Book review: A sparkling September with Usborne children’s books

Usborne Publishing is the leading UK independent publishing company and Children’s Publisher of the Year 2012, producing beautifully designed and imaginative children’s books for every age from baby to teenager.

Here are just some of their exciting and innovative new books:

From birth:

Baby’s very first noisy lullabies book - Illustrated by Stella Baggott

This creative and colourful lullabies book will be music to the ears of babies everywhere.

A delightful and sturdy board book, it comes with buttons for little fingers to press and play tunes and sound effects, and has special tabs to help tiny tots find their favourite pages.

The atmospheric music has been specially designed to help lull babies to sleep and beautifully arranged by Anthony Marks to create a gentle ambience for bedtime. The five favourite lullabies, which include Rock-a-bye-baby and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, have low decibel sounds and a stop function.

Share the words, enjoy the music and watch baby drift off peacefully to the Land of Nod!

(Usborne, hardback, £9.99)

Age 3 plus:

Illustrated Stories from Aesop - Written and edited by Susanna Davidson

Travel back thousands of years and rediscover a classic collection of fantastic fables believed to spring from the imagination of Aesop, a slave and story-teller reputed to have lived in ancient Greece between 620 and 560 BC.

There are over thirty timeless fables here, retold and reanimated for a new generation of children, featuring Aesop’s best-loved characters and all brought to glorious life by the enchanting, full-colour illustrations of Giuliano Ferri. And the stories are presented in a stunning, padded hardback book with a ribbon, making it a wonderful gift for younger children.

Who can forget the cautionary tales of The Hare and the Tortoise, The Boy who Cried Wolf, The Goose that Laid the Golden Egg and The Lion and the Mouse? The fables are famous for their moral guidance and this dazzling new book arranges each story thematically, with chapters including Friendship, Quarrels, Greed, Pride and Comeuppance. All have been specially refigured for children and are a perfect introduction to Aesop and the whole concept of taking responsibility for our actions.

An extra special book, beautifully created and crafted, and the perfect gift for an extra special child!

(Usborne, hardback, £12.99)

Age 5 plus:

Aliens Sticker Book - Edited by Kirsteen Robson and illustrated by Seb Burnett

Usborne’s ever-expanding range of sticker books is proving to be one of their biggest success stories so how about a new version that is simply out of this world? Aliens Sticker Book is a chunky activity book with over 400 bold and colourful stickers for children who love making their own adventures.

Little ones will delight in climbing aboard a sensational ‘spacecraft’ for a light-hearted, light-speed tour to meet some of the universe’s most amazing aliens. Inside this wacky book are hundreds of stickers to record the strange sights witnessed on the way. From flaming suns on Planet Scorchum to the curious citizens of Yooneeka, children will be entertained for hours on an ever-spinning tour of imaginary planets.

The ideal book to keep little hands busy and imaginations in full flight.

(Usborne, paperback, £5.99)

Royal Doll’s House Sticker Book - Edited by Struan Reid and illustrated by Elisabetta Ferrero

For little girls, there is the chance to experience a taste of a life of luxury behind the closed doors of a royal palace in another expertly produced sticker book. They can explore the magnificent home and garden of a prince, princess and their small baby, turn the pages on lavish rooms and fill them with beautiful furniture and artefacts.