Hero on a Bicycle

The Charlie Moon Collection

Dixie O'Day: In the Fast Lane

Mahy Magic

Ruby in the Ruins

The Christmas Sea Sleigh

The Phantom Roundabout and Other Ghostly Tales

Stories for Nine-Year-Olds and Other Young Readers

Two children find goodwill and acceptance in unexpected places — even in the hardest of times — in a moving tale from a master picturebook creator.

In 1930s Liverpool, where streetcars clang on iron tracks, young Bronwen and Dylan live with their widowed Mam. Every day, in the wee hours of morning, Mam leaves the two alone as she gathers other people’s laundry to boil in a big metal copper at home. At night, if she’s not too tired, Mam tells fanciful tales of dragons and ghosties, and on Sunday, she cautions the children about the O’Rileys next door, who go to a church that is not for their kind. But on Christmas Eve, when Mam must go out, Bronwen and Dylan hear a ghostly plonk! plonk! plonk! from the washroom that sends them running straight into the arms of Mrs. O’Riley. Not only do they find that the house next door harbors nothing to fear, but it may hold a blessing for Mam, too. With evocative drawings full of compelling detail, Shirley Hughes tells a timeless, genuine tale of community and human kindness.

Discover Your Child's Next Read

Hero on a Bicycle

Shirley Hughes, 2012

The Charlie Moon Collection

Shirley Hughes, 1998

Dixie O'Day: In the Fast Lane

Shirley Hughes, 2013

Mahy Magic

Shirley Hughes, Margaret Mahy, 1986

Ruby in the Ruins

Shirley Hughes, 2018

The Christmas Sea Sleigh

Shirley Hughes, Sanne Rothman, 1992

The Phantom Roundabout and Other Ghostly Tales

Ruth Ainsworth, Shirley Hughes, 1977

Stories for Nine-Year-Olds and Other Young Readers

Shirley Hughes, Sara Corrin, Stephen Corrin, 1981