” Here`s a book that will bring the ”great” back into the great outdoors.” Michael Morpurgo on Run Wild ”A beautiful inspiring book, bursting with practical suggestions which will appeal to every child`s imagination.” Julia Donaldson on The Stick Book ” The book teems with colour photographs & the text is easy to follow.”
- BBC Countryfile on The Stick Book ” Simplicity & a deep satisfaction go together.”
- The Guardian on The Stick Book ” Get some inspiration with this fab book full of ideas.”
- Gurgle on The Beach Book Building a den, fort, treehouse or hideaway is part of childhood`s imaginary world, where anything might be possible. Dens are universal play places: you can make them almost anywhere, out of almost anything. The Den Book is packed with inspiring photos & descriptive text to tempt children (and their adults) into building amazing dens outdoors, for themselves, for their toys, or for the imaginary creatures who live in the woods or the park. What makes a good den? It should be secret: perhaps you need to know the password before you are allowed to enter. It should be a place to hang out with friends. It should be a place where you can escape into your imagination. This book

Includes:: tips on how to build, waterproof & furnish a den & lots of fun ideas for activities to do in & around dens. There is specific advice on building different dens, including garden dens, junk dens, sleep out & party dens, fairy forts & monster dens as well as treehouses & tepees.




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A descendant of one of Hawaii`s largest landowners, Matt King finds his luck changed when his fun-loving, flighty wife Joanie falls into a coma, victim of a boating accident. Matt is left in sole charge of his two daughters, teenage ex-model & recovering drug addict Alex, & Scottie, a feisty ten-year-old. & then Matt discovers Joanie has been having an affair. Deciding to seek out Joanie`s lover so that he too has a chance to say his goodbyes, Matt takes to the road with his daughters on a memorable journey of painful revelations & unexpected humour... ...

‘ With all these exalted powers
- Man still bears in his bodily frame the indelible stamp of his lowly origin’ In The Origin of
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Grayson Perry has been thinking about masculinity
- what it is, how it operates, why little boys are thought to be made from
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`GRAYSON PERRY FOR KING & QUEEN OF ENGL&. Imagine how BRILLIANT our country would look if he was.` Caitlin Moran Grayson Perry has been thinking about masculinity
- what it is, how it operates, why little boys are thought to be made from slugs & snails
- since he was a boy. Now, in this funny & necessary book, he turns round to look at men with a clear eye & ask, what sort of men would make the world a better place, for everyone? What would happen if we rethought the old, macho, outdated version of manhood, & embraced a different idea of what makes a man? Apart from giving up the coronary-inducing stress of always being `right` & the vast new wardrobe options, the real benefit might be that a newly fitted masculinity will allow men to have better relationships
- & that`s happiness, right? Grayson Perry admits he`s not immune from the stereotypes himself
- as the psychoanalysts say, `if you spot it, you`ve got it`
- & his thoughts on everything from power to physical appearance, from emotions to a brand new Manifesto for Men, are shot through with honesty, tenderness & the belief that, for everyone to benefit, upgrading masculinity has to be something men decide to do themselves. They have nothing to lose but their hang-ups.




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Deserts are extreme environments. Occupying about 20 per cent of the world`s land surface, they are subject to some of the harshest conditions on the planet, being places of minimal rainfall & epic temperatures, from searing heat to intense cold. Rock, sand & gravel provide the stark physical context. Yet deserts are far from the bleak & lifeless wastelands of popular perception, being surprisingly diverse in terms of wildlife. From elephants to tiny lichens, desert flora & fauna are highly specialized, demonstrating a vast range of adaptations that are designed to cope with the demanding environment & exploit fully the ecological niches on offer. In ” The Desert”, James Parry explores some the world`s last great desert wildernesses & reveals the fascinating range of wildlife they support. This book looks at various types of desert, at their different ecosystems & at the diverse features & types of wildlife that make them such exciting places to visit. ...

Once considered the `dark continent` in the imagination of the West, Africa is now recognized as the cradle of mankind. It is a land of overwhelming complexity & wealth, both culturally & geographically. Yet its formidable deserts remain largely unexplored. Geographer & photographer Michael Martin`s images of these enormous, apparently barren, stretches of land reveal the true cultural & spiritual heritage of Africa. Travelling through the Sahara, the volcanic deserts of the Rift Valley, the Kalahari & the Namib, he explores the lives of the varied peoples who eke out their existence in these inhospitable regions: the nomadic Bororo between Senegal & Chad, who rely primarily on cattle herding; the Tuareg of the Sahara & the Sahel, nomadic goat herders who refer to themselves as the `free people; & the Tubu, both herders & traders, who occupy the Tibesti mountain range. During his journey, Martin unveils the characteristic features of desert life, such as the Tarhalamt, the last functioning salt caravan of the Sahara which sets out after the rainy season. Without visible landmarks to guide him, the Madugu, or leader of the caravan, relies on the position of the sun, the structure of the sand or the fast-fading traces of former caravans to find his way. He has learned to recognize the individual features of each `erg`, those huge crescent-shaped dunes that dominate the Sahara, & to value the camel, the ship of the desert, the only beast capable of accompanying man, himself wholly unadapted to desert life, into those regions where temperatures suddenly rise & fall & where water is in short supply. Michael Martin`s vibrant photographs reveal that desert sands, far from being barren & empty, are the oldest arenas of life`s struggle against the elements. Those who choose to live there partake of the landscape`s unique beauty & majesty. They appear to Western eyes as the guardians of an inner wealth that shines forth all the more when set against the material abundance that so often compensates for the spiritual privation of today`s industrialized world. ...

They don`t require allergy shots, expensive pet sitters, or diamond-studded collars. Desktop fish are the perfect pets & will always be there to entertain you, even if you forget to feed them for months on end! Following on the heels of underwater mania following Finding Nemo & Shark Tales, & the popularity of virtual pets, this desktop aquarium will be a fun addition to the workplace. It also makes a great gift for animal lovers. Kit

Includes:: two magnetic fish, magnetic wand to make fish swim, plant, gravel, 4 playful backgrounds, & 32-page booklet.

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For hundreds of years, the stone heads of Easter Island have sat perched on their platforms, gazing mystically out over land & sea. Now the impressive Pacific site can be viewed on a desktop near you! This kit comes with four miniature replicas of stone heads of Easter Island in various shapes & sizes. One can stare back above a computer screen like a micromanaging boss, while others act as paperweights or mesmerize co-workers to turn away each time they reach for your candy dish. Those heads will never let a cubicle or office feel lonely again! ...

` The Destroyers is a smart, sophisticated literary thriller; for all its originality, it invokes the shades of Lawrence Durrell & Graham Greene` Jay Mc Inerney, author of Bright, Precious Days When Charlie & I were young, we played a game called Destroyers... We were sharpening our instincts, jettisoning attachments. We were honing strategies for survival.. . Ian Bledsoe is on the run, broke & humiliated, fleeing the emotional & financial fallout of his father`s death. His childhood friend Charlie
- rich, exuberant & basking in life on the Greek island of Patmos
- is his last hope. At first, Patmos is like a dream
- sun-soaked days on Charlie`s yacht & the reappearance of a girlfriend from Ian`s past
- & Charlie readily offers the lifeline he desperately needs. But, like Charlie himself, this beautiful island conceals a darkness beneath. When he vanishes leaving behind his murky business affairs, Ian finds himself caught in a terrifying labyrinth of deceits. As boys, the pair played a game called Destroyers
- a game, he now realizes, they may never have stopped playing. Expansive, vivid & suspenseful, in the vein of Donna Tartt`s The Goldfinch, The Destroyers is a mesmerizing drama of power & fate, fathers & sons, self-invention & self-deception. ` Equal parts Graham Greene, Patricia Highsmith & F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Destroyers is at once lyrical & suspenseful, thoughtful & riveting` Garth Greenwell, author of What Belongs to You ` The Destroyers manages to be both fast-paced & contemplative, an excellent entertainment & also something more lasting, a haunting meditation on friendship & desperation` Guardian, Best Holiday Reads of 2017




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