It's summer and if the hot weather lasts, we are all likely to be plagued by insects. But this season's picture books are intent on a defence of the insect realm. The Fly by Petr Horáek (Walker £10.99) is an irresistible, eye-catching book with a curving loop-the-loop signature, a fly path. The fly launches himself jubilantly, spoiling this only with a rueful postscript: "People don't like me being in the house." He is immaculately drawn, with recognisably repellent diaphanous wings and scarlet proboscis. A convincing day-in-the-life develops: confrontations with a fly swat, a dizzying encircling of a lightbulb, a close encounter with an iced cake. This story may have the unwelcome effect of making children housefly-friendly, but enjoy: it has the wittiest ending begging the reader not to slam the book shut and make its hero history.
Further required reading for bug-fanciers is Insect Detective by Steve and Charlotte Voake (Walker £11.99). This delicately drawn compendium even gives wasps a good press, approving their striped nests. There are entrancing visions of dragonflies and a particularly beautiful "violet ground beetle, gleaming in the sunlight". This will intrigue readers and might even overcome the reflex aversion some of us have to six-legged society.
And just in case it seemed the eight-legged were being discriminated against, here comes Emma Dodson. Before you have even opened Speckle the Spider (Walker £10.99), your children will be curiously stroking the rough saffron sandpaper of the spider's belly on the cover. You will relish, too, the spider's terrible school report, written by underwhelmed teacher Tina Tarantula. You can also trace Speckle's journey to and from the Bahamas and follow an unexpected dancing career. An entertaining, well-woven tale.
Two star-turns Gruffalo supremo Julia Donaldson and original illustrator Emily Gravett are cannily paired in Cave Baby (Macmillan £10.99). The decor in Cave Baby's nursery is exactly as you'd predict. His Dad, a hunter gatherer, has a deranged look but cave baby remains jolly inside his playpen. An innovative soul, he discovers the joys of graffiti and wrecks the cave paintings. Worse is to follow: kidnap by the animals on the wall. Art can get you into trouble but has its consolations as Donaldson reveals.
In April Underhill, Tooth Fairy (Walker £11.99) Bob Graham does a virtuoso job of creating a convincing imaginative universe for a family of tooth fairies. The story is about the fairy children heading off on their first tooth-collecting mission. Parents will learn a lesson from this book too: don't put your children's teeth in water. Tooth fairies would prefer not to get their wings wet.
Mary's Penny by Tanya Landman, illustrated by Richard Holland (Walker £11.99) is a beautiful book and uncommonly tall like its heroine. Mary is an elegant, pensive girl with a basket of spiky red flowers. She is the heroine of this feminist fairytale about three siblings and a contest about who is to run the farm. The challenge is to fill a house (Franz tries straw, Hans feathers both fail). Mary is smarter she fills the house with candlelight and music. I'm not sure this qualifies her as a farm manager but let that pass. It is a lovely story about lateral thinking.
