Picture Book - A Secret Worth Sharing - Jonathan Emmett (Author) & Vanessa Cabban (Illustrator)

Picture Book - A Secret Worth Sharing - Jonathan Emmett (Author) & Vanessa Cabban (Illustrator)

Recommended for: Babies/Toddlers/Younger Readers

If you've read any of my previous posts, you might come across the review for The Princess and The Pig, also by Jonathan Emmett. Until recently, that was my favourite children's picture book ever, so I was looking forward to reading another of his books. It's not in the same league as that offering, but it did have a sort of message behind it, which some of my other reviews might have indicated I like to see in picture books, so that they give the parent a chance to discuss what is raised with their children, rather than the book just being put down and forgotten.

In the story, Mole makes friends with Mouse, but wants to keep his new friend a secret from his other friends, so that Mouse is just his. Eventually, he comes to realise that the more friendship is shared, the better it is (yep, that's your moral message there - now, please discuss this with your child...). It's a simple story, with Mole discovering that by being selfish he was hurting his other friends, but it's effectively done. The illustrations are good, and you can't help but think 'aww...' towards the end as Mouse tells Mole that she's still his friend even if she makes new friends.

It won't make your children laugh out loud, but it will make them look forward to seeing their friends!

8/10

Picture Book - It's Mine - Rod Campbell (Author & Illustrator)

Picture Book - It's Mine - Rod Campbell (Author & Illustrator)

Recommended for: Babies/Toddlers/Younger Readers

Another offering from the man who brought you Dear Zoo, once again children can look at a variety of animals (who would happen to go nicely in a zoo), and this time they get more of a chance to guess who is going to pop up next. Each double page contains a small part of the next animal and a little bit of detail (a long nose for an elephant, long neck for a giraffe etc.) to give a hint as to what it might be, which adds to the fun.

The version I read was a board book (much more fun for the youngest children to chew on...), and contained an animal who popped out of the page at the end to give an extra bit of excitement (if I said it was sort of the mane event, would that give you a hint?).

While it's never going to hold the same place in my heart that Dear Zoo does, this shows that Rod Campbell is the undisputed king of fun animal books for children. Read it to your children and enjoy watching them try to guess what the next animal will be.

9/10

Picture Book - I Want My Hat Back - Jon Klassen (Author & Illustrator)

Picture Book - I Want My Hat Back - Jon Klassen (Author & Illustrator)

Recommended for: Babies/Toddlers/Younger Readers

Oh, this is good. This is so, so good.

A short while ago, I declared that The Princess and The Pig by Jonathan Emmett was my favourite picture book of all time. Now, I still love that book, but I'm afraid it's been usurped. I Want My Hat Back is my favourite present that my son received this Christmas, so many many thanks to my Uncle for spotting it. This book had me in stitches, and it's rare that you'll find a picture book that will genuinely be making you laugh.

There's a delightful quirkiness to the illustrations, and it's these illustrations that make the humour so complete. The way a shifty look is portrayed as one character lies about knowing nothing of bear's hat is brilliant, as is the pay off at the end when bear has had his revenge. It revisits dialogue from earlier in the book to maximum comedy effect, and even if your child enjoys it just for being a story where bear gets his hat back in the end, it's guaranteed to make you smile at the conclusion.

I almost feel like this book was written just for me, it fits my sense of humour so well. I have a feeling that this is going to become one of my son's favourites very, very quickly. As if he has a choice in the matter...

10/10

Picture Book - Yucky Mucky Manners - Sam Lloyd (Author & Illustrator)

Picture Book - Yucky Mucky Manners - Sam Lloyd (Author & Illustrator)

Recommended for: Babies/Toddlers/Younger Readers

Immature as it may sound, it's hard not to be taken by a book that features a giraffe pooping on a mouse's head.

And if that's not a sentence that'll entice you to read a book, then I don't know what will. If you want a book to make young children giggle, then look no further. Featuring an array of animals misbehaving (a gorilla picking its nose, an elephant trumping), it's classic silly humour that is guaranteed to have your little ones laughing out loud, and asking to have it read again and again.

It's also lovely to see some extra love and detail put into each double page, as you can see a little of what the animal from the previous page did next - the giraffe, for instance, gets a telling off from his mouse friend. It's an extra little chance for you to talk to your child about the book, and have fun with the tiny details.

It's written in rhyme, so great for helping kids to get into the rhythm of reading. Highly recommended for when you and your child are in a giggly mood, and you want to make storytime fun.

9/10

Picture Book - A House in the Woods - Inga Moore (Author & Illustrator)

Picture Book - A House in the Woods - Inga Moore (Author & Illustrator)

Recommended for: Babies/Toddlers/Younger Readers

A House in the Woods tells the story of two (that's right, TWO, not three!) little pigs, who decide to build a den and a hut in the woods to live in. Sadly, their friends Moose and Bear destroy both luxury properties accidentally. The four friends decide that should all live together in a house in the woods, so they enlist the help of the local beavers to make their dream a reality.

This is a really fun story. It's more wordy than a lot of picture books, so possibly for slightly older toddlers with slightly longer attention spans, but it's a great tale of friendship for them to hear, and it's bound to make children giggle in places. It made me smile particularly when you learn that the beavers want to be paid in peanut butter sandwiches - I wish the banks would start offering such a deal.

The illustrations reminded me of the styles I've seen in illustrations for Winnie the Pooh and Brer Rabbit, which brought a nostalgic tear to my eye. When you see the house in the woods, you'll be hard pressed not to want to go out and find the local beavers to build you one for yourself.

Well worth reading with your children.

9/10

Picture Book - Josh and the Woo Woo - David Bedford (Author) & Daniel Howarth (Illustrator)

Picture Book - Josh and the Woo Woo - David Bedford (Author) & Daniel Howarth (Illustrator)

Recommended for: Babies/Toddlers/Younger Readers

As with any parent, as soon as I spot a book that has my child's name in it, I'm immediately drawn to it. So it was the case that, when shelving one day, I spotted Josh and the Woo Woo. Naturally, I didn't care what it was about - the fact it had my son's name in it was enough to warrant a reading.

Josh and the Woo Woo is about a rabbit who has five brothers and six sisters, and hates noise. Naturally, his siblings love to be noisy, and the story is about how Josh never wants to join in with any of their noisy games, until one day he finds something that has noises they all hate and he loves.

While Josh is admittedly a bit of a wimp (unlike my son, of course - his fearlessness makes me hope he'll be a champion snowboarder by the time he's 11), there's something irresistibly cute about the poor rabbit who likes the quiet. Sure, it's a bit of an illogical leap at the end to suggest that a his siblings would be scared of the noise a train makes after they embraced the sound of a helicopter, and that Josh would have the reverse effect, but it's a book for young children so I'll let that slide. Overall, it's a pleasant little story about a little boy who has learnt that he can have fun with other children, which is really what we're all hoping for with our own kids.

7/10

Picture Book - Dear Zoo - Rod Campbell (Author & Illustrator)

Picture Book - Dear Zoo - Rod Campbell (Author & Illustrator)

Recommended for: Babies/Toddlers/Younger Readers

I'm sure Dear Zoo needs no introduction, but what children's book blog would be complete without it?

For the three of you in the country who aren't familiar with it, Dear Zoo is all about a child writing to the zoo, asking to be sent a pet. Each pet that is sent isn't quite right (He was too scary/tall/grumpy etc.), so the zoo keeps trying until finally one is found that is just right.

It's so simple, but there are hundreds of ways you can make the story all the more fun. You can make noises for each animal as you go along, sing songs about each animal or have them all included in 'Old MacDonald (had a zoo...)', get children to draw each animal as they go along, give them all names with the same letter etc. The repeated 'So i sent him back!' line that goes with each animal is an easy one for children to do, and everytime we read this at Storytime in the library the children know what to do. I think the 'lift the flap' edition comes as standard, but you can also get editions with noises to play for each animal, with a CD of the story, and my favourite oversized editions, which come in at well over a metre high so all the children can see them easily.

It really isn't a collection of children's books unless you have this included.

10/10