Books for children

Countdown To Bedtime by Penny Dann (Caterpillar; €11.93).

Putting one youngster to bed can be exhausting, but trying to get five to retire is like rounding up slippery fish. Five baby animal friends head upstairs, but one slides back down: four have a bath, but one stays to splash. With bouncy rhymes and colourful illustrations that abound with movement, this is a delightful, tactile board book to make bedtime fun for reluctant sleepyheads aged two to three.

The Selfish Crocodile Jigsaw Book by Faustin Charles and Michael Terry (Bloomsbury; €11.93) is also a board book, but with a difference — each illustrated page is also a jigsaw, with just the right size pieces for small fingers to fit into each strong frame. The simple storyline describes how a crocodile tries to keep other animals away from the river. Suitable for age three.

Planet Hell by Joan Lennon, illustrated by Sean Longcroft (A&C Black; €7.10) is a futuristic, nail-biting dystopian tale set in the labyrinthine underground tunnels of what remains of planet Earth. Like his late father, teenage Sam works at mining ore under the authority of The Gang, who inflict severe punishment on anyone who steps away from the rigorous rules. Instilled with horrific stories of life above ground, nobody ever leaves. Except Sam. When he stands up to The Gang, he is pursued through the tunnels. When he can go no further the choices are to venture up to the Surface or be killed. For age eight and an encouraging read for reluctant older readers. Rage Within by Jeyn Roberts (Macmillan; €8.35) The second in the dystopian trilogy charts the efforts by Michael, Aries, Mason and Clementine to survive in a world gone mad. Back-filled information hints at why volcano eruptions happened and how some characters were more susceptible to becoming baggers. YA.