Sheep 'n' cheerful

In Maisy Goes to the Library (Walker, 7.99) Lucy Cousins's little white mouse is in search of a "nice quiet place" to read her sparkly book about fish. In her distinctive crayon-bright illustrations Cousins cleverly points out all the delights of the library - even the photocopier gets a mention - but Maisy finally finds her quiet place outside, under a tree. Lift-the-flap books provide lots of opportunities for joining in and Knock, Knock! by David Bedford and Bridget Strevens-Marzo (Little Hare, 5.99) is more interactive than most. It stars another little white mouse and he's been caught on the hop, still getting dressed as, one after another, his guests arrive. Toddlers will love following his efforts to struggle into his clothes - from bath towel to smart jacket and spotted bow tie - as he hurries to open the door. The fun is in trying to guess the visitor as they poke a nose or a tail around the bright green door, and in spotting the ever-changing details, both inside and outside the house. Each guest brings a musical instrument and we find out why they're all visiting Mouse in the final lively spread.

Me and My Brother by Caroline Uff (Scholastic, 4.99) is a joyful celebration of brotherly love - and brotherly conflict. The two appealing rabbits play together, read together, sing, shout and stand on their heads "until our faces go all red". Sometimes they fight, but they're soon "the best of brothers" again. Striking pastel illustrations and a simple rhyming text make this a lovely book to share and colourful comic-strip endpapers extend the fun.

FOR 4 to 6-YEAR-OLDS

The splendidly titled Flabby Tabby by Penny McKinlay and Britta Teckentrup (Frances Lincoln, 10.99) expounds the benefits of regular exercise, and grown-ups will appreciate its nicely understated humour. When the vet asks if Tabby is an active cat, Mum replies, "Well, she's not exactly nimble". Tabby enjoys the easy life and her owner, Polly, is always willing to carry her from basket to bowl to chair. Life is just "one endless round of activity" until the day Tabby gets stuck in the cat flap and drastic action is required. Enter Fit Kit - young and exceedingly nimble. He eats Tabby's food before she can reach the bowl and gets all the attention, too. Tabby is forced to change her lazy ways or starve. The domestic detail in Teckentrup's humorous, mixed-media illustrations is both familiar and fascinating.

In 1992, Mij Kelly wrote 48 Hours with Franklin, by far the funniest book ever to win the Fidler Award for new writing. Sadly, the novel is out of print and the Award has been discontinued, but Mij Kelly's sense of humour is very much in evidence in One More Sheep (Hodder, 5.99), illustrated by the brilliant Russell Ayto. Sam the farmer fetches his sheep home on a wild, windy night and tucks them up in bed safe from the prowling wolf. But when Sam tries to count his flock, of course, he falls asleep. Ayto's long-limbed sheep are clearly much sharper than their kindly, but woolly-headed farmer, and they realise straight away that the "little bleater" at the door is no lost lamb, but a wolf in disguise. Dramatic, hilarious and with a witty rhyming text that turns every reader into a great performer.

More wicked wolves, and, indeed, more rabbits and libraries in Wolves (Macmillan, 10.99), a stylish "book within a book" by new author/illustrator Emily Gravett. West Bucks Burrowing Library notifies Rabbit that Wolves by Emily Grrrrabbit is now available and he can't wait to read it. Unfortunately, he's so engrossed in the fascinating facts about wolves that he fails to notice he's being followed until it's too late ... The ending is a shocker! So much so that the author has provided an alternative, though unconvincing, ending for readers of a sensitive nature. The illustrations are spare, almost monotone, but wonderfully expressive; thick bristly pencil for the wolf, delicate line and wash for Rabbit and a deep meaningful red for the library book cover. With its "real" library card and reminder letter, this is a beautifully produced book and an impressive debut.

FOR 7 to 10-YEAR-OLDS

The Global Garden (Eden Project Books, 12.99) by Kate Petty and Jennie Maizels will appeal to a wide age -range, but its amazing paper engineering is probably best suited to slightly older, more dexterous fingers. This busy, colourful book combines an informative narrative text with a quite astonishing array of flaps, pop-ups, tabs and wheels to tell the story of how plants grow and how we use them. You can grow a "world garden" simply by pulling up tabs, read miniature books about the plant origins of your jeans and books, explore the crates on a pop-up quayside and even visit a blooming flower show. Equally energetic, but minus the pop-ups, is Cal and the Amazing Anti-Gravity Machine (Bloomsbury, 4.99) by Richard Hamilton, illustrated by Sam Hearn. The star of this engaging story is Frankie the talking dog, a grumpy old Jack Russell whom only Cal can understand. Cal and his family have moved to a quiet neighbourhood only to discover that Mr Frout next door is a loud, eccentric inventor. He isn't keen to make Cal's acquaintance but when his anti-gravity machine goes wrong he is forced to enlist the help of boy and dog. The author slips a surprising amount of science fact into the ensuing chaos.

Splendidly illustrated by Glasgow artist, Ross Collins, The Kazillion Wish by Nick Place (Chicken House, 6.99) is a comic fantasy with a contemporary family dilemma at its heart. Harley and Ainsly Banana's parents are "amicably separated", but recently they've noticed that their dad, Spencer, isn't his usual ebullient self. They decide that he needs "somebody to love like he used to love Mum", and when a fairy-like creature called Zootfrog grants them a wish they ask for an "also-mum". This turns out to be an incredibly difficult-to-earn Kazillion Wish and the siblings have to complete a series of increasingly outlandish tasks before it can be granted.

FOR 9 to 12-YEAR-OLDS

In Lobster Boy (Usborne 4.99) acclaimed American writer Rodman Philbrick presents another child who wants to help his father. But Skiff Beaman doesn't have magic on his side, it's sheer guts that see him through. Skiff's mum has died and his dad, a fisherman, has given up. He lies around all day, watching TV and drinking beer while his boat rots in the harbour. At first Skiff tries lobster-catching to raise cash, but he soon realises he's going to have to chase bigger fish to earn the thousands of dollars needed to repair the boat. It's a straightforward tale that pays homage to Ernest Hemingway, but it's the pace, excitement and, above all, the inspirational voice of this story that make it unputdownable. In The Beasts of Clawstone Castle (Macmillan, 12.99) Eva Ibbotson indulges in some of her favourite things - spirited elderly folk, resourceful youngsters and ghosts with character. It's a glorious mix. Clawstone Castle is in a sorry, crumbling state. It's open to the public, but the public prefers nearby Trembellow Towers, with its gift shop and lack of odd smells. Clawstone's impoverished owner, Sir George, needs cash to look after the unique snow-white cows that roam wild in Clawstone Park and at first he views his niece and nephew's summer visit as another expense. But Madlyn and Rollo fall in love with Clawstone and it's not long before they hatch a plan to save the Castle and its fabled beasts.

In Deep Trouble, Debi Gliori left readers devastated by the death of Mrs MacLachlan, one of the pivotal characters in her best-selling Stregaschloss series. It was a daring move, but in Deep Water (Doubleday, 10.99), the latest, turquoise velvet-clad episode, the signs are that the nanny has not disappeared forever. A Gliori novel is always a rollercoaster of a ride, packed with linguistic and plotting invention, and she shows no signs of running out of ideas or energy.

Finally, the citizens of Edinburgh should be warned that "Horrible Histories" maestro Terry Deary has sniffed out a whole host of unsavoury facts about the capital's past. Be prepared to be outraged, entertained and quite possibly enlightened by Horrible Histories: Edinburgh (Scholastic 4.99), illustrated by Martin Brown.