Russia has always fascinated me. There's just something about this amazing nation that draws you in from its often turbulent history, to its triumphant and successful space program, and its rich and diverse culture.

Finding books on Russia that aren't dry and boring isn't that easy but "The Apartment: A Century of Russian History" takes an entirely different approach to most non-fiction books that is so brilliant and ground-breaking I would dearly like to see it become 'the norm' for a lot of non-fiction subjects.

Inside the apartment, the lives of several families are chronicled over the space of an entire century, from the revolutionary Russia of the early 20th Century, right through to the present day.

As the apartment changes and evolves to meet the needs of each new set of tenants, we find out a little bit more about Russia in each decade, through the first and second world war, and through to the eventual fall of the Iron Curtain, and a relaxation and more ready acceptance of some of the western influences that have worked their way into Russian culture in later years.

Alexandra and Anna have done an amazing job here, packing in so much detail and so much anecdotal history that there's something new to discover every time you read this book.

We also absolutely loved the format of this. It's a huge hardback tome, the sort of book we describe in our reviews as being made for sprawling out on the floor with and we learned so much from it, from what Russian people ate and what they did during harsher times, through to their subversive counter-cultural reactions to some quite often harsh laws.

Like most of our keepers, this is something that is read again and again on a regular basis, and there's no surprise it was a book of the week and indeed one of our picture books of the year last year.

Original Review Links: 

ReadItDaddy's Second Book of the Week: Week Ending 1st November 2019 - "The Apartment: A Century of Russian History" by Alexandra Litvina and Anna Desnitskaya, translated by Antonina Bouis (Abrams Books)

Our Picture Book, Chapter Book and Comic / Graphic Novel of the year winners for 2019

Our second Picture Book of the Week is like a brilliant travelogue of one of our favourite places to visit.

Italy is a beautiful country, and though we've never visited Rome, we have made it our business to plan a trip there once the world gets back to normal.

But this isn't just the story of Rome, this is the story of an amazing little pooch.

"Paolo: Emperor of Rome" by Mac Barnett and Claire Keane is a glorious little book that begins with a dog's daydreams of escape. Most of the time he's stuck in a busy hairdressers, staring out of the shop door as the world passes by.

Paolo sees enough of the busy world out there to know that he wants to be a part of it, but every time he tries to go outside, his owner (who is a bit harsh on her poor pooch) pushes him back indoors.

But one fateful day, a little old lady visiting the salon leaves the door open - just long enough for Paolo to make a break for it..!

Paolo dreams of the world outside but can't get past his grumpy owner

Out in the wild streets of Rome Paolo discovers an amazing world full of excitement, and danger. Though Paolo gets into a few scrapes, he soon discovers that his tenacity and bravery serve him well, and he begins a grand adventure amongst some of Rome's most famous landmarks.

Dreamy spires and amazing rooftops in Rome's gorgeous city streets

Mac and Claire weave an amazing story where you can almost smell the amazing smells of Rome's famous pasta dishes and pizzas, hear the roar of motor scooters, the coo of pigeons gathering around the Trevi Fountain, and experience all the wonders in this ancient and amazing place.

It's a beautiful book. Claire makes it feel instantly like a well loved classic and now it's made us more determined than ever to go back to visit Italy.

Sum this book up in a sentence: A brilliant original poochy tale that's as much a fab travelogue of Rome as it is the story of a brave little dog who finds his place in the world.

"Paolo: Emperor of Rome" by Mac Barnett and Claire Keane is out now, published by Abrams Books for Young Readers (kindly supplied for review). 

Day 13 of our Booky Advent Calendar is a delicious romp through the snow. Wait a minute though, is snow supposed to taste sweet?

In "Peanut Butter and Jelly Santa Claus", Reginald (the zombie), Zarfon (the alien), and Abigail Zink (the human) are all preparing for Christmas in Quirkville

There's a problem though - Poor Santa is snowed in! Stuck at the north pole and unable to get his sled out to deliver presents all over the world.

Our three heroes decide to hatch a plan to save the day.

They load into Zarfon’s spaceship and head straight for the North Pole.




When they arrive, they find that Santa and his elves are trapped, not by snow, but by a marshmallow cream explosion.




With a little bit of creativity, a little bit of Christmas spirit, and one big KA-POW!, the pals from Quirkville save Christmas and inadvertently create a delicious treat!

A fun romp that'll satisfy the cravings of those of us with a really sweet tooth! "Peanut Butter and Santa Claus" by Joe McGee and Charles Santoso is out now, published by Abrams Books for Young Readers (kindly supplied for review)

The Imagineers series from Andrea Beaty and David Roberts has been one of the genuine delights of C's book journey over the past decade, and joining Rosie Revere, Iggy Peck and Ada Twist is a new gal we have completely fallen in love with as a fantastic and inspirational character.

"Sofia Valdez Future Prez" may well just be an ordinary little girl but she has a big challenge in mind. She wants to clean up her neighbourhood so that no one has to deal with a huge trash pile that's a complete blight on everyone's lives.

Sofia finds that small shy girls might not be the loudest public speakers, but when a message is worth believing in, people will get behind it, and soon the protests are heard by those higher ups, impressed with how this young girl has organised such a following - and not just with her awesome Abuela!

Andrea and David really are a dream team, bringing a solid story and superb characterful visuals into play for a book that will give kids a ton of inspiration to do the right thing by their friends, neighbours and the planet just like Sofia has.

Let's take a peep inside.


Did you spot Rosie, Iggy and Ada too?

Sum this book up in a sentence: A hugely inspirational book that shows even the tiniest voice can get behind a mighty cause and make a difference!

"Sofia Valdez Future Prez" by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts is out now, published by Abrams Young Readers (kindly supplied for review).

"Caveboy Crush" by Beth Ferry and Joseph Kuefler is out now, published by Abrams Books for Young Readers (kindly supplied for review).

Oooh we like this one. A delicious exploration of the way a child sees their world, and how that world slowly begins to expand until it stretches past the horizon.

In "Small World" by Ishta Mercurio and Jen Corace, meet curious little girl Nanda.

When Nanda is born, the whole of her world is the circle of her mother’s arms. Safe, comfortable and warm.

As Nanda grows, her world grows too and begins to expand outwards. It begins with her family, then friends, the city and then out into the countryside - and Nanda's curiousity and interest grows with it. Nanda notices all the small details, the subtle nuances, colours, smells, tastes and sensations of that world as it continues to grow and grow.

Eventually Nanda is destined to break the boundaries of the world entirely - as she becomes an astronaut her view of the world - as the small blue thing in an inky cosmos - changes forever.

Sum this book up in a sentence: This is beautiful stuff, poetic, beautifully illustrated and a lilting tale to read before bed, thrumming with all the potential kids carry inside themselves as they begin to take their very own place in the world - and perhaps beyond!

"Small World" by Ishta Mercurio and Jen Corace is out now, published by Abrams Books for Young Readers

When you're a kid, sometimes you get really fed up with your family - and perhaps just want some time alone.

There's such a neat little message in "Leyla" by Galia Bernstein - a message that is delivered alongside some of the most gorgeous simian artwork I think we've ever seen in a children's picture book.

Leyla is the youngest in her Baboon family troop and she's so fed up with her big, loud and noisy family. They're always making a noise, always snuggling or grooming each other, and never give her time to think.

So one day Leyla decides to run away, as far away from her family as possible.

And as she runs, she takes a moment to rest in the middle of a desert where she finds a single tiny Lizard sunning itself on a rock.

At first she's a bit frightened of this skittish new individual, but soon a firm friendship develops as Leyla finally find the one thing she wanted all along - just a nice quiet space to sit and do absolutely nothing! Because, as we all know, sometimes just lounging around doing nothing is the perfect antidote to a noisy busy world.

Yikes! Yep, skittish lizards can be a bit alarming when you first see them!

Just so much loveliness in this, from the subtle and reduced word count still managing to convey the story so effectively...

Imagine waking up amongst this lot every day!

...to the truly stunning illustrations, which are just GORGEOUS!

Sum this book up in a sentence: A gorgeous book extolling the virtues of having a bit of quiet time alone from time to time when life gets too busy and hectic, and your family do your head in!

"Leyla" by Galia Bernstein is out now, published by Abrams Books for Young Readers (kindly supplied for review). 

I do love a book like this, that purposely sets out to provide sheer enjoyment and engagement of a subject in a rather quirky and playful way.

"A Book About Whales" by Andrea Antinori kicks things off with a deliciously simple title that tells you exactly what you'll find inside.

With the most amazing and stylish monochrome illustrations, Andrea uses fab pictures and simple descriptions to give kids their first insights into this fascinating species.

Are they fish? No, Whales are warm-blooded mammals - and some of the most gentle giants you may ever encounter (obviously, Killer Whales are a bit of an exception to that!)

Inside the book we take a journey from the very beginning of a Whale's life, on to where they can be found, what they eat (answer: a lot!) and what their social habits are.

Let's take a look at a couple of page spreads from this utterly fascinating book:

Definitely not fish but they certainly like eating them!

How big are they? Pretty huge! Even the smallest Whale species are way bigger than us!

Whales love socialising but some species still love a bit of 'alone' time too

Though this book is described as a fantastic 'first natural history book' for youngsters, it's stylish and detailed enough to provide interest to a wide range of age groups and we just cant get enough of Andrea's beautiful illustrations throughout, really making this title stand out amongst a whole sea of similar children's books.

Sum this book up in a sentence: You'll have a whale of a time learning about one of the most fascinating animal species on the planet in this utterly stylish and brilliant book!

"A Book About Whales" by Andrea Antinori is out now, published by Abrams Young Readers (kindly supplied for review)

Here's a fabulous book about one of the most influential and important fashion icons ever to cut a cloth.

Eva Byrne's gorgeous book "Along Came Coco" celebrates the creativity and joie de vivre of this legendary fashion designer.

In a time when children were meant to be seen and not heard, along came Coco, a small French orphan with an eye for style, a talent for sewing, and a big imagination. 

How do you solve a problem like Coco?

Cutting a dash through Paris in the finest threads imaginable!

One thing we've hoped and clamoured for in 2019 are more books that uncover hidden historical figures.

We're more than used to seeing those 'fantastically inspirational' books that seem to feature the same folk again and again, but this rather beautiful story hails one of the unsung heroes of photography and botany.

"The Bluest of Blues: Anna Atkins and the First Book of Photographs" by Fiona Robinson is an utterly beautiful and stylish historical account of a young girl whose early life was tinged with tragedy, but who went on to achieve greatness in her chosen fields.

After losing her mother very early in life, Anna Atkins (1799–1871) was raised by her loving father - who (like me) loved sharing the magic of science with his daughter.

In the early 19th century, the world was changing rapidly as new discoveries were made, hailing an unprecedented period of great achievement and scientific innovation.

Anna's father made sure that his daughter received a scientific education, which was highly unusual for women and girls in the early 19th century.

Anna loved to spend as much time as possible drawing and painting plants but always wondered how she could capture their beauty in even more detail.

Fascinated with plant life, Anna became a botanist and loved recording various plant species for posterity in her own journals, with glorious illustrations and engravings.

In 1842, a massive innovation in photography had a profound impact on young Anna. The invention of Cyanotype photography allowed Anna to use new techniques in order to catalogue plant specimens—a true marriage of science and art.

Anna's father ensured she received a scientific education, unusual in the early 19th Century for women.

In just under a year, Anna had mastered the new photographic techniques and published the book Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions with handwritten text and cyanotype photographs. It was revolutionary, the first book of photographs ever published - and testament to Anna's passion for her subject.

How to capture the beauty of a poppy in hues of blue?

This utterly fascinating story of Anna and her life is a piece of art in itself, picked out in the trademark blue hues of cyanotype, with masterful and glorious illustrations complimenting the details of Anna's lifelong love of plants. The book even shows you how you can make your own Cyanotypes (you'll definitely need an adult to help if you go down the route of using chemicals described in the book, though Cyanotype paper is fairly widely available and very easy to use - just wait for a sunny day!)

Sum this book up in a sentence: A beautifully written and illustrated history of one of the most passionate pioneers of early photography and botany, thoroughly fascinating work from Fiona!

"The Bluest of Blues" by Fiona Robinson is out now, published by Abrams Young Readers (kindly supplied for review). 

Here's another awesome slice of time-travelling dino-conservational fun in Abby Howard's latest awesome fact-filled Graphic Novel series...

Our first Picture Book of the Week is such a stunningly executed idea, perfect for kids who still have a little bit of anxiety about going to bed in the dark...

We love illustrator Jillian Tamaki's work, so it's lovely to see her first solo picture book, a glorious celebration of colour...