Snowflakes by Cerrie Burnell & Laura Ellen Anderson

My Review

Snowflakes is such a beautiful story full of love and the warm and fuzzies. It's so delightful to get all wrapped up in and I truly think every child needs to read it for themselves just to experience it's stunning little message.

Mia, lives in the big city but has to go live with her grandmother in the whispering forest. Mia, feels like she doesn't belong, like she is different and doesn't fit in this strange new place.

But Cerrie Burnell very beautifully and reassuringly puts the message across - that while every child is different, they are each perfect in their own very unique and special way. A message I think every child needs to hear.

The illustrations are so beautiful and are filled with magic an bucket loads of charm.

We think Snowflakes is a gorgeous debut from Cerrie Burnell that is both warm and snugly. An absolute must for every child out there. We can't wait to see more works from Cerrie in the future.

5 / 5 Stars!

*With special thanks to Scholastic for the review copy*

Christmas by Dick Bruna

My Review

Wow! This is such a stunning little Christmas story that is most definitely a real keeper.

Dick Bruna has very gently and very simply put together his version of the Christmas story and it makes for a very special read. What I think is so great is how easy it is for kids to wrap their heads around.

The illustrations are so simplistic and perhaps a bit old fashioned but there in lies the beauty - these illustrations are truly memorable. This is actually the 50th anniversary addition of this book - so it has very easily stood the test of time. I think it will be around for a very long time to come.

An absolute must have Christmas book for children everywhere!

5 / 5 Stars!

*Special thanks to Simon & Schuster for the review copy*

Octonauts and the Very Vegimal Christmas

My Review

This is a great Christmassy adventure tale packed full of all our favourite Octonauts!

The gang are preparing for their Christmas feast when they decide to go exploring a very rare brine lake. But disaster strikes when they get stuck in some very sticky gloopy sea snot! Who can possibly rescue them in time for Christmas?

Well, we have a bunch of unlikely little hero's who wade in to save the day - Yay!

This is a super fun and highly adventurous story that had us right on the edge of our seats. It is quite simply perfect for all those little Octonaut super fans out there - which we very proudly are! Best of all the day is saved for a lovely feel good Christmas with friends!

The gorgeously vibrant illustrations are most definitely eye catching and we were always super excited to turn over to see which delights would be unfolding next!

4 / 5 Stars!

*Special thanks to Simon & Schuster for the review copy*

Having a little break

Hi guys! I just wanted to let you all know that I'm having a little time off from my picture book blog. I have one psychology assignment due in around a week (it's seriously hard and pickling my brain) and also a social sciences assignment due in a couple of weeks (hopefully that doesn't confuddle my brain half as much). I'm not having a long break just another week or so, until I get everything back on track. I will definitely be back before Christmas and I have tons of the most fabulous picture books to share with you all.

Coming up to Christmas is such a hectic time. My daughter is a sheep in the nativity and the pains we have had to go through about the costume and also the 1 line she has to say *sigh*, but I just know it will be a very special event.

See you all soon!

Carly xx

Alphablock by Christopher Franceschelli & art by Peskimo

 My Review

Wow! Every single child out there at that alphabet learning stage NEEDS one of these fabulous books! It really is something special that truly stands out from the crowd!

So, you open the book and on each page it will say '? is for....' and it will give you a sneaky little peek of the illustration, so you can have a guess. Then you turn the big letter, reveal the picture and see if you're correct. It's really quite fun!

Some of the things are quite different from the regular stuff you would some across, like: C for cookies or U for underpants (which got a giggle from the little lady).

What we think makes this book so special is the fantastic art work! Everything is big, bold, bright and bursting with life and vibrancy. We just couldn't wait to turn the pages, to see what delights we could feast our eyes upon next.

Alphablock is the perfect alphabet learning companion. It is fun, colourful and most definitely memorable - which is really the most important thing! A real MUST have book!

A BIG 5 Stars!

*Special thanks to Abrams for the review copy*

Peepo! Boo! Who Are You? by Helen Hurry

My Review

Peepo Boo is such an adventurous, cheeky little chappy that took us on such a fun-filled game of hide and seek.

We adore all the little touch and feel bits. The squeaky monkey's tummy on the front cover is brilliant and the corrugated crocodile page is fantastic for making that super snappy sound. All of the little flappy bits hide a different animal - you can have so much fun guessing which.

The text is short, snappy and just lovely for reading out loud. Twitchy little people who just can't sit still will delight in the length of this book.

The illustrations are really eye-catching and have the most interesting little patterns. We especially loved the stripy tiger.

Peepo! Boo! Who Are You? is a great book for babies, who I'm pretty sure will find it all super duper fun!

4 / 5 Stars

*Special thanks to Simon & Schuster Children's Books for the review *

Caterpillar Books: Ten Twinkly Stars (Illustrated by Russell Julian)

My Review

Aw, this is such a sweet little book that introduces counting in such a nice and very positive way!

There are 10 cut out twinkly stars, which is just great for touch counting. Each page has a fab animal to discover and with the flip of every page you can count down the numbers until zero.

The way the text rhymes is so good, it captures and holds little folks' attentions. Our favourite page has to be the one with the super cute bears, who 'cuddle up together until the night is gone.'

Everything winds down so beautifully for a lovely bedtime cuddle and a goodnight kiss!

Ten Twinkly Stars is a fantastically warm and inviting counting bedtime book, that we really love to read. The illustrations are subtle, stunning and most definitely have the super cute factor. A definite cuddly must read novelty book!

5 / 5 Stars

*With special thanks to Caterpillar Books for the review copy*

Richard Scarry‏'s Biggest Word Book Ever!

Holy cow - this book is absolutely huge! It has a lot of uses, including hiding behind and under. We seriously had so much fun with this monster word book - educationally with my 5 year old, but crawling over, under and bashing with my 11 month old. Good job it's super sturdy (it may even contain a bite mark).

Our eyes were boggled at all the wonders that we explored on each page. Not going to lie, but I have never seen so many different vehicles in my entire life! We especially loved the apple car!

The characters are so charming and funny, we were always looking out for poor Mr Fumble, who manages to have a little mishap on every page. Lowly Worm is also a cool little dude and we were so excited to discover what kind of apple thing he was going to be in next - the apple plane is a personal fav!

Every child should have one of these ace word books - they are bursting with life and vibrancy. Hours upon hours of fun to be had with learning all the new words, but you can also make up games like; hide and seek and eye spy. We are constantly pulling it out again and again to marvel at the delights inside - I still don't think we have discovered everything.....yet!

A BIG 5 Stars

*Special thanks to Harper Collins Children's books for the review copy*

Reasons My Kid is Crying by Greg Pembroke‏

 My Review

This is a super fun little delight of a book that had me laughing out loud like an idiot!

Everyone knows children cry, but until you're a parent you will never understand just how much! It's a relentless noise that never ends and when you get to the end of a long cry filled day and tuck them nicely into bed - you can bet there will be at least one whimper throughout the night!

This book is empowering, it lets us readers know that you are not alone. Children all over the world are blubbering about the most ridiculous reasons - which after the hair pulling event, is actually quite funny!

Greg Pembroke started something quite brilliant and it has been so wonderful to see everything together in this book - let's hope it's the first book of many!

The collection of crying children in here are hilarious. I particularly liked the: eating diaper cream, he threw all his toys in the toilet, he doesn't like the grass and I have no idea why my child is crying pages.

All in all, this is a charming and very funny book, that I would highly recommend to parents who think their children cry too much and are pulling their hair out! You are not alone parents!!

5/5 Stars!

*Special thanks to Boxtree for the review copy*

The Octopus's Garden by Ringo Starr & Ben Court

My Review

This book is truly one of a kind and we think it's very special indeed. I believe it will stand the test of time and be talked about from many, many years to come!

The storyline follows 5 children on a spectacular underwater adventure. They have so much fun playing, discovering and hanging out with the Octopus. Oh, if only we could all escape to an Octopus's Garden in the shade....

This book comes with a CD, which contains an exclusive song and some reading from Ringo Starr himself! The song is so catchy, it's gets stuck in your head and you will be humming or singing it for ages - good job it's an ace song!

The illustrations are so bright, bold and just bursting with life. We simply adored watching the glorious adventures play out on each page - our favourite page has to be the one with the turtles.

The Octopus's Garden is a fabulously fun book that is full of warmth, humour and friendship. The bringing to life of a well known Beatles song has worked wonders and we delighted in the pages of this beautiful book - and also the material on the CD. This is one book that we will enjoy returning to again and again. A BIG winner for our favourites shelf.

5 / 5 Stars!

*Special thanks to Simon & Schuster for the review copy*

Richard Scarry's Best Lowly Worm Book Ever

My Review 

Wow! This really is the best Lowly Worm book ever! There is so much to discover and explore throughout these wonderful colourful pages: Manners, body parts, the morning routine, counting, farming, different modes of travel, different vocations, things I can do (swimming, hopping...), hide & seek Lowly and the bedtime routine!

We adored the 'Where's Lowly' pages. Each little illustration has a hidden Lowly worm to discover - which is super duper fun. The 'Things I can do' page  is also fantastic because it is sure to have little folks showing you all of their tricks.

I think the morning and bedtime routine pages are wonderful, it lets kids know that everyone goes through similar things to get ready to go out or to bed. There is also a little Goldbug to find on each page - which is another little added extra!

Lily's favourite parts: The hide & seek pages and the body parts.

All in all Richard Scarry's Best Lowly Worm Book Ever, is fabulous! It is full of fun, adventure and is packed with lots of things to learn and discover. We can very easily recommend this book - actually it's a MUST!!

*Special thanks to Harper Collins Children's books for the review copy*

A BIG 5 Stars!

Amelie & Nanette: Sparkly Shoes & Picnic Parties by Sophie Tilley

My Review

There are times when you come across a picture book that is truly something special and you will marvel at it's beauty for an age before even presenting it to your child - this is definitely one of those special books!

Sophie Tilley has created a masterpiece, her vintage styled illustrations are truly delightful and have such delicate beauty and charm. We didn't know what to feast our eyes over first, the picnic looked divine, the girls' dresses and shoes exquisite, but a personal favourite had to be the gorgeous dog - Pilou (who is rather naughty).

The story follows best-friends, Amelie and Nanette, on a day full of adventure and mishap. This beautiful story pushes the friendship card out there, because really, what can be better than a very best-friend?

Sparkly Shoes and Picnic Parties is a glorious picture book that is just perfect for any little lady out there. It is bursting with charm, beauty and little hints of French chic. We just can't wait to go on more fun adventures with Amelie and Nanette.

A BIG 5 Stars!

*Special thanks to Bloomsbury for the review copy*

Spider Sandwiches by Claire Freedman & Sue Hendra

My Review

This book is AWESOME!! It's a whole lot of rhyming, laugh out loud fun that we just couldn't tear our eyes from!

It reads so beautifully and just begs to be read out loud for that full on gruesome effect! Max is a monster, a monster who likes to eat creepy, gloopy, gunky, slimy things!

Go on this fast flowing tale to find out what terrifyingly gruesome things Max likes to feast upon - but his very favourite thing just so happens to be: Spider Sandwiches!

My 5 year old adored this book and spent most of her time screaming "YUCK!!" at everything Max stuffed into his mouth!

The illustrations are a feast for the eyes and we marvelled at the striking colours and grizzly eats that we came across. We especially loved the scrummy lice rice.  Max is actually quite a cute little fellow, but as Lily would say "he needs to learn some table manners!" lol!

The ending itself will have readers everywhere laughing out loud like maniacs!

Spider Sandwiches is a bouncy fun fest that seems to get better each time you read it - and we have read it countless times! It's actually the perfect book for Halloween, go grab it now, quick - it really is brilliant!

A BIG 5 Stars!

*Special thanks to Bloomsbury for the review copy*

Muffin: Hide & Seek by Clara Vulliamy

My Review

'This is Muffin. The Yummiest small brown bear.'

This is such a beautiful little book, with lots to learn, discover and explore. Along the way you will uncover animals and the sounds they make, while discovering numbers and counting while you're at it.

Muffin is playing hide and seek with best-friends Flora and Fizz. While looking for them he stumbles upon some super cute animals. But where is Flora and Fizz?

We adored the little flappy bits, which when folded back reveal some new little friends. The little mouse is sooooo cute!

Muffin Hide and Seek is a super fun adventure book that is a joy to read an explore. The illustrations are simply fantastic and we couldn't wait to see what we were going to uncover next. The very best thing about this has to be the gorgeous friendship between Muffin, Flora and Fizz.

Everything ends with a BIG HUG - what more could you possibly ask for!?

4 / 5 Stars!

*Special thanks to Orchard for the review copy*

Amazing Baby: Boing, Boing! by Emma Dodd

My Review

This super sturdy little board book is a whole lot of bouncing, boinging fun!

It has big, bold and super attractive illustrations that are just fantastic to look at. We adored the little patterned back-rounds and we especially loved the super cute little boingy bunny.

This book takes us through all the things that go boing; balls, rabbits, frogs, a jack-in-a-box and even kangaroos....

There is also a little sound button that goes 'boing', so little folks can boing away to their book. Or if you are my little guy, just press the button repetitively at random occasions throughout the day.

There is also a lovely little surprise bouncing thing at the end, see if you can guess?

All in all, this is yet again another winning Amazing Baby book. Every baby needs their very own selection of Amazing Baby books.

5/5 Stars!

*Special thanks to Templar for the review copy*

Ladybird I'm Ready...to Read! Trip- Trot Tippy- Toes by Judith Nicholls

My Review

This is a lovely little rhyming story that bumps along at a perfect pace. It has a lovely little message and is a whole lot of fun!

The rhythm and rhyme of this book is brilliant because it easily engages little ears and makes parts of the story quite easy to remember. Kids will just love remembering and reading back certain parts of the book throughout.

They always slow and steady wins the race. This is a great way to sum up good old tortoise, who only agrees to a race with hare to make him be quiet and stop boasting. But cheeky hare gets too full of himself and makes a big mistake....

The ending is really great and will put smiles on faces if nothing else.

Trip- Trot Tippy- Toes is a fab little stepping stone into the reading world and we liked it a lot. Also, because this is a Ladybird book, you can have a super fun adventure finding the little ladybird on every page.

Lily's favourite bit: When the cheeky hare fell asleep!

3.5 / 5 Stars!

*With special thanks to Ladybird for providing the review copy*

Dear Snowman by Kathryn White & Alison Edgson

 My Review

We are head over heels in love with this stunning book! It is absolutely adorable and most definitely has the aww factor!

Little Rabbit and Snowman are the best of friends. But when the snow starts to melt, snowman disappears. Little Rabbit is ever so sad but things start looking up at the arrival of a postcard. Turns out Mr Snowman is off on his own travelling adventures.

Lots of different postcards arrive for Little Rabbit, but will Snowman ever come home to his friend?

The illustrations are gorgeous, I don't think we've ever seen anything as adorable as Little Rabbit before. We simply adored seeing all of the wonders of the glorious snow.

Dear Snowman is a truly magical tale full of charm and adventure. The story beautiful to get wrapped up in and we were huge fans of the delightful little postcards and stickers that come tucked up inside. The ending is truly heartwarming and we just love rereading this super cute tale. A BIG winner!

5 / 5 Stars!

*Special thanks to Little Tiger Press for the review copy*

I Love You Father Christmas by Giles Andreae & Emma Dodd

My Review

Hooray for another fabulous I Love You book!!

This particular one is a gorgeous Christmassy instalment! It takes us through all the things little people associate with Santa. His big red suit, his cuddly frame and his glorious reindeer - just to name a few!

The little guy in this story makes sure to tell Santa how good he has been and all the things he has done to help out his parents. Tidying the bedroom comes up, which I was VERY pleased about!

The beautiful rhyming quality to this story makes it beg to be read out loud - for the full on sing song effect.

The illustrations are quite simply fantastic and we didn't know what delights to feasts our eyes on first! Emma Dodd's style is really gorgeous.

I Love You Father Christmas is a really special book that is full of charm, Christmas spirit and is guaranteed to put smiles on faces. It just HAS to go on every child's Christmas wishlist!

A BIG 5 Stars!

*Special thanks to Orchard for the review copy*

Love Monster and the Perfect Present by Rachel Bright

My Review

Yay for more Love Monster! We just love the little fellow!

This is a charming story and has a really great message! It's Present Day in Cutesville and Love Monster wants to get his special friend something very wonderful indeed!

But Love Monster doesn't have a lot of money to spend and he is very worried that he won't be able to get the perfect gift! Then he has a brain wave, he could use stuff he already has to make something super duper special!

"You see, sometimes the perfect present doesn't have to cost the earth.....to mean the world."

We simply adored the fantastic illustrations that are just bursting with colour and life! Monster and his special friend are very cute indeed!

Love Monster and the Perfect Present is a beautiful story that we thought was very special. Adults and children will both easily be charmed. In a materialistic world we sometimes forget that the most treasured things come from the heart and actually don't have to cost anything at all.

We can't wait for more Love Monster!

5 / 5 Stars!

*Special thanks to Harper Collins Children's books for the review copy*
 

Barbapapa by Annette Tison & Talus Taylor

My Review

Okay, I'll admit it, I think Barbapapa is very strange and I really do think he's a bit of an acquired taste. Saying that, I did like the book and the kids thoroughly enjoyed it, but I really thought Barbapapa himself was a little weird!

I actually vaguely remember Barbapapa from childhood (even though he's way older than me lol), so it's excellent to see it brought back to life again after so many years!

One day François was watering his flowers when Barbapapa was born! Unfortuenly though, Barbapapa wasn't allowed to stay with François and his family! He has to go to the zoo, where he is very miserable because he has to stay in a cage!

But one of the most special things about Barbapapa is when he discovers he can change his shape. He tries to change his shape to fit in with others, but nobody 'gets' him! So, he leaves the zoo and that is where his adventures really begin!

Barbapapa becomes an unlikely hero who managed to charm and rescue everyone, eventually he is accepted for being himself - which is very beautiful indeed!

We loved Barbapapa's journey and were delighted when he manages to find his place in the world!

The illustrations are quite old fashioned but definitely memorable! We really enjoyed watching Barbapapa change his shape to help out others!

3 / 5 Stars!

*Special thanks to Orchard for the review copy*

How to Babysit a Grandpa by Jean Reagan & Lee Wildish

My Review

How to Babysit a Grandpa is quite a special book, that very beautifully takes us on a wonderfully warm adventure, alongside a little boy and his grandpa - who have such a special bond!

This story is filled with charm and anyone will (secretly) know, that it's really the grandpa that needs babysitting in any relationship. The little boy in this story gives us the instructions needed to look after a grandpa, which include: playing, snacks and entertainment!

There is so much fun to be had on every page and we couldn't wait to see what the double act were going to get up to next!

We loved it when the grandpa fell asleep and the little boy had to try lots of funny things to try and wake him up! But all disasters are averted before the arrival of mum and dad.

The illustrations are stunning, with lovely gentle colours. Plus the grandpa and the little boy are sooooo cute!

How to Babysit a Grandpa is a super tale full of fun and adventure. We loved the hilarious things the pair got up to and we immediately read it all over again!

4 / 5 Stars!

*Special thanks to Hodder Children's Books for providing the review copy*

Have You Seen Who's Moved in Next Door to Us? by Colin McNaughton‏

My Review

This book is a barrel of laughs that will have both kids and adults giggling like idiots throughout!

A new family has moved into the street and neighbours being typical gossips, tell everyone in the street of the horror of these new neighbours. Yes, okay that sounds a bit vague, but there are so many BIG surprises in here and I really don't want to spoil anything for anyone.

But, as the neighbours tell each other, we get a glimpse of the real horrors that lurk in each house. There may be some pigs, a witch or maybe even Mr Kong himself - plus loads more even stranger things!

We were seriously excited to flip each page and see what new surprises each neighbour had in store for us!

This is a bouncy book that needs to be read out load in a very enthusiastic voice (which we do regularly). We just adore the sing songing adventure!

The illustrations are fantastic and without them the story wouldn't be quite so brilliant!

The ending, with it's big pull out pages is just simply AWESOME!!

You seriously need this super fun book in your life - who knows what YOUR neighbour classes as normal!?

5 / 5 Stars!

*Special thanks to Walker Children's Books for the review copy*

Jack's Mega Machines: The Supersonic Submarine by Alison Ritchie & Mike Byrne

My Review

The Supersonic Submarine is a highly adventurous tale full of fun and danger! Perfect for the boys (although my daughter loves it too)!

Jack and his little dog Riley, head of on a magical adventure under water in a super speedy submarine! They come across a group of dolphins, who are playing football, until a cheeky octopus steals their ball!

Jack decides to help the dolphins get their ball back and delves deeper into the sea, after the huge octopus. They come across a shipwreck, that they start to explore until something catches their eye....

But nothing is ever quite what it seems and the poor octopus really just wants to join in. He also manages to skillfully save Jack and his buddy from a disaster!

Jack comes up with a super solution, so that everyone can play together.

The fab illustrations are what bring this story so brightly to life. They are bursting with bold colours and tell the tale wonderfully.

This is a fantastic adventure story filled with fun, plus it also has a couple of great positive messages. It even has a pull out submarine to play with at the back!

4 / 5 Stars!

*Special thanks to Simon ans Schuster for the review copy*

The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt & Oliver Jeffers

 My Review

The Day the Crayons Quit is quite possibly the best picture book ever! Yeah, the kids love it too, but it's a real personal favourite of mine!

The storyline is genius and every child will be able to relate to favouring one colour of crayon over the other!

One day a little guy called, Duncan, sits down to colour in, and in place of his crayons he finds a note saying they've all quit!

What I loved the most was the way each colour had it's own personality, which really shone through in their letters. Some were upset (pink), some felt overused (blue), some felt board of always colouring-in the same things (grey) and others have fell out (orange and yellow)!

There is so much fun and so much humour to be had in this bright story and we were thrilled at every flip of the page.

I liked each crayon individually but two of my favourites:

Beige Crayon: This little fellow is feeling a bit misunderstood! He is also tired of feeling like an unexciting colour and is tired of playing second fiddle to Mr Brown crayon!

Peach Crayon: Who seems to be missing his wrapping and is feeling a little......shall we say....NAKED!!

This tricky business is solved with a wild and highly imaginative use of all the crayons in a masterpiece in the back pages! Oliver Jeffers' quirky illustrations light up and bring to life this story so fantastically!

I'm sure anyone who reads this will be looking at their crayons differently. In the future we could even see, pink postboxes, orange clouds, yellow water and maybe even some white grass?! Who knows, the possibilities are endless and we must keep pleasing all of our crayons in mind!

A MILLION Stars!

*Special thanks to Harper Collins Children's Books for the review copy*

Troll and the Oliver by Adam Stower

My Review

Troll and the Oliver is a delightful adventure story full of humour and tricky business!

The storyline follows a very hungry Troll and a pesky little guy called Oliver! Everyday Troll tries to eat Oliver, but Oliver proves to be a sneaky and slippery little fellow to get your hands on.

We go through all the trials Troll faces to catch Oliver, until one day the Troll isn't lying in wait for him! Oliver couldn't possible have won - could he?

There is more than one shocking moment in this story....

The ending is brilliant and is something we most definitely didn't see coming!

Troll and the Oliver is a charming little tale that is full of fun and twisty turns! The illustrations are fantastic and we delighted in the adventure playing out on every page.

Another big plus has to be the troll cupcake recipe at the back of the book. Which we will definitely be trying rather soon....

A BIG 5 stars!

*Special thanks to Templar for the review copy*