This story is part of Reading Champion, a series carefully linked to book bands to encourage independent reading skills, developed with Dr Sue Bodman and Glen Franklin of UCL Institute of Education (IOE)

Reading Champion offers independent reading books for children to practise and reinforce their developing reading skills.

Fantastic, original stories are accompanied by engaging artwork and a reading activity. Each book has been carefully graded so that it can be matched to a child’s reading ability, encouraging reading for pleasure.

Damian Harvey

Damian Harvey lives in North Wales with his lovely wife, Vicky. He has three wonderful daughters, one brilliant boy and a cat called Polly. He has written more than 130 books for primary school aged children and is busy writing more. When he isn’t writing, Damian loves visiting schools, libraries, bookshops, festivals and anywhere that will have him, where he shares stories, talks about writing and gets people excited about books and reading. You can find out more about Damian by visiting http://www.damianharvey.co.uk and follow him on Twitter @damianjharvey

Bruno Robert

From an early age, I have had in mind to draw and play with colours, so much so that I naturally went to the National School of Fine Arts in Caen which I attended from 1991 to 1995 (option visual communication). Right after a short stay in the multimedia market, I illustrated my first album for the young “Who is sticking out the tongue?” published by Magnard Edition in 2002, some more followed. Moreover, I work for the young children press, Milan Press, Fleurus Press. I also work for publishing agencies and administrations. I live and work in Normandy where I was born. While I am picturing a story, I please myself thinking up a funny and coloured world with a hint of tenderness.