0-4 YEARSLulu's Clothes by Camilla Reid and Ailie Busby (Bloomsbury, £6.99) describes itself as 'an utterly gorgeous interactive book' – and it is! It has bright colours and bold illustrations, zips to pull and bows to tie, not t
o mention different textures to feel. The text is basic and funny, simple for small children to understand. The book works well as a whole with the design allowing the words and the pictures to complement each other.
There are more things to touch in The Big Night-Night Book by Georgie Birkett (Red Fox, £5.99). This board book follows a little boy as he gets ready to go to bed and says night-night to all his toys. Once again, this has bold colours and clear illustrations. The text is sparse, allowing parents and children to talk about what they see. There's added interest for children too: on each page teddy is hidden somewhere, waiting to be discovered.
Slightly older children will enjoy The Littlest Dinosaur's Big Adventure by Michael Foreman (Bloomsbury, £10.99). As he goes off on an adventure, the littlest dinosaur meets new friends large and small, one of whom comes to his rescue when he's far from home. Michael Foreman's use of colour evokes mood brilliantly. The happy greens give way to gloomy blues as the littlest dinosaur becomes frightened before greens and blues then work together in perfect balance as he is taken safely home. This simple tale is simply delightful.
Another wonderful illustrated book is Hurry Up and Slow Down by Layn Marlow (OUP, £5.99). A re-working of the fable of the tortoise and the hare, it is full of beautiful pictures. Hare bounds through the pages with limitless energy while tortoise takes life at a much more sedate pace. But, as the day ends, things are turned on their heads. Layn Marlow's characterisation of the two animals is excellent; every line she draws expresses their diverse natures. Her colours are restful and draw the reader in and the twist at the end of the story is delightfully apt.
4-6 YEARSRecently shortlisted for the Royal Mail Award is Pink! by Lynne Rickards, illustrated by Margaret Chamberlain (Chicken House, £5.99). It tells the story of Patrick, a young penguin, who wakes up one morning to discover he has turned pink. The other penguins at school tease him so he sets off for Africa to live with the flamingos. But he doesn't fit in there either, even though they are all pink. Finally, he swims back home where he discovers that his friends have missed him. The text and illustrations work beautifully together to share the message, it is fine to be different.
Who Did It? by Malachy Doyle and Joy Gosney (Picture Corgi, £5.99) is a series of pictures, each with lots to find and find out. Who put a load of ducks in the pool? Who buried the football? And who made silly faces in the school photo? It's all one of the Whodunnit Gang – but which one? The simple text and bright, clear illustrations will make this a winner with young readers.
The characters in The Troll by Julia Donaldson and David Roberts (Macmillan, £10.99) are also looking for something. The troll wants to catch a goat trip-trapping across his bridge and the band of pirates wants someone who can cook fish. To find out how they all meet and help each other (and the goats are saved) you'll have to read the book. And that should be no hardship. The story is simple but unexpected and humorous. David Roberts brings all of the characters to life brilliantly with his distinctive body language and facial expressions. All in all, this would be an excellent book to capture!
Another book with great pictures is First German Words illustrated by David Melling (OUP, £5.99). One of a series of basic language books, it introduces German vocabulary. Its thematic structure allows for funny, quirky illustrations showing children the words in context. There's a lot to look at as well as learn and it's an enjoyable way of beginning a new language. Roberts' use of bold colours and lots of action keep the attention and before you can say 'eins, zwei, drei' everyone will have ein bisschen Deutsch!
7-10 YEARSShiver by Alex Nye (Floris Books, £5.99) is the long-awaited sequel to Chill. Samuel and the Mortons are still watching Dunadd House, sure that it remains uneasy. Their suspicions are fuelled when a hazy face appears in the computer screen and another is glimpsed behind a window. Will Samuel and Fiona be able to untangle more family secrets before Fiona's mother decides to leave Dunadd House for ever? Readers who enjoyed Chill will be delighted to pick up the story here and new ones will want to go back and read the earlier adventures.
There's more mystery from the past in The Magic Half by Annie Barrows (David Fickling Books, £4.99) but this time in the US. Miri is the odd-one-out in her family, the middle child between two sets of twins. She's always felt alone so when she suddenly finds herself back in 1935, she is determined to rescue the girl she meets there and take her back to the future. Young readers will enjoy this magical story with its well-drawn characters and happy ending.
Bang up-to-date is Do Goalkeepers Wear Tiaras? by Helena Pielichaty (Walker Books, £4.99). The first in a new series following the adventures of a girls' football team, this is Megan's story. Sure she is destined to be the next England goalkeeper, she tries unsuccessfully to get a place in the school team. A chance meeting leads to a girls' team being formed. But will Megan and her team-mates be able to control their nerves and jealousies and play well together? Children will undoubtedly want to read through the entire series as it becomes available. Also on a quest is Maximus in Your Planet Needs You by Dave Reay (Macmillan, £4.99). He and his friends, Henry and Flora, have accepted a mission to stop the planet heating up in this entertaining book about global warming. The mixture of fact and fiction, cartoons and diagrams makes a serious subject funny, appealing and understandable. The clear text is enhanced by Alan Rowe's illustrations and the book can be read as a story or dipped into for its factual content.
9-12 YEARSThe selection of books for older readers whisks us from the past to the future, from outer space to fairy realms. There's more adventure for Matt Cruse in Starclimber by Kenneth Oppel (Faber and Faber, £6.99), the third instalment of his series set in an alternative past. Matt is overwhelmed to be invited to join the first space expedition but unsure how he feels when he discovers that his girlfriend, Kate de Vries, is also one of the team. The training is arduous but nothing compared to the trials that await them in outer space. Kenneth Oppel's engaging style and enthralling storytelling will keep readers engrossed from beginning to end.
Fever Crumb by Philip Reeve (Scholastic, £12.99) recounts the much earlier history of the world of the Mortal Engines quartet but it doesn't depend on having read those books. Fever has been brought up by the Guild of Engineers, men who believe in reason not emotion. At the age of 14, however, she is sent to work outside the Guild's precincts and gradually everything she has been taught about the world and herself begins to unravel. Who is she really? And what has she to fear from Charley? This tightly plotted, fast-paced adventure has the answers.
Another heroine looking for answers is Kate Forsyth's in The Puzzle Ring (Scholastic, £6.99). On her return to Scotland from Australia, Hannah discovers there is a magical mystery surrounding the death of her father 13 years earlier. Along with her friends Donovan, Max and Scarlett, she sets out to break the family curse and, in so doing, learn the truth about its history. The story zips along from one side of our world to the other before stepping into a totally different one. Readers will love its pace and humour and be sucked into the mystery and adventure.
Elizabeth Laird's The Witching Hour (Macmillan, £12.99) is set in the past in Lowland Scotland. It's the story of Maggie Blair, convicted of witchcraft on Bute. At the last minute she escapes to the mainland and finds refuge of sorts with her uncle. But this is the 17th century and they are Covenanters, so Maggie has exchanged one set of parlous circumstances for another. This compelling story draws the reader deep into the personal and political conflicts of the time. Meticulously researched and beautifully written, this is Elizabeth Laird at her very best.
