LJ's beautiful books

By Nadia Shireen Penguin Random House Children's All ages I love, love, love this book - I read it cover to cover with a smile on my face (apart from scary dragon bits). Billy and Fatcat (cat companion -sold already!) are at a fancy dress party with little animals when a dragon grabs and flies away with Fatcat! It's up to Billy to rescue her sidekick... This book has humour - including Fatcat's expressions, (just one example of the simple, textured and expressive illustrations). It has animals so adorable they literally have an 'adorable' prefix. It has a determined, brave heroine - dressed as a knight, who represents girls of colour. However, although Billy is physically brave and the rescue is funny, she is clever - she discovers why the dragon took her cat in the first place in a really smart plot twist. Cleverness, cats, girl knights and dragons called Simon... absolutely brilliant!

Edward and Aingelda Ardizzone Published by Puffin Ages 5 and upwards Bringing another classic to the fore here - because I have never forgotten this story of the little doll in a matchbox among the frozen peas and it's so touching! This short story is easy to read with one or two sentences and charming black and white illustrations on each page. The creativity of using miniature items in this story makes it and the illustrations unforgettable - the doll makes a match box bed and plays tennis with the peas using a spoon. Yet this tale has so much heart and depth, because the little girl is full of compassion for the little doll in the freezer that no-one pays attention to. She makes tiny clothes herself to keep the doll warm, she delivers them wrapped up as gifts, exciting the doll. These are beautiful, thoughtful examples of kindness - and what makes this children's classic, written in 1966, timeless.

By Patricia Hegarty Illustrated by Greg Abbott Published by Little Tiger All ages The story is a straightforward, lovely message of inclusion. On each page, different animals who have lost their home join mouse in building a big house for them all to live in - each time using an "everybody's welcome" refrain. However the highlight of this book for me is the illustration of each animal finding happiness in joining in. See? This board book is so beautifully made that it makes a perfect gift book, as well as a story book.

By Rachel Bright and Chris Chatterton Published by Orchard Books All ages How can a book about anxiety also be adorable? Because Worrysaurus is a seriously cute little dinosaur! These soft, simple illustrations show not only Worrysaurus on a picnic, but also what he is worrying about. At the centre of this story however is how he uses techniques to refocus - my favourite is him hugging his teddy! Anyone anxious, big or small can relate to this heartwarming tale of a dinosaur overcoming his anxiety and learning to enjoy the present moment - or picnic! 

By Matt Carr Published by Egmont All ages This cover pops out at you like confetti and I love it! This story of Ron the rhinocorn is my picturebook of the month.  Ron knows that rhinos are meant to be grey, grumpy and solitary but he just doesn't feel that way. He, along with an amazing group of meerkats set out to change the rules and get colourful in the process... There are two aspects to this book that I love. The first is that it encourages creativity and expression (I too, love pink and stars...) The second is that the meerkats defend and help Ron (as well as paint pretty flowers). This book is bright, fun and full of colour, but ultimately the story is about Ron and the meerkats being brave. I heart it. Buy on Waterstones.com  

By Beatrice Blue Published by Frances Lincoln Children's Books All ages This really sweet and gorgeous picture book tells the story of how June teaches a little horse to fly in a magic forest and how unicorns got their horns. My favourite part of this book is June finding the 'tiny magic horses' in the forest - HOW UTTERLY CUTE! However, the heart of this story is about finding magic through helping others to be happy. A delightful little read. Buy on Waterstones.com

By Britta Teckentrup Published by Little Tiger Group. All ages. This is a simple but poignant picture book featuring lovely illustrations of animals across different habitats with rhyming text describing their similarities. There are little cutouts throughout that link the different pictures and text in a subtle but clever way. The illustrations are just gorgeous - my favourite is the cat family on the first page. Animal and nature lovers will enjoy this picture book that also promotes reflection on our world and its creatures. Buy on Waterstones.com

By Amy Krouse Rosenthal and illustrated by Brigette Barrager Published by Random House New York All ages. Uni the Unicorn (also featured on this blog) is one of my favourite picture books - it is so beautiful (and also now all over my store...). However it is all about the dreaming and the reader only imagines Uni and the little girl meeting.... UNTIL NOW! This hardback features even more illustrations, colour, rainbows and unicorns than the first book. However, my favourite part of this story is the little girl and Uni helping other animals... just like they dream they do in the first one. A magical picture companion to fans of the original book! Buy on Waterstones.com

By Judith Kerr Published by HarperCollins children's books All ages There is so much to love about this classic picture book. It's funny - Mog sees a 'walking tree', dreams of mice and is mistaken for Father Christmas. It's beautiful - Kerr's illustration of Mog is cute, expressive and lifelike throughout. What I love the most is that Mog is part of the family Christmas, with her own present and the picture of Debbie cuddling Mog by the Christmas tree is one of the cutest images ever. A perfect Christmas gift for cat lovers of any age! Buy on Waterstones.com

Beatrix Potter  Published by Puffin  7 years old and upwards  This beautiful cover illustration by the incomparable Beatrix Potter is called 'Louisa Pussycat Sleeps Late'.  The Fairy Caravan by Potter is less well known than her books for younger children and has fewer (but still wonderful) illustrations. However this longer book deserves just as much appreciation for her imagination, humour and charm. After an unfortunate incident with hair potion (!), Tupenny the guinea pig runs away and joins a little travelling circus of animals that are invisible to the 'Big Folk'. The tales that follow in each chapter are both stories of the group's adventures and of stories they hear from other animals. These range from fanciful - cats running a costume shop; to serious - sheep being rescued by shepherds; to magical and mysterious woodland adventures and tree fairies.  Highlights for me include a charming Christmas scene where the chickens think ...

By Rihannan Fielding and Chris Chatterton Published by Ladybird All ages What's better than a sparkly unicorn book? A Christmas sparkly unicorn book!  This picture book is a new festive addition to the cute 'Ten Minutes to Bed' picture book series and a second pre- bedtime adventure for Twinkle the little unicorn. This time, told in the same style of a rhyming countdown, it's Christmas Eve and 10 minutes before Twinkle's bedtime she meets Father Christmas who has one missing poorly reindeer but lots of presents to deliver. Is there enough time for Twinkle to help? The illustrations throughout are all on a purple-blue-pastel background which is gorgeous. The pictures of Twinkle with all the reindeer are guaranteed to make you smile, as are the little touches such as the poorly reindeer's hot water bottle or the excited rabbits that appear throughout the book.  This is a pretty, perfect, picture book gift for little ones and unicorn lover...

By Kathryn Cave and Chris Riddell Published by Puffin All ages This is one of my all time favourite picture books that touched my heart immediately. I believe should be considered a 'classic'. It has deservedly won the UNESCO Prize and been shortlisted for the Smarties Prize and the Kate Greenaway Medal.  'Something Else' (pictured on the cover with his adorable mini-me teddy that I love) is called that because that's how everyone else sees him. He is 'different' and made to feel lonely for it. Until he meets another creature considered 'different'... The text is simple and short, but, paired with such vivid and emotional illustrations proves so powerful in few words:  'He didn't see the things they saw'. The first time I read it - and I mean read Riddell's expressive pictures just as much as Cave's text - I nearly cried with the empathy I felt for 'Something Else'.  This story is about fr...

By Kieran Larwood Published by Faber & Faber Ages 9 and upwards Book one captivated us with the story of these bunnies, and book two continues the tale of Podkin and his company with a new mission, some new characters and new special gifts/weapons but much the same imagination, emotion and suspense as the first. The gifts play a crucial part in this book - and the most exciting parts are when Podkin and Paz get to use them. (The ability to grow plants to overcome the evil iron reminds me of Tolkien and Blake's love of nature over industry in their writing, but here with the added benefit of bunnies...) Book two also focuses a little more on the narrating bard himself, which connects past and present stories for the reader through his experiences and hints at a bigger story... Both books one and two have now proven riveting rabbit reads of skilled storytelling with immersive worlds - the wonderful illustrations included. You will love these characters. Buy from Wa...

By Eric Carle Published by Puffin All ages Time for one of my favourites... because I think this is one of the most beautiful picture books there is (but not as well known as a certain caterpillar...)! This story highlights the male seahorses and fish that carry and look after eggs instead of the female - which makes it a unique picture book to begin with, however visually this is Carle at his colourful best. Mister Seahorse himself is a BEAUTIFUL work of art (and wait for the babies!). This seahorse, with the fish and plants make for such vibrant images on each page. In addition, some sea plants are on see-through pages for both a collage AND hide-and-seek effect for the reader. This art, story and format makes for a very special, standout, picture book. Buy on Waterstones.com

By Michael Bond Published by HarperCollins  Ages 5 yrs and upwards  There are many Paddington adaptations and editions now, so I wanted to go back to the first, original story and illustrations, to see what lies at the heart of this classic and loved character. Right at the start, Paddington, with no home or relatives in England, is taken in and accepted by the Brown family as one of their own. This alone is a heartwarming and timeless message. Bond writes with such humour too: 'Mr Brown... stirred his tea and looked out of the window, pretending he had tea with a bear on Paddington station every day of his life'. The stories that follow show Paddington himself as extremely endearing and cute as he innocently and accidentally gets into trouble or an odd situation - often just trying to help and sometimes with hilarious effect: 'Mr Brown... looked as though he had just been struck by lightening...' However, there are some inspired moment...

By Kieran Larwood  Published by Faber & Faber 9 yrs and upwards I was drawn to this book by the beautiful cover alone, then learnt it was a Lord of the Rings-type adventure story -  but with bunnies... Sold! Podkin and his two siblings (the baby is so darn cute) make a bunny Baudelaire-esque trio who escape the evil Gorm (Orc-like rabbits). They face danger wherever they go, but are helped by a kind witch, a blind sellsword (that's a very exciting chapter btw) and a secret, special weapon...  The tale itself is narrated by a travelling rabbit bard to a group of excited little rabbit listeners. But the story is so gripping that I felt the suspense almost more than the rabbits listening themselves!  I found the woodland and rabbit folklore setting enchanting, the story engrossing and  the illustrations inside by David Wyatt exquisite accompaniments. There are some sad and scary moments, but this adventure of a one-eared little ...

By Michael Whaite Published by Puffin books All ages This picture book is a fun, colourful celebration of all kinds of cat - including their different personalities. The types of cat are part of an overarching rhyme which finishes in a wonderful illustrated collage of cats.  Readers who have or know cats will enjoy choosing or matching them to the ones in the book - I know I did! Buy on waterstones.com  

By Nicholas Bowling Published by Chicken House 13 yrs and upwards I was excited to discover this YA novel as it is set in Tudor London with witch hunts, an asylum escape, Queen Elizabeth AND Mary Queen of Scots... not to mention it has a beautiful cover!  The story centres around orphaned Alyce, who is  trying to find help from John Dee of Queen Elizabeth's court  whilst being on the run from grim witch hunters and a ghostly Mary Queen of Scots. She picks up a companion, Solomon, along the way and is mysteriously followed by a raven wherever she goes... This YA novel is full of intrigue, surprise and imaginative descriptions of old London. The biggest surprise early on is that *Spoiler Alert* Queen Mary Stuart is a witch! I immediately thought of 'Antickes and Frets' by Susanna Clarke who has Mary cleverly perform subtle magic through her embroidery, but Bowling's Mary wants to conquer all using use dark magic and therefore is more of a 'villa...

By Chris Wormell  Published by David Fickling Books 9 yrs and upwards This wonderfully illustrated adventure story is about a lonely and mistreated girl called Clementine trying to escape from her horrible aunt and uncle who live in the Great Black City. Locked in the house, she dreams of The Magic Place... but one day she gets a chance to escape and her adventure begins. Little does she know though, that someone out there is searching for her too... Clementine is aided by her best friend Gilbert, a very clever cat and the drawings of them both together are my favourite illustrations in book. Gilbert being crucial to the story is what initially drew me to this book. The writing and characters are reminiscent of Roald Dahl and Lemony Snicket; the aunt and uncle are typical villains, (and sometimes violent) but they also get what they deserve...  The story involves roof-top chases, a big twist, hero dogs, a very important toy rabbit and of course, cruci...

By Julia Donaldson and Alex Scheffler Published by Scholastic All ages 'The Ugly Five' isn't as well known as The Gruffalo and friends... but it should be!  Each illustration of the savannah animals with the African Plains backgrounds by Scheffler are colourful and gorgeous- but the moral of the tale is just as beautiful.  The text is the traditional silly and memorable rhyme that Donaldson does well, but this time is based on a song that changes with each new animal who joins in... with a lovely twist on the song at the end. Five animals including a warthog and wildebeest sing about how 'ugly' they are (how they see themselves) until their REALLY cute baby animals appear and tell them the truth and how they see them. Cue perception and song change.  In short, 'The Ugly Five' is adorable.