Book reviews - activity books (page 3)

I have said it before, and I am quite sure I will say it again, that Buster Books do produce a fantastic range of innovative activity books - there seems to be a constant supply of fresh new ideas, and here's yet another. Let young architects' imaginations soar as they build their very own world within the pages of this exciting book. The pages are colourful backgrounds with just enough in the way of illustration to set the scene - including a snow scene, a castle, a beach scene, a night scene amd plenty more. These are all on good quality paper which is thick enough to resist tearing. Bright coloured ticker sheets at the back of the book are the building blocks, from which children can create soaring structures, brilliant bridges and much more. This really is a superb book which offers so much scope for imaginative designs. I'd warn the young owners of this book not to leave it lying around, or it might just be appropriated by an adult!

Sticker shapes can often be frustratingly complex for little fingers, leading to upset children when they tear - no the case with this book, which has simple shapes ideal for young ones. It's ideal to introduce young children to the concept of matching colours to numbers. The colourful sticker shapes can be used to create outstanding images as children complete their own pictures - from colourful flowers and bumblebees to swimming fish and adorable houses. Each colourful page has white shapes; these are completed by using the stickers at the back of the book. Each shape has a number which relates to the coloured sticker page at the back of the book - these pages pull out for ease of use. With over 700 stickers, this book is brilliant for younger children who love stickers, and they will produce great results while learning about shape and colour and increasing manual dexterity.

Alain Gree's illustrations are a delight and this bumper book has them in abundance, making the 50+ activities really appealing. The book has been compiled by Alain Gree himself and will keep a child busy and happy for many hours. The activities are varied and include spot the difference, matching games and mazes as well as activities involving cutting out, folding and creating objects such as an old style television with a scrolling image and building a paper house. All of the pages are incredibly absorbing with Alain's unmistakably rich style of illustration. A particular feature is that page of the activity book is printed single sided and also glued rather than stitched allowing the pages to be removed, shared and displayed. The activities appeal to a wide range of ages, so these additional features make the book perfect for families and ideal to take out and about. Lots of unusual ideas coupled with the lovely pictures make this a very special book.

Start saving up those toilet roll inners as you'll need a good supply before you start using this book! This fun new activity book is full of simple craft projects using just a toilet roll and a few other basic items that will be easily available. Illustrated step-by-step instructions show exactly how to tackle each activity and the full colour photos show exactly what the finished result should be. It's easy to follow with plenty of unusual ideas - make a mini village, a beautiful basket, flying fish, racing cars and much more; who would have thought the humble loo roll could be so versatile? A helpful star rating guide shows the difficulty level of each project. Great for use both at home and in school and an excellent way to recycle.

Dinosaur fans can enjoy reading all about these magnificent creatures in the full colour 24 page book which is part of the pack. Full of factual information and informative illustrations, the book also includes a useful pronunciation guide for those who puzzle of saying the names. The reader will join mighty T. rex for a incredible day in his life as he explores his world and hunts for food. Then they can bring the story to life by building the amazing easy-to-assemble 3D model. No glue or extra materials are needed to create this robust model which is made of thick card and slots together to make a really good model. A great combo of informative book and construction activity.

Part graphic novel, part doodle/sticker book, this is an unusual, fascinating and engrossing book which will really fire children's imagination. It is a fill-me-in activity book which allows the reader to take control of the story: can you save the citizens of Doodlesville from a dinosaur invasion? Playful drawings and simple prompts invite creators of all ages to colour, draw and imagine - and there are stickers to embellish the story as well. The spiral bound format makes the book easy to use and the text is full of inspiration, with plenty of prompts and suggestions. If you have a child who finds creative writing challenging (and especially if they like dinoaurs!) then I highly recommend this book - it will really stimulate them. I'd love to see similar books on other themes.

Here are five incredible worlds in a book packed with ideas to get the imagination of every young LEGO modeller going into overdrive. All LEGO fans will have their favourites, so whether it's the Wild West, Fantasy Land, Outer Space, Modern Metropolis or The Real World, there's something for everyone. Ideas unlocks the secrets of LEGO building and shows you how to create a world from your imagination. Packed with ideas, the book is also full of stimulating suggestions that will build up knowledge of LEGO, encouraging children to develop their own ideas. There are ideas here that will suit every level of modeller - for instance, a simple wagon can turn into a stagecoach. The ideas are clearly presented and the extensive use of images shows exactly which piece is needed where. It is the progressive element of the models which makes this book stand out - it will become a valued companion to those sets of LEGO and will make the best use of the pieces if (as always happens, except in the very best-organised households) sets have got mixed up. A superb way to encourage imaginative play. ©2015 The LEGO Group. Produced by Dorling Kindersley under licence from the LEGO Group. Watch a YouTube video here.

Little girls, especially fans of Hello Kitty, are going to adore these irresistibe puppies in this gorgeous sticker book. It's full of photos of the cutest puppies - not just on the book pages but the puppy stickers are photos too. There are over 100 stickers, which include all the accessories that the smart young pup will need. As well as stickers, children can enjoy puzzles including spot the difference and a maze. There's plenty to enjoy and quite young children (3+) will find the book perfect for them.

And here's another sticker/activity book full of cuteness - this time, it's adorable kittens. Your child can share Kitty's love of kittens as they judge the cutest kitten contest, dress the kittens up, match them to their shadows, find the odd one out and much more. Books like this offer plenty of learning opportunities - your child will think she is just having fun but she will be learning all sorts of useful skills at the same time. Beautifully illustrated, in full colour, this book will be a pleasure to use.

Big Nate is back and this time he brings his friends and fans an activity book packed with laughs, activities and fun. Get to know the star of the hilarious stories even better as you share his zany humour with 224 fun-filled pages, including word puzzles, drawing games, mazes, doodles, quizzes and lots and lots more. There are plenty of chances for readers to put in their own ideas - What gym activities make you sweat? How would you chill out? What are yur must-haves? This is a quite different book, with wide-ranging activities and plenty of chance for readers to include their own input.

These sticker books are an excellent way to encourage children to take an interest in history, especially as they focus on periods which are studied in KS2. Learn about the incredible world of the Vikings - where they lived, what they wore, the games they played, their voyages, their gods and much more. All this gives children a real insight into the everyday lives of these people, often only remembered for their ferocity. Each two-page spread is ullustrated in detail and has its own selection of stickers. There are plenty of facts to be learnt too - some of them quite amazing! High production values make these books to keep, to refer back to when children want to remind themselves about the people of ancient times.

Good quality activity books like this one provide children with so many learning opportunities. The carefully selected activities are ideal for children of 3+ and offer a range of ideas to engage children. Mandy Stanley is a Booktrust Early Years Award-winner, so you know you can rely on the book having age-appropriate activities. Make the most of the time your child is young and share these activities together and make them fun for both of you. Among the skills developed in this book are comprehension, picture recognition, observation, hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills - an inpressive array! There are stickers to enjoy, letters to learn, things to spot, pictures to colour and plenty more. Well thought-out and excellently presented.

This unusual and innovative approach to teaching early art skills is based on the fact that children's early drawings rely heavily on basic shapes. The first thing you will see is that, neatly packaged at the front of the book, there are various shapes (several of each) plus a wipe-off pen. These are there to add to the colurful scenes featured in the book; chidren can draw, wipe clean and then have another go. The activities are simple to follow and children's confidence in their own abilities will increase as they work through the book, gradually learning to add in their own ideas as they go. This is just one title in an excellent series from Top That - I urge you to take a look at the whole range which is a lovely way to encourage creative skills.

Let Little Red Hen help your child with early counting by using the colourful fridge magnets included and ask your child to practise counting the characters on each page. They'll be able to count from 1 to 10 in no time! Cheerful rhyming text and lively counting pictures will encourage your child to learn to count - an essential skill. Once playtime is over the magnets can be safely stowed away in the neat storage compartment which forms an integral part of the book.

This is an excellent series, which really stimulates creativity and encourages children to learn a range of skills. There are pictures to colour, scenes to complete, stickers and stencils, models to make - the list goes on. The cutest, I think, is the model of Benjamin Bear - press out the card pieces and make Benjamin, complete with picnic hamper. As well as the creative activities, there are puzzles to stimulate learning - matches, mazes, writing and more help with counting and word association. The stencils are on good quality card, so they can be used over and over again and children will enjoy creating other pictures with them. Hours of creative fun.

This colourful activity book is perfect for younger children (4+) and it has a range of fun activities that will help develop key skills. With lots of big machines and friendly construction workers, children will learn about life on a busy building site as they enjoy puzzles, drawing, counting, matching and more. Sometimes I find with sticker books that the level of the content and the complexity of the stickers don't marry up but here the level has been pitched just right with well-sized stickers that aren;t too difficult to use. They are also clearly labelled so children can find the right page easily; a great example of an enjoyable and educational activity book.

Another lovely activity book packed with all manner of creative things to enjoy and puzzles and challenges to encourage learning. Bright illustrations throughout showcase Marion Billet's talent as an illustrator - they are full of life and charm. High quality production means that the finished article, be it the Ninja Tiger and his trophy, pictures embellished with stickers, decorated pagodas or any other of the huge variety of activities, will be something children can present wih pride. Good quality heavy paper, brightly coloured stickers, high quality shiny card - all these make for a lovely book.

This is a perfect book for any child who enjoys drawing, colouring and stickers - and that's most children! Based on the bestselling picture book, I Am An Artist!, this unique book is children's chance to get creative and make art with the award-winning Marta Altés. This innovative activity book, shows you that anyone can be an artist, giving children the confidence they need to express themselves through art. Packed with ideas - colourful, smart and silly ideas, as well as hundreds of stickers, there will be many hours of fun enjoyed and some super results to enjoy in the completed book.

This is a really exciting and innovative sticker story book that draws children into the story, encouraging them to add their own atristic touches along with some of the hundreds of stickers included. With Yasmeen Ismail, children will have a real expert as their guide. Yasmeen starts the story, then it's over to the child to complete it by following the prompts and drawing, colouring and using the many colourful stickers to create some truly incredible jungle animals. Many of the pictures are started with line drawings, to help get creativity going. Children can find cxreative writing challenging, but this innovative approach will both develop story-telling skills and encourage artistic creativity; a great way to build confidence.

You can sense children's frustration when they have a clear idea in their head of what they want to draw, but it just won't come out right. This new series will help by setting off your child's imagination so that they can confidently sketch a variety of creations. Robots is packed full of inspiring ideas for your child to use to create entirely new artworks of their own, based on the simple to follow step-by-step instructions given; from this starting point, their imaginations can take over. There are plenty of ideas and all manner of friendly robots to create, so encourage your child to unleash their creativity.

This new activity book for origami lovers and super hero fans is written by internationally renowned origami master John Montroll. The creator turns his inventive talents to creating DC Comic characters, Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and The Justice LEague, along with their iconic belongings and logos. With clear, highly detailed step-by-step diagrams and instructions plus full-color photos of all finished models, this book is full of inspiration and enables even beginners to produce really effective models. With 96 sheets of paper and 46 original designs, there are many hours of entertainment here - plenty for the family to share. The origami paper is found at the back of the book - each sheet is double-sided and fully coloured. As well, there are markings on every sheet to ensure that the finished model is really effective; this is an excellent additional feature.. A real treat for origami and Super Hero fansDC Super Heroes Origami was developed under licence with Warner Bros. Consumer Products, on behalf of DC Entertainment.

Perfect for any time spent on the move, or for waiting around at airports, ferry terminals or wherever, this pocket-sized book will while away many a dull moment - and keep you informed at the same time. The book contains a wide range of questions on an eclectic mix of topics, but all with a general theme of travel. Perfect to share with friends and family, there are questions to suit all ages. Illustrated throughout with lively cartoon drawings, this is ideal for travellers everywhere - and if you're not travelling, then brush up on your geographical knowledge.

Five professors guide the would-be artist through a year of lessons, gradually developing skills until you reach the final page where you can add your own artwork to the exhibition. The lessons are fun and informative, and conveyed in a way that makes everyone feel they can produce high quality art. As you progress through the book, you watch the five professors as they work together to deliver 40 demonstrations, and then you can try each of the accompanying guided activities. Carefully thought-out and well-explained, they have been developed to help the reader understand the basics of art and design, including composition, colour, line, shape and perspective. It's an unusual and very effective approach which really motivates the reader.

This creative activity book just right for the very youngest children - get them started on the enjoyment of crafting early! So often, activities are for older children, but these really do work well for young ones - I have tried them! It's a lovely colourful book, with generously sized pages, and a finished version of each craft is included to inspire children. The materials used are simple - many will be found around the house and the instructions are straightforward. A most attractive book that will be a real pleasure to use. There's more fun with Maisy at www.maisyfun.com.

Starting school is a big step and, as parents, we want to help our children as much as we can. This is one in an excellent series which helps preparation in many ways. This interactive board book with 45 flaps to lift and explore helps your little one learn key skills for school time through a range if fun activities set in and around the home. Choose what to wear in the bedroom, fil a lunch box in the kitchen, look at colours and shapes in the playroom, and count and sort in the garden. Colourful characters, Bip the Cat, Bop the Elephant, and Boo the Monkey, will inspire and develop a confident, curious and capable child. The book is full of activities to engage children's interest and there are lots of opportunities for adults to encourage conversation and sharing of thoughts. Brightly coloured with high-quality illustrations, this is a winner.

Again, this is from the Get Ready for School series with its colourful friendly characters Bip, Bop and Boo. The pack includes 10 sheets of cards, each with four cards to press out; each set of four has differently coloured borders. There is also a board book containing number activities. The pack is an excellent way for parents to be guided as they teach their child about numbers, giving a good foundation through children's love of finding out and interest in exploring and learning. The colourful photographic cards also offer plenty of opportunity for discussion and further activities. The pack comes with a very helpful guidane sheet to help adults make the very best use of the many learning opportunities the set offers.

This exciting activity book accompanies the author's superb Atlas of Adventures, although it works perfectly well as a stand-alone book. It's full of stickers, maps, global wildlife, cultural activities and exciting adventures from around the world, which come together to make a superb way for children to explore our world. It's illustrated throughout with black and white line drawings which are just crying out to be coloured once the activities are complete. The reader can colour in every continent and let their imagination run riot as they decide whether they'd prefer to stay in a treehouse, an igloo or a lighthouse, whether they'd rather to travel by camel, tuk tuk or hot air balloon and if they'd like to party at the Rio Carnival, go trick or treating or row a Viking longship! The variety is fascinating and the book holds the attention throughout. The book is generously sized and includes an impressive big double-sided poster with country flags of the worldand a word map just waiting to be embellished with the included stickers on one side and on the other, a world map, ready for you to customise over 50 stickers. Superb.

Big machines are a never-ending source of fascination to children, so they are bound to enjoy this colourful book. Whether on earth or in space, man depends on gigantic machines to do work - digging, moving things, and carrying us across long distances. Join some friendly animals as they use these big vehicles, find out what each one does, add stickers to the images, and have fun spying and counting objects on every page. Throughout the book, questions are posed around the edge of each page, giving children the opportunity to think about and discuss what they are seeing. A fun and angaging book which offers hours of fun.

There are seven different towns to decorate in this colourful book, which features high quality illustrations on quality paper. There will be hours of fun as children imagine how they would like their town to look and then use some of the 350+ stickers to make it come alive. The stickers are varied and colourful and a joy to use. Each spread features things to look for, find and count, along with fun facts and questions. I particularly like the treasure hunt activity at the end which means children can go back and spot things they might have not have noticed before.

The Burren and the Cliffs of Moher are fascinating and iconic parts of the Irish countryside and it's great to see this fascinating book which encourages children to learn more about the area. A wide range of activities, including puzzles, games, colouring are here to increase knowledge of and interest in two of Ireland's most spectacular destinations. Polly Puffin guides the reader through crosswords, matching games, mazes, wordsearches and stories, encouraging young readers to explore what the west of Ireland has to offer. Colourful and varied, with lots of information about the area, this is a super book.

We all know and love DK's Eyewitness Books, and this series takes learning a step further by really engaging children in the books and increasing their understanding as they enjoy the wide range of fun activities. The book really encourages the reader (and adults will enjoy using the book alongside their children) to look around and delve more deeply into the natural world. They will discover the wildlife that surrounds us, from studying flowers and secret senses to the animals that only come out after dark, and learn to appreciate them more fully. Learn how to become a wildlife detective and see animals in action with the help of Nature Ranger helps us become wildlife detectives, building, making and creating, tracking animals and much more. Each of the 30 activities has easy-to-follow instructions and specially commissioned photography to help you complete each nature project as you search rock pools or make a simple pond. The photographs are, of course, superb and the book has all the clarity of layout we expect for DK. With more than 50 stickers inside to use alongside the activities children will have fun learning all about nature and wildlife. A superb way to encourage children to appreciate and not take for granted the wonderful world which is all around us.

With over 30 hands-on activities, this is an excellent book to encourage children to learn about the night sky. The activities are wide-ranging and complement the informative text very well; for example, articles on Mars are accompanied by an activity which replicates (using sand, not Martian soil!) an experiment actually performed on Mars. Each of the 30 activities have easy-to-follow instructions and specially commissioned photography to help children complete each project. There are over 50 stickers inside to use alongside the activities too. The activities are all easy to do, wherever you live - some involve actually watching the night sky, others can be done indoors. It's a fascinating book, highly informative and engaging.

Help young ones learn about shapes with this enjoyable wipe-clean activity book. There are lines to trace over on every page and if it goes a bit wriong, never mind - just wipe the page clean with a dry cloth and your child can try again... and again. Don't forget that sometimes, your child will want to keep their work to show it off for a while. The brightly colored pictures will entice children as they not only learn about shapes but also develop pen control and lay the foundations for handwriting skills. Circle, square, triangle, oval and rectangle are here for children to explore and to see how everyday objects are created from shapes. With strong shiny pages, this is a visually attractive book that will get lots of use.

Many activity books include an educational element, but this one is just bursting with information! Based on the multi-award-winning series, it's brimming over with stickers, colouring, word-searches, mazes, puzzles and more. The widely varied activities are designed to reinforce learning of the amazing facts from the series of books by Christiane Dorion. From the solar system to the water cycle and on to the way humans are changing our Earth, children's questions are answered and their thirst for knowledge fed in an engaging and informative way that will help them remember key facts. Perfect for KS2 children, this is an outstanding sticker book.

Danny and Dinosaur are off on a space adventure - and young readers can go along with them as they enjoy this sticker activity book. With a variety of activities, this book offers plenty of learning opportunities all presented in an engaging way. There is letter and number writing practice, a wordsearch, spot the difference, a maze and more - all illustrated in full colour. Plus four pages of brightly coloured stickers - including, of course, some dinosaur poop! A lovely companion to the much-loved books. There's rockets, planets, puzzles and POOP in this fun sticker activity book. With puzzles, games and four pages of stickers, it's perfect for keeping little ones busy.

Story book and activity book neatly meet in this action packed book which will totally engage readers. Digby Dog, Postman, is busier than ever. This time his deliveries take him to the castle, the Fun Park, the Library and the Arcade. Each page features 'Can you find?' activities with lots of people and things hidden in every bustling scene - why not set some challenges of your own as well? It's a great way to encourage observation, discussion and early reading skills in a fun and motivating way. The detailed pictures and lovely characters are quite delightful.

Budding mechanics will love this exciting activity and sticker book. It's off to the garage with a bicycle to mend - and it's the story of all the vehicles and tools that will be found in the garage. There's lots to do in this brightly coloured book - find the missing tools to complete the toolbox, see what it's like to live in a caravan, add stickers to the vans, complete the wheels and much more. There are pages of stickers to embellish the pictures, and there is guidance showing children which pages to put them on, so they get the best results. This is a high quality book which will delight children.

This is a lovely way to introduce children to this much-loved story; the high production values of this colourful book are worthy of its subject. Starting with a shory story based on Alice, this book follows Alice down the rabbit hole, crying a pool of tears and, of course, enjoying a tea party. The book reflects all that is best about the story and will encourage children to seek out the book. Bloomsbury Activity Books provide hours of colouring, doodling, stickering and activity fun for boys and girls alike. Every book includes enchanting, bright and beautiful illustrations which children and parents will find very hard to resist. With over 350 stickers, this will engage children and give them lots of creative pleasure.

Challenge children's perception of the world with this very unusual book... or should that be koob? KOOB is backwards in nature as well as in name, as it encourages readers to pull the pages apart and make a mess. Turn the book upside down and start at the back then doodle, cut, stick, fold, scribble and have fun! It really makes you think, right from the first page when you have to write left-handed if you are right-handed and vice versa. It's packed with unusual and innovative ideas; ideas that children will be trying out in all sorts of situations!

Subtitled 'A Wheelie Good Book', this is a super way to encourage children to get out and about on their bikes - and to enjoy a fun-filled summer of activity. Packed with fascinating facts - find out the longest bike in the world and who cycled down a volcano at 107 mph, as well as much more. There are practical tips for cyclists as well as fact pages on all sorts of bikes. As well, there are many pages of cycle-related activities and puzzles for children to enjoy, such as quizzes and colouring. Plenty of chances for children to design their own bicycles too, to use their imagination. This is a perfect activity book to entertain young cyclists - girls and boys - when they're not out enjoying themselves on their bikes and it's lovely to see how the fcus has been kept throughout such a range of activities.

Children thoroughly enjoy books like this, which really challenge their thinking processes and help develop vital skills that will stand them in good stead through life. On the whole, though, children will think they are just having fun - and that's what learning should be. The book is packed 200 puzzles, split into brain teasers and crossword puzzles. The brain teasers are really wide-ranging and will intrigue adults and children; the themed crosswords ensute there is something to appeal to everyone. All the answers are included too. It's a super book and perfect to take out and about and ideal to keep children's minds active through the long summer holidays.

Modern technology has made possible so many things - a few years ago, it would have seemed impossible for children to make a movie but now it is easily achievable. And, with the help of this clear and concise guide, children can follow the process through in 10 well-explaind steps. From writing a script and planning a storyboard, to filming with a camera or just a mobile phone, this book explains every step. Breaking a daunting subject into easy-to-manage chunks with insider tips, this book provides a framework for budding directors, camera-operators, and editors. It will be highly valued for use at home and also in schools - a great idea for an after-school club, perhaps. With spiral binding, excellent use of diagrams and charts to show the flow of work, this is an excellent and inspiring guide.

Infographics are becoming an increasingly popular way of presenting information. This fascinating book helps children get the very best out of this with 24 inventive and colourful infographics to explore. It is packed with detailed information which shows just how good infographics can be and alongside this, there rae activities for children to enjoy. Non-fiction and complex data, which would otherwise be hard to present clearly to children, combine with high quality design to create an exciting and educational journey into knowledge. The book includes suggestions on how to read an infographic, activities to get the imagination going and ideas for how to make your own amazing infographic. I love the way this book enables children to get the most out of this highly visual way of presenting information.

Creative play is really important for young children; they find it thoroughly enjoyable and at the same time, they are learning vital skills. Arty Mouse and his colourful friends are here to help! Arty Mouse introduces children to the numbers 1 to 10 in this bright wipe clean book. With things to count, numbers to write and pictures to complete, this is an ideal way to introduce counting skills and to encourage children to gain confidence with pen skills. The pictures are simple, charming and eye-catching and the shiny pages allow repeated attempts - this is an excellent way to encourage children to experiment and it doesn't matter of things go wrong; they can just try again.

Maths is all around us in the everyday world, but while it is simple to include practical maths in young children's lives, sometimes inspiration dries up as children get older - and that's where this excellent and unusual series comes in. Your mission - to be the best fighter pilot; complete the maths exercises to create your own squadron. The book uses a wide range of maths techniques to fulfil the mission - these include 2D shapes, graphs, angles and number work. The lively presentation really engages children and they can see just how vital maths skills are. Each title in the series includes a glossary to explain any mathematical words or terms that the reader may struggle with, to aid the learning process. Fabulous series.

This time, budding mathematicians can help solve a crime - another title in the excellent series which really makes maths meaningful. The reader has to follow each step of the case and complete the varied maths exercisesto track down and catch the criminal. Exciting and fast-moving, the story really challenges the reader to practise their maths; a great way to motivate. Try the books in the classroom as well as at home - if children find maths boring, they will be surprised at how interesting it comes when they see the practical application; those who really enjoy maths will find the books a stimulating extension activity.

If your child will be studying Ancient Egypt or Ancient Rome, I really recommend that you get a copy of one or both of these excellent books; they are a great way to introsuce the topic in a fun way which will engage children right from the start and give them a real enthusiasm for learning more. Life on the Nile; the building of the pyramids; how to make a mummy; Tutankhamen's tomb and much more are here with fun-filled scenes full of fascinating facts. With three pages of colourful stickers to decorate the special scenes as well as to add to the information pages, this book will provide hours of fun as well as explaining what life was like in a way children will remember easily.

It's time for a trip back in time to Ancient Rome, to learn about the Roman army, the building of Rome, aqueducts, what the Romans ate (fish sauce with your dormouse, anyone?) and much more. With plenty of stickers and pages to decorate - create a street scene, a banquet scene and more. Once completed, the book will be an excellent reference for studies of Ancient Rome - and even if children are not studying ancient history, the books will really help them enjoy history, informing and educating in an appealing way. The excellent presentation and highly visual approach makes these books stand out.

These really are activity books with a difference; books which stand out from those around them. Part of a groundbreaking activity book series, this book brings together stylish design, fluorescent stickers and plenty of facts about nature. On one side, you will find information; on the other, a big fold-out scene with white images on a black background. Use flourescent pens or pencils to colour these in for really dramatic effects, then decorate the scene with the flourescent pink and green stickers which are included.

Space is the perfect theme for these creative and unusual books - the black backgrounds are ideal to set off colouring with flourescent pens; and then the pages can be decorated with the flourescent green and orange stickers to make stunning scenes. As well, there is informative text which gives children ideas for completing the pictures. Children are really encouraged to use their imaginations - they are not told where to put the stickers, so they have the freedom to make their own choices and produce their own unique pictures. A refreshing change from run-of-the-mill sticker books, which produce pictures well worth displaying.

This bumper book of puzzles is divided into two sections - Mind Bogglers and Word Searches, with over a hundred puzzles in each. Mind Bogglers has all sorts of perplexing puzzles, with words to unscramble, things to spot, matching, general knowledge and much more. Every one is illustrated in black and white and I think that children will enjoy using this as a colouring book as well as a puzzle book. Perfect for the summer holidays, to keep children thinking and brains active - all the family will enjoy these.

The subtitle tells us that this book has '35 prints to colour' - and the word 'prints' gives us a clue to the quality of these pictures; they are intricate and detailed. The book features animals from all corners of the globe – from exotic fish to big cats to incredible insects. Each page pulls out so you can proudly display your work - the detail and intricacy of these accurate pictures makes them well worth displaying; this really is colouring for grown-ups as much as for children. Opposite each set of pictures - the book features a group of creatures on each colouring page - is information about the creatures, including some ideas about colours to use. So the book is informative as well as decorative.

This is a lovely series, with bright colours and engaging activities. This book helps childfren learn essential reading and writing skills by completing pictures and writing words. Arty Mouse and his friends are appealing characters and children will respond well to them - I'd love to see more books featuring them. The book comes with a wipe-clean pen and the shiny pages make re-use easy; simply wipe over with a tissue or damp cloth. The pictures also offer plenty of other learning opportunities, such as shape, colour and opposites, so make good use of these as you help your child with this excellent book.

Children will love to give their imagination free rein as they use the 555 stickers to embellish the colourful prehistoric backgrounds of land and sea. Each two page spread has a colourful background and there are a great many different scenes to enjoy. There is plenty of authentic detail and each spread has some informative text to further inspire children. The backgrounds are really quite stunning and, being printed on heavyweight glossy paper, children can rearrange the stickers to change the scenes. When completed, this superbly produced book will be one to treasure as the scenes really are excellent. Once children has sought out the right dinosaurs for each page, they will know much more about these incredible beasts.

Encourage children to find out all about the gruesome side of Tudor history with this enticing sticker book - by the time they have finished, their knowledge will really have increased and they will be well prepared to learn about the Tudors in KS2 history - and they will never find it boring! The historical information is invariably factual and accurate, so parents can be confident that children are learning while having fun. The book is packed with activities and puzzles to complete, giving a really varied approach. With plenty of facts, great illustrations and, of courzse, plenty of humour, this will keep children amused for hours and help to give them a really positive feel for history.

For every child who loves the superb The Highway Rat, this is the perfect accompaniment and an ideal way to extend pleasure in the book. There are 170+ reusable stickers, all, of course, Axel Scheffler's pictures, as well ascolouring and puzzles galore. And that's not all! There are recipes to cook, bunting and finger puppets to make, colouring to enjoy, dot-to-dots, spot the difference, mazes, simple word searches and more. Fabulous! The book is beautifully produced and the activities are well thought-out and highly engaging, every one of them cleverly linked to the story one way or another.

This is the ideal book for all creative parents and grandparents to share with their children and I can guarantee that the adults will have just as much fun as the children! It is packed with engaging activities including a pop bottle greenhouse, a bird nesting box, a paper plane launcher, a shrimp net and many more. The more adventurous can make stilts, a rope ladder, and even a go-cart. The instructions are clear and easy to follow and will help children learn simple construction skills - the projects are perfect for school DT lessons and clubs. Technical information presented in bite-size chunks helps children understand the principles behind what they are making. It's all eco-friendly too, with many of the materials being recycled. Outdoor activities have never been such fun, and if it's raining there are plenty of other fun things to do and activities to prepare ready for the next outdoors day. Fantastic!

There are 11 animals here for children to draw. For each one, there is a description of the animal - this is a refreshing change from most animal drawing books, as it helps children to understand the animals they are drawing. Four simple steps are shown for each animal and finally, there is a coloured drawing so children can colour their animals accurately. An ideal way to encourage creativity and to develop imaginative skills - children can draw backgrounds to complement their animals. Look out for others in the series too.

I really like the idea of an Ice Age sticker book - it's something quite new and brings a new level of interest to the concept of sticker books. This is a far from being just a sticker book though - it is simply packed with information. It is also superbly illustrated with informative backgrounds and entertaining characters who 'talk' to the reader through speech bubbles. There are 3 pages of colourful stickers and the heavy shiny paper meams they can be repositioned to ensure the pictures are perfect - and then your child will have an informative reference book to keep.

These colour-in postcards bring a new dimension to the colouring craze for adults - they really are genuine postcards, so once you've finished colouring, you can pop one in the post. There are 16 black and white intricately detailed postcards of Paris artwork just waiting for you to colour with pens, crayons or paint. Featured landmarks include the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Palais Royal, the Seine and the Champs Elysees, all with elegant ladies and gentlemen in period dress. A nice touch is that you can go to the Pictura website for colour guidance - or just do your own thing and enjoy the results of your artisttry.

Perfect for all young fashionistas, this stunning range of fashion drawings are here to inspire designers to create their own fashions. There are plenty of suggestions to give a helping hand - use feathers, ribbons and gems to create a statement hat, cover the kimono in a Japanese print, give tartan anew twist and much more. Beautiful black line images inspire children to think about and experiment with design, pattern and style. They will find out more about the world of fashion too, as the pages are full wof fascinating facts add a learning element. Encourage children to have a change from electronic devices and let their imaginations run riot.

Subtitled Celebrating the Seasons and Holidays with Crafts and Recipes, this colourful book is ideal to keep on hand throughout the year, ready to try out a fabulous range of seasonal activities. The great range of ideas includes arts and crafts, decorations for the whole family to make and enjoy, seasonal recipes, ways to celebrate holidays and much more. As well as a section for each season, there are activities to enjoy year-round. Just a word of warning - this is a US book, so some of the suggestions (especially books) may not be appropriate - but that doesn't stop the book being a brilliant guide to develop creativity.

This excellent series really shows young people just why maths is so vital and how it has uses in all areas of life. The mission is to launch a rocket into space - and it can only be launched successfully if all the maths exercises are completed correctly. All sorts of maths problems come into play, including addition and decimals, line graphs and pie charts, these books have different challenges to be solved with a varying range of difficulty. There are four titles in the series and they make maths accessible and exciting by relating it to the real world; a wonderful way to engage even reluctant maths students. Perfect fpr the classroom as well as at home and now newly available in paperback.

What do you need to design a skyscraper? You need to know about shapes, tables, graphs, coordinates... the list goes on. Each aspect of the building is considered (in comic strip style to appeal to readers) and there are maths questions to solve to find out how to build. It's a great approach and one that will capture the interest. Each title includes a glossary to explain any mathematical words or terms that the reader may struggle with, to aid the learning process. Functional maths is a part of the new programmes of study; it involves using maths in everyday situations and these books support that excellently with their practical approach.

Children will love to get involved in the world of Princess Pia and her friends in this colourful book by a superb children's illustrator. There are lots of puzzles to help children's thinking skills, including mazes and matching; they can make Princess Pia (and her bag) with the press-out pieces enjoy colouring, stickers and stencils and much more. The activities are varied and engaging and draw on a wide range of skills, giving children plenty of opportunity to express themselves and develop their imaginative and creative skills. Well produced with good quality paper and card, this book will provide hours of fun and learning.

Make and Do: Pirates (Make & Do) by Marion Billet

Marion Billet's drawings are perfect for young children - simple yet bright, colourful and engaging, they are just right. Complemented by the lively, informative text both these books encourage counting and word association in an engaging way. The fun activities on every page provide hours of absorbing play and plenty of variety; make Captain Koala and his treasure chest from press-out card pieces, enjoy embellishing the pages with stickers, complete the dot-to-dots, follow the mazes and trails, draw pictures with the stencils or learn how to draw the pirate friends. All the activities are highly enjoyable and will help to extend children's imaginations; oncde they have completed the activities in the book, they will be inspired to continue the theme through their own imaginative play.

Join Maisy and her friends on a fun-filled day at the seaside, from the excitement of the train journey to the very last ride at the end of a tiring day. The colourful pages tell the story and there are over 120 stickers for children to add to the pages to make the story their own. The generously sized stickers are ideal for children of 3+ (or even dextrous two year olds); they are easy to use with no fiddly bits to get torn off (which inevitably results in disappointed children!). So often, stickers are hard to use, but these are perfect for little ones, who will thoroughly enjoy this book about a very popular character.

Children can carry this sticker book along with them as it comes with its own carry handle! There's lots of learning fun as children learn to count to ten with the aid of the stickers (over 250 of them) and activities. They will learn to write the numbers by tracing over them, enjoy colouring in and plenty of counting activities to enjoy. They will practise counting as they use the stickers to put the right numbers of objects into place, such as bananas in the bowl. With plenty of variety, this is an excellent way to reinforce early number learning.

Young car enthusiasts will love this colourful sticker book with over 300 hundred stickers of cars of all shapes, sizes and colours. They can enjoy a range of activities as well, including paths to follow, patterns to draw, things to spot, pictures to colour and more. With so many stickers, there will be plenty spare to encourage children to create their own pictures too. A good way to help children with pen control and manipulative skills while having plenty of fun.

This fascinating book gives a whole new feel to the classic story of Alice in Wonderland. Every one of the fantastic puzzles, make-and-do ideas, games and activities, stencils and stickers is linked to the story and beautifully reflects the fantasy feel of the book; it's cleverly done. Children can let their imaginations run riot with the colouring ideas and paper fashions; ponder over the puzzles; create scenes with the stencils and stickers; make a card and a booklet - hours of entertainment in this beautifully produced and fascinating book. The book will be really popular with all those who love the story; will serve as a great incentive to read it for anyone who hasn't; and make a fantastic classroom resource to support reading the book. Brilliant and a very worthwhile accompaniment to the much-loved story.

Perfect for the Easter holidays and, looking forward, for long lazy summer days sitting and relaxing, I have a bumper selection of books from the ever-inventive Buster Books catalogue - 6 great new titles. First up is this book packed with piratical colouring scenes. There's hidden treasure, pirate ships galore and a whole cast of friendly-looking pirates. Each page has a few pieces of colour already completed to get you going and there's lots of detail to enjoy. Why not encourage your child to colour in the scenes then turn them into a story? That would be a super way to encourage imaginative writing and show off the pictures.

All around the world and back to ancient times, here is fashion in all her many guises; Ancient Egyptians, Romans and Greeks, right up through the roaring 20s and the swinging 60s to today. It's packed with fascinating detail and as you colour, you will really appreciate the changes in fashion and see what went into the various styles. Have a copy of this book at home to support your child's project work, then whenever a history project comes up, you will have a great resoirce to hand.

Tracing paper seems, sadly, to have gone somewhat out of fashion, but it's set for a revival with this latest book. To start, creative children (and adults) can colour in an array of beautiful pictures and scenes, including fairy tale castles, intricate patterns and cakes galore. Then they can trace over them using tracing paper included at the back of the book. The very special part comes with the double sided transparent sheets with the picture shown both sides of heavy tracing paper; there will look superb coloured and displayed against the light. Children can make stunning stained-glass windows or simply show-off their tracing talents with the range of activities in this innovative title which takes a fresh look at the fascination of tracing. I love this one!

From a triceratops to a stegosaurus, a velociraptor and a T-rex, dinosaur enthusiasts will love this detailed colouring book. As well as the dinosaurs themselves, there are plenty of fascinating facts and each creature is shown against a prehistoric background. As with all the Buster Books colouring books, the pictures are printed on high quality white paper which means that even felt pens can be used without showing through, so really good results can be achieved - certainly worthy of being displayed on the fridge! This would also be super for the classroom as the basis for a wall display on dinosausr and giving every child the opportunity to show off their work.

No excuse for boredom with all the activities in this fun-filled book. It's bursting with cool things to colour, brilliant puzzles and brain-boggling things to do. Filled with dot to dots, mazes, doodles, spot the difference, picture puzzles, and much, much more - something for everyone to enjoy, and they can all be coloured too. Puzzles are a great way to develop many essential skills including concentration, thinking and problem solving, so they are a great way to keep children's minds active, especially over holiday periods. Make sure you pack a copy for each child.

Packed with beautiful and intricate pictures in which both boys and girls - and adults - can immerse themselves, The Amazing Creative Colouring Book is packed with all manner of patterns to complete. Beautiful birds, baskets of fruit, swimming seahorses and more add to the range of colouring patterns. Each completed picture will be truly spectacular, whether you use crayons or felt tips - but the vibrancy of felt tips will show these patterns off to their very best.

A perfect pocket-sized book, ideal for slipping into a case, bag or pocket for some brain-stretching fun on the move. There are memory games, word searches, codes to crack, logic puzzles, riddles to resolve spot-the-difference and many other picture puzzles to solve. The puzzles are really fun and the colourful presentation makes them even more so. Many of the ideas are very unusual - for example, circle 6 things in a picture which wouldn't have been used in Roman times; it makes you think! Puzzles like this, as well as being very enjoyable, are also a great way to develop thinking, reasoning and concentration skills.

Left-brain or right-brain? Whichever you are, this book will help you learn how the other half thinks through a range of stimulating activities which bring together fun drawing challenges with mathematical tasks. Create amazing patterns by using simple mathematical and learn incredible maths facts as you draw the beautiful designs. Geometric patterns, fractal art, anamorphic art, celtic knots, parabolic curves and many more show the beauty and symmetry of maths and give a whole new perspective on the subject. There's patterned paper at the end for you to try out your own ideas. Is it,or is it not a maths book? That's up to you to decide, but whichever, it will provide hours of challenging fun and it will enhance maths skills, as well as appreciation for the wonders of mathematics.

Child or adult, this second book in the series from Buster Books will keep you happily (and relaxingly) occupied for hours. It's a whole new approach to stickers, somewhat akin to paint by numbers but less messy and easier to pick up and put down. There are 10 pages of brightly coloured stickers in a variety of shapes; these are matched with the numbers on each page to build up stunning pictures - the backgrounds are already coloured for you. Seahorses, fish, peacocks - just a very few of the animals you can create. There are over 4000 geometric shapes and it's amazing what you can create - and there's plenty of opportunity to create your own designs too.

Fans of the hilarious Big Nate series will love this activity-filled book. This companion activity book to the bestselling Big Nate series is packed with laughs, activities and fun. It is the fourth activity book in the series and it has all the fun of the books With 224 pages of Big Nate fun, including word puzzles, drawing games, brain-bending quizzes and lots and lots of hilarity, you’ll never run out of Big Nate to enjoy. At risk of being accused of sexism, I would recommend this especially for boys. Even boys who claim to find books boring will find the comic-strip style of the Nate books angaging and they can be drawn in to th stories through the fun activities in this book. All the activities are presented with amusing cartoons, and there's a great variety of mind-stretching puzzles

Once again, Buster Books have come up with something totally different - there seems almost no end to the ideas! When children see this book, they will be getting the paints straight out! They will love adding their painty prints to the page to bring a whole host of animals, objects and scenes to life. The background pictures are ready in full colour with plenty of space to add colourful fingerprints - make some more balloons so the bear can fly away; light up the sky with fireworks; make it 'fingerprint' rain and much more. It's a lovely way to encourage creativity, with plenty of prompts but also scope for the imagination - using the book and afterwards. Great fun and really unusual.

Now here's a book which really allows you scope to be creative - a massive A3 size! Focusing on the immense popularity of colouring as a form of relaxation, this intricately detailed book will definitely take your mind off your worries as you concentrate on making the most of the wonderful detailed pictures. The beautiful designs include wonderfully dressed ladies, a proud cockerel, a stunning gragonfly and much, much more. The book is big enough to share, and the perforated pages allow completed pictures to be torn out and displayed, to show off your creativity. I wonder why it has taken so long for such super colouring books to be made for adults - but it's wonderful to see that they have now taken off and Buster Books are in the forefront of producing wonderful ways to relax us all. Impressive ans stunning.

Big books are a superb way to get children to engage with books whilst working alongside other children - their pleasure is vastly enhanced when they can share. That is especially true with this big spotting book - there are eight busy colurful scenes of familiar places (including a traffic jam, at the airport, on the farm, theme park fun, construction site, bust boats, train station and in the town). Each scene is packed with activity and there are things to spot on every page, including Cuthbert the cat who has managed to get into every scene - but where? There are alsi things to count - and when that's done, children will enjoy sharing and talking about all the things that are going on. A fun way to develop observational and communication skills.

Bing, a lovable bunny with lots of friends, experiences many of the same things that any toddler does. Children love this friendly character so they will enjoy this colourful book with drawing, colouring and puzzles, all based on everyday activities which children will recognise. Make good use of the book by encouraging your child to discuss the things Bing is enjoying. Activity books have a great deal to offer children, Of course, they are fun butthey are also helping your child develop a range of key skills including pencil skills, hand-eye co-ordination, memory skills, concentration and creativity.

This is an excellent way to encourage children to be observant when they are out and about. Whether in their own garden, in the grounds at school or at the local park, there is plenty to see and identify - and this colourful book is just as much fun indoors and will help children recognise things once they are outside. There are hidden objects to spot in every scene, and the vast amount of detail makes this quite a challenge. there are snippets of information plus small pictures of objects and creatures for children to spot on the pages - and they will remember these when they see the things for real. The lively detailed pictures give plenty of leads for discussion. There are some fun extension activities at the end of the book as well - and a snail to spot on every page.

Children love 'spotting' books and they are a great way to engage them with books; the activity of searching for things helps make them more memorable too. I love the bright illustrations in these books, which will really encourage and interest children. Along the bottom of the pages are little pictures of various sea objects for children to spot in the big picture There is so much detail in the pictures too - once children have answered the questions on the page, there's lots more to explore. At the end of the book are 'More to Spot', Did You Know?' and 'More Ocean Fun' pages too which add to both the fun and to the educational value. A super series.

Srping is in the air with this colourful sticker book which encourages children to get out and about, spotting, observing and recording. The Gruffalo takes children on a nature trail, encouraging them to look for all the nature around us. There are I Spy-type pages which include flowers, baby animals, ladybirds and more. Practical activities abound, including a spring crown and creativity is encouraged with pages for drawing and colouring. So much is packed into ths neat little book, ideal for taking out and about; children will be encouraged by this popular charactr to take a real interest in nature and to learn about the wonderful world all around us. With over 200 stickers as well, there's plenty to engage children.

Another well put-together book from Priddy Books. With a convenient carry handle and integral pen hlder, children can enjoy lots of activities on the move or at home. To ensure children start school happily, giving them confidence in basic skills is key. This wipe-clean book encourages writing skills and enhances vocabulary and co-ordination. Children are introduced to key aspects of school, including art class, the alphabet (with all the letters (upper and lower case) to write over, telling the time, playtime and much more. With bright colours and encouraging text, this is an excellent way for parents to introduce key concepts.

Going on a outing to London? Or live further away but want to introduce your child to our great capital city? Maybe looking for a souvenir? Whichever it is, here is the perfect book for you. Marion Billett's simple, stylish and colourful pictures show all the major attractions of London. There are puzzles to complete and plenty of things to spot - plus over 250 stickers, all beautifully detailed and with some lovely comic touches. Children can personalise the book with these and then record their visit or remember key features with the questions at the back. With an integral handle, this is ideal to take out and about and makes an excellent introduction to London for young children.

One of the best ways we can help children to start school with confidence is by encouraging familiarity with the things they will be learning at school. It's a rare child who doesn't enjoy stickers, so you can set them on the right path with these colourful books from Scholastic. Designed for children of 3+, the book features a range of activities to help develop letter recognition and familiarity with the alphabet. The book has a page for every letter and the carefully chosen activitiea are varied, with colouring, shapes to draw and things to spot among the activities. There's a page at the end to help with letter formation. A lovely early learning book which helps develop a range of skills.

Another colourful sticker book for early learners. The stickers are generously sized - plenty big enough for little fingers to manage and a good way to develop fine motor skills. The positions for the stickers are clearly indicated, encouraging children to really think about where they are positioning them; there's also a page of stickers for children to use as they choose - a good way to encourage imagination. Perfect for developing pre-school children's word recognition with simple everyday words, this really makes learning fun. Look out for My First 1 2 3 Sticker Activity Book (First Skills) in this excellent series as well.

Fancy being creative but lacking in inspiration? Then this book from Carlton Kids is just the book for you! There are over a hundred pages packed with starting ideas to set you off an a doodling journey; there are even pages to help you learn to draw. Use your imagination to make letters into something wonderful; listen to music and doodle whatever comes into your head; put yourself into the spotlight... the inspiration is endless. Then enjoy the special yellow section in the middle of the book with its cut-outs so you can enjoy your doodles twice over. It's wonderfully inspiring and will make the doodler, young or old, really keen to get those crayons out.

Do you think you have got undiscovered artistic talent? Let your creativity loose with 100 pages of drawings just crying out to be complete. It's clever too - use your drawing skills and your scissors to make a horse peering out of his stable or make a castle complete with archers ready to fire. The book uses good quality paper which will work well with crayons, pens or watercolours. Brimful of unusual and inspiring ideas, this book opens up a world of possibilities and will spark ideas that can be carried forward into all sorts of creative activities. I love both these books from Carlton Kids.

Far more than simply a colouring book, this fill-me-in journal is teeming with ideas to get the imaginative juices flowing. Ideal for older children and even adults, the intricate and detailed pictures come with plenty of stimulating ideas to encourage would-be artists to colour, draw, imagine and finish the busy line drawings. Make a flock of colourful birds, colour in a happy summer day, put the writing on the wall and even compose your own lyrics. Masses of fun - take the book with you on a long journey, anywhere you may have to wait around or even on the beach or in the park. Express yourself!

Here's a book for all those mums who can't resist colouring in just a page (or two, or three) of their child's colouring book - now you have the perfect excuse! The side-by-side images are ready to colour and have varying degrees of difficulty, so you can decide between you who tackles which picture - and the spiral binding means the book lies flat between you. There is even room beneath each scene for the artist to sign their name , so everyone knows whose masterpiece is adorning the fridge. There is a lovely range of pictures so everyone can find something to enjoy. Of course, it's Buster Books who have come up with this great idea - mums (and dads and grandparents) everywhere will love this and it would make a great gift for a mum.

Katsushika Hokusai was a Japanese artist, ukiyo-e painter and printmaker of the Edo period. Children are introduced to Japan in Hokusai's day, with all the colour figures who were part of that world, including the Mangas, Geishas and Sumo wrestlers. They will learn about traditions including the lanterns of Edo, the town now called Tokyo; they will climb up Mount Fuji, and learn about powdering your nose like a geisha and wearing your kimono to a tea ceremony. I really like the approach of this series. All the information is reinforced by the appraoch of the book which gives children lots of pictures to colour in and encourages them to use their imaginations to visualise this world and embellish the drawings. Published by Happy Museum February 15, ISBN 9782875750235.

Like many people, I would love to be able to draw, but I'm hopeless! But the simple strategies shown in this book should make anyone into an artist. Unlike so many books, which just give pencil outlines to copy, drawings are in full colour; simple shapes are shown to start off each dinosaur and then children are shown how to combine those shapes and colour them in. There are lots of different dinosaurs, including velociraptor and diplodocus. Studying dinosaurs at school? The end result will be perfect for inclusion in a project or for displaying on the classroom wall. The simple approach is an excellent way to build confidence and children will produce excellent pictures if they follow the clear and simple instructions.

Buster Books are always coming up with new ideas to keep children entertained - and while they are having fun, they are developing key skills including concentration, thinking skills and logical thinking. This compact book includes 129 puzzles ( and answers) divided into four difficulty levels, so there is something here for all ages. It's not just the difficulty of the question which increases, but the crosswords are bigger as you work through the book - and for an extra challenge, you can fill in the time taken.

Keep children amused for many hours with this bumper collection (despite its compact size) of wordsearches  - over 150 to complete. There are four levels, from easy to fiendish, and each is themed so every child will find something of special interest ranging from subjects as diverse as desserts, rivers and extinct animals. The compact size makes the book excellent for travel - keep a book in the car or in your travel bag and the children need never be bored.

With over 600 questions, this is the perfect book for all children who love quizzing and who want to extend their general knowledge. There is a super variety of question types, including true or false, match-up animals, jumbled words, guess the rest and lots more. Throughout the book, there are lively little cartoons to add to the interest. A super book for all the family to share and enjoy quizzing together.

I can't see a colouring book without itching to get my crayons or pens out - and this book full of cute baby animals was no exception! Just right for the spring, there are baby birds learning to fly, pigs wallowing in the mud, frogs playing on lily pads, kittens climbing, bunnies burrowing and lots more animals having fun. There's plenty of variety on each page too, with all sorts of activities taking place. The good quality bright white paper is ideal for crayons and pens and the smoothness makes for really good results - pictures to be proud of! Another Buster Books favourite.

This book has all sorts for child and adult to share - as well as spotting the rabbits, there are puzzles, games and stickers to enhance the learning opportunities. At the start of the book, children will meet the rabbits and find out about the places they visit - there's lots to talk about here and some excellent opportinuites to extend vocabulary and conversation skills. As they go through the book, children will need keen observation to spot the rabbits and answer the questions in the detailed pictures. If you need help, answers are included! The stickers need careful positioning, thereby enhancing fine motor skills. There are so many skills to develop and enjoy in this super book that children will be engrossed for hours.

Subtitled Art Activity Pages to Relax and Enjoy!, this is colouring to inspire creativity in grown ups. If you need a way to unwind, this is perfect. It's a far cry from children's colouring books, with their poor quality paper - these images are on high quality glossy paper, suitable for markers, gel pens, watercolours, or coloured pencils, making for an end product which can be viewed with pride. And the pages are pre-perforated for easy removal and display. Think you lack inspiration? Don't worry - there are plenty of tips as well as examples of finished work. As well as the intricate pictures to enjoy, each page features an upbuilding quote, perfect for adding to the positive and relaxing feel of the book. I can't wait to get colouring!

Encourage children's appreciation for all that lies in space with this colourful sticker book. Not just a sticker book, though - there are plenty of facts to be learnt and the book will make an excellent early reference book to keep once the sticker fun has been enjoyed. With over 200 stickers, children will learn about the solar system and its planets, stars, galaxies and even the astronauts who explore space. The stickers clearly indicate the page on which they should be used, so children are encouraged to be careful and accurate; observational skills are key here. A lovely way to learn and bring science alive.

You may, like me, wonder what super sands are. They combine ordinary sand with an active ingredient of Silly Putty to create an entirely new state of matter; they look and feel like wet beach sand yet are completely dry. They move, mould, fluff, and squish like nothing else you've ever seen. The perfect modelling material for children, this colourful book is full of ideas to make the best use of this intriguing material. They are a superb way to develop cretive and imaginative skills - space walk, medieval castle and creative clouds are just some of the ideas. The book starts with a comprehensive introduction on using this superb material. It's an ideal introduction and will really inspire some lovely creations. Published by Design Originals, Sept 2014 978-1574219807.

Enhance children's enjoyment of their favourite nursery rhymes as they enjoy seeking out all manner of objects (shown around the page edges) amongst all the colourful details. It's a super way to re-visit these old favourites as you talk about the story together. There's an amazing amount of detail here - just look at all the people in Hamelin! Stories include The Frog Prince, Pinocchio, The Princess and the Pea and The little Mermaid - plenty for boys and girls to enjoy. And if you get stuck - answers are included!

Join the cute toys in the department store as they journey through the homeward department, on to the fancy dress department (great fun, this one!), into the frozen food department which is a bit chilly so they're glad to warm up in the bathroom department - and they're not finished yet! The stylish bold artwork is perfect for little ones to colour and parents will enjoy sharing the touches of humour with their children... and may just be tempted to help out with the colouring!

Amazing - an activity for every day of the year! This superbly produced book will keep children happily occupied for many, many hours, and each of the activities comes with an explanation of the science which lies behind it, thus helping children's understanding of science. Every aspect of KS2 science is covered including light, sound and friction. The activities are very well explained with plenty of illustrations and this would be a superb book for teachers, inspiring them with all sorts of ideas to enliven science lessons. All the necessary objects are easily come by and in many cases, children will have something they can use or play with (or eat!) afterwards. The spiral binding is emminently practical, enabling the book to lie flat while children enjoy the activities. A truly exceptional book.

This stands out as an unusual and eye-catching picture book but has the added bonus of five paper animal pull-outs along with scenery to make, so children can create their own savannah scene and enjoy imaginative play with their own creatures - or maybe use them to retell the story. Five animals are explored through rhyme and pictures - leopard, giraffe, elephant, lion and zebra. With two spreads dedicated to each animal, adults will be able to read the short playful rhyme on each spread to children and look at the bright illustrations to teach them about the animal and its environment. ISBN 978 1908985200, published by Button Books September 2014.

Colouring is certainly not just for children - after all, how often have you been tempted to colour one of your children's pcitures? In recent months, the popularity of colouring for adults has really taken off and this wonderfully detailed book will really challenge adults. It's an ideal way to de-stress as the intricacy of these mandala inspired patterns needs full attention! Highlights of the book are the eye-catching patterns, the stunning cover and the full-colour flaps with beautiful gift tags to cut out and keep. A lovely gift for any colouring enthusiast - or to encourage new fans.

Simple materials, a little creativity and the inspiring ideas in this colourful book will produce some great results. Bungee band crafts are hugely popular so girls will love to try out these ideas and share them with their friends - great fun for a party or sleepover! This step-by-step instructional booklet shows, in full detail and in full colour, the basic bracelet pattern for bungee bands and paracord bracelets, plus 12 other projects to craft. The good thing is, that girls then get to wear and enjoy their creations. Published by Taunton, November 2014 ISBN 9781627108898.

Want to know what to do with all those cardboard boxes? Let Boxy (who is square but not boring!) guide you through a wonderful book full of inspiring ideas. Using just boxes and other readily available equipment, the book shows children how to make a puppet theatre, fairy wings, a plane, a city, a castle and much more, with 10 templates to help make and decorate the projects. The instructions are clear and detailed with plenty of useful tips and lots of colour diagrams to aid creation. A superb book with end products that children can really enjoy and which offer a multitude of imaginative play ideas. This is a new departure for Priddy Books but one which they have addressed just as successfully as all their previous titles and it's a great addition to their range.

Great fun for all young fashionistas, this scrapbook cum diary is full of inspiration to help them create their own outfits and record their ideas. Even if the young designer doesn't want to start from scratch, there are styling tips and projects to make styles their own. There are models for them to dress with fashion stencils to use and stickers to embellish the outfits. 'Steal the style' spreads give hints and tips on how to wear a particular trend while fun facts give an insight into the world of fashion. Full of practical ideas and inspiration for all occasions, the scrapbook style is appealing and it's great that the book offers the opportunity to personalise it.

Join Maisy and her friends in this storybook with a difference. After archery practice and jousting, it's time to go inside the castle for some fun... Up pops a fold-out castle which is made sturdy and durable by the pull-out towers in the corners. To go alongside it there are press-out characters with stands for hours of imaginative play. And when it's all finished, it folds down again with a pocket to store the pieces. Lots of play value with these popular characters.

Join Wallace the early learning dog as he helps prepare children for school in this sticker activity book. There are lots of activities to enjoy and they all help children grasp those key early learning skills which will give them a head start at school. They include simple spelling, counting, shapes, phonics and more with over 150 stickers to complete the activities and maintain a high level of interest. Perfect for pre-school children, with well sized stickers laid out in page order. The bright and uncluttered layout is perfect and the good quality glossy pages make the book a delight to use.

This is a new departure for Buster Books and a great addition to their range. The beautiful brightly coloured pictures are just waiting to be completed by matching the coloured stickers to the numbers on the page. With over 3,500 geometric-shaped stickers in ten different colours, this book will give hours of creative fun. The pictures, which are intricately detailed, include Russian dolls, space rockets, a fairground, fireworks and emuch more, appealing to boys and girls - an I think a few adults will find this irresistible too!

Another super scrapbook diary for girls which encourages them to try out lots of different ideas and record the results. It includes beauty tips and tricks and fun pampering projects with plenty of spaces to record and personalise. It's full of practical tips and advice including sensible advice on healthy eating and exercises. Skin-tone swatch cards are an interesting addition and there are stencils and stickers to enjoy. It's great fun for girls and would make a lovely gift.

Another colourful early learning book with Wallace the Dog to guide the child through the varied activities. The book includes numbers up to 100 (which are introduced gradually through the book), addition and subtraction and counting by 2s and 5s. Easy to follow and with the 200+ stickers arranged sequentially, this is an excellent way to introduce counting. Priddy Books' trademark bright bold colours make for books with immediate child-appeal; combined with clear layout and excellent quality production this makes their books a joy to use.

Young fans of the TV series will enjoy this opportunity to join Bing (and his friend Flop) as he shows them his favourite things in the whole wide world – friends, toys, the colour orange, his wellies, carrots and more. There are over 100 bright well-sized stickers so children can decorate the pages to make the book their own (and they can tear them off and start again whenever they want!), plus plenty of other activities to engage young ones' attention and enhance their learning.

Written by a professional magician, this book has all the budding young magician needs to know to entertain - and amaze - family and friends. There are card tricks, tricks with everyday objects, puzzlers & betchas, money tricks, mind tricks and finally pranks. 50 tricks in all, mostly using objects easily found around the home and covering the whole gamut of magic and illusion possible for children. Each is well explained with generous use of diagrams to help the young magician see exactly how to carry out the tricks. A super book to keep children (and their families) amused and engaged for hours and also a good way to develop many key learning skills.

As school half term generally coincides with Halloween, this spooky activity book is just the thing to keep the children amused. It's full of a great range of fun activities on a Halloween theme including drawings, puzzles, games, activities and stickers to decorate a spooky picture. There are also fearsome facts for the ghoulish to enjoy. Halloween's never been so much fun - wearing a witch's hat and making vampire bites are just two things to enjoy in this well illustrated and engrossing book.

Not just a chess textbook but 35 fun activities which help with understanding the process of playing chess. Try Pawn Football, the Queen Dance or Bughouse. Each activity os clearly explained with diagrams to show exactly how to play. The Starting Out section explains the rules and how the pieces move. Suitable for children of 7+, as a non-chess player, I found that this book is easy to follow and demystifies a complex game, so it seems an excellent starting point for any aspiring chess player to have some fun and learn basic principles. Try is as an introductory chess club activity in school.

Colouring is enjoying an upsurge of interest among adults at the moment - it's a great way to relax and here's a writing, doodling and colouring book for makers of all ages. This original and unusual book is full of creative ideas and complex illustrations to set the creative juices flowing. Playful drawings and simple prompts invite creators of all ages to not only colour, but draw, imagine and finish his dense line drawings; it's all great inspiration for those who need a nudge to get them started - and then the imagination takes over! Hours of fun for everyone.

This excellent series really shows young people just why maths is so vital and how it has uses in all areas of life. The mission is to launch a rocket into space - and it can only be launched successfully if all the maths exercises are completed correctly. All sorts of maths problems come into play, including addition and decimals, line graphs and pie charts, these books have different challenges to be solved with a varying range of difficulty. There are four titles in the series and they make maths accessible and exciting by relating it to the real world; a wonderful way to engage even reluctant maths students.

What do you need to design a skyscraper? You need to know about shapes, tables, graphs, coordinates... the list goes on. Each aspect of the building is considered (in comic strip style to appeal to readers) and there are maths questions to solve to find out how to build. It's a great approach and one that will capture the interest. Each title includes a glossary to explain any mathematical words or terms that the reader may struggle with, to aid the learning process. Functional maths is a part of the new programmes of study; it involves using maths in everyday situations and these books support that excellently with their practical approach.

This is an excellent way to introduce children to great works of art, based on 10 great artworks. The wide-ranging activities - from playing a game of 'Formaldehyde and Seek' inspired by Damien Hirst to being motivated by Barbara Hepworth to carve a sculpture out of soap will show children just how exciting art can be. There are fascinating facts about the artists dotted throughout the book, and plenty of questions and suggestions to encourage children to really think about what is happening. The Tate Kids British Art Activity Book explains the key concepts behind historical, modern and contemporary artworks in a succinct and fun way, helping children to understand art and the way artists work. An inspiring book with an unusual and engaging approach.

Another exceptional book, this time focussing on modern art and engaging children's attention in a wide variety of ways. Art comes to life for children with the range of activities based on 10 works of modern aet which include Salvador Dali's Lobster telephone and Henri Matisse's The Snail. There are plenty of fascinating facts and intriguing games to inspire children and encourage them to look more closely at the art. These books will make great classroom resources to inspire a whole range of creative activities.

Join Gerald the giraffe as he gets ready for the most anticipated annual event of the animal calendar - the Jungle Dance! young children can help him get his dance moves sorted as they join him in a variety of colourful activities, with lots of puzzles for them to think about. There are activities galore including a sticker jigsaw, animal counting fun, colouring, shimmy shadow match, a moonlit maze, a dancing game and over 200 stickers. The variety is excellent and the challenges will make children think - and practise their moves too! Hours of fun lie in wait.

Any would-be Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot will find this a fascinating and engaging book, sprinkled with plenty of humour to cheer you up if the detecting fails. It's full of hints, tips and advice on how to crack mysteries with the best of them - and it's a fun way to develop lots of key skills along the way. Test your observational skills, learn how to crack codes, discover how to identify people by their fingerprints or handwriting, find out how to examine witnesses and look for clues. It's full of things to do to keep children engaged for hours in a constructive and enjoyable way - observational skills will definitely be finely tuned by the end of the book.

This engaging and stimulating puzzle adventure has a picture puzzle to solve on every double page and they link together to tell the story of Abby and Isaac and their discovery of a dinosaur fossil. The book works on many levels - it's an enjoyable story, it's a sticker book and it challenges key skills including Designed to help develop essential skills including sorting, matching, comprehension, maths and logic skills. I think this book has a slightly old-fashioned appeal to it which actually works very well and makes it feel just that bit different.

Children, even those who do not engage with books, generally love comics, so here is a superb way to encourage imaginative creative writing. Broken down with simple step-by-step instructions, the topic is never daunting but makes children believe that they really can write comics. There are of handy tips and hints plus lots of room for children to complete the pages with their own efforts; the book includes stickers to enhance the end product. The devices employed in 'real' comics are explained and demonstrated, giving children encouragement and confidence. A practical spiral binding makes the book easy to use and children can produce an end result of which they can be really proud. Excellent.

Now fans of this brilliant series for tweens can complete their very own diary, dork-style. Newly issued in hardback, this exciting diary has spaces for two years of entries so the writer can see how things change year on year. There's plenty of suggestions on what to write and these are a great way to encourage creative writing in a fun way - what dream do you have to make the world a better place; what's the nicest thing anyone has done to you lately? Illustrated throughout with amusing cartoons, this is an unusual but inspiring diary - a great gift.

This is super fun for all Famous Five enthusiasts - but I think they will find the questions quite a challenge! It starts off quite easily with a few pages of easy questions but soon moves into medium, which make up the bulk of the book with a few tough questions to finish off. Revisit the best moments and meet all your favourite characters again in this bnostalgic quiz book - it took me back to many happy days reading the stories but sadly, most of the answers escaped me! Avid readers of the books will love this book.

Abney and Teal are popular CBeebies stars so children will enjoy seeing them in print in this fun-filled activity book. Abney and Teal are busy on the island with the Poc-Pocs and your child can get involved in their games and puzzles as well as decorating the island with over 160 stickers. The activities help develop imagination and problem-solving through humour and adventurous play, and increase young children's knowledge of the world around them.

Practice makes perfect and the great thing about wipe clean books which makes them excellent for young children is that they can try over and over again. This colourful book young children improve their basic number recognition and counting skills as they join a group of friendly monsters in a range of engaging activities, including at the fairground, in space and under the sea. The book covers numbers 1 - 10 and the activities also challenge observational skills and give plenty of opportunities for discussion.

Being familiar with basic shapes and being able to name them will stand children in good stead when they start school. Shapes are everywhere and this colourful sticker book will give adults plenty of ideas for spotting and naming shapes in the world around us. The engaging pages each tell a story and encourage children to find the appropriate stickers - there are also opportunities to develop creative skills, for example decorating a quilt. Sticker books offer many learning opportunities so are an excellent way to combine learning and fun.

This colourful sticker book offers parents fantastic opportunities to talk to their children about the things they will see and do - and the people they will meet - when they start school. The pages are absolutely crammed with activity as children enjoy finding out what happens during a day at school and during all those key events of the school year. It gives children a really positive look at school and there are lots of activities to do as well, which will all help develop learning skills. There are 300+ stickers to decorate the pages and these also offer lots of fun learning opportunities. An excellent book, full of variety and perfect for all children starting school.

Plenty of fun to be had in this colourful sticker activity book. It's not too spooky, so is perfect for young ones. There are dozens of high quality photographic stickers as well as puzzles, colouring and drawing. While having fun and building up anticipation for an exciting evening, children will be developing vital key skills including hand-eye coordination, matching, creative thinking and concentration.

These two books are part of a series produced by QED to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Rubik's Cube - that ever-popular and tantalising puzzle which has always remained popular. The same skills can be applied to this book with its range of logic puzzles which increase in difficulty through the book. Use the clues to deduct, to work out sequences, to identify playing cards and much more.

Original and challenging, this book is an excellent brain workout. All the intriguing puzzles are based, in one way or another, on shapes. Find the odd one out, locate the matching one, which shadow matches... just a few of the puzzles to enjoy. If you like the challenge of Rubik's Cube, then these books are perfect for you.

One thing you can be sure of - a Horrid Henry sticker book is bound to be ... horrid, with plenty of gruesome stickers. Horrid Henry is phenomenally successful and this sticker book may well appeal to an audience who do not normally enjoy activity books. There are over 200 stickers in Tony Ross' trademark style, to embellish the colourful backgrounds which give a new insight into the world of Horrid Henry. Great fun and a lovely way for fans to put their own stamp on Henry's world.

Ghoulish and gruesome but with a touch of humour to leaven it, this is a great book for a chilling Halloween indoors. The wide ranging and challenging activities include limbs missing in crazy mazes, eyeball jellies to devour, sickening stories to complete and much more, all highly illustrated with Paul Moran's colourful, hilarious artwork. Plenty here for all the family to enjoy. It's engagingly presented with plenty of fun illustrations and good use of colour.

Colouring books are never dull when Buster Books create them - and this one is certainly far from dull. Bright neon backgrounds and part coloured pages give the keen colourer-in plenty of incentive to get going. Plenty here for all levels of skill, with some very complex patterns alongside simpler ones plus plenty of opportunities to use imaginative and creative skills. The  excellent heavy paper means that felt pens and even paint (with care) can be used as well as crayons. Doodling and colouring are great ways to relax - try it!

Sticker books are an excellent way to help children learn. They immediately engage their attention and are a good way to develop key skills - as well as the specific skill developed by the book (in this case, colours) children develop fine motor skills, recognition and matching, concentration, hand-eye coordination and more. Each title in this early learning sticker range contains all 45 Reception high frequency words and supports the early years curriculum, so parents can have confidence that they are giving their children a good and effective start to learning as well as making it fun.

This colourful book introduces a range of animals in their habitats in a friendly approachable style to which children will readily relate. The inclusion of the 45 Reception high frequency words in every book in the series is an excellent way to reinforce learning as children will absorb the words and become familiar with them, making an excellent basis for future learning. The sentences flow readily and don't give the contrived feel that can sometimes come when a set group of words are included, so they are good to share and read aloud. I like the way the pictures are labelled too, using a clear, child-friendly font, and then the words are on stickers for children to find once they become confident and can recognise the words - a good way to reinforce learning.

A lively and friendly approach is taken in this series which is very family-oriented and shows how families enjoy learning and exploring together. Each book in this series features extremely attractive collage style illustrations which are somewhat unusual for this type of book and really make them stand out from competitors - it's good to see something a little different. High quality production and glossy stickers make the series feel good and give visual appeal.

As with all the books in this lovely series, there is text running through the book for parents to share with their children; in this book, there are various things to count uo to twenty. This series of books make learning enjoyable and memorable, with their bright colours and age-appropriate learning activities. I am very impressed with the books and taken as a series, they make a great way to prepare your child for Foundation Stage learning. I would love to see more in the series - I am sure there is plenty of scope!

The first full-length activity book dedicated to the World of Norm is a brilliant complement to the series. It's full of with quizzes, games, doodles, jokes, fun facts and much more. What particularly appeals to me with this book is the fact that it will draw in readers who often don't engage with activity books, thus reaching a new audience - the wide audience of fans of Norm. There are many hours of fun to be had here in the company of the irresistible Norm.

If you've ever been frustrated by being limited to A4 when colouring - here's the answer! These colouring sheets fold out to be three times A4. Detailed pictures of safari, under the sea, in the jungle, in space, sports in the sun and an arty street party offer hours of colouring fun - maybe even for two people at once! The detailed pictures offer plenty to talk about at the same time. There's something to spot in every scene too. Great fun and really innovative... now, where's my crayons...

This is a diary with a difference! Specially designed for gils to record everything to do with their hobby, it will be a great book to look back on in years to come and hopefully, inspire girls to keep going with ther hobby through the year. Whatever your hobby, this gorgeous journal is the perfect place to record your achievements. As well, it is packed with puzzles, activities, and ideas for fun new hobbies to try. All complemented by Nick Sharratt's lively illustrations plus ane xtract from one of Jacqueline's books for each month.

Perfect for all Jacqueline Wilson's many fans, this year's diary has a fun talent show theme. It's full of tips for putting on a talent show plus extracts from Jacqueline's books. There are puzzles and activities too, plus a space for every day of the year. All in pink, this hardback book is a treat for girls to enjoy through the year abnd a great way to encourage them to write down their thoughts and activities.

Part of Ladybird's best-selling pirate series, Skullabones Island, this fun-filled sticker activity book will keep all little ones busy for hours, with plenty of sticker and colouring fun. Captain Cutlass and the Skullabones crew are on board The Leaky Tub, sailing  the Seven Seas. Plenty of challenges, including dot to dot and colouring,  as children help the crew navigate. There are over 70 stickers to enjoy too.

The perfect pirate adventure, complete with envelopes to open and pirate post to discover, this wonderful story is part of the best-selling Skullabones Island pirate series from Ladybird. Captain Cutlass is returning from his annual holiday and the Skullabones crew need to make The Leaky Tub shipshape sharpish, as well as throw a 'welcome home' party for the captain. But their rivals, The Stinkyfish Gang, are determined to thwart their plans. Will the Skullabones pirates be able to outwit their enemies? Or will the Stinkyfish Gang best our swashbuckling heroes? With pirate memorabilia to discover and open in six fun-shaped envelopes, this is the perfect gift book for all little pirates!

'Puzzle Club' is a new puzzle magazine for 7-11 year-olds. Linked to the National Curriculum, it has been developed by Puzzler Media in conjunction with Pearson. After Puzzler Media commissioned a research report, which proved the efficacy of puzzles in education, Puzzle Club was born. Puzzle Club is a 64-page compendium of different puzzles (ranging from crosswords to mazes) designed to engage children and allow them to apply school-learnt knowledge in a fun, less pressured way. Puzzles have many benefits in developing thinking, reasoning and concentration skills and this new venture will prove very useful as well as fun. An excellent resource and I am thrilled to see it. Find out more at http://www.puzzler.com/puzzleclub

 

The activity books based on Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's much loved books are wonderful. Children's interest is already alerted by their favoutire characters and when they go to this book they will find Tiddler swimming his way through all manner of fishy activities. There are over 130 reusable stickers, recipes, bunting, finger puppets, colouring-in, dot-to-dots, spot the difference, mazes, simple word searches and more! As well as having fun, children are also developing key learning skills including pencil control, creativity, manipulative skills and reasoning. A brilliant way to build on children's love for these books, superbly presented and illustrated, the high quality production makes this a book to keep.

How high can you jump? The insanely addictive doodle jump is now available downloaded. Journey up the sheets of graph paper, jumping from one platform to the next, picking up jet packs, avoiding black holes, and blasting baddies with nose balls along the way. With exclusive info, mazes, logic puzzles, fun doodle activities and cool things to make, it's what doodle jump fans have been waiting for! Cleverly designed to be the size of a iPad, this will give fans of the game many hours of fun, with a huge number of different activities to enjoy - and what they won't realise is, that they are are developing and refining thinking skills, concentration and many other essential skills.

How far can you run? The exhilarating Temple Run is now available downloaded. Race down ancient temple walls and along sheer cliffs, avoiding the evil monkeys and collecting coins along the way, as you try to escape with the cursed idol. With exclusive info, character profiles, mazes and brain teasers, it's what Temple Run fans have been waiting for! It's great to see such a variety of challenges has been produced to support the game and it's a great way to extend children's interest. It's also a good way of encouraging children who are readers to pick up a book!

This is, quite simply, brilliant! As I unpacked the sturdy cotton bag, I felt a real sense of anticipation as more and more goodies came forth - so just imagine a child's excitement! The pack contains 12 Aacrylic paints, small, medium and large paintbrushes, 4 small canvases, a heavy drill cotton apron, and 'Art Ideas' Book which will inspire and show childrenkids how to use different types of paints, pastels, inks and crayons. PLUS 'The Dragon Painter' Book, a lively retelling of a traditional Chinese story, in the 4 - 7 year olds set or Famous Paintings - cards about 30 of the World's most famous paintings and their artists - in the set for 7-11 year olds: Key to the philosophy of Me and My World is the fact that adults should engage with their children and share in the excitement of helping them to learn. The idea of having everything packaged together is great - it gives children a real sense of purpose as they use the elements together. Everything is of high quality and will provide many years of happy and productive use. I am really impressed - all the range is well worth taking a look; each set is packed with carefully selected resources to encourage children to explore and enjoy creative learning, with lots of stimulating ideas which will develop key skills in an enjoyable way as well as encouraging interaction with parents. Do take a look at Me and My World and browse through their full range.

 

Children get very excited about festivals such as Christmas and Halloween. Capitalise on that by encouraging them to draw their own related images to decorate their house, classroom or bedroom - great activities for themed parties too. There are definitely ghosties and ghoulies and they all come with step by step pencil drawings plus a coloured picture to show the end result. Christmas Drawing Book has all the key elements of Christmas to draw, including stockings, Santa, sledging and a snowman. The instructions are simple to follow and these books are a great way to encourage children to develop creative skills.

This is a super book for any keen mathematician who is up for a challenge! They will need to use their knowledge of shapes, geometry and patterns to decide how the plot unfolds in this enthralling maths adventure which is completely up to the reader to resolve. Different choices take the raeder in different directions so there's plenty of opportunity to try again. Cube Countdown looks at the maths and science of puzzles. Readers are put to the test in a series of shape, geometry and pattern puzzles that will take them into outer space. Thise of a more scientific turn of mind will enjoy Rubik's Quest: The Robot's Revenge - a robotics and inventions adventure. These are engrossing books, brightly coloured and high in visual appeal as well as offering an excellent and stimulating challenge. Mission Invent is part of a larger series of four exciting books. It takes readers on an engaging adventure into the science and maths behind the Rubik's Cube.The series allows children to achieve a sense of ‘creating your own adventure story’; a theme used in QED’s previous and largely successful Quest series’.

Creative writing can be a stumbling block for many children - and even those who find it relatively easy will welcome the inspirational ideas in this new book from Bloomsbury. Full of useful tips and inspiring ideas, How to Write a Story is packed full of story starters, plot changers, wow words and much much more - and all of it set out in a fun way that grabs the attention. Best of all - it's not just a book to read and then go away, hoping the ideas will be remembered - there are lots of pages waiting for children to do their own writing there and then. An excellent book.

Perfect for pre-schoolers, this box set (complete with carry handle and wipe clean pen) contains 5 early learning books, each with 20 pages of wipe-clean activities. The workbooks are Let's Get Ready for School, Fun with Phonics, Pen Control, Let's Write 123 and Let's Write ABC. Wallace the Dog is there with helpful hints and questions. Each book includes a varied range of fun activities to help prepare children for their first school years and the activities can be repeated to help develop skills. Bright clear layout, good quality shiny pages and attractive illustrations combine to produce a set of books which children will love - and get their learning off to a good start.

The publishers tell us - "Warning: this book will cure all boredom!" A big claim but they could well be right! All you need is the book, a pencil to doodle in the back of the book - and ideally some people to share the fun with. It's full of games to play, challenges to accept, jokes to tell, word play activities, topics to talk about and much, much more. Tick a copy into a travel bag or keep one in the car, ready to bring out when you hear the dread words 'I'm bored...'.

This is a perfect activity book for children who are just discovering the joy of putting pen to paper, with its simple uncluttered activities. There are plenty of bright colourful pages for children to enjoy, with dot-to-dot puzzles to follow - to help youngsters, there are dotted lines between the dots making this suitable for very first pen skills. The activities help children to develop fine motor and problem solving skills in a fun way and the wipe clean pages mean they can enjoy the activities over and over again, enhancing and refining their skills all the time. Priddy Books are prefect for young children, who respond well to the clear layout and use of bright colur and familiar objects.

Dot to Dot for Tiny Tots (Wipe Clean Dot to Dot) by Roger Priddy

Following on from the book above, this is a bigger book with many more pages. Some of the activities are the same but there are many additional ones, including numbers. This bumper wipe-clean book has 64 pages of fun and engaging puzzles; the wipe clean, and a wipe-clean pen is included, so that all the exercises can be repeated to reinforce learning. The spiral binding means the book lies flat - very practical for young ones as its hard to write near the spine of a conventional book. The activities are colourful and inviting and the wide range means the book will provide plenty of learning fun.

Ideal as a follow-on to the books above, this book contains a wide range of enjoyable learning games and puzzles suited to children of 3+. Spiral binding, carry handle, durable wipe clean pages, pen included, bright, colourful and simple - all these books are excellently thought out to be practical and workable for young children. Don't worry if your little one doesn't quite get the point to start with - the wipe-clean pages mean that he can keep on trying - and all pen use is valuable at this stage. You'll be amazed how quickly skills develop when you share good quality resources like this with young ones.

Girls love Hello Kitty so this book which is packed with ideas for a themed party will be extremely popular. Packed with ideas for baking, crafting and styling, this book contains everything you need for your perfect get-together from beginning to end. Choose your style of party – from tea party to pampering, sass and style to crafting and more. Then bake the perfect food, make the ideal drinks, decorate your venue and style yourself to perfection. What more could any fan want? Just add your friends and the perfect party can be yours with the fun ideas and activities in this comprehensive book. And not just for parties - there are plenty of ideas that can be used for everyday activities too.

This is one of those ideas that's so simple you wonder why it hasn't been done more often! We all know that little people can get impatient waiting for their food to arrive - or need something to keep them occupied while the grown ups eat - and here it is! There are over 50 activity mats featuring Maisy and her friends, with plenty of different things to enjoy - colouring, decorating, drawing - all food related. Ideal for taking when you are eating out or visiting friends and relatives and perfect to help children behave rather than being bored. Simple and very effective.

Girls and boys love pirates so this book is bound to be a success. There are colourful nautical scenes to decorate with stickers chosen from the 8 pages of over 350 fantastic designs. The stickers are labelled by page to give young ones a helping hand - but with so many to choose from there will be plenty to spare to decorate other pictures too. Each page features things to look for, find and count, along with questions to stimulate young minds. There's even a treasure hunt activity so children can go back and spot things they might have not have noticed before. Great fun.

Six double page spreads - herbivores, carnivores, water creatures, flying reptiles, nesting maiasaura and dinosaur bones - all illustrated in vivid colours. The stylish illustrations are really appealing and stand out from most sticker books. They're waiting to be embellished by the 300+ stickers to make children's own pictures. Round the edge of each page are I Spy questions to encourage childfren to look closely. These books will make great party presents or stocking fillers too - there's a topic that will interest every child.

Even more stickers in this book - over 450 to keep little girls amused. The fairies are busy enjoying all sorts of activities, including exploring the woods and doing duty as tooth fairies. Around the edges of each page, there are questions to answer and things to spot and this adds greatly to the value and fun of the book. These are really well produced sticker books - the quality is so good that children will want to keep the books rather than discarding them as so often happens.

Six spectacular safari scenes are delightfully illustrated in bright colours - and there are 350+ stickers to make them even better! There will be plenty to spare for other projects too. As with every book in the series, there's a treasure hunt for children to enjoy and make sute they haven't missed anything. A superb collection of sticker activity books with plenty of added interest.

In our busy lives, it can be hard to slow down and take notice of all the wonderful natural things around us. This excellent new series from b small is the perfect way to encourage young children to look around and take note of the wonders of nature. The books are packed with a wide range of activities. The front and back flaps consist of colourful flashcards to cut out and carry around to record sightings. The pages contain a variety of activities to do at home or out and about and all encourage children to observe the natural world. There are also fascinating facts on each page for keen nature enthusiasts plus questions to answer. THere's an answer section at the back of the books for the puzzles and activities.

Bugs and butterflies are all around us, so wherever children live, they are bound to be able to spot the creatures included in this book. The book starts with a picture containing 18 bugs and butterflies to spot and then there is more detail throughout the book. The wide range of activities, which include spot the difference, colouring, mazes, join the dots and much more, will engage children's attention. Each page includes an interesting fact - or two - and these are engagingly presented so will be remembered. These books take a different approach to many nature books, by really drawing the reader in and involving them with the natural world - an excellent series and I hope more will follow.

If you're looking for a book that will give children almost endless hours of amusement, look no further! This really is a bumper collection of favourite puzzles - wordsearches, crosswords, sudoku, number puzzles, dot to dot, colouring, colour by numbers and much much more - there are even some ingenious paper projects. I am amazed by the scope of this book - it offers fantastic value and will be brought out time and time again to keep children occupied. At the same time, they will be reinforcing a whole range of key learning skills so it's perfect for the long summer holidays, home or away.

Topsy and Tim are enduringly popular characters and children love to learn about new experiences by sharing in the adventures of these friendly twins whose lives are just like their own. In this sticker-packed book, children share with Topsy and Tim as they look after their animal friends. Far more than just stickers, though - there are dot to dots, jigsaws, spot the differences among other puzzles to enjoy. Plenty for adults and children to discuss as they learn about caring for pets.

Starting school can be a worrying experience. Sharing books like this with your child is of enormous value - as well as the key learning skills, it gives the opportunity to talk and reassure your child about what to expect. They will join the twins on their first day at school, sharing the journey and finding out all about a typical day at school. The book includes plenty of colourful stickers as well as a a range of puzzles to help with early learning - and thereby increasing confidence on starting school.

The Rubik's Cube never ceases to amaze, enthrall - and frustrate - its users. Mission Invent uses and develops the same problem-solving skills where the reader is an apprentice designer at Toy Towers, where they make the world’s most amazing toys. "One morning you arrive to find Mr Jollypops’ assistant waiting for you. She tells you that Mr Jollypops wants to see you urgently – all will be explained when you get there! A high-speed race, a giant maze and a panel of judges are all that stand between you and the grand prize..." It's up to the reader to steer their way through this interactive book using their knowledge of machines and engineering to see if they can win! Fun and engaging, this really is a great book to develop thinking and reasoning skills in a fun way.

Another challenging book to really get children - and adults - thinking. Visually appealing and getting progressively harder, this book contains all sorts of number puzzles from simple number squares to challenging number patterns. There are over 40 puzzles of all types, presented with entertaining artwork to make them even more fun. An exhibition to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Rubik's Cube is due in the UK and this engrossing and intriguing series of four books is based on key content from the exhibition.

Starting school is exciting for young children but also a time of apprehension. Sharing thoughts about what will happen and preparing thoroughly is key to helping children settle happily. This is the perfect book to do that,as each page takes the child through a different aspect of the school day, showing what to expect with humorous artwork and reassuring, fun activities. The book is best shared with your child so you can use the opportunity to talk about the issues and address concerns. There are lots of activities to complete, both before and after starting school and the book makes a lovely lasting record of those all-important first days.

This is a lovely book for all fans of the wonderful witch. Children will love the opportunity to spot familiar scenes from the books and will enjoy this new way to revisit favourite characters. Winnie's world is full of variety, all reflected in the pages of this book. Children will join in a party, visit Winnie's house, meet pets and lots more in this detial-crammed book which gives them the opportunity to put their own spin on the stories. There are lots of activities to enjoy and questions that will stimulate discussion about the stories - and enourage children to revisit them.

Six mini paper people to press out and make are the basis of this creative book. The characters are - an ice dancer, a top model, a film star, a pop star and a TV chef and then children can use their own imaginations to decorate the final blank template. As well as the models to create, there are lots of fascinating facts about real-life superstars and a paper person file for children to complete. Go to the b small website for free, extra doodles and projects to download. The finished results are great - shiny good quality models.

Heroes from outer space to under the sea are here for children to create their own adventures. Find a deep sea diver, an astronaut, a secret agent, a fire fighter and a soldier plus one blank template for you to press out and colour in with your own character design. No need for glue - the models slot together easily. The instructions are easy to follow and the end results excellent. Children will be able to use the toys for all sorts of imaginative games.

With its wide range of different cutouts, there is something in this bumper book to appeal to every child, so this makes an excellent family resource to have on hand for those 'I'm bored' moments. Children can create a collection of papercraft toys with the projects in this book, with just the addition of crayons and scissors. The 230+ projects include animals, dinosaurs, paper dolls, paper planes, ocean life, wild animals and things that go. They are all printed on good quality white paper rather than the rather dull cream of some activity/colouring books. A super selection of ideas to develop creativity and imagination and excellent value too.

This bumper collection of history-based activities is a perfect complement to classroom studies (and a great resource for teachers) as it focuses on the key periods studied in KS2 - Ancient Egypt, Rome and Greece, Vikings, medieval history and prehistory. The educational value is enhanced by maps and timelines of places and events throughout history and there are plenty of fascinating and fun facts to make history enjoyable. The range of activities is excellent and includes hieroglyphs, mosaics, making a lucet, designing a coat of arms, making a fierce pop up or a magic bracelet. Another great value craft and activity book from b small.

This colourful book is packed with a variety of garden scenes, each of which focuses on one creature - including ants, worms and squirrels. Children are encouraged to look for hidden objects as they enjoy the detailed pictures so observational skills are developed as they learn interesting facts. The lively detailed pictures offer plenty of additional opportunities for discussion and learning - and then encourage your child to get outside to see what they can spot. An excellent way to stimulate an interest in nature with lots of entertainment value.

Children love 'spotting' books and they are a great way to engage them with books; the activity of searching for things helps make them more memorable too. I love the bright illustrations in these books, which will really encourage and interest children. There is so much detail in the pictures too - once children have answered the questions on the page, there's lots more to explore. At the end of the book are 'More to Spot', Did You Know?' and 'More Ocean Fun' pages too which add to both the fun and to the educational value. A super series.

Woolly and Tig are here to help children learm to cope with new experiences and the reassuring stories and friendly characters do this perfectly. From A to Z, join the pals as they explore the world around them. There are many excellent early learning activities to enjoy on the way. including tracing, colouring and counting. And there are over 300 labelled stickers; as well as developing hand-eye co-ordination, these give lots of opportunity for discussion. I'm impressed with the range of stickers - there is much more educational value here than you might expect, with letters and numbers included. It's excellent quality too, with bright colours and good quality paper. Look out for the QR code inside the book, to download a bonus reward chart and alphabet activitiy sheets!

This ingenious book will be the answer to a common problem - how to keep the children happy while the adults enjoy their meal (... and in the car, in waiting rooms; anywhere really as it has a stiff card back to lean on). Woolly and Tig are off on holiday and children can follow their adventures in this sticker, colouring and doodle activity pad which even has its own integral carry handle. From making picnics and drawing in the sand, to sight-seeing with Woolly, sending a postcard, and learning to say hello in different languages, it's the perfect holiday companion. The activities are very varied and all in full colour. The QR code inside the book allows you to download a bonus holiday wall chart and extra Woolly and Tig activity sheets for even more fun. An ideal holiday companion.

Where's My Water? is a puzzle video game from Disney, played on desktop web browsers such as IE and devices using Apple's iOS, Google's Android, Microsoft's Windows Phone and BlackBerry 10[2] operating systems. The game requires players to route a supply of water to a fastidious alligator. Turn up the shower power and discover the hidden secrets of the sewers in this awesome handbook. Full of tips and strategies to help you - Tri-duck every level; Find every collectible; Become a better digger; and Find hidden levels. As well as this, children will enjoy the character profiles, puzzles and activities. This is a great book to extend interest in the game. And here's another for fans - Where's My Water: Shower Power Sticker Book

Jacqueline Wilson's books are phenomenally popular so this book is guaranteed a warm reception. It's packed with puzzles, fun facts, activities and quotes from favourite Jacqueline Wilson stories. There's space to write in it every day, plus somewhere special to record all the dreams you've had each month. And there's a special note from Jacqueline herself. It's a very girly attractive hardback and a very special way for girls to record their activities, hopes and aspirations - a good way to develop writig skills and a perfect permanent record.

It will be a delighted child who finds this colourful sticker book in their holiday packing. The teddy bears are off on holiday and they need some help with their packing. THey are going to enjoy lots of different places, including the pool, the park and the fair and they need a different outfit for each! Bright stickers - over 230 of them - are ready for children to decorate the scenes. Fun they are, of course, but sticker books also play a key role in developing hand-eye co-ordination and developing recognition skills. Perfect for holidays.

Children are fascinated by what often seems to be the grisly side of nature and they are in for a trat with this interactive book full of weird and wonderful creatures with deadly attributes. Children will learn about the fastest predators, the creatures with the most incredible super senses, the deadliest and those who survive extreme conditions. Along the way, they will have fun with the 200+ colourful stickers with which to embellish the scenes. Packed with facts and fun, this is perfect for summer holidays, home or away - just make sure you keep safe!

For those times when there's no football to watch - then this topical collouring book provides some light relief whilst keeping interest in the game. This generously sized colouring book will give hours of colouring and doodling fun. Each right-hand page has a scene to colour, while left-hand pages have suggestions for doodles, designs and pictures to complete - this is a really good way to encourage children to develop their creative skills and allows good results for even those who are not natural artists. It includes a page of colouring tips for drawing patterns, colouring in large areas and getting perfect results - all very practical. There are plenty of opportunities for children to put their own stamp on the book, such as choosing their own dream team. Lots of fun.

A great theme for a colouring book because diggers and trucks come in all shapes, sizes and colours so there's plenty of scope for the imagination. Children - especially boys - are perennially fascinated by these huge machines so the book will be popular. There's a huge variety here - breakdown trucks, bulldozers, tractors, snowploughs... The drawings are fun too, with plenty of touches of humour which add hugely to the fun of the book.

Packed with football themed activities this is a great book for children to enjoy alongside the excitement of the World Cup - and they will end up with some great decorations for their rooms! The book has a variety of projects to tackle including a football flick book, a muddy park picture, a penalty shoot-out card and footballer finger puppets. There are also league charts with slot-in football shirts for each team. Every activity is clearly illustrated with easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions and the book will give many happy hours of creative fun.

This neat little pocket or handbag sized book is perfect to take out and about. Children of all ages will love to lose themselves in this bumper book of mazes with its hundreds of twists and turns, the magical mazes get more fiendish with every turn of the page. This pocket-sized book is the perfect travel companion, and is sure to delight kids and adults alike. There are different difficulty levels and you can time yourself for an extra challenge. Another inventive book from Buster Books.

This is a superb series which works excellently both as information and as puzzle books - so often, one or other aspect loses out but here the two combine perfectly. Zak and Leah (with the reader's help) must save Granny from a terrible fate - without getting trapped in the pyramid maze themselves - by travelling around Ancient Egypt from the Nile to the Valley of the Kings. The puzzles make good use of the setting - hieroglyphs, mummies and gods all play their part. The colourful pictures are absolutely crammed with accurate detail and facts, all presented in an intriguing way which really encourages children to keep going through the book - unputdownable! This is one of the best series of this type I have seen - highly recommended.

Leah and Zak are off to Ancient Rome with Granny and Grandad - but Granny is captured by an angry Roman leader and the only way to save her is by working through the fascinating puzzles. These really challenge children to think and reason in an enjoyable way. There is so much to spot - gods, weapons, emperors - as the children travel through the streets of Ancient Rome and further afield as they follow Caesar's journey to meet Cleopatra. The puzzles are hugely varied and give a real insight into the culture. If your child is due to study Ancient Egypt or Ancient Rome - and they wil in KS2 - then get copies of these books to generate a real enthusiasm for the topic, as well as giving them a really sound grounding of knowledge; they will have so much fun they won't realise how much they are learning!

Wow! Hundreds and hundreds - in fact, over 1000 stickers to embellish the colourful pages of this book; and there will be plenty over to encourage other creative ideas. Children can join Sonic and his friends as they explore the Sonic Universe and battle with their enemies the Lost World and the Deadly Six. The book is packed with intriguing puzzles and games that will extend your child's thinking while they also have great fun. There are mazes, sudoku, word searches and many more, all illustrated in full colour on high quality paper, making this book a joy to use and to keep.

Children will enjoy finding out all the facts about the fastest hedgehog in the world and his friends, as well as cool activity pages, the Sonic fun continues long after you’ve stopped playing the game! The posters are perfect for young Sonic fans to decorate their bedrooms, and the puzzles will give children plenty to think about. I like the fact that htese books are really high quality publications, making them a real pleasure to read. And for the joke-loving Sonic fan, what could be better than Sonic the Hedgehog Joke Book for a plethora of jokes they will love to share with their friends.

Captain Cutlass and his crew of trusty pirates have lots of fun on Skullabones Island and this colourful sticker book means that the reader can be part of the story. There are over 200 colour stickers included with plenty of hints in the text to ensure they are put in the correct place - and there are plenty of extras to make the pictures even better - or for children to draw and decorate their own pictures. Help the pirates get ready for sea, enjoy shipboard life and, of course, find the treasure. Lots of activities to enjoy, including colouring, counting, spot the difference and more. Pirates are always popular and this sticker good is especially good for summer holiday fun.

Topsy and Tim have been favourites for many years and of course, becoming a CBeebies programme has increased their popluarity hugely. Keep Topsy and Tim fans busy with this cctivity and sticker book which is packed with all sorts of fun - some children can do alone and for others, like playing Snakes and Ladders, two people will be needed. Activity books seem like pure fun to children - and they are great fun - but they are also valuable learning aids as they help develop all sorts of essential skills. This bright and attrcative book is perfect for children of 3+ and sharing it with your child will really make the best use of it.

Two more colouring books from Buster Books that will really please those with special interests. This enchanting colouring book is full of beautiful scenes from everyone's favourite fairy tales, from Cinderella, The Little Mermaid and Sleeping Beauty to Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White, Beauty and the Beast and lots, lots more. It's a good way to add an extra dimension of interest to the reading of fairy tales. Children will love to colour the magical scenes and bring these classic tales to life. This would make an excellent classroom resource to support learning about fairy tales and the finished pictures will make an excellent basis for a display.

Perfect for all horse and pony enthusiasts this gorgeous colouring book has all sorts of horse-realted scenes to complete including gymkhanas, gyspy caravans, merry-go-rounds, fairytale carriages and much more. The bright coloured backgrounds to the pictures ensure that the finished colouring will look very attractive and the good quality of the paper means that felt pens can be used (with care). Hours of creative fun - and for more, see www.doyoudoodle.co.uk for free doodles, competitions and fun from Buster Books

Lil' Merl needs your help with his quest to find the dastardly dragon - and the reader can help by enjoying the wide variety of activities in this large format brightly coloured book. The dastardly dragon burnt the castle to smithereens and Lil' Merl needs help with word puzzles, crosswords, coloring in, dot-to-dot and mazes to help him track down the dragon. It's full of fun and the idea of a story linking the activities will capture children's attention - and there's a surprise at the end!

Encourage your child to take an early interest in art with this sticker book which features 29 great artists. From Van Eyck and Breugel to Pollock and Rothko, the book includes a wealth of information about each artists plus over 130 stickers to complete the pages. The quality of the stickers is excellent and when this book has been carefully completed, it will make an excellent reference book with a personal touch. As well as the stickers, which show the artists themselves and their works, the book is well iillustrated throughout with entertaining cartoon-style illustrations. Combined together, all the elements make up a very approachable early approach to art - a really good book.

This bright coloured thick chunky little book is full of inspiration to start your child off on a creative journey. Sometimes all they need is a little encouragement to give them the ideas, and this book offers those in abundance. There are fun speech bubbles and some very entertaining cartoon characters appear throughout the book, as well as bright neon stickers. It's full of fun and will offer many hours of entertainment for all ages.

Perfect for tucking into holiday packing or for taking in the car, this is a colourful book packed with all manner of doodles to complete. And when the pictures are finished, there are 100 bright stickers for the all-important finishing touches. There's lots of variety - photos and drawings, comments and suggestions plus some cut-outs which transform the images. Books like this are such a good way to encourage children to doodle - a very relaxing activity and a nice change from electronic games.

This is such a pretty book! The pink cover immediately draws you in - and you won't be disappointed! A generous A4 size gives lots of scope and every page is already partly coloured, inviting the budding artist to get going with the colour illustrations, scenes and patterns to decorate as they see fit - and finish off with the lovely range of stickers. How about a tea party, a mandala or masks to decorate? Lots of creative fun and hours of enjoyment.

Great works of art may seem inaccessible for young children, but not with this inspiring sticker book. They can place the stickers onto pages that cover a range of child-friendly themes including boys and girls, light and colour, shape and pattern. Children will learn about artists from the Middle Ages up to modern times as they enjoy finding and sticking in the high quality stickers. The pages themselves are lively and full of fun, giving children a really positive view of art - certainly not a boring topic. And when they have looked at famous pieces of art, there are stickers to place within frames in their very own art gallery page. A high-quality book and a lovely way to encourage children to enjoy art.

Fifty simple craft activities which could be used at home or in the classroom (great for after-school clubs too). The materials required are simple and will often be ready to hand. Each project has simple, step-by-step instructions which are illustrated in full colour so children can tackle them with minimal adult intervention - although sharing craft activities is always enjoyable. There are ideas to appeal to boys and girls, from a fairy puppet to pirate flags. I like the small format of the book - it could be tucked into a bag for a day visiting relatives or in the event of a rainy day on holiday.

This is definitely one for all those adults who have looked longingly at children's colouring books and wished they were still young enough to join in - and for those who have succumbed too! Slowly the picture builds up with delicate pencil outlines, starting with petals, then flowers, then insects until we discover a complete enchanted forest just crying out to be coloured in. The whole panel folds out or each section of the finished product can be displayed separately. It's the perfect way to relax and be creative. There are lots more in the series - discover them at www.picturaline.com.

Perfect for little girls who will enjoy this very girly sticker book full of all the things girls love. Plenty to do - colouring, doodling and sticking as well as a press-out fairy princess model to dress and press-out passport, luggage label and bookmark. Tuck this activity book into a girl's holiday luggage and she will be happy and occupied for hours!

Yes, an amazing 2000 stickers - more than I have ever seen in a sticker book! And there are plenty of prehistoric scenes to embellish as the Supersaurs take on the Sinistaurs. It's up to the reader to find his or her way around the puzzles in the book to help the good dinosaurs save Dino City. There are doodles, ingenious puzzles and activities to enjoy and many hours of entertainment guaranteed. It's fun, yes, but also helps children develop their thinking skills as they solve the puzzles.

The Supersaurs and the Sinistaurs are back. Evil T-Rex and his raptors are on the rampage in - and under and around - the city and the Dino Supersaurs must stop them. This book opens out into 7 giant story scenes showing the streets, seas and skies of New Dino City. There are over 50 reusable stickers to stick, lift and restick, so children can tell the story over and over again until they get just the ending they want. A great way to encourage the imagination and creative thinking. There's even a stretchy dinosaur on the cover!

The good and the evil are fightig again! There are comic strips to read and complete, hilarious dinosaur humour throughout plus things to count, spot and find on every action-packed page - all these are developing children's reading and understanding skills in a fun way. The covermount flip book shows the action in Dino City, Beware - the dinos seem to have been nibbling away at the edges of this book already... All the books in the Dino Supersaurus series are illustrated by Nikalas Catlow and Tim Weeson, and written by Andrew Davidson. As well as giving plenty of interactive fun, each has a story to follow and lots of colourful and detailed pictures to enjoy.

Another book full of stickers - over 1000 this time - with plenty of colourful pages to decorate as the young reader helps keep Dino City safe from the dreaded Sinistaurs and the villainous raptors. The covermount extras are a nice touch - this title comes with two colourful all-action erasers. A super series for all dinosaur fans - great to collect and to give as gifts and with plenty of variety in the presentation. There are more to come, so keep a look-out.

The setting for one of the best-loved children's books can now be recreated by children. It's an excellent way to bring the story alive for them as they build their own chocolate factory. The high colour glossy card is ideal for this most magical of all factories and is a great way to stimulate children's imaginations as they dream up ways to play with the finished model. There are excellent step-by-step illustrated instructions and the pieces are clearly labelled making this a good project for children of 8+. The key characters are included too!

Top That!  have brought out a stupendous range of Roald Dahl themed mini kits which are great fun and make perfect gifts. Inside the neat packaging you will find a piping bag, 24 mini cake cases, 5 piping nozzles and a book of instructions. The book (as is the case with all the kits) is a delightful little hardbackwhich is most attractive. How about snozzcumber jelly, oompa-loompa cakes and slugs and lettuce juice? The names are gruesome but the recipes look tasty. A great way to encourage kids into the kitchen. This kit is recommended for children of 7+.

25 modelling balloons plus a pump form the basis of this kit. With the aid of the instructions in the full colour book, children can create a variety of Roald Dahl characters including Fantastic Mr Fox and the BFG. A good way to bring a new dimension to these much-loved characters. The books are, of course, illustrated by Quentin Blake and even in the miniature format of these books he manages to cram in a huge amount of detail. The kit is recommended for 8+ but I think some adult help would be appreciated.

We all know how Roald Dahl loved to play with words - now here's the chance for your child to play with words. There are over 800 little magnetic words - real words and made-up words. Let their imaginations run riot and see what they can dream up to adorn your fridge - with a little help from the book which is full of instructions and ideas. Chidren will also enjoy Fantabulous Face Painting (Roald Dahl Mini Kits)

And still Buster Books come up with more imaginative and inspiring sticker and doodling books. The pretty pink cover opens up to reveal brightly coloured pages just crying out to be embellished with some of the 150+ stickers, or to be coloured in. Girls will love the ballerinas, fairies animals and more. This book is perfect for young children either to enjoy on their own or for an adult to work with them encouraging creativity and showing how to use the stickers to the best advantage. Often sticker books are for older children, so it's great to see these.

Another brilliantly colourful book, this time full of all the things boys enjoy - dinosaurs, monsters, bugs and more. The stickers are big and bold, ideal for little fingers and a good way to develop fine manipulative skills. Adults can help to ensure the stickers go in the right pages, or you can just let boys use their imaginations. The book will offr many hours of entertainment and the bright backgrounds will really capture the imagination. Perfect for holidays, journeys and perhaps visits to relations where a quiet but engrossing activity will be welcome.

Early learning needs to be fun so that children start off in a positive way and this book from Usborne fulfils that criterion perfectly. The book starts by introducing the animals who feature in the book and encouraging children to count. There's a colourful double page for every number up to 10 and the stickers are split by page too, which helps the child locate the right ones. Children are also encouraged to write over the numbers to help learning. The book finishes with pages for all the numbers. Colourful and stimulating learning and an excellent way to prepare your child for school.

A bright colourful wipe-clean book that gives young children essential practice holding a pen - the pen comes with the book. The fact children can wipe the pages clean means they can get plenty of practice without feeling inhibited by having to do it perfectly; as their skills develop, they will gain great satisfaction from seeing improvement. The book contains a variety of fun puzzles that can help develop vital preschool skills including drawing, matching and finding words. The excellent quality of the pages makes this book a joy to use and will allow many re-uses.

There are lots of 'how to draw' books on the market but this, with its drawings of London, is really different. As well as learning to draw London landmarks, children will be learning about our capital city. The book describes itself as 'an art school in a book' and this claim is borne out by the variety of techniques included - perspective, drawing from photos and drawing equipment are just some. With pictures ranging from the relatively simple to the complex, there is something here to appeal to everyone and to give a real opportunity for progression. A good and well-explained way to build confidence.

Woolly and Tig help children to explore and understand new experiences and it's good to see this concept extended into activity books as these give children an additional opportunity to discuss their feelings. Often children are very relaxed when enjoying this sort of activity so it can be a good time to initiate conversation. Packed with puzzles, activities and drawing fun, the wipe-clean pages mean children can play again and again, reinforcing their skills as they go. The book comes with its own special pen. There's a spotting puzzle too.

Planning a special day out or a holiday? Then take a copy of this fun sticker book with you so your child can enjoy all the activities and perhaps spot some of the things they are enjoying. THere are over 100 stickers and every page of the book features a different learning activity to help your child develop key skills in an enjoyable way. These popular CBeebies characters are much loved by children and they will enjoy having their very own book about them.

This is one in a super set of books produced by Simon and Schuster which remains faithful to the original Dick Bruna books but with a fresh appeal for today's children. The lovely characters retain all the feel of the originals but with the added dimension of activities to enjoy. This is an ideal book for children of 3+, with its bright stickers and simple pictures to adorn. There are plenty of other activities too, including spot the difference, matching and counting - these give a variety of learning opportunities with lots to stimulate the imagination.

Friendship bracelets have been around for a while but they don't seem to decline in popularity. With 35 projects in this book, there's no excuse for not producing something different! Far more than just bracelets, the book includes headbands, a jewellery bowl, headphones and more. The techniques are simple and easy to follow, with a very useful introductory section and the materials used are easy to source. Each project is explained in detail with lots of accompanying photos and diagrams to keep the crafter on track. Well produced and a real incentive to get braiding.

Children need to see science in action to really understand it and here are 40 experiments that can be carried out at home with materials readily found around the house. They are all safe for children but, as always, adult supervision is recommended. The experiments are perfect to support KS2 science so talk to your child and see what they are learning and support them with activities such as skinny water, balloon seesaw and cabbage colours. The experiments are illustrated with step-by-step photos which make them easy to follow and questions and answers reinforce learning. An excellent value bumper book which will be great to have at home for holiday times.

There are some really unusual crafts in this colourful book. Young children really enjoy making things - you only have to look at the joy when they bring creations out of school! Using everyday objects, children can choose from sections on music, nature, sewing, science and even recycling Bin. The final section contains a list of 50 quick boredom busters - great to have on hand. Although the book is aimed at pre-school children - and it's great to see crafts for this age collected together - I think it will be appreciated by older children too, especially of they want to create without adults. A perfect book for every FS and KS1 classroom. Excellently illustrated, it really will encourage creativity with all its associated benefits.

Just what every parents needs for those rainy days at home! The variety is excellent so there will be something for everyone - art, craft, science, food and travel. Each activity is well explained and illustrated and the materials are easy to come by. Here are some of the ideas - rainbow-cano, baby food jar snow globe and lava in a cup. This is another really well produced book from Cico Kids, which really encourage children's creativity. The 'Guess What...' facts add another element of interest and information and safety facts warn children when care is needed. Great for home and school.

I was really pleased to see this book as it is the first I have seen encouraging children to use a sewing machine. There are 35 projects including a flower chain, an appliqued t-shirt, a wall tidy and teddy's picnic blanket. There are some lovely ideas here to make as gifts for all ages. There is a useful techniques section and each project has clear step-by-step photos illustrating the processes. Skill levels are indicated so children are not daunted by taking on something too hard initially.

I love to see activity books featuring children's favourite characters - they are a great way to extend interest as well as providing plenty of fun learning opportunities. As children discover the wide range of activities in this colourful book they will enjoy seeing Bertie and Whiffer and other familiar friends in lots of different situations. There are over 250 stickers to embellish the pages plus wordsearches, mazes, word games, dots to dots and more. There's even a door hanger and a stand-up Bertie - lots of fun to be had. And for those children who haven't had the pleasure of reading about Dirty Bertie, hopefully they will now!

The covers were the first things that struck me about these books - they are board covers with a nicely retro feel which make the books stand out as being just a little different. The great thing about these is that they bring out the creative side in everyone - most of us need a little encouragement to get us going and the pages of this book are full of ideas. Make tile patterns; decide what's on sale in the floating market; colour the teacups - just three pages I picked at random. These books have me itching to get the crayons out and they are a great way to relax.

Drawing, doodling, colouring - a good blend of activities perfect for young fashionistas. A super way to gain inspiration as the ideas on each page are just crying out to be completed. Fill a wardrobe; design some golf gear and even design your dog's outfit. These are no boring black and white doodling books either - they are packed with colour to give you inspiration. They are a great size too - perfect for carrying around and whiling away the time on a journey or when waiting around. And, best of all, because they are hardbacks, they can be treasured.

The first thing that struck me was the lovely nostalgic feel of this annual with its traditional illustration on the cover which captures the excitement of the Famous Five. Inside, meet The Famous Five - and their enemies - as well as enjoying plenty of activities about them, including spot the difference, scrambled words and guess who. There are stories to enjoy, which will encourage children to seek out the full story, and lots of background information including the all-important food. Illustrated throughout with plenty of illusyrations, original and modern, this is a great annual for fans young and old.

Steve Backshall and his deadly team travel to the furthest corners of the earth in search of wildlife. This time they are on their deadliest mission yet - the driest deserts, the steamiest rainforests, the highest mountains and the snowiest forests are all visited in search of the most awesome wildlife. Through the pages of this annual, readers can join the team and recapture the marvels of nature through the superb photography and evocative descriptions. As well as lots of factual information, there are puzzles, pictures and fun stuff to enjoy. An annual that will be highly popular and enjoyed many times for its variety of information and engaging presentation.

Horrid Henry is back with another helping of fun to take children through the year with this ever-popular character. From Henry's Nightmare New Year, through to his summer holiday and on to a haunted Halloween, Henry will be there for children to enjoy through the year. There's so much variety in the content - puxxles, games, quizzes and jokes as well as stories to enjoy. Annuals are traditional presents and they offer great value through the year as well as being a super way to encourage children to read and enjoy books.

Annuals have been traditional Christmas gifts for a very long time and this annual will delight all young Peppa Pig fans. Plenty of activities, including a page for children to put in their own pictures, stories, writing, colouring, puzzles and much more. All illustrated with bright lively pictures of Peppa and her pals, there's plenty to enjoy and at the same time children will be practising all sorts of key skills. A lovely annual, packed with variety.

The perfect annual for all young Lego fans - suitable for children of 5+. There are plenty of puzzles and challenges including Drive Time, Stolen Treasure and and Under Siege. Cartoons stories add an exrta element. There are activities based on Lego City, Lego Castle and Lego minifigures, so plenty to interest everyone. It even comes with its own pieces of red Lego in the shape of 2015!

This colourful activity packed annual will make the perfect gift for any child who is a fan of the much-loved PLAYMOBIL brand - and there are many, many of them. This official PLAYMOBIL annual is packed with castles, dragons and knights with a whole range of activities to enjoy - colouring, dot to dot, spot the difference, crosswordsand much, much more. In full colour throughout, this is a quality product matching a quality brand. PLAYMOBIL is among the top 5 brands of the European toy industry and will celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2014 so this annual is a fitting celebration. Publication date 7/8/14.

Everything you would expect in an annual in this perfect gift for animal lovers. Of course, there are lots of photos of adorable animals and there is also information about a surprisingly large range of animals - not just cats and dogs, but chipmunks, salamanders and zebras, among many more. For every book sold, a minimum of 15p will be donated to the RSPCA to help save animals' lives; the annual also informs the reader about the invaluable work the RSPCA does with plenty of articles. There are animals themed puzzles to enjoy too. Although cute animals appeal more to girls, there's plenty in this annual for boys too so it's a shame the cover is a girly pink.

Bleeding brilliant blood; Repulsive parasites; Amazing evolution; Maddening matter and Mean machines in all their gory glory to delight young readers, boys and girls. But hidden in all the amusing presentation are lots of useful science facts and children will remember these because of the enjoyable presentation. An excellent way to interest children in science - even reluctant readers enjoy this approach. Being an annual, you would expect plenty of pictures and you won't be disappointed; alongside the many comic strips there are other articles packed with highly entertaining illustrations. THere are puzzles to enjoy too.

Rupert just as I remember him. Instead of updating the characters and losing their original appeal these four stories about the bear and his friends span the years from 1972 with one new story - enjoy Rupert and the Rugger Match, Rupert and the Go-Kart Race; Rupert and the Baby Cloud and Rupert and the Missing Snow. There's an origami paper banger to make too. Ideal for different reading abilities (or for parents to share with their child), the comic strips have short text in rhyming couplets underneath, with a longer story at the bottom of the page - despite being an annual, this is a book that will grow with your child. Egmont are obviously interested in their readers' views as there's a survey at the end. An enjoyable annual but I would have liked a few puzzles or other activities to add to the interest though.

A wonderfully nostalgic feel to this annual, which begins with the cover picture and cloth-like binding. There's all you'd expect in a traditional annual - stories, comic strips, background information about the books, people and places and of course, games and puzzles galore. The combination of illustrations old and new give a flavour of the originals whilst appealing to today's readers and I enjoyed the opportunity to learn about the development of the series over the years. Certainly not just an annual for children - all Enid Blyton fans and those who remember reading her books as children will love this annual - I found it quite fascinating!

This colourful sticker book will be a great favourite with all young dinosaur fans. They will learn an engaging fact about each of these magnificent creatures and then find the numbered sticker to put in place. With 60 stickers - and 60 dinosaurs (and a few fossils), familiar and unusual, there is plenty to find out. At the end of the book, there is 'Quiz Time' and 'I Don't Believe It' for added fun. Finally, there is a large picture to decorate, inside the front cover. A super book with some excellent learning features.

Sticker books are an excellent way to encourage learning - by seeking out the stickers and finding the right place on the page for them, children will be helped to remember both facts and the appearance of the animals. There are bite-sized facts, just the right size to remember, with vivid stickers to attach alongside. There's a fun quiz at the end plus a creative opportunity for children to create their own wild scene on the inside front cover using the extra stickers.