Books for Children

It’s Potty Time! By Tracey Corderoy, illustrated by Caroline Pedler (Little Tiger; €8.35) is the perfect book for what can be a headache-inducing exercise.!

Clever Mummy Bear sets the potty down and lets Baby Bear play with it. He gradually realises what it’s for and, hey presto — 123, it’s time to wee, potties are the place to be!

Terry Deary’s series of Victorian Tales are a mix of fact and fiction. The Fabulous Flyer (A&C Black; €5.92) is the story of Frenchman Henri Giffard who invented the first steam-driven airship in 1852. His fictitious helper, a street urchin called Marie, adds humour and wisdom to the historic first flight. Guarding the linen for the balloon in the barn rented by Giffard, Marie falls foul of the landlord who demands more rent or he will sell Giffard’s tools and materials. Knowing Giffard is broke, she insists he must fly his machine that very day before he loses everything. Thus Marie and Gifford venture into the sky. With a historic note at the end, this is an ideal read for the discerning young reader who likes facts as well as fiction. Suitable for age seven up.

A Hen In The Wardrobe by Wendy Meddour (Frances Lincoln; €7.10). The enigmatic beginning of this story gradually draws the reader into young Ranzi’s bi-cultural family whose problem is his Algerian dad’s sleepwalking. ! It falls to young Ranzi to seek help for his father. He and his dad visit Dr Slight whose diagnosis is Dad’s homesickness for his native Algeria. Thus, on Mum’s insistence, they set off to visit his Berber family. And this is where the story escalates into a vibrant cross-cultural pastiche of warmth and humour in this ancient, old-world country. The characters and dialogue are totally credible. But will Dad’s demons return when it’s time to go home to England? A lively, funny and poignant read for age 10 and upwards.