Puffin Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781760894054.
(Age: 2-5) Board Book, Lift-the-Flaps Book, Independence. As a TV
show, Bluey has been a phenomenal success, so it is no surprise that
there was great anticipation around the release of the accompanying
books. This one is based on a similarly titled Bluey episode in
which she and her family head to the beach for a fun day out. When
Mum heads off on a walk, Bluey asks her why she likes walking alone.
'I just do', she replies. Bluey thinks it's a strange answer, but
when she gets an opportunity for a solo walk of her own she begins
to understand. Her journey across the sand is filled with adventure
and independent problem solving. She is faced with a flock of
seagulls, a big wave, a weeing pipi, a myriad of crabs, an abandoned
sand castle and a pelican blocking her path. As she proceeds she
gains confidence and persists even in adversity, leading to a joyous
reunion with Mum. 'I love walking by myself', she says. She doesn't
know how to explain why; 'I just do', she says.
The Bluey TV show and this book are filled with typically Australian
cultural and social references and most children and families will
identify with at least something in this book; burying yourself in
the sand, listening for the ocean in a shell and poking jelly blobs
on the sand. The book is made more engaging by the use of flaps,
that in themselves are part of the story and help to create a sense
of movement and action. The text reads fine but it works better if
the reader and the audience are already familiar with the narrative
from the television episode. This is fine, however, because the
target audience will be. It certainly won't disappoint the millions
of dedicated Bluey fans out there.
Nicole Nelson
My folks grew up in the 80s by Beck and Robin Feiner
HarperCollins, 2019. ISBN: 9780733339417.
(Age: 6-10) This publication is a nostalgic walk down memory lane
for parents and a chance for their children to giggle at the
craziness of childhood in another time. The front and back cover
feature a hair crimper, leotard and legwarmers, scrunchies and
cassette tapes, trolls and heart-shaped sunglasses (just to name a
few). 'My folks grew up in the '80s. And from what I've heard, it
was a really bizarre time!' It goes on to describe all the weird and
wonderful things that people wore and did in the 80s, from using a
phone book and a landline telephone to aerobic exercising in front
of a Jane Fonda VHS.
The pictures are full of neon and '80s patterning and loaded with
cultural references and details that will make parents cringe,
giggle or both. Floppy discs, slinkies, forgetting to rewind videos
before returning them to the store, a BMX Bandit flag on the back of
the bicycle, Space Food Sticks and Pop Tarts in the kitchen . . .
it's all there.
It is quintessentially Australian and it is quintessentially '80s
and it will have kids asking questions and parents wanting to share
what life was like when they were a kid. As the last page points out
(complete with a nod to the Dirty Dancing water lift scene), it
might even help children understand why their folks are so weird.
A fantastic conversation starter for kids of 1980s Australia and
their curious and disbelieving offspring.
Nicole Nelson
If you meet an elephant by Debbie Smith
Illus. by Emma Middleton. Little Steps Publishing, 2019. ISBN:
9781925839104.
(Age: 3-6) Rhyming Book, Elephants, Friendship. This story explores
in picture and rhyme what it would be like to make friends with an
elephant. 'There are things you must know when you're out and about,
if you meet a large elephant there. It may help you to know of some
traits they might show . . . ' The text has mostly good moments
(With their big booty bottoms and flip- flappy ears, there'll be
CHAOS and MAYHEM in store') but is a little too nonsensical in parts
('You had better take care if an elephant's near . . .
especially when hosting high tea. Because ALL children know it's the
start of the show when the elephants come to . . . eat free!')
Emma Middleton's illustrations are whimsical and playful, featuring
a cute, smiling elephant and a bike-riding mouse and do a fair job
of portraying the immense size difference between the two main
characters. It seems a shame though, that the bright colours
featured on the cover give way to mainly muted dull tones as this
may have helped give the story some extra vibrancy. The story
finishes with 'But wait! Can you imagine how cool it would be . . .
if an elephant made friends with you? The intended message is that
even though being friends with someone different to you can put you
into uncomfortable situations it would also be rather exciting, but
this message does seem a little lost.
Nicole Nelson
The Somerset Tsunami by Emma Carroll
Allen and Unwin, 2019. ISBN: 9780571332816.
(Age: 10-12) Highly recommended. At last, a book to challenge young
minds! A book with some substance! The Somerset Tsunami
takes the young reader to another place and time - to the socio-
economic and political landscape of early seventeenth century
Somerset. For the Australian child, this is a leap. Not only is the
geography unfamiliar but the vernacular, the lifestyle - everything
that goes on in the lives of the characters is of another time.
Emma Carroll brings historical fiction alive. The Somerset
Tsunami storyline develops through the voice of Fortune, a
brave and smart heroine. She comes from a poor family who live in a
tiny hamlet called Fair Maidens Lane, somewhere on the Bristol
Channel. Carroll locates the story in a time of great social divide
where the poor cottagers lived powerless hand-to-mouth existences
with the greater social evils of the slave and sugar trades as a
backdrop. The role of women in society at that time is painted for
the reader and the threat of Witchcraft trials overhang the
characters as they fight for survival. Family love and loyalty tie
the characters together in the face of constant danger.
As well-known by today's inhabitants, a tsunami did destroy the
coastal hamlets in Somerset changing lives forever and perhaps
offering new opportunities to the brave. The rush of the tsunami
mirrors the chilling rate of challenges faced by the characters as
they try to evade their pursuers.
Carroll presents a cast of well-rounded characters. Gender roles are
explored. The characters are not stereotypical and they survive and
thrive. This is great representation of difference for young readers
to empathise with. Our heroine, for one, is no shrinking violet -
eventually going to sea as a sailor. Carroll allows her characters
to grow into themselves with natural acceptance of whatever that may
be. Love and relationships and what one does for love of the other
are central to the story.
This book would be ideal for age 10 to 12 stronger readers and would
work well as a serial read. Young readers could be encouraged to use
their atlases and explore historical themes arising from the book
that interest them.
Wendy Jeffrey
The girl who reads on the Metro by Christine Feret-Fleury
Translated from French by Ros Schwartz. Mantle, 2019. ISBN: 9781509868339.
(Age: 16+) Highly recommended. Travelling on the Paris Metro to work
in a real estate office, Juliette had often passed her time covertly
making out the book titles or the page being perused by fellow
commuters, and wondered about the lives of the readers and their
book choices. In a spontaneous variation to her route one day, an
encounter with a sprite of a girl, Zaide, leads her to the strange
dusty world of a bookshop, 'Books Unlimited', and its mysterious
owner Soliman, who dispenses books to 'passeurs' - not the agents of
the secret French resistance WWII escape routes, but people who pass
on books to the person most in need of them. Soliman tells Juliette
about Hornbaker's concept of BookCrossing, releasing books into the
wild, leaving books in public places for people to find; only
Soliman wants his passeurs to give the right book to the right
reader. It reminded me of Ranganathan's laws of library science:
every person his or her book; and, every book its reader. Juliette
had been studying readers on the Metro for a long time but the idea
of matching the right book to the right reader seems overwhelming to
her. But somehow she seems to have the knack . . .
The novel is set in the modern world of stressed work lives and
mobile phones, but the story invokes the quirkiness of past French
films, and I could just see Amelie star Audrey Tatou in the
role of Juliette, a person of lightness and grace, caught in the
humdrum of daily life, and bringing a spark to her encounters with a
variety of unusual people: the man in the green hat with his insect
book, the sad woman with Italian recipes, the pretty young woman
tearfully reading page 247 of the romance novel.
However Juliette has always led a sheltered life, never going
further than the few Metro stops to her work, her only adventures
those in the books she's read. When she enters into the bookshop
with its teetering piles of books, and then is suddenly asked to
take care of it all, the task seems overwhelming. But the friends
she has come to know help her to inevitably take courage and find
her true vocation.
This is definitely a book for book lovers; there are many references
to treasures of literature, both classical and modern. At the end
there is a list of amazing books. Readers will be familiar with
many, but are invited to also add their own favourites, books they
would "recommend to a friend - or to your worst enemy, so they will
no longer be so, if the magic works".
Helen Eddy
The very super bear by Nick Bland
Scholastic, 2019. ISBN: 9781743831267.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Bears, Verse, Humour, Problem solving,
Environment. When Bear finds a cape on the ground, he swings it onto
his shoulders, swishing it here and there, when a voice from on high
asks him to fly up and help.
In lovely rhyming verses, the tale of the bear and his cape unfolds,
him insisting that he may have a cape but he is not a super bear,
and cannot fly like super heroes. But each time he is asked for
assistance, he tries somehow to help. His first request is an
elephant stuck high up on a palm tree. Not able to fly up to help,
Bear climbs the tree, helping to rescue the elephant. But when the
elephant gets off he leaves the palm like a giant spring which
flings Bear into the air. He flies alongside a goose (Bruce) who
call for his help because a monster is gobbling up the trees in
their forest, and even though Bear insists again that he is not that
sort of bear, he tries to help. He does indeed find a monster
ripping up the trees and concocts a very funny solution to the
problem, using his cape, the flowers and the bees.
The acrylic illustrations are just delightful: the look on Bear's
face telling of his exasperation in not being able to convince the
other animals that he really cannot fly is memorable, while the
antics the Bear performs when donning his cape or throwing the
flowers are so full of movement many readers will get up and try it
out for themselves. Readers will laugh out loud at the animals'
attempts to rid their forest of the invader, and think about the
destruction that deprives these animals of their habitats. The
verses, so wonderful to read aloud, will entice children to call
out the rhyming word each time a second line is read, and they will
ask for the story to be read and read again.
Fran Knight
My grandma is 100 by Aimee Chan
Illus. by Angela Perrini. Little Steps, 2019. ISBN: 9781925839531.
(Age: 3+) Recommended. Themes: Age, Family, Birthdays, Numbers,
Presents, Celebrations. Children will love recognising the customs
surrounding birthdays as the narrator in this story talks about his
grandma's approaching 100th birthday He wonders about what people
will come along: will there be 100 people, or 100 birthday presents?
And then of course, what sort of food to have: Grandma tells him she
needs grown-up food like sandwiches and quiche not potato chips and
little pies which she cannot eat, and he wonders whether they will
need the fire brigade to put out the fire of 100 candles on the
cake. Children will laugh along with grandma at the questions he
asks, enjoying the hunour underlying the young boy's inquisitive
nature. But they may be questions they ask as well, especially when
they have a much older relative who needs special care. We find that
his grandma is in a nursing home, so when the question of a present
arises, he must be careful that it is not too big or noisy. He
deliberates over what to give her, remembering how she only had a
doll when she was younger in times which were, she tells him, a lot
simpler.
Children will enjoy reading of the organisation around birthday
parties, and particularly when someone turns 100, they will love
questioning along with the narrator, and thinking about what they
would do for their older relative.
The bright illustrations concentrate on the customs of the birthday
party: lots of images of cake and presents, candles, flags and
guests, making it a happy, involving look at how a birthday is
celebrated.
Fran Knight
Roly Poly by Mem Fox
Illus. by Jane Dyer. Puffin Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781760896348.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Polar bears, Sibling rivalry,
Families. Learning to get along with a new member of the family,
especially one who wants what you have, can be a painful transition
for some, and Mem Fox brings this issue to life with her delightful
character Roly Poly, imaginatively sculpted by Jane Dyer and
photographed by Jeanne Birdsall.
Roly Poly is used to having his own space. His bed is his bed and
his alone, the fish he catches are his fish and his alone, his
walrus tooth that he plays with is his and his alone. Repetition
entwines the listeners into the story, and they will say the words
out loud, waiting for the verbal clues to show them the way. The
beautifully timed lines create an image of a bear not used to
sharing his life so when a baby brother appears in his bed one day,
he is indignant. He pretends not to hear when his parents tell him
about Monty, and he storms off when this brother tries to play with
him. But Monty follows him, and when the ice flow begins to crack,
Roly Poly pretends not to hear the cries for help, and turns his
back once again.
The images created by Dyer are magical: pulled wool results in a
fluffy felt like appearance, giving the impression of the polar
bears' fur, and the addition of little things like the bedroom
furniture and the scarves add reality to each scene.
It is amazing how lifelike the expressions on the bears' faces
become as the story unfolds, making it clear to all readers that
this book is not just about bears.
Readers will love listening to the story read aloud, anticipating
the repeated words, repeating some of the lines as it is read.
Equally reading it for themselves will be a treat, searching each
page for details, marvelling at how lifelike the bears are,
recalling for themselves times when they have been less than
sympathetic with their siblings.
As a read aloud, a discussion starter about siblings and their
disagreements, or just a good read about two brothers, this latest
offering by Australia's most loved author, Mem Fox, will never be
left long on the shelf in any library. You may need several copies.
Fran Knight
The Land of Roar by Jenny McLachlan
Egmont, 2019. ISBN: 9781405293679.
(Age: 8-12) Recommended. Themes: Fantasy, Imaginary lands,
Adventure, Magical Creatures, Good vs Evil, Twins. Rose and Arthur
are twins who have spent holiday time with their grandad. As young
children they played in Grandad's attic and created a mythical land
where they were the heroes of imaginative battles and adventures.
Now back at Grandad's home as eleven year olds, Rose and Arthur are
not quite the connected twins that they used to be. Rose is only
interested in her mobile phone and impressing the older girl next
door whereas Arthur is keen to relive their childhood adventures in
the attic. Rose treats Arthur disdainfully and Arthur keeps on
hoping Rose will become the adventurous and fun sister she once was.
Grandad decides that this year he will give the children the attic
as their own space but they will need to tidy it up and throw things
out. While clearing things out, Arthur finds two important childhood
memories of the Land of Roar which he cannot quite believe are true
- an old hand drawn map and a sign saying "Enter here for the land
of roar". While Grandad is helping Arthur he disappears into the
Land of Roar through a rolled up bed mattress. This is where the
twin's amazing journey begins. Arthur follows and meets all manner
of magical creatures in his search for his missing grandfather. Rose
eventually joins him and with their friend, Win, they must fight the
evil Crowky in order to save their grandad.
The author has used every fragment of her imagination to create an
exciting adventure where anything and everything is possible - magic
roads, magic tunnels, stuffed scarecrows that fight, Lost Girls,
dragons, mermaids, Prosecco the wooden horse from the attic and so
much more. Young readers will enjoy the action and tension
throughout the book as well as the clever illustrations to support
the story. Throughout the whole story, Arthur is never quite sure if
the Land of Roar is real or something he and Rose made up. Grandad
tells him it is real in his imagination and "I wonder if every child
has a world like this only not everyone is lucky enough to find it."
Kathryn Beilby
The Grace Year by Kim Liggett
Del Ray, 2019. ISBN: Del Ray, 2019. ISBN: 9781529100594. 404 pg., paperback.
No one speaks of the Grace Year. Little is known about what goes on
during it, but every girl in the county knows one thing is certain.
It will change them, if they survive it that is. The Grace Year
by Kim Liggett is a feminist thriller centered on Tierney James, who
lives in a village where all the girls are banished to the outskirts
at sixteen for the entire year. To brave the wilderness and expel
their magic is what they are told but really, they must also brave
each other. Trust no one, not even yourself. The Grace Year kept me grabbing the book wanting more and
more whenever I had the chance. Kim wrote of such compelling
characters that had such complex feelings and compulsions of their
own that I wasn't able to tell what was going to happen next. Kim
also described Tierney James well: she is a strong minded, logical
yet rebellious girl coming into her womanhood and after following
the rules of the county for all of her life she still finds it hard
to break free from it all, to finally be free of what she has been
told is expected of her. Going against what has been told of her,
going against the men who control her life, even going against the
other women around her, Tierney faces it all with as much strength
as she can muster. The question is: Will it be enough?
Kayla Raphael. 404 pg., paperback.
No one speaks of the Grace Year. Little is known about what goes on
during it, but every girl in the county knows one thing is certain.
It will change them, if they survive it that is. The Grace Year
by Kim Liggett is a feminist thriller centered on Tierney James, who
lives in a village where all the girls are banished to the outskirts
at sixteen for the entire year. To brave the wilderness and expel
their magic is what they are told but really, they must also brave
each other. Trust no one, not even yourself. The Grace Year kept me grabbing the book wanting more and
more whenever I had the chance. Kim wrote of such compelling
characters that had such complex feelings and compulsions of their
own that I wasn't able to tell what was going to happen next. Kim
also described Tierney James well: she is a strong minded, logical
yet rebellious girl coming into her womanhood and after following
the rules of the county for all of her life she still finds it hard
to break free from it all, to finally be free of what she has been
told is expected of her. Going against what has been told of her,
going against the men who control her life, even going against the
other women around her, Tierney faces it all with as much strength
as she can muster. The question is: Will it be enough?
Kayla Raphael
The perfect puppy by Alyce Hall
Illus. by Katrina Fisher. Little Steps, 2019. ISBN: 9781925839173.
(Age: 3+) Recommended. Themes: Dogs, Puppies, Family, difference.
Logan is one of a large litter and as people come along to select a
pup to take home, he is rejected because he has one floppy ear. He
tries very hard to look the same, to blot out his difference, but to
no avail, he is still rejected by all the visitors. He ties his ear
up with toilet paper, but that just looks silly, and so he decides
that he will become another animal entirely. He goes to the farm and
watches a cow chew grass and decides that is not for him. He watches
the chooks laying eggs and thinks that is not for him. He looks at
the ducks but feels the water is too cold and the hole the rabbits
hide in underground is much too small for him. He rejects the pigs
as he doesn't like the mud on his fur and he talks differently from
the horse. At the end of autumn he is the last pup left and he does
not know what to do. He has run out of ideas. But a young girl and
her mother come along and see him, crying out that he is perfect
because of his one floppy ear and he has found his home.
A sweet story of belonging, of being different, of accepting one's
difference, this tale could be used in the classroom to look at the
tricky subject of body image, difference and acceptance. The warmly
sentimental illustrations will have wide appeal to the audience
where dogs and pups are things to be admired and loved. The images
of the dog being rejected will draw sighs of disappointment from the
audience, but as with all good stories, they know there will a happy
ending. From this story discussions could centre around dog
ownership, finding a dog for your family, rescue homes and so on.
The book lends itself to a variety of discussion points, and is a
sweet read aloud as well.
Fran Knight
Whose nose do you suppose? by Richard Turner
Illus. by Margaret Tolland. Starfish Bay Publishing, 2019. ISBN:
9781760360627.
(Age: 3+) Themes: Noses, Animals, Comparison, Verse. In easy to read
verse stanzas the question is asked of the reader about the nose
seen on the facing page. When the child has made some hopefully,
extravagant and also some measured guesses the page is turned to
reveal the correct answer. Readers will laugh out loud at their
responses, eagerly seeing who is correct and what the answer will
be. They will notice the detail of each drawing, the nose giving
some clues to recognising the animal, and the page when turned
revealing more of its habitat and environs along with its physical
features.
The accompanying stanza gives details about the animal: where it is
found, habitat, feeding habits and so on, each stanza offering a
different range of information, urging the student to find out more.
The twelve animals depicted include a rabbit, ostrich, elephant,
polar bear and shark, and I found the selection surprising so it
will be interesting to see how younger readers accept them. Some are
well known, meerkat and panda for example, but a few will stretch
their imaginations: anaconda, flamingo, ostrich for example. But its
always useful to add a few variables with the known.
In a classroom a map would be useful to show where these animals
come from and a trip to the local zoo would make a great adjunct to
the reading of the book.
Fran Knight
Rainbow Magic: Camilla the Christmas Present Fairy by Daisy Meadows
Orchard Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781408352465. 155pp., pbk.
Best friends Kirsty and Rachel are very excited to give each other
their Christmas presents! But when Jack Frost steals Camilla the
Christmas Present Fairy's magical objects, the magic of giving is in
danger. Can the girls help get Camilla's items back and save
Christmas for both the human and fairy worlds? The
Rainbow Fairies have been delighting young girls who are newly
independent readers since 2003 with 254 fairies published and 11 yet
to come. The series follows the lives of Kirsty Tate and Rachel
Walker and their magical adventures with their fairy friends, Queen
Titania, Queen of the fairies, King Oberon, King of the fairies and
Jack Frost, who is the enemy of the fairies and his servants, the
Goblins. With all the elements of fantasy that young girls love, the
series has remained popular for 16 years so if you have someone
ready to make the transition to novels this could be the one to
start them. This new release features three stories, each with short
chapters and illustrations to support the reader and with so many
others in the series to move on to, it is perfect for managing this
new step of the reading journey. There is also an
online site so that there is much more to explore and engage
in to enrich their experience, as well as suggestions for other
series that will broaden their reading horizons.
Barbara Braxton
Some places more than others by Renee Watson
Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781526613684.
(Ages 8-12). Highly recommended. Themes: Family relationships,
Fathers, Daughters, African American people, New York city. New York
city can be a wonderful, busy place and for Amara it's the only
place she wants to be for her twelfth birthday. She is eager to go
with her father to Harlem to meet his estranged father and his other
family and get to know the place where her father grew up. Feeling a
little unsettled by the fact that her mother is finally having
another child and questioning her strange relationship with her
mother, Amara feels she will understand so much more about herself
and her family if she can get to know more about their history in
New York. Her father makes it clear that this is a work trip for
him, and Amara finds it hard to accept that this is the reason he is
avoiding her Grandpa Earl so much when they get there. Amara puts
herself in danger in a large confusing city as she acts out when she
gets frustrated with her cousins' attitude towards her and the fact
that her father doesn't seem to want to spend any time with her in
New York.
The trip for Amara is enlightening in lots of ways as she learns
more about her father's childhood and how Grandpa Earl now realizes
the mistakes he made when his son was a boy and is trying to make
amends. Her grandpa tells her things about her father that bring
them closer together and ultimately heals the rifts that seemed so
insurmountable at the beginning of her journey. She also has a
school history project to complete. The author includes information
about the Suitcase Project that Amara's teacher sets them which is
designed to get the children to research more about their families.
It provides the perfect vehicle for Amara to fulfill her mother's
wishes to get her father and Grandpa talking and the information
included at the end of the book will provide classroom teachers with
a great resource to use after reading this book.
This is a touching, thought provoking story with well-drawn,
engaging characters that will make a big impact on the reader. It is
about how exploring the places from our past can help us understand
who we are and how our family effects our lives.
Gabrielle Anderson
Yinti Desert Cowboy by Pat Lowe and Jimmy Pike
Magabala Books, 2019 (c2000). ISBN: 9781925936933.
Recommended. Themes: Aboriginal life; Station life and work. The
Yinti stories follow young Aboriginal lad, Yinti, as he grows, lives
and works in North West Australia. In the third book in the series,
Yinti has begun work as a station-hand on one of the cattle stations
out of Derby, in Western Australia. Demonstrating great skills and
capacity to learn quickly, he puts his considerable talents to work
as a 'cowboy', wrangling cattle and riding horses. A later stint on
a sheep station develops his station skills further. Aboriginal life
changes as most of his community head to work with the kartiya
(white people) who are running the stations, and their traditional
skills are adapted to a new way of life. With the advent of wages,
the provision of kartiya food supplies, and with risks of the
stockman life sometimes requiring medical treatment as a consequence
of injury, there are many changes in Yinti's life.
The insights into Aboriginal life after moving from a purely
traditional hunting lifestyle are revealed in this simple collection
of anecdotal stories, based on Jimmy Pike's own experience. The book
is a great insight into aboriginal ingenuity and capacity, and is
worth reading. Although there are references to historical
atrocities involving aboriginal people, this is handled very simply
and yet powerfully for a young audience.
Having now read all three of Yinti's stories, I am impressed at the
power of these stories to create cultural understanding. They are
certainly worth sharing with a young audience and would make great
read-aloud stories. Note, by the end of this, the third book in the
series, Yinti is exploring 'adult life' and a romance with a married
girl at the back of the station wood-pile is obliquely hinted at,
rather than explained in detail. This book is perhaps more suited to
a slightly older reader as a consequence.
Carolyn Hull
