PicPocket Books introduces Prince Hayden MacCheeky, Royal Little Pest, the youngest member of the royal MacCheeky clan. And like all children, he knows just how to annoy his brother and sister. At first, he is amused by their frustration and enjoys their discomfort. But then he finds himself left out of their games – bugging his siblings is suddenly not quite so attractive as he finds that actions have consequences.

To annoy his brother Prince Campbell, he copies everything that Prince Campbell does – any parent will know just how annoying that can be and why Prince Campbell is repeatedly provoked to shout, ‘Stop copying me!’ He takes a different approach with Princess Ava. He infuriates her by peeking into her bag and prying into her desk. Her response, ‘Stop bugging me!’  is a source of real amusement.  But one day, Hayden hears his brother and sister having great fun without him. It takes a chat with the queen (complete with frilly apron and furry slippers) to help Prince Hayden to realise that real play can be real fun. Eventually, all ends well as the three royal children play happily together.

Animations on each page support the narrative and highlighted words help early readers to follow the text. The quirky cartoon images, the vibrant colours of which provide a visual colour fest, are packed with detail and provide plenty of language enrichment opportunities through discussion.

If sibling conflict is sometimes an issue in your home (and it would be an unusual home where it wasn’t) then this is the book to help your children to understand the value of collaborative play.

Age range: 3 – 6

Educational value: sibling relationships; getting on and falling out

Fun rating: 4/5

Educational rating: 3/5

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