JACO THE LEEK   Publication Date 6 June 2008

Jaco Evans is tired of dressing up for the St David's Day celebrations in school. One year he wishes he could actually BE a leek for the day - and it happens!

How will Jaco get his pants on when he's got no legs? Why does his teacher throw him out of the classroom? Will he get to play against Wood Green Juniors in the annual St David's Day football match?

You'll have to read the book to find out!

JACO THE LEEK is a fast and funny read for 6 - 9 year olds, beautifully illustrated by the wonderful Brett Breckon (www.brettbreckon.co.uk) It is Cat's first book for Pont Books (www.pontbooks.co.uk)

WILD MAGIC

Have you ever wondered what happened to the children who followed the Pied Piper of Hamelin? Now you can find out! Floating heads, magic weapons, a stone ogre, whispering forests and a fiercesome werewolf make this a fast and scary read for 8 - 14 year olds.

'I just could not put it down one day. I read it for three hours flat' Katie C, age 11

'The best book I have ever read!' Natalie S, age 12

'I particularly enjoyed reading Wild Magic. I think it's magical!' Imaan K, age 11

Nominated for the Bolton Children's Book Award 2008

WILD MAGIC is available as a BBC Audiobook, read by Cat.

Barkbelly

One shiny egg falls down, down, down through the midnight sky. A wooden egg, no larger than a goose egg, but much heavier. And out of the egg springs BARKBELLY!

Barkbelly is an outsider – a wooden boy – and when a terrible accident happens, everyone in the village blames him. Suddenly Barkbelly is on the run for his life.

Through the mountains and on he runs. A dark and dangerous journey to the other side of the world and back again. Barkbelly sleeps under the stars, rides on a circus wagon and sails on the deck of a pirate ship. He runs faster than he has ever run in his life. And along the way, he learns the truth about where he
comes from.

Once he knows where that place is, he has to go there. But will it be where he belongs?

Barkbelly is a magical, fast-moving adventure story, packed with amazing machines, giant hedgehogs, salty pirates, a circus and a jam factory!

What they’re saying about BARKBELLY

A startling fresh voice in children's books! Cat Weatherill is one of our great storytellers, vivacious and inventive. She brings all her consummate skill to the creation of her first magical book – Michael Morpurgo, Children’s Laureate

The real star of this month’s fantasies is Cat Weatherill’s BARKBELLY. What makes the book special is not just the quality of the author’s imagination but her richly poetic style – Amanda Craig, The Times

Cat’s curious fable of a wooden boy cries to be read aloud – Helen Brown, The Daily Telegraph

Cat Weatherill’s BARKBELLY falls squarely in the glorious category… As in all the best stories, what he learns on the way about love, friendship and courage becomes the real point of the tale – Christina Hardyment, The Independent

I think it's just wonderful. Cat has brought her vivid storyteller's gifts straight on to the page -- her Barkbelly is a lively, affecting wooden hero, as much a real boy as Pinocchio ever was. This is a magical and moving debut –
Erica Wagner, Literary Editor, The Times

This is magical and wonderfully exciting storytelling, which lifts effortlessly aloud off the page, fuelled by the musical rhythms of the language and the tidal rhythms of traditional stories – Books For Keeps

SNOWBONE

If you’ve read BARKBELLY, you’ll remember Snowbone! She’s the strange, pale wooden girl whom we last saw sitting on a beach in Ashenpeake, ‘lost to the wind and the waves.’

In SNOWBONE, the thrilling sequel to BARKBELLY, Snowbone becomes a fierce warrior, determined to fight for her people’s freedom. With Figgis, Blackeye and her gang of tiddlins marching beside her, Snowbone hunts for the slave traders. But the slavers won’t give in without a fight… Will Snowbone live to tell the tale?

Flying ships, exploding volcanoes, man-eating plants, hungry cannibals, burning buildings – they’re all here, in a brand new, whirlwind adventure!

What they’re saying about SNOWBONE

This book is a testament to the imagination. A children’s novel that will appeal to adults, Cat Weatherill’s sequel to Barkbelly broaches issues of slavery, love and death while maintaining a magical charm – The Big Issue

My particular favourite… a journey of discovery where they learn more about themselves than anything else – Level Up, BBC 2 / CBBC

The book is filled with action… made all the more powerful by a spiritual undercurrent and moments of intense lyrical beauty. As the story progresses Snowbone grows in maturity, gaining wisdom and knowledge through her experiences. This is a dazzling book, inventive in plot and rich in language. – Carousel Guide to Children’s Books

BARKBELLY, SNOWBONE and WILD MAGIC are published by Puffin books buy these books online

Read more about Cat on the Puffin website: www.puffin.co.uk

WILD MAGIC LIVE, BARKBELLY LIVE and SNOWBONE LIVE (high-energy introductions to the books, including performed extracts, Q & A and book signing) are available for schools and literature festivals. Please ask!