Synopsis: Under the sea there is a huge variety of fish of all shapes and sizes as well as colours. Lucy Cousins takes her reader on an underwater journey, with Little Fish as the guide, to meet all his friends.

Review: Little Fish has so many fishy friends, some big, some little, some spotty, others stripy. They create a riot of colour under the sea. There are “ ...

Synopsis: Piper knows he must always be obedient and good – but he is bought by sinister Mr Jones. The ideas of “taking care of rabbits” are wildly at odds and Piper has to run away. Will his humble, quiet courage be better appreciated in the big city?

Review:  Piper taps into all the elements of appealing storytelling for young children. An ...

Synopsis: When Kangaroo goes to France he discovers a dance – the cancan. Back home, Kangaroo decides to open his very own Cancan Café, but his auditions are a total disaster. Will poor Kangaroo ever find someone to dance the cancan and dazzle the crowds?

Review: The inside front cover tells how Julia Jarman got the idea for this story. The end papers are full ...

Synopsis: Tiger is just a kitten, but when he plays, his imagination allows him to be anything he wants to be – especially a REAL tiger!

Review:  Nick Butterworth’s clear, clean illustrative style has immediate impact on the eye, making this book stand out from the cover alone. As many people call their cats ‘Tigger’ or ‘Tiger’, But ...

Synopsis: Handa puts seven different mouth watering fruits in a basket to take to her friend Akeyo as a surprise. Handa’s walk takes her (unknowingly) past many hungry wild animals. Handa as well as Akeyo are surprised when they discover exactly what fruits are left in the basket when Handa reaches the village.

Review:  Handa’s Surprise is set in A ...

Synopsis: She's nice, my mum ...My mum's a fantastic cook,and a brilliant juggler. She's a great painter,and the strongest woman in the world! She's really nice, my mum. A warm, funny tribute to Mum (and to mums everywhere) by the brilliant author/illustrator Anthony Browne.

Review: Before opening My Mum one is reminded of its precursor, My Dad (20 ...

Synopsis: In this beautiful blending of fairy tales Mama’s slumber is disturbed one night by her little boy. But can bad dreams, like fairy tales, have happy endings? They can certainly have lots of twist and turns.

Review:  Unusual takes on familiar tales can rarely fail when crafted by author/illustrators such as Ruth Brown.

Brown’s endearing knac ...

Synopsis: A perfect book for sharing.

Review: The warm depth and blending of tranquil shades in I Love My Daddy allow the illustrations to do the talking. The simple and direct text provides a foundation for evocative pictures. Braun studied fine arts in Strasbourg, France and there is a tangible European feel to the illustrations as we see, and feel, the magnitude ...

Synopsis: Do you have a favourite story – a story that’s about you? This is Charlotte’s favourite story because it is the story about her and a little lost kitten called Moonlight.

Review: This story starts with Charlotte and her favourite story about the lost kitten. The story unfolds through the dialogue between Charlotte and her mummy and recounts how t ...

Synopsis: Dinosaur Pirates are what Flinn discovers upon an adventure that ensues following a chance visit to the art cupboard in his classroom. But can Fearless Flinn captain the ship to victory? And what happens when he returns to story time in class?

Review: Identifying the next trend is at the back of most authors’ minds. Yet since dinosaur stories roared on to t ...