Fresh material for those growing in confidence with their reading is always welcome, and I think this new series will be popular with parents as well as children.

The Tinkler children (one boy, two girls) fend for themselves while their parents work in a travelling circus. Their lives are both recognisable and deliciously far-fetched. In A Very Good Idea they decide to see if they can get across town without once touching the ground. Such a simple and familiar challenge (who hasn’t tried to do this across a room as a child?), but the Tinklers are allowed to take it further than boring old reality.

The siblings are nice to one another and realistically mischievous, while the humour is gentle and doesn’t try too hard. Short sentences and illustrations make this an ideal step up from Sally Rippin’s Billie B books. A lovely new addition for ages 5 to 8.

The second and third books in the series, An Excellent Invitation and The Coolest Pool, are also available.

Emily Gale