Newest For Sharing Reviews

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Oliver and the Noisy Baby by Mara Bergman and Nick Maland

For Sharing

We've met Oliver Donnington Rimington-Sneep before - he has had trouble sleeping and travelled far and wide. This time, he's suffering with a noisy baby. He does what every sensible older brother does: he goes and plays with his toys, retreating into his imagination and flying around the world, taking in all the sights and sounds. Full review...

Nutmeg Says Yum! by Caroline Jayne Church

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That Nutmeg is one naughty mouse. First she won't go to bed, and now she's turning her nose up at all the delicious fruit that's on offer. She doesn't want apples as they're too crunchy. Pears are a funny colour. Bananas? Too squidgy. She wants strawberries. Thankfully, Nutmeg's mummy is a wise and sneaky mouse, so she whips up a delicious strawberry surprise, with an interesting mix of ingredients. Full review...

The Tale of Georgie Grub by Jeanne Willis and Margaret Chamberlain

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Georgie Grub flat out refuses to have a bath. His mother is fed up of trying to get him clean, so she throws in the towel and leaves him to his filth. As the week goes on, he gets dirtier and dirtier. People hold their noses when he walks by, his teacher throws him out of school, and Georgie ends up scrabbling around in bins. Happy ending? Oh no no no. Georgie Grub gets his comeuppance, and quite right too, the mucky pup! Full review...

The Kiss That Missed by David Melling

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The king is in an awful rush, and doesn't even have time to read the prince a bedtime story. He blows him a kiss, but it misses! So, he dispatches his knight to track it down, and an elaborate and bizarre adventure ensues. Full review...

Susan Laughs by Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross

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There's something very satisfying about a good picture book. With a pre-schooler at home with me all day we get through a lot of books, so I've seen hundreds, from dazzlingly brilliant through to terribly dull. There are times when my daughter at I look at each other at the end of a book and shrug in disbelief that a publisher thought it worth printing, and there are times when we read something over and over (and over!) because it's so good. This particular book is one of the brilliant ones I'm happy to say, and let me tell you why... Full review...

Horrid Henry's Thank You Letter by Francesca Simon and Tony Ross

Confident Readers

I'm sure most of us have, at one time or another, found ourselves being forced to write a huge pile of thank you letters to distant relatives, perhaps even for gifts that we weren't all that excited to receive in the first place! This is the predicament that Henry finds himself in, and rather than knuckle down to get them over and done with he, of course, procrastinates as much as possible before coming up with an ingenious, money-making scheme! Full review...

Tales from Thimble Hall: Mrs Stopper's Bottle by Malcolm Fawbert

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One night Evie and Jacob, who lived at Thimble Hall, asked their mother for a story about a bottle and strangely enough, she knew a rather good one which was about a small shop not far from where they lived. Full review...

The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen, Naomi Lewis and Christian Birmingham

Confident Readers

Kay and Gerda are dear, dear friends. However, Kay gets splinters from the Devil's shattered magic mirror in his eye and heart, changing his personality for the worse. Shortly after, he is whisked away by the Snow Queen. Everyone assumes Kay must have fallen in the river and drowned, but Gerda is sure her friend is still alive, and embarks on a magical quest to bring him home again. Full review...

The Wombles at Work by Elizabeth Beresford

Confident Readers

Bloomsbury have re-issued another tranche of the original Womble books, following the release of the first titles in late 2010. This brings the total to six available titles for you to have a Wombling good time with. And quite frankly, what's not to love here? Any story featuring Elisabeth Beresford's environmentally-minded, charming characters is a delight, for young and old alike. Full review...

Scaredy Squirrel at Night by Melanie Watt

Confident Readers

Scaredy Squirrel is scared to go to sleep at night. He has all sorts of tricks to keep himself awake so that he doesn't have to face his night-time fears. But his sleeplessness is having a toll on his health. Can he find a solution to his problem? Full review...

More! by Peter Schossow

For Sharing

What happens when the wind blows off your hat, and you chase it along the beach? This sweet, short little book has only one word (and that comes on the very last page), but it still manages to tell an imaginative story! Full review...

Even Monsters Need Haircuts by Matthew McElligott

For Sharing

The title of this picture book is really intriguing. I admit I had not previously thought much about the needs of the customers in a story before. It's written in the first person, so we never learn the name of the boy who is the main character. This seems unusual for children's picture books, and the only other one I can think of offhand is The Cat in the Hat by Dr Seuss. Full review...

A Year in Brambly Hedge by Jill Barklem

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It makes me feel old to see a 30 years anniversary edition of the Brambly Hedge stories...I remember loving them as a little girl, and 30 years on reading them with my daughter I find that they've lost none of their charm. This beautiful collection takes us through a year in the lives of the mice of Brambly Hedge. There are four books, one for each season, and they are all delightful. Full review...

George and Ghost by Catriona Hoy and Cassia Thomas

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George and his friend are inseparable, but George isn't sure he believes in Ghost any more. He asks Ghost to prove he is real by weighing himself, having his photo taken and showing he takes up space. But the scales don't move, Ghost can't be seen in the picture and the water in the bucket doesn't spill when Ghost stands in it. Ghost can't be real. Or can he? Full review...

Willow of the Woods: Litter to Glitter by Helen Bailey and Kirsten Richards

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Willow is a wood sprite who lives with her friends in Windybottom. Unfortunately one day, they notice a really terrible smell that is so bad that no one can concentrate in their lessons and the school concert has to be cancelled. The rank smells of rotten eggs, smelly cabbage and pongy feet have turned the usually idyllic Windybottom into 'Stinkybottom'. My daughter found this description very funny! Full review...

The Scallywags Blow Their Top by David Melling

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The Scallywags, for those who do not know, are a bunch of wolves who in their previous escapade had to learn a few manners in order to get along with the other animals. This time they're taking part in a play, a fairy tale story along with the other animals, and the wolves are playing the part of the dragon. Of course, things are destined to go badly and inside the dragon costume their tempers begin to fray until finally, as the costume rips, the wolves are sent home in disgrace. On the way home they all start blaming each other until they see, quite by surprise, that waiting by their house is a little sheep... Full review...

Dodo Doo Doo by Kaye Umansky and Korky Paul

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We're big fans of the Winnie the Witch stories in this house, so we were very interested to see this new book with the same illustrator, Korky Paul. He's teamed up here with Kaye Umansky, who I already like from reading her stories for slightly older children, so we sat, eager with anticipation, to see what sort of story they'd come up with... Full review...

Running Rhino by Mwenye Hadithi and Adrienne Kennaway

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Rhino runs everywhere. And as he runs, he leaves a wake of devastation in his path. The other animals are fed up of this rampant running and so Lion confronts him, telling him he must stop. Rhino refuses and challenges anyone to try and stop him. Out of all the animals it is little Tickbird who takes up his challenge, with interesting results! Full review...

Midnight Mischief by Victoria L Thompson and Ben The Illustrator

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James is fast asleep, when his bear wakes him up and points him in the direction of an astronaut coming alive from one of his posters. James is suddenly whisked away on a trip into deep space, because aliens have stolen Pluto and are using it as a football. Will James be able to save the day or will he fall foul of those pesky aliens? Full review...

The Railway Rabbits: Berry Goes to Winterland by Georgie Adams

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In this story, the young rabbits are very excited when they see snow for the first time. They have great fun sliding, building snow rabbits and falling over. When it is time to go home though, they realise that Berry has disappeared and before long, a search party is set up. Full review...

The Bear with Sticky Paws and the New Baby by Clara Vulliamy

For Sharing

When Pearl's new baby brother arrives, she resents the fact that he is the baby and that she is supposed to be the grown-up sister. She tries to persuade her mum that she is still a baby too but with no success. It is at this time that the Bear with Sticky Paws arrives and they decide to play at being babies. The bear excels at making a mess while eating without a spoon, getting Pearl to dress him and scribbling all over her pictures. It is through all of these activities that Pearl comes to realise that she can do so much more than any baby and perhaps she is quite happy being that little bit more grown up after all. By the time the bear leaves, she has completely revised her opinion of her little brother and presents him with a beautifully drawn picture that has no scribbles at all. Full review...

In The Beginning by Jan Pienkowski and David Walser

For Sharing

Using a modified text, based on the King James bible, this book collects some of the best-loved stories from the Old Testament and they are portrayed in full page, gloriously vibrant pictures. With everything from the Creation through to Noah, Joseph and David and Goliath this is an extensive collection of stories to share with children. My daughter and I love Pienkowski's funny illustrations throughout the Meg and Mog stories, so I was hopeful that this would be another lovely book to share with her. Full review...

Mr Aesop's Story Shop by Bob Hartman and Jago

Confident Readers

Aesop's fables have been known for centuries all around the world, and here is a new edition where a selection of the fables have been given some new embellishments. Aesop features in the stories himself, as a teller of tales himself with a stall in the market where people, especially children, gather to listen and hear him. His stories are often set within the context of an understandable situation, making it easier for children to see parallels between the animals in the tales and the real life action. Full review...

The Christmas Eve Ghost by Shirley Hughes

For Sharing

Bronwen and Dylan live in the poor part of 1930s Liverpool. Their mam takes in washing to make ends meet, and often has to leave them alone whilst she's pushing the big old pram full of washing to the part of the city where the well-off people live. They're under strict instructions to have nothing to do with their neighbours, the O'Rileys. Then, on Christmas Eve, when they're alone, Bronwen and Dylan hear a plonk, plonk, plonk and are sure it's a ghost... Full review...

Jake and Dixie: Super Magic Lightning Boy by Scott McIntyre and Laura Raine

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Meet Jake, Super Magic Lightning Boy, the fastest kid in town, and his sidekick Dixie Thunder Paws, the meanest cat around! Full review...

The Railway Rabbits: Wisher and the Runaway Piglet by Georgie Adams

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Wisher and the Runaway Piglet is the first book in a charming series about the Railway Rabbits. The little family of rabbits are delightful creatures who enjoy life and exploring the big wide world. Lots of dangers lurk, but they always seem to come through unscathed. However, when they hear rumours of a fierce dog chasing a runaway pig, even they are a little daunted. All except Wisher that is, who feels the need to go and warn her friend Violet Vole. Along the way she is almost trapped by the buzzard and trampled over by the Red Dragon. Somehow though, she escapes major disaster and even manages to save the day. Maybe such narrow escapes and her parents' obvious relief on her return may lead her to be more cautious in the future but that remains to be seen. Somehow, I doubt it! Full review...

How To Raise A Dinosaur by Natasha Wing and Pablo Bernasconi

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Every young dino fan needs guidance, should they choose to have a dinosaur as a pet. Taking in such vital advice as the best chew toys (cars, usually) and the best way to administer a tummy rub, How To Raise A Dinosaur is a a light-hearted and silly look at the perils one would face if dinosaurs were around today. Full review...

Sir Charlie Stinky Socks and the Really Dreadful Spell by Kristina Stephenson

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Sir Charlie Stinky Socks is on his way home from a little princess's birthday party when he realises he has left his sword behind, and he has to ride his mare back to get it. On the way he meets a stranger who offers some advice on the best route to get there. The stranger, though, is up to no good – he guides Charlie into obstacles, but Charlie finds his way out with the help of his power. Finally, he's back at the princess's castle, but what's up? Why has everyone turned to stone? Can Charlie save the day? Full review...

The Beasties by Jenny Nimmo and Gwen Millward

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A small girl called Daisy is trying to get to sleep in her new bed in her new house. As she tosses and turns, she does not see three small Beasties creep into her room and under the bed. There they spread out all sorts of treasure such as buttons, feathers, pearls and rings. These items are going to be very important for what happens next in the story. At this point Daisy hears a noise and sits up in bed wondering what it could be. It's a growly sound but as she listens more closely she realises that it actually sounds like a story. One of the Beasties, Ferdinand, is telling an enchanting story all about a ring that belonged to a faraway king. Before long Daisy falls asleep wondering about the ring. During the following two nights similar things happen as she hears noises and then realise that Weevil and Floot, the other two beasties are also telling their lovely bedtime stories about sailing ships and beautiful princesses. Full review...

The Night Before Christmas by Tony Mitton and Layn Marlow

For Sharing

The original poem is from the viewpoint of a father who meets Santa Claus. This version is told by one of the two children who sneak out of bed when they hear Father Christmas coming. Like the original, it's written in rhyming verse, but the words are simpler than in the original and the words and pictures are modern ones, targeted at young children in the 21st century. Full review...

Magpie's Treasure by Kate Slater

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Magnus Magpie, like so many of his fellow magpies, loves collecting shiny things, including a pinnacle from the Taj Mahal and the queen's emerald egg cup. What he wants most of all is the beautiful, shining moon, so off he flies... Full review...

Help Me! by Paul Geraghty

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At the waterhole, the elephants wander by, an impala watches and waits, and a tortoise makes his way slowly to the water's edge. One animal after another gets into trouble, and is helped by an unlikely ally. It all makes for an amazing day with the wildlife of Africa. Full review...

Snail Trail by Ruth Brown

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Slimy Snail sets out on an adventure, up a hill, through a tunnel, and on and on. When he finally comes to rest in a dark cave, we take a look at the trail he's left, and discover just where he's been travelling. Full review...

Jack's Fantastic Voyage by Michael Foreman

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Jack loves spending time with his sea-loving grandfather, hearing tales of his old ocean voyages, and seeing his beautiful paintings. When other kids in the village cast doubts about whether Grandfather really has ever been to sea, Jack begins to see things in a new light. However, as he's drifting off to sleep, Jack, Grandfather and Grandfather's house are all whisked away on a fantastic voyage across the sea. Full review...

Meg and Mog: Meg Goes to Bed by Helen Nicoll and Jan Pienkowski

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Meg is a witch who lives with her cat, Mog, and Owl. This is the latest in a lovely series of picture books by Helen Nicoll and illustrator Jan Pienkowski. In other books in the series they travel around the world and beyond, but Meg Goes to Bed describes an evening/night at home. Full review...

The Lion Storyteller Christmas Book by Bob Hartman and Krisztina Kallai Nagy

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Christmas is such a magical time of year especially for children. Sometimes though, with all the excitement of presents, decorations and parties, they can forget what Christmas is really about. The Lion Storyteller Christmas Book is perfect for sharing wonderful tales and legends from around the world that help to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. Full review...

A Little Princess Treasury by Tony Ross

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Most parents of two to three year olds will surely be aware of The Little Princess. She is used universally whilst potty training thanks to 'I want my potty!' and always seems to raise giggles and sniggers from little ones when her stories are read aloud. I do enjoy reading them aloud, as I get to be loud and shouty and obnoxious! This treasury is a lovely collection, with a wide range of stories as well as some puzzles for slightly older toddlers thrown in too. Full review...

See You Later, Escalator by John Foster

Children's Rhymes and Verse

Always a sucker for a good poetry anthology here at Bookbag, we've enjoyed two previous collections from John Foster. See You Later, Escalator continues in the same vein, with poems from the likes of Tony Mitton, Michael Rosen, Michelle Magorian and Brian Patten. Full review...

The Wombles by Elizabeth Beresford

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A scruffy, shaggy, slightly overweight, furry creature is riding around part of South London, barely in control of his bicycle. No, not the political memoirs of the incumbent Mayor of London. Better. Far better. It's Orinoco Womble and the gang are back! Full review...

Stories for a Fragile Planet: Traditional Tales About Caring for the Earth by Kenneth Steven and Jane Ray

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Stories for a Fragile Planet is a wonderful anthology of stories from long ago and also from the present. The stories come from far and wide – from China to Alaska. They all seem to involve brave characters that care greatly about their environment and who are prepared to do things differently whether it is looking after a blackbird's nest for days until the eggs hatch or caring for a young lion cub who would otherwise die. There are ten stories in total and each one is short but self contained with a very satisfying conclusion. Each one can easily be read in a single sitting and would make ideal bedtime stories for slightly older children. Full review...

Elmer and Papa Red by David McKee

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Elmer and Papa Red is a lovely picture story book that features some very excitable elephants. It is only two days before the visit of Papa Red and all the young elephants are so excited that they can hardly contain themselves. Elmer takes them for a walk to fetch the big tree whilst the older elephants make the preparations. They have a great time especially as they see snow for the first time and that leads to a great deal of fun and frolicking. Once the tree is brought home it is decorated and surrounded by lots of presents and the young elephants hide so that they might catch a glimpse of Papa Red. He duly arrives out of the sky on a sleigh pulled by six moose. Surprisingly though, rather than the sleigh being laden it is empty until Papa Red loads it up with all the presents under the tree. The elephants have all seen him taking the presents but instead of being upset, they are excited as they know that he is taking them to those who need them most! As they fall asleep exhausted though, Elmer delivers one small gift to each elephant – especially left by Papa Red. Full review...

Don't Do That! by Tony Ross

For Sharing

In this story we meet a little girl called Nellie who is fortunate to have a very pretty nose. She wins competitions and gets the best part in the Christmas play because of that nose. However, during a rehearsal, the teacher suddenly shouts out 'Don't do that!' as he notices Nellie and her fellow angels with their fingers sticking up their noses. Unfortunately Nellie's finger becomes stuck fast and she is sent home for her parents to remove it. It is impossible though which sets off a chain of events where all sorts of people attempt to remove the offending finger but all in vain. They all go to extreme lengths such as tying Nellie to the back of a tractor or sending her up into space. Throughout all of this, Nellie's brother Henry keeps declaring that he knows how to get the finger out but he is always ignored. You might think that is probably a good thing when you take a look at the brilliant illustrations and notice some of the hazardous implements he is holding at various times. So can any of the sensible grown ups help Nellie or is she facing a future with a permanent finger up her nose? But then again, Henry is very persistent... Full review...

Santa's Delight by Marisa Laycock

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There's only one more night to go before Christmas Eve and Santa knows that his preparations are going well. The reindeer are fed and strong and the elves were just finishing wrapping all the presents. He's done the planning and was grateful for the different time zones. But Mrs Santa knew that there was something worrying her husband and gently she persuaded him to talk about it. He was worried about all the people in our communities who help so much, from the doctors and nurses, rescue services and the armed forces who are on duty over Christmas. Full review...

The Dolls' House Fairy by Jane Ray

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Rosy has a beautiful dolls' house that she enjoys playing with every Saturday with her dad. However, one Saturday she wakes up to find her dad is ill and has gone to hospital, so she is left to play alone. When she goes to the dolls' house, however, she discovers that a messy little fairy named Thistle has moved in! Full review...

Pocket's Christmas Wish by Ann Bonwill and Russell Julian

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It's Christmas morning and Pocket the rabbit sees a snow angel on the ground. He decides to follow the angel's tracks to discover the true meaning of Christmas. He leaves his brothers and sisters playing in the snow, and off he hops on an adventure, taking in a variety of sights and sounds. Full review...

Share! by Anthea Simmons and Georgie Birkett

For Sharing

Ah, sharing! Perhaps one of the hardest lessons to teach a toddler is how to let go of a chosen toy and share it with someone else. My weekly playgroup is always full of loud parental demands of 'share!' followed by wails of distress from small children being forced to part with the one thing they absolutely, positively must have...until they spot something else they want! This promising-looking story deals with just such an issue, and in this case it is an older sister learning to share everything, from favourite blankets to tea-time food with her baby brother. Full review...

Mouse Trouble by John Yeoman

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Mouse trouble tells the story of an old windmill that is overrun by mice. The grumpy miller never sees these clever mice but he knows they are there and determines to get rid of them. He buys a large tabby cat but is too mean to feed him which means that the cat never has the energy to catch the mice. Rather than rejoicing in this fact though, the mice actually feel quite sorry for him and decide to make his life a bit easier. Without ever allowing themselves to be caught, they let the cat chase them and help him to become fitter and healthier. They also pretend to be very scared whenever they see the cat which does wonders for his self esteem. Full review...

A Christmas Journey by Brian Wildsmith

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Mary is visited by the angel Gabriel and told that she'll give birth to Jesus. So far so good for the Nativity story. Skip ahead to Mary and Joseph leaving for Bethlehem, and that's where we part ways with them for a while. Instead, we travel with their cat and dog, who are left behind but decide to follow. They meet up with the other animals and people from the Nativity story on their way, until finally they come to the manger in Bethlehem. Full review...