Hide and reveal - The irresistible joy of lift-the-flap books - Garry Parsons

 It's the Easter weekend and there's nothing more exciting for young children than searching for eggs on an Easter egg hunt. What treasures await behind leaves and in flower pots? 

Of course hiding and revealing extends to picture books with great effect. It's almost impossible for children to resist the urge to lift a flap. 

So here are a few of my family's personal favourites and books that still delight and stand the test of time.

Starting with the toddler age is Tuck Me In! from Dean Hacohen and Sherry Scharschmidt where young readers can put the animals to bed with a simple but satisfying turn of the half page flap.

Say Hello Like This! from Mary Murphy is a jolly rhyming book of animal sounds where the half page turn reveals how the animals say hello to one another, ending in a loud crescendo where the reader can join in.

In Emily Gravett's The Odd Egg a single page of multiple flaps reveals each of the character's eggs hatching, all except for Duck's.

Up Tall! and High! by Ethan Long is two stories in one - I am Tall and I Can Go High and each has a flap to lift to reveal something unexpected.

Flora and the Peacocks by Molly Idle uses flaps to reveal a dance between Flora carrying her fan and two peacocks.

The Rabbit Problem follows the growth of a rabbit population in Fibonacci's Field in the form of a calendar with extra flaps in the form of journals and notebooks.

Do you dare to turn the page in Wayne Andersen's Horrible Book? A gruesome tale with half page flaps revealing ghoulish creatures and leading to a huge fold out poster at the end of the book.

Let me know your recommendations for books with fun flaps in the comments section below or on twitter @icandrawdinos.

Garry Parsons is an illustrator of children's books such as The Dinosaur That Pooped Easter from Tom Fletcher and Dougie Pointer which also includes fun flaps to lift!

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