Barbapapa's New House by Annette Tison and Talus Taylor (Orchard Books)

Barbapapa has been a brilliant rediscovery for me, and a whole new joyful discovery for Charlotte - who really can't get enough of Barbapapa's wonderful adventures. The shape-shifting seventies icon is back in the third of the re-issued stories from Annette Tison and Talus Taylor, courtesy of Orchard Books.

In this tale, Barbapapa, his beautiful wife and their 7 children are feeling a bit squeezed and cramped at home in the quaint little house in Francoise's garden. It's time to move out but where can a shape-shifting blob and his family move to?

An old abandoned house just round the corner from Francoise offers a temporary respite, but developers soon move in to squish the old houses - erecting a sterile block of flats in their place. Boo hiss!

A cramped apartment is no better for a huge Barbapapa family than Francoise's old shack, so it's time to move on again.

Here's the bit we both loved (and the bit I remember from childhood - I SO WANTED to live in Barbapapa's house!) Barbapapa starts to build a proper Barba-house in his own inimitable fashion. A blobby, rounded and gorgeous dwelling that has a room for every purpose and a purpose for every room. Somewhere for Barbabravo to lift his weights and for Barbabeau to stare at the stars.

All too soon though, those pesky developers and their crunching munching cranes and diggers are on the warpath once again. Will Barbapapa's new home be spared?

Barbapapa books are so dreamy and fun, we loved Barbapapa's house the most but we loved the spirit of the book and in particular Barbapapa's gentleness and approach to conflict (you'll see what we mean later in the book once those diggers reappear).

Don't miss our reviews of "Barbapapa" and "Barbapapa's Voyage" - and we really can't wait to read "Barbapapa's Ark", also coming very soon from Orchard.

Charlotte's best bit: Barbapapa's rather novel way of building his new house, Barbapapa style

Daddy's Favourite bit: LOVE Barbapapa's house, reminds me of Cesar Manrique's place in Lanzarote, built into volcanic bubbles. So cool!

(Kindly sent to us for review by Orchard Books)