‘It’s not particularly difficult to run a successful bookshop, thought Valerie: a grasp of the rudiments of business, a sensible plan, a little skill in negotiation, a couple of contacts and a large portion of magic.’ When businesswoman Valerie takes over the bookshop owned by her aunt – who has vanished without trace – her intention is to bring some order to the chaos, and then sell the business. But she has underestimated the power of the little shop. One day she stumbles upon a mysterious book with an unfinished ending. Valerie thinks it must be a defective copy, but when a customer turns up searching for that very book, her view of the shop – and world – shifts, as she is forced to question what is and isn’t possible. A Very Special Year is a declaration of love for literature, for beautiful books, the power and magic of stories as well as proof that the world of the imagination is still alive within us.

Continuing a two-year program to bring back twenty-two Maurice Sendak treasures long out of print, our second season of publication highlights one of the most successful author-illustrator pairings of all time. A pioneer of great children's literature, Ruth Krausspublished more than thirty books for children during a career that spanned forty years. Krauss and Sendak collaborated on eight books, and we are delighted to reintroduce four of these gems in brand-new editions, together with a favorite Maurice Sendak picture book.

On a quiet back street in a sleepy town, there sits an old bookshop: an emporium of reading delights. Inside, there sits a most peculiar novel - its ending changes depending on the reader ... For young Valerie, who has just inherited the shop after the sudden (and very mysterious) disappearance of her Aunt Charlotte, the place amounts to nothing more than a badly-run business, to be whipped into shape before being sold on. But when an enigmatic customer appears and enquires about the novel with no ending, the magic of the place is unlocked ...

Rabbit and Frog sit with Mouse while she waits.Turtle shares his picnic. It's a lovely, sunny day for waiting, but all too soon the day is almost over.Where are Mouse's Special Friends?