Churchill's Tale of Tails
Anca Sandu
Jonathan Cape Ltd
ISBN: 9781780080093
Churchill's Tale of Tails
This is a funny and touching tale about friendship which also explores generosity and kindness and reminds children of the value of both friendship and being nice to one another.
Churchill is a very happy pig with a fabulous tail, of which is he enormously proud, so he is devastated when one day it goes missing. His friends rally round to help him find a new tale and Churchill enjoys discovering these alternative tails so much that he neglects his friends - until his real tail is returned.
There is loads of humour in this picture book, especially Churchill's ever-changing expressions and the variety of tails he tries.
The Tales of Olga Da Polga
Michael Bond
Oxford University Press
ISBN: 9780192731944
The Tales of Olga Da Polga
Michael Bond, the creator of Paddington Bear, has returned to Peru (Paddington Bear's country of origin) for his new lead character, a little guinea pig called Olga da Polga who has a head full of stories and a nose for adventure.
When she is bought from the pet shop, Olga da Polga doesn't really know what to expect but in her new home but the adventures soon follows. She has to save herself from the family's cat, escape from her cage and quickly get to know the local wildlife.
Once out in the open, however, Olga da Polga realises that the great outdoors isn't all it's cracked up to be... but can she get back to her new home in one piece?
This is a warm story about an endearing little pet who is bound to capture the hearts of boys and girls alike.
Elizabeth the Jubilee Fairy
Daisy Meadows
Orchard Books
ISBN: 9781408323847
Elizabeth the Jubilee Fairy
The Rainbow Magic series has introduced this special story as part of this month’s celebrations for the Queen’s Jubilee!
Elizabeth the Jubilee Fairy is in charge of making every jubilee perfect! But when Jack Frost steals Elizabeth's Diamond Sceptre, both fairy and human celebrations are headed for catastrophe.
It will take two special human girls, Kirsty and Rachel, all their luck and courage to track down the sceptre and get the Jubilee celebrations back on track.
Sir Scallywag and the Golden Underpants
Giles Andreae
Puffin Books
ISBN: 9780141330693
Sir Scallywag and the Golden Underpants
The creator of Purple Ronnie and the illustrator of Winnie the Witch have been brought together to create this fabulously funny story about a king, a knight, a naughty giant and a rather nice pair of golden undergarments!
King Colin was a mighty king of England, who wasn’t clever or bold -
'What made King Colin special
Were his Underpants of gold.'
When a giant steals away with these powerful pants, a brave and bold knight called Sir Scallywag is sent to retrieve them – and even though Sir Scallywag is only six years old, he manages to get the better of the giant.
This is a wonderfully energetic romp and children will love the story about a king and his bare bottom but what really makes this book a treat are the illustrations which are full of fantastic details and humour. Look out for the king's hairy butt, the washing strung out across the battlements of the castle, the horses' baleful expressions and the numerous spiders and other creepy crawlies....
Horrid Henry's Rainy Day
Francesca Simon
Orion Children's Books (an Imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd )
ISBN: 9781444001136
Horrid Henry's Rainy Day
Although he'd probably hate the idea, the irrepressible Horrid Henry is become available as early readers in these well-packaged books from Orion.
A number of Horrid Henry stories are being given a fresh look and colour illustrations to support children as they develop confidence in reading.
In this story Horrid Henry, bored and fed up on a rainy day, decides to write his will. The only trouble is, he decides it is a lot more fun getting stuff from Mum and Dad than giving away his own treasures . . .
As in all the best Horrid Henry stories, there are plenty of horrible thoughts, bad decisions and unpopular actions within its pages, but that's just what makes these stories so good!
The clear, well-spaced text, simple story-line and colour illustrations are all designed to support children who are developing confidence as readers.
Claude at the Circus
Alex T. Smith
Hodder Children's Books
ISBN: 9780340999035
Claude at the Circus
Roll up! Roll up! Come and enjoy all the fun and thrills of the circus with a very small dog, and a sock, in Claude at the Circus!
Claude is a small dog with a big appetite for adventure. One day he and his friend Sir Bobblysock (who is a sock) decide to visit the park.
Now, when you and I decide to visit a park, we might want to play on the swings a bit and then have an icecream. When Claude and Sir Bobblysock visit the park, however, they end up having a lot more fun than that.
First, there's jogging with some funny-looking people, then sleeping in a flowerbed, saving a runaway baby and finally being the star act in the local circus.
Claude discovers he is the only dog in the world who can climb a trapeze, sit on the high wire and dunk a biscuit in his tea, and be fired from a cannon to arrive home just in time for tea….
Expect thrills, a few spills and lots of custard pies!
Scaredy Squirrel Has a Birthday Party
Melanie Watt
Catnip Publishing Ltd
ISBN: 9781846471346
Scaredy Squirrel Has a Birthday Party
It’s birthday time for Scaredy Squirrel but he plans to celebrate in a very small way as a big party could bring many unpleasant surprises, such as clownfish, ants, Big Foot and confetti. Despite Scaredy Squirrel's incredibly detailed and careful organisation things don't go quite to plan and he finds that birthdays can be fun and even bring some very pleasant surprises. Maybe next year his birthday plans will be very different - his planning cycle has already started. Reviewed by Dorne Fraser, librarian.
Claude on Holiday
Alex T. Smith
Hodder Children's Books
ISBN: 9780340999011
Claude on Holiday
Claude is a somewhat adventurous dog belonging to the busy Mr and Mrs Shinyshoes. Whenever they go out to work Claude embarks on an exciting adventure - in this book he visits the seaside. And, with a strong desire to find not just buried treasure but juicy bone flavoured ice cream too, Claude certainly has an eventful day. Pirates, sharks and a truly epic sandcastle also make an appearance.
The humour in this story comes partly from the wonderful illustrations (which only suffer slightly from a limited palette of red, pink, grey, black and white) and partly from Claude’s faithful companion, Sir Bobblysock. Sir Bobblysock is a sock, and though he doesn’t always get actively involved in Claude’s exploits he has no qualms about sharing his opinions with the reader.
The Orchard Book of Grimm's Fairy Tales
Saviour Pirotta
Orchard Books
ISBN: 9781408309834
The Orchard Book of Grimm's Fairy Tales
Beautiful princesses, handsome princes, wicked witches and enchanted animals abound in this gorgeous gift book that includes retellings of ten of the most loved Grimm’s fairy tales, including Sleeping Beauty, Hansel and Gretel, Snow White and Rose Red, Rapunzel and the Frog Prince, among others.
The stories are simply told but retain the classic qualities of the original stories and can be either shared with children or read by a child who is a confident reader.
Emma Chichester Clark’s gorgeous illustrations will help sustain interest in the stories and children will enjoy looking for the details she includes such as the flower motifs on each page, while the occasional double page spread of illustrations are a real treat.
This is a book to treasure and one that is bound to become a real family favourite.
The Misadventures of Winnie the Witch
Laura Owen
Oxford University Press
ISBN: 9780192732149
The Misadventures of Winnie the Witch
The Misadventures of Winnie the Witch is a treasury of eight illustrated stand-alone stories about Winnie for children age five to eight years. Winnie is never short of mad-cap schemes to put her magic to good use, and Wilbur the cat, her long-suffering best friend, is witness to most of them.
These stories range from Winnie’s Reinforced Knicker Emporium, where spiders sew up lacy trims, to an unexpected spot of waterskiing on Wilbur’s birthday.
Winnie the Witch has already got an established fan base for her picture books; these stories are intended for children who have moved on to independent reading, although they would also be enjoyed as shared reading with an adult.
Horrid Henry and the Zombie Vampire
Francesca Simon
Orion Children's Books (an Imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd )
ISBN: 9781842551356
Horrid Henry and the Zombie Vampire
Horrid Henry and the Zombie Vampire includes four Horrid Henry stories in a special bind-up edition with an eye-catching 3D picture of Horrid Henry on the front cover.
Henry faces a host of challenges in these stories - how to avoid having to write a story, avoid eating a healthy meal and to see if he can persuade Perfect Peter to give him all his sweets and pocket money.
But the biggest challenge of all comes when Horrid Henry vows revenge against Perfect Peter during an overnight trip to the museum .... Is there such a thing as zombie vampire teachers?
Aliens: An Owner's Guide
Jonathan Emmett
Macmillan Children's Books
ISBN: 9780330517416
Aliens: An Owner's Guide
This handy guide (told in rhyme) will help you and your new alien to become friends. From hatching the egg to saying hello and toilet training (note: alien pee is acid, so this is important!), this guide has lots of handy tips to keep you and your alien alive – and friends!
Just One More
Joy Cowley
Gecko Press
ISBN: 9781877467677
Just One More
There's a lot going on in these brilliant short stories by Joy Cowley. There's a very lazy Gonna bird who has to change his ways, a monster who finds being mean is making him poorly, a farmer whose shoes won't stop walking and a tough alligator with snippy-snappy jaws - and that's just for starters!
Our favourite is the story of the woggly hole dug by a woggly shovel that follows around the boy who dug it, until he discovers that woggly holes have a use.
These are perfect stories to read at bedtime because they are very short but also very entertaining. They might even inspire you to write your own stories!
Oh, the Places You'll Go
Dr. Seuss
HarperCollins Children's Books
ISBN: 9780007413584
Oh, the Places You'll Go
This Seussian classic tale is republished this month with an audio CD, read by Miranda Richardson. The story primes the reader that what lies ahead for each and every one of us is a journey - and it won't always be an easy one. While it has been many years since Seuss's stories were first published, their humour and vision still makes them some of the most enticing early reading books around.
Robert Crowther's Amazing Pop-up Big Machines
Robert Crowther
Walker Books Ltd
ISBN: 9781406321852
Robert Crowther's Amazing Pop-up Big Machines
This is a present that boys will adore - but don't forget about the girls because they will love it too.
The book has five pop-ups of huge machines - a bulldozer, tractor, dumper truck, forklift truck and tower crane that stand out as each page is turned, with information about each machine.
Best of all, each page includes smaller, folded items that turn into all kinds of objects that need to be lifted, loaded and dumped by the machines.
It's a wonder of engineering, and sturdy enough to last for many play sessions, but you might want to supervise - or simply to join in the fun!
The Heartless Robots
Simon Bartram
Templar Publishing
ISBN: 9781848770317
The Heartless Robots
Bob, the Man on the Moon picture book has inspired this series of great stories about Bob and his sidekick, Barry and many children will recognise the characters from the earlier picture books.
Bob lives on Earth but visits the moon every day with his dog Barry to show visitors around.
In this story, Bob has created a Galaxobot robot that wins an invention competition for astronauts but his fellow-contender for the prize is furious that he lost. He takes his revenge on Bob's robot and alters its instructions. Instead of being kind, the new Galaxobot robots intend to take over the whole universe - and only Bob can stop them.
These stories have bags of humour and great story-lines, supported by Simon Bartram's black and white illustrations. Each book is about 80 pages long and ideal as early independent readers for children aged 6+. Boys, especially, will love these stories.
Arrrrgh! Slimosaur!
Alan MacDonald
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
ISBN: 9781408803356
Arrrrgh! Slimosaur!
This book has oodles of slime and a huge slimey monster called the Slimosaur, making it a must-have read for every young boy and girl who likes dinosaurs, funny adventure stories and the Mr Gum books.
It is also is set in the Stone Ages so there are also loads of primitive puns – children play boulderball instead of football and toss the lizard to call 'heads or tails'
All in all, life is pretty good for the Urk tribe and young Stone Age hero Iggy, until the Slimosaur makes a return visit. The last time he came, he made off with eight or nine youngsters who were never seen again.
This time, the Urks decide to be proactive and offer one of their own as a sacrifice...
This is a great adventure story for young readers aged six years plus.
Me and You
Anthony Browne
Doubleday Children's Books
ISBN: 0385614896
Me and You
This is a wonderful retelling by Anthony Browne of the Goldilocks fairy tale, which Browne gives a modern setting and a contemporary twist. A girl becomes lost after chasing her balloon and, weary of walking the forbidding inner city streets, she enters the house of the three bears which looks bright and welcoming.
However, all is not well in the world of the Bears in Browne’s story. Baby Bear is well looked after but lonely – his parents are too busy thinking about work – and when ‘Goldilocks’ runs safely into the arms of her mother at the end of the story, it is Baby Bear we are left feeling sorry for.
The story is beautifully presented with the Bear family’s world drawn in bright colours while ‘Goldilocks’ inhabits a bleak inner city landscape. The ending turns our usual convictions on their head, however, as we are shown it is the grey city world that has the warmth of a real home.
