Children love to make dens. Adults encourage children to make dens because it supports imagination and many aspects of early learning. This new addition to the Little Books series contains 19 ideas for budget friendly themed dens. Included within each themed idea are suggestions for making and decorating your den, dressing-up and props, games and activities, links to the EYFS early learning goals and links to useful books, websites. There are over 80 titles in our 'Little Books' series - why not join our Little Book Club and discover the rest?

The Secret Skinby Wendy N. Wagner is a sawmill gothic that begins with June Vogel's return to Storm Break, her family's estate. Things in the great house aren't what they used to be. And when her brother returns with his new bride, deceit and betrayal threaten to destroy everything she loves.

Adorable animals make room in their den for sleepy friends in this story that helps readers countdown to bedtime. Deep in the den, ten sleepy, cuddly animals snuggle up together for the night. As the animal friends roll over to make more room, one animal after another gently tumbles out of the cozy den...until Little Mouse is left all alone. But Little Mouse misses his friends, so he comes up with the perfect solution to his problem. John Butler's charming version of a familiar children's rhyme features a simple but playful text and soft, pastel-colored illustrations of bright-eyed baby animals. The result is an irresistible read-aloud story that will invite delighted responses from young children.

For readers of THE VIRGIN SUICIDES or THE GIRLS, a story of two extraordinary, magnetic women and their disappearances - a hundred years apart - from the small New England town they call home. Henrietta and Jane are growing up in a farmhouse on the outskirts of town, their mother a remote artist, their father in thrall to the folklore and legend of their corner of New England. When Henrietta falls under the spell of Kaus, an outsider and petty criminal, Jane takes to trailing the couple, spying on their trysts, until one night, Henrietta vanishes into the woods. Elspeth and Claire are sisters separated by an ocean. Elspeth's pregnancy at seventeen meant she was quickly married and sent away from her Scottish village to make a new life in America. When she comes to the attention of the local mill owner, a series of wrenching and violent events unfolds, culminating in her disappearance. As Jane and Claire search in their own times for their missing sisters, each uncovers the strange legend of Cold Thursday, and of a family apparently transformed into coyotes. But what does his myth really mean? Are their sisters dead, destroyed by the men who desired them? Or have they made new lives, elsewhere, beyond the watchful eyes of the community they longed to escape?

This companion to the celebrated Mama Built a Little Nest explores the many different kinds of dens animals build for their babies. Perhaps you’ll come across a den, dark and deep and wide. And it will make you wonder… Who or what might be inside! There are so many different kinds of dens that mother animals make for their babies, from desert burrows to snow caves to elaborate underground tunnels. Jennifer Ward introduces young readers to all sorts of animals and the cozy burrows they call home in this bouncy, rhyming picture book, illustrated by Caldecott Honoree Steve Jenkins.

Storybuilding is a cooperative story making technique - with a group of children the practitioner builds an original story e.g. using a range of objects to prompt the people, places and storyline. It is an ideal activity to develop speaking, listening and understanding skills in a fun and imaginative way. It is all about formulating and communicating ideas and as a supportive group task strengthens personal social and emotional development (PSED).Having the confidence to lead what is essentially an improvised activity can be daunting for practitioners without a full understanding of the approach. The Little Book of Storybuilding aims to make this useful and exciting technique accessible to all practitioners working in early years settings by explaining clearly, in a step by step manner, what Storybuilding is and how to begin using it in a typical setting.The wide range of activities includes making stories through play, drama, music and art both inside and outside the classroom.