Mary's Animal Friends by John Stokes and Sophie Holme, £5.99

MARY loves to visit her grandparents who live in an old house in the Lake District with their little tortoiseshell cat called Flora. She loves animals and the sounds they make so asks, very nicely, if the sheep and cows, pigs and chickens, even the donkeys that she meets on her travels with her family will make their noises for her. But they are all busy eating grass or munching hay until she finds just one shy animal who answers her. Which one is it who is quickly Mary’s ‘favourite animal in all the world.’

With John Stoke's repetitive word pattern that young children so love brought to life by Sophie's beautiful paintings this is a great book for little ones.

CAROLINE REECE

WATERSTONES KENDAL