My little bookworms both love a good bedtime story. In fact, their combined book collection is nearly as large as my own.

Reading to your child is a beautiful thing. Every time you slouch down into their bed with them, you’re investing in your child - promoting essential skills they’ll need throughout their learning journey. If this isn’t enough of an incentive, you also get to witness their eyes drooping as you lull them to sleep - yes SLEEP (that much sought after commodity).

The earlier you start reading to your child, the better. Yet, finding great books for preschoolers isn’t as easy as it looks. From poor (sometimes ridiculous) rhymes to nonsensical plots well beyond what can be described as fantasy, we’ve purchased more than our fair share of books that just don’t hold the kids attention.

What works best?

• Board books are particularly great for under 2s as younger children often rip pages or turn them too aggressively
• Illustrations that cover entire pages help hold a preschooler’s attention and bring stories to life
• Repetition breeds familiarity. Plots should be simple yet fun - this was the secret to Julia Donaldson’s success whose Gruffalo tales have enthralled many a preschooler.
• Rhyming books (although not essential) help younger children engage with language early. We often find Dexter will finish sentences of books we read to him regularly - rhyme helps him recognise what’s coming next.

A Little Owl Called Hooty

A Little Owl Called Hooty, has definitely ticked these boxes for us. It’s a charming pint-sized board book (140mm x 140mm) with a high sheen gloss making it easy for the kids to hold, easy to wipe-clean and hard-wearing enough to survive lots of trips to nanny’s house shoved in a rucksack.

At twelve pages, it’s a short & perfectly paced story about Hooty the Owl overcoming a fear of flying. Sat atop a branch on a tree, having watched his brothers and sisters leave the nest, he lustily watches insects fly by, desperate for something to eat. His endeavours are watched by Swankypants & Chatterbox the cats, some deer and a fox, all of whom urge him on. When it becomes clear that poor old Hooty needs some further encouragement, they enlist the help of Barn owl who shows Hooty there’s nothing to be scared of. A morality tale, it’s reinforcing positive ideas of helping & encouraging each other to overcome fears as well as friendship, patience and understanding.

Danny Deeptown’s illustrations do a great job of bringing the story to life and cover the entire page with rich imagery and plenty for the children to point out (be that counting the fluttering butterflies or spotting other woodland creatures in the foreground). Watercolour illustrations, they’re also beautifully vivid with autumnal colours that are a pleasure to study for children and adults alike.

Written in easy rhyming couplets, it’s easy for mum and dad to read and inject plenty of personality. The words themselves are also suitably considered for a younger audience, and all common enough to be heard in everyday conversation.

This is Diana Vickery’s first book in a collectable series of Swankypants books aimed at toddlers. All will explore similar themes from the perspectives of other woodland creatures from the Magical World of Swankypants. The next book ‘The Mysterious Apples‘ featuring two new characters, Rosie & Twitch the rabbits, is due out soon.

Ideal for youngsters aged 2-5, my two (aged 20 months and almost 4 years) have embraced A Little Owl Called Hooty as a quick bedtime read, yet it would also be suitable for those starting to read independently with enough there to cater for more sophisticated reading needs. I know we’re pretty exciting to see what is coming next.

The skinny:

ISBN: 9780956572837 / Available to buy from Amazon & the Book Depository for £3.99 with free delivery

Twitter: @SwankyPBooks / Facebook: @SwankyPants-Books

Want to win a copy?

Well I have no fewer than 3 copies to giveaway! As well as the delightful little book, you’ll also receive a poster and a author signed postcard - the perfect way to kick off your Swankypants collection! Entry is dead simple - no exhausting daily entry options - so best of luck everyone.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms and conditions

Entries close 13/03/2016 23:59
UK entrants only – you must be over 18 too (sorry)
The winners will be contacted by email and must respond within 3 days of having been emailed (I’ll try all known avenues to contact them) or a new winner will be drawn
When the giveaway is closed, Rafflecopter will select the winners completely at random
The winner’s names will be published on this site
There is no cash alternative

More competitions at www.theprizefinder.com