Peg; Clumsy Clumps and the Baby Moon; Happy Sad; Promise You Won’t be Cross

The ‘Blue Bananas’ series is characterised by reader friendly type, interesting and varied page layout, speech bubbles and colour illustrations on every page.

Peg tells in jaunty rhyme and bold, engaging pictures of a one legged hen who, with the help and friendship of Benjamin Bottomley, proves that love can transcend all when it comes to raising a family. Also on the theme of friendship and love is my pick of the bunch, Happy Sad. Toby rescues a stranded mermaid who, despite his best efforts remains happy sad in his care: only mother and father sea can provide her a true home and happiness. To be a real friend, Toby comes to realise, he must return the mermaid from whence she came. Lambert’s soft focus, watery scenes and images and Goodhart’s carefully chosen words together make for an enticing and satisfying read.

Complete mayhem erupts in Promise You Won’t be Cross when Kitty, the engaging heroine slams the door on her teasing brother one morning. Much of the fun for readers here is being in the know with the author as the tale builds to its inevitable conclusion. I find little to like in Clumsy Clumps and the Baby Moon, a mean story wherein a small girl seeks revenge on her unfeeling teacher with the help of a lunar visitor. Just nothing seems to ring true.