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We love Autumn, the golden light, crunching in the fallen leaves and making our homes as cosy as possible. When the temperature plummets and the wind picks up, there is something very special about snuggling down in a cosy reading nook with a blanket, some hot chocolate and a stack of your best books.Here at TCFC we read all kinds of stories, but the best ones are the ones that leave us feeling cosy on the inside when the weather outside is less than ideal.So, our very own Founder, Clare Hanso …

International Women’s Day is here once again (9th March) and to celebrate I thought I would share some of my favourite female authors who had surprising and very inspirational back stories. Overcoming financial adversity, escaping Hitler, becoming the family breadwinners, winning legal battles which in turn shaped copyright laws, campaigning for women’s rights, dealing with family tragedies and battling with mental health, these ladies were certainly inspirational trailblazers. Frances Hodg …

With World Book Book Day fast approaching this can be a high pressure time for any parent to an excitable child with big dreams! We know sometimes there just isn’t time to spend hours making a costume for your little one, so we’ve pulled together a list of quick and easy costumes that you can pull together without too much sweat. When is World Book Day? World Book Day is on 5th March 2020 and each year is the first Thursday of March. 1) The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch Eliz …

Children’s playrooms are magical places – somewhere to have fun, learn and be creative. We look at how to kit out your playroom to make a space that’s fun for the kids, while also keeping all those toys nice and tidy… Organising your playroomTo help get things organised from the outset, it’s important to think about the best way to arrange your kids’ playroom. Dividing the space into different zones for particular activities is a great way of organising things. Here are some ideas to help g …

With Christmas officially around the corner, we start our Christmas countdown with a few of our favourite festive books for children. From classics by Charles Dickens to more recent tales from Matt Haig, we have plenty of suggestions to help get you and your children into the Christmas spirit. Is your favourite on the list? Let us know what you think we’ve missed! 10. The Dark is RisingSusan CooperSuitable for children aged 10 plusThis book evokes a real sense of wintry wilderness. A magica …

A bookcase is a fantastic piece of furniture to tidy your child’s bedroom or playroom. They can be used to tidy books but also provide shelving space for toys and other knick knacks. There is something so appealing to children though when they get to select their own bedtime reading matter. As with most items of children’s furniture there are plenty of book storage spaces to choose from.Traditional bookcasesCreate a mini library in your child’s bedroom with a traditional bookcase. These not only …

“…I wanted to inspire children to pick up books, and even start their own storytelling…” At The Children’s Furniture Company it’s no secret that we love reading! We love the adventures that books take us on, the beautiful worlds that are created in our minds and illustrated on paper, and we love that they help to teach our children the most important life lessons.We’ve been lucky enough to spend some time speaking to Kirstie Watson, a local author from Milton Keynes, and the author of The W …

From Harry Potter’s cupboard to mattress mountains, children’s literature is full of extraordinary beds. Which of these fired your childhood imagination?Perhaps it’s not surprising there are some many famous stories that feature notable beds. After all, sleep is so important for children’s development: they grow and gain strength in a cozy dream state. It goes all the way back to the Bible and the story of Moses. His mother hid him amongst the bulrushes in an attempt to save him from the ev …

Meet the brilliant artist behind The Lost Words and the author of dozens of books including the new The Unwinding…“…I loved the thought of tigers, snow leopards, the shapes of wild things…”At The Children’s Furniture Company we love books – especially ones with striking and beautiful illustrations. The pictures we see in childhood stay with us for life –  so we thought it would be fun to meet the people who are making those memories for our own kids. Our latest ‘Meet the …

The illustrations we see in our favourite childhood books stay with us for life. Which ones bring back memories for you?By Misti TrayaWhen I lived in Los Angeles, there was a wonderful shop called Every Picture Tells A Story. The sign on the front described it as “A gallery of original art from children’s books.” Though I was an adult, I loved it. It was my happy place and I’d unabashedly use my kid sister who is 23 years my junior as an excuse to go. This bookshop-cum-art gallery was the most m …