The Lion and the Mouse by Jenny Broom and Nahta Noj (Templar Publishing)

Here's a well-loved fable thoughtfully re-written and presented in a fabulous toddler-friendly format with hard-wearing (chew-proof) card pages, and lots of nooks and crannies to explore.

Lion is king of the jungle, and is not scared of anything. Mouse is quite timid and more than a little bit hungry so when Mouse asks Lion for a lift to sample the juiciest fruit at the top of a high bush, Lion kindly obliges. For what is a great ruler without a dash of humility eh?

Mouse thanks Lion and vows to pay him back for his kindness one day. Of course, Lion finds the prospect of this very amusing - what possible way could a mouse find to pay a lion back in kind?

If you're familiar with this fable, you'll know that mouse does indeed get the chance to pay lion back, and the two become firm friends as a result. We loved the presentation and illustration of this book - the way you can peep through the holes in each page to get a sneaky peek at what lies in store. It's bold and colourful with a nice easy-reading text to accompany the fabulous illustrative style throughout the book. Though technically it's a book that's suited to children younger than Charlotte, as ever, she found it charming and engaging and loved little mouse - who is rather cute!

Charlotte's best bit: Mouse trying to eat a lovely juicy raspberry that's nearly as big as she is.

Daddy's Favourite bit: There are so many rich and varied fables that can stand up to telling and re-telling in children's books and this is one of our favourites. Beautifully presented and retold, a fab book for toddlers everywhere!

(Kindly sent to us for review by Templar Publishing)