Sam Usher's gentle storytelling makes his books a complete draw, but what we love about the books written as a series about a young boy and his grandad is the beautiful cross-generational relationship depicted so wonderfully in his book series.

"Wild" is the second in Sam's new quartet of books about the world around us - featuring Grandad and Boy (who previously explored the seasons together in Sam's awesome books paying homage to spring, summer, autumn and winter).

This time Grandad and Boy look after a cat for a friend. 

This is another #Booky100Keeper that has become a colossal part of the family's vocabulary.

From an early age, C has really hated being stared at by other kids, particularly when she's eating. So when we first read "The Bear Who Stared" by Duncan Beedie, the book could have been tailor-made for her.

It's the story of a bear who really doesn't mean any harm, but rather rudely, can't help but stare. He stares at strangers, he stares at friends, he even puts people off their lovely picnic lunch by staring.

He just can't help himself!

Soon though the bear realises that his natural curiosity is unwelcome, and after much soul-searching, realises there are better ways to make friends than goggling at 'em!

The reason this book has been a keeper, and the reason it's so well loved is because it's now C's weapon against kids who stare. Every time it happens, in a loud voice she'll turn to us and say "Hey Daddy / Mummy. Do you remember that book, oh what was it called now. You know, the one about the bear. The bear who couldn't stop staring. Oh what was the name of it?" - to much amusement on our part, and complete ignorance on the part of the starer (probably, unless they have excellent taste and have picked up Duncan's book but learned absolutely nothing from it).

We feel it's also worth mentioning another keeper, purely because this one will get you RIGHT IN THE HEART EVERY TIME...

"The Last Chip" is the story of a pigeon. Now, normally I despise and loathe pigeons with an intense burning hatred (we are plagued with them where we live, waking us up every morning at 4 AM making that ridiculous noise they make when they're feeling a bit fruity) but the pigeon in this book plucks at our heart strings something rotten (thanks largely to Duncan's gift of creating the most brilliant characterful illustrations in his books).

Percy is small, and finds it difficult to find food amongst the sprawling city buildings where he makes his home. Other pigeons are big bullies and force Percy to scratch for the merest scraps. As he gets hungrier and hungrier, Percy decides to make one last effort to find a place to live where he will find lots to eat.

He almost uses his last ounce of strength doing so, but on arrival at the seaside Percy finds life is even tougher - thanks to nasty seagulls who have staked out their territory and don't want a scruffy little pigeon muscling in on their patch.

Thankfully at the last moment Percy finds a friend, a man in a similar circumstance - with not much to his name, but perhaps a last chip to let Percy finally have a feast and get some of his strength back. By this time in the book we're utter wrecks - and I'm sure that any author / illustrator, on hearing that their work has such a huge emotional effect on their readers, is secretly quite chuffed. So they should be!

Original review links: 

The Lumberjack's Beard by Duncan Beedie (Templar Publishing)

ReadItDaddy's Super-Special Children's Book Award Picture Book of the Week - Week Ending 8th March 2019: "The Last Chip" by Duncan Beedie (Templar Publishing)

ReadItDaddy's Second Picture Book of the Week - Week Ending 8th February 2019: "Molly's Moon Mission" by Duncan Beedie (Templar Publishing)

The Bear who Stared by Duncan Beedie (Templar Publishing)

The ReadItDaddy Podcast - January 2017

Another thoroughly lovely person we sometimes get to chat to on Twitter, and someone who is undoubtedly a massive part of what drew C into a love of books. Jonny Duddle's books hark back to when we first started out on the blog, and "The Pirate Cruncher" should probably be blamed for the gigantic upsurge in 'pirate' books that seemed to dominate kidlit for so many years (in fact even now you'll still see pirate-themed books cropping up quite regularly in publishers' release schedules, such is the lure of those scurvy coves).

No one does it better than Jonny though in our opinion and even in his first book you'll find all the trademarks of what make his stories utterly mesmerisingly brilliant, and a huge draw for kids who love glorious vibrant and colourful visuals alongside their bouncy rhyming tales.

This one is the story of a nefarious creature that lures a hapless pirate crew to their doom with the aid of a sneakily manipulated puppet. The puppet tells of a great fortune in booty, hidden on an island across the seas and Captain Purplebeard can't wait to get his hands on all that lovely gold.

But it's a one way trip as the crew are picked off one by one...as they get closer and closer to their destination. I remember the first time we read through this and C eagerly noting all the bits where you see the pirate cruncher itself, subtly hidden just out of frame but always with a menacing tentacle directing the action 'off screen'.

Jonny's concept art and storyboarding props made this book stand out in a picture book market largely dominated by some fairly bland 'house' art styles. I would spend hours, independently of reading these books with C, just gazing at his digital art (sometimes with the aid of a magnifying glass) trying to work out just how he could produce such fantastic painterly strokes using Photoshop. The simple answer is raw talent and he has it in spades.

"The Pirates Next Door" followed, this time introducing us to Matilda - and a pirate family who have since gone on to another picture book adventure ("The Pirates of Scurvy Sands") and a successful series of middle grade books all written and illustrated by Jonny.

This one has a brilliant moral in it, a subtle and quite sobering message about tolerance as a new family move into the sleepy seaside town of Dull-on-Sea (we always giggle at the fact that the town is 'twinned' with "Ennui Sur Mer"). The pirate family aren't prim, aren't proper, and don't fit in with the neighbourhood at all - making them - and their son Jim Lad - all the more amazing to Matilda, who has waited for something cool to happen in her town for ages.

Sadly their visit is fleeting, and soon they are on their way again as a pirate life isn't a static one, and they must sail the seven seas rather than settle down in a two up / two down in a seaside suburban setting. Again as with all Jonny's books it's just gorgeous to look at but this one really does hit home with its core message with far more impact than any of his other books.

But ah, this next one...this one's our real favourite (and yet Jonny would probably be the first to admit that it was the book that probably didn't do as well as the others, we still think it's the best though!)

"The King of Space" is Jonny's visually glorious love letter to all things sci-fi as young Rex decides that life as a Moog farmer isn't for him.

He has loftier goals, in fact with a sharp inventive mind and a ton of ambition, he will become the King of Space, the leader of the known universe - and never have to do any rotten homework or go to bed before 9pm ever again!

Rex's plans don't quite pan out as he expected as he soon realises that the most powerful being in the universe really isn't one to be trifled with. What mum says goes!

We always secretly wished that Jonny would go back to this science fiction universe he invented and spin out a couple of new adventures for Rex, but it was not to be.

As well as achieving fame for illustrating (in our opinion) the BEST covers for J.K Rowling's Harry Potter books, Jonny also stepped way, way back in time with "Gigantosaurus"...

A prehistoric take on "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" and now a successful TV series, this one once again shows Jonny's pure skill in designing and illustrating brilliantly realised characters and sumptuous bookworlds for them to live in. The simple tale of a dinosaur named Spike who constantly plays tricks on his pals, threatening them with the terrifying Gigantosaurus, reaches a satisfying climax as Spike almost (but not quite) gets his comeuppance in a delicious pay-off moment that is a bit of a rare thing in picture books - a moment where the reader isn't quite sure whether the main character just came to an abrupt and sticky end.

Perfect for dino-obsessed kids, Jonny works in a colossal fold-out dinosaur chart and some facts about the dinosaur that the Gigantosaurus was based on (Actually the Gignatosaurus).

We're waiting to see how Jonny's latest book plans pan out. We know he's cooking up something to do with Vikings but no more than that, suffice to say we'll be first in the queue for a copy when it does finally arrive. We were very fortunate to meet Jonny in real life at the Oxford Literary Festival (see the article below) and he's an entertaining and brilliant ambassador for children's literature, with an enviable talent for producing truly stunning books and art.

Original Articles and Review Links

The Pirate Cruncher

Our second book of the week - "The Pirates Next Door" by Jonny Duddle (Templar Publishing)

Jonny Duddle brings awesome tales of pirates and dinosaurs to the Oxford Literary Festival

The Jolley-Rogers and the Monster's Gold by Jonny Duddle (Templar Publishing)

Gigantosaurus by Jonny Duddle (Templar Publishing)

A fabulous "This or That" question and answer session with the pirate meister himself, Jonny Duddle, Author and illustrator of "The Pirates of Scurvy Sands"

ReadItDaddy's Book of the Week, Week Ending 22nd February 2013 - "The King of Space" by Jonny Duddle (Templar Publishing)

ReadItDaddy's Chapter Book of the Week - Week Ending 28th June 2019: "The Jolley-Rogers and the Pirate Piper" by Jonny Duddle (Templar Publishing)

ReadItDaddy's First Book of the Week - Week ending 9th February 2018 - "The Pirates of Scurvy Sands" by Jonny Duddle (Templar Publishing)

ReadItDaddy's Chapter Book and Early Readers Roundup - May 2015 - "Pirates, Detectives, Squirrels and Snozzcumbers!"

What can we possibly write about Shaun Tan's books that could do them proper justice? We originally discovered his books nestling in the children's book section of our local library, back at a time when C was probably way too young for them - but we became completely hypnotised by Shaun's ability to produce the most atmospheric, evocative and gorgeous stories - quite often with the most minimal word counts - or with no words at all.

We started out with "The Arrival" - Now universally recognised as one of the finest children's books ever created - though really it's not a children's book per se, it most certainly is a book that children can enjoy but every age group will come away with something different from it.

For me, it is as good a description of what it feels like to be a migrant as anything else you'll ever see. Entirely (and intentionally) wordless, much like the hero in the story it conveys its message and communicates on so many levels purely through illustration. It's fair to say that there's just nothing else like it out there, as it deftly brings home its message of what it feels like to be a stranger in a strange land, but more importantly, the sacrifice it takes to leave everything you love behind moving from the country of your birth to somewhere else and not knowing what you're going to find when you get there.

If (like us) you read, and re-read your books again and again and again there'll always be one scene in your favourites that puts icy fingers up and down your spine and for us it's this one...


The frame immediately preceding it (the face of the man telling the story of his own flight from terror in his own country, relating his tale to the central character - based on Tan himself) is equally powerful, the thousand yard stare of the man telling the story is sobering, heart breaking. It's undermined only slightly when you read the accompanying process book (Sketches from a Nameless Land) and find out that this images was largely compiled from photographs of Shaun prancing around in his lounge wearing a pair of his dad's overalls and waving a weed whacker around.

We've covered many of Shaun's books on the blog including those where he's collaborated with others, such as "The Rabbits" (with John Marsden):

This time flipping migration on its head, and relating a tale of invasion by an all-conquering species of rabbit, trampling and strip-mining the land, displacing the indigenous creatures that live there.

Again it's one of those books that ramps up the tension - and the powerful imagery - with each turn of the page until you're left in no doubt about what this is an allegory for.

Having the luxury of being able to introduce this stuff to C at an early age means that she can fully undersand and digest these topics when they come up in real and actual history and sociology lessons at school, in fact a great many of Tan's books do (thankfully) find their way into teaching plans as part of those lessons - fictional representations though they may be, their core messages are just as grounded in the real world as any historical account.

"The Red Tree" is also a firm favourite. This time it's just Shaun himself writing and illustrating a book about a subject that we've seen dealt with many times in kidlit, not often as successfully and as symbolically as here...

These (and many others) by Shaun are the sort of books I wish I'd had as a kid, sometimes dancing deftly between surreal imagery, but always with something important and relevant to say, making them instantly timeless.

In the case of "The Red Tree" again it's encouraging to hear mental health professionals talk about how important this book is, particularly for younger children who lack the vocabulary or the language to explain what they're going through, but can entirely relate to a more visual (perhaps overtly metaphorical) way of doing so.

Shaun's art style feels like it's constantly evolving, from the semi-photographic and realistic art in "The Arrival" through to his more surreal and painterly work - again as interesting for C (who absolutely loves examining art styles and methods of producing illustration as much as I do).

One last book worthy of note was also the last Shaun Tan book we were sent for review - each and every single one has been lovingly kept, but this one spoke to me directly for many reasons...

"Cicada" spoke volumes about what it's like to live your life as one thing, when in your dreams you live your life entirely differently. The cute little bug in this story is the epitome of a white collar worker (like me) and works for a largely thankless boss, abused by colleagues, but with a piece of knowledge buried deep - that one day there will be an escape from the drudgery of work, and on that day you'll feel transformed. Ever heard the song "Dignity" by Deacon Blue? Yeah this feels a lot like that, in book form.

It's wonderful, surreal, at times higlights how cruel the world is but ultimately triumphant.

We can't get enough of Shaun's work, whether it's his own author-illustrated stuff, or work he's illustrated for others. Without a doubt one of the most important creatives in the world today.

Original Review Links:

ReadItDaddy's Book of the Week - Week Ending 10th January 2014 - "The Arrival" by Shaun Tan (Hodder Children's Books)

ReaditDaddy's First Book of the Week - Week Ending 3rd October 2014 - "Sketches from a Nameless Land" - The Art of 'The Arrival' by Shaun Tan (Hodder Children's Books)

ReadItDaddy's Book of the Week - Week Ending 22nd November 2013 - "The Rules of Summer" by Shaun Tan (Hodder Children's Books)

The Bird King (and other sketches) by Shaun Tan (Templar Books)

Tales of Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan (Templar Books)

ReadItDaddy's First Book of the Week - Week Ending 16th November 2018: "Cicada" by Shaun Tan (Hodder Children's Books)

ReadItDaddy's Book of the Week - Week Ending 1st Feb 2013 - "Eric" by Shaun Tan (Templar Books)

Memorial by Gary Crew and Shaun Tan (Hodder Children's Books)

The Rabbits by John Marsden and Shaun Tan (Hodder Children's Books)

The Red Tree by Shaun Tan (Hodder Children's Books)

The Viewer by Gary Crew and Shaun Tan (Hodder Children's Books)

We've written about this guy's work - and one of his books - again and again so it's only fitting to feature him in our #Booky100Keepers list as these really are something mighty special.

Our obsession with Levi Pinfold's amazing work began with a family trip to our local bookstore, Mostly Books. At the time it was being run by Mark and Nicki Thornton and we would drop in from time to time to see what was new or up and coming in children's books.

"Black Dog" by Levi Pinfold (Templar Publishing) was a recommendation from Mark, sitting on the shelves with one of those hand-scribbled bookseller "Buy this book you will NOT be disappointed" notes on it and the man knows his onions, he was right, "Black Dog" really was our kind of book.

In fact it came along at a time where I was beginning to wonder whether we'd see any proper 'dark' books in kidlit ever again. Though it is a dark book, and for C at the time something of a scary book (but not too scary to be read again and again at bedtime) the core message of being brave even when you're small and facing a seemingly monstrous opponent is delivered clad in the finest illustrative and storytelling clothes you can possibly imagine.

There's a reason Levi's books come along once in a blue moon, I mean just look at these painted illustrations, for goodness sake. Could he set the bar any higher?


Of course this book booted us into action, swiftly hoovering up "Black Dog's" predecessor and Levi's first children's book, "The Django"...

This one dips into the influences of Django Rheinhart and also has a rather cool romany setting for the story of a young boy who meets a trickster who loves playing mischievous gags on him.

The story feels fresh and original, and once again the visuals are to die for,  filled with atmosphere and humanity, almost to the point where the book makes you feel itchy at times, it really does feel like you become part of the story world as you immerse yourself in it.

The Django might be a pain, but the boy misses him once he's sent packing on his way, scolded and spurned. It's a bit of an obscure favourite this one but if you love any of Levi's other books, it's definitely worth sourcing a copy. It's glorious.

The only other author-illustrated Pinfold book (that we know of at least, unless he's currently working on another masterpiece) is "Greenling"

We just don't know how Levi manages to tick all the boxes for the perfect children's picture book so nicely. A story that you'd swear was a classic tale, it feels that familiar - yet also somehow feels totally original.

Artwork that almost makes you want to cry, it's that good.

...And a story that tugs at the heartstrings, a couple adopting the strangest little child, but loving it despite its strange powerful draw on the plants around them.

One more book worthy of note is Levi's collaboration with David Almond, the truly stunning award winning "The Dam" (this one published by Walker Books)...

There's something ethereal about this one, funereal, other-worldly. The perfect fusion of a true story given a biographical twist, and truly stunning (of course) artwork in each and every spread, telling the tale of a once prosperous village that was evacuated and eventually drowned to make way for a colossal reservoir and dam.

Drawing on the spoken stories and the photos of the place as it succumbed to the water, it's like a modern folk fable given the most glorious sheen to polish it up for a modern audience.

We really hope Levi Pinfold isn't quite done with children's books yet. Another one of those author-illustrators we'd come out of retirement to rave about.

Original Review Links: 

"Black Dog" written and illustrated by Levi Pinfold (Templar Books)

The Django written and illustrated by Levi Pinfold (Templar Books)

ReaditDaddy's First Book of the Week - Week Ending 4th September 2015 - "Greenling" by Levi Pinfold (Templar Publishing)

ReadItDaddy's Second Picture Book of the Week - Week Ending 9th November 2018: "The Dam" by David Almond and Levi Pinfold (Walker Studios)

There's always something quite thrilling about getting a 'back cover quote' when you're just a small humble book blog. Our first was this fantastic book which we quite rightly made a "Book of the Week" back in the day, the utterly brilliant "Troll and the Oliver" by Adam Stower.

Troll is a hungry old monster, and he'd like nothing better than to catch Oliver - a rather smug, cheery and far too cheeky little chap who dances through Troll's locale daily while shopping for groceries.

Troll is absolutely determined to catch Oliver, but that slippery little red-haired toddler is far too smart - and too quick for old Troll, forced instead to eat a rather bland diet of twigs, pebbles and snails.

But Troll has a plan - and this is where this book ended up as a book of the week for us, lulling you into a false sense of security in knowing just how the story is going to go, right up till its "Surprise" moment.

No no, this isn't it, what, you think we'd spoil the entire book for you? NO WAY!

We got a quote on the back of the paperback edition when it was originally released and we said "As Monster Books go this is pretty much perfect, the double-pumped payoff is so utterly deliciously satisfying that for a tiny, tiny moment your little one will sit agog!"

...and it's true too! Go read and find out!

Adam followed up with this one...

Reuniting Troll and Oliver in "Grumbug!" and introducing Oliver's equally slippery little sister who decides to go off on an adventure of her own - a dangerous quest to track down the fearsome Grumbug, a monster feared even by monsters themselves.

I think really this was just an excuse for Adam to draw lots of cake. The story is fun and we rather loved the idea of having a sassy little sis on board, but the last few pages will just make your stomach growl even louder than Troll's!

Brilliant books, once again establishing what a keen eye Templar have for enticing some of the best author illustrators in the business to produce such lovely books for them.

Original review links: 

Troll and the Oliver by Adam Stower (Templar Publishing)

Our first "Back of the Book" quote and it's a doozy...

ReadItDaddy's Book of the Week - Week Ending 5th June 2015 - "Grumbug" by Adam Stower (Templar Publishing)

Still in social isolation? You need a book that's all about sharing a living space with cool folk, but also talks up our need for fresh clean air and green spaces in the fabulous "Number 7 Evergreen Street" by Julia Patton.

Young Penelope - known as Pea - lives in a flat at Number 7 Evergreen Street.

It's a grey building in a grey street, in a grey city. Inside the building, however, it's not grey at all. Pea and her parents have lots of amazing, colourful neighbours and they love nothing better than chatting to each other to solve their problems, or come up with fresh and exciting new ideas.

But there's a dark shadow on the horizon. Evergreen street is slowly being sold off to developers, and the haughty Mayor of the town wants the whole place completely levelled to put up stark grey housing - yes, even Number 7!

It simply will not do, so the residents come up with a plan. They put up a wall and wait for the inevitable. But when the wall comes down there may be quite a surprise in store for the mayor, the developers and the new residents in Evergreen Street as it finally lives up to its name.

A really lovely little book this, full of inventive storytelling and nice little details so let's have a look inside!




Sum this book up in a sentence: A fab book about living together, communities and preserving and celebrating our green spaces with awesome storytelling and gorgeous illustrations from Julia. 

Ever had one of those days that looks like it's going to be beautiful, positive and filled with fun and laughter - only for one rotten thing to completely upset the applecart?

In "The Bad Day" by Frann Preston-Gannon, Squirrel wakes up to a marvellous sight. A single beautiful big golden acorn hangs from the bough of a tree. No one else has spotted it yet, and it's ripe for the taking.

But when Squirrel climbs up and hangs from the branch, he suddenly realises he's horribly, hopelessly and terribly stuck! He can't do much more than hang next to the object of his desire.

Squirrel isn't the only one having a rotten day either. Woodpecker has his beak stuck in a tree! Owch!

Fox has a suspicious tummy-ache (though we're less inclined to be sympathetic there, you'll see why!) and Snake is all tied up in a horrible tangle too.

Finally poor Mouse is having the worst day of all - in fact all the animal friends soon realise that the only way out of their predicament is if they all buckle down and help each other out.

Sum this book up in a sentence: Sendak-nominated Frann once again weaves a brilliant and entertaining animal tale that many of us will identify with!

"The Bad Day" by Frann Preston-Gannon is out today, published by Templar Publishing (kindly supplied for review)

Now here's a neat idea that's perfect for kids who are just beginning to learn to read on their own, but still rather like having a parent or guardian kicking around to snuggle up to and share a story with.

In "You Can Tell a Fairy Tale: Pinocchio" by Migy Blanco, Migy lets kids find their own way through Carlo Collodi's classic timeless story, deciding how each scene will play out.

Those of us familiar with the story will know how things unfold, but the fun in letting kids choose what Pinocchio or Geppeto do at various story points lends this retelling a brilliant new dimension.

Migy's illustrations are also superb with plenty of character and colour, making the whole package both attractive and original with plenty of read-again appeal.

So let's take a look inside at how those story branching bits work...!

What is Geppetto building? We all know the answer but it's fun to come up with some alternatives!

Kids will absolutely love the interactivity of this, and also the feeling that they're the 'boss' and what they say goes!

Where is Pinocchio off to? There's a whole other story about what he got up to in the Black Spot Inn or at Dracula's Castle!

For older kids, there's even the notion that they could actually write their own story versions where the main plot thread forks or changes. We want to read a kids book where Pinocchio ends up at Dracula's castle! That could be awesome!

Yipes! What did Pinocchio find? And how would the story have played out differently?

This is a great idea that Migy has brilliantly done before in a similar "Red Riding Hood" themed book, and it's such a great idea to come up with a fresh and enjoyable way to read and be thrilled by classic fairy tales.

Sum this book in a sentence: Put kids in the driving seat of how a story unfolds, with brilliant alternative ideas and superb illustrations in a truly fab version of Pinocchio!

"You Can Tell A Fairy Tale: Pinocchio" by Migy Blanco is out now, published by Templar Publishing (kindly supplied for review). 

We've got three more brilliant Christmas book ideas for your shopping lists, courtesy of Templar Publishing so let's dig in and take a look at these gorgeous titles.

"Follow the Star" by Andy Mansfield is a fab little pop-up book that captures the essence of Christmas with some nifty paper crafting and gentle storytelling.

Clad in a christmassy cover, it's a delightful journey for a very special star as it makes its way across the sky on Christmas Eve

Andy brings his brilliant graphic design and paper engineering skills to a fab book that's perfect for younger readers as they start getting excited about the build up to the big day.

"Follow the Star" by Andy Mansfield is out now, published by Templar.

Also from Templar, the perfect box set for fans of Sam Usher's "Seasons" series.

Gathered together in a beautiful hard-backed collection, these titles are already well-known and well-loved but this is a perfect opportunity to bag all four in a stunning set, perfect as a gift for a new arrival to the family.

"Spring", "Summer", "Autumn" and "Winter" feature Sam's gorgeously detailed artwork and gentle storytelling about a youngster and their grandad as they make the most of the seasons as they come and go.

The winter one will definitely make you wish for snow!

A fab gift idea, "Seasons" by Sam Usher is out now, published by Templar.

Last but not least, a book that comes straight from Santa's workshop!

"Santa's Christmas Handbook" is lovingly crafted by Santa's amazing elves, with loads of flaps to lift, and secrets to discover.

One of the best-kept secrets about Christmas is that Santa Claus is highly accident-prone and doesn't get on well with gadgets and gizmos! 

Have you ever wondered how the world's most amazing constructions were designed and built? Not just buildings, but amazing ships, fantastic bridges and stunning landmarks.

"Colossus" by Colin Hynson and Guilia Lombardo celebrates some of the most iconic engineering projects ever dreamed up by their creative and talented designers, constructions that have - and will - stand the test of time.

True colossi, stretching back through time to when workers built the pyramids, right up to modern times and amazing projects such as the International Space Station.

From high in space, to underground, engineering projects are everywhere and this brilliant book will tell you all you need to know about The Golden Gate Bridge, The London Underground, The Hoover Dam, The Great Wall of China, The SS Great Britain and many, many more.


Sum this book up in a sentence: A truly fantastic book for kids to learn all about how the most amazing engineering projects were brought into the world.

"Colossus" by Colin Hynson and Guilia Lombardo is out now, published by Templar Publishing (kindly supplied for review). 

Visiting museums and gazing at dinosaur bones is one way to really get under the skin of the behemoths that once stalked our planet, but in "Tyrannosaurus Rex: A Pop Up Guide to Anatomy" by Dougal Dixon and Rachel Caldwell, you'll really be able to get right to the heart of these amazing creatures.

This innovative and entirely gorgeous pop-up book is out today, filled with a ton or two of amazing facts about the mighty Tyrant Lizard, undeniable king of the dinosaurs - and its incredible anatomy built for speed and strength, making it one of the top predators of prehistoric earth.

Partly designed to feel like one of those groovy old Victorian science / anatomy books, Dougal and Rachel have produced a real work of beauty that comes to life as soon as you crack open the front cover of the book and start to delve inside.

So without further ado, let's do exactly that and have a look at what you can expect in this truly brilliant book...

If you want to get ahead, get a head!

Our journey of discovery begins with the head, and those mighty jaws and fearsome dagger-like teeth!

There are tons of flaps and hidden bits to open and look at.

This is as close as you want to get to a T-Rex's tummy, trust us!

Then we move on to the abdomen. Let's take a closer look...!

Have you got the guts to gaze at a T-Rex's innards?

This is a truly amazing book, once again showing that you can build an entirely brilliant interactive experience with some deft paper engineering and truly top notch presentation.

Sum this book up in a sentence: A fascinating glimpse at the outside - and the inside - of one of the most fearsome dinosaurs ever!

"Tyrannosaurus Rex: A Pop Up Guide to Anatomy" by Dougal Dixon and Rachel Caldwell is out now, published by Templar Publishing (kindly supplied for review)

Here's a book we've seen many, many different versions of during our (nearly) ten years of blogging about books, and one that many illustrators have put their own particular style to, drawing up the well-known and well-loved scenes from Kenneth Grahame's timeless children's classic.

This time, one of our favourite children's illustrators, Grahame Baker-Smith brings his deft touch to "The Wind in the Willows", complimenting a largely unabridged version of the original classic story with the most stunning images, making this already atmospheric story even more inviting and daydreamy.

The classic tale of Mr Toad, Ratty, Mole, Badger and the rest of the riverside animals - swapping between scenes of tranquil idyll while boating and picnicing on the river, through to Mr Toad's rather unfortunate incidents with motor vehicles, his dramatic escape from prison, and the fight to take back Toad Hall from a bunch of ferrety ne'er do wells may be very well known, but there's always something new to discover, something charming and brilliant - even though we still consider this book to be quite a tough read for a modern audience.

But ah, Grahame Baker Smith's illustrations really do give this whole thing a really classic feel (cloth-bound and instantly a keepsake the minute you see it presented just like the old fashioned editions of the books I first got my grubby mitts on as a tiny tot).


Gorgeous or what?

Sum this book up in a sentence: A gorgeous gift edition of one of the most timeless and well-loved children's classics, beautifully illustrated by a master of evocative and atmospheric paintings for children's books.

"The Wind in the Willows" by Kenneth Grahame and Grahame Baker-Smith is out now, published by Templar (kindly supplied for review). 

As many kids make their way back to school, and many more head off to 'big school' for the first time, here's a brilliant return for Anna Llenas' charismatic monster in "The Colour Monster Goes to School".

But what exactly is school? The colour monster isn't quite sure. Is it a huge scary building full of horrible things?

Will Colour Monster make friends?

What are the teachers like?

All these questions are probably uppermost in your own kids' minds as they pack their bags for their first day, nicely observed here in a bounce-along story full of fun and of course colour!

From music lessons, to lunchtime, to making new friends, the Colour Monster's first day of school is filled with exciting new adventures.

Imagine being Jon Snow as a boy...well OK that's a bit of a stretch, but in "The Boy Who Knew Nothing" by James Thorp and Angus Mackinnon you'll meet a young boy who truly doesn't know anything at all.

From the day he was born he was always told his head was an empty vessel, but when the boy meets a new friend living in his wardrobe, he's determined to find out just what his new friend is.

Not even his parents know (and right there is the real crux of what this book is really about, there's a rather nicely subtle moral about how much attention we - modern parents - are NOT giving to our kids) so the boy and his new pal both set out on a grand quest of discovery!

James and Angus work together so well, delivering a bouncy rhyming slice of surreality that feels like a 1960s trip-fest (we've previously likened their books to the animated Beatles "Yellow Submarine" movie), with superb character designs, a great little twisty tale, and of course a ton of originality and charm. Superb!!

Sum this book up in a sentence: A great story that reveals where knowledge truly comes from, and a nicely subtle kick in the pants for helicopter parenting!

"The Boy Who Knew Nothing" by James Thorp and Angus Mackinnon is out now, published by Templar (kindly supplied for review). 

A lot more goes on underneath our feet than you might imagine.

Templar always seem to produce the most dazzlingly attractive books, and in "Walk This Underground World" by Kate Baker and Sam Brewster, you'll find a brilliantly illustrated subterranean world stretching out in front of you, and stretching back through history too.

We're off on an amazing journey all around the globe to find amazing hidden worlds, teeming with life - from prairie dog towns and ant cities, to opal mines and treasure-filled tombs.

What's life like inside a leafcutter ant colony?

Going underground...on the underground! A highlight of visiting London.

Our Chapter Book of the Week heralds the triumphant return of our all-time favourite pirate family and their best friend Matilda, this time for a tuneful but ratty tale!

"The Jolley-Rogers and the Pirate Piper" by Jonny Duddle might seem a little familiar at first...riffing on the well-loved children's tale of "The Pied Piper" but made all the more awesome by a righteous injection of yo ho hos and oo-ars!

Matilda and the Jolley-Rogers find the sleepy town of Dull-on-Sea plagued with a rather horrible bunch of unwelcome visitors. This time they're not pirates, but pie-RATS! Ready to scoff, guzzle and chomp their way through the town's comestibles.

There's only one thing for it, the mayor seeks a solution post haste, and soon the Pirate Piper arrives to play a dainty little hornpipe ditty to lure away those scabrous beasties.

But as you've probably guessed, there's a twist in the tale when the mayor refuses to pay up and the Pirate Piper turns the tables on the mean old skinflint, and unfortunately the town too!

Can Matilda and the Jolley-Rogers sort out the ratty mess?

Tons of new illustrations from one of our fave author-illustrators. It's a right good read this!

Jonny's early chapter / middle grade books are every bit as good as his picture books, perfect for kids making the jump between pic books and chapter books. There are tons of new stylish illustrations, and of course another cracking cover, making the Jolley-Rogers series hugely collectible.

Love all the little details in Jonny's illustrations, even his black-and-white ones!

Sum this book up in a sentence: A squeaky squirmy ratty tale filled with giggles and delight, perfect for pirate fans of any age.

"The Jolley-Rogers and the Pirate Piper" by Jonny Duddle is out now, published by Templar (kindly supplied for review)

From the super-creative super-fab team that brought you the hilarious "I Really Want the Cake" is another busy little adventure for their awesome little mighty girl character.

In "I Really Want to Win" the school sports day is coming up and the little girl is doing everything she can to mentally and physically prepare herself to win every event.

Of course, even if you're a superhero mighty girl character, winning isn't as easy as it looks - and when another little girl seems to march off with all the honours, it's almost impossible to be sporting about it - or is it?

Perhaps there's a friend to be made - and is winning at sport as important as all that when you're a master baker who can bake the most amazing cakes?

There are so many neat little touches in this book just like there were in its predecessor with loads of brilliantly busy illustrations (including some truly awesome superhero cameos if you look very closely!) and a story that so many girls and boys will readily identify with (we know only too well what it's like when C is faced with the prospect of her own school sports day and how much effort she puts in, despite her PE teachers always playing favourites with certain other kids!)

Heading for fortune and glory on the sports field? Bah, who needs it when you've got cake!

Oops!

Sum this book up in a sentence: A brilliant book with a neat moral message about trying your hardest, and perhaps focusing on what makes you special rather than trying to be an expert in everything all at once.

"I Really Want to Win" by Simon Philip and Lucia Gaggiotti is out now, published by Templar Books (kindly supplied for review).