Children’s Books - Story time

All About Families

by Felicity Brooks (Usborne Publishing)

We all have a family, but it doesn’t necessarily look the same as other people’s, or like those on TV, in films or in books. All About Families is a helpful guide to different families from all over the world. Whatever size or shape, languages spoken, occasions celebrated, food eaten or house lived in, children should find something to relate to in this celebration of diversity and difference.

Picking Pickle

by Polly Faber and Clara Vulliamy (Pavilion Children’s)

As the longest-standing resident of his dogs’ home, Pickle conducts a guided tour to help pick the perfect pet. Will you choose hungry Harvey, playful Boo-Boo, intelligent Dumpling, who can bark in five languages, or Petunia Wuffles-Winstanley, the poshest pooch in the home? Polly Faber’s fun text is brought to life by Clara Vulliamy’s playful illustrations in a touching story with a surprise ending.

How to be a Lion

by Ed Vere (Puffin)

Leonard is not like other lions. He likes to write poems and watch shooting stars, and have long talks with his best friend Marianne, who is a duck. The problem is, lions are supposed to chomp ducks! When a pack of lions tell Leonard he has to be fierce, Leonard needs to find a way to speak up and prove he is perfectly happy being himself. This bright new picture book celebrates the power of friendship, individuality and courage.

Millie’s Missing Yawn

by You Jung Byun (Pavilion Children’s)

Millie has lost her yawn and can’t get to sleep without it. She searches at home, then looks further afield. The Statue of Liberty hasn’t seen it, neither has the Mona Lisa, or the penguins at the South Pole. Disappointed, Millie heads back home, but have her adventures tired her out? You Jung Byun’s story, accompanied by beautiful texture artwork, comes with a 100 per cent guarantee of sending children contentedly to sleep.

You Can’t Let an Elephant Drive a Digger

by Patricia Cleveland-Peck (Bloomsbury)

Diggers may be big, but elephants are bigger, so best not to let one near the controls. Not to mention letting a seal cook you a meal, a skunk share your bunk, or a kangaroo join you on the loo. This hilarious rhyming tale of improbable creatures trying to be helpful is the follow-up to the bestselling You Can’t Take an Elephant on the Bus.

A First Book of the Sea

by Nicola Davies (Walker Books)

This collection of poems about the oceans of the world, accompanied by Emily Sutton’s stunning watercolours, perfectly captures the excitement of seeing the sea for the first time, the majesty of ancient trading ships, the intrigue of a ghostly shipwreck and the sheer wonder of a humpback whale. Children can learn about dolphins, rockpools, phosphorescence, plankton, manta rays and puffins in this gorgeous merging of poetry, non-fiction and fine art.

Hello, Horse

by Vivian French (Walker)

Hello, Horse provides a gentle introduction to horses for young children via illustrator Catherine Rayner’s real-life bay mare, Shannon. The story offers encouragement to children who might be nervous of horses, and provides practical information and tips such as how to measure a horse, or the right way to offer a carrot for those who might want to find out more. Tender words and touching art combine to create a warm and witty introduction to horses – all from the safety of the page!

Quick, Barney, Run!

by Pip Jones (Faber & Faber)

What can Ruby Roo do on a rainy day? This jaunty rhyming text sees Ruby take her little brother on a thrilling adventure to the jungle in their cardboard seaplane, swinging through the exotic pot plant canopy to discover some strangely familiar characters on the way. Packed with humour and colour, illustrator Laura Hughes’s pictures provide plenty of fun ‘clues’ for children to spot.

William Bee’s Wonderful World of Tractors and Farm Machines

by William Bee (Pavilion Children’s)

In his third book in a series about amazing inventions, William Bee introduces a variety of farm machines and the jobs they do to bring food to our tables. They include a tiny tractor for picking fruit from trees, tractors for pulling ploughs or pushing smelly manure, and the widest tractor in the world. Any children who love finding out about vehicles and machines will be captivated by the striking illustrations and enlightening text.

The Pencil

by Allan Ahlberg and Bruce Ingman (Walker Books)

Acclaimed duo Ahlberg and Ingman have reunited to imagine a world that comes to life when a lonely pencil starts to draw. Once the pencil draws a young boy called Banjo, there’s no telling what will come next; a dog, a cat, a chase, and a paintbrush to colour in an ever-expanding group of family and friends. But it’s not long before complaints begin. ‘This hat looks silly!’, ‘My ears are too big!’ – and the poor pencil has no choice but to draw a rubber. Will everything be erased or will the pencil be able to start drawing again? This award-winning story is celebrating ten years of the playful pencil and the power of imagination in this special anniversary edition.