We often like to throw a bit of a curve-ball into our seasonal Booky Advent Calendar selections, and this year "Starbird" by Sharon King-Chai fits the bill perfectly.

Though it's not a christmas book per se, it fits with the season perfectly with its glorious shimmery almost snowy cover, gorgeous illustrations and atmospheric story of a bird's flight as the wee small hours descend, against the backdrop of a silvery moon.

Sharon's lyrical story touches on the subject of freedom and love - for what is freer than a bird able to fly through the sky? As the Starbird soars to escape the clutches of the Moon King, the story gently lulls you in as the brave bird mounts a courageous attempt to burst free from a cage where the moon king has trapped him to give to his daughter. For all birds should be free, and the moon king pays a hefty price for his mistake.

A touching story with a positive message for this time of year, "Starbird" by Sharon King-Chai is out now, published by Two Hoots Books (kindly supplied for review).

Somehow, Bethan Woollvin's darkly delicious and thoroughly brilliant versions of classic tales have eluded our slippery grasp up until now, but we're very pleased to nominate "Hansel and Gretel" by Bethan for a well-deserved Book of the Week award, mostly because it's an absolutely brilliant read, but fully because it goes quite a long way to restoring our faith that there are agents and publishers out there who buck the trend for the usual picture book fare.

"Hansel and Gretel" doesn't begin with the wayward babes lost in the wood, instead it begins with the story of Willow the Witch, yes, she of the confectionary-based house and rather large oven.

But ah, Willow isn't the evil old hag depicted in the usual versions of Hansel and Gretel. In fact Willow is a good witch, good to a fault because when she first meets the twins, they are disrupting the quiet and peaceful forest by throwing breadcrumbs willy nilly about the place.

Anxious to avoid a nasty situation where those crumbs attract rats and pigeons back to her lovely gingerbread cottage, Willow befriends the two, and takes them back to her house - where they rather rudely begin nibbling at its roof and walls! OH NO!

That's a lovely tasty lookin' house you've got there, shame if anything happened to it *munch*

Willow is a good witch though, so rather than blasting the twins to kingdom come with her wand, she takes them in and gives them a slap up feed instead.

Replete, the two aren't quite finished trouble-making just yet - and when they find the witch's wand, things go from bad to worse!

No lashings of ginger beer spotted, but that most definitely is a slap-up feast!

Willow, her patience tested to the very limit, has had enough! So what happens next?

Oh you just know what we're going to say. You'll have to read the book to find out. We've waited ages to get on board the Bethan Woollvin story train, and we're glad to be aboard. She has an exquisite gift for tweaking, teasing and twisting well loved fairy tales into subtly dark tales of comeuppance. If you've lost faith that nasty people in the world get their just desserts in the end, this book may just restore some of that faith indeed. There are very few author-illustrators who 'get' exactly what kids love when it comes to subversion (Kate Beaton is the other author-illustrator who springs to mind, and I dearly hope she's back and writing for kids very soon now she's got a little smasher of her own). But oh Bethan, you've won us over. Like we said on Twitter, no one draws a sly side eye like you!

Sum this book up in a sentence: An absolutely brilliant, nay definitive version of the classic Hansel and Gretel tale shot through with a brilliant dark heart and an utterly satisfying ending.

"Hansel and Gretel" by Bethan Woollvin is out now, published by Two Hoots Books (kindly supplied for review). 

We just can't get enough of the amazing books that have arrived, Autumn is definitely our favourite time of year for book releases - and there are just so many books that deserve top honours. So with that, here's a book that pulls rather a nice little bait-and-switch on you as you begin reading.

In "The Misadventures of Frederick" by Ben Manley and Emma Chichester Clark" you'll meet the titular young boy who lives a life of quiet and protected bliss. At first you might be mistaken for thinking this is a book about over-protective parenting. But as you read, and re-read this one you pick up the delicious visual clues that tell you that Frederick is, for want of a better way of describing him, a happy go lucky klutz (see if you can spot the crutch propped against a wall, or even the big blaring clue on the cover of Fred penning a letter and spilling ink all over everything).

Frederick's mother tends to like to keep an eye on him to ensure he doesn't get into more trouble. So the poor fellah spends a lot of time mooching around in his room, making his own entertainment.

That is, until, a little girl comes along who loves to play outdoors, go on adventures, and wants a friend to join her in her games. She spies Frederick while playing, and comes up with an ingenious way to catch is attention, inviting him to come outside.

Frederick knows though that his mother would definitely NOT approve (and sure enough she very quickly puts the kybosh on Frederick's plans to escape).

Frederick is SO bored though. Why should he spend all his time indoors, leading a sheltered life when there's so much more to do outside - and a new friend to play with?

Frederick's mum is a bit over-protective to say the least (ooh, almost a cameo from Plumdog there, has he changed colour?)

All the toys in the world can't make up for being stuck in the house without a friend

Our Picture Book of the Week this week is the sort of warm fuzzy huggable book that just makes us deliriously happy (and makes me very nostalgic for train trips I enjoyed as a kid, that were absolutely nothing like the sheer hell on the railways these days!)

We absolutely adore Daisy Hirst's books, so in "Hamish takes the Train" be prepared for a brilliant story of friendship and falling out, highs and lows of life as we are introduced to two fab friends.

Hamish is a bear. His best friend is Noreen the goose, and together they have a gorgeous life in the countryside. What could possibly be better!

But sometimes Noreen notices that Hamish gets a faraway look in his eye and one day she thinks it's time Hamish finds out for himself just what lies at the end of the train track near their house.

So with a clickety-clack off Hamish goes to find out what life is like in the big city, thanks to a fortunate happenstance and a new found friend.

Life at first seems even more amazing than it was in the country. But there's definitely something missing, after all what's a grand new adventure without your best buddy in tow? Is there a way Hamish can enjoy his idyllic country life but maybe bring Noreen along for the ride too?

Daisy has a knack for dreaming up the most gorgeous storyscapes, and each page spread is just glorious.

Time to pick up a ticket and ride the train!

Such a warm feelgood story this, and beautifully descriptive of what it feels like when your whole world seems to begin and end within a tiny little country village, but sometimes you feel like there may be adventure just over the horizon.

Life in the city feels so exciting for Hamish. I mean who wouldn't want a job like this?

Seeing what life is like at the other end of the tracks. Hamish settles his wanderlust once and for all