THE Great Balloon Hullabaloo by Peter Bently and illustrated by Mei Matsuoka is published in paperback by Andersen Press, priced £11.99. Available now.

When Simon the Squirrel is sent off to the shops by his mum, he decides to do something different. Instead of going to the normal places, he thinks, I'll go shopping in space.

And so, with his trusty friends Rodney Raccoon and Bethany Bear, Simon hops into Old Uncle Somerset's special balloon and heads to space.

During his intergalactic travels he meets aliens in Saturn, Uranus, Pluto and Neptune, ticking off the items on his shopping list as he goes.

This book, from the creators of The Great Sheep Shenanigans and The Great Dog Bottom, is written in rhyme with a good dose of humour and some beautiful and fun illustrations.

It's the ideal bedtime read, leaving your little ones dreaming of adventures in space.

9/10

(Review by Sophie Herdman)