You might think that there’s a limit to the amount of narrative verse Julia Donaldson can churn out but nope, the author of the Gruffalo is at it again. The Bowerbird (Macmillan, £12.99, buy it here) is a heartwarming story about a dear little Bowerbird (they’re a thing; watch the YouTube clip of the bird's David Attenborough-narrated performance for a fascinating bit of fun) who builds a – yes – bower and waits for a lady bird to join him, only to have his little home and his purple flower spurned by the proud Nanette.
But there are other birds out there; the moral being that you should never give up in the quest for romance. Catherine Rayner’s illustrations are adorable.
