Books for children

Stop That Egg! By Helen Poole (Frances Lincoln; €9.50 HB) tells of Mother Hen’s panic when one of her clutch of eggs rolls away from the henhouse.

Squawking and panicking, she chases after her precious about-to-be chick as it bounces past the farm animals. All ends well as the clutch break through their eggshells with a chorus of chicken-song. Great rhymes and laugh-aloud illustrations, perfect fun for age two and upwards.

Daisy’s Big Dig by Angie Morgan (Frances Lincoln; €14.92 HB) is the story of a girl who lives on a street where all the neighbours keep to themselves. When old Mr Heifeister hurts his back and can’t tend his garden, Daisy motivates the neighbourhood to help. Thus the whole street becomes a happy place. The line and collage illustrations are the perfect style for this wholesome story. Six and up.

The Stepsisters’ Story by Kaye Umansky (Barrington Stoke; €7.95) tells the famous story from the point of view of the stepsisters, Lardine and Angula. The squabbling duo and their scary mother make life miserable for Cinderella and her father, Daddy Hardup. The alternating chapters by each of the sisters are laugh-aloud accounts of events. The cartoon-style illustrations by Mike Phillips top this laugh-aloud story. Age eight and upwards and dyslexia friendly.

Lilah May’s Manic Days by Vanessa Curtis (Frances Lincoln; €8.35). Ever since her brother Jay went missing two years ago, Lilah and her parents have been living in a shadow of loss and anxiety. Not much makes Lilah happy, but her friendship with Adam Carter helps keep her inner demons at bay. That is until she finds out that her best friend Bindi is dating Adam. All her anger erupts beyond control.

Despite the dark storyline, Lilah’s bouncy narration stays above the gloom. But, Jay’s transformation from angst to happiness is a flaw in this otherwise good read.