Traction Man and the Beach Odyssey by Mini Grey (Red Fox Picture Books)

He's cooler than Bond. Cleverer than Sherlock, he's fantastic and made of plastic - he's Traction Man! Mini Grey's super-smooth spy hero is back in another adventure, this time taking place during a family trip to the beach. Traction Man and Scrubbing Brush must fend off the advances of Granny's new (very slobbery) puppy as new frontiers for adventure can be found down amongst the sand dunes.

Will our intrepid twosome survive "Operation Picnic"? Or will the sun, sand and seaweed prove too much for them?

Mini Grey's Traction Man series are brilliant fun, chock full of great little details and things that made me sigh with reminiscence as I remembered faithfully building my own action man army as a kid.

Charlotte also loves this series, mainly because she has a huge soft spot for scrubbing brush (He's SO cute!) and of course because Traction Man is a hit with the ladies, just like Bond.

Charlotte's best bit: Traction Man's new friends, a couple of plucky Barbie Dolls, come to the rescue!

Daddy's favourite bit: So many delicious little details and knowing nods to our childhoods. Very awesome!