In Silly Mummy, Silly Daddy by MarieLouise Fitzpatrick, who has opted here for a stronger palette than her signature watercolours, toddler Beth is not impressed with the grown-ups' baby-talk efforts to amuse. It takes big sister to put a smile on her face (Frances Lincoln £9.99).

Nick Butterworth's books are always sure to hit the right note.

Tiger (HarperCollins £10.99) tells of a kitten with big-cat ambitions. The comparisons between the tiger and kitten are illustrated with gigglealoud humour.

A different class of a tiger features in the timeless classic The Tiger Who Came To Tea by Judith Kerr (HarperCollins £5.99). First published in 1968, it is as fresh as ever.

When a tiger calls for tea to Sophie and her mum, he leaves the cupboards bare. Trust Dad to come up with the right solution. An entertaining observation of a child's imagination.

A less active creature yawns her way into Diary Of A Wombat by Jackie French and Bruce Whatley (HarperCollins £5.99). The sleepy creature who wakens only to eat, scratch and then sleep again, manages to cause chaos in her search for food and comfort. A satisfying and funny page-turner for three- to fiveyear olds.

For the child at nursery school, or about to start, I Can Do It! By Jana Novotny Hunter and Lucy Richards (Frances Lincoln £10.99) shows the fun day to be had discovering all the things to do - especially being noisy, quiet, strong and fast. Excellent book to share.

An absolute gem of a book is The Global Garden by Kate Petty and Jenny Maizels (Eden Project £12.99). With brilliant paper engineering to reveal how some plants grow into our food and what can be made from others, this is a book which will coax Diarmuid Gavin wannabes from the Playstation to the outdoors - whether it's a garden or a couple of flowerpots. An inspired, and fascinating look at nature.

Wildly Weird by Kaye Umansky (Barrington Stoke £4.99) tells the tale of Pinchton Primm whose home is neat and tidy. His mum is a tidy wife - very bossy - and his dad does what he's told. Next door lives the Weird family - messy, creative and full of fun. And they eat chips and other lovely junk - mouth-watering stuff for Pinchton who is more used to dishes like Sprout Surprise.

When Pinchton helps his pal, Ott Weird, to take her gran's strange potted plant to the plant competition, it takes on a mind of its own - plus several dainty pansies - which greatly upsets the gathered tweeds in hats. Perfect for the newly independent reader.

For the confident reader or the reluctant older reader, The Dirty Dozen by Tony Bradman (Barrington Stoke £4.99) is the exciting story of the birth of a soccer team. When Robbie Jones tries to join the posh Top Grove FC, he's sneeringly told to bring on his own team so that his skills can be seen. But Robbie has no team. Influenced by his dad's video The Dirty Dozen, about a bunch of scruffy deadbeats who are on a special mission behind enemy lines, he gathers his own scruffy lot to take on Top Grove. But can they possibly come up to scratch in so short a time?

Granuaile Sea Queen Of Ireland by Anne Chambers (Collins Press �?�5.99) begins with a well-structured and interesting account of life in 16th century Ireland, with its feuding chieftains and the efforts of England to gain full rule. Born into this environment, Granuaile, daughter of Dubhdara the commander of the O'Malley fleet, grew up knowing the importance of control of the seas and coastlines around Ireland.

Her exploits and sharp intelligence soon make her a true queen of the sea, respected and feared. This account of her life is related in an easy, straightforward style that makes it accessible and exciting for readers from nine and upwards.

While the soft pencil technique of the illustrations are successful, the figurative drawings are awkward and stiff.

"A cold, wet day in December.

The worst kind of day for the backlands." This intriguing and atmospheric beginning draws the reader into The Giant Under The Snow by John Gordon (Orion £9.99). On a school outing to the backlands, Jonk Winters becomes separated from the group and drifts into a dark grove where she finds a glittering object with ornate designs. Is the large dog that suddenly looms the guardian of the object? Rescued from the snarling beast by Elizabeth Goodenough, an old lady with strange powers, Jonk, along with her friends Arf and Bill, becomes involved in an ancient battle that encapsulates magic, evil and the undulating terror of the unseen.

This is scary fantasy as it should be written.

A deserving entry on the list for this year's Bisto award, Bill And Fred?

by John Quinn (O'Brien �?�7.95) is peopled by a cast of wonderful characters who bounce through a jaunty storyline. When elderly sisters Bill and Fred come from Africa to inherit the run-down Walburley Hall, they immediately make their presence felt in Knockdown. Their friendship with the main character Katie Lynch nicely binds the story together. The old ladies prove that there's more to them than china cups and crochet shawls. One has an incisive business brain; the other a genius for old cars, gourmet food and snooker. All of these attributes come to the fore when the cash flow fizzles out. Told with wit and great charm, this is a chaotic joy of a read for children aged nine and upwards.

The Young Rebels by Morgan Llywelyn (O'Brien �?�7.95) is an apt read for the day that's in it.

"I'm too old to cry and too young to take part in the Easter rising, " says Saint Enda's schoolboy John Joe, but just as seemingly insurmountable obstacles did not deter the árdmhaistir Pádraig Pearse from taking on the might of the British empire, so the boy and his friend Roger decide to join the rebels in the GPO in 1916.

A convincing blend of history and adventure which attempts to humanise some of the names which are synonymous with the time.

Always an interesting if somewhat two-dimensional presentation of Pearse. Though he is, of course, seen through the eyes of his devoted pupil who narrates the story.

Another timely offering, So You Think You Know The World Cup? , by Clive Gifford (Hodder £4.99) is a treasure for organisers of table quizzes.

Over 1,000 graded questions ranging from the simple "In which country is the 2006 World Cup to be held?" to "Which team qualified for the 1954 World Cup as a result of the toss of a coin?"

Not completely laddish, as women's soccer gets a fair slot too.

Mary Arrigan's book for younger children ?Mario's Angels' will be published by Frances Lincoln next month