Kids

‘Ask Me’ by Antje Damm
(Frances Lincoln, £9.99)
A beautifully simple concept: each double-page spread features a question on one side and an attractive illustration or photograph on the other. The idea is that you can open it at random and use it as a jumping-off point for all kinds of discussions.
Sample questions ‘How do you make people laugh? … Is there anything good about being ill? … Do you think you have a guardian angel?’
Best for Parents will find the book excitingly open-ended, while children are simultaneously charmed and challenged. And once kids can read, they can use the book among themselves without adult intervention, too. A huge hit with my six-year-old.

'Opposites'

‘Opposites’ by Robert Crowther
(Walker Books, £9.99)
Pull-tabs transform bright, colourful pictures from one opposite to another: light to dark, up to down etc. There are lots of baby books which introduce basic concepts in a similar way, but this is particularly charming in its execution, and sturdy enough to withstand significant toddler abuse, too.
Best for Those who can spend, without hyperventilating, a tenner on a book containing thirty words in total, and/or those looking for a nice gift. Feature continues

'Tiger on a Tree'

‘Tiger on a Tree’ by Anushka Ravishankar and Pulak Biswas
(Tara, £11.99)
This wonderfully tactile book is hand-printed in two colours on what looks like handmade paper, and has a look and feel (and smell) quite unlike most kids’ books. It tells of an adventurous tiger which strays into human territory and the humans who decide, after all, to let it go freely on its way.
Sample line ‘Tiger on a tree? Rubbish cannot be. It’s true I saw it too! Now what to do?’
Best for Very young kids. Or anyone who assumed there wasn’t room in the world for yet another children’s book about tigers.

'Celebrity Cat'

‘Celebrity Cat’ by Meredith Hooper and Bee Willey
(Frances Lincoln, £11.99)
In my experience, any attempt to bring high culture to children via books like this usually ends in the culture being lost along the way. But it’s worth recommending this effort, which paints cats into the scenes of old masters, because it’s so beautifully drawn – and because it also functions as a cautionary tale about celebrity, a point always worth hammering home.
Sample line ‘ “Felissima Cat,” said the Chief of all Cats, “for too long we have been left out of paintings. You and I will travel the world. Everyone must see how important we cats really are.” ’
Best for Cat-lovers aged four to six; fans of artists Jake and Dinos Chapman’s ‘Insult to Injury’.

'Sausages'

‘Sausages’ by Jessica Souhami
(Frances Lincoln, £10.99)
A comic retelling of the age-old tale about three magic wishes which end up being wasted. John the woodcutter and his shrill wife Martha dream of riches but end up with sausages – and of course, a greater understanding of what’s really important in life.
Sample line ‘ “I wish these silly sausages were stuck to the end of your nose!” And guess what…’
Best for Anyone, aged three upwards, who understands that a man with a string of sausages stuck to his nose is very, very funny indeed.

'The Cow on the Roof'

‘The Cow on the Roof’ by Eric Maddern and Paul Hess
(Frances Lincoln, £10.99)
This European folk-tale was new to me, but it turns out to be a hilarious, and distinctly feminist, parable about a man who believes a woman’s work is easy – until he tries it for himself. He ends up falling down the chimney head first into a pot of porridge, while his cow is nearly strangled to death by falling off the roof. Needless to say, beer is involved in this sorry tale.
Sample line ‘Outside, the poor cow was hanging by her neck, her feet just touching the ground, crying “Mooeeaagh! Mooeeaagh!” ’
Best for Slapstick fans aged four and up, and adults who enjoy a comic tale told with real relish, and the fun of reading it aloud. Great illustrations too.

'Encyclopedia Prehistorica: Sharks and Other Sea Monsters'

‘Encyclopedia Prehistorica: Sharks and Other Sea Monsters’ by Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart
(Walker Books, £18.99)
The follow-up to the same team’s ‘Dinosaurs’ is another masterpiece of pop-up paper technology, this time focusing on the prehistoric underwater world. The book’s a technical tour de force, but it also contains enough facts to keep your pint-sized anorak happy for hours.
Sample line ‘The 14-metre-long neck of elasmosaurus, the longest of any plesiosaur, contained 76 bones.’
Best for Anyone with the dino-bug, but I’d be wary of presenting it to a child under six or so, because it won’t stand up to much rough treatment.

'Captain's Abdul's Little Treasure'

‘Captain’s Abdul’s Little Treasure’ by Colin McNaughton
(Walker Books, £10.99)
A mean old pirate and his crew on The Golden Behind are saddled with a baby for a week while their wives go off for a bit of pirating fun. A story bursting with great jokes, shouting, explosions, insults, and people falling about laughing.
Sample line ‘ “We’ll change ’is nappy, ye great soppy sack o’ seaweed!” roared the captain. “No fear!” cried Khan. “I’m not goin’ near the rear!” ’
Best for Apparently aimed at dads, but no sane person will pass up the opportunity to read in an ooh-arggh pirate voice and sing silly songs. Age four-plus.