Book reviews: Reading fun from every angle with Little Tiger Press

Enjoy a stunning new perspective on our world in an exciting collection of summer books from innovative children's publisher Little Tiger Group.
Reading fun from every angle with Little Tiger PressReading fun from every angle with Little Tiger Press
Reading fun from every angle with Little Tiger Press

See our planet and the natural world in remarkable close-up, get down to the coolest cats’ café, meet a little dragon with a big appetite for adventure, help a lost kitten to find her home and sail away with a raft of sparkling picture books.

Age 7 plus:

In Focus by Created by Libby Walden

Take a look at the world from a whole new angle!

Children will be itching to get their hands on this exciting and innovative new book which explores 101 wonders of our planet from the outside, in.

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With its close-ups, cross-sections and cutaways, In Focus lets youngsters make their own amazing discoveries about everything from a toaster and a honeybee to a space rocket and a shark.

This outstanding book is the brainchild of the ever-inventive Libby Walden and comes from 360 Degrees, a new non-fiction imprint of Little Tiger Group which offers a stimulating and creative approach to presenting facts.

Each book in in the 360 Degrees line-up is unique in subject and presentation style and covers everything from natural history to human invention, from art to architecture, and from languages to lunar landings.

In Focus invites ten illustrators to place ten subjects under the microscope to uncover what lies beneath the surface whether that is famous landmarks, fruit and vegetables, everyday inventions, Earth and space, the world’s oceans or the homes we live in.

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Youngsters will love turning the pages, following the trails, slicing a path through the workings of objects, animals and buildings to reveal some extraordinary interiors and lifting the giant flaps on every spread to see what delights and fantastic facts are hiding inside.

With information and intriguing insights into the core of our world, each subject is explored in depth with carefully researched content and exciting cross-sectional images.

Entertaining, accessible, original and with impeccable attention to detail, In Focus is the perfect gift for readers young and old who are curious about how things work and eager to find out what lies under the surface of our everyday life.

A hidden world of learning in one big, beautiful book…

(360 Degrees, hardback, £15.99)

Age 5 plus:

Wilderness: An Interactive Atlas of Animals by Hannah Pang and Jenny Wren

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And in the same series is this exhilarating journey into the world of animals and some of their extraordinary habitats.

Our knowledge of the natural world grows with each passing day and so too does the desire to discover and investigate how creatures survive and adapt to their different environments.

Children love exploring and this stunning, interactive atlas written by Hannah Pang lets them lift flaps, enjoy unexpected pop-ups and turn wheels to embark on their own special adventure in the animal world.

From the depths of the oceans to high mountains and rainforest canopies, Wilderness takes young readers round the Earth… and all from the comfort of their armchairs. Budding biologists will be on a transport of delight as they immerse themselves in nature through Jenny Wren’s vibrant illustrations and the exquisitely crafted three-dimensional fact finders.

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The book creates a unique sensation of gradual exploration and discovery as each double page spread whisks readers away to a new habitat. From ants to whales and orang-utans to octopuses, Wilderness opens up the animal kingdom in the most enchanting way.

A wild and wonderful way to get close to nature…

(360 Degrees, hardback, £15.99)

Age 8 plus:

Poppy’s Place: Trouble at the Cat Café by Katrina Charman and Lucy Truman

Cool for cats! Poppy’s Place fans will be purring with joy as author Katrina Charman and illustrator Lucy Truman deliver the second book in this gorgeous, heart-warming series about the residents of a cat café.

An exciting voice in children’s fiction, Charman is wooing young animal lovers with an irresistible brand of feline charm as we follow 11-year-old Isla Palmer’s dream to not just own a posse of pussies but to open her very own cat sanctuary and café.

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Isla is overjoyed that Mum has agreed to the idea of opening a cat café. It means Poppy and Roo can be the family’s forever cats. But Poppy’s Place isn’t just a solution to their houseful of cats, it’s also a way of helping other homeless cats find a forever home too. But as they start on their plans, the ‘to do’ list just gets longer.

There is so much to organise… the menu, the decorating, the website, not to mention the task of creating a super-friendly space for all the cute and mischievous cats. As the grand opening looms, the family face a major setback. Can they rally together to solve the problems or will this be the end of Isla’s dream?

Written with warmth, charm and real affection, and filled with Lucy Truman’s sparkling illustrations, Poppy’s Place serves up an addictive mix of fun, family, friendship and legions of furry friends

(Stripes, paperback, £5.99)

Age 7 plus:

There’s a Dragon in My Toilet by Tom Nicoll and Sarah Horne

Youngsters have been breathing fire in anticipation of the third laugh-out-loud adventure featuring schoolboy Eric and a little dragon called Pan with an oversized appetite for adventure.

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Guaranteed to make every family member grin with delight, these madcap escapades feature hilarious antics and wonderful characters, all hurtling headlong into mayhem and madness.

Pan the Mini-Dragon is starting to feel like Eric’s bedroom is his home but he is still missing his parents in China, so imagine his delight when Eric helps him to speak to them over the internet. But his joy turns to despair when his parents announce that they are sending his bad-tempered aunt and uncle to bring him home.

Travelling through the sewer system, Pan’s relatives cause a stink when they turn up in Eric’s house via his toilet ...and they’re not going back without him. Will Pan manage to get them off his tail and avoid a trip through the sewers?

Sarah Horne’s action-packed illustrations add to the zany fun, making these well-plotted and lively stories ideal for children who have started to enjoy reading alone.

(Stripes, paperback, £5.99)

Age 6 plus:

The Curious Kitten by Holly Webb and Sophy Williams

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Much-loved author Holly Webb conjures up more animal magic in the new book in her adorable Animal Stories series for young readers.

Webb, who has written over ninety books for children, brings us the cute and cuddly story of a lost kitten on a mission to find her owner.

Amber’s parents are having building work done and her kitten Cleo is very curious about all the new people coming and going. Then the little cat climbs into one of the builders’ vans and its owner drives off without noticing. Cleo manages to escape but finds herself in a strange new place. Will she ever find her way home to Amber?

Sophy Williams provides the gorgeous black and white illustrations for an enchanting story that is sure to capture the hearts of every animal-loving child. And fans can also discover the free Puppies and Kittens app on App Store and Google Play. It’s jam-packed with exciting activities from fantastic games and puzzles to creative colouring and sticker fun.

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Perfect for children just starting to read alone or for youngsters who love to share a book with mum and dad.

(Stripes, paperback, £4.99)

Age 3 plus:

The Great Aaa-Ooo by Jonny Lambert

There will be plenty of Aaas and Ooos when little ones turn the pages of this big, LOUD book!

Author and illustrator Jonny Lambert works some super scary picture book magic as the woodland animals try to track down whose ooing and aaaing is causing night time goosebumps.

As Mouse scampers homewards through the dark, rackety wood, he hears an awful Aaa-Ooo! Who or what could be making that horrible howl? Could it be Owl, Moose, Bear or Goose… or could it be a boggley-eyed, hairy, scary, big-clawed monster with huge teeth? Owl thinks that is a load of twaddle but could it really be a monster who wants to chomp, gnash and chew them all up?

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Lambert’s funny, action-packed story, with its reassuring twist in the tail, is ideal for toddlers and young children who are nervous of the dark or embarking on the great adventure of sleeping alone in a big bed.

Large, stylish, eye-catching illustrations and an enchanting, lyrical text ensure that The Great Aaa-Ooo will become a firm bedtime, read-aloud favourite.

(Little Tiger Press, hardback, £10.99)

Age 3 plus:

There’s No Such Thing as a Snappenpoop by Jeanne Willis and Matt Saunders

Younger siblings will have the last laugh in this playful picture book story about a ‘beastly’ big brother!

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Little Brother wants to join in the fun with his sibling, but his mean Big Brother won’t let him play. Fetch me a unicorn first, he demands, and miraculously Little Brothers finds one. But that’s not enough; Big Brother also wants a lion with wings and a triceratops dinosaur. Finally, he orders Little Brother to fetch him a Massive Spiny Snappenpoop. Everybody knows there’s no such thing as a Snappenpoop, he’ll never bring one back... or will he?

Award-winning author Jeanne Willis packs this deliciously subversive, cautionary tale with out-of-this world creatures and bossy siblings, making this a sure-fire winner with put-upon little brothers and sisters.

Original, funny and quirky, and brought to life by debut picture book illustrator Matt Saunders’ dark and atmospheric artwork, the twist in the Snappenpoop’s tail will have all the family laughing.

(Little Tiger Press, hardback, £10.99)

Age 3 plus:

The Messy Book by Maudie Powell-Tuck and Richard Smythe

Tidying up doesn’t have to be boring… in fact, it can be a heap of fun!

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Author Maudie Powell-Tuck and exciting new illustrator Richard Smythe play a wild card in this madcap picture book story about a messy cat who just can’t help piling up trouble for herself.

Cat has made a terrible mess and she won’t tidy it up, no matter how many times Dog asks her. She shoves it this way, pushes it that way and heaves it on to everybody else’s patch. She considers hiding it under the bed, blowing it up and even simply eating it. Can Dog convince Cat, along with a giraffe and two penguins, to clean up this very messy book?

Children will laugh along with Cat’s misadventures and Smythe’s quirky, chaotic illustrations which are a feast of colour and jumbled objects and characters. Packed with humour and lovable animal characters, The Messy Book is the perfect story for any child who has ever been told to tidy their room!

(Little Tiger Press, hardback, £10.99)

Age 3 plus:

Paws McDraw: The Fastest Doodler in the West by Connah Brecon

On your marks, get set… draw!

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Meet Paws McDraw… he’s the fastest doodler in the west and he has set his well-sharpened pencil point on a rampaging, rascally racoon gang.

Doodlers and fun lovers will fall in love with the new picture book hero whose skills with a pencil have turned super sleuthing into an art form.

With his amazing sketching talents and trusty pencil, canny cowboy Paws can draw his way out of any danger and always manages to save the day. But when the Rascally Raccoon

Gang hit the town and cause chaos at the bunnies’ cupcake carnival, has Paws McDraw finally met his match?

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Paws McDraw is a wonderfully inventive and comical story from the inventive mind of Connah Brecon. Packed with entertaining animal characters and fabulously fun drawings, this is the picture perfect way to celebrate art and storytelling.

(Little Tiger Press, hardback, £10.99)