Self-Help for Babies book 2. ABC Books, 2020. ISBN:
9780733341168.
(Age: All) Recommended. Another great addition to the series, Whine
guide will have adults grinning at the descriptions of all the
whines that a baby can make as well as the allusions to all the wine
that an adult could drink. The following passage on the back cover
gives the flavour of the book: Dear Baby Do you feel like you're speaking a million words a minute,
but no one truly understands you? Don't worry. A lot of babies feel this way. We're here to help you get your message across, when it
matters most. Chat soon!
The book starts with the instructions of how to match the right
whine to each occasion and follows with guides to the thirst
quencher, the bubbly, the glass half empty, the surprise party, the
nightcap, the fragrant drop, the bottom of the barrel and the sweet
whine all paired well with appropriate actions. Every parent will
recognise these familiar situations and will have fun identifying
the various whines that their infant makes.
Each double page spread contains simple black and white
illustrations on a coloured background, with the expressions on the
face of the baby an absolute delight to look at.
It is obvious that the authors are very familiar with small babies
and bring their expertise in illustration and humour to reassure
parents about their baby's behaviour while giving them something to
laugh about. A great series that would be a wonderful gift to new
parents.
Pat Pledger
Paul Kelly, the man, the music and the life in between by Stuart Coupe
Hachette, 2004, reprinted 2020. ISBN: 9780733642340.
(Age: Adult) Stuart Coupe, former manager of Paul Kelly, says he was
motivated to write this biography of the musician because there was
so much missed out of Kelly's autobiography How to make gravy,
published in 2010. Coupe's book fills in the early career, and
portrays a driven and ambitious artist who was totally focussed on
himself. "He had this philosophy of being true to yourself, which
basically meant ignoring everyone else". Kelly's years of heroin
addiction are also given plenty of attention, along with the whole
world of drugs and the music scene at that time.
In writing the book Coupe obviously had access to the confidence of
many fellow musicians and friends, including Kelly himself, though
the women in Kelly's life have been more reticent. It makes for a
long and detailed collection of snippets about the singer
songwriter's journey to success.
Interestingly the book does reveal the full circle of his life,
describing how Kelly came to seek out collaboration with new talent,
particularly Indigenous musicians; he helped to highlight the work
of people like Vika and Linda Bull, Archie Roach, and Kev Carmody.
Recognition of this led to Kelly being awarded the Order of
Australia in 2017 for his service to the performing arts and the
promotion of the national identity through contributions as a
singer, songwriter and musician. However Coupe's book neglects to
include Kelly's more recent encouragement of Dan Sultan.
If you are a serious fan of Paul Kelly and you want to look back at
every step along his career, or if you are interested in the rough
side of the music scene, this book has it all. However if you are
more interested in the inspiration and thoughts of the artist, How
to make gravy might be a better read.
Helen Eddy
Punching the air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam
HarperCollins, 2020. ISBN: 9780008422141.
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Amal's name means hope, but it is
hard to feel hope when you are a black kid that has been hauled in
for street fighting, and there is white kid in a coma in hospital.
Amal knows that he has already been shaped into a monster in
people's minds, and it doesn't matter what he says. He is innocent,
but everything is stacked against him.
The story is fictional but draws on the lived experience of
co-author Yusef Salaam, one of the 'Exonerated Five', the group of
black boys falsely convicted of assaulting and raping a young white
woman jogging in Manhattan's Central Park in 1989. The five boys
were victims of racial profiling by the police determined to find
their culprit and were all given lengthy prison sentences. Only
years later were they exonerated when the real offender admitted to
his crime, corroborated by DNA evidence. With their book, Punching
the air, authors Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam have collaborated
together to highlight ongoing issues of racial discrimination,
police violence and injustice still happening today.
The story is written in verse, similar to Manjeet Mann's Run,
rebel, with the same heart-felt rawness and honesty. We
feel Amal's fear, his retreat behind a stony-faced silence, his
confusion and desperation. His only relief is his art and his
poetry. The pages are illustrated with lines and smudges of black;
it is only when there a human connection with someone outside of the
prison, that his drawings become butterflies, because the flutter of
a butterfly's wings can have an impact around the world.
The story is bold and confronting with themes similar to the work of
Angie Thomas, The
hate U give, and On
the come up, but the book is easy to read; the verse
pages carry you along from the despair of the courtroom to the
harshness of prison and then finally the rediscovery of hope through
art, and the love of caring people.
Themes: Racism, Police brutality, Prison, Black Lives Matter, Social
justice.
Helen Eddy
Rocky Lobstar: Time travel tangle! by Rove McManus
Scholastic Australia, 2020. ISBN: 9781760665067.
Recommended for primary students. This is the second enjoyable and
'krilliant' book in the Rocky Lobstar series by comedian Rove
McManus. It is an ideal stepping stone for younger readers moving up
from early fiction - it has similar humour to the Treehouse
books but comes in at around 100 pages shorter.
Rocky Lobstar is part-boy, part-lobster. He is the star of Felidi's
Fabulous Sideshow Carnival which also boasts a bearded strong lady,
an alligator magician, a contortionist, a sword swallower and
others.
Rocky might burp too loud and use an array of silly lobster-themed
exclamations, but he is overall a likeable character with many
positive qualities. He is energetic, quick thinking, cheerful, a
responsible owner of his pet sea-pig, Bubbles, and is always polite
(even to machines). He has a great sense of daring and humour, is a
loyal friend and never gives up.
In this adventure Rocky and his best mate Goober accidentally break
a prized tea set belonging to Carnival boss, Mr Felidi. Luckily a
visiting celebrity professor happens to have left her new time
machine at the carnival. What follows is a journey that stretches
the imagination, tangles time and includes some great rhymes along
the way.
McManus holds a fine art qualification along with a lifelong passion
for drawing and animation, and he has packed humour and liveliness
into every page and drawing in this book. The story leads to a
wonderful double page illustration bursting with amusing characters,
where you find more fun details the longer you look. Themes:
Creatures, Travel, Friends.
Kylie Grant
Marshmallow Pie the cat superstar on TV by Clara Vulliamy
Harper Collins, 2020. ISBN: 9780008355890.
(Age: 6+) Recommended. Marshmallow Pie the cat superstar on TV
is the third book in the popular series by Clara Vulliamy. The books
are narrated by Marshmallow Marmaduke Vanilla-Bean Sugar-Pie
Fluffington Fitz-Noodle himself, and tell the story of one
incredibly arrogant cat and his acting life helped along by his
human owner, Amelia. In this story Marshmallow Pie has been chosen
to appear on a TV commercial with Gingernut, a kitten. However Pie
dislikes kittens intensely and does everything in his power to
outshine the kitten on the first day. On the second day of shooting,
a series of mishaps causes Brad, the unpleasant Director, to
completely chastise the young kitten. Pie begins to feel very guilty
as he realises that it was his actions that set in motion the events
leading to Gingernut's fall from grace. In order to shift the blame
off Gingernut, Pie completely destroys the set and both cats are
fired. But there is always a silver lining! By the power of mobile
phones the chaos Pie caused on the set appears on Youtube and he
becomes an instant overnight sensation. The next book will continue
with the acting career of one Marshmallow Pie.
This book will appeal to younger readers who love humour and animals
outwitting the humans. The illustrations by the author are both
clever and entertaining. This would be a great read aloud in a
Junior Primary classroom or at home to a younger child. Themes:
Cats, Friendship, Humour, Acting.
Kathryn Beilby
Marshmallow Pie the cat superstar by Clara Vulliamy
Marshmallow Pie. HarperCollins, 2020. ISBN: 9780008355852. 128pp.
This is a lovely short story about Marshmallow Vanilla-Bean
Sugar-Pie Fluffington-Fitz-Noodle (or Pie for short) becoming an
acting star. The story follows Pie and her human Amelia as they
navigate the ups and downs of the audition process. The book is
reasonably easy to read and would be good for students who are
independent readers.
The story is written from Pie's point of view and I really like this
aspect! Pie comes from a very posh background and you can tell by
the way she narrates the story. The author Clara Vulliamy puts just
the right amount of 'fancy' into the text which is great fun when
you're reading this book out loud. I read this book to my 6-year-old
and we had lots of fun putting on posh voices for both Pie and then
changing it up for her owner Amelia.
The illustrations are also a great addition to this book, as they
help engage the reader and add an extra element to the text. My
favourite illustrations are those of Marshmallow Pie as Clara gives
her such wonderful facial illustrations, you can really imagine what
type of a cat she would be like! I like how she has formatted the
pictures too, some are placed within frames, at the top of the page
or within the text - each one adding interest.
Overall, this is a funny book, with excellent illustrations that add
to the story. Clara Vulliamy is a great author/illustrator who has
really hit the target market of beginning independent readers. The
text is clear, concise and uses an excellent amount of words that
readers at this level would know/be able to decode. I think this is
a great start to a series, bring on book 2!
Lauren Fountain
Bluey: Grannies
Penguin Random House Australia, 2020. ISBN: 9781760899363.
(Ages: 2-5) Recommended. This new instalment in the Bluey
board book series is based on the incredibly popular Grannies
episode, which sees Bluey and Bingo trying to work out whether
Grannies can dance. Children who are familiar with the episode will
find all their favourite bits and quotes of the episode accounted
for: 'I slipped on ma beans!', Dad unblocking the stinky toilet,
Nana's ineptitude with FaceTime and the car crash into the sandpit.
There is even a holographic page at the end that children can use to
make the Bluey and Bingo grannies floss.
A nice message about getting along is also instilled in the book
when it is established that Bluey is right: their granny can't
floss. Bingo feels sad that she is wrong and doesn't want to play
anymore but Mum explains that sometimes you can't keep the game
going AND be right. Which is more important? Bluey's solution is to
teach Nana how to floss - that way both Bluey and Bingo were right.
As a television series, Bluey is a lovely celebration of play,
family relationships and imagination and the accompanying books help
to reinforce these strong messages of positive family interaction
and self-awareness. Themes: Grandparents, Board book, Dancing.
Nicole Nelson
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
The Inheritance Games, book 1. Penguin, 2020. ISBN:
9780241476178.
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Wow! This is one for fans of twisty plots
and games that keep the reader guessing right until the end. Avery
is a girl who is struggling to keep her head above water, hoping for
a better future. She lives with her half-sister, Libby, works as a
waitress and has one good friend, Max. Then out of the blue,
gorgeous Grayson Hawthorne turns up at her school, saying that she
has been named in his billionaire grandfather's will. Avery has
inherited most of his wealth and the family is not happy about this.
She finds herself playing a deadly game with the four grandsons,
Grayson, Jameson, Nash and Zander as they race to work out the clues
that Tobias Hawthorne has left in his final letters to them.
Avery has no idea why she has been left with a fortune. A
strong-willed character, she finds herself the owner of an amazing
mansion and a huge amount of money. With her sister Libby, she must
fit into a lifestyle that is completely different to what she has
been used to while maintaining her own values and beliefs. Then
there is that mystery to solve. Why was she left a fortune by an
unknown benefactor? Who can she trust from the Hawthorne family as
the four brothers try to solve the game their grandfather left them?
Who is trying to kill her? And which brother is she most attracted
to?
The pace is fast, and the book was one that I had trouble putting
down. It is gripping and the characters are so well drawn that it is
easy to feel familiar with them. A sub-plot of domestic violence was
also well depicted and fitted in with the main story.
The first in a series, the conclusion was satisfying, but left open
hints to where the next book might go, enough to keep readers
eagerly waiting for it. Readers who enjoyed this might like One
of Us is Lying by Karen McManus and We
were liars by E. Lockhart
Pat Pledger
Gold! by Jackie Kerin and Annie White
Ford Street Publishing, 2020. ISBN: 9781925804539.
(Ages: 6-10) Recommended. Gold! is an amusing true story
about two pairs of brothers, one English and the other Canadian, and
how they found a large nugget of gold on the Victorian goldfields.
The story begins with the news of gold in Australia travelling
around the world and people arriving in masses to search, dreaming
of riches. The realities hit home for the four boys when they find
the tiniest speck of gold and realise that the chances of striking
their fortune are slim. While the book paints a fairly happy picture
of the goldfields some of the hardships are gently portrayed:
thieves, lack of food, lack of adequate sanitation, exposure to
harsh weather conditions. But then one day, their luck changes . . .
a huge nugget, as big as a leg of lamb. When they eventually leave
the goldfields, a sequence of events leads them straight to England
and to Queen Victoria, who exhibits their gold nugget at the Crystal
Palace.
This is a fun, lively introduction for young readers to the gold
rush and its impact. There are two pages of extra factual
information at the end of the story that help to give differing
perspectives and contextual information. The small paragraph about
how the Dja Dja Wurrung people and land were affected by the gold
rush is particularly important, as is the paragraph about how the
Chinese miners were treated. Other information includes more about
the digging for gold process, about the nugget of gold itself and
about the historical people within the story (Governor Barkly,
Prince Albert, Queen Victoria).
The watercolour illustrations were inspired by the goldfield artists
of the mid-nineteenth century and paint a vivid picture of the
landscape and the living conditions of the miners. Teacher's
notes are available. Themes: Victorian gold rush.
Nicole Nelson
Dare to be you by Matthew Syed
Wren & Rook, 2020. ISBN: 9781526362377.
(Ages: 11+) In this empowering non-fiction book, Dare to be you:
Defy self-doubt, fearlessly follow your own path and be
confidently you!' readers are encouraged to be themselves, be
different, pursue their dreams and to not be defined by what is
considered 'normal'. Aimed at students entering high school, the
book covers self-doubt, friendships, individualism, kindness and
more. Filled with research and examples, including real-life
examples from the author, well known successful people and a few
celebrities, the book relates to young teenagers through these
examples.
I found the book easy to read, due to layout and content, and I
believe it will be beneficial to teenagers who are confused and
searching for where they fit in the world. Throughout the book there
are activities that the reader can undertake to further explore
their own strengths, ideals and future pathways. Using a variety of
imagery and text styles (as well as colour), the book will appeal to
many readers. There are some really good suggestions to assist with
empowering the reader to own being themselves. Well suited for
readers between 11 and 15 years of age.
Themes: Self-empowerment, self-improvement, courage, self-doubt,
questioning.
Melanie Phillips
Going for Gold by Matthew 'Delly' Dellavedova and Zanni Louise
Illus. by Nathalie Ortega. Daring Delly book 3. Scholastic
Australia, 2020. ISBN: 9781743832028.
Recommended for primary students (ages 7-11). This is the 3rd book
in the Daring Delly series by Australian basketball
champion, Matthew Dellavedova. A section at the back of the book
includes a Q & A with the author, a biography page and a world
map showing all the locations of Dellavedova's career highlights,
from his beginnings in country Victoria to playing in the Olympics
and the USA.
The title character in this series, Delly, is crazy about basketball
and is a talented player. In this book his school is hosting the
Junior Basketball Tri-Nation Tournament, with teams arriving from
Japan and the USA. The visiting players are embraced by the
community during the tournament-they all attend the local school for
the week and most of them are housed by local families.
Dellavedova compassionately explores the highs and lows that come
when children from three different countries are thrown together
under pressure. The players navigate existing and new friendships
and work in pairs on a basketball assignment for school, all while
vying for tournament wins. They support each other through various
struggles, show good sportsmanship and learn about cultural
differences.
Throughout the story there are several play-by-play descriptions of
basketball games which include just the right level of detail. This
is enough for an enthusiastic fan to enjoy and be able to picture
exactly what's happening, while not being so technical as to become
boring to a non-basketball fan.
Whenever a new basketball term is introduced there is a diagram to
show what that term means, and there are multiple little trivia
notes scattered throughout which will interest readers who love
facts.
Dellavedova's books are based on his own childhood experiences and
he can proudly join other Australian sporting stars, such as Glenn
Maxwell, David Warner, Shane Crawford and the Selwood brothers, in
having created an entertaining book for young sports enthusiasts.
Themes: sport, friends.
Kylie Grant
Mama Ocean by Jane Jolly
Illus. by Sally Heinrich. Midnight Sun Publishing, 2020. ISBN:
9781925227659.
(Ages: 4-9) Highly recommended. Beautifully textured and flowing
illustrations by Sally Heinrich breath life into this whimsical tale
that carries a crucially important environmental message. As with
2017's Papa
Sky this story feels almost like an ancient legend, both
due to the grandeur of its illustrations and the sweeping simplicity
of its language. Mama Ocean is depicted as a wise, elderly mermaid
with long, flowing locks and a dedicated following of ocean
creatures. She rises supremely out of the waves; 'My children . . .
Gather near. And so they came'. But there is no happiness on her
weary face. She is distressed. In an effort to cheer her the sea
creatures bring her gifts that they find swirling around the ocean
currents: bottle tops, buckets and toothbrushes. 'But Mama Ocean was
sick. She was becoming bleached and frail. Her eyes were dulling and
her spirit was breaking'. As she is slowly becoming smothered with
these items the emerald water starts to grow murky and dark. Before
long the animals are also being strangled by these foreign
materials. The fish have cans stuck on their noses, the turtles have
plastic can holders tangled around their middles, the seals have
ropes twisted around their bodies and the seabed is littered with
plastic cups, corks and old shoes. Finally they see, 'Oh Mama! This
finery is fake. We must send it back from whence it came'. And so
they throw back the gifts and the ocean carries them away and dumps
them back onto the solid ground. Mama Ocean rises again: 'We need no
gifts', she says.
There is a fantastic page without any text that shows a gigantic
pile of waste on the edge of the ocean, that will provide a
fantastic starting point for conversations about waste and how to
solve the problem, not just of ocean litter but also litter in
general. Descriptive and rich language choices make for an emotive
and evocative read and the breathtaking illustrations are filled
with details that will help the reader connect their own lifestyle
with the devastation taking place in our oceans. The line 'we need
no gifts' is also worth exploring with children. Children will no
doubt feel empowered in their own ability to create change through
some simple changes to their everyday practices. Teacher's
notes are available. Themes: Oceans, Littering.
Nicole Nelson
Tribal Lores by Archimede Fusillo
Walker Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781760651954.
(Age: 14+) Recommended. This story is set in Australia, with a
family of Italian immigrants living in the suburbs of the city, the
father a butcher and the mother running the home, while helping her
husband and caring for family. Archimede Fusillo has constructed a
riveting tale of the challenges that face migrants in their new
country, from the social mores, to the changing of the old rules to
those of the new country, focusing on those that challenge the
parents in this new country. The novel feels so real, Fusillo having
constructed this evocative narrative with an authenticity that is
rivetting.
We read how the children of migrants must learn to cope with school,
socializing and learning the ways of the new country while living
very much by the rules of the old at home. This nexus of worlds is
at the heart of the divide that they face daily, as the new world
intrudes on the old ways, and the parents and children have to
adjust to their roles in this new place. Told with heart, this
narrative brings to light both the extreme challenges and the daily
adjustments, exploring how these differ for parents and children.
The old ways, however, dominate at home for the young people, and
Fusillo focuses on how they face the challenge of fitting in to the
new world while following the norms of their families. In fact, this
seems an impossible challenge. We feel every emotion with the
characters, so vivid is this tale, and we are torn by their
emotional responses, as Fusillo's beautiful and powerful tale
unfolds. This is a story appropriate for both adults and younger
adolescents. Book
Club notes are available.
Elizabeth Bondar
The bushfire book by Polly Marsden
Illus. by Chris Nixon. Lothian, 2020. ISBN: 9780734420077.
(Age: 6+) Recommended. Subtitled, How to be aware and prepare,
this book comes with a poster which summarises the thrust of the
book and usable in a classroom or at home to remind families of the
need to be ready.
In line with RFS regulations and in child friendly language, Marsden
approaches the fears that children may have when talking about
bushfire, an annual event caused by extreme weather in our country
and overseas. Everyone in Australia needs to be aware and have a
plan in case bushfire is part of their lives one day, but many chose
not to do so.
So it is apposite that such a book is available to initiate
discussion around awareness. After a few pages in which our fear of
bushfires is discussed, several pages of facts are given under the
headings fuel, heat and oxygen. Without these a fire cannot exist,
and there are some clever people keeping watch. These include,
emergency professionals, weather watchers, indigenous rangers and so
on. In the past indigenous people used fire as part of their
agricultural methods, but today with so many people living close
together bushfires are a major issue.
The three steps on the poster are then reiterated, be aware, prepare
and share, developing the steps each child can take to allay their
fears. It is hoped that with the three steps known and discussed,
the readers will have a better knowledge of how fires start, who is
there to help and how they should react. At the end of the book is
given the Fire Danger Ratings chart and the meaning of the words,
Total Fire Ban. If the reader is still feeling anxious then the best
thing to do is share their fears with a friend or relative.
The last page is a practical outline of the websites to go to for
more information, Red Cross, from which can be downloaded a Bushfire
Plan for the family to fill in and refer to, the Bureau of Meteorology
for information about the weather and any warnings that might be in
place, and WIRES which
helps wildlife affected by fire.
A charmingly illustrated book which encourages discussion at home or
in the classroom, this book includes lines about mental health and
keeping yourself safe from anxiety and fear. Teacher's
notes are available.
Themes: Fire, Emergency workers, Volunteers, Indigenous farming,
Australia, Climate change.
Fran Knight
The polar bear in Sydney Harbour by Beck Feiner and Robin Feiner
ABC Books, 2020. ISBN: 9780733339400.
(Age: 4+) Recommended. On her way home from the zoo, across Sydney
Harbour on the ferry, Hannah notices a polar bear. She befriends him
and calls him Rodney, wanting to keep him as a pet. But Rodney is
too hot in the Sydney weather and so she does a few things to cool
him down, eventually realising that he has not come to Sydney for an
adventure, but by accident. She is also puzzled by the fact that no
one else can see him. She takes him to Bondi Beach, there hoping to
find someone to help Rodney get back home. But they are all too
interested in having fun on the beach to notice Rodney. She takes
him on the underground and the same thing happens, and so she take
him Christmas shopping. Surely someone amongst the huge crowds will
notice him, but they are all too preoccupied with their shopping to
notice a polar bear. Dispirited they return home, but Hannah notices
the lighthouse and has an idea. They climb the building and Rodney
basks in the light, his fur reflecting the light all over Sydney,
making everyone sit up and take notice. They work with Hannah to get
the polar bear back home and he leaves on a ferry to return with a
snow dome of Sydney Harbour as a parting gift.
Hannah's persistence has paid off and now everyone is aware that a
polar bear does not belong in Sydney Harbour, awakening them to the
perils of climate change and its consequences.
This will be an interesting and questioning book to read and discuss
with classes. As I write this review, two humpback whales have been
found in East Alligator River in Kakadu National Park, veered off
their course through the Timor Sea. So animals out of their usual
spaces are now not uncommon. And all begs the question of why and
what can we do about it.
I love the illustrations with blocks of colour, each page having a
host of details to absorb and explore. Views of Sydney are very
recognisable, even to those who live elsewhere, and I love the maps
in the endpapers, giving younger readers an idea of where the animal
lives and what his journey back will look like, hopefully tempting
them to look at a larger map to see just where polar bears do live,
and how far they are from Australia. Teacher's
notes are available.
Themes: Animals, Climate change, Polar bears, Persistence, Sydney.
Fran Knight
