Reviewed by Gina and family
My three-year-old occasionally tries to grapple with the concept of dying, and understandably usually struggles. This book deals with a sensitive subject very well. It doesn't shy away from the fact of Fox's death, without labouring the point. For a little while, they are too sad to do anything much, but then gradually they begin to remember funny things about him, and think of ways that they can incorporate his memory into their ongoing lives. It's beautifully illustrated, with the changing seasons throughout the book reflecting the characters' reaction to the loss of their friend. And I should imagine that it would be even more useful if trying to help a little one deal come to terms with the loss of a close relative or friend.
Photograph: Corgi Photograph: PR
Reviewed by Luke, 5, and mummy
Luke and I shared this book at bedtime. Luke really likes Mick Inkpen stories and has read a Zoe and Beans story before. I think this story would appeal to boys or girls and younger children too. The illustrations are lovely and the different type face and page layouts keep the attention while reading. In this story Zoe meets a different animal on every page until she meets a parrot that repeats "Hello Oscar" over and over again much to Zoe's frustration as it is not her name! End of the story came as a surprise to Luke and made him smile. Lovely book to give as a present and helps with animal recognition and repetition children can join in.
Photograph: Macmillan Photograph: PR
Reviewed by Mariana and family
Chu is a loveable Panda who has a very powerful sneeze, but when and where exactly he will sneeze is a challenge for his parents. Chu and his mother visit the library where the sneeze is brought on by all the dusty books, he then visits the cafe for lunch with his father where the pepper nearly makes him sneeze however no sneeze comes. On the final trip of the day to the busy circus when no one is paying attention, Chu finally sneezes and boy does he sneeze! My three-year-old loved this book and she memorised every third page the "Aah, Aaah, Aaaah", sound that Chu makes. My six-year-old enjoyed it so much she wrote a book review for her world book day homework. Loved by us all, I hope Chu has another adventure soon. Photograph: Bloomsbury
Reviewed by Luke and mummy
Luke and I enjoyed this book as the illustrations are quirky and unusual. The rats are hand drawn and the cheese is a glossy photograph. There is an element of repetition which helps with the pace of the story. There is a deeper message about sharing being better than trying to take everything for yourself which I think passed Luke by as he is only five. He did like the detail of the illustration and how at the end the drawing disappears into the spine of the book. There is a variety of typography which always adds to the interest. Luke was able to recognise some of the words in the text as they are simple. Not a book I would give as a gift but a good one for sharing. Photograph: Walker Books
Reviewed by Kirsten and family
My three-year-old son and daughter happily sit and listen to quite a few Julia Donaldson books, even ones that I thought were a bit advanced for them like Charlie Cook's Favourite Book, but Zog is not for them. They can't grasp the story and don't seem to be interested in the characters, even though one is a dragon and another a princess! From my point of view, the rhythm and rhymes of this book are clunky and don't flow. And on a practical note, the font size is so small that it is difficult to read in a dimly lit bedroom as a bedtime story. We'll revisit Zog in a couple of years' time and see if he sparks their interest then.
Photograph: Alison Green Books Photograph: PR
Reviewed by Christine and grandchildren
This is such a fun book and its illustrations are wonderful. Look out for all the expressions on the faces of the animals, even the children could imagine these emotions “He looks angry!”, “He looks sad”. As the sandwich becomes more inedible, the more the children laughed and pulled faces to match. Definitely buy this book, for two, three and four-year-olds, it is one of the best, we totally loved this book. Photograph: Alison Green Books
Reviewed by Mia, 2¾
This book is beautiful and the story is just lovely. A story about feeling left out and others being too busy. But here comes the Lucky Wish Mouse to save the day. Mya says "I like Lucky Wish Mouse. I like counting the Tinies." There are 10 tinies (mice) that are in the story and Mya loves to count them all to make sure they are still all there. The colours are lovely, the illustrations delightful and the story is gentle and funny. Mya and I have had lots of conversations about all sorts of things from reading and looking at this book. A delightful read.
Photograph: Orchard Books Photograph: PR
Reviewed by Corinne and granddaughter Millie, 6
Millie was immediately attracted to this book by the bright and sparkly cover. This is a clever twist on the traditional tale of the gingerbread man in that he meets several Mr Men in his escape bid, all of whom react characteristically to him. My favourite was Mr Lazy who doesn't even try to catch him. When we finished Millie said "I can't say which part of the book I like best because I liked all of it." Photograph: Egmont Books
Reviewed by Jennifer and Minnie
The toddler really likes books about Grandads, one of her other favourites that I eventually had to stop reading for her was Grandpa by John Burningham. This book, by Lane Smith reminds me of that grandpa and Lane's observations using a young child to chronicle his great grandpa's life using he old mans garden to guide us from birth to present day (the chap is very much alive at the end, thank goodness) This is such an image rewarding book, the deep greens and splashes of red mixed with the usage of plants and trees to convey the different phases of the mans life. Minnie likes the chicken pox tree the best. It's such a beautiful tale, I enjoy reading this gentle story very much and the toddler adores it.
Photograph: Macmillan Photograph: PR
