In 2005, to mark the first anniversary of the Tsunami in the Indian Ocean that took so many lives, the BBC commissioned Tew Bunnag, along with other authors from the affected countries, to write a short story to be broadcast on Radio 4. Tew wrote the moving Lek and Mrs. Miller. Exceptionally well-received he decided to write a collection of stories surrounding the Tsunami. These were inspired by his experiences working in the South of Thailand for an NGO helping and talking to those who were suffering from the aftermath, and who suffered the devastation at first hand and dealing with the loss of their families and friends, as well as, in some cases, their livelihoods. Though their themes are tied to the tragedy that took place the stories touch on universal issues that go beyond the actual event such as loss, recovery and continuation after a tragedy. The collection, published to commemorate the tsunami in 2004, is a deeply moving and poignant read for all contemporary fiction readers.

A cute board book with pages that look like a little chalkboard and illustrations that look as if they were drawn with coloured chalk! This simple, yet adorable board book will become a favourite with the littlest ones, who will be inspired to try copying the charming, colourful, chalklike designs. It’s playtime, with plenty of fun toys. All the favourites are here, drawn on the chalkboard: a doll with bows in her hair, a cool robot, a cheerful model train, a kite, a ball, blocks, and bowling pins. And every page features brightly coloured decorations, like rainbows, wrapped presents, balloons, and stars. Ages: 0 to 3

With vivid memories of his first visit to the Scottish National Gallery in the 1970s and his initial encounter with Hugo van der Goes’ The Trinity Altarpiece, Rembrandt’s A Woman in Bed, Velázquez’s An Old Woman Cooking Eggs and Degas’ Diego Martelli, Robert Storr discusses the shifting balance of museum collections from historically ‘certified’ classics to art whose status and significance remains in active contention and from singular ‘treasures’ to ensembles that speak to the larger scope of an artist’s endeavour. Also available: Unfinished Paintings: Narratives of the Non-Finito Watson Gordon Lecture 2014 ISBN 9781906270919 ‘The Hardest Kind of Archetype’: Reflections on Roy Lichtenstein The Watson Gordon Lecture 2010 ISBN 9781906270384 Picasso’s ‘Toys for Adults’ Cubism as Surrealism: The Watson Gordon Lecture 2008 ISBN 9781906270261 Sound, Silence, and Modernity in Dutch Pictures of Manners The Watson Gordon Lecture 2007 ISBN 9781906270254 Roger Fry’s Journey From the Primitives to the Post-Impressionists: Watson Gordon Lecture 2006 ISBN 9781906270117

The Chicken came first, now there is Egg: the second book in the On the Menu series. Egg is a universal product, prepared around the world. It is versatile and affordable, can be found in all cultures and has endless applications. Yet you can use it in very original ways. Luc Hoornaert has collected 60 recipes from his travels around the world. What are the classics? How do other cultures use egg in the kitchen? How do top chefs make dishes based on eggs? This book reveals all. Also available: Chicken on the Menu ISBN 9789401437714

Every four years, during the summer, the whole world comes together to celebrate and support the best athletes from each country. The Olympic Games are a worldwide event, and their roots can be found in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea: Greece. Starting from the origins in Ancient Greece to the modern times games – including the Winter Games – children will discover every fun fact, sport, and champion of the games. Filled with information, easy texts and funny illustrations, this book will also help children to think on the deepest meaning of sport and to consider what it takes to become a champion. A selection of the most inspirational profiles of champions of all time, from every country, with also a special list of the most winning of all. Ages: 7 plus

Palazzo Vecchio, which towers over piazza della Signoria, at the centre of Florence, is an iconic building and from the Middle Ages to the Medici family to present day it has been the seat of civic power.

Among its most admired features are the marvellous grotesque decorations which animate the walls and vaults of the courtyard and several rooms. Grotesques are a type of wall decoration, in stucco or fresco, often with the addition of gold, that developed in the Renaissance when the vaults of the Domus Aurea in Rome, which were underground (considered grottos hence the name), were rediscovered by artists who drew inspiration from those designs.

Palazzo Vecchio’s grotesques are lively, extravagant ornaments, generated by the creativity of artists – among whom Ridolfo del Ghirlandaio (1483-1561) and Marco Marchetti da Faenza (ca. 1526-1588) stand out – and they include, birds, flowers, vegetation and many strange creatures that have a mixture of human and animal traits.

Over centuries, the transnational Alpine region Tyrol – South Tyrol – Trentino (Alto Adige) has developed along ancient trade routes between Germany and Austria on one side of the Alps and northern Italy on the other. Similar to the region’s modern and contemporary architecture, its product design is in many cases rooted in a rich local tradition of craftsmanship. Yet since the 1920s, this multi-lingual region has also proven its remarkable openness to European modernism’s most progressive movements and become an unexpected laboratory for technical and formal exploration in the middle of the continent. Design from the Alps, published to coincide with an exhibition at museum Kunst Meran in autumn 2019, tells the story of a century of product design from Tyrol – South Tyrol – Trentino, highlighting the vast variety of discoveries and innovations that have emerged there. Featured artists include, among others, Fortunato Depero (1892-1960), whose experiments were inspired by the Secondo Futurismo, Gino Pollini (1903-91), a pioneer of the interwar period, as well as the celebrated architects and designers Lois Welzenbacher (1889-1955), Clemens Holzmeister (1886-1983), and Ettore Sottsas (1917-2007). Lavishly illustrated, the book follows the many protagonists of this at the same time heterogenous and collectively strong scene and offers an insightful tour d’horizon of the multifaceted design culture of western Austria and northern Italy. Design from the Alps (Kunst Meran, Merano, Italy, 11 October 2019 to 12 January 2020).

Text in English, German and Italian.

With this new guide in your bag, you’re set to go out and discover the best and most fun places in hotspot Miami: 500 addresses that many tourists don’t know, a bit off the beaten track, but always loved by the locals and worth a visit. The 500 Hidden Secrets of Miami will take you to all the places that make Miami the lively and unique city it is, also known as the ‘Gateway to the Caribbean’, such as: the 5 nicest water views, 5 stunning Mediterranean revival buildings, 5 renowned Miami-based fashion designers, the 5 coolest hotel pools, and 5 wonderful parks, playgrounds, and museums to visit with your kids. It even includes some unusual experiences, such as swimming in a freshwater Venetian pool, or day trips to the Everglades and the Keys.

This new series of large board books was developed for children aged 5 plus to teach them about ancient history using a fun, playful approach. It includes short, simple texts that examine some of the aspects of relevant civilizations in an easy but captivating manner as well as detachable cardboard figures and characters that can be mounted on pedestals and used to create imaginary stories and adventures. The first volume of the series is dedicated to the ancient Egyptians. Readers learn about the Pharaohs through texts, games with figures that tell of the mystery of the Sphinx, construction of the pyramids, stories of the countless Egyptian gods and goddesses, the making of mummies and life in the court of the Pharaohs. Ages: 5 plus

Anyone that has a cat will recognise the truth of this tender biography by The Gentle Author.
“I was always disparaging of those who doted over their pets, as if this apparent sentimentality were an indicator of some character flaw. That changed when I bought a cat, just a couple of weeks after the death of my father.”
Filled with sentiment yet never sentimental, The Life & Times of Mr Pussy is a literary hymn to the intimate relationship between humans and animals.