Kids Book Club - January

0-4 years
Limelight Larry
Leigh Hodgkinson
9781408301845
£5.99

ANOTHER corking and highly original picture book for tiny readers, from one of the creative minds behind the Charlie and Lola TV show. Larry is a peacock, and true to form he likes to show off – so much so that he's not at all keen to share his book with any of his animal friends. When he feels like it's turning into a bit of a free-for-all, Larry sends them all packing – and duly learns an object lesson about loneliness. Hodgkinson has a special knack for very quirky books chock-full of character, and this zippy confection might well be her most appealing work yet. Look out for the eye-popping moment when Larry spreads his wings...


4-6 years
The Diabolical Mr Tiddles
Tom McLaughlin
£5.99
9781847388803

ALL cat lovers will know the mixed delights of your faithful pet bringing you 'presents' – often the sort of thing you'll want to get swept away as fast as possible. But when little Harry bonds with his new kitten, Tiddles starts to bring him gifts of a far superior stripe – up to and including a train set, a jet-pack and horse. So how does Tiddles come by all this stuff? Suffice it to say that, before long, things get out of hand and Harry finds himself preventing at Buckingham Palace preventing a crown theft. An irresistable, eventful little yarn, full of adventure and with a gentle lesson to impart, this is a very promising debut for writer / artist McLaughlin.


6-8 years
Where's the Doctor?
Jamie Smart
£8.99
9781405908177

VARIANTS on the Where's Wally? format are still proliferating like mad for young readers. One of the best and freshest in recent years is the Find Chaffy series. Here, Find Chaffy creator Smart gets his hands on the Doctor Who playbox, and the result is terrific, feather-light fun. The redoubtable Doctor, and his time-travelling companions, are hidden in amongst vast, bustling scenes of Weeping Angels, Cybermen and Silurians. No insipid cash-in, this, it's bright and delightful in its own right. The cartoony style will suit even the very young - and the clear emphasis on illustrations won't put off weaker readers. There's a nice helping of humour at work too – extra-vigilant explorers will spot weight-lifting Sontarans, chess-playing Judoon and fishing Ood.

9-12 years
Collected Folk Tales
Alan Garner
£14.99
9780007445974

IN an understated sort of way, Cheshire-based author Garner has become the godfather of modern children's fantasy fiction. Classics such as The Weirdstone of Brisingamen, Elidor and The Owl Service, often drawing on ancient mythology, have inspired subsequent generations of imaginative writers. This gorgeously presented new volume comprises nearly fifty retelllings of folk legends from around the world, many so obscure they might as well have been freshly-minted. Deeply odd and haunting, tales of goblins, wayward children and hungry hills are rendered in Garner's trademark prose style, so pared-down it leans towards lyrical. As well as being an engrossing read, it's also a sort of education – a very neat trick.


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