New children's books we love
Every month, we review dozens of books for children and teenagers. Here are the ones we like best in January: guaranteed to get your child reading...
Whether they're a teeny toddler or a very particular teen, this is where you can find your child's next amazing book: just scroll down to find books for a range of ages.
We've sorted our favourite new books into rough age ranges, but this is just a guide and readers might find something they'll love in a different category.
Fancy writing a book review yourself? Read our handy guide and have a go!
Ada and the animals compare their teeth – and then brush them! A funny book to share with a toddler.
Can I Sleep Here? Baby Penguin
Follow an adorable baby penguin and its parent as they search for the perfect place to sleep in this interactive, lift-the-flap board book.
A brilliant, slightly anarchic and yet comforting rhyming book about all the amazing beds that could exist, written by a legendary poet.
Big Red Dragon: Play Rhymes Through the Year
15 action rhymes to say and to act out. With charming illustrations and instructions for the actions, this is a fun book to share with babies and toddlers.
Read more about Big Red Dragon: Play Rhymes Through the Year
A colourful, interactive first book about dinosaurs and their habitats with a playful seek and find theme.
Frank and Bert: The One Where Bert Plays Football
Frank is helping his best friend Bert to improve his football skills, but when Barbara invites Frank for a kick-about, Bert is left behind. Funny and heart-warming, this gloriously-illustrated picture book demonstrates the importance of friendship.
Read more about Frank and Bert: The One Where Bert Plays Football
A Beginner’s Guide to Choosing the Perfect Pet
Tigers, anacondas and polar bears are in, and rabbits, kittens and puppies are definitely out. A fabulously funny picture book that turns the idea of the perfect pet on its head.
Read more about A Beginner’s Guide to Choosing the Perfect Pet
Dancing Dumplings for my One and Only
A girl helps her grandmother recover from illness through their shared ritual of cooking Chinese dumplings as a symbol of their love.
Will Faizah be bold enough to fence in front of others? A warm, beautifully illustrated book with an unusual message on bravery.
Frankie and Friends: Breaking News
Can Frankie cover her first breaking news story, like her journalist mama? Heartwarming and charming, with cute illustrations, ideal for newly confident readers or for reading together.
Guardians of the New Moon: Ming and Miaow’s Great Race
The ruler of heaven challenges every animal to a great race, with the fastest 12 immortalised in the Chinese zodiac. Join Ming the fox and Miaow the catas they fight to win the race!
Read more about Guardians of the New Moon: Ming and Miaow’s Great Race
A hard-hitting picture book which tells the true story of a Holocaust survivor. This important book explores dark events in a sensitive but unflinching way.
National Trust: Story of the Seasons
A comprehensive exploration of wildlife in the UK explainedby examining 8 habitats as they change through the seasons, written in collaboration with the National Trust.
Rise and Fall: Great Empires that Shaped the World
A marvellous nonfiction resource that showcases nine fascinating cultures, looking at how each empire rose to power, and what its significance was.
Read more about Rise and Fall: Great Empires that Shaped the World
An exciting, brilliantlyimagined fantasy adventure set in a brutal, frozen landscape and featuring several LGBTQI characters and multiple fearsome monsters.
A lively, entertaining, sleuthing adventure with a multicultural cast of characters and focussing on family relationships.
Time Keys: Hunt For the Golden Scarab
This gripping, thrill-packed, time slip adventure whisks readers away to Egypt, both ancient and modern, and is full of fascinating historical detail lived in the first person.
Stella is thrilled to be holidaying in space with her family, but when her brother Ryan spins off into outer space, she must use her knowledge of the stars to rescue him. An exhilarating cosmic adventure, written in a dyslexia-friendly style.
It is 1829 and 14-year-old Edward Entwistle is hired by the Stephensons to guard their new invention, a steam locomotive named Rocket. When someone tries to sabotage it, Edward is determined to find the culprit. An enthralling mystery which contains a wealth of historical detail.
A brilliantly imagined and side-splittingly funny story, about a three-eyed alien and his Earthling companion, complemented by comic-style illustrations on almost every page that bring their (mis)adventures to life.
When returning to Earth from a space mission, an alien life form is detected aboard the ship. This interactive pick-your-own-path book has over 45 possible endings, and the reader must make the right choices if they are to catch the alien and save humankind.
Merian’s mum Gwen studies and protects zombies, but an unexpected zombie outbreak plunges them both into extreme danger. This highlyoriginal, dystopian novel is a thrilling and thought-provoking read.
Anzu and the Realm of Darkness
Anzu journeys to the underworld realm of Yomi to battle against Japanese mythological beingsin order to reclaim and celebrate her unique identity.
The Nightmares of Finnegan Quick
Can Finn face his fears and the monsters spilling out from his dreams? Funny and scary, this is an action-packed adventure.
Ayrton was stolen as a baby – and Stanley’s mysterious grandmother did it! But can they find her? A gripping story of family secrets and friendship.
Wales Book of the Month
Di Stori Di Yw Hon / Tell Your Own Story
What funny things will the cheeky animals do next? You choose! This edition is in Welsh, with English text at the back.
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