Our second Picture Book of the Week - and in fact our final Picture Book of the Week for 2019 once again touches on a theme that has, without a doubt, dominated the headlines and of course kidlit this year.

"PlanetRescue" by Patrick George follows other titles in the acetate-paged "Rescue" series, using a minimal word count and innovative design to allow children to make a change for the good when it comes to the environment.

Each page allows them to see one aspect of pollution or planet-affecting change and flip the page to see what could be done instead.

Engaging kids very early on when it comes to environmental issues really is the way forward (in fact we'd like to make a point that more early years books along the lines of this one are desperately needed).

A book that is both brilliant for use in early years classes to drive class projects around the environment and ecologically sound practices, and one that also uses clever observations and even a touch of deft humour to get its points across (the "eat less meat" page-flip is just superb and SO clever, have to say!)

Sum this book up in a sentence: Showing kids how to be kinder to our planet never looked more stylish and was never more cleverly executed than in this brilliant book!

"Planet Rescue" by Patrick George is out now, published by Patrick George Publishing (kindly supplied for review)

Though it's not released yet (the book has just gone out to print this very week) we were lucky enough to get a preview of the next title from Patrick George and it's a subject very dear to our hearts. Using that fantastic method of engagement in previous PG books (with transparent pages / overlays that children can 'flip' to completely change the story and images) in a rather genius way, "Animal Rescue" is a fun book with a very serious message.

With 50p from each purchase of the book going to the Born Free Foundation, "Animal Rescue" introduces the subject of animal welfare to children who, at a very early age, can still learn important lessons about how we can work together to conserve species, protect animals and highlight some of the issues the Born Free foundation was first set up for.

An example spread from the book. Flip the page and...

...moose's head is where it belongs!

(How cool is that!)

Each bold and brilliant page spread (with the acetate overlay pages) works ingeniously to highlight the difference between an animal in captivity / being mistreated, and that animal in its natural habitat or being cared for.

We previewed the book as a PDF copy on the iPad, and even there we could flip between the images to get an overall impression of how it's all going to work - so it's easy to imagine the level of engagement from children who are going to absolutely LOVE 'freeing' the animals as the book continues.

Both Charlotte and I had our own favourite spreads. Charlotte absolutely loved a spread where a puppy is seen unceremoniously dumped in a dustbin, out in the rain while a lonely little girl sits at home. Flipping the page cleverly overlays puppy on girl's shoulder for a big cuddle! Awww!

I thought the Killer Whale spread was extremely well observed and timely too.

A little bit of animation to show how the transparent overlays work in this awesome book!

The fact that the book contributes to such a worthy cause is fantastic. It's something that does stick in the mind too even if your children are fairly young, and it has struck a chord with Charlotte - who absolutely loves animals and is old enough to think about the message the book gently (but expertly) conveys without being too disturbing or jarring.

It's all so brilliantly done and we can't stop gushing about it, so can't wait for finished copies to arrive in little laps. If you've seen our previous reviews of "The Book of the Five Senses" and also "When I grow up" you'll already be hopping up and down with excitement about "Animal Rescue".

Available very soon from Patrick George Publishing. Don't miss it!

Charlotte's best bit: Caring for an abandoned puppy

Daddy's Favourite bit: A very timely spread about Killer Whale conservation. Nicely done and topical.

(Kindly sent to us to preview in PDF form by Patrick George Publishing)

How adept are children at appreciating great design - particularly graphic design? Surprisingly adept as a matter of fact. With each new generation, children are soaking up more clever designs in their formative years than their parents have probably been exposed to their entire lives.

We've previously appreciated the cool and clever designs of Patrick George books in "When I Grow Up" - a book which lets children imagine what they might become when they first take a few faltering steps on their chosen career path.

In "My Big Book of the Five Senses" Patrick George Books have rounded up previous sensory books into one delicious tome - and what this book has in common with all the other Patrick George titles is that clever design.

Obviously, though the target age is a little younger than Charlotte, she appreciates the thought that has gone into this book to make it engaging - and dare we say "clever" in a way that children can relate to and tap into.

Our five senses (Taste, Touch, Smell, Hearing and Sight) are explored in fun illustrations that beautifully compliment and flow into each other. Though the book lacks the acetates (clear pages) that the previous 'single sense' editions had, the illustrations still flow together beautifully and children will enjoy finding all the 'objects within objects' in each scene.

Each picture comes with a minimalist word count to accompany it, but opens the door for discussion and exploration as children enjoy picking out the way each picture retains elements of the opposite (or previous) page during our sensory exploration.

It's been really interesting to see Charlotte's level of engagement with this - though your younger children might not marvel at the neat design ideas here, they'll love identifying the way images are hidden within others, or each themed illustration contains elements of the senses being described.

"My Big Book of the Five Senses" is due for release on the 1st of May 2014. In the meantime, here's a great clip of "I See..." which is a previously available title, elements of which are included in this sensory collection.

‘I See…’ by PatrickGeorge from PatrickGeorge on Vimeo.

Charlotte's best bit: Exploring taste and sight.

Daddy's Favourite bit: Fabulous design that children will absolutely love exploring in a nice round-up of previous titles.

(Preview copy kindly sent to us for review by Patrick George Books)

Sometimes, reviewing self-published titles is a bit like eating a bag of Revels with a blindfold on. Now I don't actually mind coffee revels, it's the peanut ones I object to - so I'm always waiting for that slightly burnt nutty taste when munching through a bag and not paying attention.

Patrick George's "When I Grow Up" - to stick with the Revels metaphor for a bit longer - is the orange creme of Revels. It's a lovely book, satisfying, beautifully illustrated and with a rather neat little twist for youngsters who love their picture books. In each spread, detailing lots of different jobs and careers little ones might want to turn their attention to when they're older, transparent pages fold over to complete a picture, neatly transforming the person into what they want to be.

Naturally, any book that features folk who want to be superheroes or astronauts always gets a thumbs up from us.

A wonderful idea. Perhaps more suited to children slightly younger than Charlotte but again, a book that she can quietly cuddle up on her own with and enjoy just as much as when she's cuddling on my lap and reading with me.

Charlotte's best bit: I Want to Be a Superhero!

Daddy's Favourite bit: I Want to Be an Astronaut!

(Kindly sent to us for review by Patrick George Publishing)