CHILDREN’S SALLY MORRIS

Next thursday is World Book Day — so look out for imaginative fancy dress outfits being paraded on the way to school.

All pupils will be given a £1 book token to exchange for one of 12 specially written titles, or to get a discount on any favourite book at participating bookshops.

New £1 titles this year include great adventures with Lauren Child’s Hubert Horatio, Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson, and a new Noughts and Crosses drama from Malorie Blackman as well as Abi elphinstone’s magical everdark and Frank CottrellBoyce’s canine caper the Great Rocket Robbery.

Older children will be thrilled by Snap, a dark tale from awardwinning YA author Patrice Lawrence. the scheme aims to encourage parents and carers to read and share stories with their children for ten minutes a day. For more information visit worldbookday.com.

CIRCLE by Mac Barnett & Jon Klassen

(Walker £12.99, 48 pp) tHiS inspired third and final title in Barnett and Klassen’s shapes series introduces Circle, who lives by a waterfall.

When she plays hide and seek with Square and triangle, she forbids them from hiding behind the waterfall because it’s dark there — which, of course, only encourages triangle to disobey. When Circle is forced to look for him in the increasing blackness, she encounters an unknown shape . . .

As in the previous titles, all the expression is in the eye movements, and the dry-as-a-bone humour, combined with the stunning, muted grey-green, black and brown palette, create a witty, thought- provoking adventure to treasure. this pair really can do no wrong.

TAD by Benji Davies

(HarperCollins £12.99, 32 pp) BeNJi DAVieS has won multiple awards for titles such as the Storm Whale and this delightful new book confirms his talent.

tad is a tiny tadpole whose siblings grow long legs and shed their tails much faster than their baby sister, and scare her with warnings about Big Blub, the greedy fish who lurks in the shadows.

eventually all the others turn into frogs but mysteriously disappear, leaving tad alone and scared. When Blub chases her, tad must fight to survive — with a joyously happy ending.

this beautifully illustrated, gently funny story offers reassurance about growing up at your own pace and outsmarting your fears.