Kids

‘Moby-Dick – A Pop-Up Book’
Sam Ita
(£14.99)
Sam Ita was taught by the great pop-up king Robert Sabuda, and you can see the influence in this lavish retelling of Melville’s classic, which packs mini-pops in beside the large show-offy piece in the middle of each spread. Ita has gone in a new direction too, though, adding graphic novel-style strips to tell the story of Captain Ahab’s doomed obsession. It might be slightly confusing if you’re not familiar with the story, but it’s a stunning piece of paper engineering. Age 6+, but not for destructive types.

‘King Pom and the Fox’
Jessica Souhami
(Frances Lincoln, £11.99)
A retelling of a Chinese folk story with strong similarities to ‘Puss in Boots’. A poor man, with only one pomegranate tree to his name, becomes rich through the scheming and lying of his foxy friend. Extra points for having no moral backbone whatsoever, plus a bonus for best use of a trendy fruit in a kids’ book. Age 4+. Feature continues

'The Art Book For Children Book Two’
Amanda Renshaw
(Phaidon, £12.95)
The first instalment was a must-have item for parents keen to expose their little ones to high culture from an early age, and this second instalment is just as handsome and fun to share. The idea is to look in detail at an artwork – most of them are paintings – and then ponder its meaning, the social history it contains and the artist’s way of working. The 30 explored in this volume range from Hockney to Dali and from Seurat to Raphael and Henry Moore. Age 5+.

‘Not A Box’
Antoinette Portis
(Harper Collins, £10.99)
Simple and appealing, this book makes its points through pictures rather than words as a little rabbit plays with a cardboard box which becomes, in turn, a racing car, a rocket, a burning building, a mountain, and so on. Nicely packaged in a cardboard cover, it looks like a kids’ classic in the making. Age 2+.

‘Do Not Open: An Encyclopedia of the World’s Best-Kept Secrets’
(Dorling Kindersley, £19.99)
Packaged within an eye-catching silver box, this is clearly aimed at kids who don’t go in for novel-reading, but might be tempted by something chunky and fact-based. Though slightly American in emphasis – there’s a double-page spread on the design of the dollar bill, for instance – this collection of conspiracies, hoaxes, spies and strange facts might have to be prised out of adult fingers by the intended recipient. Age 10+.

‘That’s How I See Things’
Sirish Rao, illustrated by Bhajju Shyam
(Tara Books, £10.99)
Artist Siena Baba likes using his imagination to draw strange hybrid creatures like the Croco-Rooster and the Monk-Upuine, but when his creations start talking back and complaining to him about their muddled state, he does the only sensible thing – he goes for a nice nap. A story told just for the fun of it, and Bhajju Shyam’s gorgeous illustrations make this especially pleasing. Age 4+.

‘Everybody’s Activity Book’
Pascale Estellon
(Thames & Hudson, £12.95)
Lots of things to cut, stick, colour and draw in this delightful large-format book – there are sheets of shapes and stickers included. Pre-school concepts are introduced and it will be heaven for small people at the scribbling stage, since they’re positively encouraged to add their personal interpretations to what’s printed on the page. Age 2-4.

‘Monsters Are Afraid of the Moon’
Marjane Satrapi
(Bloomsbury, £5.99)
Little Marie is plagued by monsters at night until she cuts the moon out of the sky and hangs it over her bed. But what about the nightlight needs of the town’s feline population? The King Cat is called in to offer Marie a deal in this good-natured fable. Probably not the best gift for a child who’s genuinely terrified of the dark, though. Age 3+.

‘The Backward Day’
Ruth Krauss, illustrated by Marc Simont
(New York Review Children’s Collection, £9.99)
One of a series of reprints by the New York publisher, the adventures of a boy who decides to do everything backwards are presented with their original 1950 illustrations. Cute – and the sight of mother squeezing herself backwards into baby’s high chair is guaranteed to cause hilarity. Age 3+.

‘The Story of Violet’
Tereza Stehlíková
(Gotogetherpress.com £5.99)
A sweet tale about a dissatisfied young girl who learns through her dreams that imagination is the key to happiness. Very prettily illustrated, though the Polish translation of the text on each page is slightly redundant unless you’re from a bilingual family or have ambitious linguistic aspirations for your child. Age 8+.