Writes of passage

IN academic circles, the debate rages on. Are traditional children's books - epitomised by AA Milne's Winnie The Pooh series - better than modern day favourites like the Teletubbies?

The answer, from our household at least, is that such definitions are pointless. Children only discriminate between interesting and boring books.

Modern-day authors are weaving old fashioned tales to tremendous critical and popular acclaim. JK Rowling's Harry Potter series, the books by Philip Pullman (visiting York Waterstones tonight) and the Redwall sagas of Brian Jacques are three excellent examples.

Meanwhile old favourites are being presented in new ways to entertain youngsters.

Both Hundred Acre Wood and Dr Seuss have been adapted as 'lift the flap' books. Winnie The Pooh's Giant Lift The Flap Book (Methuen, £5.99) and The Cat In The Hat's Great Big Flap Book (Collins, £8.99) have provided endless fun for inquisitive fingers and minds.

As for Teletubbies, don't listen to po-faced grown-ups. These books are colourful, tell a story and teach. Prices for the BBC Worldwide storybook range start at £2.99.

Bright illustrations are crucial to engage pre-school children, and there are plenty of wonderful picture books around. Debbie Gliori's pictures delight children. A particular favourite is her Mr Bear series, starting from £2.99 (Watts).

Little Tiger Press has the welcome habit of publishing some beautifully illustrated books. The three our young reviewer likes best are: It's My Turn by David Bedford and Elaine Field (£8.99), in which Oscar the dog and Tilly the cat learn how to share in the playground; Goodnight Piggy Wiggy by Christyan and Diane Fox (£8.99), where you pull open the pages to discover piggy's dream jobs; and The Very Lazy Ladybird by Isobel Finn and Jack Tickle (£4.99).

Even with half the pages torn out by eager little hands, we still have to read Lazy Ladybird's quest for somewhere to sleep over and over and over again.

Chris Titley

Firstly, a seasonal offering. It's nice to include at least one book with a festive flavour in a child's stocking, and there are mountains of them to choose from.

A Christmas Tree of Stories (Scholastic Press, £6.99) features eight tales wrapped in a cover which has on it a Christmas tree that lights up at the touch of a button. The authors include Jean Ure and Gillian Cross, and the stories are heart-warming.

Children eventually reach an age when their questions leave you reaching for the reference section. The answer is The Children's Illustrated Encyclopaedia (Dorling Kindersley, £29.99), a weighty tome, beautifully illustrated and designed. It will prove valuable throughout childhood and later years.

Utterly Brilliant Poetry (Penguin, £3.99) is an entertaining collections of works by ten writers, including Spike Milligan and Roger McGough. It's great value, challenging and fun.

For pre-school children, My First Letters And Words Pack (Dorling Kindersley, £5.99) is a colourful

collection of foam letters, picture cards and other bits and bobs to start your child on the road to reading and writing.

One of my favourite books for children in this age group is Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar, now available in anniversary edition hardback format (Penguin, £9.99). It's a simple story about the said insect munching its way through piles of food, and owes a lot of its success to the vibrant pictures.

Dream Snow (Hamish Hamilton, £14.99) is by the same author. It's a Christmas offering about Santa Claus, again very colourful, simple and enthralling, with an added musical gadget.

If you have children still besotted by those awful Pokemon things, then the Pokemon Collector's File (Funfax, £5.99) may satisfy their craving for all things connected with the little blighters.

Those clever people at playmobil have produced a series of books featuring plastic figures in the roles of pirate, builder, soldier and the like, who wander through the pages on their adventures. What a great idea. The stories cover several titles and cost between £6.99 and £8.99.

For older girls, My Secret File (Funfax, £5.99) is crammed with questions, codes and tips, and features a lockable clasp for its furry cover that will keep out those nosey grown-ups.

Disney's Family Treasury (Penguin, £12.99) is a collection of stories adapted from the classic films. It is split into stories about family, honesty and integrity, love and friendship and courage and responsibility, with each tale imparting a lesson to the reader. Everyone from Snow White to Buzz Lightyear is included and its a surefire winner.

In a similar moralistic vein is The Lion And The Mouse And Other Aesop's Fables (Dorling Kindersley, £9.99). These are retellings of the classic ancient tales by Doris Orgel, with illustrations by Bert Kitchen. Every child should have a book like this. The stories are short and sweet, the lessons - as anyone who has read the fables will testify - are unforgettable.

Steve Nelson

Buy 'em a book

Parsnip And The Sheep Game by Due Porter, (Dorling Kindersley, £6.99)

Parsnip the sheep and his farmyard friends Champy, Tadpole and Blanket decide to play the sheep game. That's easy for Parsnip but not for Tadpole the pig nor Blanket the horse. Champy the sheepdog had to round them up, but during the game they let all the sheep out of the field and the farmer's due back soon... Well-written and brightly-coloured with lift up flaps on more than half the pages allowing children to interact.

Mog's Bad Thing by Judith Kerr, (Collins Children's Books £4.99)

MOG has now reached the ripe old age of 30, but still entertains millions of children. Here Mog's in trouble after an accident in Mr Thomas's chair. The feline hero makes a hasty exit and hides out in the attic. When Mog feels it's safe to leave her hiding place she jumps out of the attic window but crashes through the roof of the tent in the garden, hosting the local cat show. A good story and some excellent drawings.

Terry Ruane

Pirate Ship A Pop-Up Adventure by Colin Hawkins, Collins' Children's Books (£9.99)

SHIVER me timbers, the pirates are coming! But don't worry shipmates, they are made of paper. This book contains a pop-up pirate ship with cannons, gangplank, anchor and island. There are more than 20 humorously-illustrated press-out figures and flags along with Cap'n Blunders Journal and a treasure map. This is a wonderful toy-in-a-book, combing imaginative play with a funny story. A real treasure!

Dave Hopwood

Ring-A-Ring O'Roses, A Collection of Nursery Rhymes And Stories illustrated by Justin Todd, (Penguin, £3.99)

Just about every nursery rhyme you can think of blended with a handful of traditional stories and all for under a fiver. That can't be bad and this hardback collection isn't. With top pictures by Justin Todd it is the perfect addition to any pre-school bookshelf.

Jingle Bells by Nick Butterworth,

(Collins, £6.99)

Two mice, Lottie and Jack, find themselves facing up to a miserable Christmas thanks to Angus the cat. So the duo consult a local rat guru with whom they hatch a secret plan. This book is beautifully presented and tied with a red ribbon complete with jingly bell. Coupled with the cassette it would make a lovely stocking-filler.

Guide to Weather by Michael Allaby

(Dorling Kindersley, £12.99)

WITH flooding still fresh in mind this large and colourful book of weather might answer a few questions posed by budding met office types. Illustrated with pictures from space as well as a few taken on terra firma it deals with all aspects of weather both devastating and wonderful. Read about hailstones bigger than your fist, really hot spells, really cold snaps, dust-devils, wildfires, volcanoes, and find out that green flash isn't just a type of training shoe. Oh what an atmosphere!

Mike Tipping