“The World’s First” series by Mike Barfield continues!

After the “World’s First Rollercoaster” a new book is hitting the shelves next spring!

Ever wondered what it would be like to be an Incan runner, carrying messages across the ancient Andes at lightning speed? Or perhaps a jester, keeping the royal courts in stitches with your hilarious antics? What about a stage farter? A poo collector? A body double? All these jobs are yours for the taking in history's line-up of the world's oddest jobs.

published by Templar, April 2025

Set Sail with Chilli and Crew!

A wildly funny story with comic strips for kids ages 5 and up.

Mutiny, capsizing, and boarding other ships—Chilli finds all of this way too tiring and annoying. She’d much rather spend her days reading in a hammock. Chilli's cat, Pudding, loves to swing the mop. But even the laziest pirate in the world has to get out of the hammock and face the dangerous life of a pirate from time to time! Together with Pudding, Chilli discovers the secret of a ghost island and bravely confronts her fears."

published by ArsEdtion, January 2025

Did you know that bubblewrap started life as a new type of wallpaper that didn't catch on?! Or that Lonnie Johnson invented the Nerf Super Soaker while working on a NASA mission to Saturn?

Blue Peter Award-winner Mike Barfield tells the fascinating true stories behind an amazing range of inventions and innovations. From bubblewrap to the barcode, from pizza to post-its, from trainers to the teddy bear! The story of each invention is told in a lively comic-strip format, and we meet the colourful cast of characters involved in these light-bulb moments which changed the world in big or tiny ways.

An irresistible way into science and technology with a dash of history, from the brilliant Mike Barfield, author of A Day in the Life of a Poo, a Gnu and You which won the 2021 Blue Peter Award for a Book With Facts.

published by Templar, April 2024

With Peggy Against the Period Taboo – Embracing a Natural Approach to the (First) Period

What a nightmare: 13-year-old Peggy gets her period for the first time – right in the middle of class! A red-brown stain stands out clearly on her chair, and the whole class notices. Peggy wants nothing more than to disappear into the floor. But seriously, can it really be true that she still has to feel ashamed for having her period in this day and age?! Together with her friend Leni, she decides to fight for more acceptance of periods, and the two plan an attention-grabbing campaign – if only everyday life didn’t keep getting in the way …

published by Südpol, August 2024