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We make growing up the best story ever! Here at Ladybird, we publish books to inspire curious minds. From first words to fluency, we're here for young readers at every step. As the home of Read it yourself, Ladybird Readers and First Words with Peppa, we guide learners from one story to the next - sparking plenty of smiles along the way.

When she was young, Clare Balding thought she was a dog. Disappointed to discover she was only human, she did her best to spend every waking hour with dogs and ponies. She could ride before she could walk and, growing up surrounded by racehorses trained by her father, she dreamt of winning the Grand National or riding for Great Britain at the Olympics. Those dreams never came true but the consolation prize hasn't been bad. As a television and radio presenter, Clare has worked at six Olympic Games, the highlight being London 2012, as well as the Winter Olympics, Paralympics, Commonwealth Games, the Grand National, Royal Ascot, Wimbledon and the Ryder Cup. Clare lives in London with her wife, Alice, their dog Archie and their cat, Button.