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Tales From The Deep by Cerys Matthews and Fran Evans
Cerys Matthews has adapted two Welsh legends - Cantre'r Gwaelod and The Lady of Llyn y Fan Fach - for a young and modern audience. The first tale from the deep, The Ghost Bells of the Lowlands, tells of a drunken watchmen whose carelessness leads to the destruction of a village. The second tale, Myddfai Magic, sees a man marry a beautiful lady of a lake, with the promise that she will leave him if he hits her three times. Full review...
Daisy Plays Hide-and-Seek by Ellie Sandall
Jake's friend, Daisy, is a cow. In fact, she's a very special cow. If we were a little older than Jake we'd call her a chameleon because she's not black, or black and white, or brown. Wherever Daisy goes she can take on the colours of what's around her. So when she stands in front of the stone wall she's a mottled grey colour but when she's in the field of corn she turns golden. Funniest of all is when she stands in front Mum's washing and is the colour of the sheets which she has hung out on the line. Full review...
Pandamonium by Dan Crisp and Mark Chambers
At the start of 'Pandamonium' by Dan Crisp and Mark Chambers, everything is very quiet at the zoo. In fact, it is so quiet that the zoo keeper is taking the opportunity to put his feet up and to have forty winks. Once the octopus spots this though, he reaches over with one of his long tentacles and borrows the keys that have been left on the table. Before long, he has opened all the cages and freed the animals who decide that it is time to have a party. Soon there is a lot of noise and partying but somehow the zoo keeper manages to sleep through it all. That is until the skunk disgraces himself by making an extremely nasty pong to all of the animals' eyes. It even rouses the zoo keeper who surprisingly does not realise that all of animals have been out partying because the awful smell has made them all return to their cages. As far as he is concerned, it's just another quiet night at the zoo. Full review...
Cinderella by Sally Gardner
Most little girls must surely know the story of Cinderella by heart. My little girl likes nothing better than putting on her princess dress and parading around the house talking about pumpkins and lost shoes. This version of the familiar story is written specifically for early readers and manages to capture the magic of this wonderful fairy tale. I once got to be Cinderella, in my very last year at school before I left for University (surely just on the verge of being too old!) It is a wonderful, magical story and I never get tired of hearing it and it is, fortunately, my daughter's favourite too so we both sat down eagerly to try out this new retelling by Sally Gardner. Full review...
Queen Victoria's Knickers by Jackie French and Bruce Whatley
A message from the palace has arrived! It's from Queen Victoria, and as mum reads it she cries out 'The Queen wants my knickers!' Queen Victoria, ruler of the British Empire, has riches galore, but she has no knickers, so the dressmaker's family set about making her some. Full review...
My Ballet Dream by Adele Geras and Shelagh McNicholas
Tutu Tilly really loves ballet. She's been learning for about a year now, and her ballet school is about to put on its end of year show. She is both excited and nervous. But, of course, disaster strikes...the wrong costumes are sent and the tutus and shoes aren't pink...they're blue! Full review...
Hic! by Jaclin Azoulay and Fenix
When Snuffletrump woke up on the morning of his birthday, he felt very sad. No one seemed to have remembered and he had been given no cards and no presents. The only thing he had got for his birthday was the hiccups. His mum and dad were very busy and told him to go off and play but that is a difficult thing to do when you have hiccups. He wondered off and went to visit Cow who was sympathetic and suggested drinking a glass of milk whilst standing on his head! Unsurprisingly, when he tried this, Snuffletrump was covered with milk and he still had the hiccups. Other farmyard animals offered well meaning suggestions too but nothing seemed to cure them and the poor little piglet became messier and messier as he juggled eggs and fell in mud and straw. Finally though, there was a very happy surprise in store for Snuffletrump and, as everyone knows, that really is the best cure for hiccups! Full review...
Naughty Toes by Ann Bonwill and Teresa Murfin
This dancing story is told to us by a little girl called Trixie. She tells us that her sister, Belinda, is a ballerina but that she, Trixie, is not. We see Trixie shopping for dancing clothes and being drawn to bright colours rather than the pretty pink of the other ballerinas, then in class her toes won't point like the other girls (hence the 'naughty toes'). She's dancing off the beat to her own jazzy rhythm...just what kind of a dancer is she? Full review...
Don't Worry Douglas by David Melling
Some of you may have already met Douglas, the rather dopey, yet endearing bear, in his first adventure Hugless Douglas. Here he's back again, this time the proud recipient of a brand new woolly hat, a gift from his Dad. But what should he do when he has a bit of trouble and the hat starts to unravel? Full review...
When I Woke Up I Was A Hippopotamus by Tom MacRae and Ross Collins
A small boy goes through the day imagining that he is a variety of different creatures, everything from a grumpy hippo who doesn't want to get up, to a Robot who can't eat cornflakes or a statue who can't move, can't blink, can't do anything at all! But when he imagines his parents are fierce dragons he finds things have gone a little bit too far... Full review...
Mimi and Momo: No More Kissing! by Emma Chichester-Clark
Momo is one puzzled little monkey. 'Why does there have to be so much kissing?' he asks. We travel with him through the jungle, seeing all the kissing that's going on. It seems to especially be, as Momo notes, Mummies kissing babies. Momo does not want to be kissed, by his family or by people he doesn't know, but no one seems willing to listen to him... Full review...
Hullabaloo! by Gordon Volke and Fenix
In 'Hullabaloo!' the reader meets a host of animals that all seem intent on making a huge amount of noise. First, there is a donkey named Drew who is soon joined by a cockatoo who squawks out 'Boo!' There are also twin chimps called Daisy and Maisy enjoying their tea as well as hopping bunnies, a calf called Cassie (who moos a lot), downy ducklings, a kangaroo with her little joey, as well as many many more. As you can imagine, when they all get together they make an incredible hullabaloo as they get up to their varied antics. It's a great deal of fun and is a story that builds in such a way that it will really appeal to young children. Full review...
I'm Sure I Saw A Dinosaur by Jeanne Willis and Adrian Reynolds
When a child in a small seaside town is sure he saw a dinosaur he runs to tell the fisherman. The fisherman tells his mum, who tells the butcher, who tells the baker and so on...Before you know it the whole town are down on the beach, and more and more people are joining them to look for the elusive dinosaur. It seems, for a long time, that the little boy must have imagined it...was there really a dinosaur on the beach? Full review...
How Many Sleeps? by Amber Stewart and Layn Marlow
At the start of this book, a little field mouse, Toast, is really looking forward to his birthday and wants to know 'how many sleeps?' There are still quite a few until the big day, in fact, as his mother tells him, there are too many to start counting! However, before long, when he asks his daily question, he is told that there are 'just enough sleeps to deliver party invitations to all your friends'. Soon after there are just enough sleeps to go and collect party decorations, then to help decorate the cake and then eventually there are only enough sleeps to wrap the party treats, put the candles on the cake and to get an extra special good night's sleep. However, at the same time, Toast's father is anxiously asking how many sleeps until his little boy's birthday, but he does not want it to come too soon as he has an extra special present to make and he is rapidly running out of time. The big question is whether he will finish it in time or will there never be enough sleeps? Full review...
I Love My Mum by Anna Walker
Ollie B is a little zebra and in this story we see him spending time with his mum, doing chores, playing together and finally being settled down for the night with a goodnight kiss. The text is rhyming and very simple so it's nice and easy for little ones to follow. The situations shown are easily recognisable to small children (and their parents!) as we watch Ollie and his mum hanging out the washing, going for a walk together, stopping along the way to look at creepy crawlies, dancing with shadows, walking on walls... Full review...
Art and Max by David Wiesner
It can take a little while to settle into this book. The format is unusual for a children's picture book in that it's a lot like a comic or a graphic novel, with many pages made up of panels that progress the story. The story begins even before the first page, with images on the title pages that are already introducing the characters and what's going on. When they begin to speak they are differentiated only by different fonts, so it took a page or so to figure out which lizard was which and who was saying what. Once you figure that out though it's a wonderfully funny story. Full review...
Chinese Calendar Tales: The Tale of Rhonda Rabbit by Sarah Brennan and Harry Harrison
Here in this tale we find ourselves back in the year 221BC, and the Emperor Qin Shi Huang is having some rodent issues. As this is from a series of books called The Chinese Calendar Tales I think I was expecting the story to relate more to the Chinese zodiac and the rabbit's place within it. However, this is really just a story about a very naughty rabbit who keeps eating the Emperor's vegetables, his mission to capture and kill her, and the unfortunate conclusion to this romp of a tale... Full review...
Milly the Meerkat by Oakley Graham and Fenix
After years of no one knowing what a meerkat was they seem to be rather fashionable now and this delightful tale is a reworking of Aesop's fable about the boy who cried wolf. Milly was on lookout and was rather bored, so she shouted to the others that a snake was crawling up to the baby meerkats' burrow. Everyone dashed out to help her chase it away – and discovered that she thought her prank was quite funny. Even when it was explained to her that she shouldn't do this she did it again – and this time everyone was angry. Full review...
The Kitten With No Name by Vivian French and Selina Young
The Kitten With No Name lives under a hedge with his mummy. It's a very big hedge but it's very cosy and The Kitten's mummy has told him that one day, they will all go and live in a new home with someone who will love them both and hug them just the right amount. Full review...
The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse by Aesop and Ayano Imai
Aesop's fable of the town mouse and the country mouse is well known. When visiting the country mouse, town mouse declares that he has much nicer food available in his house. So country mouse goes to visit him. The food is very fancy and delicious, but the risks in getting it are much greater, and so the country mouse decides to go back to his quiet, humble home again. Full review...
Number Circus: 1 - 10 and Back Again! by Kveta Pacovska
This is an unusual counting book which doesn't have a story line, or the usual simplified numbers and related illustrations. It seems, instead, like a piece of art with pictures becoming numbers, or numbers becoming pictures. It's very interactive, with lots to see and do throughout the book. Full review...
Poggle and the Treasure by Michael Evans
Poggle and his friend Henry are spending a fun day together at the beach playing pirates. They have made a pirate ship, eaten a pirate picnic, and fought a sea monster! Now they're hunting for buried treasure, but rather than a chest full of gold they discover a large, pink egg! Full review...
Barney the Boat Dog: Very Brave Dog by Linda Newbery
Not too long ago Jim, Annie and Barney lived in a house by the canal but after Annie died Jim didn't enjoy living in their house anymore, so he and Barney went to live on Jim's narrowboat. They moved around the canals as they wanted and really had quite a good time. There were one or two things which worried Barney but by far the worst was the very scary tunnel. It was long and dark and water dripped from the roof – and when Barney barked another dog barked back at him. But one day everything went wrong and Barney found himself in the tunnel all on his own. Full review...
My Very First Easter - Candle Bible for Toddlers by Juliet David and Helen Prole
As one of a specially written series of bible stories for toddlers, this board book tells the Easter story in a very simplified way. It would work well for the very young who you perhaps would like to experience a taste of bible stories without going into too much detail. Full review...
The Story of Easter by Juliet David and Steve Whitlow
This lovely board book of the Easter story gently tells us about Jesus as he rides into Jerusalem on a donkey, shares a meal with his disciples and is betrayed by one of them before facing Pilate and the crowds who condemn him to crucifixion. The story ends with the resurrection and the thought that this is why we celebrate Easter each year. Full review...
We're Not Sleepy! by Joanne Partis
It's bedtime, but the three little kittens aren't sleepy. Mum suggests that they count sheep, so they head out to the farmyard to find sheep to count. They find one shaggy sheepdog, two munching cows, three playful foxes, and so on. Full review...
Bravo, Boris! by Carrie Weston and Tim Warnes
Miss Cluck's class are going on a camping trip. They've got a map, butterfly net, binoculars, and a tent. All the class are carrying something, be it Leticia the rabbit, Maxwell the mole or the little mice. Boris the grizzly bear gets to carry alllllllll the heavy stuff - well, Fergus the fox cub couldn't exactly carry a great big tent, could he? This being a camping trip, the class get up to all sorts of adventures and into all sorts of scrapes. Luckily, they have Boris on hand to help them out. Full review...
Cat on the Mat and Friends by Brian Wildsmith
The first story in this book of four, 'Cat on the Mat', is a very simple tale in which each sentence is 'the (animal's name) sat on the mat', the first animal being the cat, with accompanying pictures showing the mat getting more and more crowded. Finally the cat hisses and spits and so we return to just the cat sitting alone on the mat! Full review...
Bug and Bear by Ann Bonwill and Layn Marlow
Bug really, really wants to play a game with Bear, but Bear is tired and she wants a nap. Bug follows Bear around everywhere, pestering and pleading until, finally, Bear loses her temper and tells Bug to go away and leave her alone. She finally settles down for her nap but then discovers that she can't sleep... Full review...
Muffin and the Birthday Surprise by Clara Vulliamy
It's Fizz and Flora's birthday, so Muffin the bear gets ready for the party, and decides to take them a big bag of sugar buns as a present. On his walk to the party, Muffin gets a little bit peckish and has a bit of a nibble of one bun, then another, then another. Erk! He puts the empty bag on the pile of presents and enjoys the party game. Will there be a way to turn an empty bag into a much-loved present? Full review...
Where Are My Lambs? by Francesca Simon and Emily Bolam
When you're just coming to terms with this thing called reading there's a big jump to be made. Gone are those nice big picture books with not too many words and in their place is something much smaller (and not nearly so easy to handle – you have to do it yourself) with a lot more words and probably just a few black and white pictures to break the page up and if you're lucky to give you a clue as to what those pesky words mean. There's a stepping stone along the way now and it might just help children who find that big leap a little daunting. Full review...
The Tickle Ghost by Brett McKee and David McKee
It's Dylan's bedtime, but the Tickle Ghost (very possibly his dad with a sheet) is out to get him. Cue plenty of giggles and not very much going to bed. Dylan's mum shouts upstairs for them to be quieter, but when the noise continues, she heads up to sort them out. ...Will the Tickle Ghost get her too? Full review...
My Cat Just Sleeps by Joanne Partis
The little girl in this story has a pet cat who she loves, but she's noticed that whilst her cat spends his days sleeping all her friends' cats seem to lead much more exciting lives, hunting and playing and climbing and fishing...she attempts to entice him into doing something active, but he sleeps through it all until, finally, she realises that even if he is very sleepy he's also warm and cuddly and affectionate and she loves him very much. But she still wonders what it is that makes him so sleepy... Full review...
Superfrog! by Michael Foreman
Pond City is a peaceful place in the daytime. Little Frank the frog loves simply dangling his toes in the water and watching the world pass by. However, come nighttime, things take a turn for the worse: the Big Boss oversees a crime wave. When the Big Boss' creeps frighten Frank's granny and kidnap some frogspawn she'd been babysitting, enough is enough and Frank turns into Superfrog. Full review...
I Love My Mummy by Giles Andreae and Emma Dodd
Mummies are good for lots of things - wiping noses, singing in the car, helping with wee-wee's! This sweet story tells us the best things about mummies from a baby's point of view. Full review...
Fatou, Fetch the Water by Neil Griffiths and Peggy Collins
is waylaid by various friends who have gifts and messages for Fatou to take for her mother. As the gifts pile up in Fatou's arms, and the messages for her mother crowd her head Fatou, somehow, forgets to get any water! Full review...
Itchy Bear by Neil Griffiths and Judith Blake
Poor bear has an itch. An all-over sort of itch. And everywhere he goes to try and have a good scratch it seems he's disturbing someone! Will he ever find anywhere for a satisfying scratch?! Full review...
The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg
Thirty years ago, Harris Burdick walked into a book publisher's office with samples of his work. He had fourteen stories ready for publication, but just brought one picture and caption from each. Burdick was never heard of again. The publisher spent many years trying to track down Burdick, showing the pictures to people - many of whom were inspired to write their own stories. (Shh about The rights of Chris Van Allsburg to be identified as...). Full review...
Best Bedtime Stories Ever by Richard Scarry
Richard Scarry's style is instantly recognisable. I grew up reading his books so this collection is a trip down memory lane! Here there are six stories, about Huckle the cat, Lowly the worm, Mr Raccoon and Mr Frumble the pig, plus a counting section at the back. The stories are a mix of the usual text plus picture format as well as those full page spreads that Scarry is known for where he labels different parts of the picture and there are hundreds of little details to spot. Full review...
Simon and the Easter Miracle: A Traditional Tale for Easter by Mary Joslin and Anna Luraschi
Simon is on his way to market with his eggs, wine and bread to sell. On his way he gets caught up in a crowd watching soldiers forcing a man to carry his cross out of the city. When the man is unable to carry his cross any longer the soldiers look around for someone else to do so, and they pick on Simon. After carrying the cross to the place of crucifixion Simon hurries back to get his goods, but he finds they've been spilt, broken and trampled. He returns home, dejected. The next morning, however, he discovers there has been a miracle and there are 12 white doves and Spring has come early to warm his crops. Full review...
The Three Trees: A Traditional Folktale by Elena Pasquali and Sophie Windham
There are three trees standing side by side on a hill. They dream together of what they hope to become in the future; one wishes to become a chest for the finest treasures, one wishes to be a ship carrying a mighty King, and the last wants to stay on the hillside quietly pointing up to heaven. The first is cut down and made into a trough, but then it turns out it is a trough in the stable where Mary gives birth to Jesus, so it becomes the manger for him. The second is made into a simple fishing boat, but then it is the boat which Jesus goes in when there is a big storm and he calms the waves. The third tree is cut down and forgotten in a yard until one day it is made into a cross. It is, of course, the cross Jesus is crucified on and becomes the symbol of hope, forever pointing to heaven. Full review...
Tales From Percy's Park: After the Storm by Nick Butterworth
One day, after a particularly wild and windy evening, Percy the Park Keeper discovers on his check around the park that an old oak tree has fallen down in the storm. All of the animals who lived in the tree ask Percy to help them find a new home. He loads them up in his wheelbarrow and, after a bit of an adventure, they finally find a new place for Percy to rebuild their homes. Full review...
Claude in the City by Alex T Smith
Claude is a sweet little dog who wears a beret and whose best friend is a sock called Sir Bobblysock. They live with Mr and Mrs Shinyshoes, and when Mr and Mrs Shinyshoes go out, Claude and Sir Bobblysock go out and have their own adventures which, in this book, involve capturing a thief in an art gallery and solving a medical mystery in the local hospital. Claude, who reminds me a little bit of Snoopy, is very endearing and it's amazing how much personality an old sock can have! Full review...
Peely Wally by Kali Stileman
When Peely Wally lays an egg, she's so excited that she jumps up and down. Oh no! The egg rolls out of the branch and lands on Jemima Giraffe! Her egg rolls from animal to animal on an amazing adventure, until finally the egg makes it safely home again. Full review...
When Baby Lost Bunny by Julia Jarman and Adrian Reynolds
A little boy goes for a walk with his mum, dad, baby brother and dog. Along the way baby is trying very hard to tell them all something, but they misunderstand him over and over again until, frustrated, he starts to cry. Suddenly his big brother figures out what the problem is and is able to make his baby brother smile again. Full review...
Rollo and Ruff and the Little Fluffy Bird by Mick Inkpen
Somebody has been chewing Rollo's mat...and somebody has taken Rollo's little red ball...and somebody has been leaving wet footprints all over the floor. But who could it be? Mick Inkpen's latest book introduces us to three new characters: Rollo the cat, LFB (as she's referred to in the book, standing for little fluffy bird) and Ruff the rat. Full review...
Mole's Babies by David Bedford and Rosalind Beardshaw
Morris the mole is about to become a first time dad. Excited and eager to be a good parent he goes looking around the farmyard to see the best way to make his babies happy. He tries to hop like a bunny, splash like a duck, and flap like a bird, but each attempt fails and Morris becomes worried about how he will ever manage to make his little babies happy. Full review...
The Railway Rabbits: Fern and the Dancing Hare by Georgie Adams
In this third episode of the delightful 'The Railway Rabbits' series Barley is taking his five children to meet his parents for the first time. Their mother, Mellow, is staying at home to look after the burrow and, as she wryly comments, tidy up the mess that five young rabbits have left. Smart, tidy and clean behind the ears the rabbits head off to meet Blackberry and Primrose Longears. The journey to the big burrow under the castle is full of adventure – and there's even more when they reach the big burrow. Full review...
Wolf Won't Bite by Emily Gravett
Those three little pigs have captured the big bad wolf and are showing off all the tricks they can get him to do. They make him stand on a stool, and wolf won't bite. They can ride him like a horse, but wolf won't bite. He jumps through hoops and dances, looking more and more frustrated with the pigs' shenanigans. Full review...
The Lonely Beast by Chris Judge
The beast likes to garden. And drink tea. And read. And bake cakes. But he lives by himself, and he is lonely. So one day he decides to go on a journey to try to discover whether there are any other beasts in the world. Full review...
The Heron and the Crane by John Yeoman and Quentin Blake
Heron and Crane live at opposite ends of the swamp. One day Crane decides that he is lonely and he would like to get married. Heron seems the only suitable potential mate, and so he makes his way over to propose. Heron, taken completely by surprise, reacts badly to this sudden proposal and rejects Crane, rather insultingly. Poor Crane. As he makes his way home, Heron is overcome with guilt and decides perhaps she would like to marry him after all. Full review...
Norris is a bear – a large, brown bear. He's also a very wise bear because he knows something which will always be useful to him. He knows about sharing. It all began when he saw the plorringe on the tree and he knew that plorringes are the best fruit of all. All he had to do was to wait for the fruit to fall. In the meantime Tulip and Violet discovered the plorringe too. They had a sniff at it – and it was gorgeous – and even a squeeze which showed that it was soft and fluffy – but what were they to do about Norris who was much bigger than them and could easily run away with the fruit? Full review...
