Itchy Coo Books in Order

Itchy Coo is not one continuous story with the same hero in every book. It is a Scots-language children's imprint, co-founded in 2002 by James Robertson, Matthew Fitt and Susan Rennie, built around a simple idea: children should be able to meet Scots in books made especially for them.

The books cover a lot of ground, from board books for babies to stories, rhymes and retellings for older children. Scots is used as a living language, full of sound, jokes, rhythm and familiar everyday things. Readers do not need a lesson before they begin. Repetition, pictures and well-known story shapes help the meaning come through.

The Katie books are at the heart of this group. Katie is a cheerful small child whose world includes family, farm animals, changing seasons and a growing circle of animal friends. In Katie's Coo, traditional rhymes and songs introduce the sound of Scots. Katie's Ferm turns a visit to a farm into a hide-and-seek game, while Katie's Moose uses lift-the-flap surprises as Katie gathers her animals for bedtime. Katie's Year follows the calendar through weather, celebrations and the seasons.

They are made for sharing aloud.

Other titles use equally familiar formats. A Wee Moose in the Hoose is a counting book that moves from one to twenty while introducing animals by their Scots names. A Wee Book o Fairy Tales in Scots retells stories such as Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood and The Three Little Pigs in modern Scots, so children can enjoy a tale they already know while picking up new words from context.

The tone is warm, playful and often very funny. Farmyards, houses, parties, bedtime, weather and animals give young readers something solid to hold onto, while the language invites them to say the words out loud. The books do not assume Scots belongs only to the past or to one kind of family. It is there to be read, sung, laughed over and passed around.

For a first visit, the Katie board books work well for the youngest readers, especially Katie's Coo and Katie's Moose. A Wee Moose in the Hoose suits children who enjoy counting and naming things. Older children, or adults reading alongside them, can start with the fairy-tale collection. Across the imprint, the point is not perfect pronunciation. It is the pleasure of hearing the language at work.