Finding a Winnie the Witch book we haven't read before at the local library is always a treat as they seem to be hotly fought over by toddlers there.This book was a bit battered and worn but we checked it out anyway. It's Friday the 13th and Winnie's birthday, which means it's time to throw a huge party. With the aid of her magic wand, Winnie sets about creating a birthday to remember. 

Of course, the book would be a bit boring if everything ran smoothly, so with Wilbur in tow, Winnie's day turns out a little bit stranger than expected. 

Great book and has one of the best foldouts I think I've ever seen in a kid's book (which was probably the reason the library copy was a bit damaged - you'll see what I mean if you borrow it / buy it). 

Charlotte's best bit: Can't tell you that, it would spoil the surprise. Oh alright then, CAKE!

Daddy's favourite bit: Same as above

The big bad mole is coming! Quick hide! Quite who the big bad mole is, or why he's so menacing is never really made clear in Martin Waddell's story of farmyard menace. Still, the narrator of the tale (a mischievous little boy) spreads enough panic to ensure that everyone takes refuge in the barn for the day. 

An odd book, didn't strike a chord with Charlotte at all which could be down to the sketchy illustrations by John Bendall Brunello - or just the fact that the story never seems to actually get anywhere. 

Charlotte's best bit: None

Daddy's favourite bit: Some of the sketchy pics were OK. Weird art style though. 

Rating: 1 out of 5

Not to be confused with "Shark in the Dark" by Nick Sharratt, Peter Bently's book features a big fat bully of a shark who spends all day trawling the oceans for small fry to eat. The fish have had enough, and thanks to a wily squid they come up with a plan to put the bully firmly in his place. 

"The Shark in the Dark" is great, there's acres of mileage in any story set under the sea and Ben Cort's illustrations pick out the various sea life effectively. 

I do personally prefer "Shark in the Dark" but Charlotte prefers this book instead. Kids eh? What can you do with 'em!

Charlotte's best bit: Nemo!!

Daddy's favourite bit: The bully getting his comeuppance. Always good to see in a book. 

Helen Cooper's Pumpkin Soup books are charming and delightful. In "Delicious", the tale picks up with Duck, Cat and Squirrel finding that their well-farmed Pumpkin patch is completely empty. Only green unripe Pumpkins remain. Try as they might to come up with an alternative, the three would-be animal Gordon Ramsays can't find an adequate substitute for good old Pumpkin Soup with a Pipkin of salt and a pinch of pepper. 

Duck goes on a hunger strike, Cat and Squirrel struggle to maintain the status quo. Will they win out in the end? You'll have to read the book to find out. 

Charlotte's best bit: Duck going to bed with hunger pains

Daddy's favourite bit: The enterprising back story with insects struggling to claim the wasted soup for themselves. 

Another Korky-Paul-illustrated book that explains some of the doggy cameos in Winnie the Witch books. Here's Jonathan Long's tale of a dog who loses his bone one morning, and decides to dig up the garden looking for it.

As you'd expect from any book involving Korky Paul, the humorous illustrations are superbly detailed and full of crazy chaos. The characters are larger than life, but engaging with it. Do you know what's under your garden? Read this and you might be able to convince your other half that digging a new ornamental pond in the back yard might not be such a great idea after all. 

Charlotte's best bit: Dine-saw! RARRRR!

Daddy's favourite bit: Cats systematically failing to scrounge food at the end of the book. Serves 'em right for laughing at the dog. 

Mealtimes are chaos when you've got children. No matter how hard you try to make the perfect meal that everyone will enjoy, and have everyone sitting at the table without fidgeting or messing about, it never quite goes according to plan. As the long-suffering chef-come-father to a couple of finicky eaters at home, I can identify with mummy and daddy cat's struggle to get their three kittens eating sensibly in "Pizza Kittens" as Charlotte is now at the age where she's becoming extremely picky. 

Charlotte Voake's loose but excellent illustration style fits the book's mix of dialogue bubbles with normal text, giving the book a feeling that at any moment, complete chaos will ensue. 

It's quite hard to track down a copy of this (unless you're willing to pay a pretty hefty Amazon price for it) but it's a superb book and worth picking up secondhand if you can. 

Charlotte's best bit: Naughty kitten falling off his chair and spilling water all over the dinner table

Daddy's favourite bit: Daddy cat's plaintive plea to the kittens to "just try a little bit, it's really good!" (oh I've been there, I've so been there)

Rating: 4 out of 5