Newest For Sharing Reviews

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Eat Your People by Lou Kuenzler and David Wojtowycz

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Monty the monster is having his dinner. He is eating all of his vegetables without any problems at all, but when it comes to eating up his people he really isn't happy, declaring them to be chewy and crunchy and full of bones! In a funny twist on the picky eater story, this is a lighthearted way of broaching the tricky 'eat your vegetables' issue! Full review...

Happy Birthday Old Bear by Jane Hissey

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It's Old Bear's birthday, and so all the other toys are planning something. In fact lots of somethings: gifts, a cake, a proper celebration. It's wonderful. Elsie the elephant has even made him a present, the talented little thing. But then, as we soon find out, Elsie is good at many things: wrapping presents, baking cakes, blowing up balloons, singing. It's a lovely sunny day, so the toys gather outside but just as they finish setting things up, and just as Old Bear arrives, disaster strikes! Can the toys have a happy ending and find time to finish Old Bear's party? Full review...

One Cheetah, One Cherry: A Book of Beautiful Numbers by Jackie Morris

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Once you've seen anything illustrated by Jackie Morris you know that you'll get a book full of pictures, all of which you'd be delighted and proud to hang on your walls. One, Cheetah, One Cherry: A Book of Beautiful Numbers is no exception. We begin with just the one cherry, so red and shiny you are tempted to see if it's real, but you're put off by the next picture. The one cherry is joined by one cheetah and he's got a proprietorial paw resting across the shoulder of the cherry. You're not going to argue with him. Full review...

Your Baby's First Word Will Be Dada by Jimmy Fallon and Miguel Ordonez

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What will your baby's first word be? If it is up to the father, the answer is Dada. Every time Mum has her back turned Dad is repeating the word Dada, Dada, Dada, Dada. This secret war has waged for centuries and Jimmy Fallon and Miguel Ordonez have put it to paper. Do you want to know what my children's first word was? Dada, of course. I win! Full review...

Bicycling to the Moon by Timo Parvela

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Bicycling to the Moon is a series of short stories which all centre around two main characters: Purdy the cat and Dexter the dog who live together in a sky-blue house on the top of a hill. Purdy is a somewhat selfish cat who demonstrates rather impulsive behaviour and is always rushing around, whereas Baxter is much more refined, thoughtful and is careful to make the right choices. Each story works as an individual tale which could be read out of order; however there is a seasonal progression to the order of the book. Full review...

Boris Babysits by Sam Lloyd

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Leaving your child with someone for the first time is a daunting task for any new parent. You want to pick someone for this task that you can trust; a sensible person who has some experience looking after a baby. Perhaps a parent, sibling or a good friend? The person that you are unlikely to pick is Boris. Not only is he irresponsible, he also happens to be a monster. Full review...

A Dog Called Bear by Diane Fox and Christyan Fox

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Lucy had always wanted a dog and she'd been preparing for the moment when her dreams could come true for a long time: she'd read all the books, bought doggie things and her bedroom was plastered with doggie pictures. One day she set out to make her dream come true: accosting animals and presenting her credentials (there really is no other way of explaining it...) First up, a frog, who presents the counter arguments to dog ownership and then makes his own case, adding that he would only need a bath every day. Lucy's sorry, but she only has a shower... Full review...

The Detective Dog by Julia Donaldson and Sara Ogilvie

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Detective dog Nell, with her great sense of smell, is a rather remarkable dog! She works very hard from Tuesday to Sunday, finding lost things, like a ball down the toilet, and solving mysteries such as where is the lost shoe by sniffing it out. It's in the shed, actually, and if you look a little more closely you might start to suspect that actually Nell might have had more to do with these lost things and mysteries than she should have! Anyway, those are her busy days, but on Mondays she goes to school with Peter, and she listens to the children reading her books. She loves all sorts of books, about dinosaurs and princes and dragons and dogs, and she loves the smell of the books. So when she goes to school one Monday and finds that all the books are missing, Detective dog Nell is the one they need to help find all the books. Full review...

Tickle My Ears by Jorg Muhle

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Little Rabbit is getting ready for bed. It's getting late, so can you help him? He's going to need to get his pyjamas on, and his pillow needs fluffing, and he might need a little stroke on his back, or for his ears to have a tickle. What a sleepy little rabbit he is! Full review...

Squish Squash Squeeze! by Tracey Corderoy and Jane Chapman

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When Mouse moves into his new house, he thinks it's going to be perfect. But then he finds there's already quite a collection of animals he'll have to share with: he discovers a big brown bear behind the piano and a crocodile crammed in the bath. When a tiger comes whizzing down the bannister it becomes a bit of a squish, a squash and a squeeze. The animals don't know what to do until they hear a rumble under the floor – it looks like they're going to have an even bigger problem. Or are they? Full review...

One is Not a Pair by Britta Teckentrup

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I was the type of child that would sit indoors on a sunny day with their head in a puzzle book rather than getting anything important like Vitamin D. I may be pasty white nowadays, but at least I know my way around a good spot-the-difference book when I see one. And I spy with my little eye, one right here. Full review...

Macavity's Not There!: A Lift-the-Flap Book by T S Eliot and Arthur Robins

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Looking back, one of the first games I've played with every baby I've encountered is the one where you hide behind your hands and then appear surprised when you drop them and see the baby. It never fails to get a smile. (I know - it was probably wind...) Macavity has perfected the game, because - wherever you look - he's not there. Here at Bookbag Towers we loved the full version of T S Eliot's poem, but what about the very youngest children - the ones who really love the idea of someone - or something - not being where you expect them to be? Full review...

Treats for a T Rex by Adam Guillain, Charlotte Guillain and Lee Wildish

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One hot summer our family got a new Labrador puppy and, seeing as I was at home most of the time revising for exams, it was decided that I would be the person to train said dog. After a few months of hard training came a grown dog… that was the worst trained we ever had. Laddy may have been an expert in play fighting and eating, but not much else. With my spotted history in animal husbandry I am not equipped to train any animal and especially not a T Rex, but perhaps George is. Full review...

Do Not Wash This Bear by Sam Hay and Nick East

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Dad is not very good at washing. There are those of us who would shrug this off and feel happy that at least he gives it a go, but then I guess after a while shrunken T-shirts and dyed vests become a little tiresome! Anyway, one day dad decides that Bear has become a little bit stinky and needs to go in the wash, and although the child in the story shows dad the very clear label stating Do not wash this bear he decides to ignore the advice and throws him into the machine. Washing Bear turns out to be a very big mistake, since some combination of the bubbles and the spin setting drastically alter poor Bear's personality, and when he comes out he is a very decidedly naughty and troublesome Bear! Full review...

The Mood Hoover by Paul Brown and Rowena Blyth

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No one could ever have confused Stan with a sunbeam. He was mischievous (well, personally, I'd have said 'unpleasant') and he had a secret: an invention, in fact. He'd created a machine which could suck up anything which was happy or fun and it was called 'the mood hoover'. His sister's bedroom was the first place he put the machine through its paces and within a matter of moments all the girly niceness had been replaced by dull, grey ordinariness. It didn't just work in confined spaces either: the couple admiring a rainbow were surprised to find the vivid colours turned to dullness. You don't want to know what he got up to in the zoo... Full review...

I Love My Daddy by Jonathan Litton and Fhiona Galloway

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Father's Day is a great time to really pump up your Dad's ego. If he is anything like me he already thinks he is a bit of an Adonis; seeing that paunch in the mirror more as relaxed muscle than the beer gut that it is. To be honest, as a Pop, I am pretty much content with a pint, a book or a football game, but if a child does insist on getting their elder a gift, a nice book about the parent/child relationship may just warm the coldest of cockles. Full review...

Max and Bird by Ed Vere

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Ed Vere has a unique style of artwork for his picture books. The colours are vibrant, the characters are distinctive, the style is a little bit scrappy, in a very charming way. We are big fans in our house so we sat down eagerly to read the latest offering. Here we have Max, a sweet black cat with enormous eyes who meets and befriends a bird. Well, initially his plan is that they play chase and then Max will eat up Bird for a tasty snack but Bird has another idea… Full review...

Colin and Lee, Carrot and Pea by Morag Hood

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Sometimes people don’t quite fit in. Perhaps they are much taller than you, or perhaps they aren’t round enough to roll. Does this mean, then, that if someone is so different you can’t be their friend? When it comes to Colin and Lee, they are about as different as you can get, since one is small and round and green and a pea and the other is, well, a carrot! But does that get in the way of their friendship? Full review...

There's a Bison Bouncing on the Bed by Paul Bright and Chris Chatterton

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Becoming a parent gives you many new insights into life; the pleasure in seeing a child smile or the amazement as they start to utter words. However, the one thing that you really begin to understand is – how much stuff costs. Clothes, food, transport, toys, even furniture. It all costs money and you now have a tiny wrecking ball running around the house seemingly doing their best to destroy them all. It may seem like harmless fun to jump on the bed, but who pays for it when it breaks? The bison? I don't think so. Full review...

Claude All at Sea by Alex T Smith

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Claude is a small dog who likes wearing a beret and a lovely red jumper. He lives with Mr and Mrs Shinyshoes and his best friend is a stripy sock called Sir Bobblysock. Full review...

Amazing Daddy by Rachel Bright

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Daddy Panda and Baby Panda are spending the day together, and Baby Panda is thinking about all the different reasons why his daddy is brilliant. These range from how he smells safe and warm to the extra large breakfasts that daddy makes! There are lots of common, everyday situations, so little ones will enjoy making comparisons with their own lives, and discussing what makes their daddy amazing. Full review...

The Bumblebear by Nadia Shireen

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Ever a sucker for a book about a bear, this one has fast become a favourite for me. Norman is an ordinary kind of bear, small and cuddly and a big fan of honey. He is such a big fan, in fact, that he comes up with a cunning plan in order to make his honey hunting much easier. He decides to dress up as a bee (a giant bee, from Giant Bee Land, obviously) and join Bee School where he has the most marvellous time learning about things like buzzing and finding smelly flowers. However, although most of the bees are convinced of his bee-ness, there is one rather clever little bee who grows increasingly suspicious of poor Norman… Full review...

Augustus and His Smile by Catherine Rayner

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Trying to find a tiger's smile is no easy feat. The chances are that it will be on the end of their face and this is a face full off teeth, attached to a powerful cat with claws. Personally, I would leave finding a tiger's smile to someone far more trained that I, or the animal themselves. Thankfully, Augustus is a practical chap and he sets out to discover what exactly did happen to his smile. Full review...

Lottie Potter Wants an Otter by Jeanne Willis and Leonie Lord

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Purchasing a new pet is a complex enough business without trying to use alliteration, so reading a book about pet purchases and tongue twisters can get tricky. The adult can end up tripping over their own words when reading out loud to their child. The kid may find this funny, but does it make for a pleasurable read? Full review...

Convertible Submarine by Claire Phillip

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They told me life would be easy reviewing books; grab it, read it, review it. What they did not say that I would have to do is also play with it, build it and sit in it! There is a thin line between an interactive book and a toy. When this thin line involves a book that you can convert into a play mat and also a submarine, it is hard to understand what it is at all. Welcome to the world of the Convertible Submarine. Full review...

Life is Magic by Meg McLaren

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It is not often that you pick up a book and feel the warmth and magic come of it. It is extremely rare in adult fiction, but in children's books you find it more often if you only look. Great illustrations and wonderful stories can combine to make a book that will entrance both a youngster and adult as they read together. When you find one of these books you should treasure it as it is something that may be read to your grandchildren in the future. Full review...

Gorilla Loves Vanilla by Chae Strathie and Nicola O'Byrne

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One day, I imagine it's probably a sunny Saturday, all the animals are heading to Sam's Sundaes for special treats. A bit like the wonder that is Marble Slab (google it), Sam can create any flavour you desire. Blue cheese flavour for Mouse? Easy. Worm flavour for Chicken? Ick…but not problem. Mud flavour for Hippo, fish finger flavour for Cat, time and again Sam gets it right. But then Gorilla arrives and all the animals strain to hear what this big beast will request… Full review...

Mog and Me and other Stories by Judith Kerr

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Mog and Me is a set of 4 stories in one board book. They are very short stories which make them a great introduction to Mog for those whose attention span is only for a few minutes before the temptation to chew on the book become overwhelming. This book, then, is perfect. Great sturdy design with pages so stiff even an older child would have to try hard to destroy. Glossy sheet that can withstand a bit of dribbling. And bright, bold illustrations that are not too complicated for tiny eyes. Full review...

Super Stan by Matt Robertson

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Stan is no ordinary little brother, oh no, because Stan can run faster and throw further and jump higher than his big brother Jack. Stan can also fly, of course! Poor Jack finds that even when he is helpful and kind, his little superhero brother can go one better, so when Jack finds someone's wallet on the floor and returns it, Stan captures a burglar in his car & carries the car to the police! So when it is Jack's birthday he is hopeful that perhaps for just one day, he will be the special one in the family, and Stan won't do anything to spoil his fun. Full review...

Bossy Jonathan Fossy (The Ever So Series) by Julie Fulton and Elina Ellis

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Jonathan Fossy was ever so bossy, demanding that his Mum bring him chocolate and gum and then paint his bedroom bright blue. He made demands of everyone, including the neighbours (a ten feet wide boat with a cabin for him) and you might wonder why anyone put up with it. (I had in mind a sharp slap across the back of a couple of bare legs, but that's probably illegal, albeit effective, these days.) Finally PC Moran hatched a dastardly plan: I'm not going to tell you what it was, but suffice it to say that he got his comeuppance in a most effective way and was a decidedly more pleasant young man thereafter. Full review...

Lucinda Belinda Melinda McCool by Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross

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Lucinda Belinda is extremely beautiful and she feels it's her duty to bring beauty to the world. And if this means telling others to sort out their eyebrows, lose their big behinds, file their nails or just up their grooming generally then so be it. Full review...

Goodnight Spaceman by Michelle Robinson

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'Goodnight Spaceman' is a warm and tender look at space exploration told through the eyes of two young boys who have an astronaut for a Dad. On the upside, this seems to mean that you get to keep moon rock in your bedroom. On the downside, space is too far to reach out for a hug. So, the boys blast off to see Dad's workplace before bed time. Not only is this topical when the International Space Station currently orbits with a British astronaut on board, there is an introductory letter from the great man himself, Tim Peake. Sounds like a winning formula when for so many tots space is the favourite frontier. I was eager to read this with my three year old. Full review...

There's a Tiger in the Garden by Lizzy Stewart

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Though it's said that you should never judge a book by a cover, the front of 'There's a Tiger in the Garden' gives cause to linger. Here is a taste of the splendid illustrations to come – verdant foliage, bright dragonflies, and, of course, a bright orange tiger. Should you not be convinced to pick it up by the visuals alone, the gorgeous embossing adds a further dimension. Lovely pop-out richness you can feel. What a great start. Full review...