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)

Most of us (and most of our children) at one time or another must've had a special blanket, cuddly toy or trinket that never ever left our sides when we were tiddlers. Mine was a scratty nursing blanket which was called "My Cuddle", my little brother had something called "Blankie" (a piece of brightly coloured fluffy material) and Charlotte used to have a little lambswool blanket. I've heard tales from parents of what happens when those beloved items go missing, and children absolutely refuse to accept a replacement (or worse still, tales of children throwing three day long tantrums if those items are ever washed). I wonder if this was the inspiration for Roo the Roaring Dinosaur by David Bedford and Mandy Stanley.

Roo doesn't exactly look like the sort of dinosaur who throws his weight around, roaring willy-nilly and bothering the local animals. Roo, in fact, is a tiny wee mite who has a precious blanket called his Moomie. Roo and his Moomie are inseparable, until one day a visitor crashlands on Roo's island in a hot air balloon. The new visitor is a big and friendly woolly mammoth who quickly becomes a firm friend. But all too soon playtime is over, and the mammoth needs to get back home.

Alas his hot air balloon is a complete write-off, with a huge hole in it - a hole that just happens to be exactly the same size as Roo's Moomie...

Can Roo possibly give up his most treasured possession so that his friend can get home?

There are some wonderful scenes in this, quite touching in fact. Charlotte was initially quite bullish about the fact that this was a "Baby book, not for me" but when we settled down to read it (as we do with all the books we get sent, regardless of whether madam thinks they're 'baby books' or not), she snuggled down with me and our big Canadian horse blanket, cuddled close and fell quietly in love with this cute little story.

Oh - the roaring bit. Remember we said Roo doesn't do a lot of roaring? Read to the end of the book!

"Roo the Roaring Dinosaur" is out today, hooray!

Charlotte's best bit: Charlotte was initially not a fan of this, until we settled down for a good few reads through. She really loved Roo's particular way of speaking - toddler speak!

Daddy's Favourite bit: A wonderfully subtle and touching tale of friendship - oh and those utterly precious items that kids absolutely can't stand to be separated from. A lovely little Dino tale!

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

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Lettice the Fairy Ball by Mandy Stanley

A Boy Wants a Dinosaur by Satoshi Kitamura

Dinosaur Roar by Henrietta and Paul Stickland

Rabbits are definitely Charlotte's favourite animal. She spent ages cuddling cute bunnies on our recent visit to Buckleberry Farm, so when we trawled the library she was overjoyed when her best friend Sarah found a cute bunny-based book to read.

Lettice is the star of many stories with a range of books for 0-3 years, and a range for slightly older children around Charlotte's age. She is an inquisitive and cute bunny who loves to explore the woodland habitat where she lives with her mum and dad, and a huge number of brothers and sisters. While out exploring one day, Lettice is making daisy chains when she spies a tiny little creature clad in gorgeous clothes, glittering and sparkly. The little creature grabs the end of Lettice's daisy chain and disappears into a hole in a nearby tree.

Lettice is too big to follow. But with a touch of fairy magic, Lettice shrinks down to fairy size and joins them for the Great Fairy Ball. They give her a beautiful dress and soon the fairy queen arrives to thank Lettice for her daisy chain (now turned into a set of fabulous reins for the fairy queen's carriage).

Before Lettice heads home, tired and happy, the queen gives Lettice a wish - a single wish for anything she wants.

What does Lettice wish for? You'll have to read the book to find out. Normally I fail miserably at reading cute and very "girly" books to Charlotte but this entertaining story was great fun to read, and served me a valuable lesson in judging a book by its cover (it is very sparkly and more than a bit pink). Thankfully Lettice is such an endearing character and I loved her curiosity, standing out from her brothers and sisters who like snuggling and sleeping for most of the day.

Charlotte, of course, loved the book to bits. With glitter-encrusted pages and lots of fairy magic, it was definitely a huge hit with her.

Charlotte's best bit: Queen Titania and her fabulous fairy carriage

Daddy's Favourite bit: Certainly not what I was expecting, a thoroughly entertaining fairy story that's sure to appeal to bunny-and-fairy-loving girls of all ages

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)