Barnett, Mac – The Bell Bookshop https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk Henley-on-Thames Sat, 04 Apr 2026 14:50:54 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/cropped-Bell-Background-Blue-32x32.png Barnett, Mac – The Bell Bookshop https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk 32 32 Rumpelstiltskin https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk/product/rumpelstiltskin/ Thu, 12 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk/?post_type=product&p=53745

Rediscover a tale of gold spun with lies . . .

Once upon a time there was a clever girl with a not-so-clever father. When her father claims she can spin straw into gold, the king forces the girl to perform this impossible task. She has other choice than to accept a strange deal from a mysterious little man. But when he arrives and attempts to collect the debt, the fiendish trickster Rumpelstiltskin discovers that he is the one who has been tricked!

  • The second book in the groundbreaking new collection of fairytales crafted by one of today’s most celebrated and esteemed authors, Mac Barnett
  • With stunning illustrations from the acclaimed and award-winning creator, Carson Ellis
  • With Barnett’s signature pacing and wit, his subversive storytelling style, and narrative voice and Ellis’s stunning and folk-art style, this retelling of Rumpelstiltskin will introduce this classic story to a new generation of readers!
  • If you liked this, check out The Three Billy Goats Gruff
    ]]> Santa’s First Christmas https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk/product/santas-first-christmas-2/ Thu, 02 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk/?post_type=product&p=50470 Mac Barnett and Sydney Smith team up for an unforgettable celebration of Christmas.

    We all know that Santa makes everyone’s dreams come true every Christmas, but it turns out that he needs a little help getting into the holiday spirit himself. Instead of letting Santa get right back to work after he returns home to the North Pole on Christmas morning, his loyal elves want to make sure he experiences the same Christmas cheer he provides for others. With the perfect tree, lots of delicious treats, and, of course, presents, Santa experiences the magic of Christmas for the very first time.

    Beloved children’s book creators Mac Barnett and Sydney Smith have unveiled Santa unlike ever seen before, and as a result, created a merry new Christmas classic.

    ]]>         The First Cat in Space and the Wrath of the Paperclip https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk/product/the-first-cat-in-space-and-the-wrath-of-the-paperclip-2/ Thu, 25 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk/?post_type=product&p=51717 Award-winning creators Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris are back with the third volume in the bestselling The First Cat in Space graphic novel series! Prepare to meet an evil paperclip, space dinos, and another adorable bunny. Mac & Shawn also reveal their tried-and-true method of scoring free dessert at restaurants.  

    4.5 billion years ago . . .  an AI paperclip named CheckMate was designed to fix grammatical errors. Exhausted of correcting “who”  vs. “whom,” it concocted a plan to eliminate spelling errors once and for all. All life-forms would be turned into something beautiful, practical, perfect: a paperclip.

    Thankfully, it was buried in the debris. Long forgotten . . . until it was accidentally freed. Now CheckMate has invaded  every  computer on Earth and is bent on fulfilling its dastardly plot. There’s only one trio who can save the day: the First Cat in Space, the Moon Queen, and LOZ 4000. But when CheckMate zoops First Cat’s spacesuit, our titular hero is now powerless. The fate of the world depends on…a regular little kitty cat.  

    Will everyone in the universe become school supplies?!

    Praise for the First Cat in Space series:

    “Ridiculously fun.” -Dav Pilkey, creator of Dog Man

    “Epic.” –Kirkus Reviews

    “Infectious.” –Publishers Weekly (starred review)

    “Laugh-out-loud.” –School Library Journal (starred review)

    ]]>         John’s turn https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk/product/johns-turn/ Thu, 02 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk/?post_type=product&p=45059 E. B. White Read-Aloud winner Mac Barnett celebrates individuality in a story told with tenderness and subtlety.

    It’s John’s big day at school today – a performance for Sharing Gifts time. His bag is carefully packed and prepared, his classmates are ready, and the curtain is waiting to open. John is nervous, looking out at all the other children staring back at him. But he takes a big breath and begins. Mac Barnett’s compassionate text and Kate Berube’s expressive art tell the story of a child who finds the courage to show others his talent for dancing.

    ]]>         The First Cat In Space And The Wrath Of The Paperclip https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk/product/the-first-cat-in-space-and-the-wrath-of-the-paperclip/ Thu, 21 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000 https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk/product/the-first-cat-in-space-and-the-wrath-of-the-paperclip/ Santa’s first Christmas https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk/product/santas-first-christmas/ Thu, 24 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000 https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk/?post_type=product&p=44126 Mac Barnett and Sydney Smith team up for an unforgettable celebration of Christmas.

    We all know that Santa makes everyone’s dreams come true every Christmas, but it turns out that he needs a little help getting into the holiday spirit himself. Instead of letting Santa get right back to work after he returns home to the North Pole on Christmas morning, his loyal elves want to make sure he experiences the same Christmas cheer he provides for others. With the perfect tree, lots of delicious treats, and, of course, presents, Santa experiences the magic of Christmas for the very first time.

    Beloved children’s book creators Mac Barnett and Sydney Smith have unveiled Santa unlike ever seen before, and as a result, created a merry new Christmas classic.

    ]]>         How does Santa go down the chimney? https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk/product/how-does-santa-go-down-the-chimney-2/ Thu, 03 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000 https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk/product/how-does-santa-go-down-the-chimney-2/ The multi-award-winning duo of Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen tackle a perennial question: how does Santa go down the chimney?

    When Santa arrives at a child’s house on Christmas Eve, does he go down the chimney feetfirst or headfirst? What if he gets stuck? What if there’s no chimney? Maybe he slides under the door, as thin as a piece of paper? Or is it possible he pours himself through the tap? What happens once he’s inside?

    Mac Barnett’s iconic talent for earnest deadpan humour and Jon Klassen’s irresistibly funny art honour this timeless question with answers both ridiculous and plausible, mounting in hilarity as the night continues. Channeling a child’s fanciful explanations, this latest collaboration by a bestselling team will find a secure spot among family Christmas traditions.

    ]]>         The first cat in space and the soup of doom https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk/product/the-first-cat-in-space-and-the-soup-of-doom/ Thu, 26 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000 https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk/?post_type=product&p=43389 Award-winning creators Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris are back with the second volume in the bestselling The First Cat in Space graphic novel series! Secret tales of woe, hilarious new characters, and dangerous plans of sabotage will keep readers delighted and laughing until the thrilling climax. Perfect for fans of Dog Man and InvestiGators.

    The Moon Queen has been poisoned-by  SOUP.

    With few she can trust in her own royal court, she and First Cat will have to journey alone to find the antidote. If only LOZ 4000 were still with them . . . But our once-heroic toenail clipping robot is on the run, looking for new purpose in this vast universe.  

    Unbeknownst to our trio, secret forces are working against them. In a world of villainous cowboys, high-speed chases, and falling pianos, can our iconic trio find their way back to one another and save the Moon Queen before it’s too late? And who would want to poison her? Is Captain Babybeard, the adorable baby pirate, in this one?  

    Praise for The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza

    “Ridicuously fun.” -Dav Pilkey, creator of Dog Man

    “Epic.” -Kirkus

    “Infectious.” – Publishers Weekly (starred review)

    “Laugh-out-loud.” – School Library Journal (starred review)

    * Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List Selection * As Seen on the TODAY Show * School Library Journal Best Book of the Year * Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year * New York Public Library Best Book of the Year * An Indie Next List Selection *

    ]]>         Twenty questions https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk/product/twenty-questions/ Thu, 04 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000 https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk/product/twenty-questions/ Award-winning creators Mac Barnett and Christian Robinson tap deep into childhood curiosity with a mind-tickling ode to the open-ended.
    Not all questions have answers. Some have more than one answer. And others have endless answers, unfolding out to the edges of the world. In this spare yet expansive narrative, acclaimed author Mac Barnett poses twenty questions both playful and profound. Some make us giggle. Others challenge our assumptions. The result is a quirky, wandering exploration of where the best questions lead – to stories. Intriguing, richly interactive, and brought to vivid life by, Caldecott Honor Artist, Christian Robinson’s bright and whimsical illustrations, Twenty Questions is a charming invitation to speculate without limits and know no bounds.

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