Mini and Hardly and the Big Adventure [Hardcover] Rayner, Catherine

Mini is small, and Hardly is smaller – and neither of them are happy about it in this gorgeously illustrated, heart-warming picture book about unicorns from Kate Greenaway Medal-winning Catherine Rayner.

Mini and Hardly are fed up of being small. Being grown-up would be so much better! They could eat what they want, stay up all night, and go on adventures. So . . . why wait? But it’s not long before the two little unicorns find themselves on an adventure a little bigger than they'd bargained for. Perhaps being small isn't so bad – after all, it makes you perfect for the BIGGEST cuddles.

Catherine Rayner is a multi award winning author and illustrator based in Edinburgh. Her books for children have sold over two million copies worldwide, been translated into 35 languages, and adapted for television, theatre and musicals. She has written and illustrated more than 20 of her own books and collaborated with renowned authors including Julia Donaldson, Michael Morpurgo, and Michael Bond.

Winner of the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal in 2009, Catherine has since been shortlisted a further six times. Her work has earned numerous accolades in the UK and US, including the UKLA Book Award, BookTrust Early Years Award, Junior Library Guild Gold Standard and most recently, Books Are My Bag Readers’ Award.

Originally from Yorkshire, Catherine studied Illustration at Edinburgh College of Art. She fell in love with the city and lives there with her family and a small menagerie of animals who continue to inspire her creative work.

Alongside her publishing work, Catherine has designed a successful range of illustrated greetings cards and launched her own babywear collection featuring characters from her books. She regularly exhibits her paintings in galleries across the UK, and her artwork is held in collections worldwide.

Catherine loves meeting readers of all ages and can often be found visiting libraries, schools and book festivals, where she talks passionately about children’s literature and encourages children to draw, read and write.