Once upon a time there was a huge family of children; and they were terribly, terribly naughty .

So begin the tales of the no-nonsense Nurse Matilda who uses magic to tame the mischievous children in her charge - and who changes their lives forever.

The inspiration for the much-loved film Nanny McPhee, starring Emma Thompson and Colin Firth, the Nurse Matilda stories overflow with naughtiness, wit and timeless humour, making this collection the perfect gift for mischief-makers both young and old!

The collection contains all three instalments in the Nurse Matilda series, accompanied by Edward Ardizzone's beautiful original illustrations:

Nurse Matilda
Nurse Matilda Goes to Town
Nurse Matilda Goes to Hospital

Christianna Brand was born in 1909 and grew up living with the family of her cousin, Edward Ardizzone. Her first novel, Death in High Heels, was published in 1941, followed by a series of successful crime novels and historical romance as well as much-loved children's books. The first Nurse Matilda book was published in 1964, and quickly gained a devoted following. Christianna died in 1988.

Edward Ardizzone was born in 1900. He illustrated for the Radio Times, exhibited his art in prestigious galleries and in 1936 he published his first book, Little Tim and the Brave Sea Captain. In 1956 Tim All Alone was the first book to win the Kate Greenaway Award. In 1962 Christianna and Edward collaborated on an anthology of stories called Naughty Children, which featured a tale about Nurse Matilda, followed by Nurse Matilda Goes to Town (in 1966) and Nurse Matilda Goes to Hospital (in 1973).