In this World Cup year, you can expect a huge flood of amazing books about the beautiful game - but sometimes the best books are the ones that play things a little closer to home...

What on earth IS a Yeti and do they actually even exist? Young Henry seems to think so, and he's determined to prove they're out there once and for all...

Taking a widely recognised tale and flipping it on its head is always a fab idea when it comes to children's stories...

At home, we alternate who gets to read a story and put Charlotte to Bed. Usually, my lovely other half The Strolling Mum insists that bedtime is calm time, that the aim of the last few minutes before Charlotte hits the land of nod are for quiet calm storytelling, a cuddle, a kiss and then goodnight.

Of course, when it's my bedtime, I can't really resist doing the exact opposite so we're always doing something daft. Practicing our ninja moves, pretending to be invisible or - of course - pretending that I'm a big monster that likes eating tummy pie.

That was probably James Sage's inspiration for "Mr Beast" - a storybook where a young boy is ready for bed, but who is lurking outside the bedroom door? Who is that creeping in from the shed? Who is climbing up the ivy at the side of the house to come clattering and stomping down the chimney? MR BEAST!

Mr Beast's identity is something you'll probably guess within the first few pages of the book, but like all great tales where the author builds a little tension and excitement with each turn of the page, Mr Beast delivers such a brilliant payload of fun that you can't resist it. We love James' storytelling, we love Russell Ayto's trademark crazy and surreal artwork (we love the way he draws big open mouths with huge time-tunnel spirals in them!)

So forget calm bedtime books about cuddles and stuff, go for a beastly end to the day instead!


Charlotte's best bit: Mr Beast coming down the chimney "Like santa, but messier!"

Daddy's Favourite bit: Wholly identify with the dad in this book, and I'm sure my lovely other half identifies with the exasperated mum!

The dynamic duo of Peter Bently and Russell Ayto are back and they've arrived just in time to be included in our #ReadItMD13 theme week all about dads in books, in the run up to Father's Day on June 16th.

So does this character sound familiar to you?

He often says "Waste not, want not" before filching your pizza crusts...

He never scrapes your leftover porridge into the food recycling bin but it still manages to disappear...

He has a nice big round comfortable tummy (which is actually nice to lie on when you're being read to).

If that sounds like your dad (or you, for that matter) then you'll love Dustbin Dad. As you'd expect from Peter and Russell it's a crazy chaotic tale that ties delicious mouth-watering rhymes with succulent and sweet illustrations, enough to get your tummy rumbling before you've even turned the first page.

Dustbin Dad in the story just cannot keep his hands off food, mostly the food that everyone else leaves behind (as I said before, I'm sure a lot of you identify with this and have become highly skilled at clearing your children's plates when they leave all the best bits after dinner. Tsk!)

His greediness is his undoing, however. After the family cat is given a rather special tincture by the dentist - and dad mistakes it for a nice pot of leftover soup, things go horribly awry.

Dad starts to sprout a ginger beard. EEEK! Dad starts to sprout a tail! AAGHH! Worse yet, Dad completely transforms into a gigantic round tummied bewhiskered moggy! YIPES!

I'm not sure about your children but I think Charlotte would secretly rather like me to transform into a cat, but after seeing some of the things Dustbin Dad does (including the rather shocking antics in next door's garden) she might've changed her mind a little.

We expect the best from Bently and Ayto and we get the best. This is a rip-roaring busy and hilarious tale and I particularly loved the presentation (labels on everything!) and the easy rhyming style that makes it a joy to read.

Perhaps I'll think twice the next time Charlotte refuses to eat the (best bits) dried up ends of fish fingers, or leaves her last few mouthfuls of a blueberry muffin and just put them in the composter like I should...

Charlotte's best bit: I am sure, without a shadow of a doubt, that Peter and Russell included the unfortunate incident with next door's lawn, purely because they knew that would be every child's favourite bit. Right guys?

Daddy's favourite bit: Love DaddyMoggy's expression as he innocently rubs up against the welsh dresser and completely destroys the best crockery. Oops!

(Kindly sent to us for review by Simon and Schuster Children's Books)

While we're on the subject of Pirates today, let's dive into another piratical tale - this time from the dynamic duo of Ian (Harry and his Bucketful of Dinosaurs) Whybrow and Russell (The Cow that Laid an Egg) Ayto.

Surreal antics abound as a seemingly ordinary everyday classroom is suddenly flooded, and becomes the backdrop for adventure on the high seas!

Tim and Ted must recover stolen treasure from a band of wonky-toothed (and rather mean) pirates. With Ian Whybrow's frenetic and energetic writing style and Russell Ayto's previous involvement in piratical children's books (The Captain Flynn books with Giles Andreae) you know you're on pretty solid ground with this but is it perhaps one pirate book too many?

Putting children front and centre in this adventure really does make the difference, and we secretly quite liked the fact that the pirates in this book are pretty hopeless and are soon outwitted by the kids.

Good broad appeal to girls and boys too, always a plus for a pirate book particularly when your own girl-pirate at home demands it to be so!

Charlotte's best bit: The Princess and her shouty time-tunnel mouth! WAAAAAHHH!

Daddy's favourite bit: Zany, crazy, a hint of surreality but a good old fashioned pirate yarn at its heart.

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

Crazy, zany, chaotic and just a little bit naughty - the Witch's Children are the tearaway stars of a series of books by Ursula Jones and Russell Ayto. We hadn't read any of the series previously so weren't quite sure what to expect, but as big Ursula and Russell fans, we had to take this one home with us from the Library.

So the three witch's children are - as you'd probably have guessed - a wee bit naughty, and a wee bit prone to using magic for things that you probably really shouldn't use magic for. Everyone scarpers as soon as they appear, and even the Number 16 Bus quakes in fear (and hides behind a lorry) when the kids come out to play.

The three children, along with their friend from school, are off to see the Queen at Buckingham Palace - but the poor girl from school has forgotten her money! Never fear, the three witch's children have a solution. A whizz, a pop and a magic spell and the girl is transformed into a golden egg-laying goose. Surely a golden egg will cover the fare?

Events spiral into a well of zany misbehaviour as soon the children are using their magic to turn the grumpy bus conductor into a sultan, the passengers into his courtiers and the bus into a magic carpet to ride all the way to the palace.

In the presence of the Queen herself, you'd expect the children to behave but the magical miscreants don't stop there and there's soon chaos at the palace. What on earth can everyone do to get things back to normal? Sometimes only a mum can help...

Wholly original, fizzing with fun and energy, and just a little bit cheeky (just how we like our books), this is marvellous stuff and we want to read the rest of the Witch's Children books now.

Charlotte's best bit: Corgis eating jam tarts! Eeeeek!

Daddy's favourite bit: I absolutely love the zaniness of this, feels very Roald Dahl-esque. Utterly love Russell Ayto's art style too.

What do you get if you cross a cow with a chicken brought up as a cow? Andy Cutbill and Russell Ayto's  series of 'Daisy' books are hilariously entertaining and with Charlotte due to start school in September, I've been hunting out books to do with those first faltering steps into proper education.

Obviously Charlotte won't be learning how to chew the cud or, er, lay cowpats but that's what's in store for our hapless chick-cow as her mum dutifully waves her through the gates along with the other calves.

As you can imagine, poor Daisy doesn't find it easy going at cow school but with Marjorie enlisting the help of some tenacious chickens, Daisy soon discovers she has talents that the other cows lack.

Filled with humour and charm, it's a great addition to the 'Daisy / Marjorie' stories and a worthy book of the week.

Charlotte's best bit: Poo practice. Of course.

Daddy's favourite bit: The chickens gently persuading the schoolteacher to alter the curriculum to suit Daisy a bit more.

Rating: 5 out of 5 moos, book of the week