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We're Going to a Party! by Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross
The animals are going to a fancy dress party! But what is everyone going to dress up as? Can you guess who's inside each costume? This lift the flap book allows you to take a peek beneath the costume to see exactly who's inside! Full review...
Noo-Noos! by Carol Thompson
Almost everyone has had a noo-noo at some point in their lives; an object that brings comfort and solace like a dummy or a blanket or a favourite bear. Amongst friends and family I've seen a variety of such objects ranging from your typical teddy through to a mummy's satin bra (it has that lovely silky feel to it) and even, in one case, a bathroom sponge! This book depicts a variety of noo-noos and looks at their attributes (big, small, shiny, knitted...) and also what one does with them. Full review...
Orla Kiely Numbers by Orla Kiely
This counting book (from one to ten) makes a nice partner to Orla Kiely's book about colours if you're looking for a pretty gift to give to a new yummy mummy. The fabric cover is rather lovely to touch and feel, and the board book feels well constructed and able to withstand a bit of a chew from a teething baby. Full review...
Orla Kiely Colours by Orla Kiely
Orla Kiely is one of the UK's most popular designers at the moment. I seem to see her designs everywhere on everything from stationery to kitchen jugs, and now her graphics are available as a baby's book of colours. Full review...
The Giant Book of Giants by Saviour Pirotta and Mark Robertson
There's a rather large giant's eye starting back at me from the cover of this book...I'm not scared though, because the book promises that the giant contained within is a gentle giant who will guard my room! And he really is contained within since this is a book set which includes a book of giant stories from around the world as well as a huge giant poster (over one metre high!) which is in 3D and contains moving parts! Full review...
An A to Z of Pirates by Caroline Stills and Heath McKenzie
Pirates! There seems to be, in my experience, an age at which almost every small child goes through a pirate phase. My daughter's certainly been there, to the extent that she had a full pirate costume, complete with a knitted parrot and a knitted eye patch (thank you Nanna!) that she'll happily wear around town. So if there's a little pirate in your life this is the sort of book they're going to thoroughly enjoy. Full review...
Elmer and Super El by David McKee
In 'Elmer and Super El', Elmer, the patchwork elephant, is out walking when he comes across his friend Super El who is very upset. His clothes have been ripped by a thorn bush and he is scared that all of the other animals will laugh at him because he looks so shabby. Elmer knows that his Aunt Zelda will be able to fix the clothes but how can he help his friend get past all of the animals without being noticed? He has to come up with some ingenious ideas in order to distract the elephants, Lion and Tiger, all of the hippos and the rest of the animals. Luckily, clever Elmer always comes up with a plan and no one ends up laughing at Super El. Full review...
Winnie Under the Sea by Valerie Thomas and Korky Paul
It is holiday time and Winnie the Witch has found a little island with blue sea, golden sand and coconut trees. She and Wilbur, her cat, arrive and find accommodation in a comfortable hut on the water's edge – just perfect for swimming. Winnie dives in and soon sees the most amazing fish, turtles, dolphin and coral. She wants Wilbur to see all these lovely things but, being a cat, he is not particularly keen on getting wet. However, Winnie has an idea and, waving her wand shouts 'Abracadabra' and turns Wilbur into a cat-fish. Winnie turns herself into an octopus and the two of them have a wonderful underwater adventure, although it almost goes disastrously wrong when Winnie loses her wand. Maybe she needs to think of an alternative way of exploring under the sea? Full review...
Ready Steady Ghost! by Elizabeth Baguley and Marion Lindsay
We're introduced to a small and loveable ghost called Bertie. Even though he knows that he should be out haunting in the big dark woods, he feels far too small to haunt somewhere that is so huge. He does creep into the forest a little though and is pleased to see a couple of lights shining through the darkness that he believes to be the windows of a welcoming house. Sadly though, Bertie is mistaken and the lights are actually the eyes of a 'big gobble-me wolf'. Many times he doesn't recognise what he sees, mistaking a snake for a homely path, a dragon's breath for chimney smoke and so on. Luckily, not one of those scary creatures spots Bertie and he is able to go on his way until he makes his way to a 'gigantic freak-me castle' where things look to get even worse. However at the top of a winding stairway he discovers just what he has been seeking all along – a toy castle with a king and queen who only need a small timid ghost to make them jump! Full review...
Oh! If Only... by Michael Foreman
If only he hadn't met that dog who wanted to play with that ball, the Queen's birthday might not have been ruined and he wouldn't be the most embarrassed person in the whole world! Full review...
Rumpelstiltskin by Jess Stockham
Rumpelstiltskin is the tale of a miller who is so proud of his daughter that he lies to his friend and says that she can spin straw into gold. The king overhears this story but doesn’t believe it and so orders the miller to bring his daughter to him, he imprisons her and says she must spin the straw he has left for her into gold. Distraught, she sits in the room alone and cries. Just then, a creature appears and offers her help. But what happens next and what does the creature want in return for his help? Full review...
The Day Louis Got Eaten by John Fardell
Louis gets eaten by a Gulper, but it's okay as his sister Sarah has a plan! But what will she do when the Gulper gets eaten by a Grabular? And the Grabular by an Undersnatch? Surely this day can't get anymore ridiculous, or can it? Full review...
The Dog Detectives: Lost in London by Fin Gypsy, Zoa Gypsy and Monika Suska
There are six ravens kept in the Tower of London and they hold a magical spell which stops the city falling into ruin, but only so long as they stay in the Tower. So what happens when they decide to have a game of hide and seek? Luckily Detective Jack and Deputy Poco Loco, The Dog Detectives, are on hand to help. Will they find all six before afternoon tea? Full review...
Who Am I? This is My Mouth by Luana Rinaldo
Who am I? Well, I'm a very sturdy board book, but forget any idea of just having eight to twelve pages with pictures and an elementary story for the youngest children. On each double page spread we have an animal and a rhyme which gives a hint as to who the animal might be – but the mouth obviously belongs to another animal altogether. So – on the first page we have an animal with long teeth which are used to eat hay – but the snout is green and appears to be underwater! Pull the slide at the side of the page and the correct body part appears along with the word 'horse'. Full review...
Where's Asterix? by Albert Uderzo and Renee Goscinny
Following in the tradition of 'Where's Wally' books here we have 'Where's Asterix?' There are 12 different scenes from the Asterix stories where you have to find not just Asterix but a whole range of other characters hidden throughout as well. Turn it into a competition as you win a laurel wreath for each character you find! Full review...
Nora: The Girl Who Ate and Ate and Ate by Andrew Weale and Ben Cort
'Nora, the girl who ate and ate and ate...' is a fabulously funny book. Before you even open it, you can tell that Nora is a small child with a huge appetite as on the front cover her plate is piled high with all manner of food that she appears extremely eager to devour. Throughout the story, Nora eats more and more but when she scoffs all of the 'hugest gooey chocolate cake' that her mother has just made, she is sent to her room. It doesn't stop there though as Nora hunts round for more things to eat and I am not just talking about food. She eats everything including her teddy bear curled up in her mattress in order to make a sandwich! After finally eating her clothes she lets out an almighty burp that has the most surprising but happy consequence for this hungry heroine! She whizzes into Space like a balloon and ends up on the moon which, of course, as we all know, is made of cheese! Full review...
I Don't Want To Be A Pea! by Ann Bonwill and Simon Rickerty
Hugo is a hippo and Bella is a bird and they belong to each other because all hippos have birds and all birds have hippos. They are all set for a very special night as they get ready to attend the very exciting Bird-Hippo Fairytale Fancy Dress Party but first they need to decide on what costumes they will wear in order to go as a pair. Hugo's first suggestion is that they should go as the princess and the pea but Bella does not want to be a pea because it is too small and green. She suggests that they go as a mermaid and her rock, but this time Hugo objects to being the rock as it is too grey and blobby. They continue in this way making and rejecting suggestions until it looks as if they have reached a stand-off with neither willing to give in. This situation makes both Bella and Hugo miserable though so at last they agree to a rather surprising and ingenious solution and end up having great fun at the party after all. Full review...
Boy by James Mayhew
Boy is chilly, and looking for somewhere cosy to snuggle up. He doesn't want to share with his parents though so he goes off exploring by himself to find the perfect cosy spot. Several times he thinks he's discovered somewhere, but then it turns out to be where a sabre-toothed tiger lives, or the home of a woolly mammoth. Will he ever find the place that's perfect just for him? Full review...
Warduff and the Corncob Caper by Mat Head
There's trouble on Corncob Farm. A fox is coming round for tea and poor old Fefferflap is all a flutter because she suspects that she, and all the other farm animals, are on the menu! Can Warduff save the day? Full review...
Mad About Minibeasts! by Giles Andreae and David Wojtowycz
Is your little one mad about minibeasts? Are they forever summoning you to come and see the spider in the bathroom or the ladybird on the log? If so then this rhyming book is perfect to read with them! Full review...
Tumtum and Nutmeg: Trouble at Rose Cottage by Emily Bearn
Mysterious things are afoot in Rose Cottage. It appears that some new mice, one with golden teeth, have moved into the kitchen and are threatening the tranquil lives of Tumtum and Nutmeg who live in Nutmouse Hall. After some investigation they discover the new mice are town mice, intent on causing trouble. Will the children discover who has been stealing their things, or discover a way to stop their father from selling Rose Cottage before it's too late and their lives, as well as Tumtum and Nutmeg's, are changed forever? Full review...
The Parent Swap Shop by Francesca Simon and Pete Williamson
Ava's parents like to nag. They nag her about her spelling, about eating with her knife and fork, or sitting straight on her chair, or going to bed on time...nag, nag, nag! But then one day she finds a card advertising 'The Parent Swap Shop' and when her parents nag her one more time she packs them off and sets out to find herself a new set of parents! Full review...
Precious and the Monkeys by Alexander McCall Smith
Someone has been stealing food at Precious' school. There are suspicions about who it might be, but no one is sure so Precious sets out to try and discover the truth as to just where all those snacks are disappearing off to... Full review...
No! by Marta Altes
No! is all about one family pet's desperate attempts to please his owners. He helps with the laundry, tastes their food before they eat it to make sure it's all right, and even warms up their beds for them before they go to sleep...the poor deluded pup thinks his family love him very much since they're always calling out what he thinks is his name, 'Noooooo!' Full review...
Sometimes by Rebecca Elliott
Clemmie is Toby's big sister. Sometimes she has to go and stay in hospital. This story tells us all about the fun Toby and Clemmie have in hospital together, and some of the harder parts of being poorly too. Full review...
The Lost Stars by Hannah Cumming
Everyone in the world is terribly busy, rushing around, using all their gadgets and gizmos and lights, far too busy to look up into the night sky and see the stars. The stars get fed up and so they decide to go away on holiday for a while. No one notices until one day the power runs out and suddenly everyone is in the dark... Full review...
Uugghh! by Claudia Boldt
I like it when I find a completely different style in this genre of book as it reminds me that picture books are not just for the under fives, they can reach a much wider audience as well as giving out strong and important messages. This book is an interesting one; it is obviously giving a very clear message about self perception and image, which implies that everybody is special to somebody and you can always find beauty in the world, even if not everybody find beauty in you. Full review...
Don't Put Your Pants on Your Head, Fred by Caryl Hart and Leigh Hodgkinson
This is a gem of a book. Fred just can't get to grips with his underwear; pants and vests alike, it's taking him most of the day to get dressed and it's going to take much more than his sister's endless advice to help. Caryl Hart and Leigh Hodgkinson have made a great job of turning what is just a nice premise into a brilliant book. Though some might suggest that pants have been overdone in the world of picture books, I think I could find a few thousand five year olds who would disagree. Full review...
The Lion Storyteller Book of Animal Tales by Bob Hartman and Krisztina Kallai Nagy
If you want to know how the turkey got its spots, or what advice was given by a lion, or even why the tortoise has no hair, then this is the book for you. It holds a collection of thirty six enchanting stories that will answer these questions and many many more. There are well known fables from Ancient Greece such as The Fox and The Crow and The Boastful Toad, and many other traditional tales from countries such as Japan, Indonesia, Peurto Rico, Syria and India to mention just a few. As you would expect, with tales from so many different parts of the world, there is great variety within this collection which also enables children to read about many different cultures, beliefs and ways of life. Full review...
Dr Xargle's Book Of Earth Tiggers by Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross
We have met Dr Xargle before, telling his class all about 'earthlets' and 'earth hounds', so now we see him again bumbling through his lesson with highly amusing misinformation about Earth Tiggers, or cats as we like to call them. As with many books by these authors, Dr Xargle's Book of Earth Tiggers is very witty indeed. The illustrations are funny as ever and work together with the words incredibly well, as without the correct pictures, this style of books can fly over the heads of little readers. Full review...
My First Car Was Red by Peter Schossow
A young boy receives a pedal car from his grandpa, but it's old, rusty and needs work. They tinker with it, do it up, and paint it bright red. Grandpa gives the young boy instructions on how to use it, then the boy and his brother, Cornelius, go off for an adventure in the car. They careen round corners, barrage through wasp nests, duck low branches in the forest, and nearly go flying off a cliff, before crashing into a creek and pushing the car back home, exhausted. Full review...
The Conquerors by David McKee
The General rules the country, with his strong army and large cannon. The army stomps from country to country, conquering other people, until they've conquered all the countries except one. Rather than fighting back, this tiny little country treats the army as friends, welcoming them into their homes, with warmth and kindness. Full review...
Wanted: The Perfect Pet by Fiona Roberton
What Henry wants most in the world, more than chips, more than a trip to the moon, is a dog. He has 27 different sorts of frogs but they, he claims, are boring. What he really, really wants is a dog, and so he decides to advertise to try and find one. Full review...
Get Well Friends by Kes Gray and Mary McQuillan
Nurse Nibbles has a hospital full of patients - who can we see who is poorly? There's a hamster whose whiskers got caught up in his wheel, and a centipede who sprained 98 ankles playing hockey! Will Nurse Nibbles be able to make them feel better? Full review...
Copy Cat by Mark Birchall
Copy Cat begins with the reader being told that:
Cat was small and Dog was big;
and whatever Dog did, Cat did too.'
We soon learn that this involves very exciting activities such as dinosaur hunting, balancing on a high wire, digging for pirate treasure and deep sea diving. Although it is perfectly understandable that Cat should want to join in all the fun, Dog does start to get fed up with him always tagging along. That is why, when she decides to explore Space, she makes sure that there is only room for one on her spaceship. You can imagine her annoyance though when Cat shows up in his own spaceship and this leads to her telling him off for being such a copycat. Full review...
Don't Wake Mr Bear! by Jill Newton
Dormouse is the leader of the woodland orchestra, and it is time for the lullaby of the forest to begin. Softly, gently the animals play and off goes Dormouse to hibernate for the winter, departing with the strict instruction remember, WHATEVER you do, don't wake Mr Bear! It's not hard to guess what happens next, is it?! Full review...
Beatrice and Vanessa by John Yeoman and Quentin Blake
Beatrice (the sheep) and Vanessa (the goat) live together on a farm, staying in the same field, looking out at the same view, and talking together about the same things day after day. One day they find they've run out of things to say, so they decide to take a holiday together. Full review...
The Melancholic Mermaid by Kallie George and Abigail Halpin
Maude is a mermaid who was born with two tails. Her parents tell her it makes her special, stronger and faster, but amongst the other mermaid children it makes her an outcast. She is lonely, and she longs for a friend. Feeling sorry for herself one day she isn't paying attention and she is captured by a fisherman who sells her to a circus. On the same day that Maude was born, Tony was born in a cottage by the sea. He has webbed hands and, like Maude, is teased at school and left lonely and sad. His parents send him to live with the circus, believing he will be accepted and happy there but Tony is still lonely and he misses the sea. But then one day he is put in charge of a new attraction for the circus. A mermaid with two tails... Full review...
Sock It! by Neil Griffiths and Janette Louden
Sock It! is a bit like Pants by Nick Sharratt, which makes it more of a long entertaining rhyme than a story as such. Because of this I'd say it's one to read together with your child when you want a bit of fun, as opposed to a bedtime story, as it has a very loud feel, with bright illustrations and silly rhymes to make kids giggle and want to join in. Full review...
Tigerbear by Steve Webb and Katharine McEwen
I'm a sucker for a good bedtime story and to me Tigerbear is just that. With the perfect tone for a bedtime read, a small amount of adventure, a nice rhyming pattern and friendly illustrations, I can see this book sending many children off to sleep to have their own adventure in years to come. Full review...
Rapunzel by Simona Sanfilipo
A poor villager and his wife are expecting a baby. However, when the man steals some rapunzel from a witch's garden and is caught, she insists that she be given the baby when it is born. That baby turns out to be a girl called Rapunzel, and as she grows up she is imprisoned in a tall tower by the witch. Her hair grows incredibly long and the witch uses this as a means of reaching Rapunzel in her room at the top. A passing prince hears her sweet singing and seeing what the witch does, also calls to Rapunzel to let down her hair. They form a friendship but before the prince can help Rapunzel to escape, the witch discovers what has been going on and cuts off Rapunzel's hair and banishes her to a lonely desert. The prince searches for her, albeit rather hazily, as he has lost his glasses. Will he find her so that they can live happily ever after? Well it is a fairy tale so what do you think? Full review...
Sneezy Bear by Neil Griffiths and Janette Louden
At the beginning of 'Sneezy Bear', we meet Bear who is enjoying a soak in the river. Although he would be happy to luxuriate in the water all day, he starts to feel hungry so decides that he needs to go in search of some food. First he spots some tasty looking salmon but just as he is about to grab one, he lets out an almighty sneeze that causes a huge splash which allows all of the fish to escape. Next he spots a cherry tree, but before he can taste the juicy fruit, he sneezes yet again and the cherries explode everywhere leaving nothing to eat. Full review...
In The Attic by Hiawyn Oram and Satoshi Kitamura
I had a million toys and I was bored, exclaims the unnamed protagonist of In The Attic. Rather than moaning about his boredom, he does something about it, so he climbs into the attic and into his imagination. He finds little creatures, miraculous worlds, an old engine, and a tiger to be his friend. He fills his day with miraculous and dreamy adventures, then heads back home to report back to his mum. Full review...
Zoo Girl by Rebecca Elliott
Zoo girl was not what I expected. I was anticipating your average rhyming story aimed at preschoolers with the usual obsession over zoo animals. What I got was a very deep, moving tale aimed above the usual picture book age that will resonate with people who read it from children to adults. Full review...