Currach Books, September 2022 We are huge fans of Mythical Irish Beasts and Mythical Irish Wonders by Mark Joyce so we were delighted to see that a third book has been released. Mythical Irish Places takes readers on a tour of a hidden Ireland and uncovers the legends that lurk in familiar places. There are lots of reasons to love this book but here are our top five... 1. It's an absolute treasure trove of information It would be impossible to list all the fascinating discoveries, and anyway, that's what the book is for, but I learned so much about so many places. I loved how many of the loc ..read more

Walker Books, October 2021 The Queen in the Cave is the perfect book to climb into as the days get colder, the evenings get darker and and leaves crunch under your feet. Yes, I did say 'climb into' because this is definitely a book that is explored rather than simply 'read'. As soon as you open it, you are transported to an intricate and intriguing universe that's as alluring as it is slightly sinister. When we first got this book, last October, my eldest took to carrying it around the house with her. It's a delightfully eerie and atmospheric tale that is ideal for this spooky season but can ..read more

September can be a challenging month for parents as well as little readers. Starting or returning to school is often a daunting experience and so are big transitions and anything that involves learning new skills. These challenges, and helping children to navigate them, are what inspired author Stephanie Mason to write her first children's book. After becoming a mother during the lockdown of summer 2020, Stephanie wanted to prepare her new baby for life as best she could. Stephanie hoped her adorable story of a determined pony who is learning to jump would instil a sense of self-belief in her ..read more

Written by Polly Faber, illustrated by Melissa Crowton and published by Nosy Crow An exquisitely well-written picture book with impeccable artwork and design, like this one, always takes my breath away. Forget Pulitzer prize-winning literature – a perfect picture book is, for me, a far more impressive achievement and I will be forever in awe of the people who can put them together. Kitsy Bitsy's Noisy Neighbours is one of those specimens that exalts the entire genre. After meeting the occupants of Park View Rise – you'll want to move in! Kitsy Bitsy's Noisy Neighbours takes us through a hect ..read more

Are you familiar with the Crush series of rhyming animal-themed stories for children? So far, there are five books in the collection, but we are only discovering them now. In Crab Crush, the most recent addition, we are introduced to a host of hungry sea creatures hunting for their next meal. Each one observes what they consider an ideal candidate, unaware that they too are on the menu. Don't worry; they all live to tell the tale through a fantastic twist of fate that I won't reveal. As we join the blog tour celebrating the release of Crab Crush, here are five reasons why we love this book ..read more

We are enormous fans of the first Hop Lola Hop story. Written by Kathy Urban and illustrated by Siski Kalla, this is all about a wandering soft toy called Ella and the little girl who loves her. It even inspired copycat art here and my is the reason my eldest child hides different items in all the handwritten books she creates herself. We were thrilled to hear there was a new adventure and extremely excited to join the book tour celebrating its release. There are so many reasons to love Hop Lola Hop: A Yummy Market Day Adventure, but here are our top five. 1) It's based on real people and a ..read more

Join us for our stop on the tour celebrating its release The third in the series that began with Finn's Garden Friends, Daisy and Jack's Perfect Pond is another glorious celebration of the magical worlds waiting for us outdoors. The story of two siblings who build a pond in their back yard, there are so many reasons to love this book, but here are our top five. 1. It shows readers how to make their own pond Even though Daisy and Jack only have a small courtyard, they still bring so much wildlife to it when they create a pond. This story lists everything little readers might need to start thei ..read more

Oh, my gooses and ganders, as Mrs Briggs would say - just when you thought nothing could beat Hedgewitch, along comes Woodwitch! Although main character, Cassie Morgan, might still be getting used to witchcraft, author Skye McKenna has certainly mastered her own powers. The village of Hedgely, its inhabitants, the alluring yet sinister Hedge, and everything lurking within it, are vividly brought to life again by writing that can only be described as magical. While Tomislav Tomic's enchanting artwork enriches the narrative beautifully. If you're not familiar with the first book in the series ..read more

Today's reading report is in and the forecast is fabulous! It's our turn on the tornado-like tour for Meet the Weather by Caryl Hart and Bethan Woollvin, published by Bloomsbury on Thursday, March 2 (which is also World Book Day). Get ready for some meteorological magic as the third in the 'Meet the...' series might just be the most spectacular yet! Explore the world by hot-air balloon, taking in a variety of climatic conditions, as Meet the Weather brilliantly brings the elements to life. There are so many reasons to love Meet the Weather (including the eye-catching endpapers alone) but her ..read more

It's our turn on the tour celebrating the release of Out of the Blue by Robert Tregoning and Stef Murphy, which is published by Bloomsbury on February 2, 2023 (today!). Out of the Blue is the story of a little boy who lives in a world where everything is blue and other colours are forbidden. The boy secretly loves yellow and is concerned about the consequences. He is scared that his secret stash of sunshine-coloured objects will be discovered, and he is worried that loving yellow makes him a 'bad' person. There are so many reasons to love this story, but here are our top five: 1. It encourag ..read more