Books for Children

CÁCA Don Rí by Ailbhe Nic Giolla Bhrighde (Futa Fata; €9.95 HB).

A family of young mice love to sit in Rubaí Rua’s bakery and watch as she turns out her legendary birthday cakes. When she is commissioned to bake a tall, four-tiered one for the King, the mice are fascinated. But their over-enthusiasm brings disaster. What to do? With excellent illustrations by Steve Simpson and told in simple Irish, this story will delight pre-schoolers and junior infants.

When Granny Won Olympic Gold (A&C Black; €5.92) is a collection of pre-Olympic Games 2012 sports-themed verse by many authors, chosen by Graham Denton. Bouncy and amusing it is a little book of ephemeral humour to dip into. Suyitable for age six and upwards.

The Comic Strip Big Fat Book of Knowledge by Sally Kindberg and Tracey Turner (Bloomsbury €10.66) provides an interesting child-friendly way to learn about science and ancient history. The comic format races through the history of early civilisations, the origins of the universe and ends with Greek myths and legends. Speech bubbles and witty asides combine to hold the attention. Age eight upwards.

Sea of Tears by Floella Benjamin (Frances Lincoln; €8.35) features 12-year-old Jasmine who is devastated when her parents plan to return to their homeland, Barbados. The thought of leaving her familiar south London neighbourhood and the close friends, who are her strength against racist bullying at school, prompts her to run away. Robbed of her money and mobile, she narrowly escapes a ‘sympathetic’ man who grooms young girls for the sex trade. Nevertheless, in Barbados she constantly hankers for London, particularly as she experiences a different sort of racism in Barbados as an ‘English’ outsider. Is running away again to be an option? Suitable for age 12 and upwards.