CHILDREN’S BOOKS OF THE MONTH

Angry Cookie

Laura Dockrill

Walker €9.45, 3+ Cookie is not having a good day: from having to use horrible grown-up toothpaste to the ice-cream parlour running out of his favourite sundae, lots of things have happened to make him angry. But telling the reader about them helps Cookie realise that things aren’t so terrible after all. With playful illustrations by Maria Karipidou, Dockrill’s debut picture book is bright and entertaining and delivers an important message.

The Legend Of Kevin

Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre

Oxford €11.99, 7+ Max has always wanted a pet so is delighted when a storm blows Kevin, a slightly plump flying pony with a penchant for custard creams, onto the balcony of his highrise flat. But the storm has also flooded Max’s town so he and his new friend set out to help the stranded citizens of Bumbleford. The first in a new series, this is hugely enjoyable and laugh-outloud funny.

Pages & Co: Tilly And The Bookwanderers

Anna James HarperCollins €11.99 8+ Eleven-year-old Tilly discovers that she can meet her favourite fictional characters and journey with them into their stories when she encounters an oddly familiar girl in her grandparents’ bookshop. Soon she is inducted as a ‘bookwanderer’ and on the trail of her mother, who disappeared when Tilly was just a baby. James’s magical debut is a delight from first page to last.

Rosie Loves Jack

Mel Darbon Usborne €11.20 14+ When Rosie’s boyfriend Jack is sent away, she runs away in order to reunite with him. But Rosie has Down’s syndrome and everyone thinks she’s incapable of coping alone. Darbon’s experience of working with people with Down’s gives Rosie’s voice a compelling authenticity. A story about the power of love and the importance of remembering that those with disabilities should not be defined by them.