We may be jumping the gun a little with our Picture Book of the Week this week, but though you'll have a bit of a wait on your hands for this little treasure, it'll be well worth it.

"The Littlest Yak" by Lu Fraser and Kate Hindley takes on a story trope that we've seen many, many times in children's books over the years, yet manages to give it a fresh and vibrant spin - and a ton of atmospheric gorgeousness largely thanks to some brilliant characterisations and a unique setting.

Meet Gertie. She is the titular littlest Yak. All her relatives and sibs are HUGE. Great big stompy Yaks, mighty and strong so it's no wonder Gertie can't wait to be grown up, and big and strong herself.

Most kids go through a phase like this - and will love this bouncy rhyming story as it unfolds, and Gertie realises that sometimes being small - or being just the way you are - is better than anything else anyway.

We love Lu's story and we really do love Kate's work, cropping up time and again in our Book of the Week slot with her glorious illustrations.

Sum this book up in a sentence: A brilliant way to put a new spin on a core theme we have seen a lot in children's books, given new life and a superb bit of originality thanks to gorgeous Gertie!

"The Littlest Yak" by Lu Fraser and Kate Hindley will be released on 3rd September 2020, published by Simon and Schuster Children's Books. 

Oh my, now we're excited! It's Christmas Eve and our penultimate Booky Advent Calendar door is open - and inside you'll find "The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland" by Carys Bexington and Kate Hindley.

This gorgeous mash-up sees what Alice encounters in Wonderland when the festive season arrives.

Lewis Carroll's classic Wonderland returns but this time instead of Alice, it's Santa's turn for an adventure down the rabbit hole. Join the Cheshire-Cat, the Mad Hatter, and the reindeer for a tea party with lots of festive fun!

The Queen of Hearts hates Christmas (what a surprise!)

We're always excited to see new work from one of our all-time favourite children's book illustrators, so we're delighted to see Kate Hindley's new range of storybooks.

The fabulously named "Treacle Street" series is absolutely perfect for little ones who love stories that pique their curiosity, and in these gorgeous board-bound lift-the-flap tales, there's plenty of excitement and adventure, and the opportunity to see what's tucked in and hidden within those pages.

"Prima's Missing Bunnies" sees some truly mischievous little scamps hiding throughout the story. Are they in the wardrobe? Perhaps they're inside the piano! Can you help Prima find those little tikes? We bet you can!

There's also the brilliantly titled "Marcel's Parcels" with the postie elephant beginning his very busy round for all the animals who live in Treacle Street.

We know you won't be able to resist seeing who all the parcels are for - and perhaps taking a peek inside at what they're getting through the post (after all, opening parcels is the BEST THING EVER, right?)

This is such a great pair of little books for busy littlies who love discovering hidden details and playing with their books as well as reading them.

"Treacle Street: Prima's Missing Bunnies" and "Marcel's Parcels" by Kate Hindley are both out today, published by Simon and Schuster Children's Books (kindly supplied for review). 

Every parent on the planet will remember the exact moment their child first learned the power of a single word...

The madcap team of Sean Taylor and Kate Hindley return with a whole new crop of weird heroes to entertain us, all the way from Zabalooloo...

I love any book that makes Charlotte cackle with glee, just like our first Book of the Week this week - "Don't Call Me Choochie Pooh" by Sean Taylor and Kate Hindley...

Be prepared to fall head over heels in love with a rather adorable little doggy! "Oliver and Patch" is a delightful tale about a little boy who spots a little lost dog wandering the streets of a busy metropolis. Oliver and Patch hit it off as soon as they set eyes on each other, but Patch's owner is nowhere to be seen. Oliver decides to take the super-cute little dog under his wing, taking him home for warm cuddles and a slap-up meal

Patch and Oliver become firm friends but one day when they're out for a walk, Patch spots someone in the distance and runs after them. What will Oliver do if he has to give up his new best friend to a complete stranger, a rather forlorn little girl?

We devoured this book. It is an utter joy to read, beautifully melancholy in places but with a heart-soaring conclusion that makes you want to cry and cheer at the same time. We loved seeing Claire Freedman put the underpants down for a mo to come up with a truly lovely tale, and Kate Hindley's illustrations are utterly wondrous from start to finish. If anyone wants us to dog-sit patch for the weekend, we'll definitely be up for that!

Charlotte's best bit: She kept talking about how CUTE patch was, and how she wanted a Patch of her own (er, not a chance sayeth mummy!)

Daddy's Favourite bit: Touching and lovely storytelling, super-sweet illustrations in just the sort of style we absolutely adore. A doggy-treat of a book that's destined to become well loved!

(Kindly sent to us for review by Simon and Schuster Children's Books)

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How to Wash a Woolly Mammoth by Michelle Robinson and Kate Hindley

Thanks to Michelle Robinson, we already know what to do if an elephant stands on our foot but mammoths? Oh, they're an entirely different ball game.

Like most parents do from time to time, we asked Charlotte what her ideal pet was. No, it's not a Mammoth thankfully, it's a guinea pig but imagine the scenario when a little girl brings home the Pliocene era's poster pachyderm. Those things don't exactly look like the most fragrant creatures in the world so Michelle lovingly describes the ideal process for prettying up your new hairy friend.

Bathing any pet is a challenge. Bathing a pet that could turn you into a pizza if it sat on you takes cunning, verve and forward planning. Thankfully the book tells you absolutely everything - from the best mammoth beauty products to choose (what, you mean you haven't seen that section in Boots? It's next to the depilatory creams), to the best implements to use to scrub your mammoth to a high sheen.

Hairstyles are also important, and this was easily Charlotte's best bit in the book. Would your mammoth look best with a mammoth-sized mullet? Or perhaps a dinky topknot?

Our huge crush on Michelle Robinson continues, and coupled with Kate Hindley's wonderful illustrations this book is a hoot from start to finish.

We must admit that we feel absolutely no more confident in our ability to be able to wash a woolly mammoth (particularly, as Charlotte points out lovingly in homage to a certain Ren and Stimpy episode, when it comes to cleaning where the sun doesn't shine - EEK) but we had a huge mammoth-sized guffaw at this book and we know you will too.

Charlotte's best bit: Mammoth Hair Styles. No mention of the Hoxton Fin but double plus bonus points for a Mammoth Mullet!

Daddy's favourite bit: Just the right side of cheeky, and definitely the right side of fun. We love it!

(Kindly sent to us for review by Simon and Schuster Children's Books)