Books We Love in March 2024

Who’s Cute?

Author: Camilla Reid Illustrator: Nila Aye
Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Books
Interest age: 2-3

An adorable book to read to a very cute little person, with felt flaps to lift and a mirror to find at the end.

Let’s Go Home, Baby Chick

Author: Illustrator: Carolina Búzio
Publisher: Nosy Crow
Interest age: 2-3

Can you help baby chick get home? A fantastic interactive board book with gorgeous illustrations of spring scenes and animals. Perfect for toddler hands.

Dinosaur's Wobbly Bottom

Author: Kit Frost Illustrator: Sam Rennocks
Publisher: Farshore
Interest age: 0-5

A cheeky and interactive board book all about dancing, wobbly dinos!

Hen in the Bed

Author: Katrina Charman Illustrator: Guilherme Karsten
Publisher: Nosy Crow
Interest age: 2-3

This charming version of the classic counting song “Ten in the Bed” features a cast of adorable animals all doing the bidding of the rather bossy hen, who realises right at the last minute that maybe shedoesn’t want the bed to herself at all…

Wake Up, Trucks!

Author: Jodie Parachini Illustrator: Teresa Bellōn
Publisher: Little Tiger
Interest age: 4-5
Reading age: 2-3

This lovely, bright book with a fun rhyming text will delight little ones who love vehicles, diggers and trucks. There’s lots of detail here about all the fun things trucks do – focused on a building site as a type of workplace that will interest little ones, with the clear, understandable outcome of building houses.

Mummy and Me

Author: Lydia Bright Illustrator: Jojo Clinch
Publisher: Puffin
Interest age: 4-5
Reading age: 2-3

Etta and Mummy Elephant are a Terrific Team of Two, enjoying adventures together. A charming picture book that celebrates imaginative play and single mothers.

It's Time to Hush and Say Good Night

Author: Chitra Soundar Illustrator: Sandhya Prabhat
Publisher: Walker
Reading age: 2-5

Follow a father and child in an imaginative journey towards bedtime. Based on traditional Indian lullabies, this rhyming book is ideal for bedtime. A feast for the senses.

Ten Green Bottoms

Author: Barry Timms Illustrator: Mike Byrne
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
Interest age: 2-5

Ten green alien bottoms bounce around, causing mayhem. Based on a well-known song, and with buckets of humour and a light counting theme, this is a very enjoyable read.

Dim Sum Palace

Author: X Fang
Publisher: Pushkin Children's
Interest age: 4-5

A delicious adventure celebrating food and family. Unusual and quirky, but delightful.

Panda & Penguin Find a THING

Author: Zehra Hicks
Publisher: Andersen Press
Interest age: 4-5
Reading age: 2-3

Two animal friends find a mysterious THING which has the power to distract them from each other, but they ultimately realise that their friendship is more important.

Strong Like Me

Author: Kelechi Okafor Illustrator: Michaela Dias-Hayes
Publisher: Puffin
Interest age: 4-5

Kamara is strong and fast. But negative words from her friends make her doubt herself. Can she find a way to celebrate her strength? This heart-warming picture book celebrates the many ways to be strong, and to be yourself.

Quiet

Author: Tom Percival Illustrator: Richard Jones
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Interest age: 4-5

This heartfelt, profound book by award-winning picture book makers Tom Percival and Richard Jones is a subtle and beautiful reminder to all of us that using our voices to stand up for what we believe in is important, both for the collective, but for the individual too.

Black Girls: A Celebration of You

Author: Dominique Furukawa Illustrator: Erika Lynne Jones
Publisher: Farshore
Interest age: 2-5

A gloriously upbeat lyrical love letter to Black girls all over the world.

Croaky: Search for the Sasquatch

Author: Matty Long
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Interest age: 6-8
Reading age: 6+

Croaky Hopper is a frog who’s keen for adventure. So he’s thrilled to go on a Woggle Scouts camping trip. But will they find the mysterious Sasquatch? Colourful, funny and full of action.

Donut Feed the Squirrels

Author: Mika Song
Publisher: Pushkin Children’s Books
Interest age: 6-8

Two squirrels want donuts for breakfast – how will they get one? A delightful graphic novel with gentle humour for younger readers.

Astrid and the Space Cadets: Attack of the Snailiens!

Author: Alex T Smith
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
Interest age: 5-8
Reading age: 7+

Every night, six-year-old Astrid transforms into a Space Cadet, an intergalactic helper who zooms across the universe to solve problems and assist those in need. This fast-paced, funny chapter book is accompanied by magnificent black-and-white illustrations.

Stitch Head: the graphic novel

Author: Guy Bass Illustrator: Pete Williamson
Publisher: Little Tiger
Interest age: 9-11
Reading age: 7+

Stitch Head is surrounded by terrible creatures, both inside and outside Castle Grotteskew. And he must protect the monsters... A terrific graphic novel full of action and atmosphere.

Red Sky at Night, Poet’s Delight

Author: Alex Wharton Illustrator: Ian Morris
Publisher: Firefly Press
Interest age: 9-11
Reading age: 7+

A vibrant collection of poems from Children’s Laureate Wales 2023-25, celebrating nature andwordplay.

Habitats

Author: Hannah Pang Illustrator: Isobel Lundie
Publisher: Little Tiger
Interest age: 6-8
Reading age: 6-8

Explore the different layers of a variety of habitats with this beautiful non-fiction book, featuring interactive layered pages.

Hotel for Cats

Author: Marie Pavlenko Illustrator: Marie Voyelle Translator: Anna Brooke
Publisher: Chicken House
Interest age: 6-8
Reading age: 7+

When Wolfgang the cat arrives for a two-week stay at a feline hotel, he seems frightened to leave his room, so the four resident cats do everything they can to make him feel welcome. This light-hearted chapter book is full of gentle humour and features charming black-and-white illustrations.

Hercules: The Diary of a (Sort Of) Hero

Author: Tom Vaughan Illustrator: David O'Connell
Publisher: Scholastic
Interest age: 9-11
Reading age: 8+

Hercules' plan to play it cool when he starts secondary school goes awry when he becomes a target for the school bully. With the arrival of his estranged Greek father, Hercules' popularity surges, but at what cost? With a generous smattering of Greek mythology, this laugh-out-loud tale explores the nature of friendship, love and loyalty with a perfect mix of…

How Do Meerkats Order Pizza?

Author: Brooke Barker
Publisher: Faber
Interest age: 6-11
Reading age: 8+

This fascinating non-fiction book features a wealth of fun facts about a range of animals, along with information about some of the ingenious methods scientists have devised to study them. Packed full of colourful, amusing illustrations, it is sure to appeal to budding scientists and anyone with an interest in animals.

A Drop of Golden Sun

Author: Kate Saunders
Publisher: Faber
Interest age: 9-11
Reading age: 9+

A classic-feeling storyset in the 1970s about filming a Hollywood movie.

Pirate Academy: New Kid on Deck

Author: Justin Somper
Publisher: uclanpublishing
Interest age: 9-11
Reading age: 8+

With short, punchy, accessible chapters and all the classic pirate tropes, from sword fights and cannons to climbing the rigging and even fire down below, this adventure story is ideal for newly independent readers.

Marvin and the Book of Magic

Author: Jenny Pearson Illustrator: Aleksei Bitskoff
Publisher: Barrington Stoke
Interest age: 9-11
Reading age: 7+

When Marvin discovers a book which grants magic wishes, he decides to use it to secure a win at the school talent show. This hilarious, heartwarming chapter book features superb black-and-white drawings and is aimed specifically at dyslexic and reluctant readers.

The Whisperwicks

Author: Jordan Lees
Publisher: Puffin
Interest age: 9-11
Reading age: 10+

In this haunting fantasy adventure, a parallel world is ruled by a terrible monster and citizens are controlled by fear and a legion of masked Hanged Men.

Black Hole Cinema Club

Author: Christopher Edge
Publisher: Nosy Crow
Interest age: 9-11
Reading age: 9+

Be prepared for a reading experience unlike any other. From a stunningly original beginning, this adrenalin-fuelled sci-fi adventure will have readers on the edge of their seats right to the last page.

The Secret of the Moonshard

Author: Struan Murray Illustrator: Vivienne To
Publisher: Puffin Books
Interest age: 9-11
Reading age: 9+

Domino discovers that she's a powerful Wizard and is the only one who can stop the moon – the source of all magic – from being destroyed. This epic magical adventure, with larger-than-life characters and clever plot twists, will have readers on the edge of their seats.