Fancy turning your grandad into an exploding dinosaur? Or your embarrassing teacher into a whistling pair of trousers?

Popular children's author Hilary Robinson, from Lumby, near Selby, has made this possible thanks to her new book, Spells and Smells, which hits the shops in time for Hallowe'en.

It contains 11 recipes which can mixed and matched to cast thousands of weird and wonderful spells, such as turning your lovestruck uncle into a flying doughnut.

Hilary, 38, who also works as a freelance producer for the BBC, has collaborated on the book with top illustrator Nick Sharratt.

Its pages have been specially designed to allow children to use scores of crazy spell combinations.

Hilary said: "I met Nick in London last year and we came up with some great ideas.

"The Harry Potter books have influenced a lot of people and allowed our minds to be opened up. Our book is just fun magic. I think I must have a mad mind to come up with some of the spells.

"I'm very often inspired by the things my children say. They are big Hallowe'en fans and think the book is fantastic. When I visit schools, Spells and Smells is the last thing I talk about because the kids go mad for it and the session turns into a riot with them trying to turn their teacher into a smelly piece of cheese!

"I'm hoping it will take the children's book market by storm."

Hilary has written a number of other books including the Sarah the Spider series which has sold more than 100,000 copies and was inspired by her daughter Sophie's fear of creepy- crawlies.

Spells and Smells will be in the shops from October 21 and Hilary will be appearing at the Long Marston Craft Fair on the day of the launch from 10am.