Bumper to Bumper amp; Animal Hullabaloo. Jakki Wood. Frances Lincoln, pound;4.99 each, Ages from two
The Cat That Scratched. Jonathan Long.Illustrated by Korky Paul. Red Fox, pound;4.50, Ages 3-7
Running Away from Home. Nigel Gray. Illustrated by Gregory Rogers. Red Fox, pound;4.99, Ages 3-7
In Bumper to Bumper, the ultimate traffic jam includes lots of detail, even a hint of road rage. There are labels to help the grown-ups - many under-fives seem fascinated with the differences between vehicles and probably can already tell a hatchback from a saloon.
Animal Hullabaloo just has the sounds animals and birds make. If you can persuade a chorus to join in, it really does get noisy! Realistic wildlife illustrations and clever typography.
In The Cat That Scratched, the feline plagued by a flea comes up with some brilliant methods for getting rid of it. The flea remains smug and triumphant, until it encounters another member of the cat family. Wonderful verse, hilarious pictures and a theme with which every teacher of children with head lice will empathise.
In Running Away From Home Sam rebels against his father and packs up all his treasured possessions. He soon returns for cake, but the feelings of anger, pain and being alone in the world are beautifully captured.
