Who is the best judge of picture books - pre-school children? The adults who read to them? Grannies and aunts, the chief purchasers of gift books? Literary critics? Collectors of fine illustration? Some books will appeal to one or more, few to all. Even universal appeal cannot be the final arbiter, since taste varies between the generations. More often than not, a child will love what the adult abhors and vice versa.
Quirky Weslandia by Paul Fleischman, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes (Walker Books, £4.99 in UK) was first choice with my child reader, while only mildly interesting me. Miserable misfit Wesley survives suburban life by creating a new civilisation in his back yard. With the help of a mysterious plant, he produces food and drinks, weaves fibre into cloth, crushes seeds for oil to make ink and lotions, and invents his own language as well as sports and games. Soon he has more than enough friends in his brave new world. Wish I'd had Martin Boroson's Becoming Me, a Story of Creation (Frances Lincoln, £12.99 in UK), illustrated by Christopher Gilvan-Cartwright, when my three-year-old asked "Is God real or pretend?" Visionary paintings and simple yet profound words present the mystical aspect of existence without the bog of religion. Both the artwork and central concept of creator-being-created proved too abstract when tested on small children, while deeply affecting sample adults. A beautiful book, best kept for the Big Questions, and an ideal gift for those of a spiritual bent.
Daisy's Babies by Lisa Kopper (Puffin Books, £4.99 in UK) is a real treat for the littlest ones. Daisy is the mother of three fat puppies and Baby is their friend. All four get up to all kinds of mischief that will have your baby squealing with delight. The bright soft colours, the exactness of the pencil drawings, and the humorous expressions of dogs and baby are ideal for capturing the attention of the very young. The master story-teller Martin Waddell works his magic once again with The Holly- hock Wall (Walker, £4.99 in UK), illustrated by Salley Mavor. Somehow, some strange how, Mary enters the garden she made in an old cooking pot to play with a clay boy called Tom. The entire tale, including Mary's own creation, is aptly and exquisitely depicted with fabric and small materials. Children and adults alike will be fascinated by the details.
Both My Grandma is Wonderful and My Grandpa is Amazing (Walker, each £2.99 in UK) celebrate the good fortune of having loving grandparents. Nick Butterworth's friendly words and gentle illustrations present all that can be right and good between the very old and young. Grandpa invents brilliant games with the water hose and builds castles at the seaside, while Grandma buys the biggest ice-creams and always has what you need in her handbag.
The first laugh in Michael Rosen's Rover (Bloomsbury, £4.99 in UK) illustrated by Neal Layton, is that Rover is the name of the little girl according to her dog. Life from a dog's-eye view is hilarious - adults "bark and howl" when upset, while a couple kissing on the beach are "trying to eat each other". At the same time, the dog's affection for its pet human is endearing. While rarely deep, Rosen is always fun and funny.
Peggy Rathmann's 10 Minutes Till Bed- time (Viking, £12.99 in UK) is a must for all hamster lovers, big and small. What begins as an exercise in numbers from one to 10 escalates wildly as hamster tour buses arrive for the little boy's count-down to bedtime. (104 visitors in all, as per my child reader/ counter.) Rathmann's illustrations of the tiny animals' furry antics are irresistible.
Crab Moon by Ruth Horowitz, illustrated by Kate Kiesler (Candlewick Press, £9.99 in UK) tells the plain but poignant tale of the arrival of horseshoe crabs to spawn on a beach near Daniel's summer cottage. Older than the dinosaurs, unchanged over 350 million years, they look strange and alien in their armour coating. Still, the little boy overcomes his revulsion to save a stranded creature. While the moonlit paintings of mother and son are touching, the pictures of the crabs themselves are disappointingly vague. Scientific information is provided at the end.
G.V. Whelan is an Irish-Canadian novel- ist, screenwriter and critic. Her books for young adults are published under the name Orla Melling