The first in a witty and beautifully designed series for emerging readers… Vulliamy’s crisp, lively images – black and white, with a single colour on every page, plus diagrams and comical details – deserve to be savoured

Toad of Toad Hall would enjoy this as bedtime reading… Vulliamy’s perky drawings are as accessible as a superior comic and guaranteed, alongside Hughes’s racey narrative, to get young readers behind the wheel

This collaboration is one that many a children’s literature enthusiast has been hoping for and awaiting with great trepidation for a long, long time. It does not disappoint, for Dixie O’Day in the Fast Lane is a gorgeous little book. Visually, the book is stunning. The design of the book is also immaculate and so attractive...
This feast of beautifully nostalgic merriment will definitely be a winner with adults, but Dixie O’Day in the Fast Lane is first and foremost a cleverly written chapter book for newly independent readers...
Dixie O’Day in the Fast Lane is a little book to truly treasure, which has all the ingredients to become a firm favourite with little readers.

This is perfect for new readers with fun and lively illustrations punctuating the story throughout

Children of this age will chuckle at the first of a series by mother and daughter duo Shirley Hughes and Clara Vulliamy... it stars friends Dixie O'Day and his sidekick Percy. Daring Dixie loves custard creams, watching cookery programmes and driving his sports car to the seaside with Percy. The book also includes maps and a list of games to play on car journeys, just the ticket for the festive season.

This is pitched perfectly for its intended audience and would be a wonderful book for a newly independent reader. It is cleverly broken up into seven short chapters, one for each day of the week ... The book itself is a visual treat. Everything about it is just gorgeous for little children from the small, chunky, hardback feel of it which is perfect for small hands to the cheerful illustrations in tones of red, black and white. There is a stylish, retro feel to the overall look which is very appealing. I wanted to keep picking this up to have another look and each page contains lots of detail for children to explore and talk about.
The extras included deserve a special mention adding much to the overall enjoyment. ... I loved this happy book and think young children (and their parents!) will too. Highly recommended.

This is a fast-paced short chapter book (perhaps as you would expect from a book about racing!) but it pauses in just the right places for the laughs.

To get children's attention when it comes to reading, you have to have engaging characters - and situations... and Dixie O'Day has both in spades. Aimed at children who have just gained the confidence to read alone, this charming and utterly brilliant story, which kicks off a new series, is also perfect for sharing. The illustrations suck you in, the story will have you smiling, then laughing... Absolutely brilliant!

The book has a nostalgic feel, which gives the impression that it is a classic already, with simple red, white and black illustrations, and there are some added bonuses in the form of a detailed map prior to the story illustrating the adventure, and a quiz which will support any young reader to dip back into the text to find the textual references. This is a fast-paced short chapter book but it pauses in just the right places for the laughs. Ages 5-9.

Clara Vulliamy’s illustrations are filled with a nostalgic charm that perfectly complements her mother’s writing.The characters are brilliantly created, with my favourite being the duo’s neighbour and nemesis, Lou Ella. Adults can marvel at the overall design of the book and chuckle along to the pop-culture references scattered throughout. With activities at the back and an introduction to the characters at the front, this delightful book is also so much more than just a story. With such close attention to creating something to treasure, by one of England’s own treasures when it comes to younger fiction, I feel I can easily make the claim that Dixie O’Day will still be found on shelves in 2043 (gosh that seems such a long way away).

Canine capers in a beautifully designed package from a mother-and-daughter author/artist team.

A startling, important, and readable page-turner

Jewel’s observant reflections on her rural-Iowa world give this debut its considerable charm . . . the strong opening bodes well for future endeavors

Bird is a mysterious, lyrical and thought-provoking novel from an important new voice in children's literature.

Bird is absolutely magical

This is a slow read – thoughtful and introspective about the dynamics of a grieving family – and contemplative readers will be rewarded by Jewel’s journey.

Bird is full of interesting ingredients . . . Crystal Chan ably and subtly captures the nuances of friendship.

This is a deeply profound and moving novel about a family broken by the death of a son . . .
You would not guess that this is Crystal's first novel. This is a rewarding and insightful and thought provoking book ideal for adults and readers of 11+ alike.

Bird is such a tragic yet hopeful story and I can't recommend it enough.

Bird is such a heartbreakingly beautiful novel about loss, friendship, family and love, and it will gently steal your heart. Let it.

Bird is one of those books that just needs to be read . . . This book is, at times, incredibly sad, but it leaves in its wake a great big smile and a pocketful of hope.

The voice of 12-year-old Jewel carries readers through this lyrical and buoyant debut from Crystal Chan . . . Chan's strong characterizations and her way with words make her a writer to watch.

Daughter of a Jamaican father and her half-Mexican, half-white mother, Jewel has always felt out of place in her small Iowa town . . . When Jewel meets John, an adopted black boy staying with his uncle, she finds a kindred spirit, someone as out of place as she is . . . Chan has carefully crafted John and Jewel as effective foils for each other; their shared interest in science propels multiple metaphors that help Jewel figure out what is solid and knowable versus what must be taken on faith or intuited . . . both character arcs show a deep respect for readers’ abilities to negotiate the complexities of belief and doubt, and to find meaning via character reflection