This week's best books for children aged five to nine: Toto, The Wizard Of Once and more
WAR HORSE author Michael Morpurgo and artist Emma Chichester Clark have collaborated on many books but Toto (HarperCollins, £14.99) is one of their finest.
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A delightful retelling of The Wizard Of Oz from the perspective of a little dog called Toto, it will enchant children and parents alike.
Cressida Cowell, author of the How To Train Your Dragon series, returns with The Wizard Of Once (Hodder Children’s Books, £12.99).
In a world where Warriors are trying to drive Wizards to extinction, Xar the Wizard and Wish the Warrior must unite to defeat dark forces.
Cowell transports her readers to a vividly imagined fantasy world based on Iron Age Britain.
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Young readers will love finding a copy of Enid Blyton’s Christmas Treats (Hodder Children’s Books, £6.99) in their stockings.
This new collection features 29 bite-size festive tales, all originally published between the 1920s and 1950s.
The language is slightly old-fashioned but children will enjoy reading about a Christmas pudding that won’t stop growing and an arrogant rocking horse who learns to help his fellow toys.
The Little People, Big Dreams series celebrates the achievements of famous women who accomplished remarkable things.
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The latest book, Emmeline Pankhurst (Frances Lincoln, £9.99), tells how the pioneering suffragette helped women win the right to vote.
Written by Lisbeth Kaiser with illustrations by Ana Sanfelippo, it brings history to life on the page.
Other subjects in the series include Amelia Earhart, Rosa Parks and Coco Chanel.
Dermot O’Leary’s Toto The Ninja Cat and The Great Snake Escape (Hodder Children’s Books, £6.99) will be a surefire winner with children.
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Two cats arrive in London from Italy and meet a cat that looks suspiciously like a rat, a deadly king cobra and Larry, the famous furry resident of 10 Downing Street.
The X Factor host’s debut children’s book is both fun and original.
The National Theatre’s inspired Play In A Box (Walker Books, £12.99), illustrated by Hui Skipp, allows children to create, direct and act in their very own play, the colourful box containing a range of character cards, a stagecraft handbook and a programme and tickets to colour in and distribute.
This is one game that adults will love getting roped into.
