After the wonderful series of Zola’s antics on each day of the week, What Zola did, comes this exuberant image of Christmas in the now famous Boomerang Street where Zola lives with her mother and gran. The series celebrates family and togetherness, community and friendship, and this picture book extends those wonderful strengths for younger readers. And combined with the celebration of Christmas this book will please everyone.
Zola and her best friend, Alessandro want to put up the Christmas lights just like Nonno did for many years, but Nonna has put them somewhere and does not seem to want to remember where. They have not been seen for two years. One day Zola is asked to go into the cellar to bring up some tomato sauce. The family is making lasagna for those in need in their neighbourhood. Zola is warned to remember to close the door but when she is about to do this, notices the box of decorations tucked away in the cellar. When she and her family deliver the food to the community centre, they return to find the dogs have been in the cellar and it has been ransacked. But Nonna and mum are not too displeased with Zola, and after spending some time cleaning up the cellar emerge to find that Alessandro has festooned the backyard with Christmas lights, just like Nonno used to do.
In the classroom they have been told of the different customs and beliefs of their neighbours and all of these people come together to celebrate Christmas and Nonno’s lights. A beautiful story of friendship, of memories at Christmas, of sharing, of community reflecting the diversity of today’s Australia.
The dazzling illustrations reflect all the themes inherent in the text: diversity, family, memory and togetherness alongside the wonderful feelings that Christmas evokes for everyone. Deb Hudson’s work reflect life that we all recognise, as she shows the everyday things which keep us happy. Zola hugs her dog, the community helps put up the lights, the family cooks for for the needy, they all sit down and eat together. We see the street in all of its diversity, while readers will be enthralled picking out the customs of Christmas, and absorb the images of other peoples and their customs. And at its heart, they all celebrate light, hope and being together.
Melina Marchetta is an award-winning author. Her eighteen books range from young adult fiction, fantasy, and works for younger readers.
Ill. by Angela Perrini. New Frontier Publishing, 2018. ISBN
9781925594270
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Christmas, Santa Claus,
Technology, Verse, Humour. When Santa goes high-tech this year, he
of course, being an older gentleman, has problems with the new
equipment. While delivering the presents from his sleigh, the screen
on his iPad goes blank, so he doesn't know what present to give to
whom. He is distraught, after all, he has spent the whole year
preparing for this night, touching up the marks on his red car, and
making sure he is up to the minute with his high-tech gear. His list
on his iPad keeps him informed about who to give a present to, and
he even uses a rocket-pack to deliver the gifts after parking his
car in places where car parks are in short supply. But in rocketing
up to the next child, he drops his device, causing him to sigh most
loudly, waking a young girl in the building. She is able to restore
his device to its normal function, and sends him off to complete his
work on Christmas Eve, telling him to contact her if he needs help.
Which he does with a funny twist in the tale.
Readers will laugh out loud at the situation Santa finds himself in,
recognising the frustration that comes with technology when it
doesn't do what it is expected to do. Mike Dumbleton's sense of
humour shines through, giving the readers a technically adept Santa,
using devices with ease, until a small problem occurs. Readers will
love Santa's attempts at bringing his work up to date, and think of
other ways he could use technology to improve his lot.
Perrini's delightful illustrations reflect her Italian heritage with
Christmas in the northern hemisphere: snow covered fields and roofs,
a heavy doona on the bed and wood fires in the houses, all
delighting Australian audiences used to the heat and sun of December
in the southern hemisphere.
A wonderful read aloud, the rhyming text lends itself to repetition
and learning sections to read with the adult reader, while
predicting the rhyming word at the end of each line. A whole heap of
good fun is to be had at this time of the year, with a beautifully
presented book such as this offering a very funny tweak on the usual
fare.
Fran Knight
Father Christmas and the Three Bears by Lou Peacock and Margarita Kukhtina
Nosy Crow, 2022. ISBN: 9781839945694. (Age:2+)
It's Christmas Eve and Father Christmas has just the last village of the Back of Beyond to visit but he is really tired. Seeing The Three Bear's cottage far below he stops for a rest and soon falls asleep in front of the fire. But when the bears come home they discover NOTHING will wake him. Not Baby Bear setting off the alarm clocks; not Mummy Bear playing Jingle Bells very loudly on the piano; not even Daddy Bear blowing his alpenhorn! How will the children of Back of Beyond get their presents?
Baby Bear has an idea and very soon the Fairy-Tale Rescue Rangers are there to deliver the last presents so no one misses out. But how will they cross the Roaring Rushing River, navigate the Deepest Darkest Wood and get past the Most Monstrous Mountain . . . all before the children wake up on Christmas morning?
This is one of those simple-good-fun stories that young children delight in at this time of the year, even more so because they will recognise the members of the Fairy-Tale Rescue Rangers and be able to use what they know about them to predict how they might overcome the obstacles that confront them, enabling them to become involved in the story rather than just passively listening. They might even like to predict how Baby Bear might be able to help the Fairy-Tale Rescue Rangers in the future.
An interesting storyline, bright pictures, familiar characters, problems to solve - this has all the elements of an engaging story for young readers.
Themes Christmas, Father Christmas.
Barbara Braxton
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by Johnny Marks
Book and CD. Ill. by Louis Shea. Performed by Penny McNamee.
Scholastic, 2018. ISBN 9781742993638
(Ages: 3-7) Themes: Christmas. Louis Shea makes a lot of
non-traditional colour choices for children's books, especially with
his use of bright, almost fluorescent colour. His illustrations here
also seem a little dark and too focused on humour rather than
bringing to life the warm Christmas story of someone different
becoming a real hero. The song itself is unchanged; it just has a
short section added to the beginning: 'You know Dasher and Dancer
and Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen. But
do you recall, the most famous reindeer of all?'
Older children will appreciate the humour in the illustrations (one
of the reindeer dressed up like a clown and wearing a red nose to
tease Rudolph about his nose) but most of the jokes will go over the
heads of a younger audience. This publication falls rather flat on
both fronts: it is neither a nicely repackaged recitation or an
adapted version with a unique perspective.
Nicole Nelson
When Frank presents his bold new idea to the other penguins, they are taken aback. They have never seen anything like it, and knowing that some of Frank’s ideas do not turn out well, are tepid in their enthusiasm. But not Frank. He is convinced that this is a good idea. After all a hat can keep you warm especially in their cold environment.
They refute his idea, and Frank goes away to knit more. Perhaps, he thinks, it is the red wool that they do not like, so he makes a sequence of hats using different colours. But all to no avail. Dejected, Frank vows to stop making hats when a seal taps him on the shoulder, wanting to have his red hat. The seal sees the possibilities of keeping his head warm, and Frank is surprised when turning he sees the other seals and what they are wearing. His persistence has paid off, his enthusiasm vindicated, he has kept trying despite opposition and followed his great idea.
A wonderfully enthusiastic story of chasing your dreams and not giving up, this story will be a hit in classrooms and the home as it is read to younger folk, eyes boggling at the landscape presented to them in the stunning illustrations using digital collage and paper folding techniques. The freezing environment is drawn with icebergs and mountains, cold icy seas and few animals: penguins and seals with an orca lurking in the background. Readers will love seeking out the features of this part of the world, adding to their knowledge of their wider environment. And they will love Frank and his determination, keeping on with his idea despite opposition, seeing in Frank a role model to emulate. Activities are available in the Story Time kit.
A board book about the countdown to Christmas will be a stocking filler this festive season, with Bluey and friends rocking through the song, The 12 Days of Christmas in their own way. Some days are represented by dogs, but we also see bin chickens. lizards, magpies, yabbies and garden gnomes adding their cheer to the celebration. Instead of my true love in the original song, we have verandah Santa as the giver of this compilation of animals.
Based on the hit ABC KIDS TV show Bluey’s count down to Christmas is tabbed for kids of all ages to select one of the days for themselves.
This award-winning preschool show about Bluey, a blue heeler pup, and her family is very addictive. The TV show has spawned a a popular ranges of books, toys, clothes, games and more. This book is another in the offshoots of the TV show and will be well received by the legion of fans. And I defy people not to have the Bluey song running through their minds as they read this book.
Themes Christmas, Bluey (TV show), Christmas carols, Australian animals.
Ten meerkats playfully introduce a host of words and activities associated with Christmas. Number one comes ready to play, two and three jump out of Christmas boxes, cheeky elves, four pops out of a cracker, five has a red nose like Rudolph, six comes along with tricks while seven lights up the Christmas tree, eight needs a prod to wake him up, nine slides down the tinsel while ten brings along the star for the top of the tree. Each time another meerkat appears, they attempt to clamber on top of each other to make a tree, with limited and wobbly success. The appearance of number ten means they are ready for another attempt and while their meerkat tree holds for a while, someone scratches their tum, and another sneezes and yet another sucks their thumb, leading to them all collapsing on the floor in a meerkat heap.
Fun to be had by all as number one tickles them all. A cheery story about that perennial favourite, the meerkat, will delight young readers, especially involving Christmas themes. A lot of ideas about how we spend Christmas are given here, reinforcing the trappings of Christmas: tree, tinsel, Christmas presents, star on top of the tree, Christmas lights and so on. A funny introduction to discussions about Christmas in the classroom.
We're going on a present hunt by Goldie Hawk and Angie Rozelaar
Nosy Crow, 2022. ISBN: 9781839941559. (Age:2+)
Three children are off on a hunt for the perfect Christmas present! But first they've got to get through the spiky Christmas trees, a herd of hungry reindeer, some noisy carol singers and a very busy toyshop! But there are SO MANY toys . . . will they ever find the perfect present? (Publisher)
Set to the familiar rhyme of We're Going on a Bear Hunt young children will delight in reading along with this story and its quirky ending - there's definitely a bear! The colourful illustrations will attract their attention and then discovering that they can read it already will help them believe that they too, can be "real readers". Not to mention getting them to think about what if this were an Australian story - what would change and what would they substitute?
Themes Christmas presents.
Barbara Braxton
Bunny's first Christmas by Enid Blyton Becky Cameron
As Christmas approaches, most of the toys in the toyshop are excited to be going to new homes. But Bunny, the littlest one, is worried. He can't imagine life outside the shop or without his best friend, the sailor doll. When Bunny is selected as a present to be given away at a Boxing Day party, he hopes desperately to go to kind children. Luckily, a happy surprise is in store for him!
Despite it being nearly a century since Enid Blyton was at her writing peak, her stories like this one never date - they still delight little children who revel in the magic and charm of Christmas. That so many of her books remain in print, have been translated into 90 languages and have sold over 600 000 000 copies is testament to the quality of her stories and the pleasure they offer. This is just one of many that have endured taking the reader into a world where toys talk and come alive to have adventures and feelings, just as they do. Who hasn't worried about not knowing anyone, making new friends or being left out of the fun?
A classic that deserves to be.
Themes Christmas, Toys.
Barbara Braxton
A very Play School Christmas by Jan Stradling and Jedda Robaard
Fans of Play School will be thrilled at the publication of a book about their favourite characters spending Christmas together at Jemima’s caravan park. All the trappings of Christmas are shown as the group arrives at the park, looks for the boxes Jemima has hidden, then prepares the tree, decorations, presents and food for the big day.
Big Ted, Little Ted, Kiya, Humpty and Joey all arrive in Kiya’s car, ready to unpack. But the little tree looks bare and so Jemima sends them all off to find the boxes. Each box reveals things which they will need to make Christmas a success. Humpty unfortunately sits on the box of paper chains but Kiya finds the box of wrapping paper, Little Ted finds a box of crackers while Big Ted finds the box wth the Christmas pudding recipe and Joey finds a box of things for the lucky dip. Each makes a present for the lucky dip, using recycled or found material. Big Ted makes a picture, Kiya creates a mobile and Joey designs a bag made of recycled material. On the day they are all prepared and designate the day the best Christmas ever.
All children will love the story reflecting all the things that families do at Christmas time in Australia. The soft digital illustrations follow the progression of the holiday spent together, all the characters finding something to do with Christmas to show the readers. Australian animals can be seen in the background, and children will love spotting and identifying them while focussing on the excitement of preparing for Christmas and the sharing with family and friends. I particularly enjoyed the reinforcement of sharing, of being with friends and of present giving from recycled, found or home made items.
Themes Christmas, Australian animals, Play School, Humour, Holidays.
We're going on a sleigh ride, Ho, ho ho! Can you find the hidden gifts? Whoosh! OFF WE GO!
And the embossed details on the cover will entice them to open the book.
They are certain to be ready to lift the flaps and find the ten presents that are hidden on the pages while having fun learning to count. Like the other books in the series, the illustrations are bright and cheerful, and children are sure to love Santa whooshing through the sky in his sleigh which is packed full of presents to deliver all around the world. His little rabbit helpers with their cute faces and long ears are delightful. There are many fascinating details like snowflakes, a little mouse and teddy bears, to hold the interest of even the very young child while older children will love to read along or even read to younger siblings in the days leading up to Christmas.
The rhythm and rhyme in the story makes it a perfect read aloud and introduction to Christmas, and children could be enticed to bed on Christmas Eve just like the little rabbit helpers in the story to await the arrival of Santa to put their presents under the Christmas tree.
Themes Christmas, Santa Claus, Sleigh rides, Lift the flaps.
Pat Pledger
We disagree about this tree by Ross Collins
Nosy Crow, 2022. ISBN: 9781839944994.
Mouse is delighted when Bear brings home a Christmas tree - but that's when the trouble begins. They cannot agree on how to decorate it - mouse-scale or bear-scale. Baubles or tinsel? Fairies at the top or a manatee?
This is a LOL story-in-rhyme (which exploits all the ways to make the "ee' sound) that follows There's a Bear on My Chair and There's a Mouse in My House that young readers will love, particularly if they have helped decorate their own tree. They will hold their breath as the inevitable happens and the tree topples and delight at the ending when the two reach a compromise - or do they? Older readers can enjoy it too as an intro to the tradition of the Christmas tree if they are investigating the origins of some of the customs that persist today, despite the Australian Christmas being so different to that winter wonderland fantasy.
Clarice Bean always looks forward to Christmas Day, shared with a large group of friends and family but this year Clarice’s Mum and Dad think their family of 7 is enough as it takes 114 potatoes to feed 19 people - that’s a lot of potato peeling!
Channelling the Christmas spirit, by ‘thinking like an elf’, Clarice embarks on a series of Christmas activities with unending Christmas energy.
Clarice creates Christmas cards, cooks fudge as presents, buys something special for her best friend Betty Moody (a Ruby Redfort inspired gift) and helps the family by posting a parcel to her Granny in New York. In true Clarice fashion, not everything works out as planned and there are several catastrophes along the way.
Nearly every page has drawings and images that add to the delight of reading the novel. ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ is a theme that starts at the beginning of the book, with the musical score and lyrics and continues throughout the story. I must admit like Clarice, the song was very much going through my head as I was reading the story.
There are twelve days of Christmas and twelve chapters in the book and a clever reader will spot a number in each chapter’s opening illustrations.
This is such an enjoyable story and so much is happening with Clarice’s family and friends, Christmas preparation, the Christmas concert, the turkey and her brother’s obsession with foxes. The final chapter is delightful and celebrates the joy of family and friends and how things ‘just work out for the best in the end’.
Clarice Bean does ‘think like an elf’ and the reader will love her for it.
Highly recommended for readers aged 7-10 years old.
Watch book trailer #1 here. ‘We made 12 short films about Lauren Child’s new Clarice Bean book ’Think Like An Elf’. Each film covers a different aspect of Clarice’s Christmas, and also gives an insight to Lauren’s creative process when writing and illustrating the book. This is the first one.’ Harper Collins
Themes Christmas, Elves.
Jane Moore
Neverlanders by Tom Taylor and Jon Sommariva
Penguin, 2022. ISBN: 9781761049071. (Age:Middle school, young adult) Highly recommended.
Young, girls, Bee and Luz, are seen begging in a subway station, the girls are confident and colourfully dressed while the commuters are grey and uninterested. When Luz is accidentally pushed onto the tracks and injured no one wants to help so Bee jumps down to rescue her and they are pulled to safety at the last minute by Paco, a homeless boy. Paco is invited to join the homeless gang if he agrees to the rules, share everything, no strangers and no lies. They have weapons but no guns since experiencing school shootings. But Paco is caught talking to someone that night. That person turns out to be Tinkerbell but this foul mouthed aggressive sprite is a far cry from the original Peter Pan fairy. They offer the group a better life and whisk them away to Neverland. Neverland is also different from the magical land of Peter Pan, but it is “a place where people from the world who have hurt us or let us down aren’t welcome”. The magical island is under attack from Otherland, the land of adults, "yesterday’s people”, a place of “something dirty and dark”. While Otherlanders cannot enter Neverland, they can send goblins and other evil creatures to attack the children and steal parts of the magical healing tree. Thrown into battle, the children wonder if they have made the right decision but then they are able to choose magical costumes which give them superpowers and all except their leader, Justin, embrace their new world. Jason is shot in the battle, then healed by the magical tree but he is feeling lost and angry and this turns to resentment and discontent which does not bode well for the future.
Tom Taylor and Jon Sommavara have taken the concept of the Peter Pan story and reimagined it for the modern world. The stylish, brilliantly coloured graphics and imaginative framing catapult the action from intensely detailed, full page images to a rush of inset, angled and creatively divided frames, maintaining the fast pace of this dense narrative. There are no wasted frames and the characters are engaging, consistent and develop. This very modern story reflects on some important themes like responsibility for the planet and each other. The selfish adults have refused to take responsibility for their actions and it is up to the next generation to turn that around. However, the children’s superpowers come from happy thoughts and this makes for a fun, quirky, not too serious tone throughout. The ending is rather complicated but sets the story up to be continued as is suggested in a great publisher’s interview with the author and illustrator. There are also comprehensive teachers notes.
Themes Fantasy, Comics, Graphic retelling, Pirates, Found family, Adventure, Friendship.
Sue Speck
The Christmas bum book by Kate Mayes and Andrew Joyner
A sense of fun and frivolity radiates from this Christmas offering from Mayes and Joyner. Every page celebrates one of the sights and sounds of Christmas, partnered with a bum. So we are offered tinsel bum and pudding bum, cracker bum and Noel bum, accompanied by Joyner’s witty illustrations. Some page offer an item associated with Christmas: carol, turkey, bauble while other pages offer a descriptive word: naughty and nice, jolly and jingle for example. All of these will stimulate discussion and reinforce those things associated with Christmas in Australia. I love the page depicting the three wise men, with the word wise used as well as camel bum, as the three are perched on top of the camel’s three humps! the trio as well as the camel looking to the star in the east. This page will give the opportunity to discuss the story of Christmas and the birth of Jesus, and the part played by the three wise men. The nice and naughty page introduces the idea of children having to earn a Christmas present by their behaviour, while several pages reprise lines from Christmas carols, encouraging their rendition.
Inclusivity reigns as children and grandparents are included, and after listing all the things associated with Christmas, towards the and of the book we see more of Santa than we wish to as he chomps through his cookies and milk, his clothing cut away to reveal the workings of his stomach, before trying to climb back up the chimney.
Lots of fun will be had with this book, reprising all the things associated with Christmas, looking at the array of bums displayed, laughing at the humour in Joyner’s illustrations, laughing again at the last pages which repeat the people and animals seen through the book.
