These are both additions to popular series from Little Tiger – thanks to the publisher for sending then for review.

Bad United Fast As Lightning
Louise Forshaw

Having achieved two wins, Bad United are starting to attract a fair bit of attention, so much so that Hoof the unicorn declares ‘We’re famous’.
When manager, Serena Winter announces a visit to the spa, it’s no surprise that one team member is far from enthusiastic: Bolt (cheetah) considers yogic breathing a complete waste of time; he’s the best striker so why bother, he thinks. But whether the experience has had the desired effect of bringing the whole team back together ready for anything as Hoof hopes, we’ve yet to find out when they begin training for the next match, which is against Storm. Pretty soon though, it appears that it’s not the case with Bolt.

On match day Serena reminds them all to focus on their happy places but with all the other players waiting on the pitch, team Storm hasn’t shown up. What happens thereafter is I suspect, the strangest ever match that commentators, Waffle and Cyclops have ever witnessed, so much so that Serena immediately asks for a rematch. Will Bad United emerge victorious, this time? And has Bolt finally learned about team play? If so, fans will be cheering extra loud.

Guardians of the New Moon: The Year of the Ox
Eric Huang, illustrated by Phùng Nguyén Quang

Shocked that his son Xiao Nioh has been wasting his time working on a dance he was going to perform to usher in the Year of the Ox, Lord Chiyou is finding it very difficult to understand his son’s creative performance involving a sword and a long coloured ribbon. Frivolities is what he calls it and in an effort to make his son brave, at the suggestion of the Jade Emperor sends Xiao Nioh off on a quest accompanied by the Guardians of the New Moon, Ming and Miaow. They must deliver a message about farming techniques and one more matter – the crops and the whole valley must be protected from the nian, a fierce magical one-horned beast with a massive appetite. With the help of the Guardians, can Xiao Nioh prove himself without having to abandon his dancing dreams, or will the Year of the Ox be a huge let down?

With plenty of action and humour too, this third book in the series is as exciting as the previous Guardians stories.