Max and George by Cori Brooke and Sue deGennaro

Max has a friend, George, who lives in windows but nobody else can see him.  Max and George are both shy and usually feel the same way.  But Max has to start school and leave George behind.  Max finds a friend in Sam, and school isn't so scary anymore.  (Don't worry, George finds his own friend, too).  The illustrations are adorable, such a gently retro vibe, and subtle use of collage.

~ Reviewed by Monica Walker

No bath, no cake!: Polly's Pirate Party by Matthias Weinart

Pete, the pirate parrot is the first to notice the envelope that came through the mail slot, but soon all the pirates know that they have been invited to a birthday party at Polly's house.  They are all excited about going to the birthday party, but Pete the parrot wants to make sure that they are presentable for the party, so it is soon a race against time to wash up and get ready for the birthday party!

This book is loads of fun with a cast of crazy characters that are each uniquely drawn and have their own part to play in the story.  This is definitely one to read out loud to an audience (even if it is just an audience of one little person) with lots of different voices and pirate antics.  One of my favourite picture books this year that is fun just because it is fun!

If you like this book then try Granny Grommet and Me by Dianne Wolfer and Karen Blair, The man who's mother was a pirate by Margaret Mahy, and Banana! by Ed Vere.

~ Reviewed by Elspeth Sweetman

The game of red, yellow and blue by Herve Tullet

Books about colours are a great tool for teaching children about colours and what happens to different colours when you mix them, and too often they are boring books that just tell you to mix one colour with another to get colour number three - not so with The game of red, yellow, and blue.  The author has found a fun way to talk about where some of the different colours come from, and while there are only a few secondary colours in the book, they are enough to get little minds thinking about colours and how they are made.  The best part is that the story stands up on its own, so you don't have to worry about teaching colours through a good story, it is more a great story that just happens to have colours in it. 

The edition I have is a sturdy little board book just perfect for little hands and fingers to explore themselves, and there are some cut out sections that lead from one part of the story to the next which are great for encouraging little minds to keep thinking and exploring.  Definitely my favourite colour book of this year (yes I know it is less than two months into 2013, but I see a lot of picture books and board books at work).

If you like this book then try Yellow dress day by Michelle Worthington and Sophie Norsa, Nana's colours by Pamela Allen, How do dinosaurs learn their colours by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague, and The splendid spotted snake by Betty Ann Schwartz and Alexander Wilensky.

~ Reviewed by Elspeth Sweetman

Tiny Miss Dott and her Dotty Umbrella by Michelle Osment

Meet Miss Dott the awesome charity store volunteer, who incidently, has a beautiful dotty green coat with mismatched buttons and a gorgeous green bag and tights. While at her volunteer job, her beautiful yellow dotty umbrella, which she leaves just outside the front door, has a little adventure all of its own. At hometime, Miss Dotty collects her umbrella from just outside the store where she had left it a few hours earlier. The sun has come out, it is a beautiful day and Miss Dotty is delighted that she didn't need her umbrella after all.

A delightful story, beautiful illustrations, bright and bold and I bet you can feel the raindrops as they fall. This is a story that bounces along with a lovely rhythm. A great book to read aloud and the kids are going to get the hang of those read out loud words really quickly. I don't know why it took me so long to notice it. Themes in the book surrounding kindness, sharing, friendship and appreciation. Miss Dott is one very cool lady and she is not afraid to give it a whirl "with a twist and a twirl" to an old gramophone on occasion.

This book was also the recipient of the Storylines Joy Cowley award in 2008. Other Michelle Osment books include the character Percy the Pukeko (a swamp bird). I like the one about crossing the road safely, a pukeko definitely needs to know how to do this (and perhaps a few children might as well). Beautifully illustrated, lovely to read aloud.

~Reviewed by Thyme

Granny Grommet and Me by Dianne Wolfer and Karen Blair

Grandparents are amazing, they know so much, can do so much - and some of us are lucky enough to have memories built by spending time with our grandmothers and grandfathers.  One child spends time with their grandmother down at the beach, and spends time with the Granny Grommets as they paddle, surf, and dive.  It is a chance to spend time with a much loved family member and her friends, but it is also the chance to gain the courage to try something new.

This is a story for grandmothers to share with their children, or to share with any child that needs a reminder of just how special grandmothers can be.  There is no preaching, no hidden meanings, it is just a story where a child learns something amazing simply because they spend time with their granny.  The illustrations are simple and match the story well, and because the child is not named, and because of their androgynous features and hairstyle the story works well for boys and for girls.

If you like this book then try The great granny gang by Judith Kerr, Countdown to Grandma's house by Debra Mostow Zakarin and Stacy Peterson, Nana's colours by Pamela Allen, and The grandma book by Todd Parr.

~ Reviewed by Elspeth Sweetman

Croc and bird by Alexis Deacon

Two eggs lie side by side on the sand and one hatches out as a crocodile, while the other hatches out as a bird - it seems like a recipe for disaster, but it is actually the recipe for one of the sweetest and charming books I have read in the past few years.  What could easily have become a saccharine sweet story is instead a touching story with charm that makes you laugh out loud at times - especially when you see what the two different "brothers" get up to.

I loved this book and have shown it to everyone I can find at work, and everyone has had a similar reaction - they found it touching, and charming, and enjoyed reading it before passing it on to the next person.  The illustrations are part of the charm of this story, simple illustrations that appear to be watercolour, against a sad coloured paper, and with many of the pages framed rather than using the whole page.  The characters are drawn, but not in incredible detail, and in many ways it adds to the story, making it feel a little like a story from another time - but a story that is still relevant today.

A great story about how being different is not actually a problem - and that you don't have to be the same to get along (and that sometimes your brother may not look quite how you expected!).

If you like this book then try: Beegu by Alexis Deacon, Kitten's first full moon by Kevin Henkes, Tadpole's promise by Jeanne Willis; illustrated by Tony Ross, and Bark, George by Jules Feiffer.

~ Reviewed by Elspeth Sweetman

Little elephants by Graeme Base

A little boy named Jim has to give up his pet mouse because, even though Pipsqueak is only one little mouse, Jim and his mother live on a wheat farm - and wheat farms are always in danger from plagues of mice, locusts, and weevils.  After letting Pipsqueak go in the fields far from the house, Jim returns home to find that the harvester is broken and they may not be able to bring in the harvest.  Not one to give up hope, Jim knows they will make it work somehow.  The next day Jim sees a stranger in their fields, gathering some of the wheat - rather than telling the man to go away, Jim offers him some wheat and asks if he can help with the harvest.  This is just the beginning of a strange and fantastical series of events for Jim and his mother.

Graeme Base is a gifted storyteller who creates fantastical adventures for children which are matched with some of the most beautiful and detailed illustrations in children's books today.  Each image is detailed with little touches that you discover only after you have read the story over and over again, images that keep the stories fresh and interesting - thoroughly dragging you into make believe worlds that are almost beyond belief.  While Little elephants is set in "our world" and does not have the detail of some of his other works, it is completely absorbing and heart warming - a reminder that a small kindness may be repaid ten fold (or a thousand fold).

If you like this book then try:  The eleventh hour by Graeme Base, The discovery of dragons by Graeme Base, TruckDogs by Graeme Base, Croc and bird by Alexis Deacon, and Possum magic by Mem Fox and illustrated by Julie Vivas.

~ Reviewed by Elspeth Sweetman

Dinosaur vs. Santa by Bob Shea

Big, bright and ROAR (really loudly) that is. Read this out loud to your kids, your friends kids and to your workmates. Delightful story with colourful illustrations, Dinosaurs red and white stripey outfit with a hint of green is so very cool. Not too many words (perfect to read out loud). We are getting ready for that special visit from Santa. Has Dinosaur been good? Will Santa visit? Let’s wait and see.

All the excitement leading up to Christmas can all be a bit overwhelming for anyone, let alone a little red roaring dinosaur. Will there be a happy ending?  What is that sound? Could it be Santa? Enjoy the story and ROAR out really loud.

~Reviewed by Thyme