King Winter’s Birthday by Jonathan Freeland and Emily Sutton

It’s King Winter’s birthday, and he wants it to be really special. He wants all of his brothers and sisters to be there: King Summer, Queen Spring and Queen Autumn. But the leaves and the trees whisper a warning, and as the four play magical games, something strange begins to happen outside.

Guardian columnist Freedland’s first picture book was inspired by an unpublished story written by Ulrich A Boschwitz during the Second World War. In Freedland’s interpretation, King Winter invites the other monarchs of the seasons to his birthday party, but when their different weather patterns collide he realises they must go their separate ways. The message of respecting the natural order is hugely relevant to today’s children, growing up in the era of climate change, and Sutton’s stunning illustrations give this fairytale-esque fable a classic feel.