One of the most attractive books we've seen in a long time, the marvellous "Tree Matters" carries an important message of how vital our plant life is to us and the animals we share a planet with. Let's dive in and take a closer look!

The sights, the sounds, the colours and the spectacle of the Bhil Carnival known as Bhagoria is the subject of this gorgeous and colourful book, with more than a few surprises tucked in between its pages. Neela and Peela are two children who cannot wait to dash to the carnival this year, and we're fortunate enough to be able to join them!

Decked out in traditional Bhil style by artist Subhash Amaliyar, with an entertaining storybook tucked away in the corner telling us of Neela and Peela's adventures at the carnival, this is definitely something special.

There are rides to go on (including a scary ferris wheel), balloons of all colours and shapes to float in the air and all the delicious food that goes with the carnival, including delicious yummy cold ice creams (Neela and Peela's favourite bit!)

We love the way the book unfolds into a huge layout of the carnival, so as you read the story you can have fun spotting all the sights that Neela and Peela see as they spend a fantastic day there.

What a brilliant way to share a traditional indian fair!

Charlotte's best bit: The mouthwatering descriptions of lovely ice creams, and the quite scary description of how the Ferris Wheel works! Eeks!

Daddy's Favourite bit: A colourful and dazzling book that shows off perfectly the amazing spectacle of a traditional indian carnival. We truly wish we could really visit the Bhil Carnival but this is a wonderful way to catch a glimpse of it ourselves!

(Kindly sent to us for review by Tara Books)

Tara Books are renowned for producing some of the most beautiful and unique children's books in publishing today. Books woven from the rich tapestry of folk tales and traditional stories from around the world, sublimely presented and beautifully bound.

Charlotte's reaction to "Alone in the Forest" was electrifying. She loved the artwork, and as the book progresses, the dark and mysterious atmosphere the story invokes - and the feelings of excitement between each turn of the page.

"Alone in the Forest" tells the tale of a young boy, Musa, who decides to help his mother gather firewood. Brave and strong, but still a child, Musa steps into the dark forest and soon is enveloped by the all-encompassing canopy of trees and branches as paths fade to tracks, and darkness surrounds him.

Beware of the Wild Boars! Eeek! (look how gorgeous this book is!)

Musa hears a huge crashing noise that seems to be coming closer and closer, so seeks refuge in the hollow of a tree. Will Musa make it back to his home village safely? What is outside and causing such a rumpus?

We liked the way "Alone in the Forest" lets your imagination work overtime. The artwork draws you in - and we wondered how great this would be read by torchlight (though it's probably not wise to make it too dark and scary when you're trying to settle your youngsters at bedtime). Musa is brave and bold and confronts his fears, children admire the fact that he wants to help and is prepared to do something very scary so that his family can enjoy the comfort of a warm fire.


Charlotte's best bit: Musa feeling tickly and itchy as he hides out in the dark tree hollow.

Daddy's Favourite bit: A book that makes an instant impact, feels so fresh and the artwork is truly stunning to behold.

(Kindly sent to us for review by Tara Books / Bounce Marketing)

Tara Books are renowned for bringing together the most talented authors and illustrators to collaborate on books that introduce us to fabulous folk tales and stories from around the world.

As it's #ReaditMD13 "Awesome Animals" week on ReadItDaddy, we were overjoyed to receive a copy of "Gobble You Up!" by Gita Wolf and Sunita. You'll see a lot of animals in this book but by far the real star is a wily and extremely hungry Jackal. He's pompous, he's proud and he's more than a little bit full of himself. So one day when his best friend Crane tells Jackal off for stealing all the fishes Crane has just caught to share, Jackal responds by - yes you've guessed it - gobbling Crane up!

He doesn't stop there. When Tortoise points out that it's really not the done thing to eat your best friends, can you guess what Jackal does? Oh yes, he gobbles him up!

A cat, a peacock and an elephant all follow suit. Jackal truly believes that his big round tum can fit many more animals in. But is Jackal in for a surprise? You bet he is!

Mr Tortoise. Snack sized!

Sunita's beautiful artwork truly is a wonderful fit for a story that's got just the right amount of repetition, awesome excitement and a good few belly laughs along the way too. We absolutely loved it, and the book is so wonderfully produced with a hand-made 'feel' to it, you really cannot resist diving in for a second reading as soon as you've finished the first. Young children will love shouting "Gobble you up!" at the tops of their voices, and older children will love this as a nice easy and very funny read.

Charlotte's best bit: Uh oh, Jackal's fate! Not pretty but very amusing!

Daddy's Favourite bit: Such a beautifully presented and really funny book, we can't get enough of it! 

(Kindly sent to us for review by Tara Books / Bounce Marketing)