Marty Moose: First Class Mischief

The move from picture books to novels is one of the defining milestones for any young reader. But the leap from The Gruffalo to The Famous Five can be a daunting one- and in recent years there has been a surge in short, illustrated chapter books intended to bridge the gap. The most successful tend to be those that combine the progressive plot of a longer novel with the clear, visual narrative of a picture book- and Marty Moose, the first in a new series by the author and illustrator Claire Powell, is just such an example […] Beneath Marty’s fur lies a recognisably human heart, and one of the more satisfying threads of the stories lies in his tightening bond with Nibbles […] At 156 pages long, Marty Moose is still a big jump from The Grufffalo. But the moral, spelled out in a letter to Marty from Great-Aunt Ada, is similarly clear: “Just because you’re small doesn’t mean you can’t be brave. * The Telegraph *Charming and very funny. A wonderful caper, full of adventure, humour and admirable alliteration! – Dermot O’LearyGorgeous and brilliant! The writing is skilful and witty … Marty Moose is brimming with delicious, stylish ink drawings. – Sheena DempseyGuaranteed to win the hearts of every reader. Powell has created a miniature-sized masterpiece. Every page is a feast for the eyes, with stunning spot colour illustrations oozing with details you could pore over for hours. Charm, friendship, wit, and a LOT of mayhem; Marty Moose has it all – a first class stamp of approval from me! – Laura Ellen AndersonI love Marty so much I licked my copy so nobody else can have it! Marty is marvellous! Gets my stamp of approval!! – Steven Lenton

Claire Powell is a bestselling children’s book maker, character designer and illustrator. Claire’s collaborations with Beth Lincoln, Kes Gray and Simon Farnaby all topped the charts to become bestsellers. She has also illustrated books for Dermot O’Leary, Jeanne Willis, Peter Bently and Michelle Robinson. This is her first author-illustrated book.