Silver Buttons by Bob Graham (Walker Books)

Now here's a really amazing idea for a children's book, and one that serves a noble cause too. "Silver Buttons" is a story that feels like hitting the pause button on the whole world, as Bob Graham's book expertly captures a moment. 9:59 on a Thursday Morning to be precise, just as young Jodie is putting the finishing touches to a rather natty painting of a duck, wearing a top hat, with silver buttons on his boots.

The book unfolds events around this fairly insignificant event as Bob Graham pans around the town, capturing scenes of everyday life from every angle and aspect. We see Jodie's little brother taking his first faltering steps, we see a young wife and child seeing their soldier husband / father off on a tour of duty and the more we delve into the cityscape, the more detail is revealed.

Bob Graham's art style is beautifully uncluttered but at the same time so rich and varied in detail that with each turn of the page, a new scene unfolds or an event is added to as the clock crawls towards 10.00.

As we read this, we felt like birds soaring above the scenes, imaginations soaring and picturing what would be happening in our own town on a precise single moment like this.

Charlotte's best bit: Jodie's rather cute brother as he wobbles and teeters taking his first steps

Daddy's Favourite bit: A great message here, to savour the ones we love, and live in the moment. Beautifully told and wonderfully illustrated as you'd expect from Bob Graham

(Kindly sent to us for review by Walker Books)