Bernard by Rob Jones

Bernard is the tale of a misunderstood wild hound. Feared by local villagers who believe he wishes to eat them... All Bernard really wants to get his jaws around is a jar of strawberry jam! A brilliant book for Halloween, Bernard is the debut of new author/illustrator Rob Jones and the first book from new...

Line Up, Please!

I love a picture book that beautifully and seamlessly brings together different genres. Line Up, Please! by Tomoko Ohmura (Gecko Press) is part counting book, part finding out book and part humourous story. It even includes a catchy game for families to play together. And all with fantastic design and illustration and a lovely surprise...

Shhh! A lift-the-flap book with a difference

We LOVE Keep Out! Bears About! by Sally Grindley and Peter Utton. It's a brilliant concept which involves the children directly in the story – the narrator speaking are they sure they want to carry on? Are they brave enough to go through that dark wood, even if there might be bears? And all the...

Sloth Slept On by Frann Preston-Gannon

A group of children find a sloth snoring away in their garden. Not knowing what it is, they pile it into their wagon and set off to find out. Two of the children use their imagination to play out where the sloth could have appeared from, while the smallest looks to books to find out...

Diverse Voices with Seven Stories

Attention please... Something very exciting has just been announced in the world of children's books. This morning, Seven Stories, the National Centre for Children’s Books, announced it's new Diverse Voices season – 50 of the Best Children’s Books celebrating cultural diversity in the UK. This is a list of 50 books chosen by an independent...

What to read after the Rainbow Magic Fairies?

Last week a friend asked me for book suggestions for her daughter who loves the Rainbow Magic fairy books. She loves the fantasy aspect of the series, and the slim volumes that don't intimidate her. But what could she read next? What should she move on to? It struck me that it's probably a common...

Apple and Rain by Sarah Crossan

This book is a gift. A book that I want to share with all the children (and adults) I know so that they can experience the journey of reading it. The best books change you as you read them. They offer you a view of another way of life or a different perspective when looking...