Our reviewers love illustrated fiction.
Illustrations don't just help younger readers follow a story, they also fuel young imaginations and bring the world of the book to life. Illustrated fiction should be for kids of all ages and there is a fantastic range of books to choose from.
Discover some of our favourites below, from chapter books for emerging readers to moving middle-grade, each one has wonderful illustrations and a great story too.
When Albert makes a daring escape, Ava realises that tortoises might not be quite as boring as they seem in this gentle animal story for readers aged 5 and up from worldwide bestseller Holly Webb.
Ava thinks her 45-year-old tortoise, Albert, is the most boring pet ever. She can’t take him for walks or cuddle him, and he doesn’t even like pats! But when Auntie Grace’s dog frightens Albert with all his barking, Ava realises just how much she loves her tortoise. Then, one day after school, she comes home to find a great big hole under the fence — and no Albert! Will Ava be able to track him down and bring him home?
View Book BUY NOW
Time-travelling penguins Pablo and Splash are on board a Viking longship in this hilarious full-colour graphic novel for readers aged 6+. Fans of Bunny vs Monkey or InvestiGATORS will love it.
When Pablo and Splash tell their cheeky friend Benji about the Vikings and their impressive longships, Benji is amazed. He's desperate to steal a time machine and go plundering for treasure with those ancient warriors. Our time-travelling heroes Pablo and Splash must get to Viking-era Ireland in time to warn the monks about the imminent invasion - and make their own mark on history.
We long have raved about Holly Webb and here's another of her series you will love reading. It's cosy, it's heart-warming, it's about animals. And it's perfect for readers aged 7+!
Another laugh-out-loud monster adventure in the Billy and the Mini Monsters chapter book series, perfect for newly independent readers and fans of Wigglesbottom Primary.
Billy LOVES football! He wants to play as well as his football hero... But in the first match of the season, Billy's game does NOT go to plan. The Mini Monsters are worried, too. Does Billy love football more than them? Maybe it's time for the Mini Monsters to start playing football... What could possibly go wrong?
Marty Moose is written and illustrated by the brilliant Claire Powell – we recommend her chapter book series for readers aged 7+ who love funny adventures and even funnier characters.
It's the day of the annual Fastest Feathers race in Little Ditch, but Marty Moose can’t stop to join in the fun – he’s got a very important parcel to deliver. The prize is a beautiful shining golden egg, and it's got to reach the finish line before the contestants do! But that’s not the only twist in the tail: Marty and Nibbles have to contend with ferret bandits who want the prize for themselves, and a pair of cheating ducks in a terrible case of fowl play. View Book BUY NOW
If you're on the hunt for a HILARIOUS chapter book series that will capture your Zootropolis fan, Koalas in Capes by Terrie Chilvers is just what you need! It's funny, vibrant and full of illustrations throughout by David O'Connell which help support the reading experience and ensure the content is clear for readers aged 7+.
Meet Bob and Archie. Two hapless, but enthusiastic, koalas who are just getting to grips with their superpowers when faced with their archenemy. Enter Dr Colossus, an evil giant ostrich, who has grand plans to take over Pawtonia by releasing a hoard of zombie chickens loose in the city! Can the Koalas in Capes master their powers in time to save the fate of Pawtonia?
View Book BUY NOW
A chapter book with fantastic representation, so many illustrations and fun-filled friendship? Farhana Islam's The Misadventures of Mina Mahmood series, illustrated by Simran Diamond Singh has it all!
Mina and her friends have just finished their primary school exams, and it's finally time to CELEBRATE. But everything comes to a crashing halt when Mr Aku gets THAT phone call: A SCHOOL INSPECTION! Mina and her best friends Mobeen and Reema are chosen to show the inspectors around, and everything seems to be going REALLY WELL! Until a pet tarantula goes missing …
View Book BUY NOW
Guardians of the New Moon by Eric Huang is a fast-paced illustrated fantasy series for readers aged 7+ inspired by East Asian mythology.
Clem Fatal is a rollicking middle grade series full of madcap escapades, fast-talking dames and unlikely heroes, written by Eve Wersocki Morris with black-and-white illustrations throughout by Honie Beam.
London, Summer 1951: Clem Fatale, the youngest crook in the city, and her best friend Gilbert are going to see their favourite musical double act, the Wade Sisters, perform at the London Palladium! But then one half of the duo - Betty Wade - disappears. Her sister Judy hires Clem and Gilbert to find Betty. The pair are soon pulled into the dark side of the theatre scene, and into the orbit of a notorious criminal mastermind. Will Clem be able to stage the rescue of a lifetime?
View Book BUY NOW
Imagination Island, written by Mel Taylor-Bessent and illustrated in black-and-white throughout by Alessandro D’urso, is the perfect imaginative middle-grade series if you're looking for a main character with a difference.
Luca and his teammates have conquered two maps in the fabled Imagination Island, where anything they imagine comes to life. Now they have three more challenges to face in this THIRD leg of the Race! They must crack jokes in Laughter Lagoon, ride giant space hoppers along Silly String Street, and finally, join in a game of Sneak ’n' Seek in a crumbling Roman-style coliseum, where if you are found, you are turned to stone… Who will lose and leave the Race FOREVER?
View Book BUY NOW
Meet HARI KUMAR, superstar-in-the-making, in this laugh-out-loud doodle-packed diary series for 8+ readers.
Hari Kumar: 10 years old, 75% Indian, 25% French, and 100% going to be a superstar. All Hari needs to make it big is a lucky break – a chance to get his name out there. And when that arrives in the form of a film festival competition at school, it’s Hari’s chance to shine.
Packed full of friendship, doodles and draaaaama, this series is perfect for fans of TOM GATES and LOKI!
View Book BUY NOW
Talented defender Eboni navigates balancing new friendships with her passion for football in this sensitively told tale from acclaimed author Eve Ainsworth for readers aged 8+.
Eboni’s decision to join the Lightmoor Lionesses has led to a falling-out with her closest friends on her old team. They feel betrayed and Eboni is frozen out at school. Feeling isolated, she’s delighted when she forms a new friendship with popular Olivia, quickly realising they have loads in common. But there’s one problem. Olivia isn’t interested in football and can’t understand Eboni’s dedication to the sport that she loves. Will Eboni stay true to herself or will she sacrifice her footballing dreams for friendship?
View Book BUY NOW
All aboard the middle-grade detective mystery series set on a cruise ship, written by West-End actress Emma Swan!
Jump on board again with Silver, the Cruise Ship Kid, as she solves another crime in the second book in the hilarious and bestselling detective adventure series. This time, a SUPER FAMOUS INFLUENCER has been KIDNAPPED and it's up to Silver to find her. So, do you want to be definitely-a-detective too and help her solve the kidnap at sea?
View Book BUY NOW
Readers aged 9+ who love a good laugh will have the most deliciously delightful time with Catherine Wilkins' Café Chaos series, fully illustrated throughout in black-and-white by Katie Abey.
Hope is trying to distance herself from the chaos of her family in a bid to have 'time to be a child' and let her family sort out their own crises. But she can't deprive her family of her problem-solving abilities for long. Rescue comes in the unlikely form of Skyla - Hope's arch enemy and school bully - who needs a place to hold her charity fashion show.
View Book BUY NOW
We've been really loving diary-style middle-grade books lately and the Glam and Beardy series, written by Ruby Clyde and Rachel WD and illustrated throughout by the brilliant Vincent Batignole, is no exception.
This is such a thrilling series for readers aged 7+, and the full-colour illustrations throughout make it even better, funnier, more engaging.
Pip is now the ruler of Oakhold. Yay! But there's already trouble. Boo! Shockingly, it turns out Pip is actually a pretty rubbish leader. Something sinister is stirring in the garden - and Pip could not give two hoots about tackling it. That is, until she sends her best friend Twig out on a heroic mission, and he is KIDNAPPED. Now it's up to Pip and a most unlikely ally to get him back - and try their best to avoid . . . DEATH BY TOAD.
View Book BUY NOW
Caiden and Sam find themselves trapped and alone in a vast warehouse with a soul-feeding demon in this hair-raising horror from bestselling and award-winning author Jennifer Killick.
Caiden and his best friend Sam are used to coming across some pretty weird stuff while helping Caiden’s dad in his house-clearing business, but nothing like the grotesque mounted heads of bizarre, other-worldly creatures they find in Sasha Kinski’s home. It’s clear that something awful has happened here, and it’s not over yet …
View Book BUY NOW
The hotly anticipated new book for readers aged 8+ from rising star Matt Goodfellow, author of bestselling The Final Year. Meet Alfie Piper, embarking on a summer he'll never forget ...
Since his mum died, Alfie's world has unravelled. The silence between him and his stepdad roars louder than ever. So he does the only thing that makes sense: grabs his bike, and rides. In these long summer days, can Alfie rebuild what was broken?
