Any new project involving Sir Quentin Blake is a cause for great excitement at ReadItDaddy Towers. When it's a new QB story book, we're ecstatic. When it's a new QB story book that celebrates diversity we sit up and pay very close attention indeed.

Quentin Blake is such a fantastic storyteller in his own right that we love seeing what happens when he truly goes to town with a story, writing and illustrating with fantastic expertise and seemingly consummate ease. "The Five of Us" is something truly special though, introducing us to five child heroes who aren't your ordinary everyday run of the mill kids.

There's Angie, who can spot things from miles away with her super-keen eyesight. There's Ollie who is blessed with hypersensitive hearing. There's Simona and Mario, who are both strong and wise and then there's Eric who is...well in the words of the great man himself, we'll get to Eric in a moment.

As soon as you see the book cover, you'll understand that the aim of the book is not just to tell a fantastic tale of believing in yourself, your own abilities and believing that you're truly special in a multitude of ways - but also to celebrate our rich and diverse culture and the children we nurture and influence.

"The Five" are out on a special outing, a picnic in the wilds which heralds the start of an adventure! Hopping into the coach with their adult helper, they soon find themselves in a gorgeous spot perfect for scoffing their sandwiches in.

When their adult helper becomes ill and faints, it's up to the five to use their amazing abilities to team up, work together and help their friend to safety.

The characters in the story are vitally important, for Angie, Ollie, Simona, Mario and Eric are characters that our own children will already known and identify with but characters that don't appear enough in children's stories. Ethnic minorities, disabilities and speech impediments are subtly included, "Five" are everyday kids but wholly unusual to find in high profile picture books and though huge strides have been made in the last few years to make children's books more inclusive and diverse, there's still an awful lot of work to do.

To see such a huge figure in children's stories ably recognising and acknowledging this is extremely encouraging though, so "The Five of Us" deserves kudos as does Sir Quentin for so perfectly capturing the essence of what makes kids so imaginative, brilliant and brave whatever their background or ability.

Back to Eric. We love Eric. Eric is a hero! Eric is the sort of character we are instantly drawn to in children's stories, who struggles against adversity and eventually proves pivotal and vital as the story unfolds. It was all we could do to stifle a huge "Hooray" at the end of the book as the heroic 5 save the day.

"The Five of Us" is out today, September 4th, From Tate Publishing

Charlotte's best bit: Charlotte thought Angie was the coolest by far but really did have a soft spot for Eric too (as did I)

Daddy's Favourite bit: A fantastic story, quite tense and fraught in places but such a high to end on. Brill stuff from a master of children's stories, bringing his expertise to bear on this hugely important book.

(Kindly sent to us for review by Tate Publishing)

Hooray! Hooray! It's happy publication day for a book that we actually wished for not too long ago. If you look at our review of "How to Babysit a Grandad" by Jean and Lee, you'll see that we hoped that there'd be a Grandma-based follow-up to keep Charlotte's Grandma happy - and here it is!

The great news is that it's every bit as fun, well observed and pays proper homage to grandmas just like "grandad" did.

A little girl is going for a sleepover at Grandmas, ahem... I mean a little girl is going to babysit her Grandma for the weekend and has lots of wise advice on what youngsters can do to keep an energetic and active elderly relative busy for the entire time.

Reading stories (YAY!), feeding ducks (we loved the cameo in this bit from the dynamic duo who starred in "How to Babysit a Grandad!") and dressing up are all part and parcel of keeping Grandma happy and contented. As with Grandad we also happen to know that straying from the usual strict diet is a must!

Jean and Lee have come up trumps with a brilliant book, just in the nick of time for Grandma Day as well! I have a sneaky feeling that this one will end up staying permanently at Grandma and Grandad's house, it's a great little bedtime read.

"How to Babysit a Grandma" by Jean Reagan and Lee Wildish is out today from Hodder Children's Books.

Charlotte's best bit: She loved cuddling up with Grandma and this one, a brilliant follow-up to "How to Babysit a Grandad"

Daddy's Favourite bit: Another belter from Jean and Lee, huge doses of belly laughs at the brilliant observations in this.

(Kindly sent to us for review by Hodder Children's Books)

Happy Launch Day! James Mayhew wins the "First Christmas Book to Review" race this year, and though you may well grumble that Christmas feels like it's only just around the corner even though you've just packed the kids back off to school, you won't want to miss out on this very special book.

James' "Katie" books are so well loved by us, that we've been steadily tracking down Katie's adventures, reading them all and enjoying them all. This year something very special happens one Christmas Eve as Katie and Jack are woken by a loud sneeze.

"ATCHOO!"

When they go to investigate, they find that poor Father Christmas has a rotten cold, and could really do with a couple of helping hands to ensure everyone gets their presents.

Soon they're whisked away on Santa's sleigh, for a trip across the London rooftops, taking in the landmarks as they go and with a little magic, travelling down the chimneys to deliver lovely christmas gifts.

We already know that James has a fine eye for detail. In the wonderful "Gallery" books we love seeing him reproducing the great artworks of the world with ease, and in stories like this where he gets to stretch his own creative style, there's so much to see in each page spread that children will be enthralled and wrapped up in this book for many readings and re-readings. That's the sort of thing we really love to see in a children's book and definitely one that would make a great gift to tuck under your own christmas tree on Christmas Eve.

We won't spoil what happens at the end of the book as it's rather special. We loved the whirlwind tour of some of our favourite landmarks, and Charlotte's favourite bit made her giggle with glee!

Brilliant stuff, highly recommended if you're looking for early christmas pressie ideas for your little ones and what could be better than a fantastic picture book like this?

"Katie's London Christmas" by James Mayhew is released today, 4th September 2014 from Orchard Books.

Charlotte's best bit: Spotting that the Trafalgar Square lion still has Katie's scarf tucked under his tum to keep him warm!

Daddy's Favourite bit: Enchanting and charming, the "Katie" books are so wonderfully dream-like that they'll have you smiling for the rest of the day if you sneak in an early morning read (like we often do!) Magical stuff!

(Kindly sent to us for review by Orchard Books)

Charlotte starts back at school today in Year 2 and it's been a heck of a busy year or so. Last September her reading wasn't bad but she lacked the confidence to read much on her own.

Through following the school's programme of level-based books, and of course with a whole bucketload of books read at home, she started to gain in confidence and now reads fluently - moving beyond picture books and onto early chapter readers.

This isn't the story for all parents though, and those with reluctant readers at home will probably find the level-based books extremely frustrating, particularly if (like at Charlotte's school) the focus is on reading these at home, which feels like homework even at a fairly tender age.

It's a subject that has received a lot of coverage in the media, that 'magic bullet' method of engaging reluctant readers using all manner of methods ranging from encouraging children to learn through play and in particular through app play, through to giving children instruction manuals or fairly 'dry' reading material to allow them to concentrate on the language and reading methods rather than being distracted by the story and the subject.

Most of Charlotte's 'sent home' books aren't that bad but now and again they feel a bit old fashioned and don't really interest her. We do go through them but it was actually quite nice to see her whizzing through them, ticking them off her list then digging out bigger and better books at home to almost wash the other ones away :)

We've also discussed phonics a lot on here. As much as I always felt that phonics felt like a weird artificial language in its own right it does work and it worked for us, but only used as part of an extensive toolset to introduce reading methods. I still firmly believe that phonics on its own is like trying to ride a bike with square wheels. It always takes supplementary reading of stories and non-fiction stuff to offset that stilted and sometimes unintuitive method of learning.

The real crux though is time. How much time are you willing to put in as a parent? If you feel that your child's early development and learning experience is something that rests firmly with the school then you're grossly mistaken. So many times I've seen parents who are completely mystified why their children aren't interested in learning, in reading or in anything other than their games consoles or DVDs and this causes problems when you point out the simple observation that it's because the parents themselves aren't interested in learning, reading or anything other than their jobs, their mobile phones, their social media presences or how much of a bargain they can nab in the Black Friday sales.

Time is valuable and precious and I often find myself wishing that I could borrow Hermione's watch from the Harry Potter books, to be able to be in several places at once (rather than locked to a desk for 8 hours or more a day). I'm sure a lot of other parents feel exactly the same way, and though my simplistic view of early years development might grate a bit, your time is what it truly takes to give your children that bump-start in their early years and early education. Can you think of anything more rewarding than being able to spend time with your kids engaging their curiosity and interest?

Building tension and excitement in a children's book is a fine art. More so when your book is aimed at the very young, and you've opted to tell the story largely visually - keeping the word count to an absolute bare minimum.

Gecko Press are renowned for celebrating the wordless picture book, and they've also got a fine eye for a book with visual impact - so step forward "You Can Do It, Bert!" by Ole Konnecke which achieves the fine balance between building up excitement and curiosity with every turn of the page.

Bert is a bird. He's a strange little fellow, and sits high on a branch. It looks like he's about to flap his wings and take off but is he? Bert is a bit of a fidget and can't seem to make up his mind. Should he just stand and flap for a bit? Maybe get something to eat? What's going to happen to Bert in the end if he plops off that branch?

This book is a sheer delight, not least of all because it really does keep you guessing right up to the delicious twist it delivers near the end of the story. Ole's fabulous storytelling ability and the bright colourful and eye-catching art are going to make this a huge hit with youngsters.

Out today, don't miss!

Charlotte's best bit: Just when she thought Bert was going to jump, Bert disappears for a snack instead!

Daddy's Favourite bit: Lovely largely word-free book that pulls off the neat trick of being exciting and tense through using visual impact rather than words. Really impressive stuff, we loved it!

(Kindly sent to us by Gecko Press)

New publishers on the block Fat Fox Books look like a publisher to keep a very close eye on. Though they're starting out small with a couple of titles releasing in September ("Happy Hooves Ta-Dah!" and "Prankenstein") they have an eye for entertaining stories and characters, and high production quality.

They've also got a keen eye for talent too, and one of our favourite author illustrators, Rebecca ("Sometimes", "Zoo Girl" and "Just Because") Elliott, has contributed illustrations to "Happy Hooves Ta-Dah!"

Along with Anna Bogie, creator of a range of animal characters who will go on to star in more stories in the Fat Fox Range, "Happy Hooves" is the first tale and it's an empowering story of friendship, believing in yourself and your abilities, and using teamwork to overcome adversity.

Donkey is a bouncy happy type, and on a bright summer's day he wants to go to the beach. Along with his friends sheep, pig, cow and foal, he can't wait to play in the sand and take a dip in the sea.

There is one slight problem though. Between the animals and the gorgeous beach is a cattle grid.

Now, to an energetic bouncy donkey a cattle grid poses no problem, but the other animals are nervous - and just can't see how they can overcome this annoying obstacle. But with the right amount of enthusiasm and encouragement from their friends, each animal takes a leap of faith - and one by one they get across - all except poor cow, who is well and truly stranded.

How will the friends help cow across the grate? We'll leave that little bit of the story for you to discover. Charlotte loved this story despite it being aimed squarely at younger readers, thanks in no small part to Anna Bogie's gift of using repetition and positive language to tell an entertaining story, with Rebecca's awesome collage illustrations to make a bold and colourful canvas to create a story on.

Charlotte has just begun to read stories like this to her new little cousin, who is only a couple of months old (It's actually quite something to see her doing this, it seems like only yesterday she was wriggling on her playmat while I read stories to her, and now she's passing that on to her little cousin in such a lovely way!) No doubt we'll be taking "Happy Hooves Ta-Da!" along with us next time we visit.

"Happy Hooves Ta-Dah!" published on Sept 1st 2014 (yesterday). You can find out more about the Fat Fox range on their website.

Charlotte's best bit: Her favourite animal was sheep, who had a really neat way of getting over that cattle grid! We approve!

Daddy's Favourite bit: Bright, colourful, full of positive messages and a superb cast of animal characters. A great start for Fat Fox!

(Kindly sent to us for review by Fat Fox Books)

Ew! Is there truly anything worse when you're a little boy than being slathered and lathered in sloppy sticky yucky wet kisses from your relatives? Jack doesn't think so, he doesn't mind a pat on the back or the odd hooray but all that smooching and lip-smacking? It's not for him!

So Jack makes a new set of rules in "The Best Kiss" by Julia Jarman and Erica-Jane Waters. No more kisses, no fuzzy ones, no sticky ones, no ultra-icky ones and definitely no air-kissing from French aunties, non, non, NON!

We've seen a few books along similar lines as "The Best Kiss" but we loved Jack's sheer exasperation and the liltingly rhyming fun and puns. There is one type of kiss that Jack does like though, an ultra special one but we're not going to spoil the end for you!

Charlotte's best bit: Uncle's sticky kisses, yuck!!

Daddy's Favourite bit: Funny and well observed, poor Jack!

(Kindly sent to us for review by Hodder Children's Books)

Unleash your inner science geek! It's happy publication day for a new nerdy hero, big of brain and out to impress. John Scieszka's "Frank Einstein" is our kind of character, something between Dexter (from Dexter's Lab), Peabody (from Peabody and Sherman) and The Wimpy Kid.

Frank is a genius in every respect, and there's no branch of science that he can't bring his massive intellect to bear on. Frank's passion is robotics, and he has designed his own 'helpers' - two sassy robots called Klink and Klank.

After a bizarre accident in his lab (the garage) Klink and Klank achieve artificial intelligence, and take on their own personas.

Frank's quest to design the perfect power sources and systems for his mechanical buddies leads him to the ultimate project - the design and build of a dark energy drive, providing tons of energy for his creations. But avaricious eyes are on him! Mean-spirited ne'er do-well T Edison steals Klink and Klank, and it's up to Frank and his friends to mount a rescue mission. Can the world's most intelligent boy genius and his pals succeed?

Charlotte and I lapped this book up. Mixing perfect comic timing and rib-tickling text with a goodly dose of fun illustrations to punctuate the story, it's a perfect book for kids like Charlotte who love fun stories, love a bit of (not dumbed down) science, and a good old fashioned good vs evil tale.

We really cannot wait to see more from Frank (and Klink and Klank!) One of the most entertaining kid's early chapter books we've read through in a long time.

Charlotte's best bit: Bamboozling me with lots of science questions about bits in the book she didn't understand (of course Daddy knows how an Antimatter motor works, daddy knows EVERYTHING!)

Daddy's Favourite bit: Fast-paced, frenetic, chaotic but above all tons and tons of fun, this is one of the best geek-books we've read in a long time. Hooray for John, Brian and Frank!

(Kindly sent to us for review by Abrams / Chronicle / Amulet)

Happy publication day to a superb steampunk thriller, "Iron Sky: Dread Eagle" by Alex Woolf.

It's 1845 and in an alternate reality, coal and steam power rule the land and skies. Vast clanking machinery has evolved beyond static engines to powerful and mobile weapons of war. As Britain engages with France in bloody conflict, a deadly new shield technology could signal defeat for Britain's forces, and ultimate victory for the aged but all-conquering Emperor Napoleon.

Alex Woolf sets out his bookworld with rich texture and tapestry, immersing the reader in a parallel universe that is as intoxicating as the choking coal-fumes issuing from every page.

The terrifying Dread Eagle (Illustration by Mark Bergin)

Our wonderful hero, 18 year old Arabella West is an Aviatrix with the Sky Sisters, Britain's elite force of fighter pilots. Arabella is drawn into a secret mission to investigate sightings of a giant steam-powered craft, both terrifying in appearance and devastating in action. Known only as "The Dread Eagle" it can tear sky platforms and planes out of the sky...

I was hooked from page 1. From page 10 onwards I began to get slightly obsessed with Alex Woolf's steam powered world and Arabella. At times feeling like a classic steampunk bodice-busting tale of derring-do, mixed royally with a good dose of sinister underplotting this is the sort of story that begs, nay PLEADS to become a series as the alt-britannia is so expertly given flesh and steel under Alex's direction.

Arabella's awesome plane, and Miles, her faithful robotic sideckick (Illustration by Mark Bergin)

The added bonus fold-out illustrations and machine blueprints to help you visualise the story brilliantly from the text makes this a novel that'd be a really fantastic starting point for your own little steampunks as they start to explore one of the standout genres in literature today. Though Charlotte's a little young to dive into Iron Sky, I started to tell her about Arabella and her brilliant robotic sidekick Miles, and imagined her one day tucking herself away with this and being instantly hooked too.

Tirailleur Class Airship. Another awesome terror of the skies!

Fantastically accomplished, lapped up with great gusto! Do not miss this book!

Check out the fabulous book trailer for Iron Sky: Dread Eagle below:


Daddy's Favourite bit: I like a novel that sets out to build an intoxicating world from the first turn of the page to the last, Alex's descriptions and pacey dialogue will draw you in and you'll want to spend a lot more time wrapped up in this brilliant book. Pop on your topper, do up your bustle, fire up your boiler and get cracking with Iron Sky: Dread Eagle, you won't be sorry!

(Kindly sent to us for review by Scribo / Salariya)

We're rather loving all the doggy books we've been sent to review over the last few months, and out very soon from Gecko Press is another wagging tale. Sieb Posthuma's "Where's Rusty?" might give away the core theme behind the story with its title - Rusty is a slightly mischievous scamp of a Dalmatian who goes to the local department store with his mummy and siblings. Rusty is an impetuous scamp and can't sit still for more than a moment. Completely distracted by the dazzling displays in the story, Rusty soon goes missing - and causes frantic searches as his mum and the store staff look for him.

Meanwhile Rusty realises he's on his own and becomes scared as the dog catchers close in, threatening to put any wayward animals in the pound. Eek! Rusty must rely on his wits, cunning and his ability to play hide and seek with the best of them to outwit those dog catchers and get back to mum and family safely.

Sieb's book is exciting and thrilling, and we loved the retro-style artwork that appears throughout. There's nothing worse than being lost in a store (speaking from experience, even losing sight of Charlotte for a few moments on holiday recently gave me the chills!) and this book is a rollercoaster adventure as we track Rusty's quest to return safely to mum. Awesome stuff from Gecko.

Charlotte's best bit: Rusty making his way, mission impossible style, through the vents of the store to evade capture

Daddy's Favourite bit: Thrilling and exciting stuff for younger readers and a very nicely presented and accomplished book.

(Kindly sent to us for review by Gecko Press)