Maggie Holman

There's been an anecdote in our family for years. My husband (to be fair, he was only about 11 at the time) once found a bat in a cave, took it home and hid it in the bathroom cupboard, leading to a big surprise for his Mum when she went to fetch a towel.'Billy the Bat's Big Adventure' brings this story to life for children aged 3-5. In rhyming text, the events are told from Billy's point of view, and here's the opening text:'Billy was a bat who wasn't very strong.
He was just a little baby and his toes, they weren't too long. One night he followed Mum to the top of the cave, To go to sleep for winter, their energy to save, But the neighbour-bats, they wriggled as they settled down to sleep, And he dropped to the floor in a little batty heap.'The text is accompanied by Kirsty Boar's beautiful illustrations. The loud, bold images and colours not only support the story as it unfolds, but also help to show the emotion of each moment in Billy's adventurous evening.
A great read at any time of the year, but especially around autumn and Halloween, the book can be used as a classroom resource for topics such as the seasons, hibernation, animal care, habitats and discussions about family - or it can just be read for fun, again and again!