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.

What an absolute genius Shinsuke Yoshitake is. Though we only have two books from him in our Booky100Keepers list, they are both absolutely brilliant and well worthy of a permanent place on our shelves.

"Can I Build Another Me" is the sort of book that encourages children to think about themselves and all the things that make them who they are, from their character and their physical appearance through to the really interesting stuff, the way they think, daydream and imagine and also how they interact with the people - and the world - around them.

Shinsuke's drawings are fabulous. Simple but utterly brilliantly effective with so much expression and character.

In this book a young boy decides he needs help to get through his busy day, and comes up with the idea of purchasing a robot companion to take his place. The robot needs to be trained to be an effective doppelgänger though, so both boy and bot begin to explore every single aspect of the boy's life - both who he is and who he aspires to be.

It's damned clever stuff, diving into child psychology in a way you can't possibly imagine could work, let alone be a 'draw' for a young reader and yet here it is - a book that is a brilliant read for fun, but would also be pretty durned useful in schools or elsewhere where you need an opportunity to help kids realise just how fantastic and amazing they really are.

Similarly, "Why do I feel Like this?" does the best job I've ever seen of describing to kids their various emotional states in yet another brilliantly observed and devised book.

This time a young girl examines her feelings throughout her day, from sheer joy to blistering boiling anger, from gigglesome happiness through to deep dark cloud sadness, with the help of a brilliant visual metaphor of mischievous imps that plague her when she's feeling down.

Again Shinsuke's amazing and imaginative illustrations make this almost feel like an operations manual for a child's emotional states and there are so many deft and clever little details here too. As with "Can I Build Another Me" I can imagine how invaluable this would be for parents, teachers and child psychologists to tease out of kids how they're feeling and of course WHY they feel the way they do.

Again I really wish we'd read more of his books, they are truly superb. Unsurprisingly both books made it into our "Book of the Week" slot when originally reviewed.

Original reviews: 

"Can I Build Another Me?"

"Why Do I Feel Like This?"

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). 

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 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).

Thames and Hudson once again reinforce their reputation for publishing some of the most original and gorgeous picture books from creators around the world with the fun and chaotically crazy "Aaahhh!" by Guilherm Karsten.

The world wakes up to a noise. Not just any noise but the loudest and most irritating noise you can possibly imagine (no it's not my snoring!)

Chaos ensues as everyone around the world chases around to try and find the source of the noise.

Is it aliens? Could it be someone going crazy with a broken Saxophone? Is it a meteor crashing into a car horn factory?

No one knows - but when the truth comes out, everyone's completely taken by surprise that something so...er...diminutive could make such a colossal racket.

This is fablous stuff, reminiscent of crazy 1960s picture books that always featured a rambunctuous chase around the planet. We love this one to bits!

Sum this book up in a sentence: A superb original and crazy book that'll tickle little ones as they try to second-guess what the noise is right up to the big reveal.

"Aaahhh!" by Guilherme Karsten is out now, published by Thames and Hudson (kindly supplied for review). 

After winning a prestigious art award at school, C has been consuming art books by the dozen and finding out more about famous artists past and present.

"We Are Artists" by Kari Herbert could've been tailor made for her, filled to the brim with amazing facts and life stories of some of the most famous female artists of all time.

Authoritatively written, using the artists' own works and words to describe their inspirations and their methods, it's completely engrossing and gave C lots to think about as she begins her own artistic journey, constantly refining her own style (I'm not just being a typical proud parent when I say that she's already an amazing painter in her own right, and also very strong minded about taking any tuition off her old man, but that's a story for another blog post!)

"We Are Artists" gathers together 15 of the most influential female artists, from Frida Kahlo to Georgia O'Keefe, from Tove Jansson (YAY!) to Yayoi Kusama, in one glorious and beautifully illustrated volume, featuring fabulous portraits of each of these amazing women, and a selection of their work (look out for those Tove Jansson Moomins storyboards in particular, they're stunning!)

Sum this book up in a sentence: A truly fabulous work of art in its own right, this book is perfect for would-be artists to read about 15 of the most inspirational creative women who have become part of our artistic landscape.

"We Are Artists" by Kari Herbert is out now, published by Thames and Hudson (kindly supplied for review). 

If you're not already completely head over heels in love with this book, just from seeing that tiny mighty girl on the cover, then we really don't know what to do with you.

But stay a while and dive into "Prudence and her Amazing Adventure" by Charlotte Gastault for a whirlwind adventure inside the imagination of a brilliant young girl.

Charlotte has gone to amazing efforts to capture the way a child sees the world so absolutely perfectly, in a book that uses loads of amazing cut-out pages, semi-transparent pages, and curiosity-piquing ideas that it might just leave you feeling slightly frazzled by the end (read-aloud parents might see those super-dense text pages at the start of the book and inwardly groan - we did - but stick with this story and you'll find something truly special here!)

Prudence’s parents are calling her to hurry up: it’s time to go!

Once again Yuval Zommer returns to offer us a beautiful and bounteous slice of natural history, this time taking to the wing rather than diving under the sea.

In the truly fabulous "Big Book of Birds" Yuval takes us on a tour of the bird kingdom, and helps little ones answer a million and one questions they may have about our lovely feathered friends.

Why is a flamingo pink? Can a parrot talk? Is a bald eagle really bald?

This follow-up to the hugely successful The Big Book of Bugs, The Big Book of Beasts and The Big Book of the Blue answers these questions and many more. 

Don't eat too many shrimps unless you want to end up beautifully pink!

You don't have to visit tropical climes to see fascinating bird species. Some can be found in your own back garden or local parks!

 Utterly perfect stuff!

We can definitely confirm that parrots are chatty little characters having just come back from staying at a hotel pretty much ruled by one!

We absolutely love dragons - they're probably our favourite mythical creature.

But owning one isn't quite as straightforward as it seems. What do you do if your dragon has lost his spark?

Find out in the rip-roaringly hilarious "How to Light your Dragon" by Didier Levy and Fred Benaglia.

Meet a little boy with a rather unique problem pet. The boy's dragon is no longer able to breathe fire. 

Time for a beautiful new clothbound edition of a classic story, with all new visuals by one of the most widely celebrated artists working in children's literature today.

"The King of the Golden River" by John Rushkin, with illustrations by Sir Quentin Blake, is a gorgeous edition of a book that first came out in 1851.

A victorian moral story, the tale of three brothers black. Gluck the kind-natured big hearted brother, and his two older siblings Hans and Schwartz who mistreat their younger brother terribly.

For Gluck, play is cleaning the floors, and his education consists of a wholesome quantity of punches courtesy of his nasty older sibs (what rotters!) 

Our Second Picture Book of the Week is from a talented author-illustrator whose work is always utterly fabulous.

We always love the totally surreal set-ups in Beatrice Alemagna's books, beautifully illustrated and totally involving for kids who don't just want the same old ordinary everyday world to be reflected in their stories.

In "Harold Snipperpot's Best Disaster Ever" meet the hapless young chap who is determined that his birthday this year won't just be the same boring non-event it is every other year.

After all, seven years old is a pretty important age to reach - well, when you're seven anyway!

Our Third Book of the week (and no, we make no apologies for needing to stretch BOTWs to cover 3 PBs at this time of the year) is monstrously brilliant!

We do love it when folk go the extra mile to really pour on exquisite presentation of their children's picture book titles...
"A House for a Mouse" by Gabby Dawnay and Alex Barrow is such a beautiful looking book right from the outset, with a gorgeous faux-Tolkein-esque cover (not to mention a rather splendid Middle-Earth-Like map inside too!)

It's the story of a little grey mouse who leaves his tiny hole in the forest to explore the wider world. 

Hat tip and chef's kiss to Alex Barrow for this utterly gorgeous Tolkein-esque map

Does anyone have a carpet-sized odour eater?

Such an adorable central character!

Picture book perfection once again for our Book of the Week this week. The fantastic return of Franklin and Luna!

We make no apologies for cramming in a third Book of the Week in our picture book category this week. This is something really special...

It has definitely been an amazing year for children's books about art and artists, as this book demonstrates perfectly...

Join in for a globetrotting adventure around the world, with a charming band of mice and their mischievous moggy friend...

Summer is ripe with excellent books, hence our need to add this one into our Book of the Week slot because...