Newest For Sharing Reviews
Best Friends by Kim Hyun
Teaching your young child new words is one of the wonders of parenthood, but once you have grown tired of teaching them mildly rude words, what is next? Thankfully, like with most thing in modern living, there is a book to help you that is full of popular and useful phrases to use in everyday situations. I mean who else is going to teach you to say Pardon Me, if you have an accident? Full review...
Bear Counts by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman
If a bear approaches you in the woods and asks you for help counting, the only numbers you will need to be aware of are the steps you take pegging it in the opposite direction. Thankfully, the bear of this story is a friendly creature and he hangs out mostly with his woodland pals and not terrified humans. Can he help us count to five before the terror grips us? Full review...
Arabel’s Raven by Joan Aiken and Quentin Blake
It’s been many, many years since I first met Arabel and her pet raven, Mortimer, whilst watching Jackanory on children’s television. Bernard Cribbins used to read the stories, and they became firm favourites of mine. Here I am returning to the first book in the series, well, just a handful of years later, and the story has lost none of its charm. Full review...
Unexpected Crocodile by Kim Kane and Sara Acton
It’s always a worry when a large animal comes to tea. Here we find our characters inviting in a crocodile, who just happens to have dropped by to join Peggy and her family as they entertain the Dawson’s for a barbecue. Why has the crocodile come? And more importantly, will he ever leave? Full review...
Horace and Hattiepillar (Hedgehugs) by Lucy Tapper and Steve Wilson
Horace and Hattie are best friends. They like to do everything that they can together, from playing hide and seek, to looking for the first star of the night. One day when they’re out together, they find something small and round and smooth handing on the bottom of a leaf. Whatever could it be? Full review...
Soon by Timothy Knapman and Patrick Benson
Raju is a baby elephant who set out on a jungle adventure with his mother. He was excited and just a little bit frightened: you could see that by the way that he held on to her tail very tightly. On their way they met crocodiles, who snapped at the pair until mother stamped her feet to frighten them away, hissing snakes and ferocious, frightening tigers. Mother frightened them off too. At each encounter Raju asks:
When can we go home again? Full review...
Teddy Picnic by Georgie Birkett
Picnics are fun, whether they’re at the beach, at the bottom of the garden or even on a rug in the living room. And no one knows how to picnic like teddy bears. Full review...
Dinosaur Police by Sarah McIntyre
Help! There’s trouble in Dinoville! A T-Rex is causing havoc in the pizza parlour! So starts the silliest of dinosaur books that had me giggling until the very last page. Trevor is a naughty little thing, ruining all the pizzas for a special order, and then running away from the Police before they can catch him. It’s one kerfuffle after another here, but somehow, some way, the show must go on, and the town rallies together to make it happen. Full review...
Crunch! by Carolina Rabei
Crunch is a guinea pig who likes his comfy bed, but most of all he likes eating - which is probably why he's called Crunch. He's gorgeously round and well-fed but he couldn't help but think that there was something missing from his life. One day he was approached by Cheddar, the mouse, who chatted to him about the abundance of food which was available to Crunch. Cheddar couldn't believe it and thought that Crunch probably had enough food to share, but Crunch was having none of this. His food was HIS food and he wasn't sharing it with anyone, even when Cheddar offered him a big friendly hug in return. Full review...
Busy Alice in Wonderland
Busy Alice in Wonderland is a board book, with paper (or should it be 'board'?) engineering. It would seem to too crass to describe what can be done with the book as 'pull the tab'. A pulled tab moves the hedgehog forward, paints the blooms red and puts stripes onto the cat's teeth (and all that is on the cover!) A finger in a ring moving through a curve drops Alice down the rabbit hole. The potion which Alice drinks quickly reduces her size and a turning wheel pours tea out of the pot. It's all brilliantly done and despite trying my best I couldn't find a single sharp edge or one of the pieces of engineering that I thought would soon need repair. It's a book which you could leave with a child rather than feeling that it needed to be kept on 'Mummy's shelf'. Full review...
Go to Sleep, Monty! by Kim Geyer
For some children, it does not take them long to decide that they want a pet. This means that the next few months and years consist of them slowly breaking down their parents’ resistance until finally a pet enters the home. For some lucky adults this may take the form of a goldfish or a hamster, but for many it will be a dog. You may feel like you have only just managed to get your own child potty trained, but now you have to start all over again with a puppy. Full review...
Mungo Monkey goes on a Train by Lydia Monks
I have spent quite a lot of time on public transport and, believe you me, I have seen a few odd things in my time, but I have yet to see a family of monkeys catch the train. However, Mungo is no ordinary monkey as he lives in a curious world where you can lift flaps and see what is going on. What can be behind the next one? Perhaps a photo of me looking puzzled as I see a monkey on the train! Full review...
Where, Oh Where, is Rosie's Chick? by Pat Hutchins
Rosie's not the sharpest chuck in the hen house. She made her debut over forty years ago in the 1968 publication, 'Rosie's Walk' when she stepped out alone blithely unaware of always being a hairs breadth away from calamity. Well, she's back, and this time she has a chick. Uh-oh as my toddler would say…let's have a look at 'Where, Oh Where, is Rosie's Chick?' Full review...
Paddington Goes for Gold by Michael Bond and R W Alley
Rather like a young child, Paddington is a wide-eyed innocent who leaves devastation wherever he goes, yet somehow always manages to land on his feet. I am very fond of literary bears, and he is one of my favourites. I love his enthusiasm, in everything he does, and that he always has a snack to hand. In this particular adventure, Paddington manages to entice the entire Brown family, and Mrs Bird, to come to a local sports day. There’s everything from the shotput to a three-legged race and even a knitting race. You can probably imagine the trouble he gets into… Full review...
The Fabulous Foskett Family Circus by Quentin Blake and John Yeoman
There are names to conjure with and Quentin Blake is certainly one of those. His tell-tale illustrations have been part of many a child’s upbringings, not at least for his work in the superb Roald Dahl books. However, can nostalgia and reverence cloud a person’s mind? Are the drawings of Blake strong enough to cope on their own when put alongside words that are not at a Dahl level? Full review...
Silly Dizzy Dinosaur by Jack Tickle
Reading to children does not have to be a passive experience. Some of the best books have you interacting with the characters found between the pages. Dizzy Dinosaur is not the most sensible of chaps at the best of time, but his errors are only compounded when the reader gets involved. Can we help this clumsy Camarasaurus from falling over too much? Full review...
Kipper’s Little Friends by Mick Inkpen
Mick Inkpen has an enormous amount of talent, and he manages to somehow make the simplest of stories endearing and interesting. Here, on his 25th anniversary, Kipper is back with a new story in which he’s thinking about baby animals. He finds out what various different animal babies are called, and then he begins to wonder what he was when he was a baby. Full review...
A Gold Star for George by Alice Hemming and Kimberley Scott
George the Giraffe is a lovable chappie, that much is evident from the start. He’s smart too, both in brains and attire (spotted bow tie being every day wear if you’re George) and right now he’s very excited because the Wildlife Park are having some awards. Gold stars for things like ‘’Most Popular Animal’’, ‘’Best Trick’’ and so on. George ‘’really’’ wants to win one. Full review...
Help! The Wolf is Coming! by Cedric Ramadier and Vincent Bourgeau
With every turn of the thick, cardboard pages, the Wolf is getting closer. Eek. Can you escape in time? Maybe if you’re clever and make him trip up on himself by tilting the pages? Might he then slide off? Full review...
What the Jackdaw Saw by Julia Donaldson and Nick Sharratt
The jackdaw is flying over the countryside, the sea, towns and forests inviting all the creatures he meets to his party. He is excited and so busy trying to tell everyone about his party that he does not understand that the other animals are all trying to warn him that he is flying into danger. Will he work out what they are telling him before it is too late? Full review...
Jules and Nina Dine Out by Anita Pouroulis
Nina and George are Jules’ dogs. Eating out at restaurants used to be a family affair until George blew it. A misunderstanding about a steak apparently. With the exception of her slightly unreliable digestive system, Nina has slightly more refined manners. She continues to dine out until one restaurant manager refuses her admission. Then it’s a long, but dramatic, spell out on the pavement for her… Full review...
Little Red and the Very Hungry Lion by Alex T Smith
Little Red is a caring little girl and when she discovers that her Auntie Rosie is unwell and covered in spots she immediately sets off with her basket packed ready to help. However as she makes her way through the African landscape meeting a variety of animals on the way little does she know that lurking in the trees is a lion. A very hungry lion. A very hungry lion with a very naughty plan. Full review...
Kitchen Disco by Clare Foges and Al Murphy
If the ‘‘Toy Story’’ films taught is nothing else, they taught us that when we are not paying attention, toys come to life. Call me old fashioned, I am not impressed as this is common knowledge, but did you know that fruit also awakens? If you listen closely as you go to sleep you may just hear the soft pulse of some Happy House or Dubstep as down in the kitchen the fruit are having a disco. Full review...
Rabbits Don’t Lay Eggs! by Paula Metcalf and Cally Johnson-Isaacs
Life’s boring in the burrow so Rupert rabbit decides to tunnel over to the neighbouring farm. There he meets a very bossy duck, Dora, who tells him that only animals who can do a job can live on this farm. What can a rabbit do? Full review...
Mermaid by Cerrie Burnell and Laura Ellen Anderson
Bringing important issues such as race and disability to a child’s attention is a vital thing for any parent to do if they want their child to understand the world better. Why does that person look different and should I be scared? The answer is obviously no, but how is a child supposed to know this? Books are a great way of explaining diversity without making the lesson too preachy or obvious. Perhaps a story about a mermaid who, when out of the water, is in a wheelchair? Full review...
Goodnight Already by Jory John and Benji Davies
If you list all of my favourite things you may be surprised what one of my top choices is – sleep. Lovely, blessed sleepy sleep. There is nothing quite like the feeling of waking up at the usual time, only to roll over and go back to Slumberville as there is no work today. If you wake me up too early, I have been described as looking somewhat like a grumpy bear, but what do you expect if you try to stop someone who is hibernating? Will you learn the lesson of this little duck who would not let a sleeping bear lie? Full review...
Daddy's Sandwich by Pip Jones and Laura Hughes
One day, a little girl decides to make her daddy a sandwich. It starts out well, with two slices of bread, but things soon slip and slide from there into culinary chaos as she searches through the house for all of his favourite things, like biscuits dunked in tea, and his favourite slippers, and even the remote control! Full review...
Pizza for Pirates by Adam Guillain, Charlotte Guillain and Lee Wildish
George has been exploring before. He’s taken spaghetti to the Yeti, marshmallows for the Martians, and doughnuts for Dragons. In his fourth adventure, he’s off in search of a pirate crew and he’s again armed with a tasty snack. Pizza! Full review...
At The Animal Ball by Ella Bailey
The animals are having a ball. Join them as they 'dance and roar', 'flutter a fan' then 'tap your toes on the floor'. This is flip flap fun in the parlour game tradition of 'heads, bodies, tails'. On Midsummer's Eve a veritable menagerie of very cute animals in what appear to be a range of national costumes, are assembling to bounce, shimmy, swagger and stroll. You can mix the animals up by flipping the flaps but watch out! Moving the pages out of sequence also mixes up the dance moves. Join in and keep up! Full review...
Slug Needs a Hug by Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross
Growing up, my experience with slugs mainly revolved around spotting them in the garden and being sent out with the pot of salt to send them to a salty (and frankly, disgusting) death! My mum was forever waging war on these creatures that were hell-bent on eating everything in her garden that she loved best. Since those happy childhood moments, I have had other difficult moments with slugs including the one who dared to come into our house, into the lounge, and who I trod on in the dark one night. Yuck! All of which means that, to be honest, I wasn’t sure this book would be very enjoyable for me! Still, I’m never one to say no to something illustrated by Tony Ross, and he and Jeanne Willis make a reliably good team, so I put my salt pot away and sat down to read. Full review...
Azzi in Between by Sarah Garland
Our story begins in a country at war. Unfortunately you could probably put a name to it (although it isn't named) as it happens all too regularly. Our heroine is Azzi, a young girl whose life was not too affected by the war, but every day it came a little closer. Her father still worked as a doctor and her mother made beautiful clothes. Her grandmother wove warm blankets. Then the day came when they had to run, for their lives, and escape was by boat and they became refugees. The three of them - for Grandma had been left behind - had been luckier than most for they were accepted on a temporary basis into another country (again it's not named) and they had a home, although it was just one room. Full review...
Eddie's Tent and How to go Camping by Sarah Garland
Mum, Tom, Tilly, Lily and Eddie wanted to go on holiday and camping seemed like the ideal way to go. Lily and Tilly thought it was a brilliant idea and they had some experience, although their 'tent' did look just a little bit like a duvet over a chair. It's surprising what you need for a holiday, but Lily and Tilly had to be told to start again when Mum saw what they'd packed! But finally, Tom began to load the car and off they went. Full review...
Hungry Roscoe by David J Plant
Roscoe is hungry. He dreams of eating fresh fruit and fish rather than the rotten scraps he scavenges from the bins in the park where he lives. When his friend Benjy tells him that the animals in the Zoo get fresh food every day, Roscoe has to go. But he quickly finds that there’s no way the bad-tempered Zoo Keeper will let Roscoe anywhere near the food. Determined not to give up, Roscoe tries to disguise himself as a tortoise and then as a penguin. When that doesn’t work, the monkeys suggest an alternative idea with devastating consequences for the poor Zoo Keeper. Full review...
Mimi's Magical Fairy Friends Catkin the Fairy Kitten by Clare Bevan and Cally Johnson-Isaacs
Children’s books are wonderful things to read full of vibrant colours and flights of fancy, but they can also be sickly sweet. Designing a book for a young girl does not mean it that has to be bright pink and float into the room on the wings of a Pegasus. It seems that this fact has not stopped countless authors trying to do just this. Some girls may indeed love fairies, mermaids or ponies, but this does not mean that they hate concepts such as rounded characters, plots that make sense, or feelings of empowerment. Even a magical fairy kitten is not enough to disguise a book with no plot. Full review...
Ten Little Dinosaurs by Mike Brownlow and Simon Rickerty
When I was a child it was ten green bottles standing on the wall. Since then Mike Brownlow and Simon Rickerty have brought us the exploits of Ten Little Princesses and Ten Little Pirates. Now they invite us to explore the prehistoric world of Ten Little Dinosaurs. Full review...
Ready, Steady, Jump by Jeanne Willis and Adrian Reynolds
If children’s books are a great way of introducing the varied world of the animal kingdom. There are books on lions, kangaroos, monkeys, aardvarks, ostriches and so many others. However, children’s books since the days of Rudyard Kipling’s ‘‘Just So Stories’’ have also been confusing kids with animal facts that just aren’t true. Are we to believe that an elephant got its trunk by having it pulled on by a crocodile? To compound the issue, author Jeanne Willis is now suggesting that not only do elephants have an elongated nose, but they are also unable to jump – how silly! Full review...
This is My Rock by David Lucas
Once you have claimed something as your own, the temptation to not share it is enormous, whether you’re three years old or thirty three! In this story we are introduced to a little goat who has climbed to the top of a mountain, claimed it as his own, and is unwilling to allow anyone else up there with him. Full review...
