A wild mission, a toilet disaster and a canine comedy by various authors – children’s book reviews –

Age 9 plus:

When the Wild Calls

Nicola Penfold

Having escaped their sterile city, Juniper Green and her brother Bear have settled in Ennerdale with their dad and his family but her mission to save her grandmother and beloved best friend will lead her into terrible danger.

Travel back to the thrilling dystopian world created by Nicola Penfold in this eagerly awaited sequel to Where the World Turns Wild, a thought-provoking ecological adventure which won the hearts and minds of readers, and was inspired by American author Richard Louv’s rallying cry to save our children from ‘Nature-Deficit Disorder.’

In this new story, time is running out for the city’s residents and Juniper decides she must leave her beloved Wild and head back and save her family from a city hit by disease and social breakdown. Every day the Wild introduces them to a new wonder, but Juniper can’t stop worrying about her grandmother and best friend left behind. When she hears news that disease has entered the city, she is determined to bring her loved ones to safety. Trapped in a city riddled with disease and run by a ruthless leader, Etienne longs for the Wild. With the guards becoming more aggressive to counteract the growing rebellion, Etienne is prepared to fight for his freedom. But will he be able to protect himself and keep those around him safe until Juniper returns from the Wild?

Penfold has created another beautiful, ecological, and breathtakingly imagined other-world exploring friendship and bravery within an exhilarating, fast-paced adventure, and highlighting how our world is becoming dangerously disconnected from nature.

With its cautionary reminder of the fragility of nature, and our duty to guard the planet for generations to come, this is a timely book written with genuine affection, and with a big helping of hope at its heart.

(Little Tiger Press, paperback, £7.99)

Age 9 plus:

The Day I Fell Down the Toilet

Stephen Mangan and Anita Mangan

It’s no joke to be at the centre of a case of mistaken identity... unless you’re called Timothy and turn out to be a rather surprising (and very welcome) superhero!

There will be giggles galore and loo-fuls of laughter as the sensational sibling team of much-loved actor Stephen Mangan and his talented artist sister Anita roll out a toilet tale that is guaranteed to be flushed with success.

Hot on the heels of their wild and wonderful joint novels, Escape the Rooms, The Fart That Changed the World and The Great Reindeer Rescue, the dynamic duo return with a madcap adventure that is positively overflowing with chaos and comedy.

Disaster! The Queen of Dunny, the land where jokes come from, has lost her sense of humour and banned fun of any kind. Her subjects have one final shot at making her laugh otherwise no new jokes will be created ever again! Enter the hero the world needs... Timothy Trench, a straight-talking, uber-decisive child genius. Oh, wait... in an unfortunate case of mistaken identity, the wrong Timothy – a boy who finds it impossible to make decisions – is fetched to make the Queen laugh. Can he work out what will tickle Her Majesty's funny bone and save the day?

Anita Mangan’s quirky and comical illustrations are the perfect pairing for her brother’s warm, fun-filled and witty story which reminds youngsters that you should never underestimate underdogs... and that you don’t have to be royal to be a superhero.

Add on a spectacular surfeit of outlandish puns, silly limericks, dancing ogres and the worst dad jokes ever, and you have the perfect read for mischief-makers of all shapes and sizes!

(Scholastic, paperback, £7.99)

Age 9 plus:

Oh Mummy Mia!

Maz Evans

Fresh from runaway success of her Who Let the Gods Out? books – which took young readers to new heights of all-round entertaining storytelling – Maz Evans is back with the second book of her brilliant Gods Squad spin-off series which started with Oh Maya Gods! The stars of these adventures set in Ancient Egypt are Vesper – the football-mad, bossy and a teensy bit grumpy daughter of Elliot Hooper, the original hero of Who Let the Gods Out? – and Constellation Virgo’s son, Aster, who is super-smart, a bit nervous and with a secret all of his own. In their new mission, the Egyptian gods are up to no good. Seth, the god of war, has kidnapped Ra, the sun god... and now Earth is on the brink of total destruction. It’s up to Vesper and Aster to bravely descend to the Egyptian underworld to find Ra and save the world because if they don’t, they could soon become mummies! Evans once more lets loose her prodigious imagination as our two heroes tackle the world's worst behaved immortals. Packed full of real Ancient Egyptian mythology, outrageously funny antics, and spine-tingling danger, this hilarious tale of misbehaving immortals will leave youngsters dying for the next ungodly adventure!

(Chicken House, paperback, £7.99)

Age 9 plus:

Shadow Fox

Carlie Sorosiak

Get lost in a magical tale of loss and belonging from Atlanta, Georgia-based author Carlie Sorosiak whose novel, I, Cosmo, was a Waterstone's Children's Book of the Month. Shadow Fox is told through the eyes of a wild, affectionate, prickly fox who has a love of collecting shoes and not a small amount of magic. Bee’s family runs a lakeside inn, offering rest and sustenance to weary travellers. Bee’s Nan has gone missing, possibly drowned, but Bee knows that can’t be true. And so does the hungry fox that her grandmother was feeding. Shadow is cross that her supply of salmon has dried up and is determined to do something about it. Soon both fox and child – who discover that they can communicate with each other through telepathy – are on an adventure to find Nan... an adventure in which they uncover sinister happenings and secret islands on the Great Lake, and learn just how far magical powers can take you. This beautiful, enchanting and fantastical story has a warm, loving and generous heart, and reminds readers, both young and old, about the importance of friendship and being kind to each other, as well as taking care of the natural world in all its many forms.

(Nosy Crow, paperback, £7.99)

Age 6 plus:

Agent Harrier: This Book Will Self-Destruct

Ben Sanders

Top secret! This book will explode in just FIVE minutes... Expect equally explosive giggles when youngsters get their hands on this ticking-time-bomb graphic novel, first in a brilliant new comedy series from the award-winning author and illustrator Ben Sanders. There’s no time to lose for Agent Harrier who must follow the red wire and defuse the bomb before it’s too late. Will our canine spy extraordinaire save everyone from being blasted to smithereens.... AND catch then culprit who planted the wretched bomb in the first place?! Be careful not to bark up the wrong tree, Harrier... it looks like something very fishy could be waiting for you! With oodles of canine comedy chaos and a pun-filled twist on traditional spy capers, this super-stylish series is the perfect fit for early readers transitioning from picture books.

(Little Tiger Press, paperback, £7.99)

Age 6 plus:

Dinosaur Pie

Jen Wallace and Alan O’Rourke

Who would have thought that eating Dinosaur Pie would make turn you into an (actual!) dinosaur? Irish debut author Jen Wallace – who likes to weave stories from a child’s perspective – zones in on autism and celebrating difference in her heartwarming and funny tale which is brought to life by Alan O’Rourke’s delightfully dynamic black-and-white illustrations. Rory is having a weird week... a really weird week. And it wasn’t really Rory’s mum’s fault. She just bought Dinosaur Pie for a change and gave it to Rory for his dinner. The next morning he was a dinosaur, a ridiculous, small, feathered dinosaur. Not dressed up as a dinosaur... actually a dinosaur. It’s not all that funny really. Rory can’t talk, he can’t bear the thought of eating an apple, and in his new carnivore body he can’t stop craving sausages. All he wants to eat is sausages and it doesn’t wear off. The supermarket that sold the pie doesn’t want to know and the doctor isn’t all that helpful. What are his friends – who finally take his embarrassing situation seriously – going to do to get Rory out of dino-mode and back into a human boy? With its clever, intertwining blend of real life, fantasy and friendship, this is a sparkling, fast-paced adventure for youngsters ready to move on to chapter books.

(Little Island Books, paperback, £7.99)

Age 5 plus:

Tree

Claire Saxby and Jess Racklyeft

Discover the wonderful world of a magnificent tree – from its roots to the tips of its uppermost branches – in this stunning new picture book from the dream team of Claire Saxby and Jess Racklyeft, creators of the award-winning Iceberg.

Published with a stunning fold-out spread showing the full length of the tree and its habitat, this is the perfect book to lure children into the great outdoors this spring and see nature in action for themselves.

Can you see the forest on this misty-morning mountain? Can you see where the tree stands? It is the tallest in this forest of tall trees. This tree is older than those who find it, but younger than the land it grows from. Between sapwood and heartwood, water rises and energy flows. Listen to the leaves bustle. Smell the forest air. This is the world of the tree.

Blending scientific research, Saxby’s lyrical prose and Racklyeft’s evocative and atmospheric illustrations, the dynamic duo focus their talents and imaginative powers on a land environment, following the growth of a mighty tree – a 300-year-old mountain ash –from the bottom of its roots right up to the top branches.

The world of the tree in one beautiful book.

(Allen & Unwin, hardback, £12.99)

Age 5 plus:

Tiny Dogs: Bea’s Secret Friends

Rose Lihou

Just because you’re a tiny dog doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy BIG adventures! Join a little girl as she moves house in the first book of an enchanting new series which has been perfectly created by dog-lover Rose Lihou, a debut children’s author and illustrator.

Tiny Dogs: Bea’s Secret Friends stars four delightfully tiny dogs who share fun and adventures with a little girl who is feeling lonely as she settles into her new life in a small village, far away from the big town that she has always known.

Bea and her mum are moving in with her grandparents which will mean a new school, new friends, and big changes for Bea. All Bea can remember about Granny and Grandad’s house is their big, beautiful garden with its colourful flowers and secret hide-and-seek spots, but when Bea and her mum arrive, the garden has grown sad and neglected. The wild garden feels like the perfect place for Bea to hide away from all the changes in her life but when she hears a strange noise in the long grass she can't quite believe what she finds... four tiny dogs, no bigger than mice! Follow the adventures of Bea and the tiny dogs – Sorrel, Willow, Pepper and Clover – as they become friends and work together to save the garden!

With Lihou’s emotive and colourful illustrations, and reassuring messages about building confidence and finding your voice, and discovering the joys of friendship and nature, little ones will be already tugging on the lead for the next Tiny Dog adventure!

(Puffin, paperback, £7.99)

Age 3 plus

There’s Nothing Cuter Than a Puppy

Tom Nicoll and Ross Collins

A rather fetching little puppy is the hot favourite to win a Cutest Creature Contest... or is he? Author Tom Nicoll and illustrator Ross Collins – the award-winning duo behind There’s Nothing Faster than a Cheetah – are back to bewitch and beguile us with brilliant laugh-out-loud, read aloud adventure featuring a wildly competitive gang of alliterative animals taking part in a beauty pageant. From slugs in Santa suits to warthogs in wedding wear, this fun and imaginative picture book delivers glitz, glamour and giggles galore with special cameo appearances from some familiar faces! Donkeys in dungarees, walruses in woolly waistcoats, hyenas in hoop skirts... the Cutest Creature Contest is full of tough competition! But there can only be one winner and surely there’s nothing cuter than a puppy?! Prepare to have expectations turned upside down as a parade of cheeky creatures strut their stuff in the wildest wardrobe wear on the ‘cat’ walk! Factor in a gallery of Collins’ hilarious illustrations and some fascinating animal facts – like llamas spitting partially digested food over three metres, geese that can sleep while floating on water and rabbit teeth that never stop growing – and you have an all-round winner for animal and fun-lovers!

(Macmillan Children’s Books, paperback, £7.99)

Age 2 plus:

This is the Ship that Jack Built

Peter Millett and Sam Caldwell

Feel the rhythm of the verse and enjoy the rolling of the waves in a rollicking picture book adventure from Peter Millett, an award-winning children’s book author who lives in New Zealand, and Glasgow-based illustrator Sam Caldwell. There are pirates, treasure, sea creatures and fun to enjoy as little ones set sail with Jack and his precious cargo of gold, which has been stored in the hold. What Jack doesn’t know yet is that a whole host of thieves are out to snatch the gold from under his nose. From the squid that opens the lid and the seal that tries to steal, to the cat and the rat and the whale with its splashy tail, Jack really has his hands full on this smashing, splashing voyage! Millett’s joyful and jaunty rhyming text is full of repeated lines – every child’s favourite formula – with the comical, cumulative tale building and building to an epic crescendo. Brought to colourful and vibrant to life by Caldwell, this picture book odyssey is one that little readers will want to revel in again, again and again!

(Buster Books, paperback, £7.99)