One...

very....

happy little girl!!

Mummy and I always love those moments when Charlotte is so excited she can do nothing else but run around the house squealing with glee. We're huge fans of Paula Harrison, and we are SO GRATEFUL that Charlotte's first ever book dedication is from Paula herself. Paula's new book series from Nosy Crow - The Secret Rescuers (with glorious illustrations from Sophy Williams) - comes along with brilliant timing as Charlotte really loves dragons and is becoming a firm fan of winged scaly beasts.

Book One - "The Storm Dragon" is out today, hooray so rush out and grab a copy now (or find out more on the Nosy Crow Website!)

Book Two - "The Sky Unicorn" also looks like it's going to be fab too (but you'll have to wait until October to find out more about that one).

As you can see by Charlotte's beaming smile, she's immensely happy and couldn't wait to tuck into the book! We'll be bringing you a more in-depth review and more dragony loveliness very soon on the blog so keep 'em peeled.

In the meantime, once again a huge thanks to Paula - Please do come and see us in Abingdon again soon, it's been far too long!! Wishing you huge success with your new series, and happy launch day!

Do you love books that make your mouth water, your tummy tremble in anticipation, that make you dribble like a bloodhound catching scent?

We do! We're foodies, so of course we're going to love any book that celebrates the fine art of sarnie construction - as seen in this case from the perspective of an adorable little girl who offers to make daddy a snack while he zombs out in front of the footie.

We already know that Pip has a talent for the mildly chaotic, we've loved her "Squishy McFluff" books very much. So what happens when she lets a little girl loose in the kitchen?

The little girl knows all of daddy's favourite things and the sandwich starts out normally - but daddy loves his phone, he loves his camera, and of course he loves the little girl herself - so all of daddy's favourite things should end up nestled between two slices of bread, covered in ketchup, surely?

You can imagine the effect this wonderful story has on your little ones as it slowly unfolds, with each new 'ingredient' added to the teetering tottering sandwich stack. Won't daddy get a bellyful when he chomps down!

Hilarious and adorable stuff in equal measure!

"Daddy's Sandwich" is released today, 7th May 2015 by Faber and Faber. Plenty of time to add this to your shopping list in time for Father's Day!

Charlotte's best bit: What a joyous and chaotic mess we end up in at the end of this book!

Daddy's Favourite bit: A crazy and chaotic culinary crusade by a cute and adorable little girl. Wonderful! Now where did I put my phone....?

(Kindly sent to us for review by Faber and Faber)

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The Giant Jam Sandwich by Janet Burroway and John Lord

Wow, now this is a real blast from the past - and a book that I was recently reminded about thanks to it featuring in the awesome "100 Greatest Children's Books" from Laurence King Publishing.

"The General" celebrated its 50th anniversary back in 2013 and this edition reprinted by Templar Publishing shows just how astonishing and groundbreaking this book was for the time, because re-reading it now as an adult - and re-reading it to my 7 year old daughter, it still feels as relevant and important now as it must've been back in the 60s.

The General - General Jodphur to be precise - is a thoroughly military gent. He runs his army with peerless efficiency and his soldiers are smartly dressed, extremely well trained and hugely disciplined. At night, the general settles down in his study to read about all the most famous generals in history and the campaigns they fought, dreaming that one day people will write books about him and his army too.

Glorious timeless illustrations in "The General"

While out riding, General Jodphur's horse is spooked by a fox as it dashes across their path and the poor General is knocked unceremoniously to the ground. When he hits the fresh sweet-scented grass, something quite amazing happens. The General is not injured but he does not want to get up. He stays there, lying amongst the flowers, soaking up the sheer beauty of the surrounding countryside and woodland.

That night the general can barely sleep, his dreams are troubled by visions of a marching army crushing the wildlife and plant life before them, trampling the wonderful landscape flat. General Jodphur makes a decision - the land must change, and he will be the man to instigate the change. The army will be sent home, sent back to become farmers and fishermen, builders and family men and the army base will be transformed into the most wonderful city with lush green spaces and lots to do. The General's new campaign is not to conquer, but to turn his country into the most beautiful country on earth.

The army become fishermen and farmers once more...wonderful!

As the story continues, General Jodphur's vision slowly comes to pass - but what will happen when generals from the east and west respectively come to see the results of Jodphur's hard work?

Janet and Michael drew up an amazing and empowering story that was 50 years ahead of its time, put together at a time when the cold war still raged, and when at one point it seemed that the world would be plunged into another war as events surrounding the Cuban Missile Crisis began to unfold. It's still astonishingly relevant (at times, sadly so) but children today can wholly identify with the book's solid and wondrous messages promoting ecological values and world peace (and in Charlotte's case, wish as hard as possible that the world could eventually end up like The General's world!)

If you've never encountered this book before, and often wonder if "old books" can still light up your child's imagination like a bright beacon, you owe it to yourself and your kids to seek out "The General" - it's a truly inspirational and hugely influential children's classic in every sense of the word.

Charlotte's best bit: General Jodphur's amazing city, picked out in all the colours of the rainbow

Daddy's Favourite bit: As relevant, important and packed with wonder today as it must've been 50 years ago. A truly stunning book!

(Kindly sent to us for review by the utterly awesome Stephanie at Templar Publishing)

Most internet memes are completely lost on us. We have no idea what the fox said, and equally we had no idea who Action Movie Kid was until this book plopped through the letterbox with a "Ka-POW!" Action movie kid is a YouTube sensation, a little kid with a big imagination ably assisted by his action-movie loving parents. He's such an awesome happy little chap and after we'd checked out a few of his videos, we were giggling like goons!

Wanna see him in action? Step right this way: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34Q0BB8-2nA


Yep, as you can see, Action Movie Kid is pretty nifty with a light saber, he can stride through steamy jungles to rescue lost treasure to help out a certain crusty old archaeologist, and can leap tall buildings with a single bound (or at least clamber around them, thousands of feet off the ground all thanks to his VFX expert of a dad).

Now AMK has made the leap from YouTube to the printed page, courtesy of mum and dad and hugely talented illustrator Valerio Fabretti.

"Action Movie Kid" book 1 sees our pint-sized hero using that colossal imagination of his to turn everyday life into an exciting adventure. Fixing dad's car with rocket boosters so he's never late for work or fending off zombie attacks from wrinkly old babysitters. AMK is on the scene!

In this pacy story, AMK hears a strange noise emanating from the basement. An inter-dimensional portal has opened up in the washing machine, and a nefarious slime monster wants to slide through and make a meal out of Action Movie Kid! Can he summon enough strength and courage to defeat this nasty slithery beast? Maybe mum and dad can help!

We love superheroes, we loved the presentation of this but the story felt like it needed something more - something "super". I thought Charlotte would be leaping up and down with enthusiasm for this as she loved AMK's movie clips, but she didn't seem very impressed at all with the book version (but did rather like the rather cool AR cover on the book - which you can activate using the Blippar app on your smartphone - don't worry, the burn marks on your carpet will wash straight out!)

We get the feeling that this won't be the last booky adventure for AMK - and now he's got a new baby sister, perhaps it'll mark the start of a superhero team-up that will take the book world (and youtube) by storm.


Charlotte's best bit: Action Movie Kid leaping to life with a very clever AR cover on the book

Daddy's Favourite bit: Fast paced fun for little ones, maybe adventure 2 might see AMK hit his stride

(Kindly sent to us for review by Atria Books)

We do love a yappy happy waggy-dog tale and here's a little corker from Jude and Niki Daly. "Seb and Hamish" tells the story of a little boy (Seb) and his mum who go to visit their new neighbour Mrs Kenny. She's a lovely old lady who loves baking but most of all absolutely LOVES dogs, particularly her awesome little dachsund Hamish.

Hamish is very noisy whenever new people come round so poor Seb is quite apprehensive at first. But once he's settled down with a couple of smiley-faced biscuits and a train, he starts to relax. Hamish and Seb soon get to know each other and when the nose from one of Seb's biscuits rolls under Hamish's door (the kindly lady thoughtfully shuts noisy barky Hamish in her bedroom), a lick and a sniff or two is all it takes for Seb and Hamish to become firm friends.

The story's theme is fab, a great read for little ones who aren't particularly comfortable around animals (particularly small and excitable dogs like Hamish). Niki's illustrations are utterly fab too, lending a real energy to the whole story (Hamish practically bounces off each page with excitement and doggy energy! We love him!)

A poochy tale with a positive message, what's not to love!

Charlotte's best bit: So many awesome dog-shaped things in Mrs Kenny's house (we really loved the dog-shaped umbrella stand!)

Daddy's Favourite bit: A fantastic little story with a great theme about overcoming shyness and fear for little ones. Hamish is most definitely the star though!

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

When a new kid moves into the street, the local children are curious. What's she like? Who is she? Why does she wear a coat all the time?

Meet Ellie, star of Marie Louise Fitzpatrick's sensitive and thought provoking children's book "The New Kid" as the story explores many issues that would weigh heavily on a child's minds when they have to up sticks and move to a new town.

The local kids aren't really sure what to make of Ellie. At first they mock and chide (with one exception, a boy who quietly watches as his friends are teasing and quite mean). Ellie has her own ways of fitting in though, and the subtle balance of childhood relationships is explored as the new kid becomes the new and interesting and different kid, and the quiet boy now feels displaced as the leader of the gang.

I loved the subtleties of this story, which were (alas) lost on Charlotte who didn't like the way the story flowed, and really didn't like the way the kids initially behave to Ellie before warming to her ways (which is of course the point). "The book is boring" she said (horrors!) but for children in Ellie's situation, this book would actually feel like more familiar territory. We did both agree on one thing though, the painted illustrations are truly magical and bring Ellie's plight to life in wonderful hues and palettes that virtually leap off the page. Certainly this is a story that would really be great used in classrooms and libraries where children coping with new surroundings could find it and make it their own.

Charlotte's best bit: Ellie's elephant impression and superhero antics (very impressive!)

Daddy's Favourite bit: A subtle and touching story with a firm message, glorious illustrations but could the story be too subtle for some kids?

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

Fantastic colouring books for grown up children and adults from Phoenix Yard

In today's busy high-speed modern world, sometimes chilling out with the simplest of activities can slow things down, offer a calming influence and - best of all - be a huge amount of fun. There seems to be a lot of press around at the moment talking up children's activities that adults are now horning in on. Of course, this is nothing new to a lot of folk who never really shrugged off their childhood (like me) despite having a mortgage to pay, a dull day job to do, and a ton of responsibilities we never had as carefree nippers.

Probably one of the most enjoyable things about being a parent is when you sit down with your little ones to join in with whatever they're doing. This gives us the best excuse to behave like big kids and any adult who has sprawled out on the floor with paints and pencils, or a huge stack of Lego, will probably extol the virtues of playing.

So what happens when the kids are tucked up in bed, and those crayons are just BEGGING to be used?

How about a range of superb colouring books that are trippy, unique, sometimes challenging but above all the perfect antidote to a busy day stuck in front of a screen. Crack out your colours and indulge yourself with "The One and Only Colouring Book for Adults" or "The One and Only Colouring Book for Grown-Up Children".

Cupcakes, anyone? These look good enough to eat!

Both books are jam-packed with a whole stack of interesting designs and colouring pages that will test your ability to stay within the lines to the very utmost. Go completely crazy with colour as the books can stand up to rigorous pencilling, or even a bit of painting if you're so inclined.

The only eeny weeny tiny criticism we'd probably make of these is that you might have to crack the spines of the books (HORRORS!) to lay them flat enough to really go to town on, but that's a tiny nitpick.

Ooh! Trippy, now where did I put my purple crayon?

There's quite an extensive range of books in Phoenix Yard's series, and they seem to be selling like hot cakes to folk who have discovered the calming qualities of a bit of colouring in. You can find out more about them on the Phoenix Yard website.

"Star Wars Epic Yarns - A New Hope"

"Star Wars Epic Yarns - The Empire Strikes Back"

Covering the classic star wars movies (Episodes IV, V and VI) Jack and Holman Wang bring you Star Wars Epic Yarns - A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. 

A felt Jabba the Hutt. Still pretty menacing!

As well as producing some of the most fantastic fiction for young children, Templar also produce a huge range of non-fiction titles designed to stimulate curious young minds. What better introduction to their "Fact Finders" range than investigating one of our favourite subjects! Big stompy warty leathery farting scoffing pooping roaring DINOSAURS!

Oh yes, we love dinosaurs and we can't resist any book that can offer new ways to present a metric TON of fascinating facts and figures about these marvellous creatures that once stalked the earth.

This informative and beautifully presented book from Ruth Martin and Nick Maland has brilliant lift-the-flap bits (As regular blog readers will know, Charlotte is hopelessly addicted to lift-the-flap books and absolutely LOVED all the bits in this where she could investigate dinosaurs (quite literally) under the skin and beyond.

The book also features brilliant pop-up sections (including our fave bit, a huge spiralling timeline of all the main dinosaur "eras" from cretaceous through pleistocene and jurassic! Awesome!)

An utterly brilliant and thoroughly researched book, bursting at the seams with tons and tons of dino facts. We can't wait to investigate more in the "Fact Finders" range.

Charlotte's best bit: Finding out that the Argentinosaurus "poohed" about 50 litres of poo a day. That's equivalent to a LOT of mint choc chip ice cream!

Daddy's Favourite bit: The fact finders range is hugely impressive. Immersive, fact-filled and beautifully presented non fiction books for eager and curious little minds!

(Kindly sent to us for review by Templar Publishing)

Traditional chinese folk tales offer a wealth of amazing and interesting stories to mine, so it's fantastic to see more and more appearing in the children's picture book format.

Jessica Souhami's adaptation of this particular tale is utterly wonderful and completely drew us in - so let's dive in further and investigate "The Strongest Boy in the World".

Young Kaito is a strong and wily youth with a grand ambition - To become the most fearsome wrestler in China, and win the annual national wrestling contest held in Kyoto. Kaito feels that he has a great chance of winning, but on meeting a girl carrying water up a nearby hill, he realises that he'll need a heck of a lot of training and toughening up as Hana (the girl) easily overpowers Kaito and drags him back to her hilltop cottage.

"You need training, skinny boy!" she laughs - and sets about turning Kaito from a weedy reedy boy into a strong and powerful wrestler. Hana's training schedule (and awesome meals) soon have the desired effect but Kaito is still small and slender, so when the other Sumo Wrestlers see him, they laugh and scoff.

The first match begins, and Kaito sees off the first opponent with ease. Then the next, and the next! Could Kaito be in with a chance of winning the fame and fortune that goes along with the highest wrestling accolade, supreme champion?

We'll leave you to discover the story's end - a truly motivating and inspirational tale that is underpinned with the positive message that if you really want something badly enough, and put in enough hard work, you can achieve practically anything!

Charlotte really loved Hana and thought she was exactly the sort of book character she'd love to be more like (particularly if Hana is so brilliant at defeating a would-be tickler!)

Charlotte's best bit: When naughty Kaito attempts to make Hana drop her water bucket by tickling her, but gets a huge surprise of his own!

Daddy's Favourite bit: A hugely positive message with absolutely fantastic papercut illustrations to suit the setting and tone of the story. Really fabulous!

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