Books for children

THE Crunching Munching Caterpillar by Sheridan Cain and Jack Tickle (Little Tiger; €9.50 HB).

Constantly munching in his wormlike state, Caterpillar envies the taunting bumble-bee and the swooping birds. But when he meets a butterfly, he wishes most of all to have beautiful wings and to fly like her. All through his winter sleep he dreams of fluttering high in the sky. When warm spring sunshine wakens him, all his dreams come true. With the extra fun of buttons to press for sounds of munching, buzzing, jingling, this is a delightful, humorous story of metamorphosis to share with toddlers.

Candy Girl by Karen McCombie (Barrington Stoke; €7.10). When 13-year-old Dixie gets half-term work experience at the office of Candy, her favourite glitzy girlie magazine, her exuberance hits the sky, especially when she looks forward to meeting Sharron, the problem page editor. The only downside is the grumpy attitude of Tess, Dixie’s exam-swotting, grouchy older sister. Could it be that she’s jealous? In-fighting models, a doughnut-munching work dodger, and most of all, being treated like a slave dampen Dixie’s enthusiasm. However, when a crisis erupts, a most unlikely person provides just the right solution. A cheerful, bouncy read for girls aged eight and upwards.

The Butterfly Heart by Paula Leyden (Walker E7.10). The butterfly in the title is descriptive of the shape of Zambia. It is here in a rural part of the country that twins, Bul-Boo and Madillo live with their family. The first time Bul-Boo realises her friend Winifred has a problem is when she notices the girl’s progressive disinterest in the things that used to make them laugh. When she finally winkles the shocking truth from Winifred, Bul-Boo is horrified. Winifred’s father is dead and his brother is now arranging for the girl to be married to his best friend. Childhood naivety and humour and the harshness of ancient folk customs are blended skilfully together in this superbly written atmospheric story.