Illus. by A.Yi. Allen and Unwin, 2019. ISBN: 9781760290948.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Friendship, Humour,
Difference. The lovely dachshund, Fred stares out at the reader, his
big eyes melting every heart as his friend tells the reader about
his habits. From the cover to the end of the book, kids will love
watching what the dog does, following his eyes to various parts of
the page where a whisper of this friend, the narrator, may be seen.
Each pages begins, 'My friend Fred', encouraging readers to predict,
as they read out loud the opening phrase or listen with
eagerness about what Fred does this time. Sometimes Fred eats
disgusting food, sometime he chases balls endlessly, often he gets
excited when the doorbell rings, sometimes he digs holes and gets
told off, but he doesn't like climbing stairs. Each time his friend
tells us something of himself and by the end of the book, more
astute readers will have guessed just who the friend is. By this
time, kids will have seen that the two animals are great friends,
despite them being quite different, eating different things, liking
different things, looking different from each other and sometimes
not understanding just why their friend does the things he does.
The funny tale offers a great parallel for children to draw with
their own friends; that they are different and like different
things, they may dress differently and eat different things and like
different things, but for all that they are still friends.
A. Yi's illustrations are very clever. I love the disappearing
animal and kids will love spotting the tail or the legs going out of
some of the illustrations, adding to the humour of the story. They
will love the images of the dog, Fred with his large eyes roaming
around the pages, and they will laugh at the things both animals
love to do, going back to read it all again with the knowledge at
the end of just who Fred's friend really is. And the endpapers with
the array of antics of both animals will inspire and delight
readers, particularly those who have a pet or wish for one, and
doesn't that cover everyone!
Fran Knight
Devil's Ballast by Meg Caddy
Text Publishing Company, 2019. 305p; p/b. ISBN: 9781925773460.
(Age: 14+) When Anne Bonney disguises herself as a pirate to escape
her abusive husband, pirate hunter Jonathan Barnet relentlessly
hunts her crew down. Much of the focus of Devil's Ballast is
on the primary themes of abuse, trauma and revenge. Both main
characters are haunted by traumatic events from their pasts, and the
plot is driven by their attempts to seek revenge for it. By
juxtaposing two victims as protagonist and villain, the novel
inherently makes a statement about whether revenge is a healthy
coping method, but definitely avoids judgemental black-and-white
moralising. With the novel's exploration of deeply personal themes,
characterisation is vital, and Caddy gets it spot on. The reader
spends a lot of time in Bonny and Barnet's heads, getting to know
them and the differences well, while more minor characters still
have unique memorable traits without belabouring unnecessary
details.
The first-person perspective, switching between the two viewpoint
characters, is beneficial both for characterisation, and the theme,
giving the reader a peek into their traumatic flashbacks. The plot
is action-filled and exciting, keeping the reader engaged while
providing ample opportunity for the characters' issues to drive the
themes. The setting is firmly an explicitly rooted in the Golden Age
of Piracy, with time-relative references to Blackbeard and Caribbean
locales like Nassau being central to the plot. Teacher's notes are
available.
Vincent Hermann
A girl called Justice by Elly Griffiths
Quercus, 2019, ISBN: 9781786540591.
(Age: 10+) Recommended. Themes: Boarding schools, Girl detectives, Mysteries. Adult crime writer Elly Griffiths presents a
1930s' mystery with twelve-year-old Justice Jones as an amateur
detective, who's been lovingly home-schooled by her mystery writer
mother. When her mother passes away, her father Herbert Jones QC
sends Justice off to Highbury House Boarding School for the
Daughters of Gentlefolk, set amidst the bleak landscape of the
Romney Marshes. What an ideal setting for a little mystery, mayhem
and murder, an isolated Gothic school, with creaky stairs, hidden
rooms, turrets, attics and a creepy basement! Of course, Griffiths
sets the scene with an icy winter snowstorm cutting communication
off to the outside world, the students and staff are locked in and
tensions rise.
Justice's analytical mind, keen sense of observation and her
meticulous journal writing assist with her crime-solving, even when
overwhelmed with feelings of grief and loneliness. The austere
school environment is dominated by a slightly terrifying
headmistress Miss de Vere. Everything seems strange to the young
girl who's been very close to her mother, from the limited food
choices, the strict rules, the icy-cold bathrooms and the grim
dormitories. With the help of new friend Stella, a scholarship
student, Justice navigates school life and seeks answers to the
mystery of the disappearing maid.
Surreptitious notes passed inside books, leads to midnight forays on
the way to the haunted tower and secret meetings in the maid's room.
The tension builds as the feisty young detective delves into the
backgrounds of the staff, takes risks and keeps up with her
schoolwork. Through coded messages she keeps her father informed
about the dangerous environment.
Elly Griffiths' A Girl called Justice combines a
dramatically tense action-packed plot, quirky characters and a
resilient protagonist. Her setting of an isolated school on the icy
marshes is reminiscent of an Agatha Christie or Enid Blyton novel.
An entertaining mystery suited to readers from ten plus who enjoy a
dramatic school story in an English period setting, with a dash of
mystery and adventure.
Rhyllis Bignell
The assassination of Brangwain Spurge by M.T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin
Candlewick Press, 2018. ISBN: 9780763698225.
(Age: 10-15) Highly recommended. The old-style gold embossed front
cover of this novel gives a strong indication of the story to
follow. The collaboration between M.T. Andersen and Eugene
Yelchinhas has produced a book that harks back to an older world
where goblins and elves live apart and are wary of each other.
The story opens in a manner similar to Brian Sleznick's (The
Invention of Hugo Cabret and The Marvels) style where
illustrations are whole chapters and tell the story visually. These
Gothic style drawings feature throughout the book and are
intricately woven into the story.
Brangwain Spurge is an historian elf. He has been selected to
deliver a gift to the kingdom of the goblins. He believes he is a
messenger of peace and agrees to stay with his host, a fellow
historian, a goblin named Archivist Werfel.
At first Brangwain's superior attitude is a struggle for the
friendly Werfel and gets them both into some dangerous situations
due to Brangwain's total disregard and disdain of Goblin cultural
and social mores.
Although set in an ancient world, the storyline has strong
connections to modern politics and the 'spin' that each group or
country places on events.
Both elf and goblin argue and disagree about their versions of
historical events and wars but as the story unfolds a more mutual
purpose exists between them and they need to work as a team to deal
with treachery and danger.
There is humour and fun when these two different characters buddy up
and unwittingly embark on a perilous adventure together.
The reader needs to process all the information that is presented in
the novel in both illustrations and words, to discover the real
truth and knows more than both of the hapless historians.
This is a wonderful story that will appeal to those who love
fantasies such as Lord of the Rings.
I highly recommend this book to students aged 10 to 15 years old,
but this will also appeal to fantasy genre lovers of any age.
Jane Moore
Arthur and the tiger by Sophie Beer
Penguin, 2019. ISBN: 9780143791836.
(Age: 4-7) Recommended. Visually exciting with bold colours, vistas
filled with light and shade, strong linear definitions and bright
patterns, Arthur and the Tiger explores overcoming fears and
prejudices, developing courage and creatively meeting challenges.
A happy little circus perches on the edge of a smog-filled city.
Inside the bright orange and yellow tent are fire-breathing
jugglers, a soaring acrobat and the Strongman capable of balancing a
car on one finger. On the side of the circus ring sits Arthur the
Ringmaster's son who's 'tried to learn all kinds of daring circus
tricks' to no avail. He's happiest picnicking with his little mice
friends.
When his father announces the arrival of a new circus animal a
fierce tiger, poor Arthur is told he'll be the tiger's trainer. All
of the other circus performers are afraid, 'the jugglers jittered'
and 'the strongman shivered.' Tensions build, as the townsfolk show
their anger and fear, with banners and shouts they protest. How does
Arthur face his fears, gather himself and bravely tame the huge,
growly beast? Will the townsfolk overcome their prejudices and
realise they need to accept differences in their world? Arthur and the Tiger is a wonderful story to share, filled
with gorgeous alliteration, some fun descriptions and phrases to
extend vocabulary combined with a tension-building storyline. Sophie
Beer's artworks and text create an energetic and visually appealing
story. Take time to investigate all the animals' activities, find
the little mice and discuss the ranges of emotions shown. Use as a
springboard into creative writing with a Junior Primary class.
Themes: Circuses, Tigers, Courage, Prejudice.
Rhyllis Bignell
The race for the red dragon by Rebecca Lim
Children of the Dragon book 2, Allen and Unwin, 2019. ISBN:
9781760297374.
(Ages 9-12) Highly recommended. Themes: Dragons, Magic, Adventure.
Rebecca Lim's Children of the Dragon series is an exciting
continuation of Harley's quest, another fast-paced adventure, filled
with dragons, magic and powerful sabotaging forces. In The
race for the red dragon thirteen-year-old Harley travels by
private jet with his father Ray Spark to Taipa Island Macau. On
board, Qing the blue dragon accompanies them preparing herself by
consuming tins of tuna for strength. Her special abilities to morph
into a Chinese girl, a glowing ghost, a glowing pearl and her
martial arts skills prove extremely advantageous in their quest to
find the second mysterious vase and save her sister the red dragon.
Harley's dad works closely with some shady characters, the criminal
underbelly of society, relying on these contacts to assist in their
travel arrangements to move them to Hong Kong and into the Wudang
Mountains in China. 'The entire criminal antiquities' world sees Ray
and Harley as walking bags of money'; there's a
twenty million dollar reward on offer.
Qing changes into a tiny glowing pearl to direct Harley's escape
through the dense crowd of people in Taipa airport and hide on the
Hong Kong ferry. Separated from his father and Schumacher their
German bodyguard, Ray and Qing bravely face obstacles, fight the bad
guys and seek direction. Harley's strength is equally tested as he
struggles to uncover the hidden dragons. With the assistance of an
old Chinese cook Ah Po and her getaway car, a beige 1970s hatchback,
Qing and Harley continue their dangerous journey. After an
interesting border crossing, they climb aboard the Jolly Bus and are
reunited with some heavily disguised but familiar characters. Harley
Sparks proves himself in the final struggle to unleash the dragon in
the lake. He draws on his inner strength and reasoning, listening to
his secret voice and works to ultimately save his dragon friend from
the villain's evil schemes. The Race for the red dragon is a wonderfully descriptive
narrative, filled with a sensory feast of Asian food, colourful
scenes, back alleys and buildings, volcanic landscapes and
mysterious lakes. Her gorgeous dragons are richly written,
colourful, energetic and magically powerful. Qing and Harley's
character growth and their developing reliance on each other's
abilities underpins this exciting story. Rebecca Lim's thrilling
infusion of her Chinese heritage and understanding of Ancient
Chinese history, culture and mythology adds to the excitement. What
an incredible junior novel, perfect for readers who enjoy modern
fantasy adventures! What's next for Harley and Qing?
Rhyllis Bignell
Star Wars: Meet the villains (series)
DK, 2019. Darth Vader by Ruth Amos. ISBN: 9780241392089. Stormtroopers by Emma Grange. ISBN: 9780241392096
(Age: 7-9) Dorling Kindersley presents Star Wars: Meet the
villains, two easy-to-read question and answer books filled
with colourful stills from across the original movies, prequels and
sequels.
Ruth Amos investigates the powerful Sith Lord Darth Vader, why he's
so powerful, his family members and why he makes that strange
rasping noise. Pitched at new fans and younger family members who've
been brought up with the franchise, Darth Vader is packed with
factual information including his wars with the rebel forces, his
castle on the planet Mustafar and his powerful forces. What are his
evil plans? Is there any good left in Darth Vader?
In Stormtroopers Emma George provides a wealth of
information, continuing the question and answer format with images
captured from across the franchise which started in 1977. The
Stormtroopers wear armour designed to help them on missions in
different environments, sand dunes, swamps and snowy landscapes.
They march in formation, travel on speeder bikes for spying, use All
Terrain Scout Transports and use tanks to trample everything in
their path. Stormtroopers' helmets are specially designed with
padding, communication links and breathing devices. Star Wars: Meet the villains is a thrilling series that
explores the popular characters, their roles, uniforms, powers in a
galaxy far, far away. Each book concludes with a glossary to help
understand key terms including empires, orders and forces. Written
with the younger audience in mind, these books are suitable for ages
seven years and up.
Subjects: Star Wars - Characters
Rhyllis Bignell
Star Wars: Meet the heroes: R2-D2 by Emma Grange
DK, 2019. ISBN: 9780241387740. 63p
(Age: 8+) Themes: Star Wars, Heroes, Cinema. Devoted to a single
character in the Star Wars franchise, R2-D2 is
illustrated with colourful movie stills from the original trilogy,
prequels and sequels. This hardback about a fictional character
takes the form of a Q and A or 'fast-fact' reference book, complete
with a glossary of regular concepts in addition to Star Wars jargon.
The arbitrary lesser known facts are intriguing: What language does
R2-D2 speak? Which worlds has R2-D2 visited? There are a few well
known plot questions such as: Does R2-D2 ever save a Queen? The
enthusiastic and detailed explanations reinforce the fame of this
pop culture icon.
With more Star Wars heroes planned, this series promises to
explain the strengths and foibles of the major characters to a
legion of new Star Wars fans.
Deborah Robins
The Catalpa rescue by Peter FitzSimons
Hachette, April 2019, ISBN: 9780733641244.
(Age: Senior Secondary - Adult) In this book, Peter FitzSimons tells
the true story of the Irish fight for independence from British
occupation, the life sentences for six of the captured Fenian
rebels, including transportation to a harsh prison in Fremantle,
Western Australia in the 1860s and a consequent daring
Irish-American rescue attempt using a disguised whaling ship, the
Catalpa.
Like all great escape stories this exciting tale includes portraits
of courageous and principled individuals, outstanding leadership,
adventure, a thrilling chase and a triumphant escape. The story is
told with excellent footnoted detail and offers a strong glimpse of
life in British occupied Ireland, the prideful weakness of the
British colonial gaol administration in Australia and the strength
of American Irish support for Irish independence. The author
includes useful maps and photographs showing the individuals and
settings featured in the gripping story.
Paul Pledger
Field notes on love by Jennifer E. Smith
Macmillan Children's Books, 2019. 311 pages, paperback. ISBN:
9781529014563.
(Age: Mid teens+) Recommended. Field Notes on Love is a
romantic novel about two strangers travelling across America by
train. Just like an old romance film, right? This story doesn't
start by them catching each other's eyes from across the platform
and falling helplessly in love though. No this starts with Hugo
Wilkinson, who just recently got dumped by his long-term girlfriend
Margaret Campbell. And her parting gift? The tickets for their
long-planned train trip before they went to university. If only they
had not booked it under her name, non-transferable and no
exceptions. Luckily when Mae finds an ad for a replacement for
Margaret Campbell for an adventure across America by train, she is
certain this is what she needs to get over her rejection from film
school. Now a train trip with a complete stranger might not sound
like the best idea, but both of them are looking for something more.
More of what? They don't know, but they might be able to help each
other out.
Both Hugo and Mae's journey throughout this story are personal and
moving and it was the perfect escape from my usual mystery driven
reads. The little romantic moments that Hugo and Mae share together
on this trip kept me reading late into the night and also into my
work breaks. Jennifer E. Smith has done a wonderful job of telling a
purely romantic story between two strangers. She has also managed to
give so much life to the other characters as well. Both Hugo and
Mae's family's feel grounded in the story, and it was refreshing to
read about families that are loving and supportive and accepting of
their children. And as for the travelers they met along the way,
they were all interesting and different and not one of them was
forgetful.
I think that this is a very refreshing young adult romance novel
that would be a great read if you need a step back from drama driven
stories. I would recommend it to mid-teens and up, and those who
just want to enjoy a nice light romance.
Kayla Raphael
Ron the royal guard by Deano Yipadee
Illus. by Paul Beavis. New Frontier Books, 2019. ISBN:
9781925594614.
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Toilets, Buckingham Palace, Corgis,
Humour. When Ron is on duty at the palace, he never tires of people
taking selfies with him or the royal corgis scuttling around his
feet. He loves guarding the queen and the others inside the palace,
but really looks forward to his shift's end when he can relax, take
off his uniform and have a cup of tea.
Told in rhyming couplets, the story moves along breezily,
encouraging young readers to learn the lines and join in, predicting
the rhyming word and call out the words in bold.
But one day after having three cups of tea while relaxing, he finds
that back on his shift, he desperately needs the toilet. Readers
will laugh out loud at his predicament, mist of them having been in
the same situation themselves. They will laugh at the words used for
toilet as the lines proceed, and the increasingly funny looks on his
face as the situation becomes dire.
A solution seems near but the tourists do not want to dress up as
him while he makes a quick trip, and he must be more imaginative to
solve his problem. Even the queen does not see the trick he has
played as she walks past and says good morning to Ron.
A very funny look at a known situation, children will regale the
class with anecdotes of when they were in need, and this will lead
to discussions of what to do. The funny illustrations are enticing,
causing lots of laughter and sympathy with poor Ron, and the humour
behind the tale will not be lost on the audience. And what child can
resist the cover cut out.
Fran Knight
Aussie Nibbles series by various authors
Puffin, 2019. The mermaid's tail by Raewyn Caisley, illus. by Ann James.
ISBN: 9780141306155. Scruffy's day out by Rachel Flynn, illus. byJocelyn Bell.
ISBN: 9780141311692. Fairy bread by Ursula Dobosarsky, illus. by Mitch Vane. ISBN:
9780141311753. Bad Buster by Sofie Leguna, illus. by Leigh Hobbs. ISBN:
9780143300335. The littlest pirate by Sheryl Clark, illus. by Tom Jellett.
ISBN: 9780141313382. Blast off by Margaret Clark, illus. by Tom Jellett. ISBN:
9780143301851.
(Age: 6-8) Highly recommended. Themes: Chapter books, Humour. Puffin
is republishing some of the Aussie Nibbles books which first
appeared in the early 2000s. These were all highly popular and were
rarely on the shelves, tapping into a market that was, up until
then, ill served. With fabulous authors and illustrators, the series
proved a hit with younger readers and will now be available for a
new generation of readers. They are aimed at those kids who have
learnt to read and are looking for something with chapters. Each
book has six to eight chapters, each of 8 or so pages with half page
illustrations. They are full of humour.
In The mermaid's tail, Crystal is determined to be a
mermaid. She practises joining her legs together and collects
seaweed for her hair from the beach. Mum makes her a tail, covered
in sequins. She wears it everywhere, hoping that one day she will
turn into a mermaid, but is dismayed when the sequins begin to fall
off her costume. But when a dolphin comes into the room one night,
she must make a choice. Scruffy's day out is similarly based around a strong family
unit, and the children learn a lesson about a stray dog. He comes
into their lives when Dad rescues him from under the wheels of a
passing Land Rover. They take him around the neighbourhood looking
for a possible owner, and eventually ring RSPCA where they are given
a number to ring. The family would love to keep the dog, but in
giving it back find new friends.
In Fairy bread, When Becky's Mum asks what she wants as her
party food at her birthday party, she answers fairy bread. So Mum
makes plates of it for the guests, but when the great day comes,
they only eat the birthday cake. Becky and her family find lots of
things to do with leftover fairy bread but when the leftovers start
to stale, then Mum thinks of an idea to get rid of it all. A funny
look at solving a problem with Becky coming up with some very odd
ways of disposing of all the fairy bread. Bad Buster is a really bad boy, doing all sorts of things to
get himself into trouble. And his parents are not much better. Made
to work at a dog rescue home as punishment after a particularly
naughty series of bad behaviours, he becomes attached to the dogs
and the owner, Rhonda. His behaviour begins to change with these
friends, and when in class one day he feels there is something
wrong, he and the dogs foil a burglary at Rhonda's house. A funny
look at the difference friends can make to someone's life, with lots
of humour in pointing out the different dogs in the home.
In The littlest pirate, Nicholas Nash wants to prove
himself. He is left at home with his babysitter Gretta when his
parents and older siblings go off pirating in their ship, The
Pig's Breakfast. When his family is captured by Red Beard,
Nicholas springs into action, saving the day and the ship, and
finding a load of treasure along the way. Blast off! is similar to The littlest pirate, in that
it is about following your dream. Adam simply wants to be an
astronaut, and reads every thing he can lay his hands on to achieve
his dream. Going to visit Aunt Sue with Mum he meets the next door
neighbour, Marvin who needs help with his invention.
Fran Knight
Catching Teller Crow by Ambelin Kwaymullina and Ezekiel Kwaymullina
Allen and Unwin, 2018. ISBN: 9781760631628.
(Age: 16+) Highly recommended. Themes: Crime, Thriller, Aboriginal
themes, Stolen generation. When detective Michael Teller is brought
to a small country town to investigate a fire at a local children's
home, he brings with him his daughter, Beth, killed in a car
accident several years before. Both have serious problems to deal
with and these are resolved as this wonderfully evocative crime
thriller unfolds. Beth cannot leave her father, knowing he has been
unable to contend with her death and unable to reach out to his dead
wife's family, one that had taken him in as their son. Beth knows
from her aunties that her mother is waiting for her on the other
side, but she cannot leave while her father is grieving.
When a witness is questioned at the local hospital, Beth is startled
that Isobel Catching can see her and as Beth narrates the journey of
the investigation, the two become friends. They share an Aboriginal
background that supports and nurtures their understanding of what
has transpired. The spirituality shared by the girls is wonderfully
evoked, giving them a deep inner strength inherited from their women
forebears and it is this understanding that permeates the story.
But things have happened in this town in the past which have been
covered up, Aboriginal people from the community were not listened
to as children were taken away. When Teller discovers the remains of
a young girl who disappeared more than twenty years ago, he solves a
problem for the constable in the town, a school friend of the girl
who disappeared. But this discovery leads to others. The grieving
detective questions Catching who gives elusive answers, outlining
some of the injustices doled out to her people from colonial times.
The conspiracy at the children's home involved people in the town,
police who didn't take the girl's disappearance seriously, or
because they were friends of the house owner, deliberately took
things slowly, leaving children even more vulnerable.
The almost poetic lines from Catching outline her suffering, but
readers will take pause at the strength of her character, her
resolve in a situation that although she cannot change, she can lead
the detective to the place where the mystery will be solved. At the
same time she is able to help him accept his daughter's death and
Beth is finally able to leave her father and join her mother.
This is a great read, full of women showing strength in the most
dire of circumstances: the aunties, mothers and daughters shining
through with courage and compassion, their words and stories telling
the reader about the injustices of the past, with the story ending
on a positive note offering hope for the future.
Ambelin Kwaymullina and Ezekiel Kwaymullina are sibling authors who
are Palyku from the Pilbara region, North Western Australia. This
novel is their first joint effort writing a young adult fiction and
hopefully one of many. They have woven an absorbing and realistic
crime thriller around the storytelling, magic and poetry of the
women in their tale. Scroll for teacher's
notes.
Fran Knight
Touch the moon by Phil Cummings
Illus. by Coral Tulloch. Allen and Unwin, 2019. ISBN 9781760523657.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Everyone has a story about where they
were the day Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, but the one told by
Phil Cummings in his stunning new picture book, published to
celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of that day, is second to none.
A young lad sitting in front of his television set in Peterborough
in South Australia, has to decide between going out into the snow or
watching the moon landing.
A remote town in the Mid North of South Australia, Peterborough
experiences very cold winter weather, but 1969 was the coldest day
for a long time. Sitting by his television, a newspaper left open on
the front page broadcasting the event of the century, he watches the
garden around his house become quiet and still as flakes of snow
drift down. The young boy rushes out, allowing the snow to fall on
his eyes, face and tongue. He has never seen snow before.
Mum aware of the momentous event about to unfold in their living
room, calls him back, and he watches as Armstrong places one foot on
the moon, saying his now iconic words. Friends call from the yard
and he joins them placing their own footsteps in the snow,
paralleling what is happening on the moon.
A beautifully circular story, Phil Cummings was that eleven year old
boy, seeing snow for the first time, drawn between an event in his
home town and an awe inspiring happening on the moon. What better
way to celebrate fifty years since the moon landing than to recall
an incident at home, making the almost impossible walk on the moon
comparable with steps taken by a young lad and his friends in their
back yard.
Cummings is always able to recreate the small events in people's
lives, giving them a universality which is memorable. His work links
the everyday to the momentous, connecting small events in a child's
life to something much bigger, effortlessly giving a sense of
authenticity to his stories.
And Coral Tulloch's illustrations underline the ordinariness of the
day; Mum working in the kitchen washing dishes at the sink, apron
around her waist, the breakfast things on the table, ironing table
ready to the side, calling out to him to make sure he doesn't miss
the event. The house and its environs are crammed full of images
from the sixties, allowing readers to view a snapshot of the past.
This image of a warm, close family, lovingly detailed with Tulloch's
soft illustrative technique, explodes when the images of the moon
take over the pages, bold and sharp, using few colours to recreate
the scene.
Themes: Space. Man on the moon, Snow, Peterborough (SA).
Fran Knight
Violet and nothing by Fiona Burrows
Fremantle Press, 2019. ISBN: 9781925591552.
(Age: 6+) Recommended. Themes: Philosophy, Questions. Violet has big
ideas and is always thinking about them. But when she starts
thinking about nothing, it creates an impossible range of more
questions to ponder and try to answer. She asks a range of people
for their idea about nothing, and tries out their responses for
herself, but still cannot come to any conclusion. She asks, what is
nothing? and where is nothing? She ponders about whether it is real
and if nothing is real, then is anything real?
A quizzical book for those who like to find an answer to the big
questions of life, or at least ponder the big questions of life,
this book encourages creativity and imagination as readers will
share Violet's questioning with their cohort, eager to find some
answers. Readers will follow Violet's pursuit of the answers to her
big questions, hoping that she does reach a conclusion, but equally
satisfied that one question leads to another. Children will use
their imaginations along with Violet in seeking out answers to the
big questions.
The imaginative illustrations showcase the ordinariness of Violet's
home life, contrasted with the jumble of colours and lines
representing her mind as she thinks about things. I love Mum putting
on her shoes or Gran painting, while Violet's mind is a kaleidoscope
of colour. Readers will love picking out all the things within that
mess of colour, showing what is going on in Violet's mind as she
thinks about all sorts of things at the same time. The wonderful
endpapers had me hooked for some little while trying to pursue some
of Violet's thinkings.
Fran Knight
