PICTURE BOOKS

THE FATE OF FAUSTO by Oliver Jeffers (HarperCollins €19.99)

A NEW Oliver Jeffers is always cause for celebration, and this pared-down fable about power and greed (toddlers will love the foot-stamping tantrums) is visually stunning and original.

Fausto is a tyrannical bully who believes he owns everything, from flowers and animals to the mountains, but meets his match when he tries to own the sea.

Dayglo splashes of pink and yellow contrast with the muted earth colours and blank pages. The moral is underpinned by an epilogue reproducing a conversation between writers Joseph Heller and Kurt Vonnegut, illustrating the human power of ‘The knowledge that I’ve got enough’.

THREE LITTLE MONKEYS RIDE AGAIN by Quentin Blake, illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark (HarperCollins €18.19)

A SEQUEL to the bestselling Three Little Monkeys, this glorious riot of chaos is practically perfect in every way.

Put-upon Hilda takes Tim, Sam and Lulu to visit her mother in the country for some peace and quiet. Fat chance. The monkeys are easily bored and each time Hilda and her mother go out — an act of insanity in itself — they create the sort of havoc that will have every child gasping with shock and envy.

The beautifully paced story is enhanced by the energetic illustrations — and with those big, innocent eyes, you’ll forgive the naughty monkeys anything.

MADAME BADOBEDAH by Sophie Dahl, illustrated by Lauren O’Hara (Walker €16.99)

IF YOUR grandfather is Roald Dahl, then expectations of your first children’s book run high — so does the former model deliver? Well, this quirky, imaginative story is a delight.

Only child Mabel lives in her parent’s Mermaid Hotel and prides herself on her adventurous spirit. When a mysterious female guest appears, with heavy trunks and a scuttling tortoise, Mabel deduces she is an arch villain on the run.

But gradually the two form a friendship, eventually entrusting each other with surprising secrets, alleviating the loneliness that permeates the story.Vividly illustrated, this is a witty and gently moving debut.