Fish Go Woof - Tapa dura

Finally, you can't beat a book that can be endlessly fiddled with. Miranda Maxwell-Hyslop's splendid Fish Go Woof (Hodder £10.99) was my 18-month-old son's Book of the Month from this selection. The spine is ring-bound and the stiff pages split into three, each section portraying a third of an animal with its name, sound and 'Go' in the middle, but all mixed up in the wrong order.

You may even have an early indication of whether your child is a nascent literalist or surrealist by noting whether they meticulously match up the right bits of each animal or enjoy creating the most bizarre creatures they can assemble. Though, presumably when you're 18 months, all animals are such a novelty that 'Ducks Go Moo' must seem as reasonable as any of the alternatives.