Max the Brave by Ed Vere
I can truly believe that Curiosity Killed the Cat, if the cat is anything like Max from ‘Max the Brave’ by Ed Vere. Thankfully, as well as being curious, cats are also known for having several lives, Max uses some of them up in this adventure. Being an cat of action Max wishes to go out in the big world and chase some mice, but he is also young so does not know what a mouse is. After asking several animals if they are a mouse (including one with big ears, whiskers and a penchant for cheese), Max is pointed in the direction of something a little larger and greener than your average rodent. Full review...
The Moonshine Dragon (Little Gems) by Cornelia Funke
What happens when stories escape from books? One moonlit night Patrick is woken up by the noise of a tiny dragon emerging from his storybook and chased by an equally tiny knight on horseback. Suddenly Patrick finds himself shrunk to story book size too and he and the dragon find themselves under attack. Can Patrick save them both before time runs out? Full review...
When Angus Met Alvin by Sue Pickford
Angus is not like other aliens. He is a peace-loving little fellow, who likes nothing better than sitting in his garden watching the flowers grow and sipping a nice cup of tea. Unfortunately, one day, a strange spaceship crash lands in his garden and out pops a cheeky, hyperactive green alien called Alvin who is rather a show-off. It’s time for Angus to teach Alvin a lesson about manners. Can the two aliens put their differences aside and become friends in the end? Full review...
Horrid Henry's Wedding by Francesca Simon and Tony Ross
What on earth was Prissy Polly thinking? If she had wanted her wedding to Pimply Paul to go without a hitch, why, oh why had she insisted on asking her awful cousin Horrid Henry to be a page boy? One thing is for certain: when you take a certain horrid boy with a reputation for mischief and force him to wear a lilac shirt, green satin knickerbockers, tights, a pink cummerbund and white satin shoes with gold buckles, you are just asking for trouble... Full review...
Foxy Tales - The Cunning Plan by Caryl Hart and Alex T Smith
Foxy DuBois is on a mission to get rich quick and to get rid of that pest, Alphonso the Alligator for good, otherwise the greedy alligator is going to eat Foxy for breakfast. However she needs Alphonso’s help to ensure that her plan will succeed. In order for the scheme to work Alphonso must dress as a lady dog walker and distract a rich old lady while Foxy kidnaps her small dogs. Alphonso will then pretend to find the dogs and the rich old lady, full of gratitude, will give them a generous reward. How could this possibly go wrong? Very, very easily... Full review...
Ant and Bee and Kind Dog by Angela Banner
When you learn to read it has to be fun. You have to master the skill but it mustn't be too daunting or you're not going to enjoy it and - worst of all - you might be put off reading for life. It's best if you can share the reading until you get to grips with decoding what's on the page, so if an adult could read most of the words but you read others to which you've already been introduced and which are in a different colour then that is going to be a help. If the words are introduced with a nice big picture and if they appear in alphabetical order, then that's going to be fun, isn't it? It's going to make reading easier too if the book is the right size for your hands and has a nice firm cover which is easy to hold - and wipes clean if there's an accident. Full review...
Famous Five Colour Reads: A Lazy Afternoon by Enid Blyton
Perhaps the only thing better than a favourite author publishing a new book, is one of their old works that you missed first time around being re-released. The Famous Five, you see, didn’t just feature in their most well-known tales. They also had some short story adventures that were first seen in albums and magazines and whatnot, but are now being published as books in their own right. Hurrah! Full review...
Blamehounds (Little Gems) by Ross Collins
The idea began with Mr Lime’s bodily explosions (didn’t I put that nicely?) After three of them it was Norman the dog (who was entirely blameless in this matter so long as you’re willing to overlook the fact that he was having a lovely dream about dropping cats off bridges) who got the kick to speed him from the room. There were a couple more occasions when something similar happened but instead of getting a complex about what was happening, Norman saw an opportunity. A business opportunity. If dogs were going to get the blame then there should be something in it for them and he went into partnership with his best mate, Ringo (who does seem to be obsessed with sausages) and Blamehounds was born. Full review...
Barbapapa's Ark by Annette Tison and Talus Taylor
Barbapapa’s Ark is the fourth book in the popular series about a shape-shifting pink blob, his wife and seven children. It follows on from the previous book, in which Barbapapa and his family built themselves a beautiful house in a peaceful valley. One day, after a picnic, the family decide to take a leisurely ride along the river, but are horrified to see sick and injured animals suffering from the effects of pollution. Over time, more and more animals come to Barbapapa for help. He decides that the only way to teach the humans a lesson is to take the animals to a new, green planet where they will be safe. Full review...
Convertible Spaceship by Claire Philip and Belinda Gallagher
When is a book, not a book? When it is also a playmat and also a spaceship. With ‘Convertible Spaceship’ you get all three; a book that folds out into a playmat or into a spaceship. Can I hear the excitement from here? Full review...
Mr Monkey and the Birthday Party (Early Reader) by Linda Chapman and Sam Hearn
What is a young girl to do? Anya wants to go with the rest of her primary school class to a swimming party, but she's worried of being laughed at for staying at toddlers' depth, for she is not a confident swimmer. As luck would have it, she has been picked to take home the class 'pet', the cuddly toy called Mr Monkey, for the week, and just as luck would have it, he's actually a secretly magical being. But could even he get Anya out of her jam and make a Cinderella moment come true? Full review...
Chocolate Porridge (Early Reader) by Margaret Mahy and Terry Milne
Young Timothy has been drummed out of his mother's kitchen by her and his sisters, so he cannot join in with their baking. Instead he goes to the garden and devises chocolate porridge – a lot of mud, plus some other ingredients. But only when he's happy with his craft does he begin to realise that not even calling mud chocolate porridge makes it edible. Oh what is a boy to do? Full review...
Fleatectives: Case of the Stolen Nectar by Jonny Zucker
Someone has been stealing all the nectar. The bees are in a buzz! One hive is blaming another hive and although the Sheriff is investigating, Buzz and Itch decide to take the case on themselves to try and figure out what exactly is going on. How will they manage to figure out the truth of what's happened? And will they manage to do it without being crushed to death by the bees? Full review...
The Dragon's Dentist by John McLay
Harry would like to be a knight. It seems like everyone else in his family is a knight. Nobody takes Harry very seriously though because Harry is quite small. He's very determined, however, and so he decides that he will go on a mission to prove his worth as a knight. The mission that he sets himself is to catch a dragon! Full review...
A Walk In Paris by Salvatore Rubbino
Welcome to the City of Lights! Come join a little girl and her grandad as they spend a magical day exploring the sights of Paris. Follow them as they see the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame. Sit down with them in the bistro as they tuck into lunch, and then look longingly alongside them as they gaze at the delicious treats in the window of the pâtisserie. Full review...
Mi and Museum City by Linda Sarah
Mi lives in Museum City, but he is lonely and bored. Most of the museums there are dull and grey and uninteresting. It is only when he meets Yu one day that he starts to have fun, and he wonders if the mayor will let them open up their own, new, fun museum? Full review...
Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T S Eliot and Rebecca Ashdown (Illustrator)
It has always struck me to be the very definition of disappointment to think you're going to study Eliot's poetry at college or university, only to find it is some errant dross like 'The Four Quartets'. His book of Cats poems is in the strictest of verse, it's bursting with levity, it's surely great fun to share – what's not to prefer here? If I were you, I'd just ignore what kind of show these pages once inspired, and turn or return to them, Prufrock be damned. Full review...
Squishy McFluff: the Invisible Cat! by Pip Jones
Meet Ava. She's a girl of great imagination and a big heart, who brings an invisible cat home to mum one day, who humours Ava by feeding it invisible food and letting the two bond. But when mess gets made, and mistakes about the house happen, Ava declares innocence, and blames it all on the cat – and you'd be surprised how many accidents can be the result of having an invisible kitten indoors… Full review...
A Book is a Book by Jenny Bornholdt and Sarah Wilkins
Yes, children – adults lie to you. Sometimes, even in the titles of the books they make for you, like this one. A book is a door, it's great for boredom, it's fine for time up a tree, or in the bath (just not the shower). It can be borrowed, and then lent if it's a great one you enjoyed. It's certainly never the case that a book is just a book, as the title of this book would have you believe. Full review...
I am Cat (mini edition) by Jackie Morris
You're always supposed to tell when a dog is dreaming – the twitching limbs and jerking joints allegedly proving the sleeping Fido is imagining himself on the chase. Cats are, as always, a bit more secretive, but Jackie Morris offers evidence here that they are more or less thinking the same thing – even the domestic moggy, curled up and closed in, is picturing a different self – one sleeking through snows, relaxing on the savannah or alertly moving through its territory. It's a very pleasant view into the mindset of cats. Full review...
Choosing Crumble by Michael Rosen and Tony Ross (Illustrator)
Terri- Lee wants a dog. She is positive that a dog will be the perfect pet for her and will settle for nothing else. When Terri-Lee and her mum visit the pet shop together they think that they will be choosing a dog however, Crumble, the dog, has very different ideas. He wants to be sure that his prospective owner is the perfect match for him and has a few questions of his own. Will Terri- Lee be able to convince Crumble that she should be his owner? Full review...
The Christmas Present (Hello Kitty and Friends) by Linda Chapman and Michelle Misra
Hello Kitty and her friends have a series of books but you don’t need to know about their previous adventures to enjoy this one. There’s a helpful illustration of the whole gang at the beginning, including Grandpa and Grandma who don’t feature in these two stories, and you also get to see all the friends with their mixed up names: Hello Kitty’s twin is Mimmy (why not Hi Mimmy?!) and then there’s Tammy, Fifi and the slightly odd Dear Daniel. 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...
The Secret Staircase (Brambly Hedge) by Jill Barklem
Primrose and Wilfred have a poem to rehearse as part of the mouse community's midwinter celebrations, but nowhere to practice, until they are shunted up to an attic. But once there chance discoveries lead them to find a new world that they could hardly have imagined – luxurious rooms carved into the upper reaches of the oak tree, where nobody has gone for years… Full review...
Alice Through the Looking Glass by Emma Chichester Clark
As a child, I found the Alice stories weird and a bit dark. Helena Bonham Carter in book form, perhaps. Not for everyone, no matter how many times the word Classic was bandied around, identifying them as a Very Good Thing that everyone should have read. If this was your experience of the original Lewis Carroll, then put those thoughts to one side for a moment and let me tell you about this book. It’s the original story, re-told and re-illustrated, and what a difference it makes. Full review...
Mr Wuffles by David Wiesner
Mr Wuffles (a name I cannot help but imagine being said in a Chinese American accent) is a feline. Not a kitty. Definitely not a pussy. Barely even a cat, he’s so fierce. Look at him glaring out at you from the cover. He looks like trouble, not so much in a cheeky, mischievous way but in a dirty, rotten scoundrel one. Mr Wuffles’ owner clearly does not know her pet very well. She offers him a typical, pet store toy but he simply turns up his nose at it and stalks off. Full review...
Horrid Henry's Christmas Play ( Horrid Henry Early Reader) by Francesca Simon and Tony Ross
Horrid Henry is one of those characters that parents either love or hate. Some parents feel Henry sets a very bad example - and at times he does, but what child doesn't love a bad example? Other parents love Henry simply because their children love him. Horrid Henry Books not only help children learn to read, they encourage them to read for pleasure, and children who read for pleasure invariably become better readers. Full review...