Books for children

The Great Granny Gang by Judith Kerr (HarperCollins; €15.40 HB) tells the tale of a bunch of grannies whose expertise in many fields makes the world a better place.

Broken chimney? No problem. Mind your pet crocodile? Judith Pugh is your woman. The grannies know how to strike terror. Beautifully illustrated and told, this is a big book of fun, particularly for grannies to enjoy with grandchildren age four and upwards.

Action Dogs Ocean Peril by Steve Barlow and Steve Skidmore, illustrated by Martin Chatterton (Usborne; €5.92) is a laugh aloud action thriller. It starts with a cat, shaking with fear as he’s summoned to the presence of Katmanchew, terrifying leader and master of evil. The news that Action Dogs have thwarted his well-planned bank heist throws him into a hissy fit. War is declared. Meanwhile, scruffy mongrel and unlikely hero Benji hooks up with Action Dogs. Can he help overwhelm Katmanchew before they wreak havoc on the world (especially dogs)? Part book and part comic for age eight and upwards.