IF your children are just starting on their education, we have opinions on books designed to help them with reading and number work, reviewed by older pupils who have tried them out with youngsters:

Easy as 1,2,3

123, a Dorling Kindersley Snapshot book, £2.99

THIS wonderful easy learning book comes in a series of other books, ABC, Nature and Colours. Zoe Edwardson, age three, likes the real life pictures and has now learned how to count up to 15 in a few days.

I think it is a great little book and makes counting fun and easy.

Katie Edwardson, age 11, Sabden CP School.

Animal magic

Colours, a Dorling Kindersley Snapshot book, £2.99

THE pictures in this book are very appealing to children of 3-5 years of age. The design uses good basic colours and simple words that young children will soon be able to recognise. I asked Victoria Gunston, 5, what she thought about it. Victoria liked the book very much, especially the animals.

Paul Binney, age 10, Sabden CP School.

A BIG read!

A Day at Greenhill Farm by Sue Nicholson, published by Dorling Kindersley, £11.95

THIS is a big book (we mean huge) that could be used by a whole group of children reading with their teacher during the school literacy hour.

The writing and pictures are very large and clear and we particularly liked the use of colour. The vocabulary boxes are also helpful.

The book is about what happens during a day on the farm from sunrise to sunset and helps children to understand how farm animals live.

We think that pupils in reception class to year one would enjoy looking at the book and that it would help them to learn to read.

Shaida Akram and Kaneez Fhatima, ages 11 and 10, Hyndburn Park CP School, Accrington.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.