DK Publishing, 2017. ISBN 9781465463128
If there is one section of the library that is just as popular as
567.9, it is 597.3. And if there is one piece of music that still
sends shivers up the spine of many it is this . . .
As the Australian summer and holiday season approaches, these
creatures will be in the news as people venture into their territory
and the debate about their continued existence will rage again.
So this safari with Professor John Bigelow Finnegan (aka Big Finn),
a "round-the-globe expedition to study these mighty and mysterious
creatures" visiting shark haunts and hideouts to study the habits
and habitats of a variety of species will be a welcome addition to
the collection. Using photos, diagrams, headings, accessible text
and a clever variety of other devices this will appeal to all those
who are fascinated by these creatures and who want to know more. As
well as the usual facts and figures, it dispels myths, looks at
current research and even introduces some of the stories, movies and
television programs that feature sharks, painting a
whole-well-rounded picture that demonstrates that these creatures
not only have a right to their existence but play a critical part in
the planet's ecology.
Done with the usual DK thoroughness and understanding of what young
readers want and how they want it, this is perfect for both the
experienced and novice shark-trackers.
Barbara Braxton
Professor Astro Cat's Solar System by Dr Dominic Walliman and Ben Newman
Flying Eye Books, 2017. ISBN 9781911171379
Professor Astro Cat is the smartest cat in the alley, in fact so
much so, he's got a degree in just about any discipline under the
sun. In this, the latest in a series to help younger readers
understand science better, he takes young explorers on a journey
around the solar system, visiting each planet and explaining its
various features in simple to understand language and appealing
illustrations that will answer the questions and pique the interest
of those who want to know more.
From the time they are able to distinguish night and day, little
ones want to know more and so this is an excellent beginning book
that will help them understand how things work. In keeping with the
demands of the young and the potential of the digital environment,
there is also an
app which has a four-star review
from Common Sense Media With the heavy emphasis on STEM in the
curriculum and the NSW
government investing $80 000 000 in STEM over the next three
years this would be a worthwhile investment for your collection for
littlies.
Barbara Braxton
Soon by Jessica Love
Echo Books, 2015. ISBN 9780994232397
My dad is leaving soon.
He is going to another country to help keep other families safe.
Soon is coming too fast . . .
It is Christmas today.
My dad is still gone. I am sad. Christmas feels strange without him
. . . but soon is getting closer.
Time is such an abstract concept for young children to grasp that
adults usually resort to the seemingly innocuous "soon" when asked,
"How long till . . . ?"
But soon can seem to be a long time when you're young, seemingly
meaning "forever" when it stretches over birthdays, Christmas and
Easter, and almost touches "Never!" When creator Jess Love's dad was
deployed overseas with the Australian Defence Forces, she became one
of many children, including my own grandchildren, who measured the
concept of "soon" in special days, events and activities missed.
Even letters, emails and phone calls become bittersweet because
while it is great to catch up, it just makes the pain of missing
even more acute and "soon" seems just as far away as it ever was.
Even knowing the absence is because someone else is being helped
doesn't really register with littlies because they want their daddy
or mummy there to help them.
The predecessor to Sometimes
by young author Jessica has articulated and illustrated the
innermost feelings of any child missing a loved one who is absent
for whatever reason, not just overseas deployment. While the adults
in their lives can understand calendars and do mental countdowns and
fill their days, young children have to be satisfied with "soon" and
it can be confusing. Is it a long time, getting closer, almost here,
or taking too long? And for some it can mean feeling bereft or even
abandoned.
This is an important book for parents to know about so they can
understand that "soon" isn't enough in times of extended absence;
that while their child might seem to understand time it can be
confusing and there needs to be some sort of mechanism that help
them have a picture of what "soon" means such as a calendar to cross
off the days or the number of sleeps left; something that helps them
realise that "soon" will come and it will happen.
For the children of those in the Defence Forces or other professions
that entail long absences, it is important for them to know that
their feelings are real, shared and validated and that "soon" will
come eventually. While crossing dates off a calendar might seem
pointless and endless, perhaps instead of marking special things
missed, they can set themselves a goal to achieve before "soon"
happens. Riding their bike, playing a tricky tune on the piano,
knitting a jumper, achieving the next level in a sport - whatever is
their passion can become their driving force for making "soon" hurry
up. And even though it seems that it is dragging its feet, it
eventually does arrive.
As teachers there is much that we can do to acknowledge the anxiety,
help the understanding of time by making the countdown the kickstart
for a series of lessons about how humans have measured time over
millennia and make "soon" become "now".
Another important addition to our mindfulness toolboxes and
collections.
Barbara Braxton
Tashi storybook by Anna Fienberg and Barbara Fienberg
Ill. by Kim Gamble. Allen and Unwin, 2017. ISBN 9781760295684
If I were asked to name one of the most popular series for newly
independent readers that has endured over my time as both a teacher
and a teacher librarian, I would undoubtedly answer "Tashi", and now
it is time for another wave of emerging, newly-independent readers
to get to know this magical little fellow who has such big
adventures.
This special selection of stories includes 'Tashi and the Baba
Yaga', 'Tashi and the Genie', 'Tashi and the Big Stinker', 'Tashi
and the Haunted Houe', 'The Book of Spells', 'The Three Tasks',
'Tashi and the Phoenix' and a brand new story
'Kidnapped!'
Tashi, the imaginary friend of Jack, is a
delightful little character who is so clever, resourceful and brave
as he confronts fearsome opponents set on destroying his village and
his peace, often having an ethical dilemma to come to grips with as
he seeks a solution.
Not only is he a lovable character, the short stories and the
amazing monochrome illustrations that break up the text are perfect
for starting newly-independent readers off on their journey through
novels giving them the confidence and satisfaction of reading a
"chapter book" for themselves. Tashi and his adventures have been
the springboard for many a young reader over many years and this new
selection will no doubt encourage many more.
Barbara Braxton
Little i by Michael Hall
Greenwillow Books, 2017. ISBN 9780062383006
The alphabet letters were quite happy being what they were until one
day Little i's dot fell off. It rolled down a hill, tumbled over a
cliff and splashed into the sea. Little i felt weird and the other
letters felt confused because now Little i looked like a number and
you can't make words with numbers.
So Little i decided to find his dot and starts off on an adventure
that takes him to some interesting places. His question mark boat
takes him across the seas until he finds an island that has a
remarkable sea passage that passes a spectacular exclamation point
waterfall, through the cold dark parenthesis tunnel (with asterisk
gems), through the field of lovely comma sprouts, across the
spine-chilling hyphen bridge to the very edge of the land where his
dot completes his journey like a full stop at the end of a sentence.
But when Little i puts his dot back on he feels strange, setting his
quest and his story up for an imaginative and fun end.
With bold shapes and colours, this is one of those books that seems
really simple on the surface but then you wonder what sort of mind
could make such a story. But then he did write Red, a crayon's
story. Not only is it clever it is brilliant, so rich in so
much for the very young reader. Little i feels incomplete without
his dot and that he doesn't really belong in the alphabet, just as
some children feel adrift if they haven't got their mum, a special
friend or a favourite toy by their side and so talking about Little
i's story may help them realise that they can not only survive
without that security blanket but be even better for being brave
enough to leave it behind. Self-confidence in who we are is such a
critical part of growing up.
It is also wonderful for those who are just beginning to understand
that words are constructed from letters - Hall shows this by having
the letters in the words do their talking; distinguishing between
letters and numerals; and maybe starting to wonder what the other
marks on the page are. There is a myriad of talking and teaching
opportunities as the children demonstrate their knowledge of those
initial concepts about print that are part of early kindergarten
assessments. Yet, whatever level the child is at for looking at the
technicalities and tools of language, overall and throughout there
is an engaging story and a satisfying finish which have to be at the
core of anything we share with little ones if they are to love
stories and reading and all that they offer.
Barbara Braxton
Molly Mischief and the big pet by Adam Hargreaves
Pavilion, 2017. ISBN 9781843653424
Molly, aka Molly Mischief or MOLLY!!!, has lots of ideas, some of
which are not as good as others. When her dad takes her and
her brother to the zoo, she decides that she would really like a BIG
pet, one much bigger than Polka her pet mouse. And so she tries a
few - a hippopotamus, a polar bear, a giraffe, a tiger, a
rhinoceros, even a walrus - but none of them is just right.
Even the ostrich and the snake weren't suitable - her family is so
hard to please. But then she discovers the elephant...
When his father Roger died after a series of strokes in 1988, Adam
took over the successful Mr Men series and even though it took him
"years of trial and error" to perfect his father's art style, he
persevered and it is that same canvas that adds the charm to this
new series that will resonate with many children who have good but
out-there ideas, annoying brothers, and a twinkle in their eye.
When almost-independent Miss 6 spotted this on the review pile, she
pounced on it and did not surface until it was complete, and even
after reading it she had so much to tell us as she speculated on the
sort of pet she could/would have! A better recommendation than any
fancy words I might write!
Barbara Braxton
The naughtiest reindeer takes a bow by Nicki Greenberg
Allen and Unwin, 2017. ISBN 9781760297653
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Rhyming story, Christmas, Reindeer,
Presents. Christmas is approaching quickly and Ruby wants to help
Santa this year so that he does not get stressed out delivering all
the presents on time. Ruby, Rudolph's naughty sister was first
introduced in The naughtiest reindeer (2013) and has had two
more books about her playfulness, The naughtiest reindeer at the
zoo (2015) and The naughtiest reindeer goes south
(2016)
Ruby is enchanting and just as welcome in this verse story telling
of her efforts to help.
She throws the sack of presents on her back the day before Christmas
and heads off pulling the sleigh alone. Because she is unable to do
this by herself, she falls onto the outside of the house of George
and Amelia. They take her in, pushing all the presents into the
garage, but their parents do not want the reindeer to stay at home,
so the children take her to school where they are rehearsing their
songs for Christmas Eve. The class are all dressed as reindeer, and
Ruby tries to join in but makes things a little worse. Meanwhile
Santa and the other reindeer are looking for the presents and so the
two groups collide with predictably funny results, as Ruby works out
how the two groups can manage to deliver all the presents on time.
Children will love reading of Ruby's adventures as she really tries
to help, but finds that all her efforts cause some sort of mayhem.
Readers will enjoy predicting the rhyming words as they gobble up an
array of new words, like astonish, admonish, disappear and
initiative. I love Ruby and the reindeers, fashioned out of wood,
with twig antlers, encouraging any reader to try one out for
themselves, and the array of Christmas customs are reflected through
the book for everyone to enjoy. The book's shimmering cover is sure
to attract a host of readers.
Fran Knight
That Christmas feeling by Lili Wilkinson
Ill. by Amanda Francey. Allen and Unwin, 2017. ISBN 9781760294960
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Christmas, Sharing, Grandparents. Jean,
Dottie and Shortbread, the dog, are sad. Their parents have left
them with their grandparents before Christmas, telling them that
they will return in time. But the things they do with their parents
before Christmas are simply not happening with their grandparents
and there is no Christmas feeling to the days. They usually help mum
make the Christmas pudding, but grandma makes a mess of it. They
help dad make streamers and help put up the Christmas tree, but gran
and grandpa don't have a tree to decorate. They are disappointed
while they recall what usually happens at Christmas time in their
house.
The children go outside, and there they see a lovely tree in the
garden, and looking up see all the sparkling lights they would wish
to see. And just as they are realising that the trappings of
Christmas do not have to be as they always are, their parents arrive
home with an addition to the family which underlines the theme of
the story, that Christmas is about families and being together.
The things people do every year pale into insignificance as the
family hugs all of its members close.
In a classroom this could initiate discussion about what the
students do at Christmas, showcasing the array of events and
decorations, customs and traditions that are unique to each family,
and underlining that we are all different. The soft illustrations
entice to readers to look more closely, taking in the way things
were in the past for gran and grandpa, revealing the things the
children do with their parents, and showing that Christmas does not
have to be about things, but about sharing time within the family.
Fran Knight
One Christmas wish by Katherine Rundell
Ill. by Emily Sutton. Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408885734
(Age: 7+) Highly recommended. Themes: Christmas, Loneliness,
Sharing, Decorations, Friends, Family. A modern fable, this story
tells of a young boy's wish at Christmas and how his wish is
fulfilled when he sees a star falling across the night sky.
It is Christmas Eve and he has been left with a new babysitter who
falls asleep over her mobile phone in the kitchen. He takes the
decorations from the strongly sellotaped box to hang on the tree,
and is dismayed all over again that his parents have not replaced
the broken ones. He attaches the damaged baubles and finds four more
decorations at the bottom of the box: a toy soldier with a rusty
drum, a fairy with damaged wings, a wooden horse on worm eaten
rockers and a a bedraggled robin.
After he wishes on the falling star, he hears voices behind him and
is amazed to see the four decorations asking for help to come down
from the tree. From there the excitement of Christmas Eve, making
friends and sharing with others takes on a reality of heartfelt
proportions as Theo finds ways of making his friends happy. The
horse is unscrewed from its rockers, and the robin helped to find
someone who will teach it to sing as the five make their way to Mrs
Goodyere's house. The robin stays to help her celebrate Christmas,
remembering her dead husband, Arthur while she helps the robin sing.
They find feathers along the way to repair the fairy's wings, and
the tin soldier asks for help in finding someone to love. Theo
cleans up his drum, and they head to the doll shop where they find a
princess waiting for him. He leaves them guarding the infant in the
manger in the town square while the horse makes its way into the
sky. When Theo returns home, some magic happens for him as well when
his parents return sooner than everyone expected after seeing a
horse flying through the night sky and making them feel that they
should return home to be with their family.
The warmth of the story is reflected in the detailed illustrations,
reminiscent of books from long ago, with lots of Christmasy customs
and images to pour over. Readers of all ages will get a thrill
reading this lovely witty story and stopping to soak up the
marvelous illustrations.
Fran Knight
The Princess and the Christmas rescue by Caryl Hart
Ill. by Sarah Warburton. Nosy Crow, 2017. ISBN 9780857637079
Kept in her beautiful palace at the top of the world by parents who
fear for her safety because of what lives in the surrounding forest,
Princess Eliza is lonely But even though she is stuck inside all day
with no one to play with, she is resourceful and she figures out how
to make almost anything with a few bits of wood and some string -
including her own toys! But her parents think that her mechanical
inclinations aren't suited to a princess, and tell her she'd be
better off devoting her time to searching for a friend.
But not being allowed to go out into the world makes that a tricky
thing, and even drawing on her fairytales doesn't help - the
gingerbread man skedaddles, the frog she kisses doesn't turn into a
prince and even dangling her long hair out the window brings no
visitors. But as she sits at the window she smells smoke drifting
over the trees and is determined to find out who is making it and
she slips out into the forest. As a huge shaggy shape looms up out
of the snow she is frightened but it turns out to be a friendly deer
who carries to his master's house where she finds elves who are
overworked and despondent because Santa has the flu and they're
unlikely to finish all the orders before Christmas Eve.
But Eliza knows just what to do - at last all that time spent with
paper and paperclips, scissors and glue comes in very handy, but can
she save Christmas?
Recommended by A Mighty Girl for being a story that empowers girls
and encourages them to be "smart, confident and courageous" this
certainly meets these criteria. From defying her parents and going
into the forest, demonstrating her inventive intelligence in an
elves-and-shoemaker kind of way to save Christmas and yet still
keeping her feet on the ground (sort of), this is a story that will
appeal to girls everywhere and help take the sting from the word
'princess' that it has acquired over the last decade or so. Being
clever, imaginative and inventive is not restricted to boys! And it
could well be the springboard for kickstarting some problem-solving
as Makerspaces need new life breathed into them at the beginning of
2018. Students could brainstorm the other sorts of problems that
Santa might encounter as he tries to meet everyone's requests and
then they could invent something to solve them.
A joyful, fun story that will be a permanent part of my Christmas
Countdown.
Barbara Braxton
Rudolph shines again by Robert L. May
Ill. by Antonio Javier Caparo. Little Simon, 2015. ISBN
9781442474987
It's a dark and snowy Christmas Eve so once again Santa wants
Rudolph to lead the way for the sleigh as his nose shines bold and
bright. But the other reindeer are jealous and not content with just
laughing at Rudolph and calling him names, they are really mean and
make him carry the heaviest loads, even using him as the ball when
they played football!
Rudolph is so sad and whinges and whines so much that the light on
his nose goes out! With no reason to stay to help and full of
self-pity, he leaves the comparative safety of the North Pole for
somewhere where he is unknown and unrecognised. And there he
meets some rabbits whose babies are lost in the forest and at the
mercy of foxes and wolves. Completely forgetting his own troubles,
Rudolph promises to find them - but can he do it without his shiny
nose to light the way? Of course he does and with the rescue comes a
realisation that is brighter than any nose could be!
Written in 1954, this is the sequel to Rudolph
the Red-Nosed Reindeer but unlike the original which May
wrote to entertain children as part of a department store promotion,
this one has a stronger message about there always being someone
worse off than you, perhaps inspired by his family circumstances as
his wife died from cancer as he worked on the original. While not
necessarily the time for an in-depth discussion, nevertheless young
children will feel Rudolph's pain at being bullied and might think
about the feelings of others that they tease. They will also
draw encouragement from Rudolph being able to get things in
perspective and go back to face his tormentors knowing that he is
strong and has a lot to offer.
This new release is stunning with its beautiful artwork bringing
another dimension to the story, also told in rhyme, and making a
special duo of books for the Christmas Countdown.
Barbara Braxton
Battlefront by Michael Adams
The Seven signs series book 7. Scholastic, 2017. ISBN:
9781743628072
(Age:13+) Recommended. Themes: Disaster; Truth and Lies; Adventure;
Science-Fiction; Technology. This is the final episode in The
Seven Signs series and begins in the tense circumstances that
we and the DARE winners were left hanging in (literally) in the
previous book. Sydney had just been subjected to an unnatural
tsunami and the young teens needed to survive the horrific
circumstances in order to prevent even further disaster in
Antarctica. But at every turn there is another awful incident and
threat to their lives. The Signmaker who is orchestrating the series
of dangers that the teens must overcome is close to being revealed
and maybe they have time to solve the sign and prevent worldwide
catastrophe before havoc is released. Will their heroism rise
against the tide again? Will their lives be spared? Or is this the
end of the protagonists as well as the world as we know it?
Michael Adams has successfully created another action-packed drama,
with tension on every page and a 'twist in the tale'. By dividing
the adventure up into seven separate books, there is a little
frustration in waiting for the next book when the cliffhanger at the
end of each previous book is so tense. Therefore this should really
be considered as one story, in seven different books; as each book
needs to be read in order, and the story is not finished or
satisfying until you have read this, the last of the series. I have
to say that I enjoyed the entire journey in this futuristic, sci-fi
influenced, technology-linked world and the teens involved are
incredibly talented and resourceful (with a little help from
technology). This series would make a good gift (as a set), and
could be recommended in libraries (reading from book 1-7 in order)
for both male and female readers.
Carolyn Hull
Ula's magic island by Di Morrissey
Harbour Publishing House, 2017. ISBN 9781922134059
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Ula's magic island is a
beautiful story of imagination and magic. Ula has an amazing
imagination and keeps herself busy daydreaming about being a queen,
a trapeze artist and a princess. However, she also loves adventures
and is always out and about, sliding down hills and looking for
fish. One afternoon, she saw a magical island in the middle of the
lake and despite being not allowed to go on the lake, heads over to
it. A storm creates huge waves and Ula ends up in the water. When
she awakes, Ula is on a magical island. She spends the day exploring
the fruit salad trees and the spaghetti forest. She dresses up in
the fancy clothes and does a hula with the animals. Ula is offered a
wish by a friendly bird name Ambrose. What will she wish for? What
does Ula want more - a room full of toys or to be home with her
family?
Readers of Ula's magic island will not be able to take
their eyes from the illustrations. The details in Ula's eyes draw
you in; her emotions and her excitement in the amazing facial
expressions are beautiful. Young readers will have so much to talk
about as they explore the magical island with Ula and will be
encouraged to use their own imagination as they discuss the wish
they would make.
This story is highly recommended for readers aged 3+ when reading
with a parent and for more independent readers aged 7+.
Kylie Kempster
Princess Snowbelle and the snowstorm by Libby Frost
Ill. by Lucy Fleming. Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408890011
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Princess Snowbelle and the
snowstorm is a gorgeous picture book and is also a lovely
story of friendship, courage and resilience. Princess Snowbelle is
rather nervous as she will be singing at the Snow Ball. Thankfully,
her friend Sparkleshine will be helping her. As Snowbelle waits for
Sparkleshine, a huge snowstorm hits the forest. Snowbelle and her
pony Icetail race into the forest to get Sparkleshine but find
themselves lost. Can Snowbelle use the magic in her charm bracelet
to find her way? will she make it to the Snow ball in time? Princess Snowbelle and the snowstorm's detailed and colourful
pictures are engaging and help tell the story. They show feelings in
the character's faces and the scenery is breathtaking. The story is
quick and easy to read and would be easy to retell in a classroom
situation or when parents read it to their child. The story would
also be great in Child Protection lessons as children learn about
feelings and problem solving. Alternate endings could be written,
characters could be changed and children could create their own
version.
It is highly recommended for girls aged 3+ and more independent
readers aged 7+ can read it on their own.
Kylie Kempster
Ori the Octopus by Anne Helen Donnelly
Anne Helen Donnelly, 2017. ISBN 9780646962207
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Ori the Octopus is a good friend and
his eight legs come in handy when everyone needs help. Ori can make
a cake while cuddling a baby. He can sip his tea and help a hurt
friend. Can he remember what he needs to do when his legs get too
busy? Can you sip a bandaid and mix a baby? Oh no! What will Ori do?
Can his friends help Ori? Ori the Octopus is a gorgeous story about helping others. Ori
is a fantastic role model for children and so are his friends -
asking for help can be hard. The pictures are bright and colourful
and it will be a great bedtime story. The book is also great for the
classroom. It models how to treat your friends and how to help them.
It is great for problem solving. The character cut-outs can be added
to popsticks for retelling and the actions can be acted out, keeping
the children engaged and active during the story. This book is
highly recommended for children aged 4+.
Kylie Kempster