Reviews

The amazing monster DeTeCToScOPe by Graeme Base

PenguinViking, 2017. ISBN 9780670079308
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Monsters, Childhood fears, Interactive story, Rhyming story. What fun will be had by lucky children given this as a present or those in a classroom where they are encouraged to handle the book with care. It certainly warrants lots of looking, reading, and interaction, and will make readers laugh out loud at the way Base incorporates his monsters into the most ordinary of household appliances. From the bathroom to the bedroom, laundry and the kitchen, monsters lurk everywhere, and the plucky dog with his newly purchased machine can scope them out. Readers will be able to use the viewfinder to move the perspective of the picture to uncover the monsters lurking inside. Many will recognise monsters they have dreaded, particularly under their beds, as they read along. For those with a meticulous eye, looking at the background of each double page will intrigue and delight as all sorts of things are included. But in the end the dog realises that his machine just will not do, so he turns and confronts the monsters, which surprisingly, melt away.
Children will be able to articulate what monsters they fear and where they are to be found in their house, while reading this book about the monsters lurking inside and out. Base has used his considerable illustrative and design skill to reflect the fears of children as the dog tramps through the house in search of the many monsters. Each double page is different, exciting and enticing, the mechanics of the turning wheel inviting to little fingers simply wanting to know what will happen when they turn the viewfinder. Most of the pages are shown through the dog's perspective: looking at the dolls in the sister's room or looking into the kitchen, but several take a different slant as the dog looks out into the road towards the garbage truck, or Base shows a different view of the bathroom from the ceiling. All adds interest and variety sure to captivate the readers.
Base is well known to audiences for his unusual offerings since My grandma lives in Gooligulch (1983) but it was Animalia in 1986 that announced him as an award winning artist, winning many prestigious awards. I loved The last king of Angkor Wat (2014) and this new book is sure to be a favourite as well, having parallels to Truck dogs (2003), which holds number one spot with me.
Fran Knight

First day at Skeleton school by Sam Lloyd

Bloomsbury 2017. ISBN 9781408868829
(Age: 5+) Recommended. Monsters, School, Rhyming story. At night time Skeleton school opens its doors for the mini monsters, needing tuition with their newly found skills. Welcomed by Mr Bones the teacher, readers must cross over the moat into the ghostly castle and attend morning assembly where the singing is other worldly. In the library the witch flies up on her broom only to have the cat fall to the ground after attempting a loop de loop. Next dance class is a bit jangly with the skeletons all dancing together, while the ghosts move up and down the staircase learning to float and at lunchtime the zombies cook up a meal to be savoured.
In rhyming stanzas the story moves along, taking the reader through a familiar scenario, a school, but with ghostly apparitions popping out of all doors and windows, sitting in rows for assembly, drifting down the stairs, working in the science laboratory or playing in the garden.
Kids will love the range of things depicted, at assembly the whole range is lined up in rows for eager readers to pick out. They will laugh out loud at each page, littered with ghostly imaginings, a three headed librarian, a dancing skeleton reading a book called Rattling Rhymes, the beetle burgers being offered by the zombies, Frankenstein's head being used as a ball at playtime.
Bright illustrations fill each page with a mine of things to delve into, small drawings will catch the eyes of eager readers as they learn of the range of monsters that exist in our imaginations and literature. All good fun for Halloween.
Fran Knight

Scary hairy party by Claire Freedman

Ill. by Sue Hendra. Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408867174
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Halloween, Monsters, Party, Rhyming story. In four line stanzas, the story unfolds of a group of animals invited to Monster's house at 3 pm. They must all dress up to go to the party, and go to Raymond's hair salon to make themselves perfect.
But here they run into problems, Raymond makes their hair look fabulous, but accidents happen that mess up their hairstyles. Bella the sheep looks lovely until Raymond uses so much hair spray that her hair becomes very frizzy. Leo the lion is up next and his mane is fabulous until Raymond unscrews a pot of gloop and it goes everywhere, including over Leo's new hairdo. The others sit there wondering what will happen, and sure enough Raymond mixes up the dyes and the last three get technicolour hair. All is in chaos, but when the group gets to the party a neat twist sees them fit in very well.
Bright and breezy, colourful illustrations accompany this rhyming story, with lots on each page to intrigue and delight younger readers. They will have fun predicting the rhyming words and noticing all the things used by a hairdresser. And with Halloween coming along, a mildly scary story to share with younger readers.
Fran Knight

Snowdrift and other stories by Georgette Heyer

Sourcebooks Casablanca, 2017. ISBN 9781492650461
(Age: 13+) Recommended. Regency romance. Short stories. Originally published as Pistols for two, Snowdrift and other stories contains three brand new stories that previously haven't been in a collection. These three stories, Pursuit, Runaway match and Incident on the Bath Road, make a delightful addition for readers who love the work of Georgette Heyer.
All the stories felt very familiar to me and indeed many could be described as precursors to the full length novels. I have been a fan of the author since the very first time I read a book by her when I was a teen. She is an author that I come back to repeatedly whenever I need a feel-good read because her witty dialogue, sparkling characters and charming atmosphere always lift my spirits.
In this collection, I was happy to be re-united with Pistols for two as Heyer is so able to convey the jealousies and strong friendship of the youths who had suddenly found that the annoying little playmate from their childhood had grown into a beauty. Pursuit, one of the new stories, also was a hit with me, as I enjoyed the romance between the older couple, the Earl of Shane and Mary Fairfax, the governess and have always had a soft spot for the young woman who falls in love with a military man.
I particularly enjoyed the foreword by Heyer's official biographer, Jennifer Kloester, as she describes the importance of the women's magazines as places for authors to be published.
Heyer brings to life all the romance of a bygone era and her wonderful characters will linger in the memory. She is truly the queen of the Regency romance.
Pat Pledger

Exchange of heart by Darren Groth

Random House, 2017. ISBN 9780143781578
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. Assisted living, Exchange program, Disability, Death, Grieving, Mental health. When Munro lands in Australia and goes to his new home in Brisbane ready for a six month exchange, the reader is aware that he has problems, as he argues with a voice in his head he calls Coyote. His new family is welcoming, and their son, Rowan takes him to school the next day where he must fit into the year eleven cohort, wear the uniform, and obey the school rules. A part of the school's routine is a fifty hour volunteer program in which he is expected to participate. From the start, we realise that Munro is harbouring guilt about his sister's death. Evie died suddenly a year before and Munro is still grieving, while his parents have set up a foundation to raise money and awareness about Down's Syndrome. Munro has on line face time with his family and friends back home and fits into the friendship group of Rowan. His relationships in the first few weeks getting to know Rowan's friends and finding a place within the school are uneasy and several times he meets the counsellor to discuss his progress. His placement is at Fair Go, am assisted living complex, and here Munro becomes a living partner, someone to walk with the group he is assigned to. They elect to have him as their partner, and plan out a series of excursions to show him their city. In this way Groth is able to tell us about the group as Munro sits with them on the bus and each choses the tour each week, their choice revealing something of them to the reader.
Munro subtly changes over the weeks he spends with these people. Coyote's voice disappears while he is at Fair Go, he comes to look forward to his time there, even missing school on Wednesday afternoons to be with one of the boys, the sleeper, Shah, to play chess. He becomes involved with their lives and issues as he begins to reveal what happened to Evie and how much she was part of his life.
With some humour, Groth reveals some of the prejudice these people are subject to, both from society and sometimes within their own families. Some situations will cause the reader to stop and think about their own attitudes, while some are heart breaking.
The story of Munro's acceptance of his sister's death is engrossing, as Groth reveals the effects of her death on the whole family, all grieving in their own way.
His being sent to Australia is a strategy to have him resolve his issues and start afresh, but in going to the assisted living program he finds a new path with his whole family, one which remembers Evie in the best way possible.
This is a memorable read.
Fran Knight

Nevermoor : The trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

Lothian, 2017. ISBN 9780734418074
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. Fantasy. Adventure. Sorcery. Good and evil. Mystery. Jessica Townsend's debut novel unveils the mystifying, magical world of Nevermoor filled with 'Wunder', extraordinary larger than life characters and gothic drama. The countdown is on. Cursed child Morrigan Crow, born at midnight on Eventide, is destined to die on her twelfth birthday. Unfortunately, time speeds up and her life is to be cut short a year early. While her distant family, her father Chancellor Crow, her stepmother and grandmother tolerate the child and pay for her misdeeds, Morrigan is resigned to her fate. Fortuitously, she receives two last minute bids for her to study under two different mentors. Mysterious Jupiter North rescues the terrified child and they travel far away to Nevermoor, a magical city protected from the Hunt. North nominates her as a candidate to become a pupil at an elite school for the smartest and most talented students.
Life in Nevermoor is intriguing. Morrigan resides at the amazing Deucalion Hotel with fantastical rooms, including the sensory Smoke Room and an ever-changing bedroom filled with amazing decor. Fenestra the talking Magnificat, is the larger than life housekeeper who provides guidance for the young girl. Morrigan finds friends who help her understand the four challenging trials she has to compete in. From five hundred children, the elders of the Wundrous Society will accept only nine candidates.
The trial of Morrigan Crow compellingly delivers the quintessential fantasy in a beautifully crafted world. In this coming of age story, Morrigan is a survivor who shows determination, courage and resilience, questioning her life, her destiny, and her talents. Townsend builds her layered plot, with poignant and descriptive language, with colourful characters, magical places filled with light and shade and emotional heights and depths. She explores the themes of political unrest, bureaucratic power and the impact of the energy crisis. Transportation takes on a creative twist: Octavia the mechanical spider carries them across the border, and there is dragon-riding in the trials and flying with magical umbrellas. Townsend takes the reader on an exciting journey and leaves us wanting so much more; where to next for Morrigan?
Rhyllis Bignell

Gecko by Raymond Huber

Ill. by Brian Lovelock. Nature storybooks. Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781925126556
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. Geckos. Australian animals. Environment. In this magnificent series of books called Nature Storybooks from Walker, in which every word on the page is true, comes another outing in the form of a gecko.
Each page has text written in two fonts. One is the story of the gecko, and the other is an information text, usually at the bottom of the page. Children can read a story of a gecko, and be fascinated by its everyday existence, finding food and avoiding capture by a predator, then read more information given in the factual text beneath. And augmented with lustrous illustrations, reading this book is a treat.
Through the story Huber tells us how the gecko survives during the day, licking its skin and eyes with its long tongue, lying in the sun to keep warm, using its camouflage to avoid the hawk, finding a cockroach to eat and defending its territory from an intruder. Each time something happens in the story, information is given in the different font to explain the theme: so we hear what camouflage means or how the gecko uses its tongue, or why the tail dropping is important.
All is informative, visually interesting and inventive as the story weaves its way through the gecko's day. At the end of the book is a page with more information, then it is rounded off with an index, helping younger readers with new skills at research and recovering information. This is a wonderful addition to a fascinating series, well produced, thoughtfully written and informative. I am sure younger readers will love it, so entranced with the cover image that they will not hesitate in picking it up from the shelf.
Fran Knight

The snow angel by Lauren St John

Zephyr, 2017. ISBN 9781786695895
(Age: 12+) Recommended. Orphans. Poverty. Family. Miracles. Friendship. Overcoming difficulty. Resilience. The snow angel; is a wonderful, magical mix of African culture, sadness, dreams, grief, resilience and the awful sobering realities of poverty and homelessness - but despite this sad litany of ideas, it is filled with bright moments of love and optimism. This is both a fantasy tale with a light dusting of imagined mystery and a sobering expose of the reality of modern Africa. The central character, Makena, experiences the highs of living out her dreams within a loving family and then the horrors that no child should ever have to experience, after tragic circumstances swamp her life. Woven into this tragedy is the vision of the 'snow angel' - a magical illusion that appears and silently offers hope. Makena also meets an amazing friend and a rescuer that are just what she needs. Even though there are incredibly bleak and heart-breaking aspects to this story, it is ultimately a story of hope for Makena. (But a mature reader will also realise that there are many unnamed characters in the story that will not experience this same hopeful ending.)
Lauren St John has written this book with understanding of the Kenyan setting that comes from her own experience of life in Africa as a child. She also peppers lightly the telling of this dramatic tale with some profound quotes and pearls of wisdom, as well as a glimpse of how those in poverty can retain joy in their lives, despite the hardships they face. There are some chronology leaps as the story unfolds that may confuse some young readers initially, but the story is compelling and worth promoting.
Carolyn Hull

La la la by Kate DiCamillo

Ill. by Jaime Kim. Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781406378009
(Age: 4+) Voice. Singing. Loneliness. The young girl on the front cover loves to sing, but wants to share her singing with someone else. She is hesitant, looking longingly at her front door, and eventually moves through the door into the world outside. Here it is golden and light filled, and she moves through this environment, singing, trying to attract someone else. She goes back inside, but the swirling leaves call her again and she moves outside into the darker space. She sings again, to no avail, but sees the large white circle of the moon shining. She tries to climb to the moon, singing all the while, but still there is no one there.
Disappointed yet again, she retreats to her house, her small voice singing the words to herself, but this time she hears them come back to her as someone responds.
Author Kate DiCamillo is well known for her stories of children not usually seen in children's books. Because of Winn-Dixie is a superb story of one girl's school year as she is forced to go to an integrated school after a law change. Raymie Nightingale looks at a child for whom winning a competition is the epitome. In these books, favourites of mine, I can see hints of the child in La la la: all children are hesitant, unsure of what to make of their situation, trying to find a friend in a world that seems hostile.
In La la la, the world eventually becomes less hostile, and she finds a friend.
Children will love filling in the story, adding words to this almost wordless picture book, as they see the child striving to take charge of her situation. Many will recognise themselves in this story, the hesitation at meeting new people, the loneliness of not making an effort to go outside, striving to be part of someone else's life, of finding a friend. Kim's illustrations reflect her feelings of being alone as a child, being hesitant and timid. The pictured girl is a small figure on a large white page, emphasising her aloneness for most of the story. A story of hope.
Fran Knight

I want to be in a scary story by Sean Taylor

Ill. by Jean Jullien. Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781406363463
(Age: 3-7) Recommended. Little Monster wants to be in a scary story. He asks the author to help him but as the story is constructed from Little Monster's requests, he gets too scared and wants changes to the plot.
Eventually the monster wants a funny story but the author has his own fun by putting in a few surprises. In the end, the big revelation for the reader is made by Little Monster himself.
This is an entertaining book and younger children love the stories that seem to be written in front of them. Press here by Herve Tullet and The book with no pictures by B J Novak both have that interactive feel and are hugely popular in my school library.
I think children will relate to monster's fear of being scared and laugh at the tricks that are played on both the monster and the narrator or reader.
The pictures are bold and brightly coloured and the font is coloured purple when the (purple) monster speaks, making it easier for children to understand who is talking. The monster is cute and looks young and his facial expressions in the illustrations make it clear when he is scared or anxious about what is coming up next.
I enjoyed this humorous picture book and I am sure younger children will be delighted with it too.
I recommend this book for 3 to 7 year olds.
Jane Moore

Wilder country by Mark Smith

Text, 2017. ISBN 9781925498530
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Dystopian fiction, Survival, Violence. At the end of The road to winter (2016) Finn has created a place of safety for himself and Rose, away from the Wilder people, those out to kill him and take Rose into servitude. The disease that swept the world has left pockets of thugs in control, roaming the countryside in search of women and food. Finn and Rose seem safe, but then she dies in childbirth and the baby is taken by its father, Ramage, the leader of the Wilders, Finn needs to reassess their situation. He and Rose's sister, Kas and a young child, Willow, pressed into his arms by her parents who knew their time was running out, have survived all winter but now must find out what has happened outside and find the baby, something they promised Rose.
This breathtaking survival story does not let up. Kas, Finn and Willow meet others on the road, but are unsure of how much to say or who to trust. They come across several Wilders at Ray's place, but he is nowhere to be seen and when one attempts to rape Kas, she deals with him. They move on, back to the farm where Willow's parents live, but find them in chains, working for Ramage and his motley crew. A deadly stalemate ensues.
With all the excitement of a multi layered thriller, Wilder country will grab the attention of those who read it. A survival story, a road novel, post apocalyptic in its scope, the story will be eagerly read by those who love the genre heralded by John Marsden's series, Tomorrow when the war began, and recreated in many forms since.
The evil is so evil that I had to stop reading and put the book aside, the creepy atmosphere created by Smith is one that takes hold of the reader as they proceed. Teens will love it, and see parallels to what is happening in some places around the world. That it is set in Australia makes it more relevant and readers may ponder the impact of such a situation in their own backyard. And like all good dystopian novels, the last few sentences leaves it open for a sequel.
Fran Knight

Koala bare by Jackie French

Ill. by Matt Shanks. Angus and Robertson, 2017. ISBN 9781460751619
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Rhyming story, Koalas, Australian animals, Bears. The koala makes it known that he is not a bear. He asserts that he does not eat honey or live in a cottage or eat bamboo nor does he come in various pastel colours. On each of the first few pages we see him standing with crossed arms, surveying the things that bears do and like. But not him as he is not a bear. He is talking to a white cockatoo intent on taking down this amazing information, scribbling notes in a notepad. The bears in the illustrations are doing all the sorts of things that children know bears do: living in polar climes, climbing telegraph poles, eating copious amounts of honey and bamboo, and looking very cute in shop windows. But our hero is not one of these, and he lets us know in strongly worded stanzas. He doesn't fish because he doesn't like squishy things, he doesn't hibernate but prefers to laze in the sun on a branch. And he certainly does not dress up, because he is bare, and shows us his posterior.
A wonderfully funny look at several important things: the difference between the words bare and bear, the fact that the koala is not a bear and as the reader reads on they will learn some of the attributes of bears. But the main focus is the fun, the wit of French's rhyming stanzas, the prediction of the rhyming word at the end of each phrase, the use of words like posterior, the attempts by the koala to get readers to see him as he is.
Matt Shank's illustrations suit the story beautifully, adding another layer of wit to French's story, giving the narrator a stance that reflects his attitude to being called a bear, and along the way showing readers exactly what real bears do. I love the nods to Goldilocks for kids to watch out for.
And in the end the koala is asking to be accepted for what he is, a neat segue into discussions about what makes us who we are.
Fran Knight

Free diving by Lorrae Coffin

Ill. by Bronwyn Houston. Magabala Books, 2017. ISBN 9781925360738
(Age: 7-10) Recommended. Themes: Pearl Diving, Broome, Western Australia, Pearl Industry. Singer and songwriter Lorrae Coffin wrote her song Free Diving in 1996 as a moving tribute to the Aboriginal men and women who were forced to work as divers for the pearling luggers in the mid to late 19th century. This unscrupulous practice was called blackbirding and was used by white people for the pearl shell industry in Broome Western Australia. The Aboriginal people dived underwater to a depth of 12 metres without protective gear. The reality of this practice was quite confronting, with every dive they faced succumbing to the bends, attacks by sharks and diving in cyclonic weather. Many of these Aboriginal and Asian divers never returned home.
In Free Diving we are drawn into the emotional journey of a young man who is a 'long way from home', . . . 'my people, my country I leave.' With the help of the Malays and Japanese men on board he learns to dive deep for the pearl shells. Bronwyn Houston's colourful pictures add life and dimension to the sensitive text. Her sweeping ocean scenes show both the majesty of the underwater world and dangers faced by the divers.
At the conclusion of this interesting picture book, Lorrae's song is included with the guitar chords as well. Information about the practice of blackbirding and both the author and illustrator's Aboriginal heritage is incorporated too. Free Diving is a useful resource for the Australian Year 5 History curriculum studies of colonial life in Australia in the 1800s. This includes the impact of the Aboriginal, Japanese, Indonesian and Malay pearl divers in Western Australia.
Rhyllis Bignell

Baabwaa and Wooliam by David Elliot

Ill. by Melissa Sweet. Candlewick Press, 2017. ISBN 9780763660741
(Age: Junior primary) Highly recommended. As you can guess by their clever names, this is a book about sheep. Baabwaa loves to knit and Wooliam loves to read. "It sounds boring but they like it".
They decide to have an adventure and while walking about the field, come across a wolf in disguise. At first the wolf chases them, while the sheep make a dash for safety deciding that being adventurous is not as wonderful as they first thought.
The wolf stops his pursuit as he is distracted by Wooliam's comment "It's that Wolf in sheep's clothing I've read about". The sheep show him the book but discover that he cannot read. They begin reading instruction for the wolf who still sporadically chases them, which they decide is good for their fitness and health.
This is a delightfully comical picture book as David Elliot makes humorous comments throughout the story, that children will love. I love the forgiving nature of the sheep and that they put up with the wolf chasing them as he is "just following his nature".
I enjoyed the end of the story where the wolf is engrossed in a book, wearing knitted garments made by Baabwaa.
The illustrations by Melissa Sweet are perfect for the story and the strands of wool on the endpapers are a great touch.
I highly recommend this picture book for junior primary aged children.
Jane Moore

What makes me a me? by Ben Faulks and David Tazzyman