99 Mostly Fun Things I'll Do Today

This lively, down to earth picture book shows a young child enjoying the many activities that make up his day. It is in a large format and this gives scope for detailed illustrations that appeal to young children. Energetic pictures, well annotated, start with morning routines and then cover mealtimes, walks and play and end with bedtime stories and songs. Double spreads are full of life and colour. The bath time pages show a huge tub with parent and child making bubbles and floating boats. Circling round this main picture are vignettes of the child winding up a toy fish, wearing a towel as a cloak and using it over his face to pretend he is a ghost.

Children are invited to reflect on how to behave towards others. There is a spat with another child over who has the toy tractor. But the book is often playful; for example on the page about posting a letter the child teases us by thinking about posting it down a drain or into a rubbish bin. And later, it is Dad who spills his food.

Text varies interestingly in size, strength and orientation: verbs are large and in bold type and the words sometimes move across the page to suggest going down a slide or climbing upstairs. This picture book reflects perfectly young children’s routines, interests and preoccupations and will encourage talk and laughter.