Pants by: Giles Andreae and Nick Sharratt

Here in the UK, we like a little bit of silliness. And the sillier the better when it comes to children! If you can find a book that combines this whimsical silliness with the familiarty of a regular rhyme then you're on to a winner as far as your young readers are concerned.

The US readers among us will now be questioning why trousers are funny. The Brits reading will probably be sniggering into their cups of tea. Pants are knickers, undies, tighty whiteys, call them what you will. And, quite honestly, when you're two years old, nothing is funnier than PANTS!

When my son was potty training we used to read Pants by Giles Andreae and Nick Sharratt almost every night. It ticked all the boxes for him. And Mummy could put on silly voices whilst reading it. Even now I only have to say "Fairy pants, hairy pants, run away from scary pants" and he's off, running, and looking for me to chase him.

With simple rhyme and camber, it's an easy read for the parent. It's not overly long so if you end up reading it night after night as I do (and I now do to my two year old daughter) it won't have you groaning and rolling your eyes. It's fun and it's frivolous and, whilst it carries no deep hidden moral, it does help to make something that can make adults and children alike blush much more approachable.

Nick Sharratt's illustrations are clear, bright and imaginative with lots of primary colour to attract the little ones' attention. The prolific Nick Sharratt has written and illustrated many books for children and won numerous awards for his picture books, including the Sheffield Children's Book Award and the Children's Book Award 2001. He has also enjoyed great success illustrating Jacqueline Wilson books, loved by inbetweenies everywhere.

Although the rhymes are probably too simplistic and the illustrations too basic to hold the interest of a four-year-old for very long, younger children will delight at the utter childishness at the heart of this book.