With a quick wave of Kali Stileman's magic wand, Peely Wally is now Polly Wally (which is much much better in our opinion) and it's time for tea! We originally received "Peely Wally" as part of an excellent Booktrust Bookstart package, and we loved the fact that Kali Stileman's artwork was very like Eric Carle's - an explosion of colour and great kid-friendly images to compliment the story of a young fledgeling bird.

This time around, Polly Wally is ravenously hungry and calls on all her friends to find out what's cooking for dinner.

Hay you say? No way! No good for little birds. A crunchy carrot perhaps? No thanks! What Polly Wally wants is good filling grub (quite literally) for birds.

Now here's a thing. When we originally reviewed Peely Wally I remember thinking that Charlotte wasn't that taken by the book, possibly because it's targetted at children slightly younger than her. This time round though she loved Polly Wally and I think I know why. So to all budding children's authors and artists out there, never ever underestimate the 'gross-out' factor when it comes to Children's books because it'll work every time. You'll see what we mean when you read how this book ends (with a fantabuloso flap-lifting finale, hooray!)

Charlotte's best bit: Well there's not really much more to say that won't spoil the book but she definitely got a kick (and a wriggle) out of Polly Wally's preferred diet.

Daddy's favourite bit: So lovely to see another Peely/Polly Wally book and Kali Stileman's brilliant toddler-friendly style is also perfect for early readers.

(Kindly sent to us for review by Red Fox Picture Books)

It's easy to see why Kali Stileman's illustrative style is compared to Eric Carle's. Great colours, simple shapes and instantly engaging characters define Peely Wally but rather than just a Carle knock-off, it has charm all of its own.

It's the story of a scatterbrained bird called Peely Wally who one day lays a beautiful multicoloured egg. Accidentally knocking it off her home branch, Peely Wally watches as the egg bounces from one place to the next.

As children trace their fingers along the egg's path as it bounces between animals, and around the countryside, it's a fun way of also getting children to track and trace the simple words in the story and identify the various animal characters that the egg bounces around.

A great fun little book, possibly a little too 'young' for Charlotte but she enjoyed it nonetheless.

Charlotte's best bit: What happens when the egg finally comes to a rest

Daddy's favourite bit: Stileman's art style, nice and splattery!

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

(This book was part of our Bookstart Book Treasure Bag Bundle)