Books for children

Countdown To Bedtime by Penny Dann (Caterpillar; €11.93).

Putting one youngster to bed can be exhausting, but trying to get five to retire is like rounding up slippery fish. Five baby animal friends head upstairs, but one slides back down: four have a bath, but one stays to splash. With bouncy rhymes and colourful illustrations that abound with movement, this is a delightful, tactile board book to make bedtime fun for reluctant sleepyheads aged two to three.

The Selfish Crocodile Jigsaw Book by Faustin Charles and Michael Terry (Bloomsbury; €11.93) is also a board book, but with a difference — each illustrated page is also a jigsaw, with just the right size pieces for small fingers to fit into each strong frame. The simple storyline describes how a crocodile tries to keep other animals away from the river. Suitable for age three.