Timothy Knapman controls the pace of his story with supreme skill; not a word is redundant in his narrative. Helen Oxenbury's painterly watercolours of the forest capture the essence of its fairy tale spirit at once mysterious, misty, shadowy and sun-dappled and of the children, Jack and Alice, the timeless joys of childhood and the power of the imagination. This surely is bedtime picture book perfection. Red Reading Hub

Timothy Knapman is a children's writer, lyricist and playwright. His children's books have been translated into twelve languages and include Soon, illustrated by Patrick Benson, Dinosaurs Don't Have Bedtimes, illustrated by Nikki Dyson, and the bestselling Mungo and the Picture Book Pirate series. His titles have often been featured on CBeebies Bedtime Stories. He lives in Weybridge, Surrey. Find him online at www.timothyknapman.co.uk and on Twitter as @TimothyKnapman. Helen Oxenbury is among the most popular and critically-acclaimed illustrators of all time. Her many award-winning books for children include We're Going On a Bear Hunt, written by Michael Rosen, Farmer Duck, written by Martin Waddell and There's Going to Be a Baby, written by John Burningham; as well as her classic board books for babies. Helen has won the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal twice - in 1969, for The Quangle Wangle's Hat and The Dragon of an Ordinary Family and in 1999, for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. She lives in London, NW3. Find her on Twitter as @HelenOxenbury.