Magic! As a kid I was obsessed with magic, always asking for magic sets and always closely scrutinising magic shows that would appear on TV (why oh why have these died out? It's such a huge shame).

I've also passed on this love of magic to my daughter so imagine our delight when this book showed up for review. We absolutely had to squeeze it onto our blog in our hallowed "Book of the Week" slot, as it's something quite special and quite unique.

It's not going to give away any secrets, that really isn't something the "Magic Circle" would want, but it's a superb historical delve into the roots of modern prestidigitation and many of the illusions that have become infamous and well known, plus a lot of truly awesome modern tricks, illusions and magic that will make your eyes pop out.

Beautifully designed, curated and presented by Lydia Corry, you'll spend long hours flicking through this book as there's so much detail in here, it really is a labour of love.

So let's have a look inside...!

Richard Potter, a massively influential conjuror! Enchanted eggs!

Amazing facts and figures about some of the most influential conjurors, illusionists and magicians of the past two centuries and even further back in history too...

Your eyes can play tricks on you!

Sum this book up in a sentence: All in all this is a real treat - an absolutely brilliant book that deals with its subject matter, the amazing magicians of past and present, in glorious detail.

On the bittersweet occasion of our last Picture Books of the Week we wanted to share a book filled with giggles, with joy and of course with our favourite subject - yummy scrummy food!

"Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast: Short and Sweet" is the fourth book in the series from awesome creatives Josh Funk and Brendan Kearney, and this time the two heroes aren't quite feeling themselves.

In fact, with a bit of foodie magic Lady and Frenchy have been transformed into mere shadows of their former selves, turning back into the cutest pair of kids you've ever seen this side of the fridge door.

Professor Biscotti's nutty invention must be reversed but the two toddler treats are petrified of the now gigantic Baron Von Waffle. How on earth can Prof and Baron lure the two out of capering around and hiding, restoring them to adulthood?

Oh no, what can be done to restore our heroes to greatness?

There's a ton of brilliant and inventive stuff in this new adventure, bouncing along with Josh's trademark mighty fine rhymin' style, and Brendan's tummy-rumblingly brilliant illustrations!

Behold! The cutest pair of treats you ever did see!

This series has gone from strength to strength, and kids just can't resist any tale where they get to live a mischievous vicarious capering chase through familiar surroundings - I mean who wouldn't want to go on a grand adventure through their larder or fridge?

You have a bit of a wait on your hands for this one as it's not going to be hitting shelves until November, but we wanted to shout about Josh and Brendan's fab book before we retire so a big salute and hats off to Lady P and Sir FT!

Sum this book up in a sentence: Possibly the best adventure for Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast yer, transformed into naughty mischievous toddlers by a mad professor, leading us on an energetic bouncing rhyming caper par excellence!

"Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast: Short and Sweet" (Book 4) by Josh Funk and Brendan Kearney is out on 28th November 2020, published by Sterling (kindly sent as a digital ARC to review). 

We had to make our "Book of the Week" slot a double header for Flying Eye / NoBrow - simply because both the books we recieved for review from them recently are just SO GOOD!

This one, in particular, feels like the book we've been waiting on for the last 10 years of our book blogging career.

"Shy Ones" by Simona Ciraolo has a story theme that we've begged people to write a children's picture book about, and though we've seen one or two that don't quite nail the point we've covered so many times in our ReadItTorials - that quiet kids deserve every bit as much attention and as many chances to shine - as noisy outspoken confident kids - this is the best picture book on the subject of shyness that we've ever seen.

C is a shy kid, but just like the gorgeous little octopoid in this story, when no one's looking she shines. Throughout the book Simona captures perfectly what it has felt like for us as parents as a shy kid, knowing our daughter's true worth but seeing her come a cropper again and again in school when teachers always add the tiresome snipe at the end of each school report. "She's too quiet in class" or "She never speaks up for herself despite her work being brilliant" (teachers, if you do this, I really don't know what to say to you, it's one of the worst things you can possibly say to a shy kid, or the parents of a shy kid - particularly if you're using that as a measure of their academic worth let alone their worth as a person).

So here it is, a book that spins the beautiful tale of a shy kid who finally finds an equally shy friend, and comes out of her shell a bit. When you see that happen in the story, just like when you see it happen as a parent who is proud of their kid, it's a moment to treasure.

Thank you for this Simona, this is really something truly special.

Sum this book up in a sentence: At last, a fanfare for the quiet ones, the shy ones, and about blimmin' time they had their chance to shine too!

"Shy Ones" by Simona Ciraolo is out now, published by Flying Eye Books / NoBrow (US)

(Book kindly supplied for review)

Oh wow, oh wow, oh wow! You may have a bit of a wait on your hands to get hold of a copy of "Albert Einstein's Theory of Relativity: Words that Changed the World" by Carl Wilkinson and James Weston Lewis, but trust us on this one, it will be well worth the wait.

Albert Einstein, genius theoretical scientist, may not be the easiest person in the world to decode for kids, yet here in this massive book (and boy, do we ever love a massive science book), Carl and James present his work in a fantastic and easily digestible way - without removing the importance of his theories, and without watering down Einstein's amazing body of work.

The book breaks each of Einstein's various theories down into categories, dealing with time and space, the formation of our universe, and his academic papers and presents each section in an eye-catching and memorable way.

The book also manages to capture a flavour of Einstein's rather eccentric and quirky character (after all, what's the point in being a genius if you can't be a little bit 'strange' with it, right?) - Kids will absolutely eat up all the details and anecdotes that are included amongst the more science-ey stuff.

Let's take a look inside - how stunning is this?



We've seen many attempts to engage young scientists with often quite complex subjects but this is easily one of the best introductory science books we've ever seen - in fact it's almost unfair to describe it as introductory, just because it's fairly illustration heavy - the text in here will be useful for reference material for a huge age range, and this book is destined to become a real 'keeper' for families (like us) that are obsessed with the magic of science, and those folk who laid the foundations of what we know about our world, our universe and ourselves.

Sum this book up in a sentence: Without a doubt, one of the best science books we've seen in ten years of book blogging, a truly stunning tome detailing the life and work of one of the 20th Century's unparalleled scientific geniuses.

"Albert Einstein's Theory of Relativity" by Carl Wilkinson and James Weston Lewis is out on 14th September 2020 - Published by Laurence King Publishing (kindly supplied for review).

C'est si Bon! Our second Book of the Week this week is a real refreshing sunny little treat, perfect for kids who are just beginning to learn French at school, and featuring one of the most engaging and happy little characters we've had the delight of encountering in a long time in PBs.

Meet Monsieur Roscoe, star of "Monsieur Roscoe on Holiday" by Jim Field, the super-talented illustrator behind those "Oi Frog / Dog / Log / Platypus" books.

Monsieur Roscoe is off on his summer holidays, and whenever he meets his friends, they always greet each other first in English and then in French - giving kids the opportunity to learn some key phrases and useful words in that divine language (I'm currently going through the grown-up methods of learning French and it's a language that is SO easy to fall in love with, so this book is a double delight!)

Jim's gorgeous bright illustrations underpin Monsieur Roscoe's journey as he sets off on his travels. We loved the fact that this book felt a lot 'busier' than Jim's normal work, almost akin to the fabulous Richard Scarry books I loved as a kid, and packed with lots of additional things for kids to observe and spot (see the back of the book for hints and tips on what to look for in each page spread).

So let's have a look inside. Oooh my you're in for a treat with this one...!

Introduce yourself, Monsieur Roscoe!

A whole host of animal characters crop up in the book, and we spent hours just looking at each gorgeous highly detailed illustration (plus plenty of time practicing our (admittedly terrible) levels of French!)

Even the rain won't put off our happy hound! Il Pleut indeed!

The thing that got us most excited about "Monsieur Roscoe" is that we can instantly see the potential for this to end up as a huge series. More books with more French would be ace, but we could also see Mr Roscoe perhaps being joined by other buddies speaking other languages. That would be just perfect!

Fave scene, the campsite!

It's whimsical, charming, educational and downright perfect, in fact as we already said on Twitter, this is easily our favourite thing of Jim's. What a talented chap he is!

Sum this book up in a sentence: A truly fantastic first book to begin a learning journey for children wanting to speak a little French with brilliant illustrations, a whole host of engaging animal characters and a ton of polish applied to it.

"Monsieur Roscoe on Holiday" by Jim Field is out now, published by Hachette Children's Books (kindly supplied for review). 

This week's Book of the Week won't be around until October but once again we wanted to make sure we squeezed in coverage before we disappear...

...and wow, what a book! If anything has lit a fire under children's publishing over the last few years, it's the real-life stories of youngsters who are making a stand against the way they see the world changing around them, their world in fact - as Generation Z answers the rallying call to mobilize and get behind some of the biggest issues facing our planet.

From injustice to climate change, from gun control to equal rights, kids are more than ever showing a level of intelligence, bravery and determination to make our world a better place for everyone to live in.

"Generation Brave" is a truly fantastic book, highlighting some of the youngsters who have become synonymous with ecological, sociological and political (but always peaceful) protest as they seek to raise the attention of the world to the plight of our planet and the people who live on it.


Ordinary kids often placed in horrific and extraordinary circumstances feature heavily in the book from the Parkland School Massacre survivors, to Thandiwe Abdullah, strongarming the power of social media and other means to bring their causes to the attention of the world with clear and evocative protest, bravely standing up to adults who quite often seek to subvert or silence these youngsters.


Books like this are so important to kids like my daughter, showing how ordinary kids such as her can make their voices heard and make their points count.

Sum this book up in a sentence: Brilliantly presented and wonderfully illustrated, this is a rallying call for all kids to stand up for what they believe in.

"Generation Brave" by Kate Alexander and Jade Orlando is out on 15th October 2020, published by Andrews McMeel Publishing (kindly supplied as a digital ARC for review). 

Oh yes indeed we do love a good atlas with a twist or two to mark it out from the norm.

Once again we're in the realsm of myths and legends, this time looking at a mythical creature whose fishy tail has been seen waving above the briny deep for millennia across the world.

"Mermaid Atlas" by Anna Claybourne and Miren Asiain Lora is a very special book indeed, taking us on a tour right around the globe looking at the various ways different countries and cultures have woven their own mermaid legends, with many different names and mystical powers brought to life through the oral storytelling traditions of sailors and seafolk.

The minute you see this book you just cannot wait to dive in. It's beautifully produced but the real lure for us was finding out about all those different types of mermaids, some of which were familiar and some of which were entirely new.

Let's take a look inside this truly gorgeous book!

The legend of Nommo, spacegoing mermaid! How cool is that!

This is just so lovely, and it covers a subject that kids will be familiar with in a really cool way, showing how different cultures have so much in common, particularly when it comes to supernatural mythical creatures.

Instantly enchanting!

Once again, like all the fantastic books that find their way into our Book of the Week slot, it's a fantastic place for children to start learning about something new, serving as the perfect jumping-in point to cover the subject of mythical creatures in more depth.


Sum this book up in a sentence: A truly mesmerising and gorgeous book taking us on a tour of the world's mermaid legends and so beautifully presented you'll almost want to stick it in a frame and put it on the wall.

"Mermaid Atlas" by Anna Claybourne and Miren Asiain Lora is out now, published by Laurence King Publishing (kindly supplied for review). 

This week's Picture Book of the Week is a fantastically dark little tale, not too scary for little ones but definitely one that evokes memories of classic Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson tales...

"The Stone Giant" by Anna Hoglund is the story of a plucky little girl who lives on a castle on an island with her father.

He's a brave knight - and one day a quest comes along that means he must travel to a dark mysterious and faraway land to do battle with a terrible giant - a giant who turns people to stone.

She busies herself around the castle while her father is away, waiting patiently each day for him to return. But soon it becomes apparent that the nasty giant has claimed another victim, so the girl must go and fight the giant herself - armed only with an umbrella and a mirror, and a ton of bravery!

Those woods don't look too inviting!

Soon the girl encounters the giant and knows exactly what to do. Hiding under the umbrella, she comes up with a plan to turn the Giant's stone-turning power on the giant herself! Will the girl triumph and free her dad?

It's a dark little tale this, the sort of book that we wish the UK publishing industry wouldn't keep shying away from but are secretly thankful that publishers like Gecko are around to make sure awesome dark tales like this see the light of day. It's also a real looker, with illustrations packed with detail and a timeless charm.

Sum this book up in a sentence: A dark and delicious little tale of a plucky young girl turning the tables on a nasty giant, filled with originality and thrills.

"The Stone Giant" by Anna Hoglund is out now, published by Gecko Press (kindly supplied as a digital ARC for review). 

We may be jumping the gun a little with our Picture Book of the Week this week, but though you'll have a bit of a wait on your hands for this little treasure, it'll be well worth it.

"The Littlest Yak" by Lu Fraser and Kate Hindley takes on a story trope that we've seen many, many times in children's books over the years, yet manages to give it a fresh and vibrant spin - and a ton of atmospheric gorgeousness largely thanks to some brilliant characterisations and a unique setting.

Meet Gertie. She is the titular littlest Yak. All her relatives and sibs are HUGE. Great big stompy Yaks, mighty and strong so it's no wonder Gertie can't wait to be grown up, and big and strong herself.

Most kids go through a phase like this - and will love this bouncy rhyming story as it unfolds, and Gertie realises that sometimes being small - or being just the way you are - is better than anything else anyway.

We love Lu's story and we really do love Kate's work, cropping up time and again in our Book of the Week slot with her glorious illustrations.

Sum this book up in a sentence: A brilliant way to put a new spin on a core theme we have seen a lot in children's books, given new life and a superb bit of originality thanks to gorgeous Gertie!

"The Littlest Yak" by Lu Fraser and Kate Hindley will be released on 3rd September 2020, published by Simon and Schuster Children's Books. 

Spring might not be our favourite season, but if there's one talented chap who can bring forth what an amazing array of gorgeous plants and flowers we can expect to see sprouting all around us as Spring continues, it's Yuval Zommer.

In our Picture Book of the Week this week, "The Big Book of Blooms", Yuval's glorious colourful page spreads and brilliantly written descriptions show off the world's most amazing flowers and plants at their very best, in his own superb style.

This is a lovely book to sprawl on your favourite patch of sun-kissed grass with, not just showing off flowers that are renowned for their beauty, but also describing some of the more interesting (and in some cases REALLY stinky!) plants that we share a planet with.

There are flowers designed to tempt in pollinators, as hard working bees flit from one to the next.

There are pitcher plants, large strangely alien plants that trap flies and slowly digest them (ew!)

There are even gigantic flowers that really pong terribly!

Let's take a look inside at some of the page spreads in this truly wonderful book:

Cherry Blossoms in China and Japan, the most amazing springtime spectacle

Each page spread mixes gorgeous painterly artwork with immersive descriptions of the plants depicted.

Prickly customers indeed. Fabulous cactii!

The book takes us through the seasons, and plants that thrive in amazingly diverse climates and locales across our planet, from the deepest forests, and even in the deserts and snow.

Insects, animals and birds all do their bit as pollinators, keeping our plant life thriving

Sum this book up in a sentence: If you're lucky enough to live near Kew Gardens, or any of the other amazing botanic gardens across the country, or perhaps even live where these plants grow natively, this is a fabulous book to show you our beautiful plant life at its best and another non-fiction winner from Yuval!

"The Big Book of Blooms" by Yuval Zommer is out now, published by Thames and Hudson (kindly supplied for review). 

This is only the second book in the history of this blog that has concerned itself with dog's bottoms but rather than being an entertaining romp (a la "The Great Dog Bottom Swap"), it's actually a fascinating look at our fave pets and what they get up to - and more importantly WHY they get up to it!

In "Why Do Dogs Sniff Bottoms" by Lily Snowden-Fine and Dr Nick Crompton, you'll find a ton of interesting facts about pets that you may not have known.

It's not all about bum sniffing, there's a lot more to your humble domesticated pooch than meets the eye (or the nose).

Have you ever wondered why dogs behave in certain ways? Why they sometimes play dead, why they bark and make strange noises sometimes, or why some dogs are content to be ferried around in their owner's handbags like teddy bears?

It stems back to the very first time dogs crept in from the cold and found a life amongst humans, before becoming our most beloved companions and friends.

There are so many fantastic spreads in this book so let's have a closer look. Hold your noses, we're goin' in!

Dogs come in all shapes and sizes from the tiniest chihuahua to the largest Irish Wolfhound!

We're not really dog people to be honest (so if there's a follow-up planned about cats, we'll be all over it) but this deserves our book of the week slot, purely because of the brilliant way it presents its information, and the ticklish humour that runs throughout the book.

Who let the dogs out? Or in for that matter!

Poochy behaviour is examined in every detail, answering the titular question but also delving into why dogs chase cats, why dogs hate certain noises (and howl back at then), why do dogs chew bones and what dogs get up to when we're out at work or school.

Famous dogs the world over, loyal and trusted

Sum this book up in a sentence: A truly fascinating look at our poochy pets, answering a ton of amazing questions with a brilliantly illustrated set of facts about our four legged furry wet-nosed pals.

"Why Do Dogs Sniff Bottoms?" by Dr Nick Crompton and Lily Snowden-Fine is out now, published by Thames and Hudson (kindly supplied for review). 

This week's picture book of the week is a powerful and stirring piece of narrative non-fiction from an author and playwright who uses his immense talent to talk to a younger audience than usual.

The result is the stunning "The Undefeated" by Kwame Alexander and Kadir Nelson.

It's a stirring piece of work, discussing the amazing figures in black history, with a spotlight on African-American history in particular.

But the book does more than just list those noted figures, this book is designed to show that ordinary everyday people's lives matter just as much as the artists, athletes and activists described in this book, and the injustices against them deserve to be discussed with youngsters, not hidden from them.

Powerfully poetic, mighty and memorable, this is the sort of book we can't champion enough - a vitally important piece of work for people of colour the world over, and for their kids who want to see more of their own history than current early years books can manage. 

Regular readers of our blog will know we love mighty girls in our books, but how about a whole host of amazingly mighty women.

Our picture book of the week this week is the superb "Goddesses and Heroines: Women of Myth and Legend" by Xanthe Gresham-Knight and Alice Pattullo.

Xanthe and Alice have come up with a brilliant and diverse selection of mythical and not-so-mythical women in a truly brilliant book packed with classic characters we all know and love, plus quite a few more obscure ones waiting to be discovered and admired - even if some of them are probably not quite the role models you'd want your kids to emulate (Baba Yaga anyone?)

This book may sound like an instant classic, but it's actually the voice used to describe the characters that appeals the most. Talking to kids (particularly my daughter) in a cool and contemporary way about these characters is an instant way to win over your audience, and also a really fantastic way to describe legendary characters they may have encountered before in a new and exciting way.

From Aphrodite the mighty creator of the world, to Mulan the original cross-dressing mighty warrior herself, this globe-spanning collection of mythical mighty matriarchy is absolutely perfect - and a brilliant way to engage kids with finding out even more about these characters from other sources too!

Sum this book up in a sentence: An enviable cast of amazing mythical and legendary female characters that kids will love learning about, summed up in a mighty tome of awesomeness. Unmissable!

"Goddesses and Heroines: Women of Myth and Legend" by Xanthe Gresham-Knight and Alice Pattullo is out now, published by Thames and Hudson (kindly supplied for review). 

Oh dear, look at this fellow, I mean just from looking at the cover of our Picture Book of the Week this week, the truly brilliant "Gnome" by Fred Blunt, you can guess the sort of demeanour the central character in this hilarious children's story has.

He's grumpy. He excels at being grumpy, and all he wants to do all day is be in a constant grump about pretty much everything.

So when a witch politely asks this grumpy bearded grumbler to stop fishing in her pond, you can guess what his response is.

A firm "NO!"

In fact parents at this point will probably cock a wry eyebrow, particularly if their kids are like our daughter at the moment, and automatically say "No" as their default answer to everything.

Fred brilliantly captures the comeuppance of this curmudgeonly fellah with a truly satisfying (and quite brilliantly 'dark') pay-off at the end, in a story that is filled with gigglish humour from start to finish.

Sum this book up in a sentence: A brilliant cautionary tale for would-be sourpusses, that grumpy ways and saying "NO!" can backfire on you quite spectacularly!

"Gnome" by Fred Blunt is out now, published by Andersen Children's Books (kindly supplied for review). 

Ahh, wonderful! This is the sort of Book of the Week winner that has us seeking out a lovely warm beverage before curling up in our favourite comfortable chair for a few hours of blissful escapism.

"100 Children's Books that inspire our world" curated by Colin Salter is a lovingly hand-picked collection of some of the finest children's books of all time, gathered together in a gorgeous hardback volume that is an absolute must for kidlit fans.

Every single page seems to open up into a world of daydreamy nostalgia, as Colin brings together facts and stats about the books, as well as cover shots and other information that will - for the reader - instantly make you feel like you did when you first encountered those books in your own lives.

For example, reading about "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle reminded me of reading it as a child, but also reading it to my child - my daughter demanded this one again and again over the course of many bedtimes, always pausing to poke her podgy little sausage fingers through the holes in the book where the caterpillar scoffed his way through a week of treats.

A childhood favourite author and his amazing books. Richard Scarry's busy and amazing story worlds!

Then there was "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" to pull out another favourite much celebrated book. As a kid, coming from a fairly poor background much like Charlie himself, Roald Dahl's rich descriptions of the sweets and chocolate, as well as his brilliant depiction of characters good and bad were just amazing for a young emerging reader dipping into 'proper' books for the first time.

Herge's Adventures of Tintin! I can still hear the announcer's voice for the animated series, but I loved the books first!

These and many of the other books mentioned in this fantastic collection may feel like 'popular' choices, and I'm sure there'll be folk out there who will moan and complain that certain books were included, and certain others missed out, but this is a truly brilliant 'bible' for children's book obsessives (like us) and a real treat to see such an amazing collection gathered together in one place.

"The Secret Garden" - Another one of those childhood books that became hugely inspirational and well loved, and one I was very happy to share with my kiddo too!

Sum this book up in a sentence: A lovingly curated collection of 100 of the most amazing children's books ever produced, each evoking their own memories and many still well loved and well read by us today.

"100 Children's Books that inspire our world" by Colin Salter is out now, published by Pavilion Children's Books (kindly supplied for review). 

There's a clear and present danger in children's publishing, that emerging trends flood the market to such an extent that kids immediately switch off.

Sometimes it's a trend that is well meaning, nay planet-saving, and vitally important for children to engage with and take up the cause of - and it's nice to see What On Earth Publishing doing something amazing and different with a subject that has been (well meaningly) flogged to death over the last couple of years. We've come to expect no less from this plucky indie, they have a knack for this kind of stuff and they also have a knack for taking up residence in our "Book of the Week" slot too.

So "Planet SOS" by Marie G. Rhode may have caused a moment or two of eye-rolling with Little Miss when she saw it, until we started to look inside and became completely wrapped up in the way the book mixes 22 real-world threats to our amazing planet in a pseudo-mythological way that instantly makes it appealing to a wide audience age.

Marie's genius idea pays off beautifully within the first few pages of the book, as she reimagines planet-threatening ecological nasties as real and actual monsters, twisting and wrapping their nefarious coils around our world.

Let's take a look at a sample page...

Twisting, turning, choking - the all-encompassing road snake and its mythical counterpart from viking legend

A while ago I remember talking to a (slightly bemused) commissioning editor about fictional non-fiction, devising ways to produce a non-fiction book that uses storytelling and fictional elements to get its point across and this is one of the best examples of the sort of thing I meant.

This is such an original and fascinating approach, and the whole thing is really beautifully presented. If you find that your own kids, or your own classes at school are groaning every time they hear or see anything about climate change or ecological disaster, this book might just change their minds and bring them back around in a fantastic way.

Sum this book up in a sentence: Mixing real-world climate threats with myth and legend is an utterly genius idea and this book is one of the most impressive titles on the subject we've seen to date on the blog.

"Planet SOS" by Mafie G. Rhode is out now, published by What On Earth Books. 

Our second Book of the Week this week is squeezed into our friday slot, just because it's SO GOOD and such a huge amount of fun - and boy do we need a good dose of that kind of thing right now.

"How to Put an Octopus to Bed" by Sherri Duskey Rinker and Viviane Schwarz features an effervescent little Octopus pal called Floyd.

He's bubbly and fun but seems to be slightly mistaken as he thinks that HE'S the one putting his parents to bed, not the other way round.

Floyd dutifully rounds up a bath, some cuddly toys and of course a bedtime story or two before it's time to snuggle down for a blissful sleep.

There are so many humorous and cute touches to this book, and Floyd is such a great little character (even if C thought he should've been called Otto - as that's what her own little cuddly plushy octopus is called!)

Let's take a look inside this gorgeous book:

Bibbly bubbly squishy fun Floyd!

A perfect read-aloud book for bedtime with Viv's truly awesome illustrations (we really, REALLY want Floyd's bath!)

Splish splash, what an amazing bath!

Sum this book up in a sentence: Brilliant bathtime, booktime and bedtime fun for little ones, a story that bounces along and brilliant illustrations!

"How to put an Octopus to Bed" by Sherri Duskey Rinker and Viviane Schwarz is out now, published by Chronicle Kids (kindly supplied for review). 

Oh my oh my, this is something rather special indeed, in fact this is the sort of picture book that keeps us writing about picture books.

Our Picture Book of the Week is the utterly sublime "The Garden of Inside-Outside" by Chiara Mezzalama, Regis Lejonc and Sarah Ardizzone.

Imagine being uprooted from your comfortable life to go and live as the daughter of an Italian ambassador to a war-torn foreign country. We've seen many books about migration and the plight of children amidst war-torn countries, but so far I can't recall one where the whole aspect of what happens when civil unrest breaks out as seen from the perspective of an 'outsider' before.

Chiara's semi-autobiographical tale, gloriously illustrated by Regis Lejonc in a crisp clear graphic novel style, and subtly but expertly translated by Sarah Ardizzone maps out the life of young Chiara and her brother as they join their father in a palatial residence that almost feels like a protective bubble - as the scenes outside of their high garden walls and gates are scenes of unrest and devastation.

One day while playing in the garden Chiara spies a young boy peering through the railings. He's brave enough to hop the fence and come into their protected garden, and though they share no common language, Chiara and the boy strike up a friendship.

Chiara's brother urges her to tell their parents about the boy, but Massoud - her new friend - becomes the keeper of secrets, and their garden becomes his sanctuary from the cruelty happening outside.

It's exquisitely crafted this, and richly descriptive - though Sarah's translation does a truly amazing job of capturing Chiara's "voice" and her child-like view of her situation, as the story of her and Massoud's friendship unfolds, taking an unexpected twist or two along the way.

This deserves a truckload of awards, one of the most impressive books about the many facets of war and the way it affects everyday lives, no matter what side you're on.

Sum this book up in a sentence: A truly unique picture book, wrought in graphic novel style but with a beautiful yet simple message conveyed about hope and sanctuary amidst a country in upheaval, and a blossoming friendship between two children on opposite sides of the garden wall.

"The Garden of Inside-Outside" by Chiara Mezzalama, Regis Lejonc and Sarah Ardizzone is out now, published by Book Island (kindly supplied for review). 

Our second Picture Book of the Week is like a brilliant travelogue of one of our favourite places to visit.

Italy is a beautiful country, and though we've never visited Rome, we have made it our business to plan a trip there once the world gets back to normal.

But this isn't just the story of Rome, this is the story of an amazing little pooch.

"Paolo: Emperor of Rome" by Mac Barnett and Claire Keane is a glorious little book that begins with a dog's daydreams of escape. Most of the time he's stuck in a busy hairdressers, staring out of the shop door as the world passes by.

Paolo sees enough of the busy world out there to know that he wants to be a part of it, but every time he tries to go outside, his owner (who is a bit harsh on her poor pooch) pushes him back indoors.

But one fateful day, a little old lady visiting the salon leaves the door open - just long enough for Paolo to make a break for it..!

Paolo dreams of the world outside but can't get past his grumpy owner

Out in the wild streets of Rome Paolo discovers an amazing world full of excitement, and danger. Though Paolo gets into a few scrapes, he soon discovers that his tenacity and bravery serve him well, and he begins a grand adventure amongst some of Rome's most famous landmarks.

Dreamy spires and amazing rooftops in Rome's gorgeous city streets

Mac and Claire weave an amazing story where you can almost smell the amazing smells of Rome's famous pasta dishes and pizzas, hear the roar of motor scooters, the coo of pigeons gathering around the Trevi Fountain, and experience all the wonders in this ancient and amazing place.

It's a beautiful book. Claire makes it feel instantly like a well loved classic and now it's made us more determined than ever to go back to visit Italy.

Sum this book up in a sentence: A brilliant original poochy tale that's as much a fab travelogue of Rome as it is the story of a brave little dog who finds his place in the world.

"Paolo: Emperor of Rome" by Mac Barnett and Claire Keane is out now, published by Abrams Books for Young Readers (kindly supplied for review). 

Oh yes! A new book from Shinsuke Yoshitake is always cause for celebration. This genius creative has an amazing knack for knowing what makes people tick, and in "Why do I feel Like This?" we find a little girl wrestling with her feelings, her moods and her inner demons (and angels).

The adorable little girl in the book is in a thoroughly bad mood as she walks home - but why? What causes a bad mood, what makes us scared, happy, grumpy, angry? What's with all these durned feelings and how do we make them go away (or, in the case of nice ones, stick around a while?)

In Shinsuke's trademark comic style each busy panel spread is chock full of detail and humour, as we quite literally delve into the girl's head to find out what's going on.

We've seen a ton of 'emotions' books - that quite often miss a trick of being engaging enough or interesting enough for kids to pay attention to, but that's not a problem here - as the jaunty story allows the little girl's character to shine through, and the zany antics of her actual (and imaginary) character compadres adds up to one of the most original and engaging picture books we've seen since...well since "Can I build Another Me?"

Sum this book up in a sentence: Sheer and utter brilliance from one of the most talented creatives working in picture books today, a real treat on every level imagineable and a thoroughly deep dive into what makes us tick.

"Why do I feel Like This?" by Shinsuke Yoshitake is out now, published by Thames and Hudson (kindly supplied for review).