Willaby Wallaby is not happy. There's an ouch in the pouch and it's making him grouch. So, he hops off in search of a new home. But Mummy Wombat's pouch is 'too baggy, too saggy, too bulgey and wide'. Mummy Possum's isn't any good either and Mummy Dingo is just plain scary. Once home, he learns that the 'ouch' is, in fact, his little sister, and he's just discovered that big, strong boys don't need pouches anyway.
A delightful tale of achieving independence and with some glorious tongue-twisting language that children will love to hear and try to say. A thrillaby for little boys and Jillabys!
I Very Really Miss You written by Jane Kemp and Clare Walters and illustrated by Jonathan Langley, Frances Lincoln (paperback, £6.99)
Sam's big brother Ben is going on a school trip for a whole week - great! But Sam soon discovers that while a big brother can seem a real pest when he's around, he feels like a wonderful help and playmate when he's not there.
This is a tender story of brotherly love, in which both boys are able to express just how they feel about each other.
The Saddest King by Chris Wormell, Red Fox (paperback, £5.99)
In a land where everyone is relentlessly happy, a boy decides to break the law and cry. Dragged to the palace to explain himself, boy and king discover that each has experienced a beloved dog dying. But while the boy is prepared to show his sorrow, the king has hidden his behind a smiley mask. This touching and surprisingly cheerful story contains important messages about expressing and coming to terms with grief.
Measuring Angels by Lesley Ely and Polly Dunbar, Frances Lincoln (hardback, £11.99)
A little girl tells of how her 'old' friend, Sophie, is now horrible to her. Their teacher attempts a reconciliation by making them work together on a sunflower project. But their unwillingness to get on stops the plant from growing. The girls' solution is to make an angel to watch over it, a move that causes the sunflower and the friendship to bloom.
This is a moving story about the fickleness of childhood friendship, bullying and the acceptance of others.