ANTHONY BROWNE SILLY BILLY
Walker Books (Age range: 5+)
ISBN: 9780744570175

Billy is a bit of a worrier. He worries so much, he can’t sleep. Luckily Grandma knows just what he needs to help him overcome his fears. And once Billy learns Grandma’s secret, he finds he never has to worry again.

This is a very clever, very subtle book, fantastically detailed and with some wonderfully weird touches. The layout is beautifully balanced, with lovely strong blocks of colour. Though the narrative is quite static, the images are full of movement, and the skilful framing, reminiscent of a photo album invites you in to take a look.

POLLY DUNBAR PENGUIN
Walker Books (Age range: 3+)
ISBN: 9781844280650

Ben tries very hard to get his new Penguin to talk to him. He pulls faces, sings songs and does dizzy dances. Penguin says nothing. Ben tries ignoring him, making fun of him, and even fires him up in a rocket. But still Penguin says nothing. Only when a hungry lion comes along does Penguin reveal his true feelings.

This book makes a big impression with its clean, confident style. The penguin’s body language is wonderful, and the child is also beautifully drawn without being in any way twee, or sentimental. Dunbar is not afraid of using lots of colour, but neither is she scared of white space: giving each page real visual impact, and making you want to interact with the story. All in all, a book to make you happy.

EMILY GRAVETT LITTLE MOUSE’S BIG BOOK OF FEARS
Macmillan (Age range: 6+)
ISBN: 9781405089487

Little Mouse is afraid of almost everything. We learn about all his phobias, from his fear of creepy crawlies to his fear of clocks, dogs, cats and shadows. The only thing that makes him feel better is that human beings actually seem to be afraid of him!

This is a clever, funny and innovative book which is also extremely warm and emotionally engaging for the reader. It’s a book you can explore and spend ages over. The attention to detail is quite astonishing: every part of the book is used, and the production values are fantastic. It works on every single level. A publishing tour de force.

EMILY GRAVETT MONKEY AND ME
Macmillan (Age range: 0+)
ISBN: 9781405089494

A little girl and her toy monkey play at being animals. They have great fun pretending to be penguins, kangaroos, bats, elephants and monkeys, before heading tiredly home for tea.
A simple and highly effective, but also rather elegant book, both in format and design.

Everything combines to give a great sense of movement: from the font and the placing of the text, to the way the beautifully drawn limbs of the child and her toy make lovely shapes on the page. The eye is drawn right in, so that you feel you are being invited to join in the game. A book that is quite conventional in feel, but also highly original.

JANE RAY (Text by Carol Ann Duffy) THE LOST HAPPY ENDINGS
Bloomsbury (Age range: 9+)
ISBN: 9780747579229
If it were not for Jub there would be no happy endings, none at all. But one night, on her way to make sure that every story told in the world ends well, she is caught by a wicked witch who steals all her happy endings. Jub must use all her ingenuity to rescue the stories from disaster.

A beautiful and decorative book by a wonderful colourist, with a lovely use of gold, and of light and dark, which make the shadows and night scenes extremely effective. The powerful illustrations really elevate the text. It’s also a courageous portrayal of evil: Ray does not draw back from making the witch a very sinister presence in the story. A book that reveals more every time you go back to it.

CHRIS RIDDELL OTTOLINE AND THE YELLOW CAT
Macmillan (Age range: 7+)
ISBN: 9781405050579

A string of daring burglaries has taken place in Big City and precious lapdogs are disappearing all over town. Something must be done. Meet Ottoline Brown and her best friend Mr Munroe. No puzzle is ever too tricky for the two of them to solve.

A book which combines superb draughtsmanship with a lovely selective use of colour and a beautiful cover design. There is so much synergy between the text and illustrations; they complement each other perfectly, drawing the reader in. The detail is such that every time you look at this innovative book, you see something new.

ED VERE BANANA!
Puffin (Age range: 0+)
ISBN: 9780141500591

Two monkeys. One banana. A recipe for trouble, until someone remembers the magic word. Do you know what it is?

A bold and deceptively simple book which uses colour to great dramatic effect. Its fantastic use of space provides a masterclass in how not to clutter the page to get a result, whilst the minimal text does the job of telling the story perfectly. Pure colour, pure enjoyment.