We love it when we start to review a book that does a neat twisty-turn serving up the unexpected...

It's quite a way off but come September lots of little ones will be going up to "Big School" for the first time...

Four of the naughtiest baddies hatch a plan in this deviously delicious new picture book...

Pirates still seem to be the bearded ne'er do well of choice for many, many kids - both girls and boys so it's time to splice the mainbrace once more with a yo ho ho...!

This book isn't actually out for another week (shhh! We're probably not supposed to be telling you about it) but it's so good, we wanted to make sure we got in early so that you could sneak it onto your christmas lists.

"Snappy Birthday" from Mark Sperring and Laura Ellen Anderson (the utter GENIUS behind the Phoenix Comic's Evil Emperor Penguin) starts off with a relatively serene scene of a bunch of ragtag kids who receive a mysterious birthday invite from one of their neighbours. This neighbour usually isn't a sociable type, so they're curious enough to pop along.

The neighbour isn't quite what they expected though. It's a huge, bombastic, snappy-toothed, green, scaly, monstrous crown-wearing CROCODILE! EEP!

He politely states that he absolutely can't wait to have them for tea (this is the bit where Charlotte snorted out loud and said "I bet he means actually eat them for tea!" and she's right!) There's only one thing on this crocodile's mind. Scoffing each and every one of his party guests without so much as a please or thank you!

Those kids can think quick on their feet though and so they come up with a plan, a delicious plan to head off Crocodile's appetite steering him in the right cake-shaped direction instead! HOORAY!

This is uproariously good, from the hilarious expressions on the poor children's hapless moggy's face (as it realises that the perfect party host would probably scoff moggies as a side dish) to the calamitous catastrophe of cake-gnashing that happens at the end.

Charlotte's best bit: Definitely the perfect birthday tea at the end, which is really how we ought to celebrate our birthday next year - with a huge CAKE FIGHT!

Daddy's Favourite bit: We love cake, we love crocodiles, and we love smart-as-heck kids who are great at talking themselves out of trouble. This is a hilarious treat by a dynamic duo we really hope work together again! Superb stuff, Mark and Laura!

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

We read books at all hours of the day and night but some books just BEG to be read just before Charlotte snuggles down to sleep. "My Little Star" is just such a book, celebrating the special bond between little ones and their parents by looking at mums, dads and babies in the animal kingdom.

Mark Sperring's gorgeous poetic story complimented by Nicola O'Byrne's cuddly and fuzzy illustrations have provided us the perfect opportunity to read this book together, snuggled up and getting ready for a good night's sleep. I always look for books that I can read to and with Charlotte where she can pick up some of the lines and we almost 'act out' what we read as we go through the story. "My Little Star" has lovely elements of repetition and aside from Charlotte's very good point about owls settling down to sleep ("They don't do that, daddy!" - so I swiftly pointed out that they might be snuggling up just before dawn breaks!) this is destined to become a bit of a bedtime classic.

Charlotte's best bit: Charlotte loved the lions snuggling down in a big heap ready for sleep

Daddy's Favourite bit: A warm cuddly snuggly book that is absolutely perfect for bedtime reading

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

An utterly charming and heartwarming little story this. "Your Hand in My Hand" is a gently lilting poetical story of parental love and care, exquisitely written and beautifully illustrated.

As the delightful verse unfolds around the world of a mouse and her mum, take a trip through the four seasons as seen from a mouse-eye view. Exploring and sharing, it's the sort of book that makes us feel like we're being tightly swaddled in the world's softest fleecy blanket, ready for winter - or dashing out into the first rays of sunshine as spring emerges from the snows.

Britta's artwork is truly lovely, a fitting accompaniment to such tightly and expertly written poetry. A real treat this!

Charlotte's best bit: Puddle-splashing with mouse and mum!

Daddy's Favourite bit: Such a delightful, charming and heartwarming book. Sure to be a huge favourite read for parents and grandparents to share with their little ones

(Kindly sent to us for review by Orchard Books)

Here's a thought - is it possible to tick all the right boxes for a book celebrating how amazing mums are without - well, to put no finer point on it - upsetting some mums?

In "Dino Mummy", which is intended as the aforementioned, a book gently telling us what we already know, that mums are super-amazing, multitasking, rock-solid and hugely deserving of all our love and hugs, a friend (no names, no pack drill) mentioned that she was annoyed by the book. I could see her point. The book's 'dad' character sits quietly by and lets mum do all the cooking, washing, ironing, shopping and parenting while he adopts the '1950s dad' stance of scoffing dinner, reading the paper and languishing in his comfy chair.

Charlotte's attitude to the book was interesting - in some ways, you can see why books often opt for showing a single parent in situations like these. She picked up on the fact that the dad dino was a bit useless, and in fact if you analyse things further, he's really only there to tick the boxes for the 'average family unit' (Dad, Mum, Brother, Sister).

We read and enjoyed the story, with Mark's fantastic rhymes and wonderful illustrations by Sam Lloyd, and Charlotte noted sagely (with all the wisdom and straight shooting you'd expect from a 5 year old) that "Dino Dad is no fun". I couldn't really shake my friend's analysis of the book, in fact there would probably have been less upset if the dad character was entirely absent - that way you'd feel that the mum character was even more worthy of praise.

Another thing worth noting is that very little demonstrable love is shown between dad and mum, though perhaps that's the point - Dad takes a back seat in the story intentionally to ensure that mum deservingly basks in the spotlight.

Flipping things on their head, dads get a fairly raw deal in children's books at times. There are so many books that show dad as being a bit dozy, useless, clumsy even - but sometimes silly and fun, so there's definitely a fine balancing act involved if you're aiming to achieve picture book perfection.

Do we book bloggers over-analyse things? Or should we (perhaps quite rightly) point out that it's 2014 and yet there are still books that crop up in our review piles and throw a zillion and one questions up that really have little or nothing to do with the book's intention, but consume us with our perception of whether the message was lost in the mist of tripping over its own good intentions by glaringly not reflecting family life as we know it. I thoroughly recommend you read Dino Mummy to your children, and get their honest reactions to it. If nothing else, take it as intended - a book that joyfully and colourfully tells you that mums are champs, dino or otherwise!


Charlotte's best bit: Snuggling up for bedtime stories, of course!

Daddy's Favourite bit: Breakfast time!

(Kindly sent to us for review by Bloomsbury Publishing)

It really is something of a recurring theme on the blog at the moment - children's books that deal with friendship in all its forms. In "Mabel and Me - Best of Friends" we find out what happens when Mabel and her best friend "Me" take a summertime stroll and meet various folk along the way that seem to think Mabel is a little odd.

"Look at those scrawny legs" they say. "What funny ears!" they whisper. But when Me realises just who they're talking about, we find out just what happens when a friendship is tested and examined.

Mark Sperring's gentle text fuses with Sarah Warburton's brilliant illustrations perfectly. We liked the 'twist' mid-story as the narrative deals with Me's misunderstanding. The core theme that friends are friends despite outward appearances, or behaviour, is a good strong basis for a quite enchanting story and it helps hugely that this felt like a "Charlotte" book - ie a book with a little girl at its heart who is fairly ordinary yet extraordinary too.

Charlotte's best bit: "I want a friend like Me!"

Daddy's favourite bit: A lovely story, gentle but funny in all the right places with utterly delicious artwork.

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