanted addition to the household, and a hilarious battle of wits ensues as the family tries to get rid of him!
0. Mammoth Pie - Hardback
£10.99 by Jeanne Willis
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842706596) 'On top of a mountain there lived a fat mammoth. Down in the valley there lived a thin caveman. The caveman was hungry. Very, very hungry. He saw the mammoth and licked his lips.'
But a mouthwatering Mammoth Pie turns out to be more difficult to come by than the caveman could ever imagine!
0. Daft Bat - Paperback
£5.99 by Jeanne Willis
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842706121) All the young wild animals think Bat is mad. How can she say a tree has the trunk at the top and the leaves at the bottom? Until, that is, they consult wise Owl who suggests that if they just try looking at things from Bat's point of view, they might see thing very differently.
0. Who's in the Loo? - Hardback
£4.99 by Jeanne Willis
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842706282) 'Who's in the loo? There's a very long queue. Is it an elephant having a poo?' If your house has many occupants, then this witty rhyme from the irreverent and observant pen of Jeanne Willis will resonate profoundly. Adrian Reynolds's exuberant illustrations highlight the fun!
One day a little boy loses his bellybutton, so he sets off into the jungle to find it. On the way he meets lots of animals, who each have their own bellybuttons. But it seems that somebody has stolen the little boy's, and they may not be so eager to give it back!
0. Cottonwool Colin - Paperback
£5.99 by Jeanne Willis
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842707197) Colin is small, even for a mouse. His mother refuses to let him play outside with his brothers and sisters unless he is wrapped in a big fluffy ball of cotton wool. But instead of keeping him safe, the cotton wool attracts the attention of every fierce creature imaginable – little boys, ducks, even foxes! After a day of being flung, pecked and chased, Colin returns home without his cotton wool, but feeling much BIGGER, and ready to tell his mother that he can look after himself.
Little Hairy Monster is sitting on a rock licking a lollipop, when along comes Scary Monster. “I’m bigger than you!” says Scary Monster. “Give me your lollipop!” But Little Hairy Monster won’t, no matter how much he tries to bully her, and Scary Monster is in for a big surprise...
A light-hearted take on bullying, which young children will love.
This is the tale of Mucky Mabel Who had no manners at the table Who blew her nose on the serviette And made the tablecloth all wet A cautionary tale to delight all children by award-winning author Jeanne Willis, accompanied by colorful, funny illustrations by Margaret Chamberlain.
Everyone in Brian's family has their own ideas about what Brian should be. His mother wants him to be a famous violinist and makes him practice for hours. His father wants him to be a computer wizard, his older sister forces him into ballet tights and his uncle sees him as a jockey. His family keep on nagging him until he finally announces what HE wants to be. A poignant but funny tale about adults letting children just be children. 'Mary Rees's illustrations, very much in the tradition of Quentin Blake, are entertaining. . . a sophisticated product' - Times Educational Supplement
“Good morning, class. Today we are going to learn about Earthlets.
They come in four colours. Pink, brown, black or yellow . . . but not green.”
In this way Dr Xargle, our friendly alien teacher, begins to teach his class about humans and babies.
This is an hysterically funny book, with a particularly wry look at our natural methods and practices in bringing up babies: look out for the ‘egg-mangle’ – will you ever want to eat it again?
0. Tadpole's Promise - Hardback
£9.99 by Jeanne Willis
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842700693) 'Where the willow meets the water, a tadpole met a caterpillar. They gazed into each other's tiny eyes and fell in love.'Promise me that you will never change', the caterpillar says.' And foolishly, the tadpole promises. But as the seasons pass and he matures, his legs grow, and then his arms - and what happens to his beautiful rainbow friend? As he sits on his lily pad, digesting the butterfly he has just eaten, he little realises that now he will never know!
0. Don't Let Go - Hardback
£9.99 by Jeanne Willis
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842700716) A little girl wants to visit her father AND she wants to learn to ride her bicycle, and it seems to her that she has the perfect reason to persuade him to teach her! She has all the usual trouble with balancing and speed control - but at last she is whipping down the path in the park screaming: 'It's all right - you can let go now!' But Dad sees his daughter speeding away from him, and he wonders whether she will really come back to him?
0. Mark Two - Paperback
£3.99 by Jeanne Willis
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842701102) Mark Burgess has hit puberty with gusto - surly, smelly but somehow gorgeous, he is the epitome of cool at school. Then disaster strikes! An apparition appears behind him in the mirror - it's Mark Two, his perfectly groomed, goody-goody Doppelganger!
The only other person who knows is Mark's best friend, Whittaker. While Mark lingers miserably in his bedroom surrounded by dead pizzas, Whittaker updates him on Mark Two's increasing popularity with his mum, his girlfriends and his teachers. Somehow, they have to get rid of him before he destroys Mark's reputation forever.
“Earth Hounds have fangs at the front and a waggler at the back. To find out which is which, hold a sausage at both ends.” Thus Dr Xargle, our friendly alien teacher, begins to teach his class all about man’s best friend.
This is an hysterically funny book, a guaranteed hit with dog-lovers everywhere, particularly dog-owners, who will vouch for the fact that Earth Hounds can, indeed, “jump as high as a roast beef”!
All the creatures ask their parent this eponymous question: the baboon learns that he 'was a right little monkey', and the snake has 'still got her rattle'! But the bullfrog's mum is very reluctant to tell her son the truth!
0. I Hate School - Hardback
£9.99 by Jeanne Willis
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842702208) Honor Brown cannot find a good word to say for her school despite much prompting. She insists that her teacher is a warty toad, the water tray has killer sharks in it, and even her friends are loathsome. But when the time comes to move on to 'big school', she sits in the corner and sobs! May be it wasn't so bad, after all!
0. Monster Bed, The - Paperback
£5.99 by Jeanne Willis
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842702222) Little Dennis doesn't want to go to sleep because there might be something under his bed. Dennis isn't afraid of monsters – after all, he's a monster himself. He's afraid that
humans will get him. His mother says that humans are only in made-up stories, but Dennis is not convinced. Rollicking rhyme and delightfully detailed illustrations make this story of a bedtime surprise the perfect book for little monsters.
0. New Shoes - Paperback
£4.99 by Jeanne Willis
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842702413) A little girl has to get a pair of new shoes that suit her perfectly (One shoe, two shoes, I need new shoes! Off I go to the new shoe store!). But it's not always easy to find exactly the right ones - several shops, and much shoe inspection later, our charming (but choosy!) heroine finally agrees on a pair. Jeanne Willis is famed and much-loved for her child's-eye view on everyday matters and Margaret Chamberlain's lively illustrations will charm yet more fans.
Little Rhino is rude to everyone, and has been since the day he was born. He sticks his tongue out, he makes rude noises and he waves his bottom at anyone in front of him, with no respect for person or place. Until, that is, he meets his match with someone who is prepared to treat him the same way!
0. Misery Moo - Hardback
£9.99 by Jeanne Willis
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842702949) There was once a cow who was always miserable, and a lamb who was always trying to cheer her up. But she was impossible to cheer up! Even Father Christmas was too jolly. The poor lamb burst into tears, and wallowed in misery himself. Finally the cow started to miss him, and gave him the best birthday present ever - a great big grin!
'Today we are going to learn about Earth families. An Earth family is a collection of Earthlings who belong to each other whether they like it or not.'Dr Xargle, the great, green alien school teacher is now attempting the hot topic of Earth relations, and his views are as refreshing, remarkable, and idiosyncratic as ever! Brother Earthlets are 'Bother Earthlets', smelly, sticky and dangerous, while Sister Earthlets, 'Sulker Earthlets', are shy, sneaky and give piercing shrieks. It's Earth, folks, and oh, how we know it!
The young heroine may live in a big city high rise block, but she just wants to be a cowgirl. With a little imagination ordinary city objects become objects more suitable back home on the ranch. A washing line is much better as a lasso, and Dad's hat is a great cowboy hat once the rim has been rolled! It's all much more fun than being a good girl, playing quiet games indoors.
0. Manky Monkey - Paperback
£5.99 by Jeanne Willis
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842703298) A monkey doesn't fit in with his relatives, the apes. He doesn't like bananas, or swinging in the trees, so he goes off on his own. He discovers he can walk upright; he takes up residence in a cave; and he gives himself a (very) close shave. He is lonely on his own, but he amuses himself inventing things like words and wheels and lawnmowers, and by putting up a shelf, until a companion lady comes by. Told in the characteristic effortlessly energetic and elegiac verse and pictures we have to come to expect from this classic picture book partnership!
0. Who's in the Loo? - Hardback
£10.99 by Jeanne Willis
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842703359) 'Who's in the loo? There's a very long queue. Is it an elephant doing a poo?' If your house has many occupants, then this witty rhyme from the irreverent and observant pen of Jeanne Willis will resonate profoundly. Adrian Reynolds's exuberant illustrations highlight the fun!
0. Grill Pan Eddy - Hardback
£10.99 by Jeanne Willis
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842703427) 'I'm Grill Pan Eddy! Everybody ready?
Catch me if you can!'
Help! There's a mouse in the house! Grill Pan Eddy is an irrepressible, noisy and unwanted addition to the household, and a hilarious battle of wits ensues as the family try to get rid of him!
0. Killer Gorilla - Hardback
£10.99 by Jeanne Willis
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842703502) A little mouse loses her baby, but just as she starts looking for it, out of the rainforest looms a huge gorilla, so she starts running for her life. And so begins a chase that takes her all over the world: to China, Australia, North America, and even the Arctic! But when the gorilla finally catches up with her at the North Pole, it turns out that all he has been trying to do is return her baby to her!
0. Shhh! - Hardback
£10.99 by Jeanne Willis
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842703564) A little shrew had wonderful news! He wanted to tell the whole world, but it was too noisy. 'I know the secret of Peace on Earth!' he said. Nobody heard him. Everyone was much too busy doing their own thing, creating their own noises, and not listening to anything. He wanted to say that if everyone in the whole world just sat still for a moment and listened, there would be Peace on Earth. Jeanne Willis uses a wonderful hurly-burly of onomatopoeic words to accompany her familiar energetic rhythmic text, and Tony Ross rises to the challenge, producing illustrations that perfectly match both in their imaginative variety and in their glorious details.
Dr Xargle, the alien schoolmaster, is now teaching his class about earthling modes of transport. He starts with the oldest form of all (the Dobbin: grab his hairdo and fling your legs in the air), continues through wheels great and small, before arriving at boats (made from a tree and a sheet tied to a stick with a string), planes (they have a tail, some wings and a beak, but no feathers) and trains. And the class trip for this lesson? A genuine ride on a Ghost Train. That should set them up nicely!
0. Don't Let Go - Paperback
£5.99 by Jeanne Willis
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842703779) A little girl wants to visit her father AND she wants to learn to ride her bicycle, and it seems to her that she has the perfect reason to persuade him to teach her! She has all the usual trouble with balancing and speed control - but at last she is whipping down the path in the park screaming: 'It's all right - you can let go now!' But Dad sees his daughter speeding away from him, and he wonders whether she will really come back to him?
0. Tadpole's Promise - Paperback
£5.99 by Jeanne Willis
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842704264) Tadpole loves his rainbow friend, the caterpillar, and she tells him she loves everything about him. 'Promise that you will never change,' she says. But as the seasons pass and he matures, his legs grow, and then his arms - and what happens to his beautiful rainbow friend? As he sits on his lily pad, digesting a butterfly, Tadpole little realises that now he will never know!
Follow the predictable changes of a tadpole and a caterpillar to their natural conclusion in this award winning picture book.
0. I Hate School - Paperback
£5.99 by Jeanne Willis
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842704639) Honor Brown cannot find a good word to say about her school despite much prompting. She insists that her teacher is a warty toad, the water tray has killer sharks in it, and even her friends are loathsome. But when the time comes to move on to 'Big School', she sits in the corner and sobs! Maybe it wasn't so bad after all!
0. Daft Bat - Hardback
£10.99 by Jeanne Willis
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842704769) All the young wild animals think Bat is mad. How can she say a tree has the trunk at the top and the leaves at the bottom? Until, that is, they consult wise Owl who suggests that if they just try looking at things from Bat's point of view, they might see thing very differently.
0. Mayfly Day - Hardback
£7.99 by Jeanne Willis
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842704929) Mayfly might have only one day to live, but she enjoys every moment, observing all the life around her, and rejoicing in her own. As she soars over the sky at dawn she bathes in the golden light. and she dances to the music of the universe.
0. Dozy Mare - Paperback
£5.99 by Jeanne Willis
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842705247) A lazy horse will do nothing except stand still - except on Sundays, when she sits down. She won't 'giddy up' for the farmer, nor 'trot off' for his wife, nor play cowboys for their son, nor jump for their daughter. There are no incentives that will work. Not carrots, oats, apples; not even a sugar lump! So she gets sold to a tinker, and then to the circus - and then to a butcher. And then the dozy dobbin demonstrates that, though lazy, she isn't stupid: she runs like the wind!
0. Misery Moo - Paperback
£5.99 by Jeanne Willis
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842705261) There was once a cow who was always miserable, and a lamb who tried to cheer her up. But the cow was impossible to cheer up! Even Father Christmas was too jolly for her. The poor lamb burst into tears himself, and wallowed in misery. Finally the cow started to miss him, and gave him the best birthday present ever - a great big grin!
Awards & Reviews
Elmer's Special Day
by David McKee
Chris Brown, School Librarian
