Illus. by Vashti Harrison. Puffin Books, 2019. ISBN: 9780241394328.
(Age: 9 - 12 years) Highly recommended. Sulwe was born the
colour of midnight. So begins the stunning picture book Sulwe
written by Academy Award winning Kenyan actress and producer Lupita
Nyong'o. The book describes the feelings of a young girl whose skin
is not the same colour as the other members of her family. She finds
it difficult to fit in at school and is taunted by others. Sulwe
compares herself to her fairer skinned and popular sister and
attempts to lighten her skin but to no avail. She eventually shares
her pain with her mother who supports her with love and
understanding and explains that her name means star which shows
brightness. When night falls, a shooting star takes Sulwe on a
journey and tells the story of two sisters, Night and Day who grew
apart. The star goes onto explain that both Night and Day need each
other and together they make the world as we know it. The story ends
with Sulwe realizing that she is unique and special and has her
place in the world.
The striking illustrations and use of colour by Vashti Harrison set
the mood and reflect the night and day, dark and light theme of the
story. Her images of Sulwe are quite beautiful and the portrayal of
the two mythical sisters, Night and Day, are stunning. Sulwe is a wonderful story that warrants a place in any
school library. It sends a powerful message to primary aged children
and will prompt plenty of class discussion about how we treat others
and how we feel about ourselves. It also shows us that with kindness
and support, we can begin to overcome our own feelings of low
self-esteem and that we are all bright and beautiful as we are.
Themes: Families, Self-esteem, Racism, Belonging, Acceptance, Myths,
Fantasy.
Kathryn Beilby
The Confession by Jessie Burton
Picador, 2019. ISBN: 9781509886159.
(Age: Adult-Adolescent)The Confession is a story of mystery,
love and loss, and of the roles that family and friendship play in
our lives. Essentially, this narrative delves into the ideal of
motherhood, family and love, but is also about the reality of life,
of self-absorption, fear, loneliness, rejection and mystery. The
choice of a puzzling lack of information within the narrative is
pertinent to the enigmatic events and choices that the characters
make, and reflects what Burton has constructed, in an absorbing and
completely captivating narrative.
In the narrative that begins in 1980, Elise falls in love with
Connie when they meet unexpectedly in the park in New York, and this
meeting changes Elise's life. The second narrative, interwoven and
connected to the first, and told in the first person, is the story
of Elise's daughter, beginning in 2017, of her quest to find her
mother who disappeared one day, leaving no trace, and who has never
been found. The notion of mystery pervades the text, as we are
similarly eager to discover the truth when we realize that we do not
know the details of the enigma of the lost mother either.
Structuring the story in two different eras, Burton begins in 1980
and interweaves the years subsequent to this period with the events
of 2017 and beyond.
Well-written, richly descriptive and tantalizing in its complexity,
and indeed in the description of the passing of the years, this
narrative is a powerful expression of the way in which human
interaction can be loving and supportive, while also suggesting that
life can also be ruled by an individual's choices that are hurtful,
self-absorbed or unexpectedly puzzling. Jessie Burton has written an
evocative story, one that is well-constructed, powerful and
interestingly complex. It is appropriate for both adult and
adolescent readers.
Elizabeth Bondar
Lottie Luna and the Bloom Garden by Vivian French
Illus. by Nathan Read. HarperCollins, 2019. ISBN: 9780008342982.
(Age: 7+). Highly recommended. Themes: Fantasy, Werewolves,
Friendship, Gardens. In this very enjoyable and easy read junior
fiction novel, the story begins in the crumbling Dracon Castle where
a werewolf family have recently moved to. Lottie Luna, her older
brother Boris and their parents have become the local royalty and
Lottie Luna is about to begin at a new school in the middle of term.
She decides to be ordinary and not tell her classmates she is a
princess. Lottie Luna has another secret though. She was born when
there was a full moon and lunar eclipse and has special powers. She
is able to run and swim very quickly, is very strong and has
astounding hearing. After rescuing Bernie, a werewolf cub, she is
unavoidably thrust into the limelight. Lottie Luna then discovers
her school Principal, Madame Grubeloff, was born on this special day
and also has the same special powers. The Principal encourages
Lottie Luna to use her special powers only when absolutely
necessary.
On the first day at her new school, Lottie Luna wins a competition
to design a school garden on a derelict plot of land behind the
school which may otherwise be sold for a toll road. Her garden is
called the Bloom Garden and the school students set about
landscaping and planting the flowers. Sadly it is destroyed two
nights in a row and Lottie Luna's suspicions fall on Aggie who is
not a kind classmate and who thought she would win the competition.
The new Deputy Principal and his sneaky son Bruno are unpleasant
characters who also come under suspicion. With the help of Lottie
Luna's new friends, Marjory and Wilf, the problem is solved and the
Bloom Garden eventually survives.
The black and white illustrations by Nathan Read complement the text
brilliantly and draw the reader in. They are both detailed and
entertaining and help to set the visual imagery throughout the
novel. Lottie Luna and the Bloom Garde is the first in a
series with the second titled Lottie Luna and the Twilight party.
Kathryn Beilby
Tim and Tigon by Tim Cope
Pan Macmillan, 2019. ISBN: 9781760554293.
(Age: 12+) Recommended. 'Adventurer Tim Cope had a childhood dream:
to travel the 10,000 kilometres from Mongolia to Hungary on
horseback - a journey undertaken by the legendary leader of the
Mongols, Genghis Khan. Tim made this epic journey - across the
windswept wilderness and wolf-infested plateaux of Mongolia and
Kazakhstan - with his dog Tigon'. (Publisher)
The YA version of the novel makes it easy to follow and digest for
younger readers even aged 12. This is a recommended novel with
heart. The pictures in the middle show the reality of the harsh
conditions that Tim and Tigon coped with and the traditions of the
people that they encountered.
Vincent Hermann
The fate of Fausto: a painted fable by Oliver Jeffers
HarperCollins Children's Books, 2019. ISBN: 9780008357917.
(All ages). Highly recommended. Themes: Greed, Wants and needs.
Fausto wants everything to bow in acknowledgement to him. He
believes that he owns everything and goes to a flower, a sheep, a
tree, a field, forest and a lake to force their submission to him.
He expects this, although the lake takes some time to see things his
way. Next the mountain holds his ground, making the man make his
fist, stomp his feet and generally put up a fight. The mountain
concedes.
Children and adults alike will see parallels all around them of
behaviour such as this.
But the man is still dissatisfied and takes to a boat upon the sea.
Away from the shore he tells the sea that the sea belongs to him.
The sea remains silent. He tells the sea again that he is its owner,
and this time the sea responds, telling him that Fausto does not
owns the sea. He is adamant that he does and says he will stamp his
feet, and climbs out of the boat onto the sea to do so. He
disappears.
None of the things that bowed to him cared. They carried on just as
before. Fausto's fate did not matter to them at all.
A wonderful modern fable about possessions and self image, readers
of all ages will thrill at the behaviour shown by Fausto in trying
to get his own way, seeing parallels in the nightly news or history
or people with whom they mix.
This story reveals all the elements of a fable, a short story in
which animals have human characteristics and ends with a moral, and
will be another discussion point with students. Comparing this tale
with Aesop's fables, for example will widen the student's literary
vocabulary and enable them to see other examples of modern fables.
Students could discuss why the author has chosen the name Fausto for
his anti hero, and absorb the wonderful story retold by Kurt
Vonnegut at the end of the book, seeing parallels between that story
and why Jeffers wrote his fable.
The startling illustrations done using a lithographic printmaking
technique, add to the dream like qualities of the story as many
pages are blank,some pages have a phrase and just a line of colour,
some pages are covered with colour but all expect the reader to
think about what is happening, to think about the man's expectations
of life and his dissatisfaction with what he has ending with his
sinking into the sea and oblivion.
The endpapers reflect books from years ago with their wonderful
marbling effect and intricate designs, which once more will attract
the readers to look again before the book is closed.
Fran Knight
Antarctica by Moira Court
Fremantle Press, 2019. ISBN: 9781925815757.
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Themes: Antarctica, Animals, Survival,
Counting book. From one to ten, the unusual animals of the Antarctic
are presented to the reader. For a younger child the book is a great
read aloud, reinforcing the numbers one to ten, while older readers
will be intrigued with the animals presented, asking questions about
how each survives in such an inhospitable place, reading the four
pages of information given at the back of the book to find some
answers.
Each double page presents a group of animals: one is for the leopard
seal, two has two emperor penguins, three is for the elephant seals,
and four reveals four right whales while ten is for ten sea stars.
Each double page has a line about the animal, using rhythmic
descriptive words, begging the listener or reader to repeat the
words, allowing them to roll about the mouth, enjoying the freshness
of the descriptions.
Moira Court's illustrative technique ensures the eye will pour over
every page, pondering how each image is produced, marvelling at how
the remote, cold and isolated place can be revealed with scraps of
paper.
Court uses a range of print making and collage techniques to produce
her work, and younger children will be introduced to this form of
art reading this book. It will excite their interest working out how
each image is produced, encouraging them to try their skills to make
one of the animals. Court's website gives some
clues about her techniques and is worth a look.
This book is a wonderful introduction to Antarctica and its animals
and landscape, giving quirky facts in the information for older
readers and encouraging all readers to look, question and ponder.
Antarctica is again in the news with pressure mounting for oil
exploration to occur. This is a timely addition to the field and
will enable readers to know just what does live in the Antarctic.
Fran Knight
Every day resilience by Michelle Mitchell
Big Sky, 2019. ISBN: 9781922265029.
(Age: Adult -16) Highly recommended. Subtitled Helping Kids Handle
Friendship Drama, Academic Pressure and the Self-Doubt of Growing
Up. 'In this book Michelle shows every family how they can cultivate
resilience in their children or adolescents by focussing on 7 key
traits - courage, gratitude, empathy, self-awareness,
responsibility, self-care and contribution. She answers questions
like: How can I help my child be more confident? What do I say when
my child is rejected by friends? How do I help a child who is
struggling academically? What do I say when my child says, "I
can't"? How do I help an anxious or shy child find their voice? What
can I do to help them discover their potential?' Every day resilience is a book for all parents, teachers,
counsellors and older teenage readers (perhaps 16 plus). It tackles
the harder issues and shows how to overcome them. It is a self help
book that is recommended for those struggling times.
The author's website
also has helpful hints about parenting, eg an article and video
entitled, Bringing
the Calm: How to Interrupt the Anxiety Loop, and the
book is accompanied by The Everyday Resilience Journal and Video
Series for Tweens.
Vincent Hermann
Liars: Lockdown by Jack Heath
Liars book 4. Scholastic, 2019. ISBN: 9781742993423.
(Age: 10-15). Recommended. Jarli, creator of the Truth app, is one
of the students trapped in a hospital by mercenaries taking
hostages. 'All the phones are jammed. The building is locked down.
No help is coming. The mercenaries work for Viper, a ruthless and
deadly criminal. Jarli and his friends have outwitted Viper before.
Can they do it again?' (Publisher)
This is a very intense YA novel, part of the recommended Liars
series, highly engaging and up-to-date for young readers. The series
of novels follows on well and is quite suitable for the youth of
today.
Vincent Hermann
Home by Charles Hope
Wild Dog Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781742034249.
(Age: 7+) Highly recommended. Themes: Information book, Animal homes
and habitats. The ingenious dwellings of the animal kingdom are
portrayed here through beautiful and insightful photography (as with
Hope's very successful Close up series and the CBCA
shortlisted The big book of Antarctica). The book first
explains why homes are important for animals before giving brief
information about animal habitats. It then separates animals into
two categories: the builders and the squatters. The builders section
shows and discusses webs, hives lodges, burrows, bird nests and
non-bird nests (such as termite mounds and alligator nests). The
squatters section deals with those who dwell in caves (entrance,
twilight and dark zones), hollows, shells and exoskeletons. There is
no great detail about any one animal but a focus on the types of
homes and why and how they are built or chosen. There is a great
diversity of animals mentioned, including many that children may be
unfamiliar with or not know much about. There is then a double page
each on animal homes in zoos, pet life and farm life (with each
discussing the purpose and associated problems of these unnatural
animal homes). There is also some information about baby animals'
first homes (eggs, chrysalis, pouch, frogspawn, womb) and those who
are carried by their parents as young. The book then succinctly
answers the question of why not all animals need homes and explains
migration and its purpose.
Overall, this is a fantastic text that explains why things are the
way they are rather than just stating what happens. It provides
fascinating information about this Australian Curriculum topic in an
interesting and engaging way. It is very reader friendly with plain
language, an unfussy layout that contains lots of white space and
some full-page photographs that provide a break from the pages with
longer text sections. The photographs are spectacular and provide a
detailed and insightful look at many new and unusual animal homes.
There is also a detailed glossary and index to assist readers in
developing research skills.
Nicole Nelson
Full disclosure by Camryn Garrett
Penguin, 2019. ISBN: 9780241367063.
(Age: 16+) Recommended. Themes: HIV, Sexuality, Gender, LGBQT+,
Prejudice. Simone is the adopted daughter of a gay couple she calls
Dad and Pops. The two men chose her, an HIV positive baby, as an act
of caring after seeing friends die from AIDS. Simone's condition is
managed with regular drug treatment, her viral load is almost
undetectable which means she is not a risk to anyone. But whilst she
is informed and responsible, she knows that the ignorance of people
around her can mean humiliation and rejection if anyone finds out -
that was the horrible experience at her last school. She is now
starting at a new school, with new friends, and has been selected as
director of the school play, but just when everything seems to be
going well, anonymous messages threaten her happiness once again.
Camryn Garrett wrote this book when she was only seventeen years
old, and it is a refreshingly candid account of teenage worries and
fears: anxiety about the first date, first sex, gender confusion,
sexual attraction, masturbation and even a first visit to a sex
shop! The voice is open and honest, and the values are positive
throughout. Her fathers are both caring involved parents, her
friends are loyal and supportive, she has an encouraging teacher,
and even the blackmailer is revealed to be a troubled person in need
of help rather than punishment. The book advocates for speaking up,
sharing worries and getting help. And ultimately Simone learns to
overcome her fears and to trust in the people who care for her.
Dealing openly with topics people generally don't like to talk
about, this story will reflect many teenage concerns, and also is
very enlightening and informative on the subject of human
immunodeficiency virus - readers will come away having enjoyed a
heartwarming story and be a little more knowledgeable as well.
Helen Eddy
A banana is a banana by Justine Clarke and Josh Pyke
Illus. by Heath McKenzie. Penguin, 2019. ISBN: 9781760891664.
(Age: 3-6) Themes: Names, Humourous stories. Based on the authors'
song by the same name, A banana is a banana looks at the
humour in some of the names given to things ('If an eggplant really
grew eggs, chickens would be out of a job. If a catfish was really
made of cats, then it might get chased by a dog . . . And a banana
is a banana. That's what it's called. I don't know why'). This
definitely sounds better when sung, but it reads rather well and
unlike the song it allows time for discussion about what it means.
Kids will love 'getting the joke' ('It would be just like a bad
dream, if they serve you up jellyfish and ice cream') but they may
need some help understanding it. This will be enjoyed by those who
are already familiar with the song but will also encourage those who
don't know it to have a listen. As always, Heath McKenzie's
illustrations are bright and fun and use mini-versions of the three
creators.
This is a fun nonsense book that isn't complete nonsense, because it
does make you think!
Nicole Nelson
A dog's promise by W. Bruce Cameron
Pan Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781529010084. A dog's promise reminds me of the literary tradition of
family sagas, in which the personal travails of families are set in
the context of societal upheavals. The story follows Burke, brother
Grant, father Chase and Chase's mother. Other significant characters
include Wenling and her Chinese father and American mother.
The book is third in the A dog's purpose series, but it does
stand alone.
Its narrator is the dog Bailey, who becomes Cooper, then Riley, then
Oscar. We meet Bailey when he is born as Cooper, visualising him
becoming Burke's assist dog, whom we first meet as a child in a
wheelchair. Together they confront prejudices about disability.
Burke's small farm family faces the environmental and economic
impacts of agribusiness. Children strive to break away from parental
expectations and brothers fight because they are jealous. Anger
leads to lasting grudges. Illness and death feature, too.
Dialogue is crucial in expressing ideas. After one dispute between
the brothers, Grandma tells Grant not to hurt Burke because, 'You
shouldn't take your frustrations out on others.' Racial prejudice is
flagged in the following exchange when we find out that Wenling's
father is a janitor, not a leader in agribusiness:
'I guess I assumed he was an engineer', said Chase.
Why, because he's Asian? Wenling asked.
'Yeah . . . you got me. I'm sorry'. (p. 192)
Bruce Cameron writes fluently and preaches that we can choose the
thoughts we carry through our lifetime(s). Happiness or anger.
Forgiveness or resentment. He also comforts readers with the idea
that what goes wrong can be righted by love.
Sometimes there is humour to relieve the tension of sober themes,
for example, when Cooper hopes that his people will stop trying to
get him excited about a nylon bone. A dog's promise is long. I'd suggest it to Year 10s and 11s
who like stories about families and about dogs. Some may read avidly
about the love triangle between brothers. But I find myself
wondering. What the dog knows and understands is not always
congruous and though the thought that the animals we love may be
reincarnated is appealing, I can't suspend my disbelief.
Chris Bourlioufas
Max Booth future sleuth: Film flip
Illus. by Dave Atze. Max Booth future sleuth series. Big
Sky, 2019. ISBN: 9781922265104.
Recommended for readers aged 7-11. Themes: Future, Photographic
history. Max and his robo-dog, Oscar, find a 400 year-old film
canister and try to discover its contents. Unfortunately their
understanding of the photographic process is limited . . . the old
Internet ceased to function in 2037 and it is now 2424!
Unfortunately their exploration of this 'old historical item' causes
others to be interested too, and they encounter some risky moments
as they race to keep the film safe. This is a fun exploration of a
piece of 'lost' history that children from the digital era will also
be baffled by.
Cameron Macintosh has written a short, but appealing story set far
into the future with a quirky mix of travel, technology, robotics and
history as backdrops to the storyline. It is a fun and comedic
adventure with some variations in pace and characterisation.
Illustrated with engaging cartoons, this is a book for readers aged
7-11, and they will enjoy learning about other 'old' items
discovered by Max Booth in the other books in the series.
Carolyn Hull
The crayons' Christmas by Drew Daywalt
Illus. by Oliver Jeffers. HarperCollins, 2019. ISBN: 9780008180362.
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Themes: Crayons, Christmas, Humour,
Pop up. This beautifully presented book, with flaps, letters,
envelopes, lift ups and pop outs will intrigue and delight younger
readers along with the older readers who helps them navigate the
pages.
Eager fingers will love searching through the intricacies of the
book's production. Buy two, even three! Kids will love it and shown
how to use it carefully, the book will last just as long as any
other popular book in the library or at home.
The humour of the The
day the crayons quit(2013), followed by The
day the crayons came home (2015) and Crayon's
book of numbers (2016) is spread throughout this
Christmas offering as the two, Red and Green crayon prepare for the
celebrations with Duncan.
Letters arrive at their home, but the contents are not for Duncan,
but various other crayons.
After being outdoors for a while in the snow they decide to get out
the Christmas decorations and hang them up, pulling out the box of
decorations that everyone has stored somewhere in their house.
Each routine of Christmas follows, putting up decorations, singing
carols, making a Santa in the snow, making biscuits and a drink to
leave for Santa, wrapping presents, receiving and sending cards and
letters, emails and gifts, until the night before Christmas arrives
and the Christmas play is over. All is in readiness. But Duncan
receives a map of the world showing a world tour by his friends and
hears that they won't be home for Christmas, so the crayons take the
day in hand, presenting a Christmas to remember.
A wonderful play on the idea of Christmas, this book revolves around
the routines of Christmas, the things done in western societies
heralding the day and its customs. Children will follow the routines
readily, recognising the ones done in their homes and seeing some of
those replicated in the shops and streets of their towns. Children
will love opening the envelopes and reading the messages, piecing
together the story as it unfolds, and enjoy hanging the decorations,
popping up the tree, taking out the clothing to put on the crayon.
Fran Knight
The lonely Christmas tree by Chris Naylor-Ballesteros
Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN: 9781408892923.
Recommended. The lonely Christmas tree is a small picture
book, based loosely upon the classic Christmas poem 'Twas the
night before Christmas. This book also follows a poetic rhyme,
which allows the reader to fall into a nice rhythm quite quickly.
Each page of text only has 4-6 short lines and a beautiful
illustration on the opposing page.
The story follows a lonely little tree who found its self far away
from all the others who had already been cut and decorated.
Suddenly a jolly fellow came and chose the tree for a prime position
in the town, and when the bright star was placed on top all the
tree's woodland friends returned.
Of course we all know who this jolly fellow is, and although not
named in the book it is easy to tell, which brings a special element
to the book for those who believe.
I really liked this book, and think it would make a great addition
to the Christmas Eve festivities.
The illustrations are simple, yet extremely effective in showcasing
a winter theme. Each page has dark tones, movement within the snow,
and just the right amount of brightness to light up the town on
Christmas Eve.
My favourite page is the last one, where the scene is of St Nicholas
(readers might have to explain this name to young listeners), who is
lit up by the silver moon, the town is below and most importantly
the once lonely tree is taking pride of place looking out over the
town and snowy mountains. The silver additions add that extra
element that brings some extra Christmas feeling to the page.
Loved this one, the short rhyming story and the beautiful
illustrations. 4 out of 5.
Lauren Fountain
