Colin McNaughton and Emma Chichester Clark – what a combination! An exuberant picture book especially good for anyone having a birthday.

‘Not last night but the night before / A little boy’s friends came knocking at the door / They knocked him flat when he let them in / Then all of a sudden they began to sing …’

Young children will love poring over the pictures while the text bounces them through the story. A classic in the making for ages 3 to 6-ish.