Cracking picks for
CHARLOTTE HEATHCOTE and EMMA LEE-POTTER choose the best new books for children this Easter
Parents who worry about their children staring at screens all day will approve of
Steve Antony’s UNPLUGGED
Blip spends most of her time plugged into her computer. But when there’s a power cut Blip discovers the joys of the great outdoors, playing games, dancing and having fun.
Pre-schoolers will love
JUNIPER JUPITER
the second book from award-winning illustrator
Juniper Jupiter is a super-smart superhero who can rescue cats, lift people with her fingertips and even fly. But life would be much more fun with a sidekick… So she sets out to find one.
Stewart. CHALKBOARD ALPHABET by Stephen Barker
allows children to practise their writing in a colourful and sturdy book that they can wipe clean. Also available are
CHALKBOARD NUMBERS CHALKBOARD SHAPES. Sophy Henn’s ALMOST ANYTHING
In endearing George the rabbit wishes he was as talented as his woodland friends. But Bear’s magic hat shows George that with a little self-belief there is nothing he can’t do.
If you’re looking for Easter themed tales
COUNT!
is the perfect choice. rhyming hide-and-seek book makes counting fun for under-fives.
MAKE AND PLAY EASTER
will inspire children to make their own Easter decorations. This engaging board book by
Joey Chou
sweet and
EVERYBUNNY Ellie Sandall’s
includes press-out eggs, chicks and lambs, plus songs, recipes and a clutch of Easter bonnet ideas.
There is an insatiable appetite for the That’s Not My… range and tiny readers will love stroking the tactile textiles in two seasonal additions to the series,
and
NOT MY CHICK NOT MY BUNNY Lizzy
and
THAT’S THAT’S DINO DUCKLING by Alison Murray
is the tale of the dinosaur that hatched from an egg but looks nothing like his chick siblings. It is a celebration of families and of individuality.
WE’RE ALL WORKS OF ART
is a clever way to introduce children to different styles of painting, collage and sculpture from prehistoric art through to cubism and surrealism. Written by and illustrated by this stylish book also celebrates people’s differences and diversity. As it says: “Our bodies might all differ in shape and form and frame but think how dull the world would be if we were all the same.”
Enid Blyton’s SPRINGTIME STORIES
are full of the joys of spring. These stories were first published in the 1940s and 1950s and feature fairies who hide inside Easter eggs and a gnome who gets a surprise when he bites into a giant chocolate egg.
Alexander McCall Smith’s HARI AND HIS ELECTRIC FEET
is the tale of a young boy named Hari, a gifted dancer whose amazing footwork brings harmony to his community. This super-readable book by the author of The No 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency will enchant young readers.
The mighty
Michael Morpurgo, Mark Sperring Rose Blake,
author of War Horse, returns with
SIX ANIMAL ADVENTURES
that whisk readers off to the farmyard behind the barn on Mudpuddle Farm for amusing animal antics.
Best known for her mega-selling Shopaholic series for adults, has written her first children’s novel. The delightful
Sophie Kinsella FAIRY AND ME MUMMY
began as a bedtime story for Kinsella’s own children and follows the adventures of a little girl called Ella whose mum can turn into a fairy at the flick of her magic wand.
Emma Carroll’s SKY CHASERS
had an unusual inception. The book was inspired by Neal Jackson who won a competition to have his idea brought to life by an acclaimed children’s author. And it’s a winning formula. Set in 18th-century France, Carroll’s story of an orphan girl who gets caught up in the Montgolfier brothers’ quest to fly the first hot-air balloon is a classic in the making.
animal adventure stories have built up an army of young fans. The latest,
Megan Rix’s EMMELINE AND THE PLUCKY PUP
is the tale of a spirited puppy called Rascal who gets caught up in the suffragettes’ Votes For Women campaign.
Published to mark the centenary of the Act that gave women the right to vote, this warmhearted tale is an engaging way to learn more about suffragette leader Emmeline Pankhurst and her comrades.
is the writer who made beetles cool.
MG Leonard BATTLE OF THE BEETLES
is the final instalment of her award-winning trilogy and sees hero Darkus hot on the trail of the evil Lucretia Cutter who’s threatening to unleash an army of giant Frankenstein beetles on the world. Right behind him are his intrepid pet beetle Baxter and his two best friends.
RUNNING ON EMPTY
is one of the best children’s novels of the year.
tale of AJ, an 11-year-old London boy whose parents have learning difficulties, is thoughtprovoking and uplifting.
When AJ’s grandfather dies he is determined to step into the old man’s shoes and keep his family on track. Ace athlete AJ wants to keep running too but he’s grown out of his trainers and hasn’t got money for the gas meter, let alone new running shoes.
SE Durrant’s Katherine Rundell
won the Costa Children’s Book Award for
THE EXPLORER
in which four children are stranded in the Amazon rainforest after a