Lovely Old Roly. Written by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Priscilla Lamont. (Frances Lincoln, 10.99).
This is a story with an easy way about it. The words are well-crafted, and they roll off the tongue. The 'voices' of the story, which set the tone, are those of two children whose beloved cat has died. However, the brother and sister soon get to know a new cat that barges in through their cat flap uninvited. Mum and Dad's reaction to having a new cat is encapsulated in the repeated phrase: 'And it was maybe, all right, a little - but outside. Not inside.' This cleverly sums up many carers' reaction to a request for something that children want, but that they themselves don't want. However, the whole family is quickly won over by the endearing new cat, although the two children don't forget their first feline friend. The watercolour illustrations portray the ordinariness of everyday life, both inside and out.
Do Like a Duck Does! Written by Judy Hindley and illustrated by Ivan Bates. (Walker Books, 10.99).
How many times have you read a story about vulnerable ducks and a marauding fox? This story manages to find another angle, where the mother duck is sly. The fox could easily pounce on the little ducklings at any moment, but Mama lures the fox into waddling in the mud and mimicking what the ducklings are doing, to prove that he really is one of them. When everyone is ordered to plunge into the water, the fox doesn't bob back to the surface as quickly as the buoyant ducklings, and we spot the hung head and bedraggled fur of the defeated fox as he makes his way home. The 'plop', and the 'pop' sounds as the birds hit the water go down well with children - and look out for that nose-to-beak encounter between the quivering fox and the irritated mama duck.
How Loud is A Lion? By Clare Beaton. (Barefoot, 9.99).
Here are some collage pictures that should prompt a discussion about materials and methods with children. You could look at how the artist has cut out pieces of fabric and placed them together to make the artwork in the book. You could also think about why she might have chosen one fabric with a particular colour or pattern instead of another, and how she has combined different stitches for the snakes' slithery bodies. Look closely at what Beaton has added to the fabric to give each animal its characteristic features - my favourite is the strips of orange wool used for the giraffe's tufty mane running down its back.
There's also a wide range of buttons and beads that have been added to make exotic flowers, animals' eyes, and a leopard's spots. Ask the children to name a particular animal and then to spot it hiding in the foliage. See how many of the same animal they can count - the frolicking monkeys make a good challenge. You may be inspired to make your own collage pictures, and tell a story through them.
This Little Chick. By John Lawrence. (Walker, 10.99).
There are also some interesting textures and colours in This Little Chick, where the artist has combined engraving and painting to create the pictures. The story is about a young chick that goes on an adventure and acquires a different animal sound with each new encounter. By the end of the day, when she returns to her mother, the chick assembles the sounds and recounts her adventures in a chatty way, alternating the animal noises with her own cheeps. But the last word goes to a little blue mouse sitting by the nest, which says, 'Squeak'. Guess what sound the little chick will be adding to her story next...
An Island in the Sun. Written by Stella Blackstone and illustrated by Nicoletta Ceccoli. (Barefoot, 9.99).
If you're pining for green-blue seas lit by a peachy-faced sun, then open the pages of this book and be transported. The telescope used by a boy on a boat to anticipate the next stage of his adventure encourages children to join in and play an 'I Spy' game. His perspective zooms narrower and narrower until we can spot a friend on the island who is waiting for the boy - a blue and red spotted dog. After playing for a while, the boy and the dog sail home together through the night. The text also incorporates elements of the classic Shopping Game, where children try to remember items and the order in which they were seen. There are extra narrative details to look for in the pictures, too - like the bottle bobbing by the side of the boat (with a curled-up message inside), and two jumping fish.
