The perfect gift for any book-lover, this box set contains eight of the best children’s classics ever written Beautifully packaged in a ridged, matt-laminated slipcase with metallic detailing, complete with strikingly attractive, bespoke artwork, this would make an ideal Christmas present

Johann Rudolf Wyss’ tale of a family’s adventures on an isolated desert island is a great children’s favourite. The plot is a simple one but has many surprises and excitements along the way, which is part of the book’s enduring charm. The Robinson family, consisting of William and Elizabeth and their four children, Fritz, Ernest, Jack and Francis, along with two dogs, Turk and Juno, find themselves shipwrecked on a tropical island in the East Indies. They are fortunate enough to have salvaged some of the wrecked ship’s cargo of livestock Including chickens and geese, as well as guns and carpentry tools. With the help of his family, the father, William, sets about establishing a home and a self-sufficient base in their new and strange environment. The novel then details the exploits, trials and tribulations the Robinsons experience in the next ten years on the island. Initially they construct a treehouse, but as time passes they settle in a more permanent dwelling in part of a cave. They discover food such as coconuts, sugarcane, honey and potatoes, and secure themselves against danger. Adventure follows adventure as they explore the territory, encounter wild birds and terrifying animals, plant crops, and settle in for a long stay. The narrative is so engrossing for a while we become castaways, too, with the Robinsons on their desert island.

Anne Shirley is an eleven-year-old orphan who has hung on determinedly to an optimistic spirit and a wildly creative imagination through her early deprivations. She erupts into the lives of aging brother and sister Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, a girl instead of the boy they had sent for. Thus begins a story of transformation for all three; indeed the whole rural community of Avonlea comes under Anne’s influence in some way. We see her grow from a girl to a young woman of sixteen, making her mistakes, and not always learning from them. Intelligent, hot-headed as her own red hair, unwilling to take a moral truth as read until she works it out for herself, she must also face grief and loss and learn the true meaning of love. Part Tom Sawyer, part Jane Eyre, by the end of Anne of Green Gables, Anne has become the heroine of her own story. The sequel, Anne of Avonlea, follows her progress as a teacher as she seeks to put into practice the lessons she has learnt, helping at the same time to keep Green Gables going, pursuing her enduring friendships, and finding first love where she least expects it. Both books conjure an enchanting landscape of wild blossom, lakes and brooks, woods and ocean, seen through Anne’s ’beauty-loving eyes’, whose vision of the world she brings us to share.

A Christmas Carol is the most famous, heart-warming and chilling festive story of them all. In these pages we meet Ebenezer Scrooge, whose name is synonymous with greed and parsimony: ’Every idiot who goes about with «Merry Christmas» on his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart’. This attitude is soon challenged when the ghost of his old partner, Jacob Marley, returns from the grave to haunt him on Christmas Eve. Scrooge is then visited in turn by three spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Future, each one revealing the error of his ways and gradually melting the frozen heart of this old miser, leading him towards his redemption. On the journey we take with Scrooge we encounter a rich array of Dickensian characters including the poor Cratchit family with the ailing Tiny Tim and the generous and jolly Fezziwig. When Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol in 1843 he fashioned an enduring gift to the world, capturing the essence of the love, kindness and generosity of the Christmas season. It is a timeless classic and the story’s uplifting magic remains as potent today as when it was first published.

Frances Burnett Hodgson’s novel The Secret Garden is both intriguing and uplifting. It is regarded as one of the best children’s books written in the twentieth century. Mary Lennox, a sickly ten year old girl, adrift in the world after both her mother and father die is sent to Yorkshire to live with an uncle whom she has never met, at his isolated house, Misselthwaite Manor. Initially Mary is seen as a rude, aggressive and selfish child. She dislikes her new home and the people living in it. But now the scene is set for her transformation and the introduction of the author’s engaging theme of rejuvenation and renewal. In exploring the grounds Mary finds the key to the locked garden which is neglected and overrun with weeds. She sets her mind to bringing it back to life. In doing so, Mary finds a purpose and an excitement in her lonely existence. However, apart from the garden, there are other secrets to be revealed at Misselthwaite Manor such as the strange cries in the night and the identity of Colin, a disabled boy, whom she discovers in the hidden bedroom. The popularity of this novel bears witness to its universal appeal and its timeless hold on the imagination.

Black Beauty is a perennial children’s favourite, one which has never been out of print since its publication in 1877. It is a moralistic tale of the life of the horse related in the form of an autobiography, describing the world through the eyes of the creature. In taking this anthropomorphic approach, the author Anna Sewell broke new literary ground and her effective storytelling ability makes it very easy for the reader to accept the premise that a horse is recounting the exploits in the narrative. The gentle thoroughbred, Black Beauty, is raised with care and is treated well until a vicious groom injures him. The damaged horse is then sold to various masters at whose hands he experiences cruelty and neglect. After many unpleasant episodes, including one where he becomes a painfully overworked cab horse in London, Black Beauty finally canters towards a happy ending. Although Anna Sewell’s classic is set firmly in the Victorian period, its message is universal and timeless: animals will serve humans well if they are treated with consideration and kindness. There have been many film and television adaptations of the story, but it is only the novel that captures the authentic voice of the central character.

The Wonderful World of the Wizard of Oz, which the the Library of Congress named as ’America’s greatest and best-loved homegrown fairytale’, is one of the great works of children’s literature. The story concerns Dorothy, a young girl from Kansas, who, with her little dog Toto, is caught up in a terrifying tornado, which whisks her far away to the magical land of Oz. Here she encounters the Munchkins, strange small creatures, who tell her that in order for her to return home she must follow the yellow brick road to the Emerald City and seek out the mysterious Wizard of Oz. On the journey she encounters the Tin Woodman, the brainless Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion, each of whom wish to make a request of the Wizard. After several adventures, including an encounter with a deadly poppy field and being chased by winged monkeys, the travellers reach the Emerald City. The story rolls along at a tremendous pace in clear and engaging prose, which has helped the novel to become a perennial favourite with children. The appeal of the kaleidoscopic world of the land of Oz with all its incredible and fantastic elements and characters has great appeal to the unfettered mind of the young — and indeed those grown-ups who still retain a romantic imagination.

Aesop’s celebrated collection of fables has always been popular with both adults and children. These simple tales embody truths so powerful, the titles of the individual fables — the fox and the grapes, the dog in the manger, the wolf in sheep’s clothing and many others — have entered the languages and idioms of most European tongues. This edition is beautifully illustrated in black and white by the great Arthur Rackham, and has an introduction by G.K. Chesterton.

The Swiss Family Robinson is a story of the happy discovery of the wonders of natural history by a family shipwrecked on a desert island, who remain united through all the adversities they encounter. Inspired by Robinson Crusoe, this joyful narrative by a Swiss pastor remains a classic tale to be enjoyed by all.

Naughty Bunny: The beloved Richard Scarry has created one of his most endearingly naughty characters ever. This little bunny doesn’t deliberately try to be naughty, but sometimes — more often than not — that’s exactly what happens. Whether he is startling his mother with a loud TV, drawing on the wall, or making a fuss at nap time, the little bunny proves that even the naughtiest of children can be the most loveable. Bunnies: Scarry introduces readers to all kinds of rabbits with wit and humor-from real-life breeds such as the Vienna Blue and lop-eared, to his whimsical clothed bunny characters (“Rabbits like to all get dressed up if they are going to be in a story book.”). The Bunny Book: What will the little bunny be when he grows up? A fireman? A cowboy? A lion tamer? Each member of his family has a hunch in this classic story that is one of Richard Scarry’s best!

Great news for Poky Little Puppy fans! An adorable story about tumble-bumble winter fun! It’s a snowy morning, and Poky and his four brothers and sisters can’t wait to get outside and play! They dig tunnels, slide down hills, and make snow angels. But where is that poky little puppy? He’s chasing snowballs with the neighbor children! And that night when he’s tucked in, he dreams happily about his wonderful winter day. Out of print for decades, this story is back in print to delight Poky’s readers.

The Little Golden Book version of the Christmas classic, The Nutcracker, is the perfect gift to bring holiday magic to readers of all ages! The Nutcracker is back in print as a Little Golden Book, with all-new illustrations by Sheilah Beckett, who started illustrating Golden Books in the 1950s. This lovely retelling of the famous ballet will be a perfect holiday gift for any child who loves the ballet, Christmas stories, and fairy tales!