Babies First Library

Only sixteen pages long, few words and very basic coloured drawings, yet since its launch in 1982 it has become an absolute children's favourite, mostly due to the simple flap on every other page, each one revealing an unsuitable animal from the Zoo. The peek-a-boo element offered by this book, keeps very young children amused and eager to discover just what the next page offers. Well thumbed and torn flaps will ensure that this isn't a book that will be passed down the generations, but you can still be certain this is a book that you'll buy for your grandchildren - if Mum & Dad don't beat you to it.

Aimed at 3-5 year olds, I cannot recommend this book highly enough to all parents. It has wonderful illustrations throughout, lovely paced rhymes, which even younger children will enjoy listening too and at its heart a lovely tale of the small but very cleaver mouse, who manages to outwit all the other animals of the forest, which would otherwise eat him up. This timeless book will remain in your library forever for good reason – classic!

Monster Machines is a picture book aided at 3-5 year olds, showing transport in a number of different forms. Sadly the 'monster' aspect is just a catchy title to appeal to kids and the reality of this book doesn't stand up to any adult scrutiny. For example the second vehicle featured may be the largest steam locomotive ever built, truly a monster machine, but five vehicles later we are looking at a really tiny four seater propeller plane - hardly a monster even to a three year old! Despite being first published in Great Britain in 2003, this book still has a very strong American bias at least in a couple of vehicle choices. Instead of a British Steam train there is a Wild West Train and the cement mixer has the traditional long engine at the front synonymous with American models. Despite a few drawbacks this book is a real favourite of my 18 month son - who loves to point at the Modern Tractor and shout excitedly "trac-ta".

Teach your child basic primary colours with winnie-the-pooh illustrations by E.H.Shepard. This board book covers red, blue, yellow and the colours they can make when mixed together (green, purple and orange). A very basic book with not much to look at, but for classic Pooh fans, will that make a difference? My only gripe about this book is the order that is deals with colours. Orange, and how to make it, comes before readers have learnt about yellow. Still a helpful book for young readers learning to paint with primary colours.

Young children love spotting and naming things, so this first words and pictures book aims to provide readers with sixty-four 'everyday' images. That said, the choice of images and objects used is a really weird mix. For example, I wonder how many Wizards will a child see everyday? Animals aren't everyday pets, nor are they real, instead photographs of toys are used and they aren't the same type either. Camel, Hippo and Zebra are hard plastic toys and as such are well defined, whilst Lion, Tiger, Monkey, Gorilla and Giraffe are cheap plush toys. With so much better competition in the first words/picture category this isn't a book I'd recommend.

If you want your children to learn that driving fast is cool, that dogs are dangerous and road safety isn't important when you are a criminal on the run or policeman in hot pursuit, then this is the book for your ignorant offspring.

This book tells the tale of police in a patrol car who chase a stolen F1 racing car around the streets, until crashed, then the police sets their dog on the criminal when he tries to run. It ends with an arrest.

This book is just so wrong on so many levels, there is even a nice strip of rubber for your child to pull off and bite on.

Well illustrated throughout - but not recommended!