This was our first encounter with Porridge the Tartan Cat, and we hit it off with the feisty feline narrator from the start. If his tartan coat didn't already set him apart, his unique brand of chat (“me-wow,” “me-brrr”) and fixation with fishy biscuits certainly would. This story sees him head for Loch Ness with... Continue Reading →

Robert the Bruce: the King and the Spider is the latest in the Traditional Scottish Tales series from Picture Kelpies. It is a picture book that enriches the legend for readers of all ages - from children encountering the story of the King and the Spider for the first time, to those for whom it... Continue Reading →

The Roaring Reads gang loved The Baby Deer Rescue, the first in Michelle Sloan's Animal Adventure Club series, and it made us wonder if her stories had been inspired by real life encounters with nature. So we asked Michelle to tell us about the wildlife she had enjoyed when she was a little girl. Here's what... Continue Reading →

Set in First World War France, The Goose Road, was one of the most affecting children's books I read last year. It tells the story of a young girl's remarkable journey across France with her family's treasured flock of Toulouse geese, which she hopes she will be able to sell at a profit in order... Continue Reading →

The Westie Fest is a lovely picture book story featuring Corrie, an even more loveable West Highland Terrier. It tells of Corrie's attempts to follow in her grandfather's paw prints and become a champion at Westie Fest, an international just-for-Westies Highland Games on the Isle of Arran. Winning and training will be a particular challenge... Continue Reading →

The Case of the Vanishing Granny is the first in a new Big Top Mysteries series from Alexander McCall Smith, and was the first thing to be plucked out of our 'to be read' pile this month. As a family of The Greatest Showman fans, we find anything with a trapeze on the cover irresistible!... Continue Reading →

A round-up of the month's Scottish children's book news.  This may be a post about book news from Scotland, but much of the action this week is taking place in Italy, at the Bologna Children's Book Fair. A collective of Scottish publishers, illustrators and agents have had their talents and their latest titles on show... Continue Reading →

Nessie is fed up with fame and jealous of the travels her fishy friends enjoy, so when she discovers a map showing an underwater network of tunnels, she decides to leave her litter-filled Loch Ness home and head off exploring. Travelling through the tunnels, Nessie embarks on a sort of monster InterRailing trip, taking in... Continue Reading →