Good Morning Birds by Elizabeth Bogart and Moran Reader. This book plays out like a stroll through the countryside as we say ‘good morning’ to a variety of birds, each leaving us enchanted by their own individual traits. Cardinals, eagles, owls and more all put in an appearance to accompany the gentle rhyming rhythem of the text.  The illustrations depict …

The Immortal Jellyfish by Sang Miao. There are a few books from Goodbye Mog to Stardust that try to broach the subject of loss and death and this book is another one. A little boy has a fantastic relationship with his grandfather who early on in the story sadly passes away. Grandfather appears to the boy in a dream  however …

The Red Tree by Shaun Tan. This one is very different to many of the books I have reviewed. It reads as an analogy for life, looking at the challenges and complexities one goes through on a daily basis. And even though it starts off at a low ebb following a girl who thinks she has nothing to look forward …

Beegu by Alexis Deacon. This is a lovely little story of a small alien child who finds itself on earth. Along the way it encounters friendly animals and children, however grown ups are not quite so accepting. This book definitely has something to say about acceptance and how adults become less open minded. It’s all presented in such a charming …

Lights on Cotton Rock by David Litchfield. I don’t think I’ve reviewed an alien themed book in a while and this is a nice one to check out. A little girl wants to go into space having heard all about alien abductions. Yes I know! It all works out well though and the story comes across as a mix of …

The Smeds and the Smoos by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. Here it is! The brand new book from one of the most successful picture book partnerships ever. The book plays out as a boy meets girl story. A red Smed and a blue Shoo meet, fall in love and elope together, all to their respective families dissaproval. The illustrations …

Hey Grandude! by Paul McCartney and Katherine Durst. This book is Paul McCartney’s (yes that Paul McCartney) first foray into children’s stories, the title of which clearly capitalises on one of his most famous songs. Whether Mr. McCartney needs to start writing children’s books is another matter, but clearly he’s felt the need now that he is in his dotage. …

The Hug by Eoin Mclaughlin and Polly Dunbar. This is a rather unique book in the way that it works. It is double ended in that you can read one half of the story, then flip the book round and read the other half with both stories meeting in the middle. It’s a clever concept that makes this book an …

Mr Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown. Mt Tiger along with all the other animals lives and works in the city. Fed up with this he decides to abandon all and head for the country. The story explores conformity, self expression and achieving a happy balance so that everybody is happy. The illustrations really make this book and possess an …

The Girls by Lauren Ace and Jenny Lovlie. This ones a real winner, quite literally and follows 4 young friends play and live out their childhood around a tree, before we see them grow up and deal with lives challenges into adulthood. It’s one of those book that is possibly targeted at the adult reader (and buyer) but it’s strong …