Children’s books

Rob Scotton’s illustrations are always a joy. In Scaredy-Cat Splat (Harper Collins €8.35) Splat is determined to win the scariest costume prize at school. His ego is knocked by classmates whose costumes are superior.

But when Mrs Wimpydimple turns down the lights to tell a story, Splat accidently scores. A laugh-aloud to share with age 3+

Where Snowflakes Fall by Claire Freedman and Tina Macnaughton (Little Tiger €7.10) is a beautiful picture book that focuses on the young creatures that inhabit the world’s distant snowscapes. Told in simple, rhyming verse, the stunning soft-focus illustrations show how baby animals and birds survive the harsh climate. Age 4+ Eco Zico by Olive O’Brien (Silver Angel €7.99) is the story of Zico, an unhappy misfit who lacks the amazing powers of everyone else on Planet Zonar. This is a charming story which gets the eco message across in a humorous and entertaining way. Age 6+.

For older children who received books token for Christmas, Know It All (Dorling Kindersley €19.98) is a lifetime investment in everything one needs to know about anything! With magnificent photographs and information on every subject on earth, sea, space and history, each spread is fragmented for easy access. As a reference book this is an enriching read.

Hear The Dead Cry by Charlie Price. (Corgi Books €8.35) Murray Keifer’s unusual preoccupation is to sit in Forest Green Cemetery communicating with the dead. When the groundskeeper’s daughter, Pearl, overhears the one-sided conversations she forces him to confide. Murray is convinced, from the disjointed phrases he hears, that the body of recently kidnapped Nikki has been illegally buried somewhere in the cemetery. This is a masterly, credible story with excellent characterisation and some touching dialogue.