There's a Shark in the Bath by Sarah McIntyre
What would you do if you found a shark in your bath? Or worse still, if you found a whole family of sharks in there? As luck would have it the person who does discover her bath has been invaded by scary sea creatures is Dulcie and Dulcie is one of life’s copers. She uses her skills and several sneaky games in her efforts to outwit the sharks in this jolly and enjoyable adventure. Full review...
Bear, Bird and Frog by Gwen Millward
Bear and Bird are friends who live together. They have an exciting day planned but when Frog shows up unannounced, Bear is surprised and momentarily forgets what they had been going to do. Like a good friend, even to those who drop round without warning, he invites Frog in for tea and cake and they have a chat. Bird is a little bored, to be honest. He’s waiting for them to go out, him and Bear, but Bear seems to have forgotten all about it. In the end, it’s Bear and Frog who go out, leaving Bird behind. Bird is really a bit upset about the way he thinks they’re treating him, and even when Bear and Frog try to include him he’s a bit too proud and so stays away. Full review...
Monkey Business by Smriti Prasadam-Halls and David Wojtowycz
We’re on Noah’s Ark and all the animals are here, from the snakes to the lions to the crocodiles. There are two of everyone, of course, though randomly there only appears to be one monkey, Charlie Chatter. And uh, oh. He’s lost his potty! Now Charlie Chatter is a bit big to be going on the potty, so the other animals, and Noah, try to convince him to try the loo instead, extolling its virtues, explaining how much fun it can be. Charlie Chatter remains unconvinced though, but when his potty fails to reappear his has a troubling choice to make. Full review...
Rules of Summer by Shaun Tan
Rules of Summer is not one of those books that is ever likely to earn the blanket recommendation One for every child's bookshelf. This book is not for every child. For some it could be the stuff of nightmares. But for those children who have grown bored with the pedestrian banality of many of the books on the high street, for children with a vivid imagination who are not too easily frightened, this book can be pure magic. It is a story of friendship, of the relationship between brothers, of anger and rivalry, and also of love and redemption, told with minimal text and the beautiful surreal imagery of Tan's paintings. Full review...
Tommy Tickletail: A Tall Tale by Dom Conlon and Carl Pugh
Sophie and Sam are on a midnight mission. It's a long time since supper and they're both hungry. Obviously a trip to see what's in the fridge (they've got high expectations) is essential but there are dangers to overcome. It's dark. They really shouldn't be raiding the fridge and - most frightening of all - there's Tommy Tickletail who has a body twelve feet long and sleeps under the kitchen table. They've got to get to the fridge without waking the monster - or who knows what the consequences will be? Full review...
I Am A Giant (Tiny the Giant) by Dom Conlon and Nicola Anderson
Tiny knew that he was a giant. In fact you couldn't help thinking that he was a little bit cross about the fact that he had to keep telling people. He'd shake his fists and roar I AM A GIANT. Proof was important, of course and the first step was to measure his shadow, which he did when the sun was low - but it wasn't just one step. It was many and his shadow still ran on ahead of him. Off he went to tell the world, but the mountains were, well, dismissive and the tall trees whispered about it amongst themselves before they rejected what he had to say. The wind didn't agree either - and went on and on about it until Tiny ran away to the sea. Full review...
Max and the Won't Go To Bed Show by Mark Sperring and Sarah Warburton
Prepare to unleash your inner Barnum with ‘Max and the Won’t Go To Bed Show’. You don’t read this book – you perform it. So, what’s it all about? Well, if you give me a drum roll (PLEASE!) … I will tell you. Full review...
A Deal's a Deal by Stephanie Blake
There is always that stage, with children, where they always seem to want whatever someone else has got. I think it lasts until they are, well, about thirty seven?! Here we see the beginnings of envy with Simon, our little rabbit friend from Stupid Baby. He's off to play with his friend Ferdinand, and he takes along three cars - a yellow car, a green car and a blue car. But then, of course, Ferdinand has a red car... Full review...
It's Time to Say Goodnight by Harriet Ziefert and Barroux
When a little boy wakes up happy and decides to say 'Good morning' to everything he sees he probably doesn't realise the task he has set himself. Indeed, after saying 'Good morning' to twenty-plus things around him it seems it's now time to say 'Good night'! Full review...
Alphaprints ABC by Jo Ryan and Sarah Powell
A is for Alternative. B is for Bright. C is for Charming. D for Delight. Well, that’s my opinion of the alphabet board book Alphaprints ABC – take it from me, the actual rhymes are better! Full review...
Asterix and the Picts by Jean-Yves Ferri, Rene Goscinny, Albert Uderzo and Didier Conrad
I've never been entirely certain if Asterix was written for children or adults. I am quite certain children were the original target audience, but it is equally apparent that many of the jokes are thrown in for adults as well. It does seem as if more adults are buying Asterix than children now, and comics in general have been taken over by the adult consumer, but Asterix still has plenty to offer the younger reader as well. If it is perhaps a bit more sophisticated than the average children's book today, all the better. I'm all for children's books that are light and easy to read, but I think we are doing our children a disservice by filtering out any book with a more complex vocabulary or a fair number of unfamiliar words. My children did find a few words like solidarity, fraternise and diaphanous challenging, but if we don't challenge them at all - how will they learn? Full review...
The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen and P J Lynch (Illustrator)
Determined heroine Gerda has a series of adventures on her journey to find her friend Kay after he has been spirited away by the Snow Queen to live in her palace of ice. 'The Snow Queen' is one of Hans Christian Andersen’s less disturbing fables with a message about the power of love and true friendship. No heart wrenching deaths like 'The Little Match Girl', no tortured longing like 'The Little Mermaid', it has the benefit of a happy ending. And, in contrast to so many traditional tales where the hero is usually male, its star is a lively girl who rescues her friend against all the odds. Full review...
While He Was Sleeping by Ayano Imai
Who needs friends when you have a fine smart hat? Not Mr Brown, a bear with a strong sense of style but a lack of companions. He can please himself. So he does, until a determined woodpecker decides that Mr Brown’s hat is prime real estate to house him and a flock of his feathered friends. Mr Brown quickly grows to like his new tenants. His hat attracts imitators however, the birds choose only him. When winter comes, the birds depart and Mr Brown goes in to hibernation. Will he hear their singing again? Full review...
Song of the Golden Hare by Jackie Morris
If you buy one picture book this year, make it this one. Not because it’s a good story, or because you know a child who would love it (both sound reasons), but because it is also a stunning work of art. The pictures are full of carefully observed wildlife and glorious colours. Every inch adds to the telling of the tale. Full review...
A Mammoth in the Fridge by Michael Escoffier and Matthieu Maudet
One day, Noah opens the fridge and finds that there is a mammoth inside! His dad tells him not to be silly, but when he and mum open the fridge to check there, indeed, is a very large mammoth, squashed up inside! Whatever will they do to get him out? Full review...
A Treasury of Fairy Tales by Helen Cresswell
Once upon a time, in a village not so far away, a mother and her son received a parcel. In that parcel was ‘A Treasury of Fairy Tales’, kindly sent by the publisher Harper Collins. They curled up on the sofa and started to read… would they be enchanted? Full review...
Octopus's Garden by Ringo Starr and Ben Cort
This is a beautifully illustrated book which takes the readers into a lovely world of fantasy. There is no story to speak of. The text of this book consists only of the lyrics to The Beatles song Octopus's Garden from their 1969 album - Abbey Road. I loved this song as a very young child, and I always felt this was written for children, at least on some level. I used to close my eyes listen to the words as I pictured the Octopus and his enchanted garden. It is the only song, to my knowledge written solely by Ringo, and the last song which featured Ringo as the lead vocalist. Full review...
Christmas by Dick Bruna
Dick Bruna’s picture book ‘Christmas’ tells the story of the nativity in his own inimitable manner. Drawn in his archetypal Miffy style, this tale sweetly captures the spirit and meaning of the season. Full review...
Pongo by Jesse Hodgson
The rainforest is not all it’s cracked up to be. It may be a beautiful and important eco system but one of the residents is not a happy ape. Pongo the orangutan is wet and lonely. He lives in the depths of the forest and yearns for the warmth of the sun. He’s heard it’s bright and orange, just like him, so he sets out to find it. Full review...
Red Sledge by Lita Judge
In the middle of a snowy winter, a child leaves his red sledge leaning against the wall of his house overnight. Little does he know that the woodland creatures have their eye on it for some midnight fun. Full review...
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...