Dragon Jelly by Claire Freedman and Sue Hendra (Bloomsbury Publishing)

Growing up with gross books like "Fungus the Bogeyman" and "Revolting Rhymes", this is a book that absolutely sang out to me in my own language. Charlotte also has a rather worrying tendency to find grim grossness hilariously funny so when "Dragon Jelly" came along, and we started to read about the perfect monster birthday party, we were in fits of laughter.

Claire Freedman and Sue Hendra are back with this brilliant rib-tickler, but it might be worth steering clear of anything to eat a couple of hours either side of a good read.

Monster Max is having a birthday party and has invited all his fiendish friends. As with any children's birthday party, the emphasis is on fun but most importantly food - and Max's mum has cooked up a superb stomach-churning feast of monster favourites!

Eyeball cakes, termite tarts, earwig rolls, you name it and max's mum has wheeled it out for the party. But there is a piece de resistance, a finale to top all other tempting treats - DRAGON JELLY!

Super-gross visuals from Sue couple perfectly with Claire's wonderful rhymes for a tasty treat of a book that will have your tiddlers sniggering and snorting!

Pass the grasshopper and goosberry tartlets would you?

Charlotte's best monster party food creation: Rotten eggs on a cheesecake made of shaving foam!

Daddy's favourite monster party food: Octopus ink and Lark beak risotto!

(Kindly sent to us for review by Bloomsbury Publishing)