Lift the Flap Times Tables by by Rosie Dickins, Benedetta Giaufret and Enrica Rusina (Usborne Publishing)

This is an utterly genius idea to get kids engaged with something that can rapidly become a bit of a chore. Charlotte has just started learning Times Tables in the usual 'parrot fashion' way at school. It's a dreary and boring task so anything that can help alleviate that boredom, and actually provide a better way of learning tables has got to be investigated further.

Charlotte actually brought this Usborne "Lift the Flap Times Tables" book home from her awesome school library (Hi Miss Storey! Yes that really is her school librarian's name, what an awesome name it is too!) Thankfully it was in good enough condition to allow Charlotte to dive in and start exploring.

As a lift-the-flap book, it would've already had her hooked if it didn't tie in tightly with what she's learning at home and in class for multiplication tables. It does though, and it also breaks away from the monotony of concentrating by numbers by teaching kids some of the cool tips and tricks they can use to quickly pick up and learn times tables without all that monotone repetition.

Each lift the flap section breaks out as a little 'game' encouraging children to learn and perhaps even to guess some of the answers. It's a great interactive way of learning (without resorting to the dreaded tablet or smartphone to look for an app-based solution - YAY!)

What a brilliant idea!

Charlotte's best bit: Helping a gallant knight across a perilous drawbridge with crocodiles waiting to snap him up!

Daddy's Favourite bit: A fun and fantastic way of helping your child through the initial stages of learning times tables, without the dreadfully boring monotonous parrot fashion learning! Huge thumbs up!