The Hundred Decker Bus by Mike Smith
Can you imagine if one day, you're on the bus to town and suddenly the driver decides to take a different road? Perhaps he carries on down this road, just to see where it might go. I know what I'd be doing, and it isn't sitting happily in my seat waiting to see where we end up! However, in fiction anything can happen and in this story, when the driver heads off on his own little jaunt, his passengers come along quite happily with him! Full review...
Elephantantrum! by Gillian Shields and Cally Johnson-Isaacs
Ellie is one of those children. You know, the sort you see lying on the floor in the supermarket screaming that they won't go anywhere until you buy them the pink fairy doll with the flashing wand. We've all been there, or at least I have an awful memory of trying to fold my daughter back into her pushchair in M&S and her going stiff as a board and screaming a high pitched scream for what felt like 5 hours rather than 5 minutes! Anyway, Ellie gets whatever she wants when she wants it, and this time she's decided that she wants an elephant. Her dad manages to get her one, but once the elephant arrives Ellie finds that sometimes getting what you wish for isn't quite what you actually wanted... Full review...
Llama Llama Shopping Drama by Anna Dewdney
It's a few months since we first met Llama Llama. At the time he was suffering from night-time terrors, but today Mama is taking Llama Llama shopping and she promises that there'll be a treat when it's all finished. Llama Llama was happily playing in the sun: he doesn't want to go shopping and the trip doesn't begin well. It's a big building, with lots of signs and lots of aisles. He doesn't like the music, the ladies around all small far too sweet and he's staring at their knees. And that's before he gets to the agony of trying on sweaters and shoes. You know what's going to happen, don't you? Well, Llama Llama does it big time. Full review...
Bang by Leo Timmers
It all starts with a deer in a bright yellow car. He has a stack of books tied to the back of his car, but couldn't resist reading one while he drives. It might have been OK if a bin had not fallen from the lorry in front of him, but engrossed in his book he never notices until with a very loud bang he comes crashing to a stop. This sets off a chain reaction resulting in a ten-car pile up as every car but one comes crashing into the car in front of it. The quick thinking of Mr Gecko means he is able to stop just in time with a screech of the brakes, but Mr Penguin in the ice cream van is not so lucky, crashing into the gecko and his truck load of multi coloured paint and forcing the Gecko forward to smash into the last car in the pile up. Full review...
Akissi by Marguerite Abouet and Mathieu Sapin
Many parents are becoming upset with the over sexualisation of female characters in children's films and books. I know many are also fed up with the stereotyped princess character. If you are looking for a book for a little girl who doesn't suit the stereotypes, Akissi is absolutely perfect. In addition to breaking stereo types in children's literature, this book gives children a first hand look at life in another country. I have often read that children exposed to stories of other cultures usually grow up more tolerant. Whether it is the stories themselves, or simply the type of parent who chooses that type of story, I don't know. Still I have always gone out of my way to make sure my children have books which depict children from a wide variety of locations and cultures. This book gives the reader a very realistic vision of what life in Africa might be like. Best of all though, this book lets the children just be children. They don't look like adults and they don't act like adults. I think we need more books like this. Full review...
The Toucan Brothers by Tor Freeman
I hate to mention illustrations before mentioning the story with a children's book, but the illustrations are clearly the first thing you will notice with the book. My children, drawn by the illustrations, had this pulled out of the box of books it came in and were sitting down reading it before I could even sort through the rest. As soon as I saw this, I thought of Richard Scarry. The illustrations are highly reminiscent of Scarry's work, but if anything these are bolder, brighter and busier. If you have a child who is a visual learner, or who needs plenty of visual cues when reading, this book is definitely one you want to take a closer look at. The expressions on the characters faces are perfect and each page literally seems to come to life with so many activities going on. Full review...
The Crocodile Who Didn't Like Water by Gemma Merino
'The Crocodile Who Didn't Like Water' begins with a Mother crocodile carrying a basket of blue eggs. But one of the eggs isn't quite like the others, and when the little crocs hatch, one crocodile isn't quite like the others. All of the other crocodiles love the water, but the odd one out prefers to climb trees. The other crocodiles were not cruel, but he felt left out as they all played water games. He tried to fit in, but he just wasn't meant to be a water creature. His attempts to be something other than what nature intended are touching, but also terribly funny. Soon the reason for the little crocodile's dislike of water becomes apparent - he isn't a crocodile at all and he wasn't meant to swim - he was meant to fly. Full review...
Nanny Fox by Georgie Adams and Selina Young
Everyone knows that foxes eat chickens. It's a storybook standard. But here, in this story, Arnold the Fox likes chickens to be his friends, not his dinner. He'd rather have a peanut butter sandwich instead! Full review...
One Night, Far From Here by Julia Wauters
I didn't think they made books like this any more. It's very rare to see a book with transparent pages nowadays. I have literally searched for years, snapping up the odd one from used book sellers. These may have gone out of style now in favour of books with batteries, buttons and bells, but these engage a child in a way no battery operated contraption possibly could. Children are fascinated by the pages, not just my own children, but every child I have seen with these. This book is wonderful for story time, but it is also the type of book that children seek out, quietly turning the pages, lost in their own imagination. Experts are beginning to recognise playing with books as a crucial step in emergent literacy. This is a book children will turn to again and again, experiencing a different adventure each time they lose themselves in the pages, and learning that books offer excitement and adventure. Full review...
Babies, Babies, Babies! by Catherine Anholt and Laurence Anholt
This book is one of those lovely books that covers an awful lot in just a few pages. Full of sweet pictures and gentle rhyming text it takes you on a journey through the sort of things that babies' lives revolve around - food, animals, family, clothes and playing. You can read the text as it's written or you may find that your little ones are happy to just look through the book, talking to you about what they can see, what it reminds them of, and what they'd like to do that day. Full review...
Zoe and Beans: Hello Oscar by Chloe Inkpen and Mick Inkpen
Zoe and her dog, Beans, are in the garden when Beans sniffs out a guinea pig. Fortunately Beans is a very unaggressive-looking dog who seems unlikely to finish off any small rodent in one excited bite. His curiosity allows the story to accumulate an ever-more exciting set of roaming pets for Zoe to discover, including, surprisingly, a chameleon. By the time Zoe gets to shouting out her name to a parrot, who insists on calling her Oscar, Beans has disappeared through a hole in the fence. That’s when Oscar, the owner of all these wonderful animals, crawls backwards through the fence and how the friends meet, so I’m guessing this is the first of a series of stories featuring Zoe and Oscar. Full review...
Zoe and Beans: Look at me! by Chloe Inkpen and Mick Inkpen
This is the first board book in a Zoe and Beans series in development, so it will be played with and handled by very young children. Babies and toddlers will like the cheery pics, friendly faces and Beans, the faithful playmate-dog. I loved Beans. He conveyed all the resignation of a household mutt dominated by an ever-demanding toddler. Full review...
Monster, Be Good! by Natalie Marshall
No-one need be frightened of these beasties, and it’s not a story about conquering fears. Instead, these are miscreant monsters who are put in their places with some very firm guidance. Children will recognise the orders instantly, for parents come out with them in varying tones of tiredness, resignation or irritation on a daily basis. In fact, I have the sneaky feeling that the author is on the side of the adults. Full review...
Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam by Tracey Corderoy and Steven Lenton
Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam are two dogs with half baked idea for what thy think will be the perfect crime - despite their previous failures. The dogs prepare a wonderful feast to lure their intended victims out, making cupcakes, pies, buns and every sort of baked treat you can imagine. They have a wonderful time baking, but all the while they are planning to rob all of their guests when the party is in full swing. The feast is a huge success, but the robbery is another disaster. A small act of kindness and a heart felt apology results in forgiveness, and a wonderful idea for a new career. Full review...
It's a Little Book by Lane Smith
Lane Smith's blockbuster hit 'It's A Book' spent six months on the New York Times bestsellers list. Her new 'It's a Little Book' provides a very similar story, but on a level better suited to very young children. Both books feature a very computer-literate donkey and a quiet thoughtful monkey. In both books, donkey has never seen a book before and has all sorts of questions to which monkey always replies no or it's a book. Donkey doesn't seem able to quite figure out why monkey is so interested in this thing with no whistles and bells or lights or action, or to understand why monkey likes this strange thing so much - until monkey shows him the magic of books as well. Full review...
Ping and Pong are Best Friends (mostly) by Tim Hopgood
Ping and Pong are best mates, but Ping feels that he is always in Pong's shadow. Anything Ping can do, Pong can do better. Ping is learning to skate, taking baby steps on the ice while Pong twirls and zooms around him. Ping paints a colourful canvas with bright coloured splodges while Pong paints a lovely vase with flowers. No matter what he does, Pong can do it so much better that poor Ping gives up and decides to do nothing at all. But perhaps there is something that Ping can do better than anyone else, and that it just to be a friend. This is a fun book to read that had my four year old laughing out loud, but there is a lot more to this book than humour; it has a lovely heart warming message about friendship as well. Full review...
Mabel and Me by Mark Sperring and Sarah Warburton
Good children’s books open new windows on the world. This title did just that.
The viewpoint character is a sharp-tongued mouse with Attitude. His best friend is Mabel, a kindly little girl of few words. The two friends are discussing why they are bestest, bestest friends as they stroll in an unguessable Euro-city. Their discussion is interrupted by Monsieur Famous French photographer, then Senora Prima Ballerina. The mouse misinterprets their criticisms and blows his top in defence of his friend, Mabel. But he’s got it wrong, they are talking about him. Fortunately the mouse’s own high self-esteem and Mabel’s sympathetic realism defuse the crisis. It was nicely unpredictable. Full review...
Mrs Vickers' Favourite Knickers by Kara Lebihan and Deborah Allwright
Mrs Vickers' Favourite Knickers have an adventure of their own, flying high above town over the sea, before finally making a rather unusual landing right back were they started from. Children of a certain age love knickers, and I'm certain this book would be a smash hit with a nursery or reception class, and even children up to about 7or 8 are likely to enjoy reading this once. This book is quite short, and ideal for children with very short attention spans, and considering the subject matter is almost certain to hold the attention of a large group of children easily. Full review...
Quack Like a Duck! by Harriet Ziefert and Simms Taback
You mustn't be shy if you're going to read this book. It's not the sort of book you can whisper on a train to a fidgety baby, or that you pack in your nappy bag for quiet times when you're out and about. This is the sort of book that is going to require some very loud moo-ing, so consider yourselves warned! Full review...
Penguins Can't Fly! by Richard Byrne
Gregory the Gull and Hudson the penguin were both born on the same day and have been great friends ever since, doing everything together. In the lovely illustrations, we can see them having a bath, fishing, sledging, skating and giving each other thoughtful and special gifts. However, when Gregory sees some other some gulls having fun flying over the beach, he naturally decides to join in. So does Hudson but of course there is a problem! However hard Hudson flaps his little wings, he just can’t fly. He tries everything but the result is always the same; he never manages to leave the ground. Naturally, he is very sad especially when all the gulls laugh unkindly. Just when he is feeling very low though, something happens to Gregory when he dives deep into the water and gets caught up in a fishing net. Hudson may not be able to fly but he can swim and this means that he is the best bird to help his friend. After this, it never seems to matter that he can't fly. Full review...
Lollipop and Grandpa's Dinosaur Hunt by Penelope Harper and Cate James
Lollipop's family settles in for a day at the seaside, but it just so happens, that they are also on the Jurassic Coast. Of course the dinosaurs have died out millions of years ago... or have they? Grandpa says they haven't really disappeared, they are just very good at hiding, so the pair set off on a quest to finding the missing dinosaurs. Full review...
Troll Swap by Leigh Hodgkinson
I chose this book because my sons, like most children, have always enjoyed books with naughty children. I had some reservations about the book. I was concerned that it might be yet another book preaching about the importance of good behaviour, as most children's books were at one time, but I noticed the publisher was Nosy Crow, and they seem very keen to publish books with a difference so I took a chance and was very pleasantly surprised. Full review...
Hot Air by Sandrine Dumas Roy
This is a story with an environmental message, but at times it seems more like an environmental message with a story. The story itself is terribly limited. It begins with the ice caps melting, the sun growing too hot and drought. There are no humans in this book, so the animals get together to find out what the problem is. They decide that cows are the reason the world is growing warmer and try to find a solution. Full review...
Who's On First? by John Martz, Bud Abbott and Lou Costello
I very nearly passed this book by, as my sons have no knowledge of or interest in baseball. But the name of the authors caught my eye. I was a surprised to see Abbott and Costello listed as the authors of a new book. After all, they have been dead for decades. This could give the term ghost writer a whole new meaning, and then the penny dropped. The title, 'Who's On First?' is also the title of one of Abbott and Costello's most famous comedy skits. This book is taken directly from the skit, with only a few minor alterations. Remembering how side splittingly funny the skit was - I knew in instant the children would enjoy this. You do not need to know anything about baseball to enjoy this book, all you need is a sense of humour. Full review...
My Humongous Hamster by Lorna Freytag
My hamster doesn’t do much.
He just sleeps and eats and eats and sleeps.
Sometimes he gets so HUMoNGOUSLY HUNGRY....
My Humongous Hamster is the story of what might happen if the hungry hamster ate all of his food in one gulp and got bigger and bigger and bigger. Each page shows the gigantic hamster in a variety of humorous situations, each one funnier than the last. Full review...
I Am Not Sleepy And I Will Not Go To Bed by Lauren Child
Like many children, Lola does not particularly like going to bed. She likes staying up colouring, scribbling, sticking and most of all chattering. When she is told that it is time for bed, she always has an answer as to why she should not go: she never gets tired; she can’t clean her teeth because somebody is eating her toothpaste; and the whales are swimming in the bath. The list is endless especially where the highly imaginative Lola is concerned. However, older brother Charlie knows Lola so well; if anyone can persuade her to get into bed, it’s him. Full review...
Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers
I can only describe Lost and Found as a work of art. The story is beautiful in its simplicity, and the illustrations also have a magical quality to them. I have read criticism of some of Jeffers' early works for his style of drawing, especially the thin stick like legs of the The Boy. The critics seem to have fallen silent on this book though and there is nothing but praise for it. The boy is not the most realistic drawing of a child I have seen, but there is something special about it, some unique presence that sets this book apart from other books. It is not a crude drawing, but a very individualised, artistic expression of Jeffers' style, which is rapidly becoming a personal trademark. The rest of his illustrations are simple and uncluttered as well. Many depict only the main characters, a single prop on a white background. Another picture shows only a few house with a darkened sky, a full moon and stars. Full review...
It Wasn't Me (The Hueys) by Oliver Jeffers
The title of this book will be familiar to every small child. I think it may be one of the first sentences many learn. The scenario will also be very familiar. The story is about a family, who usually get along very well. But just once in while - they don't. This just happens to be one of those times when they are not getting along at all, and Gillespie walks into a huge argument. He asks why they are fighting, but as mad as everyone is, no one can quite remember. A few start pointing fingers as to who started the fight, but each character insists he was not the one who started the row. They never do remember what caused the quarrel but eventually wander off for something a bit more exciting. Full review...