An autumnal cornucopia of Picture Books ...

Glad tidings to you my dear Sniffers, tis almost the season of tweed and swede so I thought I would bring to your attention a few little morsels of picture book goodness to tide you over as the nights draw in (after all the Great British Bake Off finishes today so we shall all need to comfort ourselves with more delicious books... )

At the peak of mount Picture Book is this little piratical treasure, Pirates 'n' Pistols written and illustrated by Chris Mould - Published by Hodder Children's Books
 ISBN 9780 340 99934 9

This glorious hardback collection of blood curdling pirate tales includes classics, re-tellings, adaptations, extracts and original stories.
Illustrated throughout with an exquisite mix of black and white line work and luscious colour spreads Mould has captured these scurvy ridden rapscallions in all their sea faring glory.

Readers will be whisked across the high seas, rummaging through Davy Jones' locker, looting chests on treasure island, and discovering concealed tigers below deck.

If this collection doesn't make you want to up sticks and dash off to sea on the next creaky pirate ship then nothing will (and you probably need to move to the commuter belt)

So grab a ships biscuit and a tankard of rum and jump aboard, all in raise your hook hands and say 'Arrrgh' and 'Ay Capin'!

Sniffer gives Pirates 'n' Pistols 5 kegs of rum out of five with a bonus eye patch and peg leg.

From the top of the pile to the proverbial bottom!
Yes its the ever so eye catching and totally tittersome -
Poo Bum Written and illustrated by Stephanie Blake and Published by Gecko Press - ISBN 9871877467967

This chucklesome addition to the Sniffer book shelf certainly caused a stir on the Book Sniffer Facebook page.
The title almost says it all but let me elaborate, Little Rabbit has a selectively limited vocabulary and to every question he has the same answer.. yes you got it! "Poo Bum" this little smarty pants get more than he bargains for when he offends a big scary wolf with his potty mouth.
Apparently poo-bum-itis is contagious and poor old wolf soon gets into a pickle when he calls poor Mrs Wolf a Poo Bum. There is a happy ending of course but with a whiffy twist.
I challenge you to read this picture book and then NOT spend the entire rest of the day ... nee week, saying 'Poo Bum' at the most inappropriate moments.
A whiffy wonder and a treat for pickly little people with a sense of humour.

Sniffer gives Poo Bum 4 trumps and a little poop out of 5!

What's that I can hear in the distance? ... is that my tea cup trembling? YES! It's Jurassic Pug! introducing a gigantic stomping tub thumper of a book for budding paleontologists How Dinosaurs Really Work! written and illustrated by Alan Snow published by Simon and Schuster ISBN : 9780857073136

With bone crunchingly wonderful endpapers to start you off on your quest this book is full full FULL to the buckety brim with dino-facts.
Each gigantic double page spread features a specific dinosaur, illustrating their inner workings (with a touch of artistic license for comedy value) and a host of accessible and hilarious important dino information.
There are also a good handful of Dinosaur jokes ... including (get your comedy trombones ready!) Why did the Wolly Mammoth cross the road ... Because there were no chickens in the Ice Age! *bu-boom tsch*
How Dinosaurs Really Work! would make a great Christmas present, little sniffers can pour over the pages while the big sniffers ave a sherry and watch the queens speech.

Sniffer gives How Dinosaurs Really Work ! - Four T-Rex rump Steaks out of five!

Now spinning and twirling to centre stage it's the sugar frosted wonder that is Ella Bella Ballerina and The Nutcracker written and illustrated by James Mayhew and published by Orchard Books ISBN:9781408314074

The fourth in James' Ella Bella series I have been eagerly waiting The Nutcracker as it is without doubt on of my all time favourite ballets.
James has perfectly encapsulated all the magical wonder of the original story creating a  Grand Pas de Deux of picture books in this wonderfully christmassy Ella Bella adventure.

Lucky Ella once again finds herself immersed in a magical world when she opens Madame Rosa's enchanted music box.
Befriending Clara and battling the Mouse King and his mousey minions is only the start of the adventure as they find themselves whisked away through sugar frosted snowflake forests with the dashingly dishy Nutcracker prince to be entertained by the twinkling diamond Sugar Plum Fairy in her castle in the Land of Sweets.
Following flurries of exotic dancers from the far flung corners of the world and a feast of sugary treats Ella once again finds herself back at Ballet school just in time for a real feast with her ballet class companions.

Each Ella Bella story features a special page at the back of the book for the ballet fan which tells the history behind the original story and ballet performances. Both enlightening and enchanting in equal measures.

Sniffer gives Ella Bella Ballerina and The Nutcracker
5 pastel coloured glimmering sugar mice out of 5! BRAVO JAMES! X

Now must get that kettle on! Ive been sitting here sniffing picture books for so long there is a permanent botty shaped dent in my cushion!

Toot Toot see you soon!