Book review: Little Tiger Press is making Father’s Day extra special

Give your dad – and your little ones – a treat this Father’s Day with some brilliant books just made for reading aloud and sharing.
Little Tiger Press is making Fathers Day extra specialLittle Tiger Press is making Fathers Day extra special
Little Tiger Press is making Fathers Day extra special

Little Tiger Press, a dynamic children’s publisher noted for its bright, bold and appealing picture books and funny, captivating stories that make youngsters want to read, has a truly eclectic selection this month.

Age 3-6:

I Want My Daddy! Written by Tracey Corderoy and illustrated by Alison Edgson

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Dads come in all shapes and sizes… and you can usually rely on them to turn a dull day into an exciting adventure!

Popular children’s author Tracey Corderoy is on sparkling form in this gorgeous tribute to fathers which sees a little mouse in need of his dad’s help and a few hugs.

Despite being dressed up as a fearless knight, Arthur really needs his daddy today. His play castle has gone all wrong, he has bumped his leg chasing baddies from his kingdom and now there is a monster in his moat. Nothing is going right for this little knight. There’s only one thing for it: ‘I want my Daddy!’ he cries.

Alison Edgson’s cute and cuddly illustrations put extra heart and soul into Corderoy’s enchanting tale of Arthur and his quick-thinking dad. There is fun on every page and a big, Father’s Day helping of man-sized warmth and wisdom.

Guaranteed to melt the hardest of hearts…

(Little Tiger Press, paperback, £6.99)

Silly Dizzy Dinosaur by Jack Tickle

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Shake, rattle and roll… Dizzy the dinosaur needs a helping hand!

Kids will love getting to grips with this fun-filled, interactive picture book which celebrates the power of the imagination.

Over here, Dizzy, we’re right behind you! Dizzy Dinosaur loves to have fun but sometimes he gets a little bit silly and needs our help. First he wants his tummy tickling, then he falls in the pond and needs us to shake him dry and when he gets hiccups we must all shout ‘Boo’ to surprise him.

Author and illustrator Jack Tickle invites youngsters to share in all the laughter as the madcap antics of his charismatic big red dinosaur turn reading into a fun experience.

Izzy whizzy let’s get Dizzy!

(Little Tiger Press, paperback, £6.99)

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Poo in the Zoo by Written by Steve Smallman and illustrated by Ada Grey

Hold your noses and get ready for some… poo!

Few children can resist getting to the bottom of a poopy kind of mystery, and Steve Smallman’s gloriously funny rhyming story has it – literally – in bucket and spadefuls.

Zookeeper Bob McGrew is exhausted… he just can’t keep with all the piles of poo at the zoo! There’s lion poo, tiger poo, prickly porcupine poo, plummeting giraffe poo, dollops of gnu poo and even a trail of drippy droppings from a big, fat wombat. And then one day, a mysterious glowing poo appears. Is it from outer space? And what on earth will Bob do with it?

This brilliantly anarchic picture story really romps along with its lively illustrations – courtesy of the talented Ada Grey – and pages of rollicking rhyme and rib-tickling escapades.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The ideal book to read aloud and get the kids laughing… and joining in the fun.

(Little Tiger Press, paperback, £6.99)

More! Written by Tracey Corderoy and illustrated by Tim Warnes

There must be an army of little ones out there still under the spell of adorable rhino Archie whose demands have so far made hilarious reading in dynamic duo Tracey Corderoy and Tim Warnes’ popular books No! and Why?

Now terrible toddler Archie is back and he has discovered a new word… ‘More!’ He wants more books at bedtime, more ice cream and more bubbles in his bath. And if that wasn’t enough, he wants to build bigger towers and better fancy dress costumes. But sometimes ‘more’ is just too much... and his mum and dad are exhausted. Archie is going to have to learn that sometimes ‘more’ is too much.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The indomitable Archie is on fine, toddler tantrum form in this hilarious cautionary tale which features some sharp observations from the wise Ms Corderoy and a gallery of laugh-a-minute illustrations from the magical brush of Tim Warnes.

The perfect story to calm bedtime blues… and maybe, just maybe, give your strong-willed toddlers a little pause for thought!

(Little Tiger Press, paperback, £6.99)

No More Cuddles by Jane Chapman

Can you ever have too many hugs? Barry certainly thinks so, but the furry creature is a cuddle monster after all!

Author and illustrator Jane Chapman has her writing and drawing talents in perfect harmony in this captivating, colourful picture book featuring a lovable monster who longs to be alone.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The forest creatures, particularly those bounding, bouncing bunnies, love a hug but Barry is just covered in cuddles. He might live all by himself deep in the forest but this furry chap is never truly on his own for long. ‘Come here, Fluffikins!’ call the animals every morning, diving into his fur for a cuddle. There are simply too many hugs to handle but how can Barry get them to stop?

This funny, furry friend-to-all, with his soulful eyes and playful pals, is guaranteed to charm both children and parents alike. A monstrously good story for all the family to enjoy.

(Little Tiger Press, hardback, £10.99)

Age 8 plus:

Elspeth Hart and the School for Show-offs Written by Sarah Forbes and illustrated by James Brown

A new boarding school adventure this may be… but Sarah Forbes’s captivating new debut series is in a class of its own.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Meet the scrumptious Elspeth Hart, a very modern schoolgirl heroine with oodles of attitude, doodles on her trainers, an unstoppable determination and a crabby aunt who is the school’s chief cook.

The school in question is called the Pandora Pants School for Show-offs, a dreadful place where you can only study if you are really, really good at showing off or your parents are very rich.

Ever since her parents were washed away in a flood, Elspeth has been forced to live with her disgusting aunt, Miss Crabb, in the school attics. She spends her days sweeping up mouse droppings, washing filthy pots and dodging Tatiana Firensky, the worst show-off of them all. But when a knock on the head from a falling book brings back some of Elspeth’s memories from before the flood, she begins to suspect that Miss Crabb is hiding something and hatches a plan to escape...

This quirky, action-packed, fully illustrated, rollercoaster tale is packed with suitably vile villains, shameful show-offs and a fabulously funny and feisty schoolgirl star. We encounter intrigue, mystery, high jinx and humour as Elspeth battles to have the last laugh over her enemies.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A modern-day Cinderella set to enchant a new generation of readers…

(Stripes, paperback, £5.99)

Stitch Head: The Best of Grubbers Nubbin Written by Guy Bass and illustrated by Pete Williamson

He’s not quite Frankenstein’s monster but Stitch Head, a mad professor’s forgotten creation, certainly has adventure stories all sewn up!

The Best of Grubbers Nubbin is the fifth freakishly funny tale in a hugely successful series by award-winning author Guy Bass and sees the not-so-scary little monster step out of the shadows once more into another adventure of an almost-lifetime.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Insane Professor Erasmus spends his days and nights toiling away in his laboratory at Castle Grotteskew creating bizarre monsters, each more freakish and unnatural than the last. Long forgotten by his master, Stitch Head is determined to keep the promise he made to his master when Erasmus was a young boy – to be friends for the rest of their days. This means that rather than hiding away in the shadows as Stitch Head would prefer, he is compelled to spend his almost-life keeping the castle safe, protecting his master from prying eyes, devising potions to cure the creations of their monstrous madness and stopping them from wreaking havoc among the townsfolk in Grubbers Nubbin.

But this time, it’s not the professor’s creations that are causing the commotion. Instead, the orphans at Castle Grotteskew are running riot, and getting hungry. With no food in the castle, Stitch Head and Arabella head down to Grubbers Nubbin to see what they can pilfer, but there they encounter a terrifying, savage beast. Could one of Professor Erasmus’s monstrous creations be on the loose?

These funny, accessible, fast-paced and illustrated books are perfect for reluctant readers who like their stories to be visually appealing and the action to unfold at breakneck speed. Brimming with atmosphere, excitement, brilliant characters and chaotic humour, Stitch Head brings us adventure at its very best.

(Stripes, paperback, £5.99)