Barbapapa's Voyage by Annette Tison and Talus Taylor
In Barbapapa, we were introduced to a friendly, pink, shape-shifting blob who used his special talents to help the local townsfolk, who hailed him as the new town hero. However, despite having lots of human friends, our pink protagonist is looking decidedly off-colour at the beginning of this sequel. It seems that being the only one of your species is a pretty lonely affair and poor Barbapapa is longing for a Barbamama to share his life with. Full review...
I Love You Too by Michael Foreman
It’s bedtime and you know what that means. Little Bear is tucked up cozy in bed and Dad’s just finishing reading his story. It’s time to sleep… or is it? Little Bear seems a bit too awake and every time Dad makes a move to go, Little Bear tells him how much he loves him. And it’s A Lot. He loves him more than all the toys, more than all the birds in the trees and the stars in the sky. More than… well, you get the picture. It’s very sweet, but it is bedtime and, you know, Dad’s looking rather tired himself. Full review...
All Thought The Night by John Ceiriog Hughes
‘All Through the Night’ is based on a choral staple, beloved of male voice choirs across the world. It’s an interesting and intriguing choice of verse to interpret as an illustrated children’s book. Many children need some reassurance as they head to bed at night, but does this publication work as a book to share to send them to sleep? Full review...
The Bear in the Book by Kate Banks and Georg Hallensleben
Readers of my reviews may be aware that I am quite partial to stories about bears. I jumped at the chance to read this one. It has that wonderful picture of a smiling black bear on the cover after all - who could resist? Full review...
Beauty and the Beast by Ursula Jones and Sarah Gibb
We do love a good fairytale in our house. As soon as this one arrived it was snaffled by my daughter and she burrowed herself away on the sofa to read it quietly on her own. Everyone knows the story of Beauty and the Beast. This version is reasonably traditional, with a few quirks of humour thrown in through the book. Full review...
Z is for Moose by Kelly L Bingham and Paul O Zelinsky
He's sitting contently on the third page. But who’s that over on the next one – Moose? D isn’t for Moose! It’s for duck, but the poor little quackers have been pushed off the stage by the exuberant elk. No, says Zebra. You’re on the wrong page, he tells Moose. Full review...
The Sad Story of Veronica Who Played The Violin by David McKee
When I sing, people cry. And not in a good way. But when Veronica plays the violin, the tears are good tears. She moves people, y’know? It’s a big deal for Veronica, because when she started playing, she kind of sucked. But now she’s gotten good. Very good. So very good, in fact, that like an X Factor contestant, she’s dropping out of school to become a star. Full review...
A Christmas Story by Brian Wildsmith
A Christmas Story starts with a birth in a stable. Not the arrival of the baby Jesus, but the birth of a donkey. Like most young creatures, the little donkey wants to be near to his mother. So when she leaves the stable to carry her owner on a journey to Bethlehem her baby misses her. With help from a young girl, Rebecca, the little donkey manages to follow the family to Bethlehem and all the events of the nativity are seen through their eyes. Full review...
Bit-Bot and the Blob by Jo Litchfield
This book really has everything; an absent minded adult to laugh at, a sensible robot butler, a dog and a robot for the main character's best friends and a scary monster from a slimy swamp ..... or is it? It all begins when George's parents are snowed in on an expedition to the North Pole. This means George must spend his holidays with his uncle, but with the new robot companion his uncle has created for him, this sounds a real dream holiday. The only hitch is when his uncle insists that he go to bed instead of staying up late to watch a scary monster film. Bit - Bot comes up with the perfect solution, allowing them to stay in bed and watch the film, but things get a bit more frightening then they had planned when a real live blob shows up in the bedroom. Full review...
The Slightly Annoying Elephant by David Walliams and Tony Ross
When Sam filled out the elephant adoption form at the zoo, he never imagined the elephant would actually be coming to live with him. Silly boy - he should have read the fine print. Of course many children would love having an elephant as pet, but this elephant is not a pet. He is rude, bossy and really a very annoying house guest who will very quickly out stay his welcome - but what can Sam do? A deal is a deal and he did sign the contract. As soon as the elephant arrives he begins issuing demands, making complaints, and turning the house into a disaster zone and things are only going to get worse. Sam really should have read the adoption form - especially the part about the elephant's friends. Full review...
The Great Moon Confusion by Richard Byrne
Aldrin knows everything. At least he thinks he does. So when rabbit asks why the moon is getting smaller, Aldrin is to embarrassed to admit he really doesn't know. Instead he launches an investigation and quickly comes to the conclusion that the moon is being stolen. This is one of the most fun books we have read recently. You can't help but laugh at poor Aldrin and his expertise, and the beautiful illustrations make this story very easy to follow, even for the youngest reader. Before the book is finished, Aldrin will not only learn about the moon, but also about friendship, boasting, jumping to conclusions, accusations and apologies, and along the way he will stumble into one hilarious situation after another. Full review...
Doug the Bug That Went BOING by Sue Hendra
Ever found an insect in your attic or an arachnid on your roof and wondered how DID they get there? Doug the Bug c.ould tell you and you can find out too in Sue Hendra’s picture book, ‘Doug the Bug That Went BOING!’. Full review...
How the Meteorite Got to the Museum by Jessie Hartland
This is a cumulative tale in which one small event sets off a chain of other events which are repeated throughout the story. If your child loves books like This is the House That Jack Built, this may prove a very useful addition to you home library, but this is a type of story telling which I have found some children really take to, and others do not. Full review...
Scribbles and Ink, the Contest by Ethan Long
Scribbles the Cat and Ink the Mouse are nowhere near the average cartoon cat and mouse – for one thing they are good buddies, who like nothing more than lounging around, or being creative with art supplies. When Ink finds a contest to win an adventure holiday by drawing dinosaurs, they both have a go – with unexpected results… Full review...
You Make Me Smile by Layn Marlow
Snow, at least for us in the UK, isn’t an everyday occurrence, and for children, unbothered by traffic chaos and school closures and boilers on the brink of a breakdown, it can be rather magical. This book is about that magic. Full review...
I Want a Pet by Lauren Child
What do you do if you really, really want a pet? You ask your parents, of course. They’re bound to have some criteria. Like something with not too much fur, something that can live outside, neatly out of the way, or something that doesn’t buzz (it’s not good for Granny’s hearing aid, y’see). So you take all this into consideration and come up with a shortlist of critters that might work. One by one you suggest them, and one by one your ideas are shouted down. Full review...
The Tailypo: A Ghost Story by Joanna Galdone and Paul Galdone
The Tailypo is an old story from Appalachian folklore. It has not been tamed down at all like so many of the old stories but retains all its original spine-tingling terror for the very young. Although it is listed as ghost story, it really is not. Instead it the story of a strange beast which is best left well alone. Full review...
Enormouse by Angie Morgan
Enormouse isn’t quite like the other mice. He’s big. Really big. And while his great size can be a useful thing (he can reach into high cupboards when they’re foraging, he can carry more cheese), that doesn’t stop the others laughing at him. Full review...
Miss Dorothy-Jane Was Ever So Vain by Julie Fulton and Jona Jung
Miss Dorothy-Jane is very much obsessed with her appearance, so when she sees there’s a competition to find Hamilton Shady’s best lady she just has to enter! She spends ever such a long time perfecting her look but on the way to the contest, disaster strikes. Will she realise that there’s more to life than looks, and sacrifice her chance to win a meet and greet with the Queen (yes, her Majesty!)? Can she do the right thing, even if she gets all dirty and dishevelled in the process? I’m sure you can guess the outcome, but the final ending was a surprise, even for me. A nice surprise, I should add. Full review...
What can you Stack on the Back of a Yak? by Alison Green and Adam Stower
You might be wondering why anyone would want to stack anything on the back of a yak, but the answer is simple. In this adorable tale, Captain Quack and the Yak (you’ve guessed it, this is a rhyming one) deliver post to the top of a mountain. Along the way the Yak likes to play, and, well, deviate from the track, and no matter how hard he tries, Captain Quack cannot control him. Uh oh. One day, the Yak ends up with a rather more interesting load than his usual parcels and boxes and sacks. Full review...
Mr Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown
There’s something special about tigers. And there’s definitely something special about Mr Tiger. He’s the star of Peter Brown’s picture book, ‘Mr Tiger Goes Wild’. This distinctive book takes the themes of fitting in and being true to who you are, and explores them through the character of one animal who challenges the status quo and dares to be different. Full review...
One World Together by Catherine Anholt and Laurence Anholt
A child (from an unknown country) is gallivanting throughout the world looking for a friend. He stops in Brazil and meets Paulo. He would be a good friend. Then he’s off to Morocco where he meets Mohamed. He would be a good friend too. You can see where this is going. From country to country we travel, constantly meeting exciting and interesting new children and learning about their lives. They would all be great friends for our little narrator, but who should he choose? Spoiler alert: he realises you don’t have to have just one friend, and in fact all the children of the world can be friends. Awwww. Full review...
Precious and the Mystery of the Missing Lion : A New Case for Precious Ramotswe by Alexander McCall Smith
I had already previously enjoyed Precious and the Monkeys which is one of AMS' children's stories about his No.1 Ladies Detective Agency character, Precious Ramotswe, when she is a child. So I was looking forward to this one about a missing lion. I wasn't disappointed. Once again his gentle charm shines through, and this is a delightful book to read aloud or just enjoy by yourself, however old you may be! Full review...
A Letter for Bear by David Lucas
Bear is a postman. He's a very good postman and always delivers all his letters on time. Yet when he's finished his work for the day he goes back alone to his cave, and makes himself some soup, and he wonders what it would be like to receive a letter. Full review...
How to Babysit a Grandad by Jean Reagan and Lee Wildish
It's very important to know how to babysit your grandad. You'll need to know what he likes to eat (Icecream topped with cookies or anything dipped in ketchup!) You'll also need to know how to keep him entertained (somersault across the room!) In case you've ever wondered about the best ways to look after your grandad then this is the book for you! Full review...
I Love You Father Christmas by Giles Andreae and Emma Dodd
This is a rather lovely letter to Santa style book, told entirely in verse. It starts off with the title words, I love you Father Christmas and works through why the gentleman in question rocks:
Your beard looks amazing
And yes, you’re rather fat
But you probably just like eating
And there’s nothing wrong with that
Full review...
Fishy Tales by Rob Scotton
Even cats have to go to school too, y’know? And Splat is no exception. Today they’re going on a school trip to the aquarium, though, which is a bit exciting if you’re a cat, even if your teacher (the fabulously named Mrs Wimpydimple) is very clear on the ground rules: look with your eyes, not with your hands. And absolutely no eating of the fish! Full review...
Wibbly Pig Picks a Pet by Mick Inkpen
Big Pig's sister's friend is choosing a pet, but Wibbly and Scruffy can't wait to meet. They imagine all sorts of pets she might choose. Could it be an elephant, a polar bear or a dinosaur? They think of all sorts of fun choices, while hoping she chooses anything at all except a rabbit. Rabbits are boring according to Wibbly and Scruffy - at least until they see one. Full review...
Toucan Can by Juliette MacIver and Sarah Davis
If you’ve ever wondered what a toucan can do, this book will tell you. The answer, in a nutshell, is EVERYTHING!. Some are typical things – dancing and singing and sliding and swinging. Some are more random – banging a frying pan, doing the cancan. But they all look like a lot of fun, and the question remains: can you do what Toucan can? I bet, I bet, I bet you can! Full review...
The Christmas Carrot by Allan Plenderleith
It’s Christmas time, and there’s every reason to be afraid, at least if you’re a carrot. While everyone else is getting excited about the season, the Christmas carrot is dreading it. He’s about to go under the knife and emerge as a side dish on the family dinner table tomorrow. Gulp! Luckily Billy has other ideas, and seizes him from the kitchen where his dad (a nice touch…it’s not just mums who cook) had been about to prepare him. Outside they go, heading for Billy’s snowman who is missing one small feature… a nose! It’s a last minute save from the chopping board, but the Christmas carrot is still not happy with this career change, because it’s, y’know, rather cold out here. And so his adventure continues. Full review...
Wibbly Pig and the Tooky by Mick Inkpen
I had a feeling, when I saw the cover of this book, that I was going to enjoy it. I wasn't disappointed. Something really tickled me as I read this book, and I have since flicked through it again, by myself, without the kids! So that's usually a good sign of a good children's picture book. Especially if I now sneak it upstairs onto my picture book bookshelf where I keep all my personal favourites from our ridiculously large collection and I try to keep sticky fingers off them and keep them for special reading times together! Full review...
Winnie's Pirate Adventure by Valerie Thomas and Korky Paul
We like Winnie the Witch stories in our house. We have a whole bag full of them, and have read them many times over, so when my daughter saw this new one she was very excited. Sadly, it didn't quite live up to our (admittedly high) expectations. This new story sees Winnie head off on a pirate adventure which should, you would think, have the makings of an excellent story. Full review...
Ding Dong Gorilla by Michelle Robinson and Leonie Lord
We never learn the name of the main character in Ding Dong Gorilla. This book is told in the first person, from the point of view of a very young child and addressed to his parent. This works quite well in this story, because most children will be able to identify very easily with the protagonist and most parents will identify with the unseen mother whom this story is directed to. The story begins with a sheepish looking wee boy reminding his mother how they had ordered a huge pizza. Unfortunately, he has a bit of bad news to break first. Full review...
Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts
Andrea Beaty and David Roberts make a great team. Their previous book, Iggy Peck, Architect, is a best seller and has a lot in common with Rosie Revere, Engineer. Both stories offer hope and encouragement to children who feel at odds and left out of the mainstream. Rosie is very shy and cannot bring herself to join in at school. But at home she sparkles and comes to life while building inventive gadgets from odds and ends, often using things rescued from the bin. When her favourite uncle laughs at one of her contraptions (made especially for him), Rosie is mortified and it takes the exuberant help of another relative to bring her back out of her shell. Full review...