THE Train Driver

THE Train Driver, by Kunak McGann (O’Brien; €7.55), is the story of a small boy who loves trains.

When his uncle, Joe, gives him a present of a toy steam train, Dara is thrilled. He even takes it to bed. When Mum and Dad go away, uncle Joe consoles the boy by taking him for a trip on a real steam train run by his friend, Ollie. With easy text and colourful illustrations by Greg Massardier.

The Icky Sticky Snot and Blood Book, by Steve Alton, Nick Sharratt and Jo Moore (The Bodley Head; €16.40) is, despite its unpalatable title, an excellent book about the body. The graphic information is cushioned with humorous cartoons, flaps, pop-ups and pulleys as we discover how the body functions.