Book Review

Kate Brian, a fertility expert and mum to two IVF children, has written an informative guide to this assisted conception method. Designed to be an ‘insider’s guide to fertility clinics and treatments,’ it takes you through the processes involved from identifying fertility problems, to finding the right clinic, having treatment and coping with the emotional side of things. As well as factual information, Kate shares her own anecdotal experiences too, plus those of others who’ve been through IVF. Packed to the brim with useful information, it’s a must-read for anyone contemplating IVF. Buy now

If you’re looking for enjoyable holiday ideas that don’t cost the earth, then camping (in tents, tipis or yurts) is worth exploring. This book has done the hard work for you, as it rounds up a selection of special camping opportunities around the country designed with families and kids, from tots to teens, in mind. It’s accompanied by stunning photography throughout, highlighting all the excitement and thrills of camping holidays. Buy now

Saving money is the buzz word of the season and this dinky little book could help you on your quest to save more and use less. The simple A to Z guide is packed with helpful tips and advice for making ends meet during the credit crunch, from dealing with debt, to renting items instead of buying and feeding your family healthy meals. Buy now

This chunky little boardbook is perfect for little hands and the colours and pictures are great for attracting a baby’s attention. The focus is on Daddy’s and the book features a series of pictures of baby animals and their fathers. The dad’s are cleverly revealed by means of a slide and find mechanism – there are die cut finger holes to use to reveal them. Colourful and fun to read with your baby – and nice to have a book focusing purely on dad’s! Buy now

This lift-the-flap hardback book offers children an introduction to numbers and counting. As you read through the pages, you get to follow two little rabbits as they explore things they find in the garden – like one sun, three chairs, four garden tools and five sunflowers. Each double page has a large number on the left and a picture of the items on the right; the picture forms a flap which can be lifted up to see what the rabbits are up to! The last two pages open up and feature lists of all the items found by the rabbits, with the ultimate aim of counting them all up. It’s fun and informative and has lots of detail to look at in the pictures. Buy now

Rabbit and Mouse have been invited to Duck’s house for tea, but have to catch the bus to get there. It seems a simple task, but they’re easily distracted. Although they wait by the bus stop a long time, no buses arrive….or so they think! This is a funny tale with cute illustrations; children will enjoy shouting out and spotting the buses that Rabbit and Duck so easily miss. Buy now

Donkey finds himself having a very busy day when the farmer heads off to the seaside and leaves him in charge. He has a whole list of things to do, which don’t prove easy, so he has to come up with ideas and rewards for encouraging the other animals to cooperate. Linking in with this theme, the book comes with some star stickers and Donkey’s Delicious Fruit and Vegetable Reward Chart – the idea being that children get a star each time they eat any of the items on the list. Buy now

Young dinosaur fans will love this book, which tells the tale of the littlest dinosaur ever known. Life for the littlest dinosaur isn’t easy, as he feels out of place and different from all his siblings and he doesn’t seem to grow. He can’t join in some of the activities they do, because he’s too small, but one day he gets to prove his worth and help his family. This is a heart-warming tale with a strong moral message and is accompanied by some great illustrations. Buy now

When it comes to reading to young children, you can’t beat a good rhyming book – and Miaow Said the Cow fits the bill perfectly. It energetically tells the tale of the mischief caused when a farmyard cat uses his magical powers to change the noises the animals make. His magic has quite an effect – and produces a lot of strange and loud noises – and he hadn’t anticipated the eventual outcome. Fun for parents to read aloud to their children, and great for children to listen to and join in with, this is a really enjoyable tale of mayhem and mischief. Buy now

This DVD features episodes previously unseen on CBeebies. Live action, graphics and animation techniques are used to give arts and crafts a new and exciting element. Pre-schoolers will enjoy having a go and getting creative and the DVD features projects such as making an elephant peg holder, making buried treasure, a foam boat, creating blow paintings and paint effects with forks. Buy now

Set on a real working farm with live animals, Big Barn Farm follows the adventures of Petal the Piglet, Gobo the Goat, Dash the Donkey and Digger the Labrador pup. There are five 20 minute episodes, including one where Gobo the Goat is incredibly hungry and sneaks about trying everyone else’s food, plus someone’s straw hat! Buy now

This popular pre-school animation TV series features Roary, the red car, Big Chris, the mechanic and all their racing car friends at the Silver Hatch racetrack. In Musical Mayhem, Mr Carburettor takes a trip to the opera and the racing car friends prepare for a barn dance. Of course, things don’t go to plan….The DVD is packed with seven episodes, plus two sing-a-longs and a Roary game. Buy now