Rastamouse and Da Micespace Mystery by Michael De Souza and Genevieve Webster (Macmillan Children's Books)

We're continuing our theme of "Awesome Animals" for #ReadItMD13 and I have a terrible, terrible unforgivable confession to make. I just cannot, CANNOT read Rastamouse books without the accent.

I just can't.

I've tried, believe me I've tried but it's just not possible. So I apologise unreservedly to my long suffering wife who absolutely detests it when I do silly voices while reading books, because she has put up with some truly dreadful manglings of Rastamouse's trademark "easy stylee" while I've been reading this.

Charlotte doesn't watch a lot of TV, in fact we cut it out altogether quite a while back (aside from the odd sunday afternoon when we're all tuckered out and need to just veg in front of a movie or something). But back when CBeebies was the thing, we used to spend far too much time watching anything and everything - including Rastamouse.

In book form, do these tales stand up on their own two feet without the groovy music, brilliant stop motion animation and of course Reggie Yates doing all the voices?

Well yes, actually they do! Here in "Rastamouse and the Micespace Mystery" there's a funky story about a nasty hacker who has emptied President Wensley Dale's bank account. The money was intended for the poor orphans to have a treat with but the hacker has made off with the lot. Worse still, he sends taunting emails to the President, boasting about his computer skills.

Needless to say, the Easy Crew are soon on the case, and Rastamouse, Scratchy and Zoomer track down the hacker with ease. But is it too late to salvage the money?

This is the first of the Rastamouse books we've actually seen, and there's now quite a collection to work through. Most TV-based books are a bit hit and miss but Rastamouse and the Micespace Mystery is a cracking little story that will definitely appeal to kids who just can't get enough of The Easy Crew's antics.

Charlotte's best bit: Mister Flash's fabulous car and pockets full of gadgets.

Daddy's Favourite bit: Thank goodness this book had a helpful glossary of terms at the end, you'll need it!

(Kindly sent to us for review by Macmillan Children's Books)