Books for children

Silly Sea by Jack Tickle (Caterpillar Books; €10.66 HB) is a big aquatic book with a pop-up water-spouting whale, a pincer-snapping crab, a clapping seal and many more in-your-face marine creatures, each accompanied with a jaunty rhyme.

Best read spread out on the floor, this is a happy, colourful book for age three to five.

Food Chain by MP Robertson (Frances Lincoln; €8.35) begins with a mischievous boy flushing his goldfish down the toilet. The poor creature has to find his way along a sewerage pipe, only to be swallowed by a bigger fish, which is then gobbled by an even bigger, uglier fish, and so it goes on until the climax ­ — a great big hungry whale. The plot circle comes together in a dramatic ending. The wonderful illustrations and dark humour will delight youngsters aged eight and upwards.

Man About The House by CA Plaisted (A&C Black; €7.10) is related by Jeza, a young black teenager whose life is filled with angst. His father lives with his new partner and toddler daughter, his older sister is bossy and selfish and his granddad calls on him to help with ‘men’s’ work. When his father fails to come to Jeza’s important football match, he is devastated. Will anyone listen or respond to his frustration? This sensitively handled story will reverberate in the minds of teenagers.

The Weight Of Water by Sarah Crossan (Bloomsbury; €10.66) Kasienka and her mother arrive in England from Gdansk to what is an alien and unfriendly environment. Cassie, as christened by her new teacher, is bullied unmercifully by Clair and her friends: her mother mourns the disappearance of her husband. It’s not until Cassie’s ability at swimming is appreciated by her school team, and by potential boyfriend William, that life becomes more bearable . The novel is in verse and readers who persevere will find a deeply emotional and human story.