Well it might not look like much, but it's got it where it counts!

This week's ReadItTorial found us spending a very interesting saturday morning doing something I personally hadn't done in a good 30 years - enjoying computers for fun!

When messing around with computers (or at least trying to keep the things working and up and running) is your day job, you sometimes lose sight of the fact that they're still a lot of fun and can inspire kids to learn a little bit more about the electronic world around them.

We'd booked Charlotte on a coding taster session held in Oxford (you can find out more about the sessions here but there are bound to be sessions also running in your local area if you google around a bit) dabbling in Micro:Python on the BBC Micro:Bit computer.

BBC Computers? Programming? Yep that really took me back to being at school though I'm pretty sure that most of the time during "Computer Club" we ended up playing Elite rather than actually doing anything practical (still love that game).

What came as a bit of a surprise to me was that kids learn Python, a 'proper' programming language - and start to cut their teeth very early on with a scripted language that can actually do things! We've had a few hits and misses playing around with Scratch (which is more like programming with Lego blocks than real scripting) so I was interested to see what the session would be all about.

The BBC Micro:Bit is a small but powerful computer designed to help kids understand what lies at the heart of ordinary everyday objects they might use elsewhere.

The BBC Micro:Bit. Deceptively small but extremely fun to play with!

Basically a circuit board with edge connections and a USB port, a couple of buttons and (the most important bit for Charlotte) a 5 x 5 pixel display, the Micro:Bit interacts with your laptop or PC via USB to allow you to write programs in Python that trigger things to happen on the tiny device.

The taster sessions are quite short - 30 mins - so getting something working in that time can be a bit of a struggle, but thankfully the team were extremely well organised and the kits we used in the class were all ready to go - all we needed to do was turn up.

The taster program was to write a small 'heartbeat' routine. First, kids were shown how to write a program that would activate different lights on the Micro:Bit's display. Again this took me back to my youth, recalling a lot of time writing simple programs to make game 'sprites' on my humble ZX Spectrum. Similar to plotting out a design on graph paper for MineCraft or other block-based things, the Micro:Bit's display can be programmed with your own designs.

The Mu Programming interface. Commands are entered almost in plain English! A heck of a change from working in BBC or ZX Basic!

Using the Mu Programming interface (basically a nice and simple UI for kids who are just breaking away from block-based coding languages), children can write simple routines then "flash" them to the Micro:Bit ready to actually do something.

The device, despite its size, comes with a couple of buttons and a range of other sensors (including accelerometers and a compass) so there are lots of ways to interact with the thing.

During the lesson we were shown how to hook the Micro:Bit up to an external edge connector so that we could then connect in a speaker attached to a breadboard. Again, so many memories of doing this kind of stuff way way back in the 80s but seeing it all updated for today's kids was pretty cool.

Charlotte took to it like a duck to water, and has since asked for a kit for her Birthday (she'd better behave!) It struck me that the combination of having something tangible (the Micro:Bit itself) coupled with a programming language where you're actually doing what I did all those years ago, basically tapping code in painstakingly into an editor was probably what made the session so exciting to her. Seeing an actual result from your programming efforts that makes logical sense really seemed to help the coin drop for her more than our sessions on Scratch (MIT Edu's alternative programming language where kids basically drag and drop components together in order to make program code).

There are Scratch-like editors for the Micro:Bit but Mu (the editor you see in the screenshot above) just felt like it offered a better balance between proper coding and complilation, and having a command set to dip into rather than some fairly rigid 'blocks'.

Once again it looks like the BBC are helping innovation in the important areas of early years technology and computer-based learning just as they did all those years ago.

The only annoyance is that this stuff isn't introduced at Charlotte's school until she's a lot older - yet it's obvious that kids as young as 5 or 6 (or maybe even younger) could have just as much fun with a helping hand or two from geeky mums and dads, doing something that may actually inspire them to get into proper coding and control stuff later in life.

Fantastic fun and we'll be returning for the rest of the sessions without a doubt and as the Micro:Bit is a shade under 20 quid (the Mu editor is free and can be installed on any laptop or PC as long as you've got USB ports to actually flash the program to your Micro:Bit) we'll probably pick one up pretty soon too.

Hooray! Hoorah! It's all the thrill of the circus in Lesley Barnes' gorgeous follow up to "Jill & Dragon"...

Poems! Space! Two of our favourite things combined? Well, this one's going to go down well....

Tomorrow sees the release of two adorable 'lift the flap' books for tiny teeny tots, helping them learn all about their gardens and all the amazing creatures and plants that live there - and underwater, where once again they can learn all about amazing animals and plants.

"Pairs in the Garden" is an explosion of colour, tons of brilliant page spreads and zillions of flaps for little ones to open and reveal.

Lift stones to find snails, grass to find ladybirds and lettuce leaves to find caterpillars, then answer a simple counting question.


"Pairs Underwater" is equally colourful, and full of amazing animals that your little ones will love learning about. Lift the flaps to find the matching pairs in this fun novelty series that's all about habitats!

This book has seven die-cut flaps on every spread for little ones to lift to find the matching pairs and spot the odd one out. Lift stones to find turtles, seaweed to find seahorses and shells to find crabs, then answer a simple counting question.

Both books are printed on sturdy card, perfect for little hands, providing fun and enjoyment while out and about or at home, as well as teaching important recognition and memory skills.

Both titles are released on 2nd February 2017, published by Frances Lincoln Children's Books (kindly sent for review). 

If there's one thing you can be sure of, sticking a pencil into a child's hand and giving them a blank piece of paper is like uttering a magic spell...

Today is a big release day for Tiny Owl Publishing, champions of fantastic diverse stories from around the world.

Their new collection for 2017 truly does have something for everyone so we'll dip into our book bag and take a closer look.

"When I Coloured In The World" is a brilliant little story about a little girl who is gifted some amazing crayons, and sets about using them to change good things into bad.

Her lyrical descriptions of each colour - and what she will use it for - are scintillating and lovely. She turns drought into rain, sadness into hope and deftly weaves a colourful journey as she goes.

We read this one out loud - particularly enjoying the simple central theme but also the gorgeous exploration of colour and turning bad things around into good.

"When I coloured In The World" by Ahmadreza Ahmadi and Ehsan Abdollahi is released today by Tiny Owl. 

Next in our book bag, a gorgeous modern fable...

"The Elephant's Umbrella" is a short but sweet book all about a happy elephant who owns the most amazing colourful umbrella.

One day during a storm, the umbrella is whipped away by the wind - landing near a leopard who wants the umbrella all to himself. But the umbrella doesn't like leopard's way of living and his ideas of what he'd use the umbrella for.

Whipped away again, the umbrella lands near bear - whose ideas are probably even worse than leopard's!

Umbrella soon begins to miss her old friend - will the wind return her to her rightful owner one day?

Beautifully written and illustrated, a gorgeous moral tale that will keep little ones entertained.

"The Elephant's Umbrella" by Laleh Jaffari and Ali Khodai is released today, published by Tiny Owl. 

Next, a fab fishy tale...

"The Little Black Fish" by Samad Behrangi tells the story of an inquisitive little fishy fellow. Little Black Fish may be small, but he has big questions and a determination to find answers to them.

While his fellow fish are too scared to do anything different from their set routine, Little Black Fish swims over the edge of the pool, into the stream and river which will show him much more of the world.

He meets wonders and adventures, dangers and beauty. He makes it all the way to the sea, and finds his answers. The little fish's story is passed down to a new generation who will hopefully be inspired by his curiosity and joie de vivre.

"The Little Black Fish" by Samad Behrangi is out today, published by Tiny Owl. 

Phew, room for one more? I think so!

Last but not least it's "The Clever Mouse" by Anahita Teymorian. The story of a mouse who is indeed clever, but also a bit too big for his (tiny) boots.

Clever mouse always believes his way is the right way, but a bit of realising his own foolishness teaches him what he needs to learn in order to become wise and happy.

A mousy love story that shows how kindness is more important than beauty, and that sometimes a good dose of humility goes a very long way.

"The Clever Mouse" by Anahita Teymorian is also released today, published by Tiny Owl. 

A truly brilliant range of fantastic titles, visit the Tiny Owl website for more exciting and diverse children's stories from a publisher who really knows how to stand out from the crowd.

(All books kindly sent for review).

Most children develop a fairly early appreciation for poetry without even knowing it...

Faster than a speeding bullet, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Depicting the most frenetic superhero adventures with a deft flick of your pen, pencil or crayon! Join in with "Create your own Superhero Epic" by Andrew and Chris Judge!

We could all do with a bit of extra luck in our lives, right?

Steve Light, creator of some of our favourite children's books is back for 2017 with a new picture book revolving around an endearing fellow called Lazlo.

He's going to see the girl of his dreams, starring at the local theatre in their production of "Alice in Wonderland" and like the thoughtful chap he is, he decides to pick up a single red rose to give to her on her opening night.

Lazlo's luck runs out however, when he meets a mischievous cat who runs off with the rose, and leads poor Lazlo on a hectic chase through the theatre and onto the stage just as things are getting under way.

Will that pesky cat get his comeuppance? Will Lazlo rescue the rose to give to his lady love?

Weirdly, we usually give Steve's books plenty of praise and attention on the blog but for some reason this one just didn't work for either of us. I adore Steve's artwork, and the chase story is fine but it's lacking something - I really can't explain what it us but neither Charlotte nor I could shake the feeling that we'd seen this before somewhere.

We dug deep into the archives and found that it was very similar to Harriet Ziefert and Jenni Desmond's excellent "Backstage Cat"..

There was a lot to like about this book despite that slightly deflated feeling that this wasn't as great as "Zephyr Takes Flight" (A book we've talked about and adored so many times on this blog) and the equally fab "Swap" (which felt fun and original).

We do love the artwork, a mix of fab detailed monochrome line drawings with gorgeous splashes of colour. Lazlo is a great little character but this one just didn't really work for either of us. Perhaps you'll enjoy it more, as it's a delightful little book for younger readers who love a hectic chase.

"Lucky Lazlo" by Steve Light is out now, published by Walker Books (kindly supplied for review). 

This week's Chapter Book of the Week is a hugely entertaining "What if" book that embraces a dream that most of us will have at some point in our lives...what if you could turn invisible?