Dinosaurs are the first subject most children choose for themselves, and this is the book that meets them there. Twelve chunky flaps open onto museum halls, Jurassic habitats and working dig sites, with triceratops, stegosaurus, velociraptor, brachiosaurus, tyrannosaurus rex and the marine reptiles that ruled the sea.

The facts under the flaps are real facts, and the back cover carries the pronunciations spelled out phonetically, which is the small mercy every parent needs at half past seven in the evening. It is early non fiction disguised as a game, and it is a Cottage Door best seller for exactly that reason.

Written by Jaye Garnett and illustrated by Richard Merritt. Twelve pages, seven inches square, an inch thick, graded from two years. The safest gift on this list for a three year old you do not know well.