The Girls

A timeless picture book for friends of all ages, The Girls celebrates kindness, supportiveness, and the power of true friendship.

Winner of the Waterstones Children's Book Prize Illustrated Book of the Year 2019

Meet the girls: Sasha, Lottie, Alice, and Leela.

These four best friends spend their days playing beneath the branches of their favorite apple tree. As the tree grows tall and reaches across the sky, so do they . . .

. . . growing from little girls into big girls . . .

. . . and from big girls into women!

Through their shared secrets, dreams, worries, and schemes, their friendship grows ever stronger. Even when their adventures take them in different directions, the girls always stay rooted together.

The Girls is a celebration of lasting friendship for every girl . . . big or little.

Lauren Ace is from South Wales, studied drama at the University of Exeter, and now lives in London, where she has worked in publishing for ten years. An award-winning publicist, Lauren looked after Julia Donaldson during her tenure as Children's Laureate and has managed World Book Day campaigns and the announcement of Chris Riddell as Children's Laureate. The Girls is her debut picture book. You can follow her on Twitter at @LaceyPR.

Jenny Løvlie is an illustrator and bird enthusiast from Ekkerøy, in northern Norway. She graduated with a BA in illustration and animation from Kingston University London in 2014. She draws a lot of inspiration from the Arctic landscape, flora, and fauna. Jenny is based in Cardiff, Wales.