Newest For Sharing Reviews

The Only Pupil in the School by Hsukung Liu and Xinlin Wang (translator)

For Sharing

On the first day of the school term only one pupil appeared and the teachers began to worry about losing their jobs. So they made their minds up that they would make their only pupil the best in the school, which - when you think about it - wasn't going to be all that difficult. They began by trying to persuade her to come to their classes and when that didn't persuade her they began fighting amongst themselves and didn't notice our heroine creeping away. She went to the forest and met an old man who taught her lots about the flowers and the insects. A chef showed her how to make soup - it was delicious and warming - and then she had lots of fun (and exercise) with a dog she met in the park. The further she looked, the more she learned and at the library she drew a book about what she had seen - and it was there that the teachers found her. Full review...

Rama and the Demon King by Jessica Souhami

For Sharing

Rama was a brave and good prince, the king's favourite son. He loved his wife, Sita and his best friend was his brother Lakshman. Everyone loved him, except for one person. His stepmother was jealous and she was determined to get rid of Rama. Long ago she had saved the king's life and he had promised to grant her any wish. She asked that he send Rama into the forest for fourteen years and although the king was horrified he had to keep his promise. Rama was sent into the forest, but he did not go alone, as Sita and Lakshman went with him and for a while all was well. They fought off the demons who first appeared and then built a house and led a simple life among the forest animals. Full review...

When I Am Happiest by Rose Lagercrantz and Eva Eriksson

Emerging Readers

If Dani leaves her school for the summer holidays with one souvenir, it will either be the memories of the fabulous friendship she formed with Ella, who struck a chord in book one then moved away, or it will be a book she has written and compiled to remind her of all the happiness she has encountered along the way. That is not quite finished, for the following day is to be the great end of year party, and her classroom decorations are complete and her dress has been bought new specially. But not all of life is happiness and jollity – and Dani is removed from the classroom to face very bad news. What ending is in store, for her book and for ours? Full review...

Dinoblock by Christopher Franceschelli

For Sharing

As befits a book about dinosaurs, 'Dinoblock' is suitably chunky. Not monstrously large but enticingly substantial in a 'pick me up and read me' kind of way. Inside this board book, twenty plus beasts are on parade. If you don't know your Triassic from your Jurassic step this way… Full review...

Grandad's Island by Benji Davies

For Sharing

Syd and his Grandad are going on an adventure – through the door in Grandad's attic to a ship that will sail across an ocean of rooftops to a magical tropical island. They are going to find new wonders at every turn as they explore the island and make lots of new friends in the form of the animals and birds. In fact, it's such an amazing place that Grandad decides to stay. Full review...

The Hounds of Falsterbo by Jules Nilsson

For Sharing

In between the beach huts
Where the white sands meet the seas,
The heather meets the sand dunes
And long grasses dance the breeze. Full review...

The Hippobottymus by Steve Smallman and Ada Grey

For Sharing

The Hippobotymus is a great romp through the jungle using language to create sound and rhythm which is really fun to engage with and read aloud. All the animals are having a great time, singing their song and each adding their own sounds, but just what is it that Hippo did? You’ll just have to read it to find out. Full review...

The First Slodge by Jeanne Willis and Jenni Desmond

For Sharing

The First Slodge thinks everything is his, until he finds out he might be the first Slodge, but that doesn’t make him the only Slodge. Will they learn to share? They might just have to. I found The First Slodge to be a fascinating book. I loved the ideas, and I think it’s great that a picture book is managing to tackle a number of issues all at once like this without losing its own sense of story and purpose. Full review...

Claude: Lights! Camera! Action! by Alex T Smith

For Sharing

Ah, Claude! How I do enjoy reading these funny little stories about this sweet doggy! This time Claude finds himself embroiled in shenanigans on a film set, helping with wigs and make up and a film star gorilla! Claude is as endearing as ever, and Mr Bobblysock continues to enchant us with his hot flushes and requirements for a little lie down. Full review...

Three Cheers for Thomas the Tank Engine by W Awdry

For Sharing

I don't like Thomas the Tank Engine. He may be a 'really useful' engine but he is also over exposed and (Surely? Please?) at commercial saturation point. Why then do I have a copy of 'Three Cheers for Thomas the Tank Engine' at my side? Well, for the same reason that a pack of Thomas, Percy and James socks, infant size 3-5, ended up in my shopping basket at the weekend. Yes, the owner of those titchy feet is my toddler boy and boy, does he love Thomas. Full review...

Wake Up, Alfred! by David Ellwand

For Sharing

It's Alfred's birthday! We don't know how old he is, because once dogs have reached full size they tend to look much the same for quite a few years. And talking of looks, Alfred does look rather splendid – he's a Great Dane in gorgeous condition. But – back to the book! We see – in a series of black and white photographs – Alfred being woken up (he wears a nightcap), looking outside his kennel to see what the postman has brought him, opening his presents, laying the table before his friends arrive (and being just a little bit naughty by balancing a tea cup and saucer on his head...), putting the bunting up for the party, making the cake, having a much-needed bath (after making a bit of a mess with the cake), choosing which hat he's going to wear and then having great fun with his friends – there are seven dogs, two mice and a cat. Full review...

It's a Groovy World, Alfredo! by Sean Taylor and Chris Garbutt

For Sharing

Cool boogie-style. Speedy Heebie-Jeebies. Silky-smooth moving and grooving. These are the three dances that Marty tries to teach his friend, Alfredo. But Alfredo can't dance. Every time he tries the same thing happens – he goes Jump, Jump, Jump and looks like a duck on a trampoline. Alfredo is worried that everyone will laugh at him. But he doesn't need to worry because he's about to introduce his own form of groovy dancing – the Jump-Jump-Jumping Jive! Full review...

The White Book by Silvia Borando, Elisabetta Pica and Lorenzo Clerici

For Sharing

A little boy stands in front of a white wall, paint brush in hand. He looks concerned where he should start. We turn the page and he smiles because he now has a column of pink paint down the side of the page. We turn the page and his smile widens as his paint expands across the page to reveal the white outline of a bird. There are six birds on the next page and he is smiling broadly. But, when we turn the page again, his smile has gone – the birds have left the pink wall and are flying off across the page. And so the story continues with a new colour and a new animal on the next page of this unique wordless picture book. Full review...

Baby Touch: Busy Baby

Children grow up fast enough without encouraging your baby to drive a car, but this has not stopped ‘‘Busy Baby’’ as he is behind the wheel of a roadster that has a lovely feel to it. Try and keep up with Baby as he takes you on a trip across the rolling hills to a land full of animals of all textures. Baby Racers and lions? Sounds like a recipe for disaster to me, thankfully this is all part of a ‘‘Baby Touch’’ range of books. Full review...

Take a Square by Britta Teckentrup

For Sharing

Sometimes it is hard to determine who is enjoying reading a sharing book the most; the adult or the child. A book can look great, or have an interesting art style that draws the mature reader in, but does the baby care? Unless it is colourful with plenty going on, toddlers are not really bothered that their mum or dad are getting a fun nostalgia blast from the book. If you are going to design a book for youngsters, first make sure that it appeals to them and then think about the parent later. Full review...

Elmer by David McKee

For Sharing

Everyone knows the story of Elmer , the elephant who is ‘’not’’ elephant colour, and this board book allows him to be introduced to an even younger audience. Full review...

Best Friends by Kim Hyun

For Sharing

Teaching your young child new words is one of the wonders of parenthood, but once you have grown tired of teaching them mildly rude words, what is next? Thankfully, like with most thing in modern living, there is a book to help you that is full of popular and useful phrases to use in everyday situations. I mean who else is going to teach you to say Pardon Me, if you have an accident? Full review...

Bear Counts by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman

For Sharing

If a bear approaches you in the woods and asks you for help counting, the only numbers you will need to be aware of are the steps you take pegging it in the opposite direction. Thankfully, the bear of this story is a friendly creature and he hangs out mostly with his woodland pals and not terrified humans. Can he help us count to five before the terror grips us? Full review...

Arabel’s Raven by Joan Aiken and Quentin Blake

For Sharing

It’s been many, many years since I first met Arabel and her pet raven, Mortimer, whilst watching Jackanory on children’s television. Bernard Cribbins used to read the stories, and they became firm favourites of mine. Here I am returning to the first book in the series, well, just a handful of years later, and the story has lost none of its charm. Full review...

Unexpected Crocodile by Kim Kane and Sara Acton

For Sharing

It’s always a worry when a large animal comes to tea. Here we find our characters inviting in a crocodile, who just happens to have dropped by to join Peggy and her family as they entertain the Dawson’s for a barbecue. Why has the crocodile come? And more importantly, will he ever leave? Full review...

Horace and Hattiepillar (Hedgehugs) by Lucy Tapper and Steve Wilson

For Sharing

Horace and Hattie are best friends. They like to do everything that they can together, from playing hide and seek, to looking for the first star of the night. One day when they’re out together, they find something small and round and smooth handing on the bottom of a leaf. Whatever could it be? Full review...

Soon by Timothy Knapman and Patrick Benson

For Sharing

Raju is a baby elephant who set out on a jungle adventure with his mother. He was excited and just a little bit frightened: you could see that by the way that he held on to her tail very tightly. On their way they met crocodiles, who snapped at the pair until mother stamped her feet to frighten them away, hissing snakes and ferocious, frightening tigers. Mother frightened them off too. At each encounter Raju asks:

When can we go home again? Full review...

Teddy Picnic by Georgie Birkett

For Sharing

Picnics are fun, whether they’re at the beach, at the bottom of the garden or even on a rug in the living room. And no one knows how to picnic like teddy bears. Full review...

Dinosaur Police by Sarah McIntyre

For Sharing

Help! There’s trouble in Dinoville! A T-Rex is causing havoc in the pizza parlour! So starts the silliest of dinosaur books that had me giggling until the very last page. Trevor is a naughty little thing, ruining all the pizzas for a special order, and then running away from the Police before they can catch him. It’s one kerfuffle after another here, but somehow, some way, the show must go on, and the town rallies together to make it happen. Full review...

Crunch! by Carolina Rabei

For Sharing

Crunch is a guinea pig who likes his comfy bed, but most of all he likes eating - which is probably why he's called Crunch. He's gorgeously round and well-fed but he couldn't help but think that there was something missing from his life. One day he was approached by Cheddar, the mouse, who chatted to him about the abundance of food which was available to Crunch. Cheddar couldn't believe it and thought that Crunch probably had enough food to share, but Crunch was having none of this. His food was HIS food and he wasn't sharing it with anyone, even when Cheddar offered him a big friendly hug in return. Full review...

Busy Alice in Wonderland

Busy Alice in Wonderland is a board book, with paper (or should it be 'board'?) engineering. It would seem to too crass to describe what can be done with the book as 'pull the tab'. A pulled tab moves the hedgehog forward, paints the blooms red and puts stripes onto the cat's teeth (and all that is on the cover!) A finger in a ring moving through a curve drops Alice down the rabbit hole. The potion which Alice drinks quickly reduces her size and a turning wheel pours tea out of the pot. It's all brilliantly done and despite trying my best I couldn't find a single sharp edge or one of the pieces of engineering that I thought would soon need repair. It's a book which you could leave with a child rather than feeling that it needed to be kept on 'Mummy's shelf'. Full review...

Go to Sleep, Monty! by Kim Geyer

For Sharing

For some children, it does not take them long to decide that they want a pet. This means that the next few months and years consist of them slowly breaking down their parents’ resistance until finally a pet enters the home. For some lucky adults this may take the form of a goldfish or a hamster, but for many it will be a dog. You may feel like you have only just managed to get your own child potty trained, but now you have to start all over again with a puppy. Full review...

Mungo Monkey goes on a Train by Lydia Monks

For Sharing

I have spent quite a lot of time on public transport and, believe you me, I have seen a few odd things in my time, but I have yet to see a family of monkeys catch the train. However, Mungo is no ordinary monkey as he lives in a curious world where you can lift flaps and see what is going on. What can be behind the next one? Perhaps a photo of me looking puzzled as I see a monkey on the train! Full review...

Where, Oh Where, is Rosie's Chick? by Pat Hutchins

For Sharing

Rosie's not the sharpest chuck in the hen house. She made her debut over forty years ago in the 1968 publication, 'Rosie's Walk' when she stepped out alone blithely unaware of always being a hairs breadth away from calamity. Well, she's back, and this time she has a chick. Uh-oh as my toddler would say…let's have a look at 'Where, Oh Where, is Rosie's Chick?' Full review...

Paddington Goes for Gold by Michael Bond and R W Alley

For Sharing

Rather like a young child, Paddington is a wide-eyed innocent who leaves devastation wherever he goes, yet somehow always manages to land on his feet. I am very fond of literary bears, and he is one of my favourites. I love his enthusiasm, in everything he does, and that he always has a snack to hand. In this particular adventure, Paddington manages to entice the entire Brown family, and Mrs Bird, to come to a local sports day. There’s everything from the shotput to a three-legged race and even a knitting race. You can probably imagine the trouble he gets into… Full review...

The Fabulous Foskett Family Circus by Quentin Blake and John Yeoman

For Sharing

There are names to conjure with and Quentin Blake is certainly one of those. His tell-tale illustrations have been part of many a child’s upbringings, not at least for his work in the superb Roald Dahl books. However, can nostalgia and reverence cloud a person’s mind? Are the drawings of Blake strong enough to cope on their own when put alongside words that are not at a Dahl level? Full review...

Silly Dizzy Dinosaur by Jack Tickle

For Sharing

Reading to children does not have to be a passive experience. Some of the best books have you interacting with the characters found between the pages. Dizzy Dinosaur is not the most sensible of chaps at the best of time, but his errors are only compounded when the reader gets involved. Can we help this clumsy Camarasaurus from falling over too much? Full review...

Kipper’s Little Friends by Mick Inkpen

For Sharing

Mick Inkpen has an enormous amount of talent, and he manages to somehow make the simplest of stories endearing and interesting. Here, on his 25th anniversary, Kipper is back with a new story in which he’s thinking about baby animals. He finds out what various different animal babies are called, and then he begins to wonder what he was when he was a baby. Full review...

A Gold Star for George by Alice Hemming and Kimberley Scott

For Sharing

George the Giraffe is a lovable chappie, that much is evident from the start. He’s smart too, both in brains and attire (spotted bow tie being every day wear if you’re George) and right now he’s very excited because the Wildlife Park are having some awards. Gold stars for things like ‘’Most Popular Animal’’, ‘’Best Trick’’ and so on. George ‘’really’’ wants to win one. Full review...

Help! The Wolf is Coming! by Cedric Ramadier and Vincent Bourgeau

For Sharing

With every turn of the thick, cardboard pages, the Wolf is getting closer. Eek. Can you escape in time? Maybe if you’re clever and make him trip up on himself by tilting the pages? Might he then slide off? Full review...

What the Jackdaw Saw by Julia Donaldson and Nick Sharratt

For Sharing

The jackdaw is flying over the countryside, the sea, towns and forests inviting all the creatures he meets to his party. He is excited and so busy trying to tell everyone about his party that he does not understand that the other animals are all trying to warn him that he is flying into danger. Will he work out what they are telling him before it is too late? Full review...

Jules and Nina Dine Out by Anita Pouroulis

For Sharing

Nina and George are Jules’ dogs. Eating out at restaurants used to be a family affair until George blew it. A misunderstanding about a steak apparently. With the exception of her slightly unreliable digestive system, Nina has slightly more refined manners. She continues to dine out until one restaurant manager refuses her admission. Then it’s a long, but dramatic, spell out on the pavement for her… Full review...