The Circle Square

By Simon Philip

Illustrated by Neil Clark

Bonnier Books

November 2024, pp40, £7.99

ISBN: 9781800785052

Reading age: 3+ years

A delightful book about resilience and focusing on the positives in life, despite the problems you may face.

Readers follow Square as he navigates all the difficulties of being a square – having his corners knocked and whacked by other shapes, and not being able to do things easily. He wishes to be different and to be a circle instead.

However, he realises it is not healthy to dwell on negative thoughts, and pledges to enjoy his life and all the positives of being a square. As a result, although his corners still get knocked, he doesn’t seem to mind so much. One day he wakes up to find his corners are gone and he has become a circle!

This is a lovely message about how, to reach smoothness in life, you have to go through rough patches to make you well rounded.

The gentle poetic verse introduces readers to rhyme and makes this narrative fun and engaging. Readers will enjoy the often hilarious illustrations.

The book also can be used to introduce basic shapes, supporting early maths.

Nursery Rhymes

By Robert Lacey

Illustrated by Ben Coppin with Claud Lovat Fraser

Paper Argosies

October 2024, pp128, £20

ISBN: 9781738559503

Reading age: 3+ years

This is a beautiful collection of classic nursery rhymes retold for modern audiences using gorgeous illustrations from 20th century illustrator Claud Lovat Fraser.

A comprehensive volume, many well-known and less well-known rhymes are included. The large print text makes the collection particularly accessible to early readers and those who may be partially sighted.

As traditional rhymes, many of the darker elements are included, so consideration should be given to more sensitive and younger readers.

There is also a useful section at the back explaining the meanings of such tales to extend reader understanding, although the text here is more aimed at adults.

A useful beginning section also explains more about the genre of nursery rhymes and includes an interesting biography of Claud Lovat Fraser. Additionally there is a bibliography of further reading about nursery rhymes.

A lovely, robust hardcover gives the feel of a quality, durable book, like the rhymes contained within.

Body Detective

By Janet Krauthamer

Illustrated by Christiane Engel

Barefoot Books

November 2024, pp22, £14.99

ISBN: 9798888592212

Reading age: 4+ years

A lovely, interactive board book all about detecting the signals in our bodies, which will stand up to much use from young hands.

Each double page follows a different signal your body may be giving off, demonstrating how readers might feel and what behaviours they may show. Interactive pullouts change the pictures to show what readers need to do as a result of feeling this way, supporting fine motor skills.

Covering feelings ranging from hunger, thirst and tiredness to calm, cold and illness, this book will be particularly useful for any readers who struggle to understand how and what they are feeling, and what action to take as a result.

The text is accessible for four-year-olds and older, but would be useful for younger ages in one-to-one or group settings, with much for younger children to learn from it.

The book ends with further information about interoception, including interactive flaps and fun activities to encourage readers to discover more about their senses and describe how they are feeling.