THE BUDDHA BOX by Lillian Too (Thorsons/Element, £14.99)

A WONDERFUL way to open the path to enlightenment by introducing the reader to the most important and well-known Buddhist deities. The box contains 45 illustrated cards presenting each Buddha along with their major characteristics (wisdom, compassion, power) with a book explaining the history of the Buddhas. An ideal way to kick -start your spiritual life next year.

THE REAL WITCHES' YEAR by Kate West (Thorsons/Element, £10)

PRACTISING witch and Wiccan authority Kate West has produced a book that will appeal to those who merely dabble in Wicca while at the same time aiding those who are more experienced in the craft. There are spells, rituals and meditations for every day of the year with invaluable advice on the uses and properties of such materials as stones, precious metals and herbs. You can even learn how to bring more sunshine into your life in 2005.

Steve Craggs

THE OLIVE AND THE CAPER by Susanna Hoffman (Workman Publishing, £13.99)

IF thoughts of turkey sandwiches, turkey curry and turkey buffets are turning your stomach, why not try a little something Greek?

The Olive and the Caper, Adventures in Greek Cooking, blends a mixture of Greek life and history with an array of mouth-watering recipes.

Tasty treats include bell peppers stuffed with eggplant, olives and capers; pork stew with olives, anchovies, cilantro and white beans, and yoghurt cake with ouzo-lemon syrup. Author Susanna Hoffman has sought out both traditional and contemporary recipes, interspersing them with tales of her adventures through Greece and neighbouring islands, bringing the food and village culture to life.

Lindsay Jennings

OUR TWITCHY by Kes Gray and Mary McQuillan (Red Fox, £5.99)

ONE day Twitchy the rabbit asks his mum and dad why they can't hop like him. The answer gives him a terrible shock: they are not rabbits like him: Mum's a cow and Dad's a horse! In this way, Twitchy discovers that he is adopted, and it takes a long day of trials and tears before he understands how much Mum and Dad love him and that he really does 'belong' with them. A clever, love-touched picture book about an important issue. (Age 3-6)

PETAR'S SONG by Pratima Mitchell and Caroline Binch (Frances Lincoln, £5.99)

THE hero of this tale, depicted in stunningly realistic illustrations, looks like any ordinary modern boy. But two things make him extraordinary - his gift for playing the violin, and his status as a refugee, escaping with his family from civil war in an un-named European country. When they escape across the border, at first their fate seems the same as all the other displaced people, but then Petar rediscovers the music in his fingers and shows everyone that even the most awful circumstances can be relieved by hope.

A simple picture story which shows the horrors of war and escape but in a way which uplifts rather than disturbs. (Age 6-9)

Rosalind Kerven

Published: ??/??/2004