Reviews

Under my bed by John Dickson

Berbay Publishing, 2018. ISBN 9780994384133
(Age: 7+) Highly recommended. Under my bed is a fun picture book all about those monsters hiding in the dark places of a child's bedroom. What if the monsters had a party? Would you be invited? It is your room after all. Imagine lying in your bed while monsters move around your room. Our main character is doing just that! He can hear them making sandwiches and crushing snails. He can see the shapes of their bodies in the dark but enough is enough. If he has to lay here listening then he may as well join in! Will the monsters let him?
Under my bed is all about overcoming your fears because those fears might actually be a lot of fun. The illustrations are cast in shadows, making them seem scary in the dark. The white monster eyes add to this but they aren't scary, they are fun, especially as you read about what is going on. The story also rhymes, reading like a poem but with the elements of a story. It is descriptive and engaging, making it a great read aloud story for parents and in classrooms. The rhyming element is great for older children learning to write their own rhymes or if writing about their fears and changing them to seem fun and harmless.
Under my bed would also be good for the Child Protection Curriculum, supporting children to talk about and identifying feelings. This story is highly recommended for readers aged 7+.
Kylie Kempster

It's hard to love a tiger by Anna Pignataro

Scholastic, 2018. ISBN 9781743817582
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Tigers. Friendship. Difference. Pets. Our sweet heroine would love to have a tiger to love, just like the one in the zoo. In pairs of rhyming lines, the story is laid out from the first page, as the ominous word, 'but' appears along the bottom. Turning the page the reader hears of the negative things about owning a tiger, all in rhyme and all very funny, using repetition, prediction and humour to involve and delight the readers.
Walking down the street, she finds that others are rather worried when the tiger greets them with a roar. Brushing his teeth at night takes a lot of patience when he growls like a bear. Or trying to love him when you are a pastry shop and he covers himself with a sticky mess. And in the ballet class where he gallops rather fetchingly in her pink tutu.
Each double page presents the tiger in a hilariously funny situation, absolutely the opposite of what children will expect a tiger to be.
It will be a neat segue into ideas about what a tiger really does do, and where he lives and what he eats, using the places shown in the book.
Colourful watercolour, pen and charcoal illustrations full of movement and interest are on every page and its fun to watch the expressions on the children's faces as they become quite disheartened with having a tiger to stay. But by the end he is so much fun, that everyone is delighted with having a tiger as a pet, even with his animal friends popping around. Children will respond with stories of their own pets and friends to this book filled with fun and a delight to read aloud.
Fran Knight

Sweet adversity by Sheryl Gwyther

Angus and Robertson 2018. ISBN 9781460755105
Themes: Acting. Friendship. Australian history. April 1930 finds 12 year-old Adversity McAllister in Emu Swamp Children's Home where her parents left her temporarily while they sought work for their theatrical troupe. She and her pet cockatiel Macbeth like to perform for the other children and are often in trouble for flaunting the rules. Matron Maddock tolerates Addie as she is good with the younger children and she has an award winning voice which matron aims to exploit. She tells Addie that her parents are dead and that she is her guardian. The Depression has left many impoverished and seeking work. Times are hard and the children in the home are poorly fed and have to do many chores including work in the laundry which has a faulty boiler. When Addie learns of a plan by Matron to sell her to an entrepreneur who will make her perform she decides to run away. The staff help her, providing food and a horse drawn caravan for her escape. She gets as far as a nearby secret children's camp where she is welcomed by some but not all and she has to move on, finding a sympathetic inn owner who allows her to work for food and care for her horse. Unfortunately the entrepreneur notices her and she is kidnapped and taken back to the home. Money changes hands and she is whisked off to Sydney but not before she picks up her friend little orphaned Joe and manages to take him with her. Against the backdrop of Sydney during the Depression, under the shadow of the part completed Harbour Bridge Addie continues her adventures, experiencing the excitement of performing on the stage while trying to find the truth about her parents and escape from slavery.
Younger readers will enjoy this adventure with a strong heroine courageously triumphing over corrupt people in power while looking after her friends and sharing her love of the stage and performance.
Sue Speck

The way back from broken by Amber J. Keyser

Carolrhoda Lab, 2018. ISBN 9781541514881
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Themes: Sibling death. Grief. Wilderness. Survival. Rakmen's baby sister died and the family is working through the tragedy in their own ways. He and his mother attend weekly meetings at Promise House, a support group where the mothers cry and the children do art therapy downstairs. His father won't go, like others he goes to the bar and bottles up the grief. Rakmen helps out with the other damaged kids, including some his age, Molly, who survived a car crash that killed her sister, D'Veray and D'Mareay, identical twins whose brother D'Shawn died of cancer. Their shared experiences help them to understand each other, unlike Rakmen's best friend Juan, who can't understand why he has lost interest in sport, girls and the excitement of finishing school. When his Biology teacher, Mrs Tatlas, turns up at the support group consumed with grief over her stillborn son, Rakmen's mother befriends her and he is thrust together with her young daughter Jacey. His own parents are going through troubled times and so when he is invited to spend the summer at a remote Canadian lake they ask him to go, not only to look after Jacey and her mum but to give them space to find a way forward. The lake is very remote and the family's cabin run down but it is very beautiful and Mrs Tatlas, Leah, decides on a canoe camping trip 'au large' in the wilderness. The trip is very challenging but they gradually find a rhythm to their days, paddling, carrying the canoe and setting up camp to collapse exhausted at the end of the day, an escape from the exhaustion of grief. When Leah breaks her ankle four days away from anywhere Rakmen and Jacey have to go for help. Loaded with responsibility Rakmen exceeds his own expectations and dramatically opts for survival and the living, moving on from blaming himself for his sister's loss.
This sensitive exploration of grief and healing acknowledges the complexity of the issue; the triggers, the depression and volatile behaviour, the self-blame, family breakdown and damage to relationships caused by the death of a child. The finely drawn description of the beautiful, scary and dangerous wilderness is a real strength, powerfully asserting that life is larger than grief, allowing the characters to discover resilience counteracting the hopelessness at the start of the book. Recommended for students looking for a serious read to engage the emotions or anyone dealing with, or wishing to understand, aspects of grieving.
Sue Speck

Ariki and the giant shark by Nicola Davies

Walker Books, 2018. ISBN 9781406369793
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Ariki is a young island girl with a love for the sea. She has lived on her island her whole life but she is still seen as a stranger because she wasn't born there. Ariki was washed ashore as a toddler and has no knowledge of where she is from. Ariki is also very different to the other islanders due to her tattoos - they are dots and lines rather than lines and swirls. her tattoos are also on the opposite side to other girls. The island is suffering as the fish are not swimming which means no food. When the nihui (sharks) gather in abundance and as an even larger shark appears, the islanders believe they are under attack and must hunt and kill this monster shark. Ariki thinks differently. Her tattoos tingle when she is in the water with this creature. The cave etchings she discovers, thanks to the younger children, show this giant creature needs help from humans. Can Ariki, her friend Ipo, her guardian Arohaka and eight children help this creature while the rest of the island wants to destroy it?
"Ariki and the Giant Shark" is a beautiful island adventure and story about being yourself and believing in your gifts. Ariki is an excellent role model for young readers because she is strong, adventurous and independent despite being called names and not having a traditional family to care for her. The story is descriptive and easy to read, making it a great read aloud story for bedtime or even in the classroom. It is a story from another culture, connecting it to learning about Australia's neighbours in Geography. This book is highly recommended for independent readers aged 8+.
Kylie Kempster

The Silver Hand by Terry Deary

Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781472929488
(Age: 11 and up) Recommended. Written by the extremely successful Terry Deary of "Horrible Histories" fame, this book is sure to be as successful.
"It's 1918 and the Great War is entering its final phase. France is beginning to make small inroads against the Germans while the Germans are not only continuing to suffer huge loses at the hands of the French but the deadly Flu is also beginning to have a huge impact. In northern France, young Aimee has just found out that her mother is part of a spy network working with the British. After reluctantly befriending Marius, a German boy who has been left behind by his countrymen, she must try to help him get back behind German lines while evading a traitor - the man with a silver hand, she has helped to discover. " Publisher. Danger lurks at the turning of every page and I frequently found myself holding my breath.
Deary has done a fantastic job of allowing the reader to get to know the main characters and develop a close relationship with them. The familiar hardships faced by so many during war time are experienced and throw in the constant challenges of evading the silver handed man, a spine-tingling story is experienced. It sheds light on the fact that no one escaped from the war in France and this is quickly discovered as Aimee travels through woods and the countryside. I thoroughly enjoyed this historical fiction book and it is a must have for the library. I will certainly be recommending it to a number of students.
Kathryn Schumacher

A stone for Sascha by Aaron Becker

Candlewick Press, 2018, ISBN 9780763665968
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Themes: Grief, Pets, Journeys, Wordless stories. Aaron Becker's "A stone for Sascha" is a cinematic wordless picture book that begins with the loss of family pet, Sascha the dog. From the simple act of placing a golden stone on the grave, we are transported across the world, across millennia, into epic world events as we follow the stone's journey. Aaron Becker drew inspiration from his time in Granada, Spain observing the history of the buildings, where he observed churches built atop Roman ruins. The maps on the endpapers reference the stone's travels from Ethiopia 5000BCE then Babylon 600BCE, by sea and overland across continents, Asia to China then across the Pacific Ocean to the San Juan Islands. Becker's choice of dark, moody tones with bright touches of yellow and white are visually appealing.
Without words, the pictures are evocative, connecting the reader first with the little girl's grief, then with one toss of a stone into the vast ocean, back in time to a meteor shower and the golden stone's shattering landing. This turning point changes the story's direction from deep in the prehistoric ocean, to tectonic plates shifting, to the golden rock shard emerging in ancient Ethiopia. Through wars, religious ceremonies, travels by land and sea, pirate attacks this golden monument's purpose evolves and changes. After the Chinese sculptor carves the bridge's capstone into a golden box and stunning dragon the story continues edging closer and closer to the San Juan Islands and the little girl's hands. Becker's message of connectivity and the circle of life is beautifully portrayed.
"A stone for Sascha" is a picture book for older readers, one to be shared across the generations, opening up conversations about the passage of time, historic events and coping with grief. Becker's paintings are sweeping landscapes, then slices of history, close-ups and panoramic with an emotional depth shown through tone and light and shade. With Becker's cinematic background, this wordless picture book would translate beautifully into film.
Rhyllis Bignell

The all new must have Orange 430 by Michael Speechley

Errol! by Zanni Louise

Ill. by Philip Bunting. Scholastic, 2018. ISBN 9781742766300
(Age: 3+) Recommended. Themes: Humour. Penguins. Mothers. Read aloud. A little penguin with an independent mind does not budge when his mother instructs him to come. He stays where he is when she calls his name again, and remains quietly still when she gives him a warning, counting one, two, three. Exasperated she takes her shopping trolley and leaves.
This most recognisable of incidents will tickle the hearts of all readers as they identify the similarity between themselves and the penguin.
All children will have heard the mum calling out their name, getting louder each time it is ignored, and the counting to three pervades every household as a child is asked to do something they do not want to do.
In this book, the penguin disappears under the falling snow, only his beanie left on the surface. Mum, of course, returns only this time her calling Errol, sounds different as concern and worry creep in as she is unable to find her son. Her sorrow will melt the hearts of the readers as she lies on the ice and snow, clutching her son's beanie.
But we see what has happened to him, and when he comes back to the surface, he instructs his mother in the same way that she has instructed him, but she does not need telling as he did, and before he gets to the number three, she sweeps him into her arms.
This is a loving story of the relationship between a child and its mother. She is trying vainly to get him to follow her instructions, but he remains defiant, and in so doing sees the impact of his defiance on the mother who loves him.
This will be a great read aloud, as each time the word 'Errol' appears, a different stress can be put upon the word, reflecting the anguish of the mother. Bunting has made wonderful use of a plain background, with only a few main colours making up the images of mum and the baby penguin. They stand out, drawing the eye to look at the passage of time through the passing clouds.
Fran Knight

Game time by Anh Do and Dan McGuiness

Hot Dog series. Scholastic, 2018, ISBN 9781760279035
(Age: 5-8) Themes: Dogs. Friends. Sportsmanship. Anh Do's popular Hot Dog series returns with another exciting story Game time. Comedian, artist and storyteller Anh Do's story is a tale of being a good friend and is filled with jokes, humourous larks and silly situations.
Kevin's mother is a doctor who lives and works helping sick animals on faraway Rainbow Island. Kevin really misses her, so his friends try to lift his spirits. They cook his favourite foods and even dress up as a donut and hot dog, but nothing works. When they visit the park there's a poster announcing a Game Day competition with the winners receiving a trip to Rainbow Island. The trio work together; they need skill, speed and strength to compete in a series of games and win the first prize. They're up against some tough competition: a fierce team of bulldogs, Team Bulldog; Team Mud-Pie, three mud-loving pigs; and Team Ocean, three sporty penguins. Hot Dog's entered in the Long Jump and Archery, and he spends his time leapfrogging and shooting arrows at apples held by Kevin. Lizzie practises her judo moves on poor Kevin and improves her rowing skills by speedily escaping from a menacing shark. Kev creatively hones his skills in preparation for the Weightlifting, Javelin and Gymnastics.
Finally, it is Game Day, and the three friends are prepared and ready to do their best. Each game is uniquely challenging and provide plenty of spills and thrills. Lizzie twists her giraffe opponent into a knot in the judo and bravely battles a tiny crab to win her event. Kevin, Lizzie and Hot Dog each choose good sportsmanship over winning and these qualities help them in the end.
Just right for young readers, Game time is attractively presented with a flamboyant fluoro orange bright designs, bold accents and engaging text styles and sizes. Dan McGuiness' humorous cartoons showcase Hot Dog and his friends, Kevin the cat's sporty outfits and Lizzie the Lizard's silly antics, sports skills and friendly rivalry.
Rhyllis Bignell

We wear pants by Katie Abey

Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408893609
(Age: 2-6) Recommended. Themes: Clothing. Humour. Katie Abey's We wear pants is an enjoyable and colourful picture book showing a broad range of animals wearing an interesting array of people clothes and shoes. Across a double-page spread we are first invited to view quirky animals wearing a range of pants: giraffe's neck is festooned with 'pant-tastic' undies, crocodile's looking snappy in his nappy, while blue monkey dances in his tartan pants! With speech bubbles filled with questions and comments, text placed up, down and around the quirky carton animals, this is humorous book to explore.
While Aussie kids will question the use of wellies, they'll soon see splashing elephants, a narwhal with a gum boot on its horn, even an octopus wearing eight wellies having a lot of fun. There is one character who chooses to remain an individual throughout, yellow monkey wears something different each time. Abey encourages the reader to find the biggest hat, the tiniest fish and check out the range of diverse hats for different seasons. Colourful coats are fun to wear on the bus, in the rain or sharing a bench with friends. The fun continues with animals wearing shoes, socks, scarves, t-shirts, glasses and pyjamas.
Abey's cartoon animal characters are engaging, follow the characters throughout and observe their antics, especially the cheeky monkey. Share with a young child, discussing the questions, the silly situations and crazy ways these animals wear human clothing. Finally check out their fashion styles when they all get dressed, there's a fire-fighter alligator, a giraffe in multi-coloured scarves and a prancing pony in jeans and a red shirt. We wear pants is entertaining, use Abey's style to create new pictures of animals dressed as humans.
Rhyllis Bignell

The littlest things give the loveliest hugs by Mark Sperring

Orchard Books, 2018. ISBN 9781408338049
(Age: 2+) Highly recommended. The littlest things give the loveliest hugs is a beautifully illustrated picture book about hugs. Each page is bright and detailed, depicting different animals hugging and snuggling their children. From elephants to foxes to koalas, this book is ready to be part of a child's nightly bedtime routine. Even before reading the rhyming sentences, children and their carers will be busy discussing all of the details in each illustration. Children can discover where the different animals are found, make observations about animal families and learn about their appearance - great Science links.
The rhyming sentences are all about cuddles and snuggles and it reads like a poem. The rhyming couplets can help children identify rhyming words, supporting older children to create their own couplets. The content is aimed at younger children and is highly recommended for children aged 2+ and younger readers aged 5+.
Kylie Kempster

George Parker goes global by David Metzenthen

Allen and Unwin, 2018. ISBN 9781760523466
(Age: 10-14) Recommended. Themes: Travel, Humour, Adventure. Madcap mayhem, hi-jinks and hilarious rescues, treacherous travel and crazy disguises makes "George Parker goes global" a fantastically fun novel for confident readers who like a fast-paced story. David Metzenthen throws everything into the mix and comes up with an international adventure and two unlikely characters whose lives have little in common.
The catalyst for super-nerd George Parker's international adventure begins with a disastrous half-mohawk haircut from Maddylyne the local hairdresser. Back at Tapley Grove Academy super-rich Chase Landon-Bond befriends George and insists they team up to rescue Chase's sister imprisoned in a New York clinic. Luckily, the teens can still travel in their private jets, access funds and enjoy a wealthy lifestyle, well for a while anyway! Things drastically change when Chase's parents go into hiding because they've lost hundreds of millions of dollars of their clients' funds.
George comes from a different background, his parents are scientists who are researching uses for moon rocks in a Swiss laboratory, and they've left George safely behind at school. George's phobias, rigid codes of conduct and eccentricities are tested at every turn. Accompanied by Amy the little dog George rescues, their first destination is New York, and fortunately, they have the use of the Landon-Bond's private jet. Chase relies on George's deductive powers and creativity to release Isobel from the hospital. With touches of philanthropy, some of Chase's family wealth is put to good use, sponsoring two hundred African children.
George's penchant for crazy disguises and his ability to think creatively help the trio travel from New York to London as a part of the cruise ship entertainment. Chased by some rather ineffective criminals, they are pursued to France where they lurch from one dangerous situation to the next. Impossible, impractical, unusual and clever, each scene seems funnier than the last, especially when influenced by George's ever-increasing coffee addiction. Do they find their way home and how will the problems relating to the lack of funds be solved?
David Metzenthen has created a crazy cast of characters in this globe-trotting adventure that is amazingly far-fetched, filled with laugh out loud humour and huge doses of silliness. "George Parker goes Global" also explores issues surrounding the use and misuse of wealth, the acceptance of people's difference and valuing friendships.
Rhyllis Bignell

The nothing to see here hotel by Steven Butler

Ill. by Steven Lenton. Simon and Schuster, 2018. ISBN 9781471163838
(Age: 8-11) Recommended. Themes: Fantasy; Hotels: Magic. In a rollicking and amusing way, Steven Butler has created a fantasy holiday resort for magical creatures that can only be described as disgustingly spectacular. The resort is filled with magical and fantasy oddities, all hosted by Frankie Banister and his family (A family that has a befuddled, hybrid-ish troll heritage, with some human qualities too!) The normally smelly and idiosyncratic (and invisible to normal folk) hotel is turned upside-down (not literally) when a rather royal goblin decides to make a visit and creates instant chaos, leading to holes in walls, hand-to-hand fights, and piratical attacks. All in a day's work in the hotel industry for the fantasy world!
Written and illustrated in a very humourous style, the author even talks to his readers in digressions that poke fun at his own family and at the action that is taking place. It is no wonder that the book cover includes recommendations from "Tom Gates" author, Liz Pichon as it will appeal to readers of her books for its silliness. Certainly not "Harry Potter"-esque in the quality of the fantasy writing, but absolutely light-hearted and warm imaginary nonsense that will appeal to young readers.
Recommended for readers aged 8-11
Carolyn Hull

Hello horse by Vivian French

Ill. by Catherine Rayner. Walker Books, 2018 ISBN 9781406349948
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Horses, Overcoming fear, Confidence. Through an afternoon spent with Shannon the horse owned by the illustrator of this lovely story, a child learns to overcome her fear of horses, and learns to ride.
With little steps, Catherine introduces the child to her horse, Shannon, a horse she has owned for twenty years. The child is given a carrot to feed the horse, reminded to place it flat on her hand so the horse can tell what is carrot and what is fingers. She is then allowed to lead the horse around the paddock, brush and groom her, and finally to ride her. Each little step brings the child closer to becoming a friend of the horse, riding her and feeling confident with the large animal.
French's words tell us of the afternoon with the horse, telling the reader of why things are done, giving background to the way the horse is treated, and instructing the reader in the ways of a horse. So on the pages where the horse is groomed, for example the reader will not only see what is being done, and read in the story of the child and Catherine doing this to the horse, but there is information at the bottom of the page in a different font which tells the reader the facts of the undertaking and h why it is done. These facts are on most pages and an index at the end of the story allows the reader to quickly find the page again.
This beautifully presented picture book with illustrations that will make every reader want to go out and pat the nearest horse, has a double page at the end which contains the index, a short piece of factual information about the horse and its owner, and a reference to more information along with small illustrations about the brushes used for grooming.
Readers will love picking up this book, seeing the child take little steps to overcoming her fear of the horse, and in this way the reader may equate the role of little steps in overcoming others worries they may have.
Fran Knight