If I could stop humming Sultans of Ping FC songs long enough to review this one, it'd be good!

"Where's my Jumper" by Nicola Slater is a fun and frolicsome story with a jaunty and cute little character on a quest to find their missing sweater.

Poor Rudy is looking for his jumper. 

That whole thing about lemmings leaping off cliffs reminds me of a couple of things...

Though we're predominantly cat people (meow!) at ReadItDaddy Towers, we cannot resist a doggy picture book and "Best Friends" by Mara Bergman and Nicola Slater is an absolute stunner.

This lovely little rhyming story tells the tale of Dexter, Daisy and Lily - three very different doggies and their very different owners. Like most dogs, Dexter Daisy and Lily are fun and mischievous and like nothing better than getting up to all sorts of shenanigans in the local park. The dogs and their young owners all meet up and soon chaos and fun ensues, and along the way the children find out that sharing and playing together is a huge amount of fun.

What caught our eye about this book, other than the utterly stunning retro-flavoured art by Nicola Slater is Mara's pitch-perfect rhyming and the glorious energy the book exudes from every page spread. From end paper to end paper, it's a charmer and if your little ones are pet obsessed, they'll love the story while you'll knowingly nod at some of the amusing antics that happen as the tale unfolds. Really love this!

Charlotte's best bit: Charlotte fell hopelessly in love with Daisy. Such a natty dresser!

Daddy's Favourite bit: Fun rhymes, utterly beautiful illustrations, a canine classic if ever I've seen one!

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

Apart from describing the original fable of 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf' to Charlotte, we have been trying to explain what the phrase means. 'The Little Old Lady Who Cried Wolf' explains it all perfectly. Simon Puttock respins the classic fable and rather than an errant shepherd boy, we've got a wrinkly blue-rinsed old lovely who, despite having a fairly comfortable life, gets bored very easily when no one else is around.

She has a brainwave one morning, and decides to phone the local services (police, fire, ambulance) complaining that her house is overrun by wolves.

So there's a double moral tale here. Don't tell whopping great fibs just because you fancy a natter over a cup of tea, and definitely don't phone the emergency services complaining of wolf infestations when all police, fire and ambulancemen and women can see through your thin veil of untruth.

I love the little old lady in this, I've met her many times. Charlotte loved the wolves though and secretly I think they're right up there alongside monsters, aliens, dragons and other book 'baddies' - far more interesting characters than the sweet charming princesses and heroines of books she also loves.

So what happens to the little old lady in the end? She gets exactly what she deserves but it might not be what you think!

Charlotte's best bit: The various utterances the old lady comes out with when her tissue of lies is undone.

Daddy's favourite bit: I love the old lady's facial expressions. She really does feel like a conglomeration of just about every old lady I've ever met.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars