Funny books

From its title and cover it should be pretty clear to readers that this story isn’t set in the Devon countryside. Rather it concerns Briggy, his mate Terror and his sort-of-girlfriend Caldonia, all residents of Crongton, ‘the toughest fictional estate in London’. When the three are in detention one afternoon, Terror, with Briggy’s reluctant compliance, hatches a plan to rob the local post office. As the jacket blurb tellsus, what could possibly go wrong?

When Louisiana’s granny wakes her up in the middle of the night to announce that ‘The day of reckoning has arrived’, she not only pulls Louisiana out of her bed, she also wrenches her from her home, her friends and the only version of her life story she has ever known. And when Granny then disappears without explanation, she leaves the twelve-year-old to face not only an uncertain future, but also a total reassessment of her past.

Although the research is lacking, perhaps nothing can cheer up a reader like a roly-poly flying pony. Cute as a button and wonderfully huggable, Kevin is yet another fantastic creation by that amazing storytelling duo, writer Philip Reeve and artist Sarah McIntyre.

Cuirfidh léitheoirí fáilte roimh an leagan Gaeilge seo den leabhar spleodrach A Squash and a Squeeze a scríobh Julia Donaldson. Mar is dual do Donaldson tá scéal breá spraíúil ann do pháistí óga. Tá go leor aithrise ann agus beidh an duine óg in ann é a léamh i gcomhar leis an duine fásta. Críochnaíonn an scéal le ceacht - cé go mbíonn sí ag gearán faoin áit i dtús báire ceal spáis, ní fada go dtuigeann sí go bhféadfadh cúrsaí a bheith níos measa agus slua ainmhithe sa mhullach ar a chéile ann.

Polly has dreamed of every possible way to get a pony. She’s pony-mad and wants nothing more than to prove herself showjumping at Olympia. She can almost hear the crowds go wild! So, imagine her delight when she finds a plump, friendly pony munching his way through the flapjacks at the local supermarket.

Boy Underwater is a beautiful novel brimming with heart, humour and poignancy. Easily enjoyed by a broad spectrum of ages, the journey of Cymbeline Igloo (yes, that’s really his name) as he attempts to uncover the mystery of why his mother never took him swimming proves itself a deeply moving portrait of a fractured family.

Renata isn’t exactly the neighbour of your dreams. She complains about everyone in the neighbourhood, she hates music – and she steals food that’s been left out for the birds! But there’s more to Renata than her strange behaviour. What are the seagulls trying to tell her? And what does the accordionist’s mysterious song really mean for Renata and her memory? Rūta Briede’s comic contemporary fable is the story of a woman who doesn’t really know who she is, and of how she remembers with the help of her friends…who just so happen to have wings.

Just like the story itself, Square is a book that holds a lot of beauty and depth within its simple exterior. When Circle asks Square to make a sculpture of her, based on her confusion about his hobby of moving blocks, Square wants everything to be perfect, just like Circle is. But will it be?

This has become one of my favourite picturebooks. There are subtle and not-so-subtle messages about literacy here. If you are a traditional teacher of reading, a believer in synthetic phonics – well, look away now. Sounding out words about a cat sitting on a mat doing and thinking nothing is rubbished here.

Starting with the cover, which shows a very large, open bunny mouth, Big Bunny is a story that is full of surprises. It begins with the usual ‘Once upon a time …’ but from there departs from the expected, relaying the story of Big Bunny through a dialogue between what we assume to be a parent/storyteller and a child/listener. As the narrative goes on, the story is taken over by the listener who then becomes the storyteller and who adds their own wonderfully ridiculous ideas to the story of Big Bunny.