Pocket Pack Alpha Doodles / Doodles 2 Do by Deborah Zemke (Blue Apple Books)

Now here's a brilliant little idea that sneaks a little smidgeon of educative exercise into a tiny stocking-filler-sized box, with an absolute ton of innovative ideas for early learners or doodlers like me who just seek a bit of inspiration from time to time.

Deborah Zemke's Pocket Pack Alpha Doodles and Doodles 2 Do encourage children (and adults) to sketch different animals, objects and people by using alphabet characters and numbers as the basis for the drawings.

Did you know you could make a cool little snail out of the number 19? You do now!

What we liked about these was that the instructions are clear and easy to follow, despite the size of the cards - and they serve as a great jumping-off point for larger drawings and artwork using the same ideas.

They're also great for taking on car journeys, or sneaking into a child's going away bag if they're off to stay with grandparents or family.

Charlotte's best bit: Drawing a numerical giraffe and a fantastic swirly-shelled snail

Daddy's favourite bit: Charlotte's at an age where she really loves drawing and scribbling, so anything that encourages her to look at different ways to draw, and things to draw that aren't the usual 'girl, house, princess' type stuff really does get the thumbs up.

(Kindly supplied for review by Blue Apple Books)