Ad | Books marked * were gifted in return for a review | All opinions are my own

Happy October – this new school year is flying by! I have another round of children’s books we have read and reviewed for you, so you can see what we would recommend reading this month. As it is coming up to spooky season, we had to include one to fit this theme as well!

Do you celebrate Halloween? Do you decorate for it? I am debating doing it this year so let me know what you do in the comments!

Fiona, Love at the Zoo*

by Zondervan

The Blurb

Join your favorite hippo, Fiona, the adorable internet sensation from the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens, as she visits her zoo friends and celebrates how love makes the world more beautiful. Learn with Fiona as she discovers how different animals show their affection and love. Fiona, Love at the Zoo is another addition to the wildly successful Fiona the Hippo series of books, created by New York Times bestselling illustrator Richard Cowdrey.

Fiona, Love at the Zoo is: A perfect way to tell someone you love them. Great for fans of Fiona the Hippo and all zoo animals. A beautiful gift for Valentine’s Day, birthdays, and more, featuring a cover that shimmers and shines with foil and gloss. Part of the Fiona series of books that includes Fiona the Hippo; A Very Fiona Christmas; Fiona, It’s Bedtime; Fiona Helps a Friend; and the Fiona I Can Read series

What I Thought

A beautifully illustrated book about love, that would make a perfect gift for a little one you love!

Follow Fiona as she goes around the zoo looking for love, and finds how all the different animals show love in different ways, from hugs and kisses, to sharing food and rubbing noses. This is a sweet story and will make perfect bedtime reading while snuggling!

Buy ‘ Fiona Love at the Zoo’

Collins A Word a Day*

365 words for curious minds

The Blurb

The perfect children’s gift book to last the whole year

Discover a wonderful word every day!

A year’s worth of intriguing words, including ones that reflect the changing seasons and link to the date or month on which they appear.
– suffragette on International Women’s Day
– rewild on Earth Day
– empathise on International Day of Friendship

Beautifully illustrated by Julia Murray with a ribbon marker, it explains what the words mean, how to say them and where they came from.

Never be lost for words again…

What I Thought

Riley is absolutely loving learning new and interesting words at the moment and then using them…not always in context but A* for effort! I remember Leo being like this at the same age too.

Never mind the kids though – I love this book too. A great conversation starter over the breakfast table – reading, defining and using the new word in a sentence. Each day you have a new word, how to pronounce, what part of speech it is and a definition.

Such a great gift idea for kids who love English or may need some help in expanding their vocabulary in a fun way!

Buy ‘A Word A Day’

The Very Best Hug*

by Smriti Halls

The Blurb

Have you ever wondered who gives the very BEST hug? The kind that feels just right?

Get ready to join us on a mission to find the PERFECT hug. From bear hugs to koala cuddles, hippo huddles to walrus wiggles, penguin pecks to porcupine prickles, there are a LOT of hugs to choose from. But sometimes, the very best hug is the one that comes from the people you love most.

Full of chaotic animal cuddles, this irresistible story from award-winning author Smriti Halls is perfect for sharing and reading aloud.

Warning: You may want to hug this book!

What I Thought

The warning is right – you will want to hug this book and the beautiful story it tells!

Perfect for reading at bedtime, the text rhymes which is always a positive for me! The book is full of lovely illustrations that help the story come alive, as you join the mission to find the best hug!

Absolutely loved this story and highly recommend to share with your little ones

Buy ‘The Very Best Hug’

Baby Dragon’s Big Sneeze*

A Picture Book About Empathy and Trust for Children Age 3-7

by Sheryl Bass

The Blurb

Help kids learn to give others a chance with this sweet story for kids ages 3-7.

When a young dragon accidentally burns down a village with a fiery sneeze, the townspeople are angry.

The dragon fears for his life—until a brave little girl enters his cave and learns that the poor dragon is sick.

The unhappy townspeople try to figure out how to calm everyone’s anger, while helping the dragon get well.

A perfect addition to every home and school library.

What I Thought

A great book for young children that can help them learn about empathy. The story is another rhyming one so more plus points for that!

The illustrations are bright and really bring the story to life. This would be a lovely story to share with your little one, discussing themes like kindness and feelings like anger.

Buy ‘Baby Dragon’s Big Sneeze’

Sherlock Bones and the horror of the Haunted Castle*

A Puzzle Quest

by Tim Collins

The Blurb

Sherlock Bones, the world’s greatest dog detective, and his trusty sidekick Dr. Jane Catson are back for another crime-solving adventure.

When a wealthy dog spots a ghostly figure haunting her kennel in the Catpathian Mountains, she come to Bones and Catson for help. Bones is convinced there are no such things as ghosts … but even he’s at a loss to explain the creepy sounds and strange goings-on that he and Catson encounter after a night in the crumbling kennel. Things get even more spooky when Bones is suddenly called back to London, leaving Catson to crack the case on her own. Can Catson unmask the ghost and escape the haunted kennel in one piece?

The fourth book in Buster’s Sherlock Bones mystery fiction series features 28 puzzles – including spot-the-differences, number chains and tangled line games – that are woven into the action, so the reader feels immersed in the exciting detective plot. Told across 14 chapters, this thrilling story is perfect for middle-grade readers.

What I Thought

Perfect for spooky season! This book is a great read with fab illustrations and a variety of puzzles to solve along the way.

I haven’t read the previous books in the series but will do now – and you don’t have to to enjoy this one. The duo of Bones and Catson is a fun pairing and kids will enjoy their adventures. I really like an interactive element in a book, so the puzzles are great – and will definitely help engage those youngsters who aren’t the biggest fans of reading!

This book is great and has everything you need – a captivating story, fun main characters, great illustrations and an exciting interactive element. Highly recommend!