Surrealism is not a word that often springs to mind in connection with children's books, though Anthony Browne's drawings are an obvious exception. However, The Adventures of a Nose by Viviane Schwarz (Walker, £4.99) is nothing if not surreal, with its truly weird storyline and oh-so-strange pictures by Joel Stewart. Children, and adults, will probably either love it or loathe it, with its tale of a nose on legs, wandering around to see where it might fit it and stick out. Yet, even if you find the story hard to stomach, the illustrations are decidedly clever, with their hint of facial features in every background. Definitely a children's book with a difference.

Sad to say, for I love Lewis Carroll, I am not at all sure about the appeal of Jabberwocky (Walker, £9.99), also illustrated by Joel Stewart. Perhaps the problem is that children need the surrounding story of Through the Looking-Glass, rather than simply being presented with the more-than-nonsense poem of Jabberwocky in isolation. Or perhaps I am wrong, and other households of children will adore the book, and learn to love the rhythm and absurdity of this mysterious musical poem.

The Ahlberg books have long been popular, and Allan Ahlberg's latest book in the series about the Gaskitt family is The Cat Who Got Carried Away (Walker, £9.99). This is aimed at ages five and above, being ideal for reading aloud or for the early reader, as it is divided into 11 simple chapters. There is plenty of action and humour, reflected by Katharine McEwen's excellent illustrations.

Another out-of-the-ordinary book is Oscar and Hoo by Theo (Collins, £4.99). Oscar is a little boy who makes friends with a cloud when he loses his parents in the desert on holiday. Once again, the illustrations (by Michael Dudok De Wit) come to the fore, and portray a sympathetic, dreamlike picture of the lost child and his unusual friend. More prosaic is Fat Cat by James Sage (Collins, £4.99), about three farmers and their various approaches to mice-catching. There are some wonderful Heath-Robinsonesque mousetraps, which gives the simple story added comedy and appeal for youngsters and those reading to them.

For the very young, Jan Pienkowski has produced a deluxe pop-up version of The Animals Went in Two by Two (Walker, £9.99), whose flaps and tabs will intrigue older siblings as well. And, of course, it is a good counting song.

For those who like variation in their approach to counting, One Is A Snail, Ten Is A Crab (Walker, £10.99) by April Pulley Sayre and Jeff Sayre is a 'counting by feet' book. So, for instance, seven is an insect and a snail, and, when you get to multiples of ten, 50 is five crabs or ten dogs and a crab. This should appeal to many age groups -- the very young for the visual delight, through those just learning to count to ten, to those on to multiplication.

Just a mention for a book for older children (seven upwards) because it is so spectacular. Journey Under the Sea (OUP, £7.99) is by underwater photographer and diver Linda Pitkin, who travelled to the seas around Indonesia for this book.

Very short sections introduce the reader to different aspects of the life on the coral reef, with a surprising amount of information conveyed in a relatively small amount of text. Stunning photographs in glorious colour make for a magnificent publication, as well as a reminder of such fascinating facts as that a shark can detect one drop of blood in more than one million drops of water.