Just Imagine by Nick Sharratt and Pippa Goodhart

This book is the sequel to You Choose - a firm favourite in our house! So we were really looking forward to reading Just Imagine. It's funny because at first I really wasn't sure about how well it worked. But it has become such a bedtime favourite and a real winner for my 18 month old that I have reversed my opinion.

I think I felt it was slightly limited as appose to You Choose which seemed so boundless in choice and options. But as I say it has become a real favourite and we've spent hours reading it. The format and the look is similar to You Choose but the topics are quite different. I particularly like the page where you're invited to imagine yourself back in time and you can go to the Egyptians, the dinosaurs, world war two and many more, it's a very good basis for talking about history (if you can remember it all!).

There's a great picture of an amazing machine which covers two pages and you're invited to imagine what the machine would make. At first we thought that it would make the best ice cream in the world but lately Rosie has been saying that she thinks it can make medicine to cure any illness. When she first said that I was amazed, but I guess this book exercises your imagination to its peak!

There is a magical creatures page that at first I was confused by, not realising that it was essentially a before and after snapshot. Once we realised we had great fun spotting what things had turned into and what had changed. It's like a fantastic spot the difference for younger children!

There are a few pages of animals where my toddler really starts to engage (ie. roar like a lion!) and has been very helpful in learning the different animal noises, although I'm floored by a few (armadillo?). I'm also a fan of the flying in the sky and living in the sea pages, full of a mix of fantastical and real creatures and people and so many different options!

I could actually write a lot more about this book, I really think it's wonderful and that we will be enjoying it for a long while yet!