ReadItDaddy's Picture Book of the Week - Week Ending 10th April 2020: "100 Children's Books that Inspire our World" by Colin Salter (Pavilion Children's Books)

Ahh, wonderful! This is the sort of Book of the Week winner that has us seeking out a lovely warm beverage before curling up in our favourite comfortable chair for a few hours of blissful escapism.

"100 Children's Books that inspire our world" curated by Colin Salter is a lovingly hand-picked collection of some of the finest children's books of all time, gathered together in a gorgeous hardback volume that is an absolute must for kidlit fans.

Every single page seems to open up into a world of daydreamy nostalgia, as Colin brings together facts and stats about the books, as well as cover shots and other information that will - for the reader - instantly make you feel like you did when you first encountered those books in your own lives.

For example, reading about "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle reminded me of reading it as a child, but also reading it to my child - my daughter demanded this one again and again over the course of many bedtimes, always pausing to poke her podgy little sausage fingers through the holes in the book where the caterpillar scoffed his way through a week of treats.

A childhood favourite author and his amazing books. Richard Scarry's busy and amazing story worlds!

Then there was "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" to pull out another favourite much celebrated book. As a kid, coming from a fairly poor background much like Charlie himself, Roald Dahl's rich descriptions of the sweets and chocolate, as well as his brilliant depiction of characters good and bad were just amazing for a young emerging reader dipping into 'proper' books for the first time.

Herge's Adventures of Tintin! I can still hear the announcer's voice for the animated series, but I loved the books first!

These and many of the other books mentioned in this fantastic collection may feel like 'popular' choices, and I'm sure there'll be folk out there who will moan and complain that certain books were included, and certain others missed out, but this is a truly brilliant 'bible' for children's book obsessives (like us) and a real treat to see such an amazing collection gathered together in one place.

"The Secret Garden" - Another one of those childhood books that became hugely inspirational and well loved, and one I was very happy to share with my kiddo too!

Sum this book up in a sentence: A lovingly curated collection of 100 of the most amazing children's books ever produced, each evoking their own memories and many still well loved and well read by us today.

"100 Children's Books that inspire our world" by Colin Salter is out now, published by Pavilion Children's Books (kindly supplied for review).