CHILDREN'S BOOKS: Hunting aliens, a spirit world and the best of friends

Test your sleuthing skills and learn to make your own decisions with an out-of-this-world, pick-your-own-path book, feel the force of the spirit and enjoy the magic of a fabulous fantasy world and meet the perfectly cooked stars of a laugh-out-loud graphic novel series in a super selection of new children’s books

Age 9 plus
Traitors in Space
Tim Collins and Steven Wood

CATCH the aliens before they catch you! Test your sleuthing skills and learn to make your own decisions with this out-of-this-world, pick-your-own-path book which immerses readers in a gripping alien adventure. You are a brilliant young scientist who has been chosen for a research mission to a distant planet. On your way back to Earth, you are woken early from cryosleep by the ship’s computer. It has detected an alien life form... but there doesn’t seem to be any sign of one. You look at your fellow crewmates and wonder if one of them has been taken over by an alien intelligence. Can you work out who can be trusted and who the aliens are before they take over your mind, too? Written by Manchester-born author Tim Collins and illustrated by Steven Wood, Traitors in Space features a fast-paced, branching structure with over 45 possible endings. At the end of each page there are two distinct options leading to different paths through the action... meaning that the reader controls the narrative (and their destiny!) throughout. Twenty illustrated puzzle missions are woven into the story at key turning points so readers are fully immersed in the action. Featuring brilliant plot twists and Wood’s atmospheric black and white illustrations, this is a sky-high adventure offering fun at every turn of the page!
(Buster Books, paperback, £6.99)

Age 9 plus
Anzu and the Realm of Darkness
Mai K. Nguyen

FEEL the force of the spirit, enjoy the magic, and escape to a fabulous fantasy world in the first of a thrilling graphic novel duology from Mai K. Nguyen, a Japanese-Vietnamese American comics creator. Packed with amazing artwork in a subtle palette of dark colours, Anzu and the Realm of Darkness stars a girl fighting to return home from the spirit world. Anzu has just moved to a new town during Obon, a time for families to remember and celebrate their ancestors. But ever since her grandmother Obaachan died, Obon has lost its magic for Anzu. She doesn’t feel like celebrating. Escaping the festivities, Anzu chases after a stray dog. She slips and falls down a ridge only to find herself in the Shinto underworld known as Yomi, a place she’s heard about in Obaachan's stories. The stray dog, she finds out, is actually the Gatekeeper of Yomi, and he warns her to return to the human realm before it’s too late. But getting home is not simple. Faced with the nefarious Queen Izanami and a realm of creatures, Anzu is in a race against the clock. Can she break a curse, free the spirits of other lost children and reach home before sunrise... or will she be stuck in Yomi for ever? Youngsters will love this rich, heartwarming and beautifully creative story which celebrates bravery, family and heritage, and sends out reassuring messages to those finding it hard to fit in.
(Piccadilly Press, paperback, £9.99)

Age 8 plus
Hi From Outer Space
Fiona Katauskas

YOUNGSTERS will be over the moon when they get their get hands on this wild and wacky fish-out-of-water story from Sydney-based cartoonist and illustrator Fiona Katauskas. A fantastically funny story about leaders, followers and friendships that are out of this world, Hi From Outer Space stars a schoolgirl with a talent for drawing and an alien with a tricky project to complete. ‘With a whispery hiss, the spaceship touched down on the grass. A door opened. A ramp extended. An alien slid forward. “Take. Me. To. Your. Leader”.' Alex wants to win the National Young Cartoonist Competition... she’s got the talent but what should she draw? Along comes Hi, an alien from the Planet Wendy. Hi is also working on a project... he has three days to learn about Earth’s leaders for his Earth Studies class. Maybe they could help each other? Soon, Hi's Earthly visit sets in motion a chain of extraordinary events, including a viral TikTok, a haunted shoe shop and an astronomically wild rock concert. Brimming with soaring imagination, scintillating sci-fi comedy, a cast of cosmically comic characters, and dazzling puns, this is an adventure that’s out of this world!
(A&U Children’s Books, paperback, £7.99)

Age 5 plus
Blue, Barry & Pancakes:
Beach Ball Bedlam
Dan Abdo and Jason Patterson

MEET Blue, Barry & Pancakes... their names might well blend perfectly into a tasty breakfast dish but they are actually the funniest trio in town! There’s Blue, the thoughtful bookworm, Barry, the brilliant inventor, and Pancakes, the happy-go-lucky adventurer. Despite their differences, they always have each other’s backs… in fact, Blue, Barry & Pancakes are best friends and the shining stars of a perfectly cooked, laugh-out-loud graphic novel series for early readers from creative duo Abdo and Patterson (aka Dan & Jason). The three pals live in a giant tree house, they are always there for each other, and they love all the usual stuff... games on the beach, birthday cake, alien pool parties and out-of-this-world adventures! But when they visit the beach, Barry and Pancakes lose Blue’s beloved beach ball. They come up with a plan to get it back, but things go hilariously wrong. The three friends must survive a giant whale’s stomach, an alien pool party and Duckzilla’s volcanic birthday bash if they ever hope to see Blue’s beach ball again! With fun-filled, high-octane adventures and action sequences bursting out of every page, a fine line in knockabout humour, and themes of friendship, teamwork and creative problem solving, there’s laughter every step of the way!
(Rock the Boat, paperback, £7.99)

Age 3 plus
The Circular Square
Simon Philip and Neil Clark

WE all want our children to grow into well-rounded people so let them start at square one with this clever and uplifting rhyming story about how our experiences shape us. The Circular Square is the work of creative team, author Simon Philip and illustrator Neil Clark, and provides a delightfully funny and accessible metaphor for life’s often tricky – and rarely straightforward – journey. Square used to have FOUR straight sides and FOUR pointy corners, and this made life pretty tough. His corners always got knocked and travelling was an awkward, bumpy ride. Until one day, Square realised that dwelling on those thoughts was far from smart or wise. Instead he pledged to see the positives... like the cooling breeze on summer days, a friend’s smile and the taste of home-made lemonade. And while Square still got bashed and bruised, he didn’t seem to mind so much. Then, unnoticed at first, Square slowly got rounder and rounder every day! Life’s ups and downs shape up perfectly in this colourful and joyful extravaganza from Philip and Clark as Square discovers that there is always good to be found in the round!
(Templar Publishing, paperback, £7.99)

Age one plus
First Friends:
Shapes & Numbers
Mk Smith Despres and Aya Watanabe

STARTING nursery and daycare is a big step for little ones so help them through those sometimes difficult early days with colourful board books in Barefoot Books’ First Friends series. Children are introduced to a repeating cast of characters in a daycare classroom with each rhyming book focusing on a different early learning concept. In Shapes, we join a class as they find shapes all around the classroom. 

There are triangles, squares, diamonds, and other shapes in the paintings, blocks, and dolls. What other shapes can you find, and then enjoy the seek-and-find shapes section on the last pages of the book. And in Numbers, we join the class as they count from 1 to 10 throughout the day! At drop-off there’s one kiss goodbye, one hug hello, and then ten waves goodbye when it’s time to go. Count through the day from playtime to naptime and enjoy the fun of seeking and finding items seen throughout the book. From simple addition to counting and geometry concepts, these delightful books – written by Mk Smith Despres and illustrated by Aya Watanabe – are perfect for both learning and entertaining.
(Barefoot Books, board books, £6.99 each)