Allan Ahlberg (Illus. Katharine McEwen), The Man Who Wore All His Clothes

Walker Books, 9780744589955

The Gaskitts seem like an ordinary family, but strange things happen to them. One day, Mr Gaskitt puts on all his clothes and sets off for work. On the same day, Mrs Gaskitt picks up a robber in her car and Gus and Gloria Gaskitt have a lot of trouble with their teacher at school. How all these incidents come together is wittily told. The drama is perfectly captured in the details of the illustrations.

Nicholas Allan, The Queen's Knickers

Red Fox, 9780099413141

Have you ever thought what kind of knickers the Queen might be wearing underneath all that finery? This is an affectionate and delightful exposé of the not often explored subject of the Queen and her underwear. After considering the many different and very special kinds of knickers the Queen has - including ones with real holly in them which she wears while giving her Christmas speech, which explains why it is so short - this looks in particular at what kind of knickers the Queen should wear on a school visit.

Janine Amos, It's Mine!

Cherrytree, 9781842344170

A simple story with good photographs to match encourages children to think about the need for sharing and how it may be achieved. There's only one piece of gold paper left and both Yim and Rena want it. Can they work on it together? What happens when the picture is finished and they both want to take it home? Luckily, the teacher is there to give good advice and these difficulties can be resolved. Teacher's Notes at the back suggest how to use the book for extension activities.

Giles Andreae (Illus. Russell Ayto), Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs: Missing Treasure!

Puffin, 9780141382067

Flinn's new encounter with the pirate dinosaur is a hectic and vivid adventure involving danger on the high seas. On a visit to the museum, Flinn learns that some valuable treasure has gone missing. It doesn't take him long to discover who the thieves might be. Pirates Tyrannosaurus Rex, Stegosaurus, Triceratops and Diplodocus are at the bottom of it and, while Flinn dreams his dramatic imaginary dream, he plays a major part in its recovery. Rich in imagination, this is a visually powerful book.

Ronda Armitage and David Armitage, The Lighthouse Keeper's Lunch

Scholastic, 9781407103150

Every day Mr Grinling is out at work making sure that his lighthouse is shining bright across the sea, keeping the ships safe. And, every day, Mrs Grinling cooks him a delicious lunch which she packs in a basket and sends across to the lighthouse on a wire suspended high above the sea. But one day something dreadful happens. Three scavenging seagulls attack the basket and enjoy all the delicious food. How on earth can they be stopped? The details that make a lighthouse keeper's life so different and special give this book an original and fascinating setting. Attempts to outwit the seagulls - whose greedy comments are fun to read in speech bubbles - are hilarious.

Antonia Barber (Illus. Nicola Bayley), The Mousehole Cat

Walker Books, 9780744523539

Mowzer the cat and Old Tom the fisherman fight the Great Storm-Cat as she tries to sweep into the Cornish village of Mousehole one dark and very stormy night. Bravely they sail out into the heaving sea where they must tame the cat into gentle, purring submission. A long, flowing story full of beauty is perfectly matched by illustrations that capture the moods and allure of the sea.

Simon Bartram, Man on the Moon: A Day in the Life of Bob

Templar, 9781840114911

Follow a day in the life of Bob, the Man on the Moon, in this fresh story about life out in space which is told with the most delightful deadpan humour. Every day, Bob gets up and goes about his daily business. He looks after the Moon keeping it swept and tidy, entertaining visitors who expect to see him moonwalking and selling them souvenirs. At four-thirty the visitors must leave so Bob checks that everyone has departed safely before packing everything up and heading for home. But there's one thing that Bob doesn't know anything about. Aliens! Readers do and they love the joke that is going on in the illustrations behind Bob's back.

Stella Blackstone (Illus. Maria Carluccio), Skip Through the Seasons

Barefoot Books, 9781905236701

A hide and seek book that encourages looking and talking as it is full of things to find on each of the seasonal spreads. There's a wintery January, a windy March, a splashy April right through until all the celebrations that come with December. Lots to talk about, new words to learn and, at the end, an introduction to some of the different kinds of calendars that have been used through the ages.

Michael Bond (Illus. Peggy Fortnum), A Bear Called Paddington

HarperCollins, 9780007174164

Paddington Bear has travelled alone all the way from Darkest Peru with only a single suitcase containing a jar of marmalade, and turns up unexpectedly on Paddington Station. Luckily, a label on the suitcase says, 'PLEASE LOOK AFTER THIS BEAR. THANK YOU', and kind Mrs Brown decides to do just that. Full of domestic details to which Paddington adds a touch of the exotic, the adventures this small bear has as he does - and doesn't! - adapt to his new life are touching and funny.

Tony Bradman (Illus. Martin Chatterton), The Mummy Family Find Fame

Egmont, 9781405218771

The Mummy Family are broke. None of the ways they can think of making money are very attractive until they hit on the idea of entering a family TV show. Trying to be good and nice all the time turns out to be very hard indeed. Luckily, the producers want something completely different so when the family let themselves go and behave as they normally do everyone is happy. Busy illustrations capture the quirky Mummy Family perfectly while the simple text tells a more straightforward story.

Anthony Browne, Gorilla

Walker Books, 9780744594393

Hannah loves gorillas. She longs to go to the zoo to see a real one but her father is always too busy to take her. One amazing night, a gorilla arrives to see her. Together they have a perfect night out and end up dancing together in the moonlight. The backgrounds of Anthony Browne's illustrations are packed full of visual jokes which add an extra dimension to the touching story he tells.

Dawn Casey, Fox Fables

Mantra Lingua,

Dual Language. Available in 34 languages

Fox Fables is two stories in one volume. The first is a version of an Aesop's fable. The fox and the crane try to outwit each other with tricks about different ways of eating. The second is a Chinese story, 'The King of the Forest'. Here, the cunning fox needs all his skills to outsmart the tiger and prove that he really is the King of the Forest. Children can draw lessons from both while enjoying the tense drama and the beautiful illustrations.

Dawn Casey (Illus. Richard Holland), Yeh-Hsien: A Chinese Cinderella

Mantra Lingua,

Dual Language. Available in 24 languages

The very oldest story of Cinderella comes from China, although it has been adopted all over the world. Yeh-Hsien has a wicked step-mother and mean sisters who keep her in drudgery. When spring comes, Yeh-Hsien longs to go to the Spring Festival in the village but she knows she will never be allowed to. Luckily, she has a magic fish... All ends happily in this beautiful version set against a vivid Chinese background.

Emma Chichester Clark, Eliza and the Moonchild

Andersen Press, 9781842705773

Up on the moon, a wild Moonchild tires of the dull black and white world in which he lives. Peering through a telescope he sees the Earth and all the colours on it. Slipping away one night, he zooms down to Earth. He meets Eliza who introduces him to all the wonderful colours and sends him home with a memory of them. Beautiful illustrations convey the two contrasting worlds of the Moon and Earth in a heart-warming story about friendship across a divide.

Roald Dahl, The Enormous Crocodile

Puffin, 9780140568226

This story about how the Enormous Crocodile with his hundreds of sharp teeth sets about trying to trick the children into becoming a nice juicy morsel for his lunch is delightfully scary. Singing his greedy song, the Enormous Crocodile rampages through the jungle hatching his 'secret plans and clever tricks'. These include pretending to be a coconut tree, stretching himself out to become a see-saw in the playground, and disguising himself as a bench in the picnic area. Luckily, the animals in the jungle do everything in their power to stop him including, finally, hurling him into space where he meets a satisfyingly revolting end.

Roald Dahl, Fantastic Mr Fox

Puffin, 9780141322650

To save his family, Mr Fox must pit his wits against the three nasty farmers, Boggis, Bunce and Bean. He'll do anything to steal their chickens and they'll do anything to stop him. Then Boggis, Bunce and Bean hatch a very clever plan which, they are sure, will force Mr Fox to give up. But Mr Fox has a fantastic plan of his own. A hard fought fight with some really repulsive villains, this is a perfect story for beginning readers.

Alexis Deacon, Beegu

Red Fox, 9780099417446

Full of pathos and charm, Beegu is a moving story about a small space creature who arrives on Earth. Beegu is lost but she is a friendly creature so she determines to try to make friends. At first, she can't find anyone who can understand her, but when she spies some children playing at school she's sure that that is the perfect place for her. And it is. At last Beegu is made to feel welcome. When she finally gets home safely she remembers the love the children gave her and hopes that they will remember her with affection, too.

Berlie Doherty (Illus. Jane Ray), Jinnie Ghost

Frances Lincoln, 9781845073282

There's a spell-binding lyricism to this magical story about Jinnie Ghost who floats along the street calling on all the children as they sleep. Jinnie Ghost brings dreams, beautiful dreams, frightening dreams, active dreams and Jane Ray captures them all in her cleverly created and atmospheric illustrations.

Jacques Duquennoy, Loch Ness Ghosts

Frances Lincoln, 9781845074487

Four adventurous ghosts set off to look for the elusive Loch Ness Monster. Properly prepared with cameras and binoculars - as well as a good supply of food and drink and fishing rods for whiling away the boring wait - the four settle down to some serious monster spotting. Alas! Their luck is out. The holiday must end and they haven't seen the monster appear. Or have they? Readers can enjoy the joke of seeing what the ghosts cannot in this charming and original story.

Michael Foreman, Dinosaurs and All That Rubbish

Puffin, 9780140552607

Published ahead of its time, the conservation message of this book is now highly topical. Man looks at a distant star and thinks it seems a lot more attractive than the Earth he is about to leave. But why is the Earth unattractive? Because Man has spoilt it. Built over and rubbish strewn, it is a mess. Man can only return if he promises to clear up the mess and share the Earth in future. Brilliant illustrations convey an important message without preaching.

Michael Foreman, Mia's Story

Walker Books, 9781406305333 / 9781844282784

Subtitled 'A Sketchbook of Hopes & Dreams', this looks below the surface of how people live and discovers the warmth and courage often hiding underneath hardship. Mia's home is a huddle of shacks perching on inhospitable terrain somewhere between the city and the mountains. Everything is makeshift and ramshackle; but Mia's life is full of small excitements, daily surprises and, above all, the amazing future Mia creates for herself by growing flowers. This is both a beautiful picture book and a moving and thoughtful insight into the lives of others.

Michael Foreman, Seal Surfer

Andersen Press, 9781842705780

This is a lyrical story beautifully illustrated with pictures that capture the watery Cornish landscape. It tells of the growing relationship between a boy and the seal he watches from the moment of its birth. Through the spring and summer, the boy observes the seal pup grow from his vantage point on the rocks. In winter he fears for its safety but when spring returns, the seal cub reappears. Together the boy and his seal friends surf the roaring waves. Only clues in the pictures show that the boy walks with crutches.

Sally Fraser (Illus. Derek Brazell), Grandma's Saturday Soup

Mantra Lingua,

Dual Language. Available in 30 languagues

Mimi loves her Grandma and during the week everything she does reminds her of the things Grandma does and says. Most of all, they remind her of Grandma's wonderful Saturday soup, full of yams and green bananas and cho-cho and pumpkin and much else besides. It is delicious! Luckily, when Saturday comes around, Mimi visits Grandma and gets a helping of her most favourite soup. Grandma's stories about Jamaica are picked up in the atmospheric illustrations which contrast snowy scenes of life at home with the warmth and light of the Caribbean.

Emily Gravett, Meerkat Mail

Macmillan, 9781405090759

Adventurous Sunny the Meerkat leaves home one day in search of somewhere perfect to live. He visits several relations in very different places and experiences all kinds of new difficulties before coming full circle and finding that home is best. Told through Sunny's postcards home which comment wittily on each of the very fully illustrated places he visits, this is a wonderful travelog as well as a warm-hearted reminder of the delights of home.

Mini Grey, The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon

Bodley Head, 9780099475767

A lyrical story gives a rich and inventive background to the simple nursery rhyme about the Dish and the Spoon. Here, we discover the depth of their romance as it leads them to run away to search for adventure and an exciting new life. They sail away to New York where they find fame, fortune - and disaster. Beautiful spreads full of filmic imagery make this a story of dreams, especially when the Dish and the Spoon are happily reunited.

Mairi Hedderwick, Katie Morag and the Dancing Class

Bodley Head, 9780370329109

Katie Morag, already the heroine of many stories about life on the Island of Struay, is back. It has been decided that the children on Struay should have dancing lessons. Katie Morag, whose favourite footwear is Wellington boots, is not pleased! But her two grannies are adamant. Grandma Mainland orders a pink leotard and pink ballet shoes and even sews a frilly frou-frou skirt to wear on top. Poor Katie Morag! Dressed in her ballet clothes, she sets off every Saturday but, somehow, each week, something stops her from arriving in time. Luckily, Katie Morag doesn't miss it all. What a surprise Grandma Mainland gets when Katie Morag appears, but everyone agrees that her tap dancing in her tacky Wellingtons is brilliant!

Mary Hoffman (Illus. Karin Littlewood), The Colour of Home

Frances Lincoln, 9780711219915

Hassan is finding it hard to adjust to living in a new country. Everything is different and, although the children in his new school are friendly, he cannot understand what they say. Worst of all, everything is cold, rainy and grey. A thoughtful text and pictures which show the contrasts in his life vividly trace Hassan's journey towards integration as he gradually leaves behind the violence he has escaped from and begins to embrace his new world.

Mary Hoffman (Illus. Cornelius van Wright), Princess Grace

Frances Lincoln, 9781845075323

Grace, the feisty and much-loved heroine of previous titles, returns in this entertaining and thoughtful story about what makes a princess. Grace has always wanted to be a princess so when the chance to be one in the carnival comes along, she jumps at it. But what exactly do princesses do? Just standing there in a pink dress doesn't seem to be enough. Luckily Grace finds out that there are all kinds of other princesses who are brave and clever and she and her friends can each be one.

Rebecca Hunter (Illus. Chris Fairclough), Postman

Cherrytree, 9781842342961

The many processes that take place between the posting of a letter and its arrival are recorded in these photographs and their clear and simple accompanying text. Postman Gurmail describes his day at a mail centre in Wolverhampton. He explains how a postbox gets emptied, how the letters get sorted, how they are delivered, and the excitement when they are received, in this useful first information book.

Satoshi Kitamura, Stone Age Boy

Walker Books, 9781406303353

A modern boy trips, falls ... and finds himself in another world. He's in the Stone Age and soon he's learning how to live without all the things he's used to. His new friends show him how to make a fire with two sticks, to smoke meat and to have fun singing and dancing without electronic equipment. They even show him their amazing cave paintings. Just as he's admiring them, he's knocked over by a huge cave bear and he falls down, down, down back into his own world. This is a book to savour as you soak up information about how life was lived long ago. Useful notes at the back reinforce its value.

Laurie Krebs (Illus. Anne Wilson), We're Sailing Down the Nile

Barefoot Books, 9781846860393

All aboard! A wonderful trip down the Nile is a perfect introduction to Egypt. Sail past statues and temples and an oasis and palm trees. Sail to the Valley of the Kings where a guide shows the tomb of Tutankhamun. Sail by the Pyramids. It's a beautiful and fascinating journey. Additional factual information makes this a useful reference book too.

Neal Layton, Mammoth Academy

Hodder, 9780340930298

Woolly mammoths, like everyone else, have to go to school. Oscar and Arabella get letters from The Mammoth Academy telling them what they need to bring when they start. Nervously they begin their schooldays with Owl, Prunella, Fox and Cave Cat under the watchful eye of a stern headmistress. Familiar school incidents are made fresh and original in this Ice Age variant. Some wonderfully hairy creatures are entertainingly shown in the accompanying illustrations.

Richard Leffingwell, Adding and Counting On

Raintree, 9781406203950

Using objects found in everyday life, this is a pictorial introduction to some fundamental mathematical concepts. Each problem posed is followed by a step-by-step guide that explains how it can be solved and gives visual reinforcement through clear photographs.

Eric Maddern (Illus. Paul Hess), The Cow on the Roof

Frances Lincoln, 9781845075910

Who works harder, Shon or Sian? Shon thinks he does while his wife lazes about at home. So they decide to swap. Sian goes out to work in the fields while Shon takes care of the house. And what a tangle he gets into as the pig licks up the cream, the ale floods the cellar and he falls head first into the porridge after he's put the cow to graze on the roof. Some classic hapless disasters in this stylish retelling of a familiar folktale.

Hilary McKay (Illus. Sam Hearn), Charlie and the Great Escape

Scholastic, 9780439944298

Seven-year-old Charlie lives with his brother Max who's eleven and his parents who are ancient. Sometimes he feels he has a very sad and hard life. Everyone is always getting at him. When it all gets too much, Charlie decides to run away. Overladen with bags, he sets off crossly, slamming the door behind him, but Charlie finds that running away isn't quite as easy as he'd thought. A delightfully humorous story with an engaging young hero.

David McKee, Not Now, Bernard

Andersen Press, 9780099240501

'Not now, Bernard,' Bernard's busy parents always say, even when he warns them that there's a monster in the garden who is going to eat him up. And the Monster does eat Bernard up. Now the monster comes into the house. Bernard's parents are still too busy to pay him any attention. They treat the monster as if he was Bernard. Is Bernard now a monster? A black comedy with scope for much individual interpretation.

Victoria Parker, Hard or Soft

Heinemann, 9780431174075

A simple, first introduction to the properties of everyday things. Working together to put on a display, the children have to think about what is soft and what is hard. Attractive action photographs show them experimenting and then putting on their display.

Jan Pienkowski, Haunted House

Walker Books, 9781844288748

Dare to be scared by letting yourself into this classic open-the-flap book that revolutionised the concept. Nasty creatures pop out at you, opening doors reveal delightfully disgusting mess - especially in the fridge - and scary skeletons flap out of wardrobes. In fact, it's all together pretty putrid and absolutely irrestistible!

Anushka Ravishankar (Illus. Emanuele Scanziani), To Market! To Market!

Tara Publishing, 9788186211991

All the hustle and bustle at a market is captured in this big format, fantastically designed and exuberant picture book. A little girl has some money in her pocket. What should she buy? Choices, choices ... And there's so much to see. So much that, in the end, she's had all the fun and not bought anything! Readers will also enjoy the visual treats brightly shown in the illustrations.

Chris Riddell, The Emperor of Absurdia

Macmillan, 9781405090285

The Emperor of Absurdia is only a small boy but he has a large and wondrous dream. Tumbling out of bed he falls into the arms of the Wardrobe Monster who dresses him appropriately for a most dangerous dragon hunt. How the Emperor gets safely back into the arms of the Wardrobe Monster and to his own bed rounds off a gloriously illustrated adventure in a world where everything is delightfully topsy-turvey.

Posy Simmonds, Baker Cat

Red Fox, 9780099455967

How an overworked and underfed cat teams up with outrageous mice and outwits the mean old baker and his lazy wife is a hilarious story of cunning and daring enterprise. Against the setting of a bakery filled with scrumptious and elegant cakes and a storeroom piled high with chocolate, nuts, huge bags of sugar and pots of jam, the cheeky mice run riot while the cat earns his food from the baker by fobbing him off with some knitted tails as proof of his mousing skills. Finally, the baker and his wife are seen off. Who will be in charge now? There are lots of jokes in the busy illustrations.

Francesca Simon (Illus. Tony Ross), Horrid Henry and the Abominable Snowman

Orion, 9781842550700

Yet more adventures for the outrageous Henry whose need to persecute his younger brother knows no bounds. Henry's eagerness to be best at everything means he will do anything and everything to win. With an unerring ability to capture the cruellest details of sibling rivalry, these stories are driven by an infectious humour that tempers the tension.

Andy Stanton (Illus. David Tazzyman), Mr Gum and the Biscuit Billionaire

Egmont, 9781405228152

Mr Gum's a nasty old man. He hates children, animals, fun, and every cartoon that has ever been made. But he loves money. So when he learns about a gingerbread man with electric muscles who is as rich as a mushroom, he is determined to get his hands on the cash. The question is, can he be stopped? And where does the biscuit come in?

John Steptoe (Illus. John Steptoe), Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters

Puffin, 9780140559460

How goodness is recognised and rewarded is the familiar folkstory theme of this charming African tale. Mufaro has two beautiful daughters: Manyara and her sister Nyasha. When the king calls for all beautiful girls to visit him with a view to becoming his bride, Mufaro plans to send both his girls. But Manyara is so jealous of Nyasha that she'll do everything she can to stop her reaching the king. Fortunately Nyasha's goodness goes before her and she earns her just reward.