Dexter’s been really lucky when it comes to books. Craig and I really the value the importance of reading and it seems the rest of his family do too as his little book collection is huge. It’s not often some real gems come up and you can read them again and again and Dexter will scream with delight (until now we’ve relied upon the supremely talented Giles Paley-Phillips who I can’t recommend enough for a bed-time story) - but we’ve definitely discovered some new favourites this week.

The great guys at Top That! Publishing sent us these great books to review and I’m so happy with them; Sneaky Snappy Mr Croc (written by Kate Thomson, illustrated by Barry Green), and Five Little Frogs (illustrated by Daniela Dogliani).

Sneaky Snappy Mr Croc is simply brilliant, and a bargain at £6.29 on the website. The illustrations are bright and engaging for little ones and cover the entire page (you would think that this would be a given for a children’s book but you’d be surprised how many don’t). The effect is that Dexter has a wealth of colour to explore and isn’t distracted by us reading to him. Furthermore the integral had puppet guarantees a full-on giggle fest from Dexter.

The story is simple and involves Mr Croc seeking out various animal friends to crawl into his mouth and pull out a sore tooth. Each time the animals try to help, greedy Mr Croc can’t resist gobbling them up. On each page you can therefore make Mr Croc mouth his request, then frantically chew his animals pals. It’s an easy win with Dex and its simplicity allows mum or dad to inject some fun into the story.

Don’t worry though - this book ends on a happy note and Mr Croc burps out all the animals on the last page. With the animals decidedly unhappy when they re-emerge, Mr Croc realises how greedy he’s been and regrets his actions. Again, it’s fairly typical for a child’s book to carry a morality tale but it’s made more fun by the hand puppet (and daddy’s fake burping).

This isn’t Dex’s first interactive book and he’s had ones before where he’s been encouraged to explore with his fingers - but this one wins on quality and engagement. The puppet is beautifully made and will withstand excited and inquisitive little fingers. It’s such a simple idea but brilliantly done.

The second book Five Little Frogs (currently just £5.39 on the website), is just as colourful. The illustrations are very nemo-esque and eyecatching. Everytime you turn the page one little frog jumps into the pond and disappears from the next page. It’s one of many in the Counting to Five series (there’s also fishes, meerkats, penguins, ducklings, and ponies) so you can pick your childs favourite animal to help make counting fun. Each of the animals are made of plastic mould so they’re really durable and squishy.

This book also has plenty of rhyming couplets which I’m a massive fan of (I’ve written about these before when we reviewed Tamara Small and the Monster’s Ball). This allows for books to take on a nursery rhyme quality; allowing children to develop early phonic skills, learn about pitch, rhythm and cadence, expand their imagination, and a whole host of other benefits. As repetition is so vital for a child’s development, I love reading books like this to Dexter. It simply works.

I could rave on some more but you get the gist. These books rely upon tried and tested formulas that child care professionals have long since credited with being great for early readers. They also have the colossal bonus of being interactive. The quality and illustrations are superb and Dexter really enjoys them. I’ll be buying more books from Top That! Publishers (particularly sensory ones) as I know they’ll be quality and I get to see Dex’s face light up like in the pictures above - priceless.

You can buy your own from the website, or discover more on their Facebook and Twitter.