"Aww, poor Heidi!" - This was at one time one of my wife's childhood catchphrases, as her mum read to her this well-loved children's classic nestling into our Book of the Week slot this week.

"Heidi" by Johanna Spyri, retold here by Jeanne Willis with gorgeous new illustrations from blog fave Briony May Smith is much, much more than just a lovely edition of a classic book. It's a book that comes to life as you read, a tale that speaks of idyllic childhood days spent in the crisp clear air of the mountains, but also a twinge of tragedy as Heidi is taken away from her loving grandparents to live in the city.

Missing the mountain life, her goats and her best friend Peter, it's not long before Heidi manages to make a new friend. But there's always a dream of returning to the mountains at the back of her mind. Will Heidi get her most heartfelt wish? 

Heidi's new life in the bustling city of Frankfurt is a far cry from her beginnings in the mountains.

"Grumpy" Grandpa isn't so grumpy after all.

With a cover more sparkly than a pair of well-brushed gnashers, today sees the release of the truly brilliant "Tooth Fairy in Training" by Michelle Robinson and Briony May Smith, a creative dynamic duo par excellence.

If you think being a tooth fairy is easy, just a case of a quick 'bait and switch' coin-for-tooth under a kidlet's pillow, think again!

Tate is the titular tooth fairy in training, and her big sister May is taking her out for the first time on a mission that's going to be a tad more dangerous than both fairies expected.

Not all teeth are tucked under pillows in quaint comfortable urban surroundings, so Tate and May will trek across steamy jungles, deep-dive into the oceans or shiver their timbers in the icy frozen wastes of the arctic.

...and it's not just humans who expect a reward for their polished loose gnashers. Crocodiles and snakes? Oh my!

Exquisite rhyming, beautiful illustrations and a theme that will appeal to all kids, whether they have a sweet tooth or not! What a brilliant team Michelle and Briony make! (Look out for the line about Melissa - it's a corker!)

Sometimes it takes seeing things through the eyes of your child to really change your lifelong mind about something you've previously had no time for.

As a kid, I had two major fears. Waxworks (UGHHH!) and Clowns (EEEHHH!) and the latter led me to a real dislike of circuses.

When C was born, we ended up visiting Giffords Circus in Oxford. I was grumpy, didn't want to go but my wife bought the tickets and we all went. C was absolutely enthralled and entranced by it, a circus run by what felt like a tight knit family of performers. There was a clown, but he wasn't the usual sort of painted-faced terrifying type of clown I'd always hated (thanks Tim Rice!) He was genuinely funny, silly and crazy. It completely changed my mind, and perhaps "Nell and the Circus of Dreams" by Nell Gifford and Briony May Smith may change yours too if you've had a similar dislike of all things circus-ey

Beautiful storytelling and the most sumptuous illustrations. This is a real treat!

Giffords Circus is of course one of the most famous and popular circuses still travelling the country, and in this book you'll find a beautifully woven story about a young girl called Nell whose mother becomes very ill. One day Nell finds a tiny chick scratching in the back yard and the two become firm friends. But when the chick grows up into a chicken, she disappears and Nell manages to track her down to a nearby travelling circus.

It's like nothing she's ever seen before. The people there are amazing acrobats and performers, there are beautiful horses prancing daintily around - but Nell still can't find Rosebud, her chicken friend. Until she finally enters the ring to discover who the star of the show really is.

A very talented little girl and her awesome chicken!

(If you've been to Giffords Circus, you'll smile at this bit - as there's always a star part for a talented chicken or two in the show!)

Nell is, of course, a talented storyteller who whirls up an amazingly atmospheric world around her little-girl-self's amazing experiences. But to be partnered by an incredible artist like Briony May Smith must've been a dream come true, her illustrations are just utterly glorious in every way, capturing the atmosphere, the sights and the frisson of excitement in the circus so perfectly.

This book is amazing, almost as amazing as the real-life story of Nell and Giffords Circus itself, and well worthy of a place in our book of the week slot.

Sum this book up in a sentence: A brilliant book celebrating the imagination of a little girl, a mesmerising story and of course the glorious circus, entertaining for all!

"Nell and the Circus of Dreams" by Nell Gifford and Briony May Smith (OUP / Oxford Children's Books)

Oh blimey yes! This is what we want! This is what we've been longing for in fact. A 'cute little bunny' tale with a spicily dark edge to it...

A book that instantly feels like it's been around for ever, weaving itself a wonderful world of fairy folklore but with a good solid anti-bullying message in "Imelda and the Goblin King"