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.
Themes Christmas, Bums, Humour.
Fran Knight
The Twelve Days of Christmas Island by Teresa Lagrange
Allen & Unwin, 2022. ISBN: 9781761068041. (Age:3+)
Over 2600km north-west of Perth, Christmas Island is a tiny dot in the Indian Ocean, just 135 square km and most of that, national park. This geographical isolation and its dense rainforests mean it is a sanctuary for plants, animals and birds with hundreds of species calling the tiny island home. There is so much more than the red crabs we usually associate with the island.
In this unique book which draws on the format of the traditional Christmas song, young readers are introduced to just a handful of those birds species, so very different to those they usually see on mainland Australia. From the bright-red plumage of the Frigatebird to the iridescent green of the Emerald Dove, these rare and special birds are depicted with brief notes about each species, the lilly pilly tree in which they gather and the island itself complete the pages making the complete package.
If you're looking for a Christmas book that is not the cardinals and robin redbreasts of the northern hemisphere, or even those in the song, this one is special.
Themes Christmas, Birds.
Barbara Braxton
Little Bilby's Aussie Bush Christmas by Yvonne Mes. Illus. by Jody Pratt
Presented in repetitive rhyming verses, a cluster of little bilbies collects offerings from several other Australian animals to adorn their Christmas Tree.
One verse is repeated, encouraging younger children to recognise and join in when the page is turned, and more particularly join in with the actions described - jumping, tapping and dancing. A new word appears in the repeating verse which adds interest and the format is turned around part way through the book, to add complexity.
The fun of collecting the offerings from the lizard, emu and wombat comes together at the end when the whole group crowd around the decorated Christmas Tree, now adorned with Australian bush flora, and piled beneath with Christmas presents.
An introduction to the coming season, children will love the references to Australian plants and animals, recognise those animals depicted and create their own trees with the instructions given at the end of the book.
The colourful illustrations will keep readers amused as they spot touches of the Australian bush, and recognise the animals shown, and of course, be further intrigued with the tactile cover.
Themes Australian animals, Australian bush, Humour, Christmas.
Fran Knight
The very hungry caterpillar's very first encyclopedia
The popularity of The Very Hungry Caterpillar series of books will be further enhanced by this beautifully presented first encyclopedia. With familiar images and colours, younger readers will enjoy learning about a myriad of topics. The contents page lists the following key headings: Our World, Body and Health, Earth, Animals and Nature, History, Science, Maths and Technology, Space. Under the main headings are further topics which are discussed over a double page spread with accessible text, plenty of ‘white’ space, bold headings, highlighted key words, labelled images and clever photographs. In the final pages there is a glossary, detailed index and acknowledgements.
Curious children can discover simple and introductory facts about hundreds of new and interesting topics including symmetry, electricity, exploring the world, colours, farm animals, incredible inventions, shapes, phases of the moon, what is alive, rocks and minerals, space travel, looking after your body and so much more. For early readers, this is a book for sharing and reading together. For older more confident readers, one which they can go back to time and time again.
Themes Facts, STEM, Curiosity.
Kathryn Beilby
The robin and the reindeer by Rosa Bailey and Carmen Saldana
The wintery white landscape is a wonderland for Little Reindeer who is learning about snow and cold for the first time. So entranced is she by her surroundings that she doesn't notice that the herd has moved on on its journey to the caves in the warmer south. She is lost and the snow has already covered their tracks so she has no idea which way to go. But she remains calm, remembers her mother's words about digging a hole in the snow to keep warm and waits out the night.
Through the snowflakes that are still falling the next morning she catches a flash of red - curious because Leader told her all the birds had also travelled south - and a robin with his scarlet breast appears. Together, with the robin perched on Little Reindeer's nose like a beacon, they travel through the forest until...
This is a simple story beautifully told and illustrated in a muted palette that reflects the setting, making it a great choice for a calming read at the end of a boisterous session or day. A cross between a picture book and a novel, it is ideal for those making that transition as it has the supports needed such as just a sentence or two on each page to maintain interest even though it is somewhat longer than a regular picture book. Just as Little Reindeer realises she is becoming "a real reindeer" when she sees her budding antlers, so readers will understand that they are becoming 'real readers". Just charming.
Themes Reindeers, Robins, Snow.
Barbara Braxton
Twelve little festive frogs by Hilary Robinson and Mandy Stanley
Catch a star, 2022. ISBN: 9781922326355. (Age:2+) Recommended.
Based on the classic rhyme, The twelve days of Christmas, Twelve little festive frogs is a lovely counting books that will appeal to young children. The title page introduces the reader to the names of all the little frogs, who cavort in a circle around the title. All are drawn in cute poses and dressed in bright clothes, each holding a small branch from a Christmas tree. The text is simple, instead of a partridge in a pear tree, the frogs find a parcel and the words 'Pass the parcel!', in tiny font, tell the frog what to do with it. Then of course, the text accumulates until the parcel lands in a beautifully decorated fir tree. Young children will love the alliteration of word combinations like 'dancing deer', 'rockin’ robins', and 'frosty feathers' and will have fun trying to remember all the items.
They will also enjoy perusing the bright illustrations and identifying all the fun things associated with Christmas. Each little frog can also be identified by its unique clothing and coloured face, which are really cute and lots of fun. Details like a little rabbit watching what is going on, prancing deer and a sleigh that is used to pull the presents will also intrigue readers.
This is a very happy, feel-good book that is sure to be enjoyed during the festive season.
Themes Christmas, Frogs, Presents.
Pat Pledger
The Twelve Dinosaurs of Christmas by Evie Day and Liam Darcy
On the first day of Christmas, my grandpa gave to me . . . A Santasaurus and her dino baby!
Can there be anything better than a grandpa who understands your love of dinosaurs and instead of drummers drumming, lords a-leaping, golden rings and a partridge in a pear tree, gives you dinosaurs for the Christmas countdown?
Young dinosaur lovers will delight in this hilarious, colourful, action-packed twist on the traditional song as more and more dinosaurs - some familiar, some not-so, are added to the little girl's collection. And with this week's news that Queensland Museum Network palaeontologists have excavated Australia's first head and associated body of a 100-million-year-old long-necked marine reptile in what has been described as the Rosetta Stone of marine reptile palaeontology, the continuing fascination with these ancient creatures is going to peak again, making this book such a fun read for the enthusiasts - perhaps even offering them some new species to investigate or imagining the problems such gifts might cause... It's amazing what something that starts as just a bit of light entertainment can lead to.
Themes Dinosaurs, Christmas.
Barbara Braxton
Barefoot Kids: Your epic money adventure by Scott Pape
When 8 year old Levi Anderton was laughed at in class because he froze when his teacher asked him to read something aloud, the situation had the potential for any number of outcomes, all of them profound and some of them not good. But Levi was able to turn the incident on its head and within 6 months he was the boss of his own company selling reading rulers and cases online fielding and fulfilling orders from around the world. Like Sir Richard Branson, he turned his disability into an opportunity.
For years, Scott Pape, author of highly successful The Barefoot Investor has been engaged in programs to make financial literacy a key part of every primary and secondary school curriculum including having an annual 4-6 week money challenge similar to the Premier's Reading Challenge, and, for primary students in particular, showing them the power of working, saving, spending and giving.
And so, in this engaging easy-to-read step by step guide for young readers to make and carry out a financial plan, interspersed with success stories like Levi's for encouragement, there is the blueprint to help them become financially savvy at the very least, if not world-leading entrepreneurs. Money may be the "root of all evil" but it seems to be something everyone desires. Regardless of how we might prefer it to be different, success still seems to be measured by salary and despite odds of one in 292 million of winning the recent mega US $2 billion lottery, millions around the world bought tickets in the hope of becoming rich. Closer to home our students are probably seeing the consequences of the 'cost-of-living crisis" that is reported on every news bulletin, so it would seem that a book by a recognised expert that has both sound advice and practical strategies would be very appropriate and timely.
Arranged into the six steps entitled Earn Some Money, Stash Your Cash, Be a Barefoot Boss, Get What you Want, Make Someone Smile and Grow your Money, readers are taken from that first basic understanding that money comes from working and even though they might resent pitching in with household chores there are ways that make them in charge so they are in control of both what they do and what they do with the rewards. There are charts and checklists so each child can map their own path (even those under 7) including being able to pitch the idea of being paid for chores confidently to parents.
With language and layout chosen so that the reader is encouraged, supported and successful on each page, this is a must-have for every child so that they not only get the things they want without having to wait for Christmas or birthdays but they develop the critical understandings and foundations for their future financial security as they learn so much in a practical, personal real-life way. You could not give a child a better gift. It would have been brilliant for when my son was little, but now I have grandchildren.
Safar is a very beautiful hardcover book with its pastel coloured pages and soft illustrations of people, designs and places by renown artist Amani Haydar. ‘Safar’ means journey. The chapters explore what different kinds of travel mean to Muslim women: travel as a journalist, travel as adventure, travel to original homelands, changes to identity in different countries, finding a new home, the politics of travel, and the peace and spirituality of natural spaces.
The chapters draw together conversations with such interesting people as Yassmin Abdel-Magied, Dr Susan Carland, and Tasneem Chopra, to name just a few. One contributor, Zenith Irfan, was the first woman to scale the mountains of Pakistan on a motorbike at the age of twenty! Dr Umber Rind shares her experience as a Badimaya Yamatji and Pakistani woman working in anti-racism advocacy. We hear stories from all of these women, with many humorous, thoughtful and inspirational insights. Malik includes their tips, as they share what they have learned in their journeys.
The Muslim tradition of Hajj, the pilgrimage made by millions to the Kaaba in Mecca, is named after Hajar, wife of Abraham, who, lost in the desert, sought guidance from Allah, and then discovered water. In honour of her, and other notable Muslim women travellers of the past, this book highlights the stories of discovery and transformation made by modern day women. It offers thoughts and reflections, and stories that all readers can empathise with, regardless of their religion, but must be a particular source of pride and inspiration for young Muslim women and girls. The book presents such a fascinating collection of intelligent and confident women.
For those who enjoy the book and want more, there is a very good YouTube video of Sarah Malik in conversation with TV Presenter Farah Celjo and illustrator Amani Haydar on the release of Safar.
Themes Muslims in Australia, Travel, Identity, Self empowerment.
Helen Eddy
The gecko and the echo by Rachel Bright and Jim Field
On the island, the little gecko called Goldy dreams of being a star. She sings out of tune, loudly and at length, annoying the neighbours, who do not seem to be able to anything about it. The little gecko knows that to be a star, she needs to practise and practise so she does. It goes on incessantly, 24/7 and Goldy's noise becomes very annoying to the other animals. The last straw comes along when in time with the crickets chirping, Goldy sings a song through burping. The animals beg Goldy to stop, as it is all me, me, me and they do not want to have to listen to the singing. Deflated, Goldy leaves and walks to the Red River Campus where she is convinced she will find an audience that appreciates her singing.
Here she calls out and is surprised when she is answered. She calls out lots of sounds and they all are returned. She sings and is even more surprised when the song comes back. But it is out of tune, so Goldy wants to find the other singer to help. A passing butterfly whispers in Goldy’s ear that the voice she is hearing is an echo. It is her voice she is hearing.
Shocked. Goldy determines that she will return to her family a different gecko. She hums for the babies when they go to sleep, waltzes to the back of the queue at breakfast time, and gives space to others to dance, being mindful of the needs of those around her and kind in her dealings with the family. All the animals now have the opportunity to shine and together they will all be stars.
This is a lovely story of stepping back, of not hugging the limelight, of encouraging others to try things out for themselves and of course for those with big personalities to make sure everyone else has a go.
Vibrant illustrations cover each page with the lush flora on the island, supporting all the animals that live there. Readers will love picking out all the animals shown and identifying them in their environment. More about this English illustrator can be found here.
And readers will love drawing along with him on his website as he demonstrated how to draw one of his characters, Monsieur Roscoe.
Aura Parker, the author of Meerkat Splash has created a clever rhyming book which will appeal to young readers. From the charming cover to the gorgeous front endpapers featuring the meerkat elves busily making presents and the back endpapers showing a traditional Christmas celebration, this enjoyable read is about the meerkat friends playing a wobbly Christmas game which may end in disaster!
The story begins with the following rhyme across two double pages which is complemented by delightful illustrations:
Hi hooray! It’s Christmas Day! Meerkat One, it’s time to play. Meerkat Two and Meerkat Three. ‘Cheeky elves! Come climb with me!’
This is a perfect book released just in time for the Christmas season and one that early childhood readers will enjoy over and over again.
Themes Meerkats, Christmas, Rhyming.
Kathryn Beilby
The offline diaries by Yomi Adegoke & Elizabeth Uviebinene
This is a story of friendship, and also the sadness of lost connection, set within early high school and with additional social media pressures. Ade is a new arrival in a new town and school. Moving has not been a happy change and all the pressures of ‘starting over’ are weighing heavily on her. A chance meeting at the hair salon her mother attends, gives her the opportunity to make a new friend. Shanice frequently spends time at her father’s salon because she is often alone and lonely, especially since her mother died. The surprise encounter and almost immediate connection between the two 12 year-old girls develops further at school and via their online chats. Sadly though, Ade also manages to connect with the two popular but mean girls at school, despite Shanice’s warnings about their self-centred and cruel demeanour towards her in the past. Can their friendship survive when Ade is pulled in two directions? Can Shanice survive being excluded again?
This is a social drama story for pre-teens and early teens, with characters who do not have an Anglo-Saxon heritage. There are light-hearted moments and also some naive aspects to the lives of the two main characters as they negotiate inter-personal challenges. With some of the conversations and interactions shared as ‘Chatback’ conversations, and each of the girls communicating via their diary or journal entries, there are insights into the friendship impacts, especially when things start to go awry. There are some struggles with the bullying and exclusion of the ‘mean girls’ which are intensified by the influence of social media communications. Family life has some challenges for both girls, but they are loved and there are positive aspects to their lives, and they are genuinely hurt when their friendship suffers. Young female readers aged 11-14 will enjoy this story, and it will be endearing for readers with African or Caribbean heritage.
Themes Friendship, Bullying, Social media, Grief, Family.
