Princess Penelope and the Runaway Kitten by Alison Murray (Nosy Crow)

Imagine the scene. Your smashing and very kind local independent bookseller (Mostly Books) lets you choose ANY BOOK YOU WANT from his entire stock. When you're five, and love books (as Charlotte does) this is akin to being let loose in a sweetshop after being told that what happens there is between you and the sweetshop owner and the dentist needn't know a thing.

So that was the scene after we read some stories at Mostly Books for the fabulous Usborne 40th Anniversary celebrations. Mark (Mostly Books' owner) let Charlotte pick a book to say thank you for coming, and this was the book she chose.

She had just been describing to Mark her perfect book. "About a princess! Who lives in a tower!" she said excitedly (sounds familiar!).

This book is about a Princess, she doesn't live in a tower but she has a mischievous kitten - who gets wrapped up in a sparkly ball of yarn one day and chases all around the palace, leaving a sparkly trail for Princess Penelope to follow.

Charlotte loves books that feature this sort of illustrative storytelling, where a trail is laid for tiddly fingers to follow (in this case, a touchy feely trail made of purple glitter that is great to trace with your hands). The kitten runs hither and thither, and eventually ends up curled up for a cuddle with her mummy.

Charlotte rather enjoyed the story. I felt a bit disappointed because, well - WOW I mean you're in a book store, you've got the pick of the whole store, there are so many brilliant books everywhere you turn and so many we hadn't read - but you can't argue with your mini-boss, so I guess as long as she enjoys it (and she does), it's a win!

Charlotte's best bit: When the kitten chases up and down stairs leaving a zig-zag trail to follow.

Daddy's Favourite bit: Er, the, um...ah. Hey the endpapers were great!

(Very kindly given to us as a thank-you by Mark at Mostly Books)