Scribbles and Ink by Ethan Long (Blue Apple Books)

Scribbles is a cat who loves to...scribble! Ink is a mouse who loves to paint and ink. The two live side by side but absolutely detest each other's work.

Ethan Long's artistically inspired book finds out what happens when the two clash spectacularly, and decide to play a series of artistic tricks on each other after they get fed up with constant cross-critiques and arguments over who is the best artist.

I love the busy feel of this book and the two characters who remind me of a good few illustrators I know (and love).

For youngsters, it's the classic combination of cat and mouse, which gently draws (oh god, pardon the artistic pun) them into a world of appreciating some of the finest pieces of art ever to adorn a wall.

The great thing about this book is that it becomes a jumping off point for children to go and investigate the stories and the circumstances behind Scribbles and Ink's final pieces (we won't ruin the surprise for you but this was definitely my favourite bit of the book). Charlotte's already fairly arty and knows exactly what she likes ("Not your drawings daddy, your drawings are silly!") so it was great to be sent a book that delved deeper into the art world in a really child-friendly way.

Look out also for Scribbles and Ink's next book "Scribbles and Ink - Doodles for Two" which is more interactive and encourages children to try out some artistic tricks and techniques for themselves with helpful tutorials from the terrible twosome.

Charlotte's best bit: Scribbles the cat. She preferred his etchings.

Daddy's favourite bit: The beautifully drawn homages to famous artists at the end of the book. So brilliant!

(This book was kindly supplied to us for review by PGUK / Blue Apple Books)