When my daughter was four or five she would go into her bedroom and pull down every picture book she owned. She then settled onto the floor, surrounded by her books and began to read them all.
Before long, she became engrossed in a few of her favourites while many of the others got pushed aside. When a stack of new picture books arrived last week I was reminded of that time.
Two of the books retell tales from The Bible. Both are lavish productions, literally laced with gold. Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden (Eden Project, £10.99) is a beauty. The Eden Project mission is "To promote the understanding and responsible management of the vital relationship between plants, people and resources leading to a sustainable future for all". The book does this admirably. Jane Ray's Bewick-like illustrations are lush and sensitive. After Adam and Eve are banished by God, they create an Eden of their own, albeit out of hard work. The Donkey and the Golden Light, by John and Gill Spiers (Abrams, $US16.95), is similar at first glance: beautiful paintings, large format, big production. At second glance, however, it is pretentious. Each illustration by John Spiers is inspired by a master painting, in particular Peter Bruegel. This forces his wife's text to fit with the paintings, making the story wooden and contrived. The donkey, weirdly named Bethlehem, takes us on a monotonous journey in search of the "magnificent golden light" that he remembers from another time.
The message in Belonging, a thought-provoking concept book by Jeannie Baker (Walker, £10.99), is not unlike the message of the Eden Project. Each page shows us the same window. On the sill are the artifacts of a girl's life: a Teddy at age two, a pencil case at age eight, make-up and a mobile phone as a teen, and so on. Outside the window, we see the front garden. It is sculpted in clay, as is the run-down urban streetscape beyond. The garden and the street change: plants grow, buildings are refurbished, wildlife appears. The author's note at the end explains " . . . communities are working to bring back the variety of local native plants and animals . . . " Like Adam and Eve, after the Garden of Eden, this community has worked hard to create a better environment for its people to live in. It's a good message for our children.
Tiny's Big Adventure, by Martin Waddell, illustrated by John Lawrence (Walker, £10.95), is a charming book. The beautifully coloured wood (or possibly lino) cut illustrations work perfectly with the simple text. I recommend this mouse adventure for very young readers who will enjoy the friendly pictures.
Boing!, by Sean Taylor (Walker, £10.95), is a lively book. An absurd, bouncing, Odyssean voyage that is colourfully illustrated by Bruce Ingman. The look of the book is similar to Maira Kalman's Max adventures. Children will find Boing! really funny and will enjoy reading along. The trendy design and the use of different typefaces make it even more enjoyable.
Half A Pig, by Allan Ahlberg (Walker, £10.95), is another zany romp. A divorced couple each own half a pig. The wife wants to keep the pig, Esmerelda, as a pet - her sinister ex wants it for sausages. He kidnaps the pig and a chase ensues. The illustrations by the author's daughter, Jessica Ahlberg, are delightful and match the spirit of the text perfectly.
On a more serious note, The Orphans of Normandy, by Nancy Amis (Pocket Books, £6.99), tells the story of the second World War through drawings by children that were done at that time. These remarkable pictures are accompanied by moving text. A child's innocence and the desire for life to go on normally during a time of conflict reminded me of Anne Frank's diary. Children may find the book a little boring but, if approached sensitively, it could be a useful way to learn about war.
I re-read Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, by Mo Willems (Walker, £9.99), several times. It is stylish and it has lovely drawings and it might be fun to read aloud but I just didn't get it.
Una and the Sea-Cloak, by Malachy Doyle (Frances Lincoln, £10.99), is beautifully illustrated by Alison Jay. The story is set in Ireland - maybe along the Antrim coast. In this engaging story, that feels like a folk-tale, a selkie-like girl is stranded on a beach because her magic cape was ruined in a storm. The pictures, as rich as a Northern landscape, help to place the tale firmly in Ireland.
• Ed Miliano is the author and illustrator of the children's book, It's A Jungle Out There. He is designing an exhibition of children's book illustration for Dublin City Libraries, which will be on display in October