Our first Picture Book of the Week this week is a fitting tribute to the hard working women of both world wars who tended our sick and injured, often in perilous circumstances...

Our Second Picture Book of the Week once again draws on the fascinating and tragic history surrounding the First World War from two talented folk who excel at producing the most heart-wrenching and brilliant books. "A Song for Will and the Lost Gardeners of Heligan" by Hilary Robinson and Martin Impey...

On the 1st of July 1916, one of the fiercest and most bloody battles of the First World War began. The Battle of the Somme resulted in a terrible and tragic loss of life on both sides and in "Flo of the Somme" Hilary Robinson and Martin Impey also remember the animals involved in the conflict, and how their heroic acts contributed to the war effort on both sides.

"Flo of the Somme" was a well deserved Book of the Week last year in October and you can read our original review of the book here:

ReadItDaddy's First Book of the Week - Week Ending 9th October 2015 - "Flo of the Somme" by Hilary Robinson and Martin Impey (Strauss House Productions)

Strauss House have released a book trailer for the title to once again remember those who did not survive the conflict, and respectfully pay tribute to those who did.

Take a look at the trailer below and please do re-read our review.


"Flo of the Somme" by Hilary Robinson and Martin Impey is available from Strauss House Productions.

As we respectfully mark the centenary of The Battle of the Somme, one of the most terrible battles of the First World War we explore a book honouring the often unsung animal heroes of the terrible conflict. Our first Book of the Week this week is "Flo of the Somme".

The Copper Tree Series of children's books by Hilary Robinson and Mandy Stanley help children deal with concerns and issues that can affect their everyday lives. We've previously taken a look at the series, and we're catching up with "Tom's Sunflower" - a story designed to help children deal with the issues around their parents splitting up.

Anything that affects the family unit in this way always affects children the most, and "Tom's Sunflower" addresses the issues in a sensitive story of a young boy named Tom who loves to grow things in the garden, and a class of children who rally round to support a girl whose parents have recently divorced.

The story neatly underlines some of the concerns children develop when they're dividing their time between two parents who no longer live together. The story of Tom has a neat twist that imparts a hugely positive message. We won't spoil things too much but it's easy to see how fantastically effective this book could be when used in class where children are in the same situation.

Charlotte had a ton of questions to ask about the story - and it was great to see her reaction to the characters and also how she would help anyone at school or at Brownies who is going through something similar.

A superbly accomplished and sensitive book series that would really be a huge help.

Charlotte's best bit: Charlotte loved the Classroom lineup at the end - and finding out who Tom was!

Daddy's Favourite bit: A hugely impressive book series sensitively dealing with difficult issues facing children every day

(Kindly sent to us for review by Strauss House Productions)

In this centenary year of the outbreak of World War 1, we've seen some astonishingly brilliant children's books that offer factual accounts of what it was like to fight in the mud and trenches of World War 1.

One story often emerges time and time again from the era, that children always want to know more about - that of the temporary truce that existed around Christmas 1914 when German and Allied soldiers met in no mans land, calling a halt to the fighting and finding a common brotherly bond.

Gifts were exchanged, carols and hymns were sung and an impromptu football match kicked off, setting the scene for a story that has now become legendary.

Like "Shooting at the Stars" by John Hendrix, the story takes on an almost supernatural air and we loved the way that Hilary Robinson has written the tale in repeated poetic verse, paying homage to war poets such as Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen.

This truly is a brilliant book with such a positive message of peace emerging from such a terrible and tragic conflict.

Charlotte's best bit: The heart-wrenching moment when the dove of peace flies over the stricken battlefield

Daddy's Favourite bit: A superbly written and illustrated version of a tale of hope and peace from World War 1 that almost seems too amazing to be true.

(Kindly sent to us for review by Strauss House Productions)

In the Centenary year of the outbreak of World War 1, children's authors and artists have dug deep to come up with many brilliant children's books to ensure that our youngsters never forget the conflict, or the sacrifices made by their ancestors. It's not an easy subject to tackle for children Charlotte's age, though we've looked at several excellent non-fiction books that examine the history to provide facts and figures about the war itself. This is the first fictional title we've encountered, and it's an astonishingly beautiful book.

"Where the Poppies Now Grow" tells the tale of two childhood friends, Ben and Ray, who grow up together, play together - and then go to war together. Hilary Robinson's story slowly builds in prose to tell the boys tale as they deal first hand with the horrors of war. Sensitively written and beautifully illustrated by Martin Impey, we read and enjoyed the story (but I really had to fight hard to keep the tears at bay).

The book triggered deep discussions about the conflict, and what it meant to families to see men - and sometimes boys - heading off to the front, to fight in a war that had such a terrible toll.

It feels like a fitting homage to some of the classic war poems by Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen. A timely reminder to us all that the many, many people who died in "The Great War" did so in order that we could live in peace.

It's been asked for again and again by Charlotte, who now wants to find out a little more about members of our family who fought in the First World War (my great great grandfather for instance, who was a gunner and survived the conflict to become a policeman afterwards).

Charlotte's best bit: The boys as old men at the end. So touching.

Daddy's Favourite bit: A hugely important piece of work, absolutely vital to help children learn about and understand the sacrifices made in World War 1

(Kindly sent to us for review by Strauss House Productions)

Wow! What a lovely book! We haven't come across the Copper Tree Book Series before but are so glad we did.

This week's book of the week from legendary children's book author Hilary Robinson, and super-talented illustrator Mandy Stanley, is from a series designed to help children and parents tackle tough and sensitive issues in a way that is both engaging and comprehensible to children of all ages, even the very young.

Dealing with adoption, "Help a Hamster" tells the story of Alfie and his classmates who have a pet hamster called Henry at school. When Henry unexpectedly gives birth (!), Alfie - who was adopted as a baby - comes up with a great plan so that the hamster babies, including one tiny and sad little one they name "Alfonzo", all go to a loving and caring home.

When we read books that deal with difficult subjects, the best part often happens when the book is closed and discussions spring from the subject matter. Here, Charlotte wanted to know about adoption and of course wanted to know more about one of the most difficult questions the book raises - why Alfie's mum would give him up when he was a tiny baby.

Hilary Robinson handles this and many other questions with sensitivity and care. Alfie has a book all about his life, and his adopted mother shows this to the class - giving them the idea to make a book for Alfonzo (with possibly the cutest photo of a baby hamster you're ever likely to see!)

For me, the best bit of the book came when we went home with Alfie. His mum decides that they should adopt Alfonzo, and so they take him home to introduce him to Alfie's family including his brothers and sisters. That double-page spread is utterly wonderful but I'll leave you to find out why.

For Charlotte, the book achieved its aim and then some. Knowing a little bit more about adoption, and having questions of her own (including some that, as a parent, are really tough to answer - for instance how would you handle the question "Who would adopt me if anything happened to you and mummy?") we could refer to the book's story and talk it all out.

We're now very interested in the rest of the Copper Tree range, particularly a book that talks about old age and loss (Christmas Surprise) and also the one that tackles a very tricky subject that's never far from the headlines at the moment - food banks.

It's a fantastic range, a fitting book of the week, brilliantly written and illustrated. Do not miss it!

Charlotte's best bit: Learning all about adoption and cooing at the lovely photo of baby Alfonzo.

Daddy's favourite bit: A sensitively written and wonderfully illustrated book that achieves its core aims beautifully, and leads to brilliant discussions about adoption and more.

(Kindly sent to us for review by Hilary Robinson / Strauss House)

This week's book of the week hasn't left Charlotte's side since it arrived. There are lots of reasons for this:

1) It's a book she can happily read herself, all the way through, with no problem at all
2) It's silly and funny
3) It's a great book for learning lots of different nursery rhymes, then subverting them all by mixing them up (you got that from the title though, right?)

Hilary Robinson and Liz Pichon have built on the success of Hilary's previous 'mix up' book (with Nick Sharratt), "Mixed Up Fairy Tales" with more chaotic mash-ups featuring children's best loved nursery rhymes (but where oh where is Humpty Dumpty?)

Doctor Foster running up a hill to fetch a...plum? Wee Willie Winkie baking some tarts, stolen away by...a garden? There are hundreds of combinations you could come up with as you mix the start, middle and end of adapted versions of the rhymes (something that my wife didn't particularly like, but helpfully all the nursery rhymes are reproduced in their original forms in the inside covers of the book).

Charlotte has the Mixed Up Fairy Tales book at school and it's a classroom favourite. Having her own copy of this though has made her ridiculously happy and her infectious giggling (and her constantly showing us new combinations she's come up with) makes it a worthy and fun book of the week.

Charlotte's best bit: Old Mother Hubbard going to Gloucester, stepping in a...Pony?

Daddy's favourite bit: Initially I thought this book might be a bit 'young' for Charlotte, but the fact that she gets such a huge giggle out of it AND can read the easy-to-read text on her own is a huge bonus. Love Liz's artwork too.

(Kindly sent to us for review by Hodder Children's Books)

We've had a few different books in this format before. Pages are divided up into strips and hilarity ensues when you mix and match different page 'strips' together to make crazy combinations. At least that's the idea behind The Big Book of Magical Mix-Ups, but Charlotte's idea is that you should NEVER, EVER, EVER mix the strips up, always making sure they are the same colour and make sense.

Er...

(takes child to one side, explains chaos theory and the notion of untidyness)

Ahem, that done, this book wasn't quite as big a hit as I'd hoped, though the core idea is excellent. Take a family member (ie Daddy), add a behavioural trait (boring), add a magic spell and an ingredient and end up with Daddy transformed into...a slippery frog or a chocolate fairy.

In theory it should've made Charlotte snort milk out of her nose at every page turn. In practice she's too neat and organised for such antics. Shame, I thought it was a great idea!

Charlotte's best bit: "Nosey Grandma!"

Daddy's favourite bit: "Mummy the Chocolate Fairy"

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars