It has been two years since my debut picture book, I am NOT a Prince was released and I am thrilled to announce that my second picture book The Bunny Who Came to Breakfast is publishing today! Illustrated by the incredibly talented Mike Byrne, this loose re-telling of The Tiger Who Came to Tea is full of bunny hopping fun! When the cutest bunny even seen comes to visit on a delightful sunny day, a little child and their grandad cannot believe their eyes. Bunny is rather hungry and is a very big fan of eggs. This picture book was so much fun to write and it was a joy to see Mike bring t ..read more

Every year, I bake my children a birthday cake designed around their favourite book. This year my daughter chose Duck in a Truck! This fabulous series by Jez Alborough is her absolute favourite and she can read several of the books off by heart. It all started when we read Fix it Duck. While it’s not the first in the series it works fine as a standalone and is packed with hilarious calamitous ways Duck tries to fix things. Plop goes the drip that drops in the cup. Duck looks down and Duck looks up. It’s a leak in the roof! He needs some help from his friend Sheep but Sheep has problems of th ..read more

Alex T Smith creates the most exquisite Christmas books that you want to read year after year (Read our reviews of How Winston Delivered Christmas, How Winston Came Home and The Twelve Days of Christmas). So this year, I was delighted that we could add to our collection this gorgeous 24 and half chapter retelling of children’s Christmas classic The Nutcracker. The Mouse King is up to some very sneaky shenanigans. The night before Christmas, he steals the key to the Kingdom of Sweets and sets out to cause as much festive mayhem as he can! Clara and Fritz Strudel, and their ..read more

Having loved Santa’s New Sleigh (read review here), we couldn’t wait to read Santa’s New Reindeer by Caroline Crowe and Jess Pauwels, and it did not disappoint! There’s been another Christmas disaster! Santa needs a new reindeer! The sleigh can’t fly without Rudolph. Luckily, head engineer Lizzie is on hand to help . . . introducing ROBO-REINDEER! Can Christmas be saved after all? And what about poor Rudolph? My daughter’s loved this funny Christmas story and thought the idea of a robotic reindeer pulling Santa’s sleigh was hilarious! Definitely a book the whole family can enjoy. Publ ..read more

I think we own or have read every book in the Supertato series and so my eldest who has recently performed in her own Christmas production at school, was thrilled to read Supertato: Presents Jack and the Beanstalk by Sue Hendra & Paul Linnet! I knew we would love it from the title page! It’s showtime in the supermarket as Supertato and the veggies put on their very own production of Jack and the Beanstalk, starring The Evil Pea as Jack and Supertato as Jack’s mum. There are thrills, spills and the return of a familiar-looking melon-bot as this hilarious, panto-tastic show unfolds. W ..read more

Today, I am shining the festive spotlight on a beautifully illustrated, heartwarming story, The Frost Goblin, by Abi Elphinstone and Fiona Woodcock. This moving tale shows the reader that the deepest frost has the power to rekindle hope in anyone who’s lost it… In Bertie Crash-Wallop’s noisy family, it can sometimes feel like there is no room for a quiet boy like him. But when Bertie meets a family of goblins on the night of the deepest frost, is it possible he might make some magic and discover his own place in the world? This book took me by surprise. At first I was expecting a pi ..read more

Today’s festive book is My Grandma’s Magic Recipes: Winter Warmth by Ella Phillips and Camilla Sucre which perfectly blends the magic of cooking together as a family and Christmas. At Zee’s Grandma’s Christmas party, there is the smell of sugar and spice, calypso music and dancing, and lots and lots of friends and family . . . but no Grandma! Where could she be? She’s in the kitchen, of course, waiting for Zee to help her turn dough into yummy ginger biscuits. I must caution you that reading this book will make you hungry! But don’t worry too much, there are recipes provided! My daugh ..read more

My daughters would never allow me to showcase the fabulous Christmas books of 2023 without featuring Peppa Pig! In this fun lift-the-flap book, we get to join Peppa and friends as they count down the 12 days of Christmas. What wonderful things will Peppa discover? This fun, interactive 12 Days of Christmas would make a brilliant gift for children who are fans of Peppa Pig! Published by Ladybird, 28 Sept. 2023 Buy Now! ISBN: 978-0241606940 If you are looking for more great Peppa stories, check out our reviews: I Love You, Mummy Pig Peppa’s Easter Hide-and-Seek Peppa and the Coronation ..read more

Today we are shining our festive light on Monsters at Christmas by Laura Baker and Nina Dzyvulska. Look out! Monsters are preparing for Christmas in this fun-packed picture book. Merry monsters, hairy monsters, monsters trailing slime. Shiny monsters, tiny monsters and so, so, SO many more! My daughters delighted in spotting all the different kinds of monsters in Nina’s colourful illustrations, especially Santa monster who hiding somewhere in every scene! We get to follow the monsters as they play in the snow and slide on the ice, decorate the house and go shopping for presents… and Roar mons ..read more

This might be my four-year-old’s favourite Christmas book of 2023! She adores Bluey AND the 12 Days of Christmas song, so what could be better than Bluey’s version of 12 Days of Christmas…? I’ll tell you. Bluey’s version of 12 Days of Christmas in a board book version with a special tab for each days. She LOVES it. And so do I, it’s very catchy: On the first day of Christmas, Verandah Santa gave to Bluey . . . A fruit bat in a mango tree! Published by Ladybird, 28 Sept. 2023 Buy Now! ISBN: 978-0241615409 I am very grateful to the publisher for providing me with a complimentary copy of ..read more