For sharing
Molly and the Night Monster by Chris Wormell
Molly is in bed, but then she hears a creak on the stair. Could it be an elephant or a rhino coming to get her? Might it even be a night monster? Luckily, Molly is well-armed with her monster catcher, so should be alright, as the door sloooowly inches open... Full review...
Get Ahead Fred by Daisy Dawes
Fred loves wearing hats. He's got a fez, a bonnet, a stetson, and a glittery fedora. When the Queen announces she's coming to town, he decides to get the finest hat he's ever had. There's no possible way that anything could go wrong, is there? ...Is there? Full review...
Ruggles by Anne Fine and Ruth Brown
Every dog owner has known a dog like Ruggles: they're so good at escaping from where ever they are that they're generally known as Houdini. Ruggles had it all worked out, from the opportunist hop over the fence aided by a pile of newspapers, a bucket and the rabbit hutch to who would snitch on him if he met them (unaccompanied) in the park. The dog lady knows him well and whilst you wouldn't quite call them friends it's obvious that Ruggles knows when he's met his match and hops in the van without complaint. Full review...
Arthur and the Meanies by Jan Fearnley
Arthur the elephant is desperate to play, but the monkeys, Tiger, Peacock and Cheetah all say no. The big meanies. Oh sure, they're happy to be his friend when they want something from him, but as soon as they don't need him any more, they just scamper off and leave him sad. Go on, Arthur, give 'em a soaking! Teach 'em a lesson! Full review...
The Bear's Water Picnic by John Yeoman and Quentin Blake
It's a gorgeous summer's day, so the pig, hen, squirrel, hedgehog and bear all head out on a raft for a picnic in the middle of the lake. They're disturbed by the awrk awrk of the frogs, so paddle off to a different part of the lake, but when they get stuck, they discover the benefits of working together and making new friends. Full review...
Old Dog by Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross
The Young Pups don't want to go and see Grandpa - all he does is talk about the past, his breath stinks, his false teeth fall out all the time, and he doesn't know how to play all their new games. Their mother reminds them that he's really kind and they visit him after all. When there, they discover that Grandpa wasn't always an old fuddy duddy, and actually there's plenty of excitement lurking under the surface if they just take the trouble to get to know him. Full review...
Elmer and Grandpa Eldo by David McKee
Elmer the patchwork elephant is back, and this time he's visiting Grandpa Eldo. Elmer reminds Eldo of all the things they did together when Elmer was really little, but Eldo can't remember them (or so he says) so Elmer keeps reminding him and reminding him, as they revisit old haunts. Grandpa and grandson, sorry, grandelephant, spend a lovely day together, enjoying one another's company. Full review...
Dinosaur Time by Michael Foreman
Tom's mum has just bought a new timer for the kitchen. It's not a toy, so she tells Tom not to touch it. However, there's a little blue light winking at him, so he can't really help himself. He reaches out and... finds himself whisked back in time. Full review...
Bedtime Without Arthur by Jessica Meserve
Arthur is a very special bear. Using bravery, strength and karate, he keeps Bella safe from monsters when she sleeps. One day, Arthur goes missing, and Bella has to face the monsters on her own. Will Arthur turn up? Will Bella ever get a good night's sleep again? Full review...
Jeremiah Jellyfish Flies High! by John Fardell
Jeremiah Jellyfish is drifting aimlessly through life. He's bored of doing nothing in the great big jellyfish shoal. With a bit of geeing up from his granddad, he strikes out on his own, meets a high-powered businessman, swaps jobs, and becomes an executive in a rocket plane company. As jellyfish do, obviously. Full review...
The Littlest Dinosaur and the Naughty Rock by Camilla Reid and Michael Foreman
After the littlest dinosaur's earlier adventures, Camilla Reid takes hold of the writing reins, whilst Michael Foreman offers up his beautiful illustrations as always. This time, the dinosaur is in a bit of a bad mood, being rude to his dad, shouting at his siblings, and ruining his meal. His mum sends him to sit on the naughty rock, but he's in for quite a surprise when he gets there... Full review...
Too Pickly! by Jean Reidy and Genevieve Leloup
It's Too Purply! with food. That about sums it up, but for those of you who haven't already fallen in love with Jean Reidy's tale of getting dressed, Too Pickly! looks at a little boy (and his hamster) deciding what to eat. Dish by dish, he rejects them for being too pickly, too wrinkly, too burpy, too stringy, and so on, until he finds the one that's just right. Full review...
Lulu's Loo by Camilla Reid and Ailie Busby
We've been here before, as Lulu introduced us to her shoes, clothes and Christmas. Here, she's kind enough to show us all that goes on with her loo, nappies and potty. As before, there are plenty of interesting flaps to lift and things to explore. Full review...
Instructions by Neil Gaiman
Go through the mysterious door, mind the imp, trust the wolves and answer the ferryman's question carefully. Neil Gaiman takes us on a tour of a fantasy land with a series of instructions for surviving the adventure. You'll discover wonders beyond your wildest dreams, and return home safely, a little older and a little wiser. Full review...
Have You Ever Seen A Sneep? by Tasha Pym and Joel Stewart
Ever fallen foul of a Sneep? (No, not Oliver Donnington Rimington-Sneep). What about a Grullock, Knoo or Loon? One poor little boy tries to go about his daily business, but keeps getting interrupted by these mysterious monsters. You've never heard of them before, you say? He wants to have a word with you then... Full review...
Elmer On Stilts by David McKee
Who doesn't already know and love Elmer the patchwork elephant? This time round, he's helping all his other elephant chums avoid the nasty hunters. Throw in a CD version of the story read by Joss Ackland - yes, really - and you're on to a real winner. Full review...
Dexter Bexley And The Big Blue Beastie On The Road by Joel Stewart
Dexter Bexley and the Big Blue Beastie are hooting and hooting and hooting. Everyone in town is sick to the back teeth of their incessant hooting, so they kick them out of town. Dexter and the Beastie hit the road, hooting as they go, embarking on a rollicking adventure and meeting up with a princess and a dragon. Full review...
Me and You by Anthony Browne
Once upon a time there was a little girl called Goldilocks... You know the rest. Me and You flips the classic fairy tale around, telling it from the three bears' point of view. Nice idea, non? It is, but calling it a retelling merely scratches the surface... Full review...
Apple Pie ABC by Alison Murray
Take one traditional rhyme (A was an apple pie, B bit it...), mix it up a bit with new words, add a pinch of sweet girl and a dash of naughty dog, and you've got a recipe for... well, a unbelievably cliched first line in a review from me, but also a super book. Full review...
Super Dooper Jezebel by Tony Ross
Jezebel is a good girl - so good, in fact, that everyone calls her Super Dooper Jezebel. She's neat and tidy, does her chores, is perfectly behaved, and is an inspiration to all. The Prime Minister sent her a special medal for being so good, and Jezebel gets her own TV show to show others how to behave. She won't even run, because it's against the rules. Sometimes, just sometimes, rules are meant to be broken... Full review...
The Sunflower Sword by Mark Sperring and Miriam Latimer
There's a little knight (who looks remarkably like a boy with a colander on his head) who wants to battle with dragons a sword, but his mum says he can't. He's desperate to whoosh and swoosh with a shining blade, so she gives him a sunflower instead, and off he goes to the top of a hill to do battle with not one but three imaginary dragons. There's a roar of fire and billowing smoke, and he finds himself face to face with a real dragon... Full review...
Sir Laughalot by Tony Mitton and Sarah Warburton
Sir Laughalot is a brave knight. He's got all the gear and is desperate to smite a wicked foe, so off he sets on his travels. He meets a fearsome dragon and a whopping great big giant, but each time they end up laughing with one another. Will things change when he tries to rescue the fair damsel from the evil sorceress? Full review...
Wobble Bear Gets Busy by Ian Whybrow and Caroline Jayne Church
Wobble is a very busy little bear who has just learned to walk and now, of course, wants to walk everywhere. We see him here walking in to wake up his parents, treading on the cat, dancing and falling over, walking on a wall, splashing in a puddle until, of course, by the end of the day he has worn himself out and is too tired to walk up the stairs to bed! Full review...
Wobble Bear Says Yellow by Ian Whybrow and Caroline Jayne Church
Wobble Bear is a delightful little bear who is just starting to learn about colours. He insists through the book on calling everything 'yellow', whether it is or not, much to his mummy's frustration and my daughter's delight! Full review...
What Small Rabbit Heard by Sheryl Webster and Tim Warnes
It's cold and windy. Small Rabbit just wants to stay inside, but Big Rabbit insists that it's fresh, not cold, and they're going on a walk. He's a bit of a cheeky scamp is Small Rabbit, so when Big Rabbit says try to keep up, Small Rabbit somehow mishears it as jump in the mud. As the walk goes on, Small Rabbit mishears Big Rabbit time and time again, getting up to all sorts of shenanigans. Full review...
Animal Gallery by Brian Wildsmith
Starting off with a crash of rhinoceroses, through a corps of giraffes, a hover of trout, and ending up with a dray of squirrels, Brian Wildsmith treats us to a beautiful look at collections of animals. Full review...
Not Me! by Nicola Killen
A group of kids are playing, and making an awful mess. One by one they're asked if they're responsible, and one by one they deny any involvement. But have they been caught red handed, and will it really fall upon Jess the pup to do all the tidying up? Full review...
Rhino? What Rhino? by Caryl Hart and Sarah Horne
The rhino was lonely and bored and the zoo, so he squeezes between the bars and heads out into the great, wide world. Being a rhino, his manners aren't quite up to scratch, so he gets into all sorts of scrapes and japes as he steals people's clothes and food. Other poor animals get the blame, so they decide to have a word with the rhino to set him back on the right path. Full review...
The Newt In The Suit by Andrew Weale and Margaret Chamberlain
There's one newt in a suit, and he's looking very dapper. He's joined by two snazzy-looking flies in ties, three cockatoos in high-heeled shoes, and so on up to ten. Yep, this is a counting book with lots of well-dressed animals going about their business. Full review...
Little Tiger's Big Holiday by Mark Marshall
Little Tiger is going on holiday. Whatever will he need? Well, flying goggles, obviously. A parachute is a must. Who goes anywhere without stilts? Oh, and a helmet, in case he goes in a racing car. Item by item, his suitcase gets more and more full. His holiday sounds like it's going to be an amazing adventure. Full review...
Jacob O'Reilly Wants A Pet by Lynne Rickards and Lee Wildish
Like many young children, Jacob O'Reilly Wants A Pet. He'd love a dog. A cat would be great. Ooh, what about gerbils? Or an iguana? He's desperate for an animal to look after, but mum and dad don't fancy the idea. Then they suggest that he start a pet-sitting business, and all hell breaks loose... Full review...
Lively Elizabeth! by Mara Bergman and Cassia Thomas
Elizabeth is a lively little girl. She loves stomping around, making a racket and creating an awful kerfuffle. One day she does the thing that she knows she should never do: she pushes Joe Fitzhugh. Joe tumbles into Jonny, who knocks into another child, and on and on and on. Oh dear, Elizabeth! What have you done? Full review...
Litterbug Doug (A Michael Recycle Adventure) by Ellie Bethel and Alexandra Colombo
Litterbug Doug lives on a hill, just outside a beautiful town. His home is an absolute dump, with rubbish strewn everywhere, rats scurrying through the mess, and he won't tidy up his bloomin' bedroom. It's disgusting. Utterly utterly disgusting. His mess spreads and spreads and spreads and spreads. Thankfully, Michael Recycle is on hand to teach Doug the error of his ways. Full review...
The Elves and the Shoemaker by Lucy M George and Rachel Swirles
The shoemaker grows older and older. Where he once made the finest shoes in town, he's now struggling to make ends meet. With only enough money for the leather for one pair of shoes, he's on his last legs. He leaves the leather on the table, ready to assemble the next morning, but when he comes down, the elves have made the most beautiful shoes ever. Full review...
On My Walk by Kari-Lynn Winters and Christina Leist
A little girl is going for a walk with her mummy and her dog. They hear a horse saying clippity-clop and a frog saying frippity-frop. They enjoy all the sights and sounds of the beautiful summer's day, until it starts to rain, drippity-drop, drippity-drop... Full review...
Something To Do by David Lucas
The little bear is boooored. He's desperate for something to do, but he lives in a monochrome line world, with nothing around except the horizon, and a couple of simple seagulls. He and the big bear go on an adventure to amuse and entertain themselves, and then create new surroundings by drawing them with a stick. Full review...
Dear Miss by Amy Husband
It's Michael's first day back at school and he really doesn't fancy sitting through maths and double geography. He writes a letter to his teacher, explaining that the secret service have recruited him to rescue a missing explorer. Letter after letter of his adventures follow, until Miss counters with a letter of her own... Full review...
Little Sapling by Gill Linder
Little Sapling is growing up, bit by bit. Like any plant, she stretches out into the sunlight. She competes with bindweed, and then is transplanted by a forester. On the way, she comes into contact with a number of animals, like Rabbit and Hedgehog. Full review...
My Circus by Xavier Deneux
An utterly gorgeous board book that everyone will love to pore over, from the very youngest right on up. Full review...
Bedtime (Slip-and-Slide Books) by Maureen Roffey
Bedtime is a pull-the-tabs book about - unsurprisingly - bedtime. Page by page reveals child after child rubbing their eyes, changing into their pyjamas, kissing mummy goodnight, and cuddling up with teddy. Each pulled tab changes that picture, much like a before and after shot. Full review...
Hold On Tight, Stripy Horse! by Jim Helmore and Karen Wall
Stripy Horse and his friends live in a bric-a-brac shop. One day, they discover that it's raining inside. Ella, the pink flamingo umbrella, keeps them dry for a bit, but then she's caught by a gust of wind and Stripy Horse is pulled up into the air. Will they discover the source of the rain? Will the shop ever get dry again? And what's the deal with that weathervane parrot that keeps spouting proverbs? Full review...
Baby Baby Blah Blah Blah! by Jonathan Shipton and Francesca Chessa
Emily loves making lists. When her mummy gets pregnant, Emily makes a list of all the good things about a new baby, and another list of all the bad things. Emily's worried that she's going to have to wear babygros to school and eat left-over squish. Her daddy decides to set her straight about what a new baby will mean. Full review...
Don't Let Aliens Get My Marvellous Mum! by Gillian Shields and Liz Pichon
A young girl imagines how awful life would be if aliens got her marvellous mum. She pictures all manner of ooky space monsters tucking her up in bed, giving her green eggs for breakfast, and scaring all the other parents at school. She (and the readers too) realise just how lucky she is to have such a lovely mum. Aww, bless! Full review...
The Alphabet Family by Eva Montanari
Mummy A wants to write a story, but she can't think what to write. She sees what her children (b, c, d and so on) are up to. Some are playing musical instruments, some are running races, and some are playing in the garden. With plenty of ideas to hand, Mummy A writes her story, and then tells it to all her children and Daddy Z. Full review...
When Night Didn't Come by Poly Bernatene
One night, after the sun has gone to bed, the night doesn't come. There's no darkness, no moon and no stars. Someone's going to have to do something about it, so the man in charge rouses a group of children and they do what they can to bring the night. Full review...
Cloud Tea Monkeys by Mal Peet and Elspeth Graham
Tashi and her mother live below a tea plantation in India. Usually Tashi goes along with her mum, and whilst mum picks tea leaves with the other women, Tashi sits under a tree and plays with a group of monkeys, sharing her fruit with them, allowing them to groom her and playing with the little baby monkeys. One morning, Tashi's mum is too poorly to go to work, so Tashi struggles with the big tea basket herself. The plantation owner derides her, saying she is too little to pick the tea, and Tashi is worried about how she and her mother will cope with no money to get her mum a doctor, or to buy food. She shares her worries with her monkey friends and somehow, at the end of the day, Tashi's basket is full of beautiful, fresh, fragrant tea leaves that are a very rare type of tea called 'Cloud Tea'. Full review...
The Secret To Teddy's Happiness by David Conway and Dubravka Kolanovic
When the toys discover an old, bedraggled teddy bear, they rack their brains to find a way to mend his broken heart, to make him smile again. The velvet rabbit who knows everything offers to tell them the secret of Teddy's happiness, but he wants them to do him a favour first. Full review...
Crash Bang Donkey! by Jill Newton
Farmer Gruff spends all his time chasing the crows from his corn. Eventually he needs to sleep, so all the animals tiptoe around, making no noise whatsoever. What's this coming over the hill with a crash and a bang? Oh no! It's a donkey with a drum. How's Farmer Gruff going to get his sleep? If he can't sleep, how's he ever going to be able to keep the crows from his corn? Full review...
Green by Mark Sperring and Leo Timmers
Clive loves wearing green. It's all he ever wears. He thinks he looks mighty snazzy, but his big sister (boo! hiss!) takes every opportunity to call him a cabbage, moss, a sprout or a toad. Clive keeps wearing his green clothes, certain that he'll have the last laugh and get one over on his sister. Full review...
Stinky! Or How The Beautiful Smelly Warthog Found A Friend by Ian Whybrow and Lynne Chapman
Stinky the warthog lives in a neighbourhood with the Crocodile family, the Monkey family and the Littlebird family. One by one they invite Stinky round to play with their children, but his foul odour and the flies buzzing around him cause all manner of problems. Will he be able to find a friend? ...Well, yes, it says so in the title. Full review...
Tortoise vs. Hare - The Rematch! by Preston Rutt and Ben Redlich
Harry 'The Hurricane' Hare has been licking his wounds since 'Steady' Eddie Tortoise beat him in the famous race. It's time for a rematch, and Harry's been training hard. Eddie couldn't possibly win again, could he? Full review...