#PictureBooks from Andersen Press: The Space Between, The Really Beautiful Thing and A Crinkled Screaming Thing

All 3 books published by Andersen Press: The Space Between ISBN 978-1839133817 6 February 2025, The Really Beautiful Thing ISBN 978-1839135651 1 January 2026, A Crinkled Screaming Thing 978-1839133688 15 January 2026

2026 has been designated #NationalYearOfReading2026 with many events planned to encourage everyone to spend more time reading or listening to books. The current Waterstones Children’s Laureate, Frank Cottrell-Boyce, has spent a great deal of his time in post promoting the importance of sharing stories with babies and young children, which research indicates can improve bonding between parents and children. I am therefore delighted to share some recent picture books that were sent to me by Andersen Press, all of which would be excellent titles to share with babies and young children.

The Space Between is a lovely inter-generational story about a young girl who is obviously sad about moving home, and missing her old friends and familiar surroundings. Fortunately, Granny is present and able to share her wisdom about making the most of the time it takes for all manner of changes to take effect. The examples that Granny provides are all very relateable for young children. The beautiful artwork by Fiona Lumbers provides much extra information to aid discussion of the concepts written about by author Clare Helen Walsh. In an age of where many grandparents take on some childcare responsibilities, I think that this would be a lovely choice for them to share with grandchildren aged 3-6 years of age. In nursery, pre-school or early years settings, this would be a good book to share with children who are unsettled by upheavals in their lives.

The Really Beautiful Thing is a cute, cautionary tale about the truly valuable things in life. Squirrel has a comfortable home in a majestic oak tree, furnished with a squishy sofa, a bouncy bed and a fridge full of food. He loves to host his friends: a mole, a rabbit and an owl, and it is clear that they have fun times together. However, when squirrel spots a sparkly, pink crystal in Mr Wolf’s Emporium, he sacrifices all of his possessions, his home and his friendships in his desire to possess the ‘Really Beautiful Thing’. The engaging text by Frances Tosdevin and beautiful illustrations by Ali Pye will help children aged 3-6 understand the true value of friendship.

A Crinkled Screaming Thing is an engaging, humorous story depicting a growing family, which in very simple, repeated phrases and bright artwork shows the developing bonds between siblings. The ‘crinkled screaming thing’ indicates their dislike of new phenomena such as bright lights, baths and gooey food in the time-honoured way of babies. However, ‘small big one’ always seems to find a way to put a smile on the face of their baby sibling. The minimal, rhythmic text by Sarah Tagholm and the colourful illustrations by Ruby Wright make this a fun story to share with the very youngest children.

Disclaimer: I am most grateful to publicist Jade at Andersen Press for sending me copies of these three books. It was my own decision to write reviews and all opinions are my own.

#MG Review: Escape from the Child Snatchers by Sufiya Ahmed

Cover illustration by Elisa Paganelli, published by Andersen Press, 29 January 2026, ISBN: 978-1839136511

Escape from the Child Snatchers is a fast-paced, historical adventure which takes young readers on a journey from Bombay to London with the protagonists Humza and his best friend Ranj. Author, Sufiya Ahmed, is adept at weaving historical facts into a thoroughly engrossing adventure which entertains the intended young readership, whilst enlightening them about historical injustices.

The story takes place in 1865 and begins in Bombay which is under British control. Humza’s older brother, Dani, has been missing since he began working as a lascar on a trade ship travelling to England several years earlier. Humza is determined to make the voyage himself, search for his brother and bring him home. His friend Ranj is eager to join him, as he sees London as the place to make his fortune. The two boys stowaway on a cargo ship and after a long and perilous voyage, they arrive at the East India Docks in London, where they soon learn that danger awaits. They almost instantly fall into the clutches of a notorious child snatcher, with only the quick thinking of a local innkeeper’s daughter, Daisy, saving them from harm. However, the criminal gang do not give up on their prey, and as Humza and Ranj take to the London streets to seek information about Dani, they are pursued by the henchmen of Basil Brookes.

A heart-pounding sequence of events sees the boys caught up in Basil Brookes’ cruel money making scheme where he exhibits Indian children for the entertainment of wealthy patrons in his London home. Shockingly, the author’s note at the end of the story makes clear that there are documented cases of this taking place in the eighteenth century. Being a middle grade adventure, there is a satisfying conclusion which will appeal to the natural sense of justice of primary school children. The story is told in less than 200 pages, with short chapters and a pacy narrative, making it perfect as an independent read for children aged 8 to 12 years. I would highly recommend it for school library and classroom collections.

Disclaimer: I am very grateful to Jade at Andersen Press for sending me a copy of Escape from the Child Snatchers ahead of publication on 29 January 2026. It was my decision to write a review and all opinions are my own.

25 Children’s Books Reading Highlights for 2025

Image generated by Goodreads, December 2025

It’s time to take stock of my reading year and having just received my summary from Goodreads, I have apparently read or listened to 124 books this year. I have been very fortunate to be the recipient of many fantastic books from publicists during 2025. I am always sorry that I do not manage to read and review everything that I am sent (or indeed that I buy for myself), but working full-time, family and other commitments do limit my reading and reviewing time. There is a huge TBR stack awaiting my retirement! I have continued to focus my blog on children’s book reviews, although I do also read adult books as a member of two book clubs, one of which I run at my place of work.

I have listened to 43 books for free on the BorrowBox app, courtesy of my wonderful public library service, and in honour of her 250th anniversary have revisited Jane Austen’s novels this year.

It is always so difficult to narrow down a list of favourite books, but these are the 25 books that have stood out in my mind this year. Middle Grade Fiction is still my most-read category, hence the large number of books under this heading:

Picture Books

Our Love by Fatima Ordinola, published by Post Wave

Pencil’s Best Story Ever by Carly Gledhill, published by Post Wave

Early Readers/Illustrated Fiction

Super Questers Mission: River Crest Rescue by Paul Ian Cross, illustrated by Katie Kear and Cherie Zamazing, published by QuestFriendz

Middle Grade Fiction

The Feathered Book by Charlie Nutbrown, published by Everything With Words

The Poisoned King (Impossible Creatures Book 2) by Katherine Rundell, published by Bloomsbury

Gloam by Jack Mackay, published by Rock the Boat

Runaways by EL Norry, published by Bloomsbury

The Changeling Child by HS Norup, published by Pushkin Press

Nate Yu’s Blast from the Past by Maisie Chan, published by Piccadilly Press

Clem Fatale Has Been Betrayed by Eve Wersocki-Morris, published by Little Tiger Press

I Am Raven by Alastair Chisholm, published by Nosy Crow

The Blockbusters by Frank Cottrell-Boyce, illustrated by Steven Lenton, published by Macmillan

Dracula and Daughters by Emma Carroll, published by Faber Children’s Books

Mallory Vayle and the Maggoty Skull in the Beast from Beneath by Martin Howard, illustrated by Pete Williamson, published by Nosy Crow

Murder at Christmas by Fleur Hitchcock, published by Nosy Crow

YA Fiction

Best of All Worlds by Kenneth Oppel, published by Guppy Books

A Beautiful Terrible Thing by Miranda Moore, published by David Fickling Books

My Name is Jodie Jones by Emma Shevah, published by David Fickling Books

Solo by Gráinne O’Brien, published by Little Island Books

TraumaLand by Josh Silver, published by Rock the Boat

Graphic Novels

Everything Amplified by Sarah Lippett and Ziggy Hanaor, published by Cicada Books

Non-Fiction

All Brains Are Wonderful by Scott Evans, illustrated by The Boy Fitz Hammond, published by B Small Publishing

Anthology

Heroines of the Ancient World by Honor Cargill-Martin, illustrated by Margaux Carpentier, published by Walker Books

Advance Reads of 2026 publications

A Girl’s Guide to Spying by Holly Webb, published by Rock the Boat

A Million Tiny Missiles All At Once by Lucas Maxwell, published by Chicken House

Thank you to everyone who follows and supports my blog. I love the bookish interactions with fellow bookworms on WordPress and social media, and have greatly enjoyed getting to know some of you in real life this year. Wishing everyone a very happy New Year, filled with health, happiness and great books!

#Christmas Picture Books: Jesus’ Christmas Party by Nicholas Allan

Cover image by Nicholas Allan, published by Red Fox Mini Treasures, 1996.
ISBN: 978-0099725916

Jesus’ Christmas Party has been treasured on the bookshelves for well over 25 years and each time I pick it up it brings back fond memories of finding this signed copy in a bookshop that used to sit in the foyer of the Southbank Centre, and reading it aloud many times.

It’s a delightfully simple story of an innkeeper who just wants to get a good night’s sleep, and who becomes increasingly grumpy as he is roused from his bed by a stream of visitors knocking at the front door. After he has directed each new visitor to the stable behind his inn, there is a repeated page where we see him holding a candle as he makes his way up to bed. If you share this book with a young child (or indeed class of children), expect them to join in with the refrain:

Then he shut the door,

climbed the stairs,

got into bed,

and went to sleep.

Later in the book, when the bright lights, heavenly chorus, and continuous visitors become just too much for the tired innkeeper, you can expect that your listener(s) will enjoy shouting “Round the back!” at the appropriate moments. The combination of artwork and drawings present a humorous take on the Nativity story, ending on a delightfully celebratory note. I highly recommend it as a book to share with toddlers and young children at Christmas time.

This book was my own purchase, and I feel very lucky to have a copy that is signed and illustrated by author Nicholas Allan.

#Christmas Picture Books: Little Owl and the Star A Christmas Story by Mary Murphy

Cover artwork by Mary Murphy, published in 2003 by Walker Books,
ISBN: 978: 0744588022

Little Owl and the Star is a lovely Christmas story to share with the very youngest children; its bright, simple illustrations and sparse text written in the first person makes it truly engaging for toddlers and babies.

The story starts with Little Owl, perched on a branch, with a “waiting feeling” one silent night. When invited by a passing star to “follow me”, Little Owl willingly flies off in pursuit…and is soon joined by camels, wise men, sheep and shepherds as they are all led to a stable. After visiting the newborn baby, Little Owl flies back to the star which is now filling the world with light, and the final page with a golden foiled star shining brightly over the Nativity scene beautifully captures a child’s perspective of the Christmas star.

This book was my own purchase and has been treasured on the bookshelves for more than 20 years. I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to share the Christmas story with young children.

#Christmas Picture Books: Wombats Don’t Have Christmas by Michael Dugan and Jane Burrell

Illustrations by Jane Burrell, this pocket edition published in 2003, Random House Australia, ISBN: 978-1740518970

Young children will love this tale of the two young wombat siblings who outwit their father when he tells them that “Christmas is for humans” and “Wombats don’t have Christmas” on the opening page.

The clever young wombats proceed to plant a small pine tree in front of their house and decorate it with coloured paper, which father admits is very pretty. They subsequently make requests for plum pudding and fruitcake which their mother happily bakes, impress their father with some “bon-bons” and even entertain him with a new song (which just happens to be a Christmas carol). At the end of a lovely day, when mother tucks them up in bed with a wink, we know that she has seen through the ruse which unsuspecting father has not, and that the family have enjoyed a happy day together.

With cute illustrations of the anthropomorphic wombats by Jane Burrell, this book is a delightful one to share with pre-school children. It was originally sent as a Christmas present by a family member who was living in Australia at the time, and has survived many ‘weedings’ of the bookshelves over the subsequent 20-odd years because I just love its gentle, subtle humour.

#Christmas Paper Engineering: The First Noël by Jan Pieńkowski

Cover art by Jan Pieńkowski, published by Walker Books, 2004,
ISBN: 978-0744557801

The First Noël by Jan Peińkowski is the most beautiful work of paper engineering which tells the Nativity story in very few words but encourages a sense of awe and wonder at the story through delicate artwork and craftsmanship. The paper engineering of this edition, based on Jan Peińkowski’s artwork, is by Helen Balmer with Lois Bulow Osborne.

The book contains 5 double pages which open up to produce a paper-cut tableau from the Christmas story, with lots of detail to discuss as you share the book with young children.

When the book has been read, it can be opened out completely and the covers tied back with the integrated ribbon, so that it becomes a star-shaped carousel decoration for the Christmas season.

This book was originally given to one of my children as a Christmas gift, and has been treasured on the bookshelves for many years!

#Christmas Illustrated Fiction: One Christmas Wish by Katherine Rundell, illustrated by Emily Sutton

Cover image by Emily Sutton, published by Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 2017, ISBN: 978-1526603678

One Christmas Wish already has the feel of a classic Christmas book, despite only being published in 2017. The beautiful, full-colour illustrations on every page have a slightly vintage feel, and the whimsical story is perfect for sharing with primary school children.

Theo might as well be home alone, as his teenage babysitter has fallen asleep at the kitchen table, while mum and dad are out for the evening. He wishes on a shooting star to be ‘un-alone’ and all of a sudden four ancient Christmas tree decorations spring to life to keep him company! Just how many adventures can a boy have with a very hungry rocking horse, a robin who needs singing lessons, a flightless angel and a tin soldier?

Katherine Rundell has crafted a gorgeous story filled with ironic humour and the artwork by Emily Sutton has the same delicately constructed feel as the text. They work perfectly together in this timeless tale of Christmas magic and wonder, which would make a lovely Christmas gift for a child aged 5-10.

This book was my own purchase.

#MG Christmas Anthology: The Very Merry Murder Club edited by Serena Patel & Robin Stevens

Cover image by Harry Woodgate, published by Farshore, 2021,
ISBN: 978-0755503681

The school Christmas holidays are a marvellous opportunity to curl up with a good book, and what better for fans of detective mysteries than an anthology of short stories from some of the finest contemporary authors of children’s fiction? Today I am giving a shoutout to a book which was published a few years ago now, but retains its ability to entertain and test the problem solving skills of middle grade readers.

The Very Merry Murder Club contains thirteen tales of mystery and/or murder, all set during the festive season. Of course, being a collection of short stories, many children will be inclined to seek out their favourite author(s) first and not necessarily read the stories in order. However, for those who do like to start at the very beginning, the first story, Shoe-Dunnit by Elle McNicoll, sets a perfectly snowy scene at a Scottish hotel, where the daughter of the hotel owners has to use her acute observation skills to solve the murder of a famous guest.

Other stories set in the snowy UK are It’s Snow Crime by Roopa Farooki, featuring her beloved mini-medic, twin investigators, Ali and Tulip; Scrabble and Murder by Nizrana Farook featuring a family stuck in a blizzard on the journey to visit their Grandmother for Christmas; Ice and Fire by Joanna Williams – an atmospheric historical fiction set during the London Frost Fair of December 1776. Silent Night by Serena Patel is a brilliant, wintery, child-oriented version of Rear Window. I think this is my favourite of all the stories. Arjun is stuck at home recovering from a tonsillectomy and spends his time observing the neighbours to deflect from the boredom. When he becomes convinced that he has witnessed a neighbour disposing of a dead body, he is determined to solve the mystery and takes dramatic action. No Piste for the Wicked by E.L. Norry takes the snowy action to a school ski trip in the Italian mountains, where one teacher begins behaving suspiciously and is found dead on the ski slope the following morning. Only Luca, with his vast experience of human behaviour, observed from the many homes in which he has been fostered, has the understanding to solve the mystery.

Not all of the mysteries feature murder. In The Beast of Bedleywood by Annabelle Sami, siblings Rumi and Tamsin solve two mysteries and gain a surprise extra present. The Christmas Heist by Abiola Bello, is a tale of skulduggery and rivalry between two dance troupes. Cool for Cats by Patrice Lawrence is a contemporary family mystery wrapped around a cat-sitting story. It Takes a Thief to Catch a Thief is a twisty heist story written by Maisie Chan, with a fun plot featuring the kidnap of a famous cat burglar which threatens to ruin the Christmas celebrations of her family! The Frostwilds by Dominique Valente is a fantasy story with a mythical quality, while The Ticking Funhouse by Benjamin Dean is a very creepy tale set in a neglected fun fair attraction. The collection concludes with The Coven at Christmas by Sharna Jackson, a mystery set in a remote community on the Cornish coast, which builds to a tense denouement.

This varied selection really does provide something for everyone, most of the stories are about 30 pages long, providing the perfect reading length, and exercise for the little grey cells, to enjoy between Christmas activities. I love the diverse representation of characters, families and settings which make this a wonderfully inclusive collection. Primary and secondary school libraries should definitely ensure that this is on offer in their Christmas collections, and it would make an excellent Christmas gift for children aged 9 to early teens.

This book was my own purchase.

Jane Austen’s 250th Birthday: Children’s Books Inspired by the Great Author

I will be forever grateful to my secondary school English teacher who introduced me to the works of Jane Austen through an analysis of Mr Collins’ proposal to Elizabeth Bennet; it sparked a life-long love of Austen’s novels, some of which I have read multiple times since that first reading of Pride & Prejudice at age 14. I am always overjoyed when I find books written for children, which might spark their interest in further exploring her works, at a later age when they can access her sparkling wit and social commentary. Therefore, on the date which marks the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth, I want to present a short round-up of middle grade books that I’ve discovered over the past few years.

Firstly, because it is appropriately seasonal, The Christmas Wish-tastrophe by Cariad Lloyd, published in hardback in 2024 (and published in paperback in 2025 under the new title of Lydia Marmalade and the Christmas Wish). This book is magical, funny and charming and contains many references to Pride and Prejudice, it is illustrated by Ma Pe. It is eminently suitable for independent readers aged 8 years and above, and I would also imagine would be a delight for adult fans of Jane Austen to share with children in the classroom or at home. You can find my review here.

Next two excellent, historical, detective mystery novels written by Julia Golding, which feature the young Jane Austen using her razor-sharp observational skills to unravel mysterious occurrences. These stories are perfect for middle grade readers aged 9 years plus who are fans of historical mysteries by authors such as Katherine Woodfine, Robin Stevens and Sufiya Ahmed. You can click on the links to read my reviews for Jane Austen Investigates The Abbey Mystery and Jane Austen Investigates The Burglar’s Ball.

Finally, the publisher Hachette Children’s Books commissioned some top-rated children’s authors to retell the original Jane Austen novels in language accessible for middle grade readers, in the Awesomely Austen series. My absolute favourite is Katherine Woodfine’s version of Pride and Prejudice, which is beautifully illustrated by Églantine Ceulemans. This book brings all the wit and vivacity of the original to life for a young audience, includes many of the key lines from the original, and additionally contains endnotes providing some period detail and a short biography of Jane Austen. I would have loved this at age 10, and I love it still at considerably older! Also available in the Awesomely Austen series are: