"A Couch for Llama" by Leah Gilbert (Sterling Children's Books)

Llamas. Why are they so cool? So cuddly? So awesome to have in a children's story? Let's dig in and find out...
In "A Couch for Llama" by Leah Gilbert, the story begins not with a large fluffy slightly spitty creature, but with a busy family.

They go about their daily business, but at one point or other during their day they love nothing better than lounging on their big comfortable couch.

The problem is, with a busy family, lots of kids, lots of sessions of making a fort out of the couch (I'm actually genuinely sad we can't do this with ours!) the poor couch takes a bit of a hammering, until one day the family decide it's time to get a brand new one as theirs has definitely seen better days.

So it's off to the furniture shop in their tiny VW Beetle. Perhaps not the best thing to strap a sofa to - and that's how the real tale begins.

You can probably guess what happens to their brand new couch on the way home...

Oops!!

The couch lands in a field next to Llama, who doesn't know what to make of this newcomer.

Llama tries feeding the couch...

We love all the birds that crop up in this story as bit-players!

But in the end Llama discovers the best use for a couch yet...!

BOING!!!

When the family realise that their brand new couch has fallen off the car, they return for it - but by then Llama really doesn't want to let it go. But there is a solution - and we'll leave that for you to discover in this story.

C really loved this one (she always eyes up new picture book acquisitions with a steely gaze but slid this one straight into her shelves as a 'keeper'). Such a sense of fun, an original story, fabulous Llama-ey artwork and just a great excuse for a bouncing session on your own settee (just don't let mum and dad see you doing it!)

C's best bit: Llama trying to make friends with the couch.

Daddy's favourite bit: A lovely whimsical tale, and one that makes us clamour for more books featuring Llamas! Make it so!

"A Couch for Llama" by Leah Gilbert is out now, published by Sterling Children's Books (Kindly supplied for review).