ROSS COLLINS THE ELEPHANTOM
Templar (Age range: 6+) 
ISBN: 9781840118926

What’s a little girl to do when a pesky, mischievous, bothersome elephantom turns up uninvited and just won’t go away? Parents are no help at all…but a Granny with ghost pets of her town might just have the solution…

A very imaginative book of real charm and freshness, rampant with pearly elephants on parade, and beautifully drawn humans. It has a lovely 1980s disco feel, complete with a whiff of Art Nouveau. The illustrations convey a wonderful sense of movement, size and scale and there is so much detail here: every single inch of the page is covered. The inter-generational teamwork conveyed is great, and there are lots of in-jokes to enjoy.

EMILY GRAVETT ORANGE PEAR APPLE BEAR
Macmillan (Age range: 1+) 
ISBN: 9781405050807

A deliciously simple picture book to share with the very young which juggles the order of just five words to tell its story.

It is so difficult to find very good books for the very young and this deceptively straightforward book fulfils this need with great aplomb. From its audaciously simple premise it exposes the youngest readers to real artistic skill, humour, the use of punctuation and healthy eating in one short picture book. Her still lifes of the fruit are beautiful, her use of white space inspired. An instant classic which works on every level.

MINI GREY THE ADVENTURES OF THE DISH AND THE SPOON
Jonathan Cape (Age range: 6+)
ISBN: 9780224070379

You’ve read the rhyme, now find out what happens next in the astonishing tale of the dazzling Dish and Spoon duo, after they run away together.

With many nods to 1920s film noir and other cinematic references throughout, this book offers so much to look at and contains great humour. There is real vitality in the drawings and the bold inky lines add drama. Grey gives amazing expression to the dish and the spoon without them having arms or mouths, and conveys beautifully the idea of villainous cutlery! There is so much to look at in this book; you see something new every time you open it.

JOHN KELLY & CATHY TINCKNELL SCOOP! AN EXCLUSIVE BY MONTY MOLENSKI
Templar (Age range: 8+) 
ISBN: 9781840111774

Monty Molenski is a mole on a mission. Ghosts…monsters…conspiracy theories…junior reporter Monty knows that they’re real. If he can just prove it to his editor at The Daily Roar, perhaps he’ll get the front page scoop he’s always dreamed of – and the respect he deserves. Then, one night, Monty’s colleagues all head off to a mysterious meeting, and convinced he is finally going to get his scoop, Monty follows them. But will he miss the real story?

This is a quality production with a layout that is easy to follow, a speedy, gripping feel to it, and big meaty spreads which incorporate lots of interesting detail. The characterisation is great: its use of animals to depict different traits is very well done, and the notepad device is also very clever. This very visually literate book is also laugh-out-loud funny.

CATHERINE RAYNER AUGUSTUS AND HIS SMILE
Little Tiger (Age range: 3+) 
ISBN: 9781845062835

Augustus the tiger was sad. He had lost his smile. So he did a HUGE tigery stretch and set off to find it. A book which celebrates the beauty of the world and the simple happiness it brings us when we open our eyes to it.

A very fresh and appealing book which makes good use of mixed media to convey the feel of a real tiger. Rayner’s broad loose strokes reflect the beauty of the animal, and give him real expression and emotion: so much is conveyed in the flick of his tail. The whole has a Zen-like simplicity but it is also a very physical book which draws you in. There is real artistic skill here and great maturity of style.

CHRIS RIDDELL THE EMPEROR OF ABSURDIA
Macmillan (Age range: 5+) 
ISBN: 9781405050616

Welcome to Absurdia: a strange and wonderful land where nothing is quite as it seems. Trees are birds, umbrellas are trees, and the sky is thick with snoring fish. Join one small boy as he tumbles out of bed into a crazy dreamland of wardrobe monsters, dragons – and amazing adventures.

Riddell makes glorious use of colour in this very interesting and engaging picture book, which despite being extraordinarily detailed is very easy to read. It cleverly gives the reader the impression of moving physically into its landscape, and works on lots of different levels as it turns reality completely on its head. The composition of each page is always well-thought out, and the technique of using small pictures at certain points makes the reader slow down and study carefully. The ambiguous ending stays with you, and allows you to take pleasure from the book over and over again.