CHILDREN’S

SALLY MORRIS

THERE’S NOTHING CUTER THAN A PUPPY

by Tom Nicoll Illustrated by Ross Collins

(Macmillan £7.99, 32pp)

IN ANY Cutest Creature Contest, it’s obvious that a puppy will win first prize — or is it?

What about a llama in a leotard or a walrus in a woolly waistcoat or a hippo looking hip in a hoodie and high tops — in fact, there’s an endless parade of extraordinary animals vying

for the title, and playful puppy soon becomes a despondent doggy as he tries to compete with the weird and wonderful.

Luckily, kindness and generosity bring a happy ending. Collins’ wildly imaginative, bold illustrations leap off the page in this barking mad picture book that will have children laughing out loud — and the end papers have lots of fascinating animal facts to remember. Age 3+

PUPPET by David Almond Illustrated by Lizzy Stewart (Walker £10.99, 236pp)

INsPIReD by Pinocchio, David Almond has created another timeless classic. Lonely widower silvester the puppetmaster makes one last puppet

and is overjoyed when it moves and speaks the odd word back to him. silvester takes him on walks, where they meet strangers and people who remember him from his performing days. But when they befriend little Fleur, who loves puppets, the old man agrees to a final performance before handing his legacy to the young girl.

It’s tender, very moving and the delicate black-and-white drawings reflect the joy and sadness at the beginning and end of lives. 9+

PEREGRINE QUINN AND THE COSMIC REALM by Ash Bond

(Piccadilly Press £12.99, 304pp)

FAsTeN your seatbelt as this

confident debut launches a thrilling new battle between good and evil, loosely based on the Greek myths.

When Peregrine Quinn’s ‘immortal’ godfather Daedalus enlists her help to break into Oxford’s Bodleian Library, something goes terribly wrong and the portals between the Terra and Cosmic realms break down. Only Daedalus, who designed the network, can fix them but someone kidnaps him, to ensure that a terrible power, long imprisoned, can be unleashed.

There’s a dizzying cast of characters to keep up with (and a plant called Bernadette) but it’s a fast, funny fantasy with some devilish baddies and hi-tech gadgets.