Illus. by Nicole Johnston. Ford St Publishing, 2020. ISBN:
9781925804591.
(Ages: 3+) Highly recommended. Starting the book with the lines, My Dad says I can chose a pet But I'm not sure what pet to get
will fire the imaginations of all readers as they choose a pet along
with the narrator.
And with every good verse story, the lines entice readers to predict
the rhyming word as the pages are turned.
The choices are numerous, from a bouncy dog or a flouncy dog, a
puddly dog or a jumpy dog, a perhaps a tabbly or Persian cat, a
donkey, an axolotl, a horse or ferret. Every different sort of pet
is illustrated and questioned over its suitability, until finally at
a pet show at school, the narrator's choice is revealed.
A fun read, supported by delightfully comic illustrations, the verse
tale will entreat and captivate readers, many of whom will have had
the same dilemma, what pet to chose, and those that have not had to
make this choice will be equally charmed, thinking about
possibilities to come.
Johnston's pencil and watercolour illustrations reveal a playful
family life, fill of animals and a supportive school which has a pet
show to encourage and involve students. The antics of each of the
animals portrayed reveals a subtle humour as they are shown in
various guises. A poodle taking its place along the chaise lounge, a
large dog taking up the whole chair, a Manx cat playing with the
mouse, a donkey refusing to budge, while a goat takes its master up
the hill. Children will laugh out loud at the antics of each animal
as the pages are turned, wondering which one to choose for
themselves and for the narrator. And there is a prize for every pet.
Teacher's
notes are available.
Themes: Animals, Pets, Humour, Choices, Alliteration.
Fran Knight
Chickensaurus by James Foley
S.Tinker Inc. series. Fremantle Press, 2020. ISBN:
9781925815788.
(Age: Primary) Recommended. Chickensaurus is the fourth book in the
S.Tinker Inc. series that follows the tales of Sally Tinker
and her gang as they invent a plethora of wondrous things (including
robots, giant dung beetles and tiny submarines to investigate her
brothers insides!) with this story surrounding her arch enemy
turning chickens into monstrous dinosaurs.
Sally and her crew are forced to flee into the maze to try and
escape the crazy trifeathertops and the pteroducktyl, however they
eventually end up in the basement where all sorts of unexpected
things happen . . .
This graphic novel was written with middle primary aged children in
mind, and was perfect for my year 4, 10 year old. He thought it was
a great book, and especially loved the illustrations and the idea of
morphing a chicken and a dinosaur. He felt that lots of kids he went
to school with would like the book, and wanted to tell the school
librarian to look into this title and the other three in the series.
I also thought it was a good, easy enough read that would suit the
middle primary bracket, but I think it would be most beneficial to
readers who may struggle with short novels, or younger students who
want a challenge. I enjoyed the flow of the stories conversation and
found myself easily giving characters accents and voices. I think
that James Foley has done a really good job in drawing in a wide
variety of readers at different engagement and skill levels. The
illustrations really help the story too, with the characters showing
emotions and the Chickensaurus being quite amusing.
After finishing the book I wanted to check out the other 3 in the
series as I enjoyed the characters, story and the illustrations so
much!
Overall I think James Foley is a very good writer, and one that
deserves to be on my children's book shelf. He has written a number
of other books, plus some short stories which we will definitely be
looking into. 4 out of 5 for Chickensaurus. Teacher's
notes are available.
Lauren Fountain
What Zola did on Wednesday by Melina Marchetta
Illus. by Deb Hudson. Puffin, 2020. ISBN: 9781760895174.
(Age: 6+) Highly recommended. What Zola did on Wednesday is
the third story in the humorous and entertaining Zola
series. Zola lives with her Mum and Nonna Rosa and is very busy with
the garden project after school on Monday and playing with her
neighbours and Nonna's knitting grandmothers on Tuesday. In this new
story Zola hears something going on in Leo's yard and climbs a tree
to investigate. Leo's mother Justine is a police officer and has
brought home Vesper the police dog for a visit. Justine tells Zola
all about the work a police dog does and when Sophia's turtle goes
missing Zola comes up with an idea. The idea does not quite go as
expected and the neighbours all support Zola and her friends and
keep them safe. Justine talks to the children about being careful
and visits Zola's school for her news talk. Justine also organises
dog training on Wednesdays after school and Zola and her friends are
kept busy.
The multi-cultural community aspect of this series shows the
diversity of the Australian culture and how we can all interact
positively with others in our daily lives. At the end of the story
the author shares tips for training your pet dog to sit. This book
would be a lovely read-aloud for a classroom teacher or parent and
an excellent read for a young child moving onto independent reading.
Themes: Friends, Neighbours, Diversity, School, Dogs, Safety.
Kathryn Beilby
Watch over me by Nina LaCour
Text Publishing, 2020. ISBN: 9781922330604.
(Age: 15+) Highly recommended. After being in the foster system
since her mother abandoned her, 18-year-old Mila is looking forward
to her job, teaching a young, home-schooled child on a farm. She is
desperate for a home, a place where she can belong and hopes to find
it with Terry and Julia, who own the farm and with the other people
there, particularly Billy and Liz and her small charge, Lee. What
she does not know when she accepts the job is that something strange
is going on there and that it will bring back all the bad memories
of her past.
An eerie combination of ghosts and ordinary life on a farm, LaCour
manages to keep the suspense alive as Mila's story gradually
unfolds. What are the ghostly figures that danced at night and why
did everyone except for Lee and her wear gold bracelets and
pendants? And what happened to the girl who used to teach Lee? Where
has she gone? The story has a gothic feel and I almost felt that I
was reading a novel set in the 1800's, until there would be a
reference to driving to a market with flowers or using a phone.
In lyrical prose the author describes bit by bit the memories of the
trauma that Mila had undergone when young, and the struggle that she
is having with them resurfacing. Lee has also suffered trauma and
Mila tries her best to help him, even as he sees ghosts too.
This is a disturbing read, with undertones of domestic violence,
abandonment, guilt and grief, all part of Mila's struggle to accept
her past and find a new home. Add a mix of ghosts, fear and mystery,
and Watch over me will grip the reader until its powerful
conclusion. Teacher's
notes are available from the publisher.
Pat Pledger
Santa and the Sugar Glider by Alexa Moses
Illus. by Anil Tortop. Lothian Children's Books, 2019. ISBN:
9780734419521.
(Age: 3+) Recommended. Santa and the Sugar Glider is an
appealing Christmas story written for younger children. Snap, the
littlest glider in the rainforest, is longing to do something
important but all the other animals mock him for being too small to
achieve anything. They are surprised when a big red object wobbles
across the sky and lands in the bush. The animals rush to have a
look and find that it is Santa looking for a replacement reindeer
for Comet who has sprained his ankle. He invites the animals to
audition at sunset and Snap thinks this will his chance to shine.
However the other animals are not very kind and Snap decides not to
audition. Fortunately he saves Comet from eating some stinging
leaves in a spectacular way and Santa chooses him.
Children will enjoy listening to this story of a little one finally
being able to achieve something important. The detailed
illustrations and the highlighted text showcasing verbs and
important words as well as the colourful presentation will make this
a popular read aloud for children. Themes: Christmas, Santa,
Australian Animals.
Kathryn Beilby
The Tindims of Rubbish Island by Sally Gardner
Illus. by Lydia Corry. Zephyr, 2020. ISBN: 9781838935672.
The Tindim family of smaller than usual stature, live together on
Rubbish Island where they recycle all they find. Introducing the
family as the story unfolds gives Gardner plenty of scope for her
humorous telling and daughter Corry, a platform for her funny
illustrations, designed by both not only to entertain, but teach
some solid facts about conservation, recycling and waste.
The family is headed for the Brightsea Festival, but due to the
enormous mountain of plastic bottles on their island, they can no
longer see where they are going. In times past they were able to
recycle paper and wood rubbish, but since plastic came on the scene,
the rubbish from these items has grown beyond comprehension. So the
family searches for a solution. Always a secretive group, they must
now expose themselves to children to realise their aim of recycling
more rubbish and showing children how it is to be done.
The main characters, Captain Spoons, Mug, Jug, Brew, Skittle and
others live on the island in a warren of underwater rooms, including
a toothbrush library and a hospital for sick fish. Laugh out loud
with the names and scenes set by mother and daughter writer and
illustrator. I loved the names of the days of the week, and the
comments about some of the rubbish they find: a water bottle, who
would bottle water? Read about the Tindims on their first ocean
adventure as they show children how to help protect our planet for
the future.
The first of a series, three more books will be published in 2021,
all promoting recycling and conservation.
Themes: Conservation, Waste, Recycling, Plastic, Ecology, Oceans.
Fran Knight
The frangipani tree mystery by Ovidia Yu
Crown Colony, book 1. Constable, 2017. ISBN: 9781472125200.
(Age: 15+) Recommended. After reading The
paperbark tree mystery I immediately pursued the first
in the series and was not disappointed. The frangipani
tree mystery introduces SuLin, a young girl who suffered polio
in her youth. Educated at a mission and very intelligent, SuLin
wants to become a journalist and travel, escaping an arranged
marriage. When the opportunity comes to look after Dee-Dee, the
daughter of the Acting Governor of Singapore, she grabs it, even
though it looks as if Charity Byrne, the Irish governess has been
murdered in mysterious circumstances. When another murder happens at
the Governor's residence, SuLin's acute observation skills and
ability to gain the trust of the people around her, assist Chief
Inspector LeFoy in working out just what happened.
It is 1936 in Singapore and Ovidia Yu brings a fascinating
historical background to the mystery. She weaves the history of
colonialism and the belief of superiority that the white British
administrators have, as a backdrop to the mystery. It is always
subtly done, but by the end of the novel the reader has become well
acquainted with life in a governor's residence, the way servants are
treated and the hierarchy of Chinese residents, with SuLin's
grandmother organising money lending and owning shops.
Some of SuLin's Chinese family's superstitions are also explored.
They believe that because of her limp, she could bring bad luck, and
she is prepared to work for a living if she can. Dee-Dee has an
intellectual disability, and Yu's sympathetic portrayal of her makes
her a relatable character, as is her brother Harry who disappears on
strange assignations at night.
This is an easy to read mystery with fascinating historical detail
and big themes like racism, class, gender and family relations, all
brought in as subtle background to the murder. An article featuring
the author and her writing can be found here.
The frangipani tree mystery certainly sets up all the
atmosphere and plotting of a very good entertaining mystery, leaving
the reader wanting to see what happens next with SuLin and Chief
Inspector LeFoy.
Pat Pledger
The stolen prince of Cloudburst by Jaclyn Moriarty
A Kingdom and Empires. Allen & Unwin, 2020. 536pp. ISBN:
9781760875060.
(Age: 9-12) Highly recommended. Esther returns to start year 6 at
Katherine Valley Boarding School. All the giggling girls are
delighted by their new teacher, Mrs Pollock. Two of Esther's best
friends have left and the new intriguing Autumn and Pelagia have
taken their place. Esther is normally a high achieving student but
now can never get better than a C-. She also gets detentions which
prevent her from attending fun events. Her confidence plummets. A
shocking incident creates mayhem and leads to a number of
revelations. Autumn is from a family of Whisperers who are regarded
suspiciously. Katya, who has played an important role protecting the
school from Shadow Mages, has to be sent away for medical help.
Esther runs herself ragged trying to do Katya's job. Fortunately
Esther gets a break when the family go to Spindrift to join in
celebrations to welcome back long lost Alejandro, Prince of
Cloudburst. However more catastrophe ensues with rising oceans and
tidal waves. Is it climate change or some other sinister magic?
Esther and her family are in the thick of it, unearthing mysteries
and battling evildoers.
This was a delicious, addictive and satisfying fantasy. It subtly
weaves themes of bullying, resilience and friendship into the plot.
So many things go wrong for Esther but she is never despairing as
she continues talking to us readers, with humorous asides and
reminders of previous incidents. It has a lovely old-worldy setting,
being an English style boarding school and the seaside, but it is
never fusty. The characters are all quirky and baddies abound such
as the Radish Gnomes. Although this is quite a long book the many
pencil illustrations by Kelly Canby and short chapters don't make it
feel onerous. In fact the publication is quite inviting. This is the
third book in A Kingdom and Empires series, although it can
be read as a stand-alone. It will more likely appeal to confident
readers and is similar to books like the Stella
Montgomery series by Judith Rossell.
Jo Marshall
Back to sleep by Zoe Foster Blake
Illus. by Mike Jacobsen. Puffin, 2020. ISBN: 9781760897901.
(Age: 4+) With Dad being carried by his child on the front cover,
readers will know they are in for a hilarious tale about the
problems involved with getting children to bed. This perennial fly in
the family ointment is a cause for mayhem at the best of times even
in the calmest of families, with the most compliant children and
relaxed parents. It doesn't take much for things to go awry at
bedtime, and in this topsy turvy story, things are turned around and
its the child who is worn out trying to get his parents to go to
sleep.
Finn just nods off to sleep when he hears someone by his bed, asking
for a drink. He reminds Mum about her drink bottle but it has rolled
under her bed. Retrieving it and taking Mum back to bed means a kiss
and tuck in before she is settled. Then Dad wakes Finn after having
a bad dream. Finn calms his father but walking back to bed he
stumbles over the space station hurting his foot. He now insists on
being carried back to bed and will not sleep before a hug and a back
rub. Mum then comes into his room with a water problem. The water
bottle has spilled in her bed. In the middle of the night Finn must
rearrange her bed, pulling out a sleeping bag to sleep in. Unhappily
she goes back to sleep.
And on it goes. Poor Finn has a disastrously broken night, catering
for his parents, and all the while keeping very quiet, lest he wake
the baby, Clem, asleep in the cot in his room.
After a night of getting up to them, cuddling, back rubs, drinks, a
lie in and so on, he just gets back to sleep when the inevitable
happens and he is once again wide awake.
This uproariously funny back flip on the difficulties getting
children to bed is wonderfully supported with equally laugh out loud
illustrations creating the several rooms of Finn's night, and appear
real. The detail will draw in the readers, the looks on the faces of
Finn and the cat revealing the growing annoyance with the situation,
while his parents' faces reflect an expectation that Finn will
resolve all their needs.
Mike Jacobsen is a Canberra based illustrator and cartoonist who by
his own admission is a 'perpetual man-child' which explains his
ability to successfully see an adult dilemma from a child's
perspective. This will be a wonderful read aloud, read along and
read alone.
Themes: Family, Bed time, Relationships, Read aloud.
Fran Knight
Esmeralda's nest by Robert Moore
Illus. by Mandy Foot. Midnight Sun Publishing, 2020. ISBN:
9781925227666.
(Ages: 2-5) Recommended. Accomplished illustrator Mandy Foot has
teamed up with the diversely talented Robert Moore on this book
about a Saddleback sow preparing a nest for her soon-to-be-born
piglets. Interesting 'farm notes' are scrawled across the endpapers
in child's handwriting, complete with accompanying scribbly
drawings: 'Pigs eat anything, even shoelaces' and 'A farrowing hut
is a safe place for a mother pig to have her piglets'. These facts
also assist in explaining some of the words and items seen in the
story, eg. gripple tool, belted galloway cow. Every day Esmeralda
collects all manner of strange items that she digs up or finds on
the farm: an old bottle, a plastic bag, wisteria and some trousers
that blow off the clothes line. Off she waddles down the hill,
ignoring the safety of the farrowing hut and building her own nest
underneath the cattle ramp.
Gritty illustrations portray the windy, muddy, messy, rainy
realities of farm life and the ever-changing conditions of life on
the land. One day it is boiling hot, the next there is a torrential
downpour. As Esmerelda builds her nest we see life on the farm going
on around her. The farmer and his children are fencing, planting
trees and playing with the new chicks. Children will find the
illustrations funny as most of the repair work they are doing is due
to Esmeralda pushing her way through fences and gates.
This is a lovely, simply told story about farm life and nesting
animals that will also help children learn about the days of the
week. Themes: Days of the week, Farms, Pigs.
Nicole Nelson
Peppa's spooky Halloween by Neville Astley and Mark Baker
Penguin Random House, 2020. ISBN: 9780241412268.
(Age: 3+) Peppa Pig celebrates all things Halloween with her family
in this timely picture book released by Ladybird Books, part of
Penguin Random House. Peppa and George are with Granny and Grandpa
Pig at Halloween. Peppa asks to do Halloween things and Grandpa Pig
is very enthusiastic because he loves Halloween. They bake spooky
cakes, spookily decorate the house and try on numerous spooky
costumes that include a witch, a mummy, ghosts, a vampire, a
skeleton and Peppa's favourite - a magical Halloween unicorn. Peppa
and George put on a spooky show for Mummy and Daddy Pig, and all of
their friends who arrive in costume. They have a spooky dance to
spooky music and have a really spook-tacular time!
Young fans of Peppa Pig will enjoy listening to this story and the
added Halloween theme and colourful presentation will be very
popular. Themes: Peppa Pig, Halloween, Costumes.
Kathryn Beilby
Rain shaker by Elizabeth Mary Cummings. Illus. by Cheri Hughes
Big Sky Publishing, 2020. ISBN: 9781922387165. (Age:4-7) Recommended.
Erin is impatient for her sunflowers to grow. She has planted some seeds into pots as presents for her family at her dry dusty farm and now they just need some rain to help them to grow. While helping to decorate the Christmas tree she finds a snowy Christmas bauble makes Erin believe she can shake the dust to make the rain for her flowers. So outside while the Christmas lights glow, she dances her rain dance until she collapses and it begins to rain. Erin's dreams that night are filled with the wonderful images that are created when there is abundant water - colourful, rich illustrations of rivers, oceans and the creatures which inhabit them bring vast contrast to the real environment in which Erin lives.
Simple but descriptive language and bold colourful illustrations bring this story about the realities of living through a drought to life. The author cleverly incorporates some Christmas traditions in the story to set the hot summer scene in Australia. Long droughts and flooding rains are now a reality of living in many parts of the world and children will relate to this story from their own experiences of the current climate. At the end of the book there is a page of Fun Facts about Sunflowers and step by step instructions showing how to grow your own sunflowers. A useful addition to all school libraries.
Illus. by Jon Klassen. Allen and Unwin, 2020. ISBN: 9781760525484.
(Age: 7-10) Highly recommended for mature readers. Everything
about this book is delightful. The textured and beautifully
illustrated dust jacket compels you to touch and pick up the book,
while inside it is full of personable animal characters and
illustrations which immediately evoke comparisons to classics such
as Wind in the Willows and Winnie the Pooh.
This is book one of a planned trilogy and tells a charming version
of the well-worn 'odd couple' story.
Badger is a gruff rock scientist who leads a solitary life ruled by
routine. When his calendar is marked with an X he undertakes
Important Rock Work and is not to be disturbed. He has never met a
chicken and wouldn't know what to say if he did.
One day Skunk knocks on the door, barrelling into Badger's quiet
life, disturbing the Important Rock Work and bringing his
chicken-whistle with him. During their first conversation Skunk says
"Not everyone wants a skunk" and that is true.
But the new roommates start to settle in and enjoy getting to know
each other (along with a LOT of chickens). That is, until an
unfortunate event leads to harsh words, hurt feelings and a sudden
split.
The actions taken after the split are heart-warming to read as life,
neighbours and surroundings are all viewed in a new light.
Timberlake is an award-winning children's author and has created a
wonderful and complex story full of warmth and humour. Mature
readers will enjoy the morals about friendship and being open to new
opportunities. Younger readers would struggle with the storyline and
language if left to their own devices, but the use of onomatopoeia
makes this an ideal book to read alongside or aloud to them perhaps
a chapter at a time.
Klassen is a perfect illustrator for this work. The end pages at
front and back are covered in different rock types, all hand drawn
and labelled. There are simple as well as more detailed black and
white illustrations throughout the book as well as several coloured
plates that bring the story and characters to life.
Themes: Geology, animals, friends, feelings.
Kylie Grant
Bees and their keepers by Lotte Moller, translated by Frank Perry
MacLehose Press, 2020. ISBN: 9781529405262.
(Age: Senior secondary / Adult) Highly recommended. "Through the
seasons and centuries, from waggle-dancing to killer bees, from
Aristotle to Winnie-the-Pooh" - the subtitle gives an idea of what
the book is about. It is not a how-to guide but more a social and
cultural history of beekeeping. That said, Moller, the author, did
keep bees herself for many years, and she has included factual pages
on the life cycle and duties of the bees within the hive. There are
also chapters on enemies of bees, pests and diseases, all things
beginning beekeepers would be advised to learn about.
The first section of the book is full of historical references to
past beliefs about bees and beekeeping. It is the kind of book that
you can just pick up and read something interesting from any page
but the true enthusiast will be rewarded by reading from beginning
to end. Readers will learn about early hives, the surprising
discovery that the bee community is centred around a queen not a
king, remedies for stings, stories of swarms, the different
varieties of honey, and the development of the Buckfast bee. This
section of the book is ordered by months of the year, but southern
hemisphere readers need to remember that the author, being Swedish,
is referring to a northern hemisphere calendar.
The second, shorter, section of the book raises current issues in
beekeeping - questions about the best kind of hive, Langstroth,
Warre or top-bar hives, 'natural' beekeeping and arguments about
original or hybrid bees. However readers will find no mention of the
Australian invented Flow Hive - perhaps the uptake in Europe has not
been as high as in Australia, U.S. and Canada.
There is much people can learn from bees, yet as Moller says, we
have made things so difficult for them that their very survival is
now in doubt. Keeping bees has had a groundswell of interest from
urban beekeepers and hobbyists, but this does not solve the
pollination problem in our agricultural industries based on
monoculture cultivation and widespread insect sprays. Perhaps
reading about past discoveries and innovations will inspire future
problem solving and a renewed appreciation of the amazing
contribution bees make to our world.
Helen Eddy
The whales on the bus by Katrina Charman and Nick Sharratt
Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781526603432.
(Age: 2+) Highly recommended. Children will have lots of fun singing
along to this humorous version of the well-known song, The
wheels on the bus. The narrative starts off with The whales on the bus ride round the town, Round the town, round the town. The whales on the bus ride round the town, All day long!
Then with clever internal rhyming, the story continues with cranes
on the train, bees on their skis, ducks on the truck and the very
popular baboons in balloons. Children will delight in shouting out
the "Roar, roar ROAR!" of the dragon in the wagon and hissing with
the snakes on skates as they slip and slide. What a wonderful read
aloud!
Nick Sharratt's bright illustrations are brilliant and really add to
the story. Little details like a fish driving the whales' bus and a
crocodile driving the cranes' train will give children an
opportunity to look further at the pictures and find that one extra
zany detail on the page that stands out. The animals have cheeky
grins on their faces and the vivid colours and cheerful backgrounds,
and black outlines make for a memorable read. Beginning readers,
too, will enjoy having a go at reading for themselves, as the rhymes
are supported by the pictures, and the repetition and rhymes will
make it easy to predict the text.
I can see this becoming a favourite read aloud that will join the
popular Car,
car, truck, jeep by this talented duo.
Pat Pledger
