Newest For Sharing Reviews

The Something by Rebecca Cobb

For Sharing

The Something is one of those great books which instantly captures your imagination with a very simple idea. The premise is that a boy loses his ball when it falls down a small hole underneath the cherry tree in his back garden. What could be inside the hole? He asks his friends and family and they all come up with lots of different suggestions, but will he ever find out what it actually is? Full review...

Digby Dog Delivers: A Search and Find Book by Tor Freeman

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Digby Dog is off on his rounds, delivering the post. But he might need some help finding the people his parcels are for, can you help him? Full review...

Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin and James Dean

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Pete the Cat has put his favourite shirt on, you know the one, with four groovy buttons? And he loves it. But what happens when those buttons start to fall off one by one? Full review...

Smelly Louie by Catherine Rayner

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Louie is a smelly dog, until his owner gives him a bath. Suddenly everything is wrong and Louie doesn't smell like himself any more. Will he be able to find his own smell again? Let's hope so! Full review...

The Scarecrows' Wedding by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler

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Betty O'Barley and Harry O'Hay are going to get married, in fact they're going to have the best wedding yet, the wedding that no one will ever forget. So they make a wedding list and set off around the farm to find the things they need. Harry goes off on his own to find pink flowers, but the question is will he be back in time for the wedding? Full review...

Bear and Bee: Too Busy by Sergio Ruzzier

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Bear is trying to do lots of fun things, but they'd all be much more fun if only his friend, Bee, would join in. Bee, however, has other ideas and is just too busy to roll down hills or climb up trees. When Bee is finished and wants to play with Bear, Bear is trying to sleep! Full review...

Ten Little Princesses by Mike Brownlow and Simon Rickerty

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Ten little princesses are going to a ball, but not all of them may get there. There are lots of distractions between the castle and the dance floor. Some of them are less than pleasant, like the scary monsters or the poison apple, not to mention the huffing, puffing big bad wolf (can see a familiar theme emerging?) Others are much more enticing, like a frog just begging to be kissed or a charming prince (on a skateboard, no less). Full review...

Wolfman by Michael Rosen and Chris Mould

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People are panicking. The police are afraid. The army have run away. Who or what could possibly be so scary? It’s Wolf Man. And he’s on the loose. Full review...

Lord of the Forest by Caroline Pitcher and Jackie Morris

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Everything in the forest is exciting and new for little tiger as he explores the world around him. His mother has told him of The Lord of the Forest and so he watches, listens and waits in the hope of discovering who this mysterious animal may be. As time passes he grows puzzled and starts to ask the other animals such as the Rhino, the Elephant and the Peacock who The Lord of the Forest is and each in turn claims that it is he. The tiger does not believe them and continues his search. It is not until the tiger is fully grown with a mate and cubs of his own that he finally discovers the identity of the beast he has been searching for. Full review...

I Heart Holidays by Clara Vulliamy

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Martha and her bunny brothers are going on holiday to the seaside and it's charming. They’re in a vintage camper van, and while a traffic jam holds them up a bit, they're soon on the beach and ready to swim. Well, Martha is. But the boys don't want to so instead they have sandcastle building competitions, and a picnic and a paddle and some ice creams. Every time Martha mentions the sea, a new plan emerges. Will anyone ever go in the water with her? Full review...

Danloria: The Secret Forest of Germania by Gloria D Gonsalves

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Stan loves to go for walks in the forest of Danloria, located in the seven hills of Germania. He goes with his father almost every day. One particular day, Stan's father is ill in bed and can't take him out. And that's when Fern appears. Stan notices the plant waving to him and can't help but investigate. Fern has an invitation for Stan. He wants to take him to the secret parts of the forest, to a party. Stan has a fabulous time, meeting all the plants and finding out about the various ways in which they benefit humanity. The following spring, Stan is racking his brains to think of the perfect gift for his mother's fortieth birthday party when Fern appears again. More friends of the forest supply presents more wonderful than Stan could ever have dreamed of. A firm friendship ensues. Full review...

Busiest People Ever by Richard Scarry

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I suspect lots of us grown ups feel a certain amount of nostalgia when we come across a Richard Scarry book. He has such a distinctive style that you recognise it immediately and find yourself hunting for Huckle the pig and Lowly worm. This book tells us all about Busytown and the different things that are going on there. I actually didn't get to read the story properly until I sat down to write this review because although this has become a firm favourite with my two year old son he has no patience for the story and instead just wants to spend all his time looking at all the many, many different kinds of vehicles there are throughout the book! Full review...

Following the Tractor by Susan Steggall

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There's only one thing that you need to know about this book and that's that it is about a tractor. Not sold? Well, your under five will be but in case you require further persuasion, try this out for size. The tractor is red and appears on every page and on one page (could there be more joy?), there is also a blue tractor and a green combine harvester. I've yet to meet a child who doesn't like a tractor. My local rhyme time librarian introduced a toy for each verse of Old McDonald then had to invest in additional vehicles for the tractor round as it was less 'brrmm brrmm here' more 'toddler fisticuffs there'. Full review...

I Don't Want To Go To School by Stephanie Blake

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Simon is a rabbit. A cheeky rabbit. So when his mum tells him he’s starting school in the morning, he doesn’t accept this. He answers back. I’m not going he says. And while at first it seems he’s just being stubborn, over night the truth comes out: he’s actually a little bit scared. Full review...

The Sheep in Wolf's Clothing by Bob Hartman

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From the Montagues and the Capulets to the Sharks and the Jets, there are some groups who just can't mix without fireworks resulting. A sheep making friends with a Wolf was never going to end well. The Sheep in Wolf's Clothing tells the tale of one little lamb who decides to go to Wolf school. She's bored of the day to day routine of being a sheep. The daily dips, the badminton playing, the endless knitting. Mum's knitting comes in handy though as a wolf suit flies off her needles. This enables Little Sheep, suitably disguised, to trot off to Wolf School and learn that it's ok to be friends with someone who is outwardly quite different to yourself... Full review...

The Dinosaurs are Having a Party! by Gareth P Jones and Garry Parsons

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You've hired the clown, there appears to be enough food and goodie bags for everyone, but have you made one fatal mistake? Is the venue big enough, this is after all a party for dinosaurs. 'The Dinosaurs are Having a Party!’ tells of one such party fully populated by our extinct friends; apart from one small boy and his dog. Everything at the party appears to be fine, but where is the food? Full review...

Mungo Monkey Goes to School by Lydia Monks

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Going to school is a huge milestone for any child, and it can be scary. This book works hard to stop it seeming so daunting, pitching itself really well to make school feel fun, exciting and like a very appealing adventure. Full review...

Mine! by Jerome Keane and Susana de Dios

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Horse and Fox are really bored. Nothing had happened for ages, until the egg arrived. In this lovely book, they are forced to try and share, but they aren't particularly good at it. I really love the style of this book, it uses bold, different colour schemes to make it instantly eye catching and engaging. The text has an immediately obvious sense of humour whilst still managing to be simple enough for early readers to grasp. Full review...

Bocchi and Pocchi and the Bird by Noriko Matsubara

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Bocchi and Pocchi are a pair of fluffy, colourful socks, and the leads in this book. I suppose talking socks is no different from talking monkeys or talking robots or aliens. This a book for pre-schoolers. Anything goes. And it's not like they're not happy, friendly, helpful socks. Full review...

My New Home by Marta Altes

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We moved house a lot when I was a child. I became an accomplished letter writer in a desperate attempt to keep in touch with old friends. I wish I had had a book like this one. It's hard moving home as a child, and as much as grown ups can tell you it's exciting and wonderful and won't it be marvellous to have a new pink bedroom it actually leaves you feeling very lost and scared and alone. This story introduces us to a little raccoon who has moved house and who is struggling a little bit with missing her old friends and making new ones. Full review...

Freddy and the Pig by Charlie Higson and Mark Chambers

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When Freddy send a pig to school in his place, wearing his school uniform and not looking entirely dissimilar to him, he thinks he's hit upon the perfect plan! The pig can work all day in school whilst he stays at home and plays his console game and eats and eats, and no one will ever know! Full review...

What I Think About When I Think About... Swimming by Eleanor Levenson and Katie O'Hagan

For Sharing

On the face of it, this is a very simple book. Straight forward images and very few words would lead you to believe that this was a book for a very young audience. This is not, however, the case. While it does work well for a younger reader, it also manages to raise some very interesting questions, such as that of climate change or 'what it will be like to be old'. This makes for an intriguing read, as there are times where the juxtapositioning of the images and text make it a little difficult to pitch. Full review...

The Life of a Car by Susan Steggall

Children's Non-Fiction

As the daughter of a car worker and the mother of a little boy who is fascinated by wheels, The Life of a Car stood out on the shelf. Part of the Busy Wheels series, this non fiction picture book illustrates the life cycle of a car from manufacture to scrapping with the help of just the odd word or two or three. Full review...

S is for South Africa by Beverley Naidoo and Prodeepta Das

Children's Non-Fiction

Beverley Naidoo is best known for her award winning fiction for older readers but in this title in the World Alphabet series she brings her native country of South Africa to life for younger children. Starting with A for the Apartheid Museum and finishing with Zoo Lake in Jo’burg she covers many different aspects of life including traditions, food, landscape, animals, music and family life and each subject is accompanied by one of Prodeepta Das’s stunning photos. The poetic text flows and this would work well read aloud. Full review...

The Almost Fearless Hamilton Squidlegger by Timothy Basil Ering

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Little froglet Hamilton Squidlegger prides himself on his bravery. Armed with his wooden sword and shield, he loves to battle imaginary monsters, such as the skelecragon, bracklesneed and fire-breathing frackensnapper. Hamilton fears nothing. Nothing that is, except BEDTIME. As soon as the sun goes down he jumps from his own mud bed and clambers in with mum and dad. Full review...

Elephant by Suzi Eszterhas

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Elephant is part of the wonderful Eye on the Wild series by award-winning wildlife photographer Suzi Eszterhas. The book follows the journey of a young bull elephant calf from birth through adulthood. The vivid full-page photographs show heartwarming snapshots of life in the herd; a purely matriarchal society where strong females form a close family bond and work hard rearing and protecting their young. Full review...

That's What Makes a Hippopotamus Smile! by Sean Taylor and Laurent Cardon

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All hippopotamuses want to do is play in the bath and eat salady things. If you follow these instructions then any hippopotamus who turns up at your house will be thrilled to call you their friend; just don't forget to open the door very w i d e when they arrive, otherwise they'll never get in! Full review...

Tiger by Suzi Eszterhas

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Tiger is a simply stunning picture book following the lives of a tiger family from birth to adulthood. Each page is filled with enchanting pictures of the tigers in the wild, taken by award-winning photographer Suzi Eszterhas. Full review...

Katie's Picture Show by James Mayhew

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Can there be a better way of bringing the world of art and the classic masterpieces alive for children than the charming Katie series? This particular story is the one that started it all twenty five years ago and this celebratory issue has been beautifully re-illustrated by James Mayhew throughout and is also in a slightly larger format too. As the tiny figure of Katie stands dwarfed on the steps of the grand National Gallery with her Grandma, her happy attitude and cheerful disregard for rules such as Please do not touch teaches children not to be afraid of art and gently encourages a curious attitude not only to paintings but to all their surroundings. The formal atmosphere of an art gallery is made more engaging and child friendly as the paintings come to life with a friendly tiger, tea and cakes and a new playmate for Katie. Full review...

A Big Day for Migs by Jo Hodgkinson

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It's summer which means new school uniforms are in the shops, new stationery is on every shelf, and for those starting school for the first time, there's a wealth of Starting school books to ease the transition. This is a fun new addition to the shelves that ticks all the boxes: colourful, inventive, sweet and, best of all, told in rhyme. I love rhyme. Full review...

The Flying Bath by Julia Donaldson and David Roberts

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It’s long been accepted that when you go to school and your parents are at work, your toys come alive and have adventures until you return. EVERYBODY knows that. But have you ever thought about the other things in your house and whether they have a second life? Here’s a hint: they DO. Welcome to the Flying Bath. Full review...

Milly and the Mermaids by Maudie Smith and Antonia Woodward

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Mermaids are a great way to stretch young imaginations. Imagine living in an underwater world, swimming with the fishes in a pleasant way (rather than in a Mafioso way). This is exactly the type of excitement that Milly longs for in ‘Milly and the Mermaids’ by Maudie Smith and Antonia Woodward. When her parents take her on a trip to the seaside, all she can think of is finding a Mermaid, but do they really exist? Full review...

My Teacher is a Monster! (No, I Am Not.) by Peter Brown

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School can be a difficult place for children, especially if your teacher is a stomping, roaring monster like Miss Kirby. Bobby spends most of his time worrying about what to do about his monster of a teacher, and the best place for him to think about it is in the park. He goes there one day to contemplate the situation, but who does he meet? Miss Kirby! She isn't stomping or roaring though, she is feeding the ducks. Full review...

Fiddlesticks! by Sean Taylor and Sally Anne Garland

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This is the story of a Mouse with very helpful friends, maybe even a little too helpful! Each time they fix something in his new, almost perfect house, they break something else. Things escalate until there is almost nothing left of the house at all and poor Mouse is despairing. What will he do to make things better and, more to the point, where will he live?! His friends soon come to the rescue and manage to make amends. Full review...