dumbs down, Winnie The Witch books blend everyday life with outlandish nonsense events. Just like life with any small child, really! In the first book, Winnie, in the black surrounds of her witchy dwelling, has problems finding her black cat. Surely

Horrid Henry's Hilariously Horrid Joke Book by Francesca Simon and Tony Ross (Orion, £4.99)Lovable rogue Henry offers young readers one joke for every day of the year in chapters themed around  seasonal events including New Year and Hallowe'en

A ghoulish emblem of Hallowe’en and one of Count Dracula’s terrifying disguises, the bat has garnered a rather shady reputation over the years. Sarah Dyer’s sweet tale shakes off the spooky associations, portraying an adorable and endearingly