The Princess in Black and the mysterious playdate by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale
Ill. by LeUyen Pham. The Princess in Black book 5.
Candlewick Press, 2017. ISBN 9780763688264
(Age: 5-8) Highly recommended. My favourite princess is back and
this time she is having a playdate with Princess Sneezewort.
Unbeknowns to her a monster has followed her from the goats' field
and is terrorising the children who have pets in the park near
Princess Sneezewort's palace. When Princess Magnolia hears of the
threat she quickly dons her Princess in Black attire and goes to the
rescue. Princess Sneezewort follows the directions for becoming ' a
monster battling hero' and dressing herself in a disguise of
blankets, becomes the Princess in Blankets, and goes to the pets'
rescue as well.
Filled with funny moments and humorous illustrations, this episode
shows that with a bit of help, anyone could be a hero. The
friendship portrayed between the two princess, both as their
ordinary selves and then as heroes, is heart warming. The two
friends have such fun playing dress-up slam and karaoke jam and
playhouse romp and snack-time stomp. When they vanquish the monster
it is time for a victory dance with the Goat Avenger and they slap
hands, they wiggle bums and say 'Callooo!'
This series of books come highly recommended. The characters are
well developed and most likeable and will appeal to a wide range of
children. The delightful drawings complement the warmth and charm of
the story, which is also action packed for readers who enjoy
adventure. Readers will have lots of fun searching for the monster
who is very adept at hiding.
I look forward to further exploits of the Princess in Black and her
trusty friends.
Pat Pledger
Can you find me? by Gordon Winch
Ill. by Patrick Shirvington. New Frontier Publishing, 2017. ISBN
9781925059793
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Environment, Camouflage, Australian animals.
Hidden within the pages are animals that readers will know about,
and try to find as they are camouflaged within the landscape. Each
double page follows the same pattern. Five lines of text describe a
little of the animal's habitat and behaviour, then it is up to the
reader to find the animal hidden there. Each five lines follows the
same format, making it easier for younger readers to predict what is
following and join in. The hidden animal will be a wonderful
exercise for younger readers at home or at school. They will see
what the animal is, what its habitat is and how it hides itself
within that habitat.
Soft water colour and pencil illustrations will find many admirers
amongst the target audience as they delve into the background of
each page and look hard to find the hidden animal.
At the end of the book is a double page reprising the animals to be
found within the pages, ensuring that readers will want to find out
more about these animals and their place in Australia's environment.
Fran Knight
What's up top by Marc Martin
Penguin, 2017. ISBN 9780143783886
(Age: 5+) Recommended. Curiosity, Humour, Rhyming story. With
vaguely subversive humour, the tale of what is at the top of the
ladder will have students guessing and making predictions all the
way through the book. The ladder is there, shown on the cover and
first page with the same question, What's up top? Children will make
guesses from the start, even without the ladder being shown again,
it is there in their minds.
But the book asks a question, is it a hat, or black and white cat?
as the rhyming lines begin, taking the reader on a journey of absurd
and not so absurd responses. But whatever the response, children
will laugh out loud at each page's answer and illustrations. An
array of possibilities is given to the readers: a boat or castle
with a moat, rain or a really fast train, or a hotel that looks like
a shell. Each unusual offering will give cause to laugh at the
absurd alternatives, and join in the fun of the story as it powers
along.
Illustrations cover one side of the page and often small details
make the eye move from one page to another, asking the reader to
foretell what may in store at the top of the ladder.
Towards the end of the book choices come thick and fast: the moon or
yellow balloon, somebody tall standing next to a wall, a group of
iguanas in purple pyjamas, as it continues its way to thinking about
what is at the top.
Children will by this stage be predicting the next rhyming word and
having a whale of a time, with a range of rhyming words, probably
vastly different from the ones offered, but this further create
interest and enthusiasm. By the end of the book, younger readers
will have been introduced to a range of things they may not have
known about as well as rhyme, and thinking about that fuzzy
question, what's up top?
Fran Knight
The scared book by Debra Tidball
Ill. by Kim Siew. Lothian, 2017. ISBN 9780734417503
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Fear, Monsters. This book is scared; scared
of the monsters that lie inside the pages, and the book's story
cannot be read, until all the monsters are gone.
So the reader is invited to get rid of the monster, and each funny
page depicts a different type of monster with a different method of
erasing them from the book.
Children will love the interactive nature of the book, the
instructions on how to rid the book of the monsters, and the ease
with which they can rid them.
Children are asked to scratch them away, then turning the page, to
rub them out. Further on they are asked to blow them away, then to
flick them away, to trample them with their fingers, to sake them
away and finally to to fan them away. Once the monsters are all
gone, then it is time to help the book relax, and the reader is
asked to massage the book by following the spiral around to its
centre. Only when all of this is done can the book then be relaxed
enough to tell the story.
This book gives a message to the readers, that fears and monsters
can be overcome, giving them techniques of making these fears go
away, as well as asking them to concentrate on something else.
Parents and teachers alike will be able to use this book to
encourage children to express their fears, to recognise that they
are not the only ones who have fears, and see how they can be erased
from their lives with some simple techniques.
Illustrator Kim Siew is a Sydney based street artist and a look at
her website will intrigue younger readers about her work, as well as
understand the wonderful illustrations in this book.
Fran Knight
Koala by Claire Saxby
Ill. by Julie Vivas. Nature Storybook series. Walker Books,
2017. ISBN 9781925126396
(Age: 4-8) Highly recommended. Subjects: Koalas. Climb, little Koala, it's time to find your own way.
Claire Saxby's beautifully written Koala combines a lyrical
narrative with a factual account of the koala's life cycle and Julie
Vivas' evocative watercolour illustrations. This is a wonderful
addition to Walker's Nature Storybook series.
Little koala has grown and now he must leave his mother and find his
own way in the world. With a gentle push, he climbs away to find his
next meal. He faces many dangers: a thundering male koala challenges
him and pushes him off his tree and wild storms. Eucalyptus trees
with burnt bark from a bushfire prove hard to climb and he must
travel further away to find a new home. Scared by a poisonous snake
hiding in the bushes he hops hurriedly away. Eventually he finds a
perfect place for his new home.
Julie Vivas uses her soft water colours in natural tones to bring
little Koala's story to life. Her paintings capture the natural bush
settings and brilliantly portray little Koala's actions, movements
and character. The black of night contrasts with the koala's grey
spiky fur as he wakes from his sleep-curl to a thundering male
koala's roar. There is the desolate landscape of blackened trees and
the charred bark falling as he attempts to climb up.
Saxby's expressive phrases are perfect to read aloud. She captures
his journey poetically; 'koala startles from his sleep-curl' and 'he
listens to the ground-sounds'. She urges him on to find his new
environment with small exhortations, 'climb, little Koala,' move on,
little Koala,' and 'faster, little Koala, faster.' The informational
text is accurate and sparks interest, suitable for a wider range of
ages and reading abilities. Koala is an excellent resource
for Junior Primary classes writing Information Reports and for
research in Science as learners investigate living things, their
interdependence and interactions within ecosystems.
Rhyllis Bignell
Once upon a small rhinoceros by Meg McKinlay
Ill. by Leila Rudge. Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781925126709
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Rhinoceros, Animals, Bravery, Travel,
Independence, Taking a risk. The small rhinoceros wants something
more than her fellow animals. She watches the ships sail by with
huge interest, breathing in the sights, sounds and smells from
places far away. She asks the other rhinoceros why they don't feel
curious about what lies elsewhere, but they reply that they are very
happy with their lot, wallowing in the mud and grazing on the grass.
But she is still unhappy and one day builds a boat. The other
rhinoceros are appalled: she cannot build a boat, she cannot read a
map, she is sailing into danger. But still she goes, across the
seas, watching the fish and tasting the salty sea, seeing lands far
away, and meeting people of those lands. When she has seen all she
wants to see, she heads home and reports back what she has done. Her
friends are still just as interested in their grass and their mud,
and are equally dismissive of her travels and what she saw, but
another small rhinoceros asks her if she got lost. She tells her
that yes she did, and the other animal looks longingly at the sea
just as she did.
This beautifully crafted tale of taking a risk, of bravery, of not
going along with the crowd, will appeal to young readers. The
message is clear, that life is not about being the same as the rest,
but looking outward to see what is there.
Rudge's beautiful illustrations show a life jacketed rhinoceros
bravely going where no rhinoceros has been before on the front cover
and the excited look on her face will beg readers to look inside.
The watercolour and pencil illustrations are simply charming, giving
a personality to the young rhino, endearing her adventurous spirit
to the readers. Readers will thoroughly enjoy recognising the
countries to which she travels, spotting the iconic cultural
features of each, and matching the presents she brings back for her
friends to the places she visited. I know I did.
Fran Knight
There is no dragon in this story by Lou Carter
Ill. by Deborah Allwright. Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408864906
(Ages: 4-7) Recommended. Fairy Tales. This is Lou Carter's first
picture book and her background in teaching has evidently helped her
create this engaging and clever story. Similarly to Nick Bland's The
Wrong Book, the reader is addressed directly, making them feel
a part of the story. 'This was supposed to be a story about a dragon
who captured a princess . . .' but Dragon has gone off in a huff ('I
will not capture any icky, frilly princesses today', he says) and
gone searching for a story where he gets to be the hero for once. He
traipses around fairy tale land, pleading with well-known characters
to be the hero in their stories. He offers to save the Gingerbread
Man from that Fox and to save the Second Little Pig from that Big
Bad Wolf. -No, no no, that's not how it goes. There is NO DRAGON in
this story- is the refrain. A fantastic picture map shows him being
turned away repeatedly, by Goldilocks, Hansel and Gretel, and Little
Red Riding Hood. NO! they all say. He is just trying his luck with
Jack when his bad timing sees him become part of the story, altering
its path and throwing fairy tale land into chaos. What everyone
really needs now is a dragon to be the hero! Can he summon up the
courage?
Young children will love identifying all the familiar fairy tale
characters depicted within the story. It may even encourage them to
revisit them or seek out those unfamiliar to them. The book could be
used to inspire creativity in storytelling as it shows how
introducing an unexpected character or event can change a story's
trajectory and how it isn't always necessary to follow a traditional
story pathway. It could even be used to discuss stereotypes and how
we can break free of them, both within the stories we tell and
within our own existence. Dragon is a fantastic character who is
easy to empathise with; he wears his heart on his sleeve, is full of
exuberance and determination, and is just a little crazy. The
illustrations are fantastic, particularly the dark pages showing the
fairy tale characters stumbling around and making a mess of their
stories. A great read aloud, especially for fairy tale fans.
Nicole Nelson
Patty Hits the Court by Patty Mills with Jared Thomas
Game Day: Book 1. Allen and Unwin. 2017. ISBN
9781760295103
(Age: 8-12) Patty Mills is an Australian Aboriginal basketball
player who now earns many millions playing for the San Antonio Spurs
in the USA. He comes from a basketball background with his parents
active in the sport in Canberra. Patty has also played basketball in
3 Olympics and currently represents the Australian Boomers. So Patty
is indeed a big player in the sport and this book is targeted at
children who are either starting in basketball or have been keen
players for awhile.
Young Patty is successful at several sports but he embarks on a new
game, basketball in this first book of the series. He must learn to
be a team player and understand that he will not be instantly
effective at something new.
Patty uses his Torres Strait Islander dance lessons to help him
understand movement and cooperation. He has to work with a bullying
team member and accept the ire of his team mates when he doesn't
work cooperatively. The team doesn't always win and the coach
encourages the players to learn from each game.
The book seems to finish rather abruptly but there are 2 other books
available in the series so the story will continue in these books.
Dr Jared Thomas co authored the book and there are black and white
illustrations by Nahum Ziersch scattered throughout the book.
The cover is brightly coloured and shows Patty and his friend Josie
playing basketball.
There are about 120 pages of easy to read text, so this book will
appeal to middle primary school children, aged 8 to 12 years old.
Jane Moore
A friend in the dark by Pascal Ruter
Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781406372601
(Age: 12+) The novel A Friend in the Dark is a sweet story that
makes its readers evaluate their prior knowledge of blindness and
becoming blind. Written in a way that makes you wonder about the
universe and all that is around you, A Friend in the Dark is
captivating and thoughtful. The story revolves around Victor who
lives with his dad (an antiques trader), and is a failure when it
comes to school and being social. He is good friends with a boy
called Haisam, and while Haisam (the Honourable) is a genius (who
plays chess every day with his father, and is believed to be all
powerful and all-knowing according to Victor), Victor, himself, does
what he can to scrape by and not cause trouble. This all changed one
day when a classmate starts to take notice of Victor, and he
suddenly (and as a surprise to everyone) gets a decent mark at
something he has no clue about, particularly, maths. Where did this
knowledge come from? Why is his classmate Marie taking much more
notice of him that she usually does? Maybe there's something deeper
going on here than a classmate taking pity on a peer who is dismal
in the academic setting . . .
The book A Friend in the Dark is written in a soft way that allows
readers to understand the mind and thoughts of Victor. The style of
writing, perspective, and themes in this book are like the preferred
writing style of John Green and his young adult novels; true love,
mystery, and a strong first-person perspective. This novel would be
well suited for teens and young adults (12+) because of the
character development, concepts, and themes. This book gave a
different light to some concepts and developments that others may
find relatable in life; whether it's school, social life, family
life, or even medical issues, this book is warm and easy to read
with its relaxed and characteristic narration style. A Friend in the
Dark is definitely a friend for those who love to get lost in a
fictional world.
Sarah Filkin
Secret Ninja Force by Julia March
DK Readers. Lego, 2017. Level 2. ISBN 9780241285534
(Age: 6+) Recommended. In Secret Ninja Force the reader will
find out about the ninja heroes of the Lego Ninjago movie. The
personalities of the six friends are explored as well as Master Wu
who gives them excellent advice about being ninjas. Their strengths
are details and weapons explained, all with bright illustrations
that aid the narrative.
Level 2 has been designed for the child who is beginning to read and
introduces characters that will be very familiar to fans of the Lego
Ninjago movie. It is ideal to read aloud for the child who is
fascinated by the movie, but also is an ideal book for the newly
emerging reader to tackle, because of the popularity of the subject
matter.
Containing 48 pages, a table of contents, a quiz and an index as
well as a note to parents, Secret Ninja Force will have
instant appeal for children and was quickly grabbed by my six year
old grandson.
Pat Pledger
Shark Attack! by Julia March
Level 1. DK Readers. Lego, 2017. ISBN 9781465461933
(Age: 4-6) Recommended. In Shark attack! readers will meet Lord
Garmadon, the villain of the Lego Ninjago move. He is the most evil
man in Ninjago City and he has built up a Shark Army with special
weapons and vehicles in an effort to take over the city. The ninja
must defeat him and his army.
This has instant appeal for any child who likes Lego and who has
seen the movie. Level 1 is for the child who is beginning to read.
It doesn't look like a reader, but it contains short sentences and
words that children will be familiar with and will have no trouble
pronouncing. The illustrations are colourful Lego figures which
complement the text and give clues to what is going on.
The book has a table of contents with 24 headings as well as an
index at the back, making it seem much more like a book than a
reader. There are 24 pages in the book and a 5 question quiz that
children will enjoy doing. The note to parents is helpful as well.
Well designed and produced, with a hard cover and the popular Lego
figures, this is sure to be a hit with children and is likely to
lure a child to begin reading.
Pat Pledger
Triple the Laughs by Danny Katz
Ill. by Mitch Vane. Little Lunch series. Black Dog Books,
2017. ISBN 9781921977398
(Age: 7-9) Recommended. Themes: School life, Friends, Humorous
stories. Little Lunch is an extremely popular ABC Children's
television series based on the successful books written by Danny
Katz and illustrated by Mitch Vane. Each humorous story focuses on
the fifteen minutes of fun, friendship and drama that occurs at
Little Lunch each school day. Andy Katz lifts the lid on the
humorous, the silly and the real issues and problems that occur with
Mrs Gonsha's Year 5 students.
Atticus who is slightly nerdy, smart and always hungry, throws away
his playlunch every day. His mum and dad are away for a week in New
Zealand and his Ya-Ya has moved in to look after her grandson. Each
day he lifts the lid on his blue lunchbox and there are weird
smelly, small brown wrapped things inside. He becomes very hungry
and angry without his playlunch. On Friday, Atticus leaves his lunch
at home and Ya-Ya kindly brings it to school along with plates of
the smelly food for everyone to share.
Imagine a special 'Dress Up As What You Want To Be When You Grow Up'
day at school! Atticus comes in a chef's outfit, Debra-Jo borrows
her mum's surgical scrubs, while Battie wears his superhero outfit.
His Stretcho costume with its long rubber arms helps him do good
superhero deeds for his friends; unfortunately, they all backfire on
him.
In the third story, Melanie is suddenly germblocked after a visit to
the girl's toilets, she really did wash her hands. She hasn't done
anything wrong and feels upset, as she is banished to sit on the
Junior School steps. The most surprising culprit finally owns up; he
snuck into the girls' toilets and did not wash up.
Packed with Mitch Vane's funny cartoons and photos of the television
series cast, these short stories are just right for young readers.
Students in Years 2-4 will enjoy this series read aloud to them.
They can engage in creative and critical thinking as they compare
the character depiction and plot development in both written and
screen format.
Rhyllis Bignell
A jigsaw of fire and stars by Yaba Badoe
Zephyr, 2017. ISBN 9781786697981
(Ages: 14+) Highly recommended. The story starts with a treasure
casket thrown into the sea as a ship sinks. Inside is a pillow of
gold dust, and another of diamonds, a bamboo flute, a jewel studded
dagger, and a tapestry cloth wrapped around... a baby, a black
African baby, who is blissfully unaware of the fire and oil, and
people drowning around her. It sounds like the beginning of a
fantasy story, a foundling washed up on a shore and rescued by a
circus troupe, brought up to dance on a pony in the circus ring.
There are many elements of a fantasy adventure: the eagle Priss who
guards and protects the baby floating in the casket and remains at
her call whenever she is in danger; there are the circus twins,
Cobra, the green-eyed boy who can call up snakes, and Cat the fierce
girl who hurls daggers. Other characters make up the bizarre troupe
- Mama Rose, Redwood, Midget Man, Mimi and Bizzie Lizzie. These are
the people that Sante knows as family, yet there is another family
somewhere, ghosts in the shadows, that come to her in dreams, a
mystery that she yearns to find the answer to. But seeking the
answers puts her and her friends in grave danger.
However this is not some story set in a mystical other world, it is
here and now in Spain, and reminders of the modern world intrude,
things like television, mobile phones, the Internet. There are
police, the 'black-boots', and there are malevolent criminals like
Miguel and Grey Eyes. The story uncovers serious issues such as
'illegal migrants', human traffickers and sex slavery. Sante and the
circus troupe are just one group of people trying to live 'beyond
the grid', avoiding attention and possible arrest, not sure who to
trust, staying together in their tight little group and always
moving on. A jigsaw of fire and stars is a very beautiful magical story
encompassing modern day issues in a way that may be easier for
younger people to deal with. It is completely enthralling, and would
be a book enjoyed by both teenage readers and adults. The author
Yaba Badoe is a Ghanaian-British filmmaker whose focus has been on
stories of black African women, but often also incorporating
traditional Ghanaian folktale. It makes for a unique approach to
telling a story of complex issues that is very imaginative and also
satisfying.
Helen Eddy
Mr Bambuckle's remarkables by Tim Harris
Ill. by James Hart. Penguin Random House, 2017. ISBN 9780143785859
(Age: 7-10) Recommended. Humour. School life. Teachers.
What amazing, funny and strange things will happen when flamboyant
and mysterious Mr. Bambuckle arrives to take charge of class 12B at
Blue Valley School? The fifteen students arrive to see their new
teacher riding a unicycle on top of his desk. After this, bacon,
eggs and a self-heating frypan magically appear to cook his
breakfast. Mr. Bambuckle knows so much about each of the fifteen
class members, his insights are spot on, Vex Vron challenges him and
is totally flustered when the teacher reveals his middle name -
Wilberforce. He even allows the class to ask personal questions, he
learnt to sing from his cousin an Icelandic rock star, his
unicycle's from Lithuania and he has special powers.
With kindness and encouragement Mr. Bambuckle asks individual
students to share their personal stories. Evie Nightingale's
frightening experience with the washing machine from hell is first.
She needs to face her fears, take the laundry downstairs, and load
the evil machine in the basement. Last week the machine decapitated
her teddy and this week it spits out all the clothes she puts in,
when she uses the broom to load it, the handle is chomped into
woodchips. How Evie escapes from the flooded basement and blocked
door proves she can overcome her fears and be courageous.
Mr Bambuckle's conversation with Canteen Carol is clever, his method
of turning her questions around and flummoxing her, allows the
teacher to leave with a whole box of chocolate bars. With the extra
energy of chocolate, the whole class spend the afternoon researching
phone apps and brainstorming new ideas for apps that don't exist
yet. Mr Sternblast the principal is enraged with the new teacher's
style of teaching and tries to have him sacked. Harold Mcagil's use
of the Parental Rental app is hilarious, as his over-the-top
Scottish family embarrass him at an important school event. His
bare-chested kilt-wearing father's singing 'Kilt of Fire' is one of
his worst memories.
Tim Harris' novel and his new character Mr Bambuckle is an absolute
delight to read aloud to Middle Primary classes. There's a cast of
fun characters, unusual and exciting situations, different
approaches to presenting the narrative all wrapped up with a teacher
who shows empathy, understanding and acknowledges individuality.
James Hart adds to the humour with his sketches, cartoons and
caricatures. Where to next for this unique teacher?
Rhyllis Bignell
What George forgot by Kathy Wolff
Ill. by Richard Byrne. Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408884027
(Ages: 3-7) George is off to school. He knows he has forgotten
something but he can't quite remember what. He remembered to wake
his mum (with a running bear hug) and to put on his brand new
superhero watch. He has even remembered to tell his dad his three
funniest pirate jokes. So what is he forgetting? Could it be...
oh yes, his shoes! Phew! says George as he boards the bus without
his pants...
George's morning routine is sure to amuse readers, with the text and
playful illustrations both contributing to the humour of the story.
From the mess he leaves in his wake to the hairy-foot tickle
inflicted on his sleeping father, there are plenty of opportunities
for laughter. George is a great, happy character with so much
enthusiasm for the important things in life (like inventing a flying
backpack-putting-on machine) that he simply can't remember those
other things (like putting his pants on).
Parents and children will identify with this morning struggle and
giggle at George's funny antics. They might also be squawking at
him: Your pants, George, you have forgotten your pants!
Nicole Nelson
