Snappy Birthday by Mark Sperring and Laura Ellen Anderson (Bloomsbury Children's Books)

This book isn't actually out for another week (shhh! We're probably not supposed to be telling you about it) but it's so good, we wanted to make sure we got in early so that you could sneak it onto your christmas lists.

"Snappy Birthday" from Mark Sperring and Laura Ellen Anderson (the utter GENIUS behind the Phoenix Comic's Evil Emperor Penguin) starts off with a relatively serene scene of a bunch of ragtag kids who receive a mysterious birthday invite from one of their neighbours. This neighbour usually isn't a sociable type, so they're curious enough to pop along.

The neighbour isn't quite what they expected though. It's a huge, bombastic, snappy-toothed, green, scaly, monstrous crown-wearing CROCODILE! EEP!

He politely states that he absolutely can't wait to have them for tea (this is the bit where Charlotte snorted out loud and said "I bet he means actually eat them for tea!" and she's right!) There's only one thing on this crocodile's mind. Scoffing each and every one of his party guests without so much as a please or thank you!

Those kids can think quick on their feet though and so they come up with a plan, a delicious plan to head off Crocodile's appetite steering him in the right cake-shaped direction instead! HOORAY!

This is uproariously good, from the hilarious expressions on the poor children's hapless moggy's face (as it realises that the perfect party host would probably scoff moggies as a side dish) to the calamitous catastrophe of cake-gnashing that happens at the end.

Charlotte's best bit: Definitely the perfect birthday tea at the end, which is really how we ought to celebrate our birthday next year - with a huge CAKE FIGHT!

Daddy's Favourite bit: We love cake, we love crocodiles, and we love smart-as-heck kids who are great at talking themselves out of trouble. This is a hilarious treat by a dynamic duo we really hope work together again! Superb stuff, Mark and Laura!

(Kindly sent to us for review by Bloomsbury Children's Books)