Childrens’ books

AFTER the last of the melted Easter eggs are wiped from hands and faces, a good book will restore peace. Bedtime by Maureen Roffey (Bloomsbury; €6.30) is just the book for washed little fingers. It’s night-time, pull the tab and see baby yawn; pull other tabs and see him undress, put on pyjamas and, finally, see him sleep. Bedtime will never be a chore with this wee treasure.

My Circus, by Xavier Deneux (Bloomsbury; €8.80), is an atmospheric, velvet-covered board book with a unique approach. Small enough to be held by toddlers’ hands, the format is peep-through windows, through which each small detail opens up to be part of the next picture. The pages, predominantly red, white and black, have minimalist characters to suit the very young. For 18 months upwards.

Little Rabbit, by Kate Saunders, is another touchy-feely book from Caterpillar Books (€7.55). Little Rabbit heads off to explore. Beautifully illustrated, and featuring a simple storyline for age two to four years.

For the same age group, The Very Silly Sheep, by Jack Tickle (Little Tiger Press; €11.58), is a feat of paper engineering. Hen and her chicks flap up with feathery delight; cow pushes her face into the reader’s; goat pulls a sock from the clothesline. Big, bold and fun.

Mummy, Did You Miss Me?, by Judy Hindley and Jane Massey (Red Fox; €7.55), is a lift-the-flap story about a small bear, Alice, who seeks adventure. She tells her mum that she’s going away to climb a mountain, find a jungle or sail across the sea. In the garden, we lift the flaps to join in Alice’s fantasy journey — all within sight of Mummy Bear. Age three to five.

Babbity’s Big Bad Mood, by M Christina Butler (Little Tiger; €7.55), tells the story of a grumpy rabbit. No matter what his friends do to amuse him, his grumpiness gets worse. Frank Endersby’s watercolours are delightful. Age four to newly independent reader.