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There is no real story to ''Animal Magic'' as it is just a series of little two -sentence rhymes as the magical creature turns from one animal to the next. They may be a dog one minute, but then a slug, or even a hen. You could argue that with no narrative Allcock's job is pretty redundant, but that is not the case as he does the most important thing when writing a nonsense rhyme – he makes sure it makes sense. The story may be gibberish, but the ditty itself is fantastic, they read brilliantly and there is immense enjoyment guessing which animal with be over the page.

A final element that makes this book highly suitable for a young child is the format. Board books are not always necessary or utilised well; I have read a few which are essentially long -form books squashed down. This book is ideal for the hard cardboard pages and smaller look and feel. The simple and fun story, match the bright images and draw a baby in. The child wants to help you turn the pages and this is doable as the book is perfectly formed and durable.

''Animal Magic'' has become a firm favourite in my house and is an ideal quick book for a family with an older baby/young toddler who is starting to want to grab the book for themselves and get involved. The well -written rhymes and fun imagery means that it is a book you can read repeatedly without it growing tiresome.

There are other books available from the same author; [[Cantankerous King Colin by Phil Allcock and Steve Stone]] and also other rhyming books too; [[Michael Rosen's Big Book of Bad Things by Michael Rosen]]. We also enjoyed [[Clumpety Bump by Phil Allcock and Richard Watson]].