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The Goggle-eyed Goats by Stephen Davies and Christopher Corr
Life is pretty chaotic in Timbuktu where Ali Haji Amadu lives with his wives, children and their many animals. They have one dangle-tailed donkey, two snaggle-toothed camels, three curvy-horned cows, four wobble-legged lambs and five goggle-eyed goats. That would probably be enough if the goats were not so troublesome and mischievous, munching and chewing everything in sight. At the insistence of his three wives, Fama, Rama and Sama, Ali Haji sets off to Mopti Market with the intention of selling the goats. It's a long trek but he finally arrives early the following morning and tries to find someone to buy them. It's not as easy as he expects though, especially when certain members of his family, having followed him, decide to intervene. It seems that the goats are wanted after all even though there is always such a hullabaloo when they are around. Full review...
Wave the Flag and Blow the Whistle by Ronda Armitage and Andrew Gordon
A little boy and his grandad, and a spotty giraffe toy go out one day for a ride on a train. They're off on a journey to Blueberry Hill. What will they see? What will they do? All the excitement of travelling by train are looked at in this story! Full review...
The Lying Carpet by David Lucas
There is a room in a big old house where nothing moves but the insects. An empty chair sits to one side, a stone statue of a girl called, and representing, Faith, the other. In between is a tiger rug. What potential is in that for the setting of a charming book? What potential indeed... Full review...
Pants, Vest, Getting Dressed! (All By Myself) by Debbie Foy
Have you ever noticed that there are certain processes which a child needs to master but which cause quite a lot of grief along the way? Most children are alright with one or two but stick on others - and they're the ones which parents come to dread each day. Getting dressed is one of these. The need for it isn't immediately obvious and - let's be honest - there's not a lot of fun in it is there? Well - that might be about to change with a series of books from Debbie Foy which inject some fun into the processes. Full review...
Christopher's Caterpillars by Charlotte Middleton
Christopher Nibble, a charming little guinea pig, loves gardening with his friend Posie. When they find six munching caterpillars on their plants though they decide that they cannot stay and choose to keep them as pets instead. They make a list of the things that they think that the caterpillars will need such as woolly socks and mini hairbrushes. When they visit Mr Rosetti, who runs the local café, he puts them straight and suggests that they get some clean jars, juicy leaves, twigs, and make lids with holes in them instead. They now know exactly what to do in order to look after their new pets and they do – very carefully. Full review...
Marco Moves In (A Rather Remarkable Grizzly Bear) by Gerry Boland
It's not every day that a grizzly bear turns up on your doorstep. Yet, this is exactly what happens one night at Patrick'shouse. The grizzly bear, Marco, has escaped from the local zoo and is looking for somewhere to live. The entire town is on the lookout and a grizzly can be rather hard to hide. After a host of close calls, Patrick and Marco find the perfect place. Full review...
Elmer's First Counting Book by David McKee
It's a lovely board book in the Elmer series and a lovely way of introducing the youngest readers to the patchwork elephant although there's only one of him and as this is a counting book he only gets to feature on the front and back covers and the first page. Full review...
Little Mouse by Alison Murray
'Sometimes, when I am being very quiet and cuddly, my mummy calls me her little mouse'. Although mostly, Little Mouse is anything but quiet, just as you would expect from a pre-school age child; she can waddle like a penguin, eat like a horse and splash like a whale in author Alison Murray's gorgeous wander through the daytime exploits of an imaginative little girl, who likes to turn the plainest of activities into something fun and adventurous, becoming her favourite animals en route. Full review...
The Big Adventure of the Smalls by Helen Stephens
Paul and Sally Small live in Small Hall; except Small Hall isn't very small… It's HUGE! On one especially special night – the night of the Small Hall Grand Ball – Paul and Sally Small are having a peek at the guests arriving, when disaster strikes! Paul's beloved bear, Mr Puddles, falls through the banisters and into the throng. Full review...
The Quest In A Vest (Gordon the Goblin) by Tariq Kurd and Laura Robertson
Gordon the Goblin is more than a little fed up because he is so small and not big and tough like all of the other goblins. They are all fearless hunters and go off on exciting adventures whilst Gordon is left behind. He decides that there is nothing else for it but to set out on his very own quest even though he feels very nervous at the thought of it. He approaches the chief goblin who laughs at him, before deciding to send him off to capture a dragon – not for one moment thinking that Gordon will succeed. It does look like an impossible feat especially as Gordon does lack strength and muscles. Maybe though, he will be able to use his brains and charm rather than relying on brute force. Will Gordon be able to find a dragon and actually persuade him that he wants to be captured and what will happen if he does? Full review...
Love Monster by Rachel Bright
At the start of this lovely book, the reader meets a red googly-eyed monster who is a 'bit funny looking to say the least'. Unfortunately for him, he lives in a world of cute looking things which only make his strange unorthodox looks more noticeable. He feels lonely when he sees that everyone loves the cute bunnies, kittens and puppies who live close by but no one seems to love him. Rather than be downhearted though, he decides to set out to find someone who will love him. Full review...
Babies Don't Bite by David Bedford and Tor Freeman
Hegley the pony is excited. His mummy is having a baby! His friends, however, don't seem to share his excitement...their mums are all having babies too, but they know that babies just mean trouble! Full review...
Who Am I? by Gervase Phinn and Tony Ross
When a funny little creature hatches out of an egg deep in the jungle, all alone, he sets off to try and discover who he is. Wandering through the jungle he meets lots of different creatures and he asks each of them Who am I? but they are all mystified, able only to tell them who they are. Will he ever meet another creature just like him? Full review...
Red Riding Hood and the Sweet Little Wolf by Rachel Mortimer and Liz Pichon
'Once upon a time there was a Big Bad Wolf who lived in the woods. Well. That's not quite true... Really, she was a Sweet Little Wolf who loved all things pretty and pink, especially fairy tales.'
From the very start of this wonderful book the reader discovers that not all wolves are big and bad and is introduced to the sweetest, mildest wolf that ever lived. The only problem is that her parents are big and bad and they want her to be exactly like them. This is why they send her out with a shopping list for dinner which along with the onions, potatoes and carrots includes 'one little girl (tender and juicy)' Full review...
The Great Explorer by Chris Judge
I really enjoyed Chris Judge's first book, The Lonely Beast so I was excited to pick up his latest story. This time we're following the story of a young boy called Tom. His dad, a famous explorer, has gone missing at the North Pole and so Tom sets out to find him. His adventurous, exciting journey sees him facing dangerous animals and the treacherous terrain. Will he make it to find his dad? Full review...
Chloe, Instead by Micah Player
When Molly imagined her little sister she thought she'd be someone just like her, but instead she got Chloe! Molly loves to draw, Chloe loves to eat the crayons! Molly loves books, and so does Chloe but in a rather more page-ripping way! This lovely story looks at an older sibling trying to cope with her shattered expectations of what having a little sister would be like. Full review...
The Treasure of Captain Claw by Jonathan Emmett and Steve Cox
This is the story of what happens when two dogs, Oscar and Lily, are on holiday together and come across an old treasure map. In their adventurous quest to find the treasure they are captured by pirates but they cleverly manage to outwit them in a way which leads to a laugh-out-loud conclusion to the story! Full review...
My Granny is a Pirate by Val McDermid and Arthur Robins
It seems the pirate phase is something all small children go through at some point. My daughter spent several months dressed as a pirate, completing her outfit with a knitted eye patch, which she asked my mum to knit for her, swiftly followed by a knitted parrot! It is rather fun to run around shouting 'Arrrrrrrrrr me hearties!' actually, so I can see the appeal. Anyway, this story caters beautifully for all the little wannabe pirates out there and tells of one little boy's granny and her secret life story. Full review...
There's a House Inside My Mummy by Giles Andreae and Vanessa Cabban
The arrival of a new sibling can be a tricky time in any child's life, but this lovely book helps ease the way for a new baby and explains about pregnancy in a very easy, funny way that is perfect for sharing with toddlers. The idea of there being a house inside mummy's tummy is a clever one, and instantly understandable by small children, and the loving family relationship that is depicted in the story is wonderful to see. Full review...
Tattybogle by Sandra Horn and Ken Brown
At the start of this story, Tattybogle stands in the middle of the field in which he has stood for a long time. He is made of sticks and sacks, wears the farmer's old clothes and his head is full of straw and cheerful thoughts. It would seem that this scarecrow's life is a very good one especially when the wind blows because he likes a bit of a dance. He also likes the rain and when the stars twinkle at night. Full review...
Pushka by Stephen Mackey
The circus train is coming to town and little Pushka is asleep in the last wagon. Unfortunately, he topples out and wakes up in fright amongst the enchanted trees of the forest. He is scared by enormous thuds on the ground but then he spies a beautiful dancing girl and instantly falls in love. Little does he know that the lovely girl, Lulu, is a puppet and there is an evil giant controlling her strings and using her to lure Pushka to danger. He finds himself in a lot of trouble when he is enticed into the giant's oven with its fierce burning flames. Luckily, the giant does not reckon on the strength of the love that Lulu feels for her new friend, at it is the power of this that helps her to save him. Full review...
The Totally Terrifying Three by Hiawyn Oram and David Melling
This story sees the gathering together of three unlikely friends: a dragon, a witch and a giant. They all consider themselves to be TOTALLY TERRIFYING, yet when they meet each other, they're not scared. As they wander around together they come across a toddler. She isn't phased by any of them and the totally terrifying three soon find themselves entertaining her with a shoulder ride, a trip on the broomstick and a sweetly crooned dragon lullaby. It seems the three friends are not so terrifying after all! Full review...
Slobcat by Paul Geraghty
Slobcat is our cat.
He does nothing but lie
about and sleep.
Well that is what the little girl who tells this wonderful story about a most endearing cat thinks. Actually, she is quite wrong, as the reader discovers, as the story progresses. Because she and the rest of the family only see him lazing around and sleeping, they have named him Slobcat. It is a term of affection though as they do really love their cat, even though they have got him quite wrong. She tells the reader that Slobcat is too lazy to eat his dinner; often comes home soaking wet because he can't be bothered to shelter from the rain and he would be totally useless if there were any rats or mice that might need catching. Full review...
Leave Me Alone by Kes Gray and Lee Wildish
A young boy sits in a field, and to every advance by the animal friends around him he declares 'Leave me alone.' He finally explains that his problems are too big for anyone to help him with because his problem is a giant who bullies and teases him. When the bully appears the animals gather together and tell him to leave the boy alone. Full review...
Pedro The Penguin (Get Well Friends) by Kes Gray and Mary McQuillan
It is a beautiful Polar morning. The sun is shining, the icebergs are glistening, and Pedro decides to start the day with an early morning swim! He gets ready to dive in, tucks in his tummy, point his beak to the sky, and dives high, high, high into the air. But oh dear. He forgot to break the ice before diving in! CRUNCH! But don't worry, with a little help from Nurse Nibbles and his Get Well Friends, he'll soon be feeling better. Full review...
Zoe the Zebra (Get Well Friends) by Kes Gray and Mary McQuillan
It was a beautiful day in Africa. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and all the zebras were peacefully eating their lunch. All except for Zoe who is so busy looking out for big, scary animals that she isn't looking where she is going and trips up over a teeny-tiny tortoise! However, Nurse Nibbles is on hand and with the Get Well Friends it seems that Zoe will soon be on the mend. Full review...
Sir Charlie Stinky Socks and the Tale of the Terrible Secret by Kristina Stephenson
The brave and bold Sir Charlie Stinky Socks and his companions - who are, as I am sure you already know by now, his good grey mare and his pet cat, Envelope - are led to a castle that teeters on top of a hill from which strange cries are heard. Sir Charlie knows that even though he is a bit scared, he must be brave and put right the terrible thing that has happened in the tall, tall tower (with the pointy roof). And so our hero's tale begins… Full review...
Magic Beans by Adele Geras, Anne Fine, Henrietta Branford, Jacqueline Wilson, Malorie Blackman, Philip Pullman, Tony Mitton, Alan Garner, Berlie Doherty, Gillian Cross, Kit Wright, Michael Morpurgo, Susan Gates and Linda Newbery
I was attracted to this book because it features stories from Jacqueline Wilson, Philip Pullman, Michael Morpurgo, Alan Garner and many other prominent children's writers. I thought it might make a great Christmas or birthday present (and it would). There's a selection of stories from traditional sources such as Hans Christian Andersen, and Aesop, and I imagine that the authors were inveigled into writing for publisher David Fickling with a free choice of original stories. So don't expect a collection or compendium, but rather an anthology of tales that have entranced and inspired these writers in their own childhoods – magic beans indeed. Full review...
Predators by Steve Backshall
Many readers would probably know that on the simple count of humans they helped to dispatch, mosquitoes may be the most deadly animals ever. But did you know that if you take into account the success rate of hunts, diversity and spread, ladybirds are more successful predators than tigers? Full review...
Dear Zoo (Noisy Book) by Rod Campbell
There is something slightly unsettling about the notion of a noisy book; the very idea that you can make a racket with something intended as a quiet pastime is a tiny bit of an oxymoron for me. But not, of course, for your average toddler (let's assume that we are disregarding the din they are able to make just by banging a fair sized hardback such as this, on the table!) And I've never met a child who did not like a book with interactive buttons and flaps – never. Full review...
Cat on the Hill by Michael Foreman
The story is told through the eyes of the nameless cat. It starts in Summer when he tells how he loves living at the top of the hill with its tremendous views of the sea and the constant visitors who are only too happy to share their sandwiches and the drips from their ice creams. Life is good even with horrible squawky gulls trying to steal his food. He explains how he used to be a ship's cat until both the skipper and the ship became too old to sail the seas. Full review...
The Day The Gogglynipper Escaped by James McKnight and Mark Chambers
One day, when rounding up the rather dangerous and often very smelly Gogglynippers, Diggle discovers that there are only nine of the purple monsters, instead of ten. Full review...
Don't Invite Dinosaurs To Dinner by Neil Griffiths and Peggy Collins
Don't invite dinosaurs to dinner, or take them to the shops… don't take them to a football match, or to sports day, or to the zoo …. In fact, DON'T take a dinosaur anywhere because, as you will find out, it's a really, really bad idea! I've got to tell you now, that I really love this book – firstly, the stanzas are the well-paced rhyming variety and not your moon, June, spoon assortment of verse, either, which was a pleasant surprise and went down very well in our house and secondly there are fold out flaps which are huge and beautifully illustrated, often with hilarious punch lines lurking inside. Full review...
Only Nooglebooglers Glow in the Dark by James McKnight and Mark Chambers
Farmer and Mrs McDoogle are throwing a party for all their friends and for the people who visit the farm throughout the year. The barn has been decorated, Mrs McDoogle has prepared plenty of food and one of the monsters, Diggle, is acting as DJ and playing all of their favourite music. Soon the guests and some of the better behaved monsters start arriving. However, just as the party is getting into full swing, calamity strikes with the music stopping and all the lights going out. The machine that turns poo from the gogglynippers into electricity has broken down. Full review...
Hats Off! by Neil Griffiths and Janette Louden
'Hats Off!' is a wonderfully entertaining book that is written entirely in rhyme. It starts by asking if the reader has ever thought about how many hats they might have been bought and whether a hat actually looks good on their head or not. The author, Neil Griffiths, then goes on to suggest that there are:
Hats too big, too tight
and too small,
Hats that just shouldn't
be worn at all!
Full review...
Scaredy Squirrel has a Birthday Party by Melanie Watt
Scaredy Squirrel is planning a birthday party - his own - but he's not a very brave squirrel and thinks that the safest thing to do for his party will be to celebrate, by himself, in his tree. Very safe. Very far away from any possible danger, like ants or Bigfoot or confetti. Very far away indeed from unfunny clownfish, ponies and porcupines. But then Scaredy's friend Buddy sends him a lovely birthday card and all of the plans for the party have to change. Full review...
The Tangle Fairy by Seema Barker
Jaya, just like every little girl in the land, brushes her hair before bed but wakes up with all sorts of knots and tangles. When Jaya asks her mummy how this can be, the simple explanation is 'The Tangle Fairy'. Full review...
Time For Dinner by June Morley
I was beginning to wonder when I would see a book that addressed the sticky (pardon the pun) issue of the food chain. I mean, the reception and pre-schooler set seem pretty au fait with being cooked and eaten by giants whose sleep is disturbed, or by nasty, warty, smelly old witches who live in the woods waiting for a hapless brother and sister to wander past the door, so I was very keen to see how Morley got into the detail of this particular stumbling block. Full review...
Sixes and Sevens by John Yeoman and Quentin Blake
'Sixes and Sevens' was originally published in 1971 but the fact it’s still doing the rounds is a testament to the longevity of the rhyming writing style and the simply fabulous illustrations by Quentin Blake. I grew up on a diet of books illustrated by Blake and it was a joy to revisit his style in the pages of this book with the next generation of my family; my 4 year old, Sadie. Full review...
The Silent Owl by Clemency Pearce and Sam McPhillips
Owl is silent. Not a hoot. Not a twit or a twoo. Nothing. The other forest animals are worried about him, and try to provoke him into saying something, but Owl remains silent. Full review...
Little Penguin Learns to Swim by Dubravka Kolanovic and Eilidh Rose
Little Penguin has an important day ahead of him, for today he is going to go swimming for the first time. He's a little bit scared, but as he sets off to the water he meets several friends along the way, all of whom are also trying out something new. As he sees each of them succeed in their endeavours, will he also find the courage to try and swim himself? Full review...
The Misadventures of Winnie the Witch by Laura Owen and Korky Paul
Have you met Winnie the Witch yet? I do hope so. She's really quite bonkers, often rather disgusting, and she has a fat, long-suffering cat called Wilbur. She's a bit of a favourite in our house, so we were eager to sit down and read her newest stories together! Full review...
Mr Bliss by J R R Tolkien
If you wanted to produce a classic of children's literature, it would probably look a lot like this. It would be written by a famous name as a private exercise for their children, with the author's own illustrations. It would feature a title character, with a typical Edwardian headstrong attitude, yet with an ability to create slapstick. It may well have fairytale characters as you've never seen them before. And it would be presented in a deluxe, pristine heritage edition such as this. Full review...
Babar's Celesteville Games by Laurent de Brunhoff
Babar the elephant is the king of Celesteville, and this year his country is hosting the Worldwide Games. Athletes come from all over the world to compete. There is a fairytale romance for one of Babar's children, now grown up, too. Full review...
Rapunzel by Jutta Ash
Rapunzel is the story of a young man and his wife who long for a child of their own. Unfortunately, the wife also yearns to eat the lush rapunzel that grows in the garden next door. She pleads with her husband to fetch her some which he does. However he is spotted by the witch who lives there who tells him that in return for the rapunzel they must give her their first born child. This is a baby girl who is given the name Rapunzel. The witch imprisons her at the top of a tall tower and she can only be reached by the witch climbing up her long golden tresses. Full review...
The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse by Eric Carle
Eric Carle's latest story consists of just 50 words, 10 animal paintings and two pictures of the young artist at work. Simply, a child creates a series of vibrant paintings of animals in unusual, striking colours, including a blue horse, a green lion and a multi-coloured, polka-dotted donkey. My own favourite is the purple fox. The child says, I am a good artist. Full review...
Frederick by Leo Lionni
The story of Frederick starts by introducing a chatty family of field mice who live in a stone wall alongside a meadow not far from a barn and a granary. Unfortunately, the farmers have moved away meaning that there are not such rich pickings to collect for the winter. However, by working hard night and day the little family look like they could collect enough to see them through the long hard winter. Frederick is the only mouse who seems to see things slightly differently though. Instead of working as hard as his brothers and sisters, he spends his days staring at the meadow seemingly half asleep. Not surprisingly, the other hard working mice are none too pleased so they challenge Frederick. His answer amazes them when he claims that he is collecting supplies of a different sort – sun rays for the cold dark days ahead, colours for the grey winter and words for the long days when they might run out of things to say. Full review...
My Look and Point Bible by Christina Goodings and Annabel Hudson
This version of the bible for toddlers has been cleverly retold to engage little ones, with lots of illustrations, pictures to point at and words to learn. It includes stories from both the old and new testaments, from the creation and Noah through to the birth of Jesus as well as some of his parables and the crucifixion. Full review...