Who is popular today?

Schnauzers in trousers, a Diwali sparkler and Lenny Henry’s kids’ fiction debut, plus the best new YADogs in Disguise by Peter Bently and John Bond (HarperCollins, £12.99)A rambunctious rhyming picture-book romp ideal for fans of the “Oi!” books, full of ingenious pooches and some truly outrageous rhymes (think schnauzers in trousers and shih-tzus doing ju-jitsu). Bond’s trademark wide, staring eyes and bright block colours perfectly complement Bently’s bouncing text.There’s a Ghost in This House by Oliver Jeffers (HarperCollins, £20)From the renowned author-illustrator of Lost and Found and Here We Are, a delightful interactive story for Halloween, long on spectres but short on scares. A lonely girl has never seen a ghost in the big old house she lives in; perhaps the reader can help spot the mischievous, laughing spooks who appear when tracing-paper pages are laid over sepia-tinged photographic backgrounds. Hauntingly adorable. Continue reading...