Pan Macmillan, 2022. ISBN: 9781838992965. (Age:1+) Recommended.
A lift the flap book introduces young children to the animals on a farm. Each of the five double pages presents a strong, durable book for younger people and adult presenters. The board book will last a long time as young fingers try to open the flap themselves, hearing the clues read out to them and predicting what might be beneath the flap. The first page opens with the question “Who is Molly Moo?” On the same page are several clues: she has spots, a wet nose and noisy hooves. The stable door opposite lifts to reveal a photograph of a cow and her calf, and children will be able to talk about the other things inside the barn as they scan the illustration.
Four more double pages follow, each asking a question, offering clues and asking children to lift the flap to reveal the answer. Bright colour filled illustrations add to the humour of the book, teaching toddlers about farms and animals, colour, prediction and having fun. Each stable or animal house is different, again asking the child to notice, think about what might lie beneath and ponder just why this house is unique for that animal. And on each page too is a frog that offers an incorrect answer to the clues adding another level of thought.
The first in a series, publisher Roger Priddy aims to educate young children through informative, engaging and fun filled non fiction books designed to intrigue and delight.
At seventeen, Sam Knox is still reeling from the death of his beloved father-figure Grandpa, when he has to spend eight days on a gruelling school endurance camp, spurred on by an unsympathetic teacher and an attractive female instructor. Confronting extreme weathers and hazardous terrain, he and his class-mates’ stamina and character are tested as they hike, belay and abseil, canoe and cave through rain, hail and heat, carrying all their equipment and food rations.
Billed as a teen must-read about consent and control, the novel also included Sam’s flashbacks to a violent gang rape he witnessed at a rave party and regretted not reporting.
Gervay’s plot moves quickly, with plenty of out-doors action and youthful horse-play, but I felt the characters were somewhat stereotyped; we have Fat George, whiny Spano, sex-obsessed Andrew, golden boy Jones and Watts the bully. Sam continually misses his girlfriend Laura, professing to love her, but wishing she was up for sex. Jones apparently had a girlfriend but treated her with disdain, and the others constantly fantasise about sex and rough-house amongst themselves, jostling for power. Some grow and redeem themselves over the course of the novel, others don’t, and the writing style of ‘telling’ rather than ‘showing’ limits the opportunity for the reader to draw their own conclusions.
While I understand that Gervay wanted to call out this unsavoury behaviour, I don’t feel that the book achieves this, as neither Sam or any of his mates seriously challenge his peers’ toxic thoughts and actions. Gervay also hopes that young women will use the novel as a catalyst to call out bad behaviour, but again, I’m not sure how much the all-male survival-camp plot and constant jokes about girls and sex would appeal to this audience. The book is however, an easy, fast-paced read that includes many of the extreme activities that readers might aspire to, and a cast of distinct, sometimes amusing characters.
A well-intentioned effort from an award-winning author on a much-needed topic, that provides a full-on adventure, if not a vehicle to encourage critical conversation.
Imagine
finding out that you are living with a monster. That is what happened to Beth
Hardcastle who believed that she had the perfect family. When the police came
knocking on their door, she discovers that there are many things that she did
not know about Tom, her husband.
Narrated
from the viewpoints of Beth and Tom the reader is quickly swept into their
lives, wondering whether their stories are reliable. Beth’s main concern is her
daughter Poppy and saving the shop that is her livelihood. She is determined to
stop the gossip that could hurt her child, but Tom, accused of murdering his
ex-girlfriend needs her support. What does she really know and what ends will
she go to in order to protect her child?
There are many dark twists and turns in this psychological thriller that
are sure to surprise, including some blood thirsty moments in the mind of a sadistic
killer.
Nick Hall and best friend Coby are obsessed with soccer, the 12 year olds play it online and Nick spends time daydreaming about soccer at school but they are also talented players on rival teams and very competitive; both get invited to play at an event in Dallas. Nick’s father, a linguistics professor, thinks that academic excellence and a large vocabulary will provide a competitive edge in life so insists on Nick reading and learning words from his dictionary, as a consequence Nick has come to hate books but manages to slip interesting words into his thoughts and conversations. Nick and Coby have made a pact “Ninth grade is five months from now when you and Coby have vowed to have a girlfriend or die” p. 29. But other things intrude into their soccer and girlfriend dreams including schoolwork, being dobbed in by teacher’s pet and bullying. Dealing with mean twin bullies is one thing but what floors Nick is the unexpected separation of his parents and when illness strikes, preventing him playing soccer, it seems his whole life is an irredeemable mess.
This graphic version of Kwame Alexander’s verse novel explodes with energy and the reader soon slips into the rhythm of the verse. Dawud Anyabwile’s simple, strong, monochrome cartoon characters and varied layout move the story on at a fast pace keeping up with the varying size of the text in black on white, white on black, bold and outline, anything to enhance the dynamics of each page. The characters are well developed with some great supporting roles like the ex-rapper librarian and a mum who likes ping pong. They really are supporting roles, friends, family, teachers and a counsellor support Nick. The story is told entirely from Nick’s perspective and it is good to see how he learns to wield the power of language in expressing himself, including a lot of interesting words; usefully definitions are included. Nick’s challenges, many of which will be familiar to middle school students, feel real and there are no simple solutions offered but strategies to help deal with them. This funny, accessible book is sure to be picked up by soccer fans who want to see why Nick was “booked” but they risk getting caught up in a love of books and inadvertently increase their vocabulary. This would be a great book to read out loud, (some examples of the author reading can be found on Youtube) and it would be sure to prompt some interesting discussion.
Themes Soccer, Friendship, Family breakdown, Reading, Verse.
Sue Speck
I'll take care of you by Maria Loretta Giraldo and Nicoletta Bertelle
Blue Dot Kids Press, 2022. ISBN: 9781737603238. (Age:4+) Highly recommended.
The title, I’ll take care of you underlines the theme of harmony within our world as we all have a share in this place we call home. As a little seed hits the ground, small and alone, the Sky, the Water and the Earth console it saying they will take care of it. The Water drops rain upon it, the Sky warms it as it takes root in the soft Earth. Here it grows into an apple tree, blooming and magnificent. One day a small lonely bird sits on its branch and the tree tells it not to worry as the tree will look after the bird. And so it does offering shelter to the bird which builds a nest and raises a hatchling, which in turn the bird keeps warm and looks after until it is big enough to leave the nest. Apples drop to the ground and split open, leaving apple seeds upon the Earth. One seed falls in the rocks and the bird picks it up to carry it back to the Earth, where is is planted and eventually produces a shoot.
The cycle of life continues, each part in the cycle supported and nourished by another, each one aware of its place within the cycle and sharing the responsibility that being part of the cycle brings.
This wonderful book echoes the aim of Blue Dot Kids Press, to ‘inspires curiosity with beautifully crafted stories that connect us to each other and the planet we share’. A world of possibilities is open before the reader, encouraging an empathy for the global community we call Earth. The interconnectedness shines through the acts of the Earth, Sly, Rain, Tree and Bird, each repaying the kindness shown to it by replicating that kindness to an other. We are all stewards of the world we occupy, and nowhere it is this more apparent than when we look at our environment, and this book will encourage a deeper understanding of what we owe to it. Nicoletta Bertelle’s distinctive style encompass bright colourful illustrations which make use of acrylic paint and forms of collage, and cover the larger than usual pages with drawings that direct the eye to themes of kindness, compassion, helpfulness and so on, as we watch each take its turn in helping something that is lost or alone.
Find out more about Blue Dot Kids Pressan independent publisher based in San Francisco and Wellington.
Themes Compassion, Kindness, Interconnectedness, Caring, Environment, Cycle of life, Earth.
Fran Knight
Little Ash: Lost luck! by Ashleigh Barty, Jasmin McGaughey and Jade Goodwin
A sixth book in the series written by Jasmin McGaughy with Ash Barty providing the technical support and her name, will prove just as popular as the previous five. Concentrating on friendship, family, school and sport, the series presents minor hiccups in the lives of the children, Ash and her friend James. From losing a tennis racquet, or trying out for a competition, the stories in each book are highly recognisable, and will appeal to a wide range of children who have just mastered chapter books.
A change of sport in number six, sees Ask playing in a hockey game. But she is simply not happy about it. Everything seems to go awry. From the time she wakes in the morning, nothing seems to go right. She splashes milk all over her hockey top and must change into hr tennis gear. She cannot find her hockey socks, and she and James spend a lot of time searching the room and then the op shop boxes for them. On the way things seem to go wrong again when she walks through a puddle and gets her socks soaking wet. They find the hockey socks behind one of her incredible range of trophies, so all is right again. Ash tells James that earlier she felt quite dispirited but now, after rolling down the hill and eating a muesli bar, things seem to be much improved. The hockey match goes well, with darker font used to stress the words particular to that sport and the description of Ash playing hockey gives a neat overview of the game, its rules and how it is played.
Another eminently readable book within this engrossing series will have readers seeking out the whole series, as well as reading about Ash Barty on the inside back cover.
Toodle the cavoodle: Sniffle snuffle by Richard Tulloch. Illus. by Heidi Cooper Smith
Big Sky, 2022. ISBN: 9781922765772. (Age:3+) Recommended.
All children will recognise this ragamuffin, boisterous animal using his nose to smell all the wonderful smells in his neighbourhood, particularly those given off by food. He snuffles around the overgrown grassy area near his house, sniffing at the cans and sandwiches he finds. He sniffles through the grass coming to a halt at the abandoned car which his friend loves. Together they imagine lots of places to visit. One day the older man with the smelly sneakers is on his ride on mower, chopping down the lovely long grass. The woman with grubby gumboots is picking up all the cans and rubbish and clearing them away. Startled he makes for her car where he can hide, but finds that the car is being taken away too. High up he barks for attention until the family attracts the the crane driver and lets him down.
Grandma has an idea and the next time Toodle steps outside he sees the car, all newly painted and covered with trailing plants looking just as inviting as before. And now he smells all the smells of all his friends as they sit in the car and imagine.
A wonderful story of friends and friendship, of a dog at the centre of the household, of a solution to the problem of what to do with the messy space next door with its abandoned car. A fun tale of the relationship between a dog and its owner, will have children laughing at the dog as he recognise people via their footwear.
The lively illustrations suit the story beautifully, Cooper Smith adding a great deal of fascinating detail for eager eyes to take in, things they will recognise in their own backyards and waste spaces in their neighbourhood. The recycling solution will add a level of discussion to the group as they finish reading. Teacher's notes and a book trailer are available from the publisher.
Themes Dogs, Family, Rubbish, Recycling.
Fran Knight
Unnecessary drama by Nina Kenwood
Text Publishing, 2022. ISBN: 9781922458896. (Age:16+) Highly recommended.
Brooke is an over-thinker, someone who must have every i-dotted and t-crossed before proceeding with the messiness of life. She is on the precipice of University life and moving into shared housing with strangers – a leap for someone who has mastered anxiety and list-making, but not yet learned what to do with her mountain of emotions and fears. Her new home has few rules and there will always be uncertainties for Brooke. Harper is the established tenant (who is romantically connected to Penny), but it is when Jesse (aka Jeremy) the third housemate arrives that Brooke is thrown into a maelstrom of emotional turmoil because of their shared teenage history. When Brooke was 14, Jesse rocked her equilibrium and her sense of self and left her constantly second-guessing her every move. Learning to live in close proximity to someone who deeply angers you, reminding you of your unworthiness, and yet stirs every tingle of desire is not going to be easy. And in the true tradition of Rom-coms Brooke does everything wrong before things are righted.
This is an absolutely charming story of teen romance and living with the burden of anxiety. Brooke is the voice-inside-the-head of every teen who doubts themselves, has been hurt in the relationship arena, and who is struggling to learn how to self-analyse and then manage their own insecurities before stepping out in the social world. I loved every minute of the story. Brooke and Jesse both have family histories with painful implications for their lives, so there is depth to the characters as well as comedic insights into Brooke’s self-talk that is always far too ‘plan’ oriented for the influence of chaotic romance. The new life of a University student with assignments, housework, house parties and friendship pathways to navigate are all presented with Brooke’s overly anxious view of the world. It is a hilarious and yet thoughtfully concerned journey for the reader. Nina Kenwood has got it just right. Teaching notes are available.
A lovely to hold board book will be adored by younger readers feeling the delicious textures which lie beneath the flaps on each double page. Tactile, visually bright and attractive, the book will remind older readers of The Little Prince and its environmental message, and gather younger readers into its sway as they search for the little fox amongst the various things depicted.
A smelly cheese, prickly cactus, birds in flight, a leather tent and blue planet hide a bright lantern, aromatic rose, a wooly sheep and bright moon, all designed to ignite the senses and be engaged in what is seen or felt or imagined on each page.
I am so glad the cactus had no prickles, even though I could imagine them, just as I could smell the lanolin of the sheep and the kerosine of the lantern and the fragrance of the lovely rose. Children and adults alike will discuss each page and what each means to them as they read, coming in the end to an understanding of some of the variety of things which make up our planet.
Designed to stimulate the senses and practise their motor skills, the tactile book will appeal to a wide variety of children bent on lifting flaps, feeling different textures and talking about the search for the fox before nodding off to sleep.
Themes Sleep, Moon and stars, Lift the flap, Textures.
Fran Knight
Little Ash: Party problem by Ashleigh Barty, Jasmin McGaughey and Jade Goodwin
Number five in this successful series of small books for newly arrived readers of chapter books will entice readers to seek out the others in this series based around Ash Barty’s stories of her younger days. Each book has about six chapters of several pages, in large print with some illustrations dotted amid the text. Some words are in darker font to stress words possibly not seen before.
A fancy dress party has Ash and her friend James very excited. Unsurprisingly Ash will go as a tennis player, but the whole scheme is under threat when her favourite tennis racquet is missing at the party. All of her friends are there, each dressed in their favourite dress up. After an egg and spoon race, the group goes swimming, changing from their costumes into swimmers. After getting out of the pool, Ash changes back into the tennis outfit but finds that her racquet is not there.
With James’ magical powers and Ash investigating, the team searches the garden without success. They go into the room where the parents are and Ash’s mum sees something is wrong. She tells them to ask around and go and eat some of the party food. Finding the racquet is a huge relief and the party is topped off when the costume competition takes place.
A neatly resolved story about losing something then finding it again in an unlikely place, the story revolves around Ash and James working together on a problem. Mum intervenes with suggestions and the resolution has them all relieved. Easy to read this small book will be picked up readily by early chapter book readers, thrilled to learn more of the art of reading, of new words and of Ash Barty.
The striking cover of The Bedtime Book of Impossible Questions is full of colour, floating images plus a few curly questions, and will have young readers hooked before even opening this fascinating book. Right from the very first chapter, ‘Shall I tell you a secret?’ where the author tells the reader that science is about asking questions, it is clear this will become a treasured bedtime or indeed, anytime book. The book explores all sorts of impossible questions which can then lead to even more questions, but it is stressed that not every answer is necessarily correct. Answers are based on evidence and with more discoveries and experimentation over time they could change.
The double spread contents page allows the reader to choose the questions to be discovered or the book can be read in numerical order. Some of the questions that piqued my interest were:
If I were born in a different year, would I still be me? What is the opposite of a spider? Does yellow look the same to me as it does to you? How many trees are there in the whole world? How heavy is earth? If you can feel bitter, do other feelings have tastes?
With more than 40 questions, each one is thoughtfully answered, and children will be able to absorb the explanations in their own way. Adults too, will be able to learn and add to the information shared. The illustrations throughout are colourful and engaging and will provide visual clues for the reader.
This book would make an excellent Christmas or birthday gift for the curious child or children in your life.
Themes Science, Questions, Curiosity.
Kathryn Beilby
Play School: Breathe in and out by Jan Stradling and Jedda Robaard
One in the very useful Mindfully Me series of books which touch upon subjects that are pertinent to some students at any one time, and to many over the space of their school lives will be read by students and teachers alike as they tackle a common problem, despair. This story talks about Big Ted and his bout of not feeling himself. When his four friends come to visit Big Ted at his house, he does not feel like playing, he is uncharacteristically quiet and reserved. When asked, he says that he feels stormy: he feels like the dark clouds which come before the rain.
All of his friends understand, and suggest they build a mindfulness cubby, a place to feel safe and calm. Big Ted is not so sure, but sits in it for them. Little Ted returns with a gift of lavender, saying that when things get a little tight with him, he smells the lavender and then he passes over some basil and cinnamon sticks. Big Ted smells the offerings, saying they remind him of his mother’s kitchen. Kiya brings in a picture of the sea and together they think of how calm and peaceful it looks and how sparkling the sea is. Jemima has picked up her guitar and is playing a tune, telling him that when she is wound up she plays her instrument and feels calmer. Humpty brings in a slow down jar, one that when it is shaken the glitter inside flows slowly to the base of the jar reminding people to breathe in and out. Each of his four friends has offered something that helps them become calm after feeling at a loss or worrying over something. Each of the offerings use one or other of the senses to rally the person feeling low. The smell of the lavender, basil and cinnamon remind Big Ted of the warmth of his mother’s kitchen, pictures of the sea remind him of calm sights, Jemima’s playing works on his hearing while the slow down jar uses his own experience of breathing in and out. Each friend uses a sense: smelling, looking, hearing and feeling to evoke a pleasant response, to make him feel happy once again.
This most successfully outlined story about mindfulness will encourage younger readers to watch out for each other, to be aware that the simplest of things will help their friends and themselves out of the blue times in their days, and building a mindfulness cubby may be the first step.
The Play School Mindfully Me series helps children and their carers tackle life's challenges together - big or small. (HarperCollins)
Themes Depression, Mindfulness, Friendship, Five senses.
Fran Knight
The last crayon by Fifi Colston
Book Hungry Bears. Little Steps, 2022. ISBN: 9781922678522. (Age:2-5)
This simple yet gorgeous picture book will be perfect for younger readers learning about colours. The opening page of the story shows six colourful squirrels finding a piece of paper and a box of crayons. They each choose the crayon that matches their own body colour and are able to easily compare their crayon to the sun, sky, grass, berries and butterflies. The squirrel with the grey crayon takes time to decide what his colour is compared to and cleverly comes up with a line drawing for all of the others to colour in.
This is a lovely story to share with younger readers with a very special message.
Themes Crayons, Colours.
Kathryn Beilby
The boys from Biloxi by John Grisham
Hodder & Stoughton, 2022. ISBN: 9781399702751. (Age:16+ - Adult) Recommended for lovers of Crime Drama.
Two families, who start their lives in similar circumstances in Biloxi, Mississippi on the Gulf of Mexico, end up in very different positions because of the choices they make. One family, the Falco’s, end up mired in corruption and involved in illicit activities and running establishments that enable prostitution and gambling to line their pockets. Their life is complicated by greed, and power is exercised with no regard to the law. The other family, the Rudy’s, maintain their church attendance and work hard to eventually work in the legal world, upholding law and order and trying to change the reputation of the community that is their home. Their life is not perfect, but their desire is to see the bad reputation and grimy behaviours of their town wiped out and the coast ‘cleaned up’. Their two sons, Hugh Falco and Keith Rudy, grew up playing baseball together, but the passage of time and the different paths of their lives and their climbs to success, leads them to be on opposite sides of the courtroom in a case that involves murder. The political wheeling and dealing of legal and illegal activities are woven into the story and there is an inevitability of this good vs evil saga. The showdown in the courtroom is coming.
Grisham manages to pull the reader along into the grimy world of organised crime without getting his hands dirty in the process. Written with a somewhat spare, almost documented and non-judgemental style, this initially feels like we are being given a briefing of the record of a legal situation and court case from the very beginning of its history. Sentences are short and devoid of imagery, characters are described but we do not connect to them or warm to them. The boys from Biloxi lacks the narrative flair and tension of many crime novels, but at the same time the lean exposure of the plot’s complexities gives it a journalistic feel and an inescapable pull. Interestingly, Grisham has also spared us the worst of the awful and grisly detail of the illegal activities, and even the language use (with barely a swear word in sight) has been pared back so that we are on the outside looking in, but without the stench of the evil cesspit in our faces. This makes it an interestingly different story. But the complications of the nefarious world of crime bosses and also the US legal and political world and its machinations are revealed in an intriguing way. It isn’t nice, but it is compelling. This is for lovers of legal crime dramas, 16+- adult readers.
Allen & Unwin, 2022. ISBN: 9781761066009. (Age:7+) Highly recommended.
Rita’s Revenge written by Lian Tanner is another hilarious follow up to A Clue for Clara, the famous chicken detective. Filled with hilarity, havoc and venture, this story will easily get those pages turning and entertain its audience with its fast-paced action and humour. While it is not a sequel, it is best if you have read A Clue for Clara previously.
Rita the duck loves a good poem but is a bit of an outcast from her group. Desperate to gain respect from her fellow ducks, she sets out to avenge Clara, the hero detective who has mocked all the ducks from their hometown of Little Dismal. Quickly setting off to pursue her mission, she meets and befriends Tracey, a young girl who is also angry with Clara for her heroics that caused her best friend and her father to leave unexpectedly. As they work out ways to communicate together, their anger and sadness dissipate, and they begin to question if their rage is pointed in the right direction. Suddenly when a chook-napping occurs….. could they possibly have been looking at this whole situation from the wrong angle all along?
Written cleverly in diary and letter form it makes for an easy and entertaining read. The audience will be amused by Rita’s amateur diary recordings, with entries like ‘waiting o’clock’ and ‘half past egg’. Interleaved are Tracey’s heartfelt sentiments shared in unsent letters to her departed friend, Jubilee. This novel is sure to appeal to anyone who enjoys fun, adventure and a bit of suspense. Add in some cute feathered friends who keep everyone on their toes, and you will be eagerly waiting to see what happens next. This novel, with its humorous storyline, easy print and smatterings of fun illustrations, makes for a enjoyable read. If you previously loved Clara’s clever detective skills, you will simply adore Rita’s poety, persistence and combative dance too!
Themes Problem solving, Friendship, Adventure, Humour, Teamwork.
