Newest For Sharing Reviews
The Snowman Strikes Back by Allan Plenderleith
It's not easy being a snowman, you know - particularly when you are made by Ernest Green-Bogle, who delights in tormenting you. Sometimes he'd make you upside down or looking like a pig (it's just plain undignified, you know). That's not the worst of it. He has been known to attack snowman with a hairdryer, feed his carrot nose to a rabbit and even encase him in a block of ice. The snow clown was not funny and the snow ice cream cone even less so. But one day everything changed when Ernest came home and there was a big boy with him. Ernest had a black eye and the big boy was threatening him. Full review...
Little Monster and the Spooky Party by Nick Sharratt and Pippa Goodhart
There are spooky things happening in the world of books for children that can only mean one thing; Halloween is around the corner. There are books for Christmas, Easter and the August Bank Holiday, so why not some for the scary holiday? After all, themes such as ghosts and skeletons are far easier to write about than traffic jams on the M6 and spending time with your in-laws. One little monster has been invited to the type of spooky party that may just entertain your own little monster. Full review...
Ten Little Monsters by Mike Brownlow and Simon Rickerty
Halloween is a strange event, it has been increasingly Americanised and sold to children as a fun day of scary activities and sweets. However, if you think about it, dressing your child as an undead bride or blood sucking vampire actually seems a little odd. These are the same kids that get scared when Brian Blessed shouts on TV, yet they are happy to cover themselves in fake blood. Creating a book that is Halloween themed is a balance of making it exciting, but not scary; sometimes the books can be both. Full review...
They All Saw A Cat by Brendan Wenzel
If I told you that They All Saw A Cat is a children's picture book about perception, you might be forgiven for thinking that toddlers were taking their pleasures a little sadly these days: you might be slightly mollified when I added in that it was also about the natural world, but it's much better that I just tell you a little bit about the content and I'm sure that you'll understand. Full review...
Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts
The first thing you must know about Ada Marie is the way she said nothing until the day she was three. Now that's a way to pique your interest from the start. After all what sort of child does not speak until she turns three? In this case it's a very smart little girl. Full review...
The Hippopandamouse by Jools Bentley
When the princess comes to your shop, everyone stands to attention, and Fluffley's Fine Toys is no exception. In preparation, the staff work hard to ensure everything is perfect. The floor is clean, the shelves neat and tidy, a place for everything and everything in its place. And if anything doesn't meet these exacting stands then POOF! It's off to the Unstitcher room. There is no room for anything less than perfection here. Full review...
What's the Opposite? by Oliver Jeffers
When a child is very young they don't have the ability to grasp what their hands are, never mind complex matters of State, but eventually they all must start to learn. One way to achieve this is by reading fun books about the alphabet or numbers, but not all concepts are as clear as letters and numbers. What about the concept of opposites? How do you define to a 16 month year old why one thing is opposite to the other? Thankfully, you don't need to know the answer as the Hueys are on hand to help in their usual irreverent way. Full review...
Super Rabbit by Stephanie Blake
We do love a good Stephanie Blake story in our house, and since we've pretty much worn out Stupid Baby we were very happy to give Simon's newest adventure a go. Simon the rabbit is not just any old rabbit, he is Super Rabbit, of course, complete with cape and mask! He is brave, he is bold, he is adventurous and, oh my goodness, he has got a splinter…! Full review...
The Messy Book by Maudie Powell-Tuck and Richard Smythe
When cat makes a big mess, he'd rather come up with any idea than tidy it up! He tries to get rid of his mess in various different ways, unsuccessfully, until there is no other option but to tidy up properly. It's a familiar scenario for many families, I'm sure, and told here with a great deal of charm! Full review...
The World-Famous Book of Magical Numbers by Sarah Goodreau
If you are very lucky, the act of reading feels just like magic. You pick up a book and your imagination takes you on adventures you could never have in the real world. You should try and start this magic as early as possible and one way is to use interactive books, babies love to grab tabs or lift flaps. You may even stumble across a book all about numbers that provides this magical feeling for your child. Full review...
D is for Duck by David Melling
Duck, the magician, is giving a demonstration of his magical skills, conjuring up a wide variety of items from his top hat. Things begin normally enough with a bunny, but with lizards and lions and dragons following on soon after duck finds that perhaps his magic is getting a little out of hand! Full review...
Eat Your People by Lou Kuenzler and David Wojtowycz
Monty the monster is having his dinner. He is eating all of his vegetables without any problems at all, but when it comes to eating up his people he really isn't happy, declaring them to be chewy and crunchy and full of bones! In a funny twist on the picky eater story, this is a lighthearted way of broaching the tricky 'eat your vegetables' issue! Full review...
Happy Birthday Old Bear by Jane Hissey
It's Old Bear's birthday, and so all the other toys are planning something. In fact lots of somethings: gifts, a cake, a proper celebration. It's wonderful. Elsie the elephant has even made him a present, the talented little thing. But then, as we soon find out, Elsie is good at many things: wrapping presents, baking cakes, blowing up balloons, singing. It's a lovely sunny day, so the toys gather outside but just as they finish setting things up, and just as Old Bear arrives, disaster strikes! Can the toys have a happy ending and find time to finish Old Bear's party? Full review...
One Cheetah, One Cherry: A Book of Beautiful Numbers by Jackie Morris
Once you've seen anything illustrated by Jackie Morris you know that you'll get a book full of pictures, all of which you'd be delighted and proud to hang on your walls. One, Cheetah, One Cherry: A Book of Beautiful Numbers is no exception. We begin with just the one cherry, so red and shiny you are tempted to see if it's real, but you're put off by the next picture. The one cherry is joined by one cheetah and he's got a proprietorial paw resting across the shoulder of the cherry. You're not going to argue with him. Full review...
Your Baby's First Word Will Be Dada by Jimmy Fallon and Miguel Ordonez
What will your baby's first word be? If it is up to the father, the answer is Dada. Every time Mum has her back turned Dad is repeating the word Dada, Dada, Dada, Dada. This secret war has waged for centuries and Jimmy Fallon and Miguel Ordonez have put it to paper. Do you want to know what my children's first word was? Dada, of course. I win! Full review...
Bicycling to the Moon by Timo Parvela
Bicycling to the Moon is a series of short stories which all centre around two main characters: Purdy the cat and Dexter the dog who live together in a sky-blue house on the top of a hill. Purdy is a somewhat selfish cat who demonstrates rather impulsive behaviour and is always rushing around, whereas Baxter is much more refined, thoughtful and is careful to make the right choices. Each story works as an individual tale which could be read out of order; however there is a seasonal progression to the order of the book. Full review...
Boris Babysits by Sam Lloyd
Leaving your child with someone for the first time is a daunting task for any new parent. You want to pick someone for this task that you can trust; a sensible person who has some experience looking after a baby. Perhaps a parent, sibling or a good friend? The person that you are unlikely to pick is Boris. Not only is he irresponsible, he also happens to be a monster. Full review...
A Dog Called Bear by Diane Fox and Christyan Fox
Lucy had always wanted a dog and she'd been preparing for the moment when her dreams could come true for a long time: she'd read all the books, bought doggie things and her bedroom was plastered with doggie pictures. One day she set out to make her dream come true: accosting animals and presenting her credentials (there really is no other way of explaining it...) First up, a frog, who presents the counter arguments to dog ownership and then makes his own case, adding that he would only need a bath every day. Lucy's sorry, but she only has a shower... Full review...
The Detective Dog by Julia Donaldson and Sara Ogilvie
Detective dog Nell, with her great sense of smell, is a rather remarkable dog! She works very hard from Tuesday to Sunday, finding lost things, like a ball down the toilet, and solving mysteries such as where is the lost shoe by sniffing it out. It's in the shed, actually, and if you look a little more closely you might start to suspect that actually Nell might have had more to do with these lost things and mysteries than she should have! Anyway, those are her busy days, but on Mondays she goes to school with Peter, and she listens to the children reading her books. She loves all sorts of books, about dinosaurs and princes and dragons and dogs, and she loves the smell of the books. So when she goes to school one Monday and finds that all the books are missing, Detective dog Nell is the one they need to help find all the books. Full review...
Tickle My Ears by Jorg Muhle
Little Rabbit is getting ready for bed. It's getting late, so can you help him? He's going to need to get his pyjamas on, and his pillow needs fluffing, and he might need a little stroke on his back, or for his ears to have a tickle. What a sleepy little rabbit he is! Full review...
Squish Squash Squeeze! by Tracey Corderoy and Jane Chapman
When Mouse moves into his new house, he thinks it's going to be perfect. But then he finds there's already quite a collection of animals he'll have to share with: he discovers a big brown bear behind the piano and a crocodile crammed in the bath. When a tiger comes whizzing down the bannister it becomes a bit of a squish, a squash and a squeeze. The animals don't know what to do until they hear a rumble under the floor – it looks like they're going to have an even bigger problem. Or are they? Full review...
One is Not a Pair by Britta Teckentrup
I was the type of child that would sit indoors on a sunny day with their head in a puzzle book rather than getting anything important like Vitamin D. I may be pasty white nowadays, but at least I know my way around a good spot-the-difference book when I see one. And I spy with my little eye, one right here. Full review...
Macavity's Not There!: A Lift-the-Flap Book by T S Eliot and Arthur Robins
Looking back, one of the first games I've played with every baby I've encountered is the one where you hide behind your hands and then appear surprised when you drop them and see the baby. It never fails to get a smile. (I know - it was probably wind...) Macavity has perfected the game, because - wherever you look - he's not there. Here at Bookbag Towers we loved the full version of T S Eliot's poem, but what about the very youngest children - the ones who really love the idea of someone - or something - not being where you expect them to be? Full review...
Treats for a T Rex by Adam Guillain, Charlotte Guillain and Lee Wildish
One hot summer our family got a new Labrador puppy and, seeing as I was at home most of the time revising for exams, it was decided that I would be the person to train said dog. After a few months of hard training came a grown dog… that was the worst trained we ever had. Laddy may have been an expert in play fighting and eating, but not much else. With my spotted history in animal husbandry I am not equipped to train any animal and especially not a T Rex, but perhaps George is. Full review...
Do Not Wash This Bear by Sam Hay and Nick East
Dad is not very good at washing. There are those of us who would shrug this off and feel happy that at least he gives it a go, but then I guess after a while shrunken T-shirts and dyed vests become a little tiresome! Anyway, one day dad decides that Bear has become a little bit stinky and needs to go in the wash, and although the child in the story shows dad the very clear label stating Do not wash this bear he decides to ignore the advice and throws him into the machine. Washing Bear turns out to be a very big mistake, since some combination of the bubbles and the spin setting drastically alter poor Bear's personality, and when he comes out he is a very decidedly naughty and troublesome Bear! Full review...
The Mood Hoover by Paul Brown and Rowena Blyth
No one could ever have confused Stan with a sunbeam. He was mischievous (well, personally, I'd have said 'unpleasant') and he had a secret: an invention, in fact. He'd created a machine which could suck up anything which was happy or fun and it was called 'the mood hoover'. His sister's bedroom was the first place he put the machine through its paces and within a matter of moments all the girly niceness had been replaced by dull, grey ordinariness. It didn't just work in confined spaces either: the couple admiring a rainbow were surprised to find the vivid colours turned to dullness. You don't want to know what he got up to in the zoo... Full review...
I Love My Daddy by Jonathan Litton and Fhiona Galloway
Father's Day is a great time to really pump up your Dad's ego. If he is anything like me he already thinks he is a bit of an Adonis; seeing that paunch in the mirror more as relaxed muscle than the beer gut that it is. To be honest, as a Pop, I am pretty much content with a pint, a book or a football game, but if a child does insist on getting their elder a gift, a nice book about the parent/child relationship may just warm the coldest of cockles. Full review...
Max and Bird by Ed Vere
Ed Vere has a unique style of artwork for his picture books. The colours are vibrant, the characters are distinctive, the style is a little bit scrappy, in a very charming way. We are big fans in our house so we sat down eagerly to read the latest offering. Here we have Max, a sweet black cat with enormous eyes who meets and befriends a bird. Well, initially his plan is that they play chase and then Max will eat up Bird for a tasty snack but Bird has another idea… Full review...
Colin and Lee, Carrot and Pea by Morag Hood
Sometimes people don’t quite fit in. Perhaps they are much taller than you, or perhaps they aren’t round enough to roll. Does this mean, then, that if someone is so different you can’t be their friend? When it comes to Colin and Lee, they are about as different as you can get, since one is small and round and green and a pea and the other is, well, a carrot! But does that get in the way of their friendship? Full review...
There's a Bison Bouncing on the Bed by Paul Bright and Chris Chatterton
Becoming a parent gives you many new insights into life; the pleasure in seeing a child smile or the amazement as they start to utter words. However, the one thing that you really begin to understand is – how much stuff costs. Clothes, food, transport, toys, even furniture. It all costs money and you now have a tiny wrecking ball running around the house seemingly doing their best to destroy them all. It may seem like harmless fun to jump on the bed, but who pays for it when it breaks? The bison? I don't think so. Full review...
Claude All at Sea by Alex T Smith
Claude is a small dog who likes wearing a beret and a lovely red jumper. He lives with Mr and Mrs Shinyshoes and his best friend is a stripy sock called Sir Bobblysock. Full review...
Amazing Daddy by Rachel Bright
Daddy Panda and Baby Panda are spending the day together, and Baby Panda is thinking about all the different reasons why his daddy is brilliant. These range from how he smells safe and warm to the extra large breakfasts that daddy makes! There are lots of common, everyday situations, so little ones will enjoy making comparisons with their own lives, and discussing what makes their daddy amazing. Full review...
The Bumblebear by Nadia Shireen
Ever a sucker for a book about a bear, this one has fast become a favourite for me. Norman is an ordinary kind of bear, small and cuddly and a big fan of honey. He is such a big fan, in fact, that he comes up with a cunning plan in order to make his honey hunting much easier. He decides to dress up as a bee (a giant bee, from Giant Bee Land, obviously) and join Bee School where he has the most marvellous time learning about things like buzzing and finding smelly flowers. However, although most of the bees are convinced of his bee-ness, there is one rather clever little bee who grows increasingly suspicious of poor Norman… Full review...
