Posts in the Children’s category

1 May
2013

Claire Freedman tells us about her Underpants book series!


Author Guest Posts, Children's

Hello Tesco Books Blog,

Pirates Love Underpants is the fifth book in the Underpants Series, and I think it is my favourite. I just knew I had to write a story about pirates and pants – they seemed to go together perfectly! I could envisage all those sails made from pants flying from the pirate ships, and sharks in fancy underwear. I had great fun with it and I really hope you all have great fun reading the story!

The Underpants books have almost taken over my life – something that came as a big surprise, especially the first book I wrote in the series; Aliens Love Underpants. What started off as a one-off funny and rather silly book about zany aliens coming down to Earth to steal our underpants (and why wouldn’t they?), has now turned into an underpant series. It was totally unexpected.

My aim was to portray the aliens as very friendly and non-threatening, and that viewpoint has continued throughout the subsequent books. If aliens love underpants, then who’s to say that dinosaurs don’t love them too? Of course I had to re-write history to tell the true story of how the dinosaurs were all wiped out, but now at least the truth is out – and it’s all to do with underpants (of course!). After that, it seemed only fair to tell the aliens unknown secret story – of how long ago, they saved our world from destruction by a meteorite, as told in Aliens In Underpants Save The World. We have to be thankful that aliens love pants!

Then, after that, Aliens Love Panta Claus had to be written as, again, I felt it necessary to reveal Santa Claus’s pseudonym! The aliens came to the rescue and saved Christmas by helping Santa when his sleigh had a malfunction. Shocking but true!

What is definitely true, though, is that I just enjoy the thought of children and their parents having a good giggle together at reading time, and to introduce books as the wonderful, inspiring and adventurous tools they are. I am passionate about books and as a child had so much pleasure from reading, and still do as an adult today. If I can encourage children to read more books and get them laughing, talking and having fun with them, then I am happy!

Claire x

Order the Underpants series and other picture books online now and get free delivery!

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26 Feb
2013

Have you met Pip?


Children's, Competitions

Have you met Pip yet? By far the most adorable pussycat around – he has even won an award for being cute!

Pip and friends are always ready to try new things and go on adventures. If you like to have fun then our new interactive activity books are a great choice for you and your little ones to share.

The four new books all feature Pip and his many friends and to celebrate the book release we are giving away lots of Pip merchandise including stationery and clothes worth over £50!

To be in with the chance of winning this fantastic selection of Pip goodies (which come together with their own sparkly Pip bag!) simply answer this question in the comments section below:

What type of animal is Pip?

Check out these fantastic new activity books in store now – something to suit every fan!

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319 Comments

25 Feb
2013

Win a tea set with Delia!


Author Guest Posts, Children's, Food & Drink

I’ve always been of the opinion that a good cake is more than just a cake – it’s something to be proud of and something to share, and a good recipe is a legacy that you can pass on to new generations.

If you want to say a special thank you to your mum this Mother’s Day then I don’t think anything says it better than a cake that you’ve baked yourself. From timeless classics like coffee and walnut sponge to exciting new recipes like Iced Hidden Strawberry Cup Cakes, you’ll find lots of inspiration in my new book Delia’s Cakes. In the book, I share with you simple, delicious, tried and tested recipes that you can trust. Whether you’re a beginner or a more experienced cook, I hope you’ll all enjoy baking, sharing and eating these wonderful cakes.

But why not go a step further and really spoil your mum by recreating the type of afternoon tea you’d enjoy in a luxurious hotel? You mum and family will love the home-made touch of a special afternoon tea, with cucumber sandwiches, scones and jam, and of course, cake. You can either choose to make several batches of smaller cakes to give everyone plenty of choice, or create one large centrepiece cake that has the wow factor. If you really want to go the extra mile then why not to turn your living room into a hotel with cake stands, crisp table linen and tea from your best china teapot. For the perfect afternoon tea, I don’t think you can go wrong with these recipes for scones, Banana and Walnut loaf and my open-faced egg chive and spring onion sandwiches for something savoury.

 For the chance to win the perfect Mother’s Day gift, a tea set for two worth over £80, share with us your family’s favourite cake recipe in the comments section below…

 Good luck!

Buy Delia’s Cakes online and  in store from Thursday 28th February!

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43 Comments

22 Feb
2013

We have Moshi Monsters prizes up for grabs!


Children's

For all you Moshi mad fans out there, we’re very excited that the new Moshi Monsters Character Encyclopedia is available in store and online now. Take a trip to Monstro City and meet over 200 of your favourite characters from Katsuma to Diavlo. Each page is packed with fangtastic monster facts, stats and amazing stories and, as if that wasn’t exciting enough, each book comes with an exclusive Colonel Catcher!

To celebrate the book coming out, we’re giving one lucky person the chance to win 12 months membership to Moshi Monsters plus the Moshi Monsters Character Encyclopedia. One runner-up will also win a copy of the book and the Moshi Monsters Ultimate Sticker Collection which includes over 1,000 monsterific stickers!

To be in with a chance of winning all you need to do is answer the following question in the comments section below: 

What was your favourite monster as a child?

Buy Moshi Monsters books and more online now!

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55 Comments

18 Feb
2013

Peppa Pig is here for half term!


Children's

To celebrate the upcoming Peppa Pig storybooks – Peppa’s Easter Egg Hunt and Baby Alexander – we’ve got a fantastic competition just for you!

These delightful storybooks are based on the hit TV show Peppa Pig and show favourite characters Peppa Pig and her little brother George in situations familiar to all preschoolers. In Peppa Pig: Baby Alexander, Peppa’s little cousin comes to stay and Peppa teaches him his first word! Whilst in Peppa’s Easter Egg Hunt, Grandpa Pig organises a special Easter Egg hunt and Peppa and her friends find more than just eggs in the garden! Guaranteed to have the little piggies giggling away, these books are perfect for sharing at bedtime, storytime or anytime!

To win a family ticket to Paultons Theme Park, the home of Peppa Pig World, plus a bundle of Peppa Pig books answer the question in the comments section below:

How are you planning to keep your little ones happy this half term?

Check out the huge Peppa Pig collection online now!

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88 Comments

11 Jan
2013

Win with Hello Kitty!


Children's, Competitions

Hello Kitty is one of our favourite characters and is loved by fans across the world!

We’re excited to announce the arrival of three new Hello Kitty activity books: My Dressing Up Book, a fantastic creative book for budding fashion designers, the Fairy Magic Sticker Activity Book – full of fairy activities and stickers, and finally the Wipe Clean Activity Book which comes with a special Hello Kitty pen with pink ink to complete the pages.

To be in with the chance of winning a bundle of the new books, including ‘My Dressing Up Book’ plus a special Hello Kitty goody bag for your little ones just answer this question in the comments section below:

What is your favourite Hello Kitty outfit and why?

Check out these new titles plus a range of other Hello Kitty titles online and in store now – something to suit every fan!

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252 Comments

6 Dec
2012

BGT winner Pudsey paid us a visit…


Author Guest Posts, Children's

Most dogs don’t have big ambitions. We like to chase sticks and squirrels, shadow our owners, especially when they’re cooking or eating at the table, and sleep. A lot. With a nice comfy bed, regular meals and walks, we don’t ask for much.

Unless, of course, you’re a dog with a difference. Yup, I’m talking about me, Pudsey, the dog from the telly. From the moment I put one paw in front of the other, I dreamed of dancing in front of the nation!

Naturally, my four-legged friends poured scorn on the whole idea – especially Handsome Brad, a neighbouring ginger tom who rules the roost at our house.

‘Pudsey,’ he said with a sneer, when he learned that Ashleigh and I were set to audition on Britain’s Got Talent, ‘you’ve got more chance of flying on a private plane with Simon Cowell than you have of winning that show.’

Now, it’s a rare thing to see a cat lost for words, but when Handsome Brad learned that we had scooped the prize, his mouth puckered up like his bottom. It took the cat some time to come to terms with our success, especially when Simon jetted us to the States after Ashleigh and I were invited to perform on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He pretended to show no interest in my new book, Pudsey: My Autobidography, but secretly he’s flattered to be featured. Fortunately for me, cats can’t read. Still, I’m happy for him to assume that I couldn’t have got where I am today without him.

To Brad’s credit, he made sure that our fame didn’t change a thing on our return. He’s still behaves like he’s boss dog, and enjoys talking down to me from his spot on top of the cupboard, but I can’t complain. This year has been a rollercoaster ride, and now we’re looking forward to spending the festive season at home. Whatever surprises the New Year springs, one thing is for sure, when it comes to chasing your dreams, support from friends and family is what counts more than anything else. Merry Christmas, everybody!

Buy Pudsey: My Autobidography online and in store now for just £4.50!

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26 Nov
2012

Everyone loves LEGO®!


Children's, Competitions

As children we all loved LEGO® and as the years go on those little bricks prove to be as much of a hit with the new generation as they were with us.

We have an amazing array of LEGO® books online and in store, with exciting images, hundreds of stickers, collectible figures and thousands of great ideas, there is a LEGO® book to suit everyone! Our favourite picks at the moment are: LEGO® Ninjago Fight the Power of the Snakes! Brickmaster and The LEGO® Ideas Book!

We’re giving you the chance to win a bundle of LEGO® books and goodies for your little ones to enjoy, to win all you have to do is answer this question in the comments section below:

What was your favourite toy as a child?

Shop our huge collection of LEGO® books and toys online and in store now!

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361 Comments

8 Nov
2012

Win tickets to see Ashleigh and I!


Author Guest Posts, Biography, Children's, Competitions

Right now, Ashleigh and I are locked in rehearsals for our Royal Variety Performance. I love to dance, and Ashleigh has enjoyed taking me through our new routine every step of the way. We’re both so excited, but frankly it’s a miracle that we’re on the billing at all. Why? Because when the official invitation from Her Majesty flopped through the letterbox at home, I did what comes naturally to a dog. Unaware of the sender, and assuming it was a bill, I pounced on the envelope before it had even hit the ground. I then set about shredding it until Ashleigh wrestled it from my jaws.

Fortunately, Ashleigh and her mum were able to piece the letter back together. As they did so, I couldn’t help noticing the posh-looking seal on the envelope I had destroyed. Closer investigation also revealed the unmistakable aroma of corgi. I’d figured out what this meant moments before Ashleigh read the invitation and gasped. For one thing, I was in big trouble for wrecking the kind of letter that should be framed and hung on the wall. More importantly, it contained confirmation that we’d been asked to perform in front of the Queen! I’d heard rumours that She was keen to see us dance, and this confirmed it. We were overjoyed, but anxious not to lose our heads – which is why we’ve lined up the performance of a lifetime!

Even for a dog who can count on Simon Cowell as his BFF, this really is a big deal. I’ve never seen a Royal Variety Performance on the television, but I’m guessing it must be like Britain’s Got Talent with a lot of red carpet thrown in for good measure. It’s going to be an honour and a thrill. I just hope that Ashleigh and I get through to the end without the Queen pressing her buzzer and lighting up the cross in front of her panel. That’s how it works, right?

Whatever the case, I’m also looking forward to meeting Her Majesty and her four-legged friends backstage. Ashleigh has perfected her curtsey, and I’ve been practising my bow-wow. So long as I don’t put a paw wrong, and nobody mentions the regrettable episode with the invitation, we’re hoping this will be another memorable event in my crazy life. You can read all about the highs, lows, challenges and triumphs of my adventure so far in Pudsey: My Autobidography.

What’s more if your name isn’t on the list for the Royal Variety Performance, you can still see Ashleigh and me on stage. We’re starring in Dick Wittington at the New Victoria Theatre in Woking from 7th December to 6th January!

To win tickets to see Ashleigh and Pudsey make their theatrical debut and meet the duo after their performance all you have to do is answer the question in the comments section below:

On which show did Pudsey and Ashleigh shoot to fame?

Buy Pudsey: My Autodiography online and in store now for just £5.00!

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51 Comments

7 Nov
2012

Diary of a Wimpy Kid is back!


Author Guest Posts, Children's

Tesco are thrilled to be hosting the sixth of 7 teaser trailers celebrating the release of the 7th book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, The Third Wheel out next Wednesday!

I’ve recorded 7 teaser trailers exclusively for my UK fans which will give you a sneak peek into the latest Wimpy Kid book. There’s still one more to come which will be released next Friday 16th November on www.wimpykidclub.co.uk - make sure you don’t miss it!

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel is a book that’s been a long time coming. I started working on my Diary of a Wimpy Kid series way back in 1998, and I made a decision about the books’ protagonist right off the bat: Greg Heffley didn’t ‘get’ girls. I send that message to my readers in the way that Greg depicts the opposite sex. Greg draws boys as a diverse and varied bunch, while his girls are more or less homogenous… slight variations on the same model.

The reason for this? Like many pre-teen males, Greg simply doesn’t have a feel for what makes girls tick. And so to him, girls are simply an amorphous bunch who travel in packs and inexplicably visit the water closet at the same time.

In The Third Wheel, girls get a little more sharply drawn. A Valentine’s Dance at Greg’s school turns his world upside down as the boys in his grade scramble to pair up with girls. Greg doesn’t want to be left out in the cold on the big night, so it’s time for him to grow up – just a little – and dip his toe into the messy world of pre-adolescent dating.

Of course, the going for Greg is rough, which is what makes it fun.  Complicating matters is the fact that Greg’s Uncle Gary – a slacker who can’t hold down a job and has already been married four times – is advising him on his quest to get a date to the dance. As Greg’s prospects dry up, the pressure gets ratcheted up and he becomes willing to do just about anything to find a willing partner.

 

I hope you enjoy reading The Third Wheel as much as I enjoyed writing it. It’s a huge honor to have my book selected as Book of the Month, and I hope that for you, it lives up to the billing!

Buy Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel by Jeff Kinney in store on Wimpy Kid Wednesday – 14th November!

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