Extract - The Travelling Bookshop by Katrina Nannestad illustrated by Cheryl Orsini

Then at last a woman’s prim voice speaks in Dutch. ‘And a grand time was had by all. The end!’ The caravan settles a little lower on its wheels and the transformation is complete. ‘Awk!’ Coco flies away through the gap between the bookshelves. Nat and I are about to follow when someone calls from outside. ‘Hellooo. Are you open?’ I look down at Nat. He has leaves in his hair, hundreds and thousands stuck to his cheeks, a plug of icing up his left nostril and no pants. I’m still in my pyjamas. ‘Quick!’ I cry. ‘Get dressed.’ We scramble about, dressing while tucking pyjamas and cupcakes and broken teacups behind books. ‘Nat!’ I say. ‘Your pants are inside out and your shirt’s on back to front.’

17