Children’s and teens roundup – the best new picture books and novels

A sensational sleigh ride; joyous poetry; amazing animals; a sinister seaside town; a deadly forest; a thrilling heist and more

I Am Cat by Jackie Morris, Otter-Barry, £20
A ginger cat curls up “ammonite tight” and dreams of ranging the Earth as tiger, cheetah, lynx and other big cats in this huge, gorgeous edition of Morris’s 2012 classic. Condensed, poetic text, glorious watercolours and additional information about each creature make this a picture book with serious growing room.

Mr Santa by Jarvis, Walker, £12.99
This soft, light-infused rhyming picture book follows an inquisitive child on a pastel-blue sleigh ride with “Mr Santa”, asking artless questions (“Can you eat clouds?” “Is my brother naughty or nice?”) and waking with a full stocking to wonder: “Was it really real?” Sure to become a seasonal bedtime favourite.