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)