BOOKS FOR CHILDREN

My First Book of Baby Animals by Mike Unwin, illustrated by Daniel Howarth (A&C Black; €8.50 HB).

Informative and and fun, this is the perfect book that will introduce the very young to the world of animals and their progeny. The newlyborns of various species take to land, water or sky with their watchful mothers. Tiger cubs play together under mum’s watchful eye; baby owls peek out from their nest under the eaves; the grey foal stands close to its protective mother. Simple, child-friendly questions at the end of each page allow the young reader to feel part of the scene.

The Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr (Collins; €18.25 HB). A delightful book when it first came out, this tactile edition comes with pop-up surprises and tabs for small fingers to bring to life. When a large, hungry tiger comes knocking at the door just as Sophie and her Mum sit down to tea, they invite him to share their food. But, with his insatiable appetite, he eats all the food in the house, drinks all the water from the taps and even slurps daddy’s beer. What a to-do! This classic laugh-aloud, and beautifully illustrated book is definitely one to treasure. Suitable for age four and upwards.

The Wise Owl Storybook by Jerry Mulvihill (€13.95 HB. Available from Amazon). This collection of stories set in Ireland skilfully blends tales of reality and fantasy together with a credible ease that draws the reader right into each story. In ‘Bees in a Bottle’, two youngsters get their deserved comeuppance. In ‘The Wise Owl’ story a clever old bird knows how to deal with a greedy fox who steps too far. ‘Home at Last’ tells of a young, lost spider who is terrorised when she wanders into a household of spider-haters. Beautifully illustrated by Gerardine Cooper Sheridan.