Ill. by Brian Lovelock. Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781925126303
(Age: 3-5) Recommended. New Zealand author Sally Sutton's popular
picture books focus on introducing transport and industry to
youngsters. Ambulance, Ambulance is the new addition to her
previous publications Roadworks, Demolition and Construction.
Her rhyming story, printed in bold text is fun to read aloud, with
the noise of the ambulance sirens, the clonk of the doors and honk
of the horn.
The ambulance crew race to the site of a bike accident, down a busy
street, lights flashing, ready to help an injured boy. He has fallen
off his bike and broken his leg. With the splint on, he is
transported up the grassy slope and into the ambulance. The police
and fire crew are also on the scene to direct the traffic and assist
the other rider. The loud 'nee nar nee nar' of the siren sounds out
as they rush down the freeway back into the city. After leaving the
young lad in the emergency room, the crew take a minute to rest
before they are called out again.
Brian Lovelock's bold saturated watercolours enhance Sally Sutton's
informative text. His creative use of different perspectives engages
the reader. The eye is drawn into each scene, delineated by vivid
blocks of colour - grass green, sky blue, the bird's eye view of the
blue freeway and the red and white of the ambulance. Ambulance, Ambulance is a great resource for a Junior Primary
unit on our community helpers, for Geography when exploring our
urban environment and as an informative text for English.
Rhyllis Bignell
LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: The Awesome Guide by Calvin Scott
DK Children, 2017. ISBN 9780241280393
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Sure to appeal to LEGO fans, The Awesome
Guide is just that. It gives details of all the super heroes,
their origins and the two cities, Metropolis and Gotham City that
dominate the world of DC Comics super heroes. Then there is
information about the planet Krypton, the superpowers possessed by
the heroes and their secret identities, vehicles and weapons. Of
special fun will be the section where readers can answer a quiz to
find out 'Who is your alter ego?', 'hero, friend, ordinary bystander
or, gulp, villain!'
The villains found in the comics are not omitted either. There is a
section based on their identities, skills and weaponry and readers
can do a quiz to find out how bad they are.
Each of the sections are illustrated in a double page spread,
vividly featuring the LEGO hero or apparatus, and many having small
blocks of information showing a Bick-sized fact and a Stat Scan.
There is a Table of Contents, a list of the LEGO sets and an index.
There is also a Wonder Woman exclusive mini figure contained in the
cover.
Although the reading level is definitely for an older audience, this
book and especially the action figure contained in it will appeal to
Lego fans who are much younger and who will appreciate an adult
reading sections to them.
This would be an ideal gift for any child who enjoys Lego and
superheroes.
Pat Pledger
The Blue Cat by Ursula Dubosarsky
Allen and Unwin, 2017. ISBN 9781760292294
(Age: 11-14) Recommended. Themes: World War II; Childhood; Mystery;
Australian War History. The Blue Cat is an interesting
novelised confluence with the historical investigation of childhood
life in Sydney during the time of war-time attacks on Australia,
combined with some primary sources of the time and an ethereal
mystery. Just as the blue cat seems to live a life of its own, the
novel weaves between the 'legs' of the historical sources and the
innocence of the main character, Columba and her friend Hilda. They
encounter a rather unusual character, Ellery, who attends their
school but is mysterious and isolated from them because he only
seems to speak German. To some extent Dubosarsky has created a
faintly mysterious and strange attempt to create understanding
between children from both sides of the conflict. The dream-like
finale may add a degree of confusion for a young reader, but a
slightly older reader may be able to see the potential for
interpretation. The voice of Columba has a delicate naive quality
(akin to the narrator in John Boyne's The Boy in Striped Pyjamas,
but perhaps with more understanding), but the enigmatic influence of
the aloof and voiceless Ellery adds a degree of sophistication to
the story-line. Is he real or just a reminder of those who suffer
because of war? Initially this appears to be a book for younger
readers - the youthful naive quality supports this - but because it
is not straightforward in its resolution this makes the recommended
reader slightly older.
Recommended for the thoughtful reader aged 11 - 14 years.
Carolyn Hull
Captain Jimmy Cook discovers X marks the spot by Kate and Jol Temple
Ill. by Jon Foye. Allen and Unwin, 2017. ISBN 9781760291945
(Age: 8-9) Recommended. Jimmy Cook is an eccentric Grade 3 student
and also an explorer, science whiz kid and adventurer and in this
second book in the Captain Jimmy Cook Discovers series he
digs for dinosaurs, digs for buried treasure, causes a major
plumbing disaster at school, creates an amazing robot that saves his
Dad from a lifetime of chasing flies with a vacuum cleaner, and
generally creates havoc. Jimmy's general lack of awareness of the
consequences of his actions lead to many twisted moments, and even a
few opportunities to visit the Principal's office. With quirky line
drawings that illustrate the impossible tasks that Jimmy explores
with vigour, the Temple co-writers have created another book that
will appeal to young readers whose main aim is to be entertained and
to laugh as they read. This book will appeal to readers aged 8-9,
and even older readers whose humour is locked at year 3 level will
get a chuckle at the misadventures of this not-so-famous explorer.
Carolyn Hull
Bad Guys: Episode 5: Intergalactic Gas by Aaron Blabey
Scholastic, 2017. ISBN 9781760279479
(Age: 7-10) Highly recommended. Another in the fun graphic novel
series by Blabey will be greeted with glee by fans who will laugh
out loud at the latest adventure of the strange gang led by Mr Wolf.
The bad news is that the world is ending, but the Bad Guys, hoping
to become heroes, steal a rocket and fly off to the moon in search
of the evil Dr Marmalade and his Cute-Zilla Ray. Mr Piranha might
have eaten too many beans with disastrous results when Mr Wolf finds
him in the space suit that he is wearing. But only the Bad Guys
could come up with a solution to save the world that involves giant
farts!
Children love this hilarious series and Intergalactic Gas
will be another tale for them to enjoy. The humour is over the top
and will raise the spirits of any child who reads the story while
the illustrations add to the delicious fun. The text is short enough
to encourage the newly independent reader to start the story, while
bold print and funny illustrations keep the reader involved. The
characters are as lively as ever, and this time Mr Wolf shows that
he knows how to keep his friends when he forgives Mr Snake for
shutting him out of the spaceship.
Great fun for all readers. Aaron Blabey presents a short
introduction here.
Pat Pledger
The Australian Animal Atlas by Leonard Cronin
Ill. by Marion Westmacott. Allen and Unwin, 2017. ISBN 9781760294144
(Ages: 5-12) Recommended. Australian animals. This is a revised and
updated edition of a 1995 Envirobook publication by the same author
and illustrator. The illustrations are detailed and realistic and
the author, with a background in biology, presents well-researched
information regarding animal behaviour and physiology. The structure
of the book is faultless and multi-layered and the contents and
index pages are uncluttered and easy to navigate. The animals are
organised into the habitats (e.g., deserts) in which they are found
and the contents page lists these eleven habitats. Indexing is by
common grouping (e.g., insects, kangaroos) as well as by full name
(e.g., Bull Ant, Agile Wallaby). Each of the eleven sections contain
a map showing the area/s of Australia that habitat can be found as
well as a brief description and illustration of that particular
habitat. The animals of that habitat (sixteen for each) are depicted
both within the illustration and again within the border (labelled).
Younger children will especially enjoy searching for each animal
within these habitat scenes. On the following page is yet another
illustration of each animal, this time including information
regarding their unique behaviours and abilities. It is a credit to
the publication that the illustrations are not just duplicated; many
of them are different. Because the number of animals included is not
exhaustive the information given is quite comprehensive for a book
of this kind (not just a couple of interesting or little known
titbits), with 3-5 thorough sentences for each. Westmacott's
detailed and life-like illustrations bring the creatures to life.
An illustrated guide such as this is great for visual learners and
allows children to read about an animal and then connect that new
knowledge to the animal's appearance (e.g., to both read about and
see the spade-like feet of the water-holding frog). As illustrated
in the aforementioned example the descriptive language used is
visual and appropriate for a young audience. The monikers (e.g.,
night terror, flying poison) given to each animal will draw
children, including reluctant readers, into the text and encourage
them to read on. The layout is easy on the eye and not text heavy;
there is lots of white space and the illustrations take centre
stage. The text gives each animal's scientific name as well as its
body measurements.
This is a thoroughly enjoyable and educational read, both for
general perusal, habitat investigations and animal research.
Nicole Nelson
The world of dinosaur roar. A series created by Peter Curtis with rhyming text by Jeanne Willis
Macmillan Children's Books, 2017. Dinosaur roar! : The Tyrannosaurus rex. ISBN 9781509835669 Dinosaur Boo! : The Deinonychus. ISBN 9781509834952 Dinosaur Munch! : The Diplodocus. ISBN 9781509835652 Dinosaur stomp! : The Triceratops. ISBN: 9781509835690
Ages: 1 - 6) Recommended. Board Book. Written in association with
the Natural History Museum, this series of four rhyming texts
introduces the very youngest of children to the world of dinosaurs;
each character being endowed with a delightfully cheeky personality.
The dinosaurs depict behaviour typical of what we have come to
expect of each species. Vegetarian Diplodocus incessantly munches
leaves whilst Tyrannosaurus Rex threatens the others more
aggressively as we might expect of the carnivore.
The fabulous rhyming text is great fun for the adult reader too but
be warned - for best results refresh your dinosaur vocabulary and
pronunciation before you begin reading with your little one! The
different dinosaurs from the series 'support' the main character of
each individual narrative with their slapstick but just scary enough
antics. The final pages of each story provide some basic facts about
the dinosaur focussed on in that text. This is a very fine series
for stimulating the imagination particularly of the child with a
fascination for dinosaurs. I certainly would have jumped at a series
like this for my eldest son who had to be restrained on a daily
basis, from boring his Year 1 class to death on this subject quite a
few years ago now.
Elizabeth Avery
The only girl in the world: a memoir by Maude Julien
Text, 2017. ISBN 9781925498110
(Age: Mature senior secondary) Recommended for mature readers who
should be given opportunities to discuss the content. Maude Julien's
memoir details a horrific childhood of deprivation and suffering
inflicted by parents determined to create an exceptional being who
would not suffer from any intellectual or physical weakness. Maude's
father was a wealthy French company director who had a Nietschzean
belief in his own power and consequently despised human emotional
fragility. He raised a poor miner's daughter, Jeannine, from infancy
and in time she became the mother of Maude, the author. The couple
isolated themselves from the world and raised their child to master
all skills and eliminate all weakness. Part of her training taught
her to regard other people with suspicion and fear. She is set
constant endurance tests and never shown any affection. Maude's
teacher is her mother, who is a victim of Louis almost as much as
Maude is. Maude is woken in the night and made to sit in darkness in
the cellar to overcome her fear of rats. She is forced to traverse
the grounds of their mansion again at night without a light. She
must sit for hours without moving. Bells are sewn onto her jacket to
ensure that she does not move. Louis wants a guard dog so Linda, an
Alsatian, is purchased. Linda loves Maude but her father forces
Maude to shut Linda in a tiny cage during the day. Maude must not
allow herself to be ruled by sentiment. She must excel academically,
despite being taught by her mother who does not understand what she
is teaching. She must be a gymnast, despite having no trainer, and
she must learn a range of musical instruments. Oddly, despite their
suspicion of the world at large, Maude's parents allow frequent
contact with a vicious gardener who sexually abuses the child, and
her accordion teacher is a sadist who stubs out his cigarettes on
her knees. Louis has a philosophy that is a mixture of Masonism and
Nazism, but the essence is that he must be recognised as godlike. He
tries to force Maude to promise to watch over his grave for the rest
of her life. He fails in this but he does force her to toilet and
bath him, and share in his copious consumption of alcohol. He
eventually organizes her marriage which he does not intend to be
consummated. However Maude seizes her chance and escapes.
Psychologically Maude is saved by the love her few animals, Linda
the dog, Arthur, a pony, and a duck, give her, and ultimately by a
fine and wily music teacher who manages to extricate the seventeen
year old girl from her isolation. She begins to recognize her
talents as a writer and musician, and to understand that it is
possible to enjoy being with others. She has many disabilities, a
damaged liver, nightmares, and chronic distrust among them, and it
takes many years of different therapies before she functions as a
happy and successful person. The message finally is that
psychological damage can be repaired, but at a great cost over a
long time. The importance of simple loving kindness in raising a
child is critical. The memoir is engrossing but an emotionally
difficult read. The cruelty inflicted on the child and the animals
is almost unbelievable and is certainly disturbing. It can be
recommended for mature readers who should be given opportunities to
discuss the content.
Jenny Hamilton
Rock pool secrets by Narelle Oliver
Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781922179357
(Age: 4-8) Recommended. At first glance there's nothing much to see.
But the rock pools are full of secrets.
Narelle Oliver's love of the world around her, her desire to inform
and engage through her beautifully crafted picture books is the
wonderful legacy she leaves for us. Her final picture book Rock
Pool Secrets opens up the young readers' eyes to the secret
underwater world of rock pools where sea creatures hide.
Each beautifully created scene is realistically portrayed with a
palette of sea blues, sandy yellows, muted greens and hermit crab
reds. The layered illustrations unfold as you lift the flaps to
discover the many small animals camouflaged amongst the stones and
sea grasses. Her use of linocut printing adds depth and definition
to the detailed scenes. Whose speckled eyes peep from a miniature
cave? Why do the turban snails lie still in the sun?
Narelle Oliver's expressive text is wonderfully written, perfect for
reading aloud with alliterative and descriptive phrases and
questions that lead to discovery. A wealth of knowledge is embedded
in the text - 'the decorator crab hides by playing dress-ups
sticking seaweed pieces on its little hooks.' A glossary is included
at the end for readers who want more information or for classes to
use as a springboard into research. Rock Pool Secrets is an excellent resource to introduce
Junior Primary Biological Sciences, in Year 1 students investigate
'living things live in different places where their needs are met.'
Oliver leaves behind a wonderful body of work from The Best Beak
in Boonaroo Bay to Sand Swimmers. Rock Pool
Secrets displays her passion for the environment, the need for
sustainability and the importance of protecting ecosystems and the
animals that live in them. Classroom
ideas are available.
Rhyllis Bignell
Amazing Australians and their flying machines by Prue Mason and Kerry Mason
Ill. by Tom Jellett. Walker Books Australia, 2017. ISBN
9781922244635
(Age: 8 - 80) Highly recommended. Prue and Kerry Mason show their
passion, insight and love of flying in this truly amazing
information book Amazing Australians and Their Flying Machines.
From the aeroplane printed endpapers, to the large archival photos,
the index presented as a colourful timeline, to the easy to read
informative text, this book delivers on every level. The history of
ten leading Australian designers and aviators is presented; from Dr
William Bland's Atmotic Ship designed in the 1850s, to Ross
McPherson Smith's Vickers Vimy plane and the adventures of Bert
Hinkler and Nancy Bird Walton. Each double-page spread includes an
imagined first-person account, amazing facts, photographs, diagrams
and a Did You Know section. The technical details are written in
easy to understand terms and there is an update on modern aviation
as well. Prue and Kerry Mason bought a vintage plane in 2000 and
their love of flying led them to research Australia's aviation
history. They even discovered that women were not allowed to fly
until 1927 and there were no women airline pilots until 1979.
Tom Jellett's fun illustrations bring the aviators their designs and
experiences to life, with their expressive faces showing the highs
and lows of flying. The Great Race shows the long journey undertaken
by Ross Smith and his crew across the world from London to Darwin.
Small humourous scenes show the crew's activities, this includes
their final stop sharing a cup of tea in Fanny Bay jail.
This is an extremely well researched, written, designed and
presented information book, a fabulous resource for Primary
Australian History, Geography and Design and Technology.
Rhyllis Bignell
South Australia on the eve of war by Melanie Oppenheimer, Margaret Anderson and Mandy Paul
Wakefield Press, 2017. ISBN 9781743054741
In August 2014, a symposium involving History SA, the Professional
Historians Association and the three South Australian Universities
was held to commemorate the beginning of the First World War.
Papers presented have been selected for inclusion in this work which
helps us to better understand the social conditions, political
climate, gender relations and multicultural interactions which
prevailed at the time. These all unavoidably influenced or were
influenced by South Australia's involvement in the Great War and
this book helps us appreciate what life was like in the years and
months prior to this momentous event.
The late John Bannon explains South Australia's position from a
political perspective, having recently evolved from a colony to
being a state within a Federation. Unfortunately, whilst supporting
National progress, South Australia had limited voice and power in
comparison with the more powerful Eastern States.
Another chapter considers conditions for women. It's noted that on
the eve of war, birth rates were declining as women accessed various
forms of contraception and sought education and increasing work
opportunities. Sadly the situation for many remained unchanged with
unmarried pregnant women seeking illegal abortion, travelling to
undergo anonymous birthing and even secretly disposing of babies.
More mundane but positive developments in the home such as the
connection of gas and electricity improved family life and eased the
burden for women somewhat.
The euphemistic 'Protection' of Aboriginal people which in reality
constituted a powerful means of state control is explained in terms
of the regulation of place of residence, employment, personal
relationships and custody of children. The laws and regulations
which prescribed how Indigenous lived were clearly racist and
ignorant but also incredibly divisive in terms of segregating
Indigenous people and consigning them to specific reserves such as
Point Pearce. It is pointed out that whilst Aboriginal people had
voting rights, their citizenship was compromised in practical terms
through administration. The trauma caused by the forced removal of
children is also well known and was practiced in South Australia at
this time.
Other chapters have an agricultural focus. The British Farm
Apprentice scheme was implemented with British boys migrating to
serve the needs of an industry which was labour intensive and crying
out for employees. Life on the Eyre Peninsula, community development
and the importance of the region to the State's economy is also
considered in some detail.
The final chapters in this work focus on the contribution by South
Australians from differing nationalities and the various tensions
present prior to the Great War. We learn of the Indian community's
objection to the Immigration Restriction Act (White Australia
Policy) which expressly excluded migrants from Asia and Africa.
Whilst officially restricting selected nationalities, successive
governments had allowed labourers from those same countries when the
demand for labour under harsh conditions was required, e.g. building
railways. Economic downturn however caused renewed focus on the
restrictions and increasing tension within the wider community.
Reference is also made to what is described as the 'myth' of South
Australian Germans' bid to escape religious persecution. The author
notes that economic factors were equally important in motivating
German people to seek better lives and also emphasises that the S.A.
German population was not in fact united by heredity and religious
belief. It would appear that whilst German cultural influence and
tradition was evident in many aspects of life, generally the
migrants had assimilated to the point that they felt little
allegiance to their former country by the outbreak of war. Being
associated with the enemy in the pending conflict and considered
potentially hostile in their own right clearly caused division
however, and South Australian Germans suffered during and after the
war accordingly.
South Australians of Irish Catholic descent could also have been
regarded with suspicion prior to war, given the agitation for
political independence in Ireland. Local Irish support for the
Empire in opposition to Germany appears to have been almost
universal and was accepted to the extent that their allegiance was
accepted. The author notes however that this and military service by
Irish South Australians was not enough to overcome decades of
prejudice by the majority of citizens of English descent.
This book presents well researched and considered points of view on
varied aspects of South Australian life by contributors who are
clearly knowledgeable in their field.
Rob Welsh
1, 2, pirate stew by Kylie Howarth
Five Mile Press, 2017. ISBN 9781760403201
(Ages: 2-5) Rhyme. Imagination. Play. Pirates. Counting. From the
Australian author and illustrator of the popular Fish
jam, comes this playful counting book following the same
metre as the nursery rhyme 'One, two, buckle my shoe'. As two
children engage in imaginary pirate play with only their pets and a
cardboard box as props, the book counts from 1-22 (e.g. '1, 2, round
up the crew. 3, 4, now grab an oar'). Vivid and detailed drawings
depict their adventures as they really are (rather than how it looks
in their imagination). Minimal background illustration allows block
colours to set the scene of the imaginative play (for example, a
carefully constructed blue frame gives the appearance of the
children wading in water). Tufts of outlined grass take on the
illusion of waves. The children are large, highlighting their facial
expressions. The pet dog and chook also play lead roles, with the
dog helping the pirate ship to come alive. When being pulled along
in the ship by the dog they uproot half the carrots in the vegetable
garden (much to their mother's dismay). The words of the story
depict what is happening in the play but the pictures also give
extra information (for example, '11, 12... we dig and delve' shows
the children digging up and collecting the scattered carrots and
'15, 16, scrub deck, quick clean' shows mum and dad helping them to
wash their hands). The illustrations also show them opening the
treasure chest to find their treasure gone. Oh well, dinnertime.
What's in the pirate stew? Carrots of course!
This book encourages imaginative play as well as discussion around
what the children have used to create props (cardboard box with cut
out fish swimming from the end for a boat, plastic bottles tied to
broom handles for oars, a newspaper hat). It also includes diverse
pirate language (crew, marooned, deck, fort) and other unusual words
(delve, bait, crate). Children will enjoy mimicking what they have
seen in the book and getting ideas for their own play. On the
surface this is a simple counting book, but on a deeper level it
depicts wholesome family life (playing outdoors without fancy toys,
productive gardening and playing together). It is especially
heartening to see Dad join in the play. A perfect story for reading
aloud to young ones.
Nicole Nelson
Sage Cookson's Singapore sensation by Sally Murphy
Ill. by Celeste Hulme. Sage Cookson bk 4. New Frontier
Publishing, 2017. ISBN 9781925059960
(Age: Newly independent readers) Cooking. Travel. Mystery.
Family life. Friendship. Ten year-old Sage Cookson travels with her
famous TV chef parents Ginger and Basil all over Australia and the
world. In each new destination, the crew film her parents tasting
new foods, eating at popular restaurants, and learning new cooking
techniques and sharing this knowledge with their large TV audience.
On each trip, while Sage accompanies her parents she also becomes
involved in a mystery.
Sage's new adventure begins as they catch their flight to Singapore;
they are finally able to have a break after a busy year of
travelling and filming. Sage catches sight of a woman with a zany
haircut, short and long with a bright pink streak, and this lady
seems to follow them throughout their holiday in beautiful
Singapore. On board, Mum spends all her time finalising the last
changes to her new cookbook 'The spice of life', while Dad and
Sage relax. In the hustle and bustle of customs, sorting out bags
and passports, the pink-haired lady brushes past them.
On arrival at their hotel, Mum is devastated to find her manuscript
missing and their holiday plans are upset. Even with this mishap,
the family enjoy exploring Singapore, going on the river, to the
beautiful sculptures at Gardens by the Bay and of course enjoying
all the culinary delights on offer. Sage keeps in constant contact
with her best friend Lucy, texting her about all their holiday fun
and about the mysterious woman who keeps appearing.
Sally Murphy's junior novel is perfect for the newly independent
reader, someone who enjoys cooking, mysteries, adventure and family
fun. A delicious recipe for Easy Chicken Satay is included as well.
With the popularity of television cooking shows for juniors, this
series is a great fit with young cooks and those who enjoy mystery
and adventure.
Rhyllis Bignell
Wild animals of the south by Dieter Braun
Flying Eye Books, 2017. ISBN 9781909263970
(Ages: 5+) Australian animals. African animals. South American
animals. Antarctic animals. This is a translated edition of a German
publication, with a second book, Wild animals of the north, also
available. There are many of these artsy, illustration-based
non-fiction books around for children and lots of them are
extraordinary in terms of their visual appeal as well as their
ability to engage young readers, many of whom are becoming more
discerning about the aesthetic qualities of their reading material
as well as shying away from text-heavy books. This one is organised
into four regions: South America, Africa, Asia and Australia. In
keeping with the visual focus, the contents are graphical (using a
map) and the index, organised by region, is pictorial (confusingly
not ordered alphabetically).
The introduction sets a conservationist tone for the reader as it
draws attention to the many species of animal currently threatened
with extinction. It opines 'We are intruders in the animal kingdom
and with every animal that dies out, our life on this planet loses a
part of its power and colour and beauty'. This is a wonderfully
written statement with the power and clarity to resonate with adults
and children alike. The author, by providing breath-taking
illustrations that display their beauty and immenseness, emphasises
that wild animals need to be respected and protected. The
illustrations are not completely realistic, but they are
scientifically accurate and incredibly detailed. The colours are
bright and vibrant, but not always true to life. Many of the
animals, composed of layered geometrical shapes, appear to pop off
the page, piercing you with their intense eyes.
This is a book to appreciate visually but is in no way a reference
or research book. Despite the introduction telling us, 'this book...
tells us how and where they live, what they look like, what they
eat, how they find each other or hide from one another and all the
other things they get up to' the illustrations really are the main
event and they deserve to be. Scientific names are given alongside
common names but aside from this inclusion (which is probably done
to give an exotic feel rather than for educational purpose) minimal
and sometimes no information is given about the included animals.
What information is given is limited in scope and often pertains to
one aspect (e.g. the kookaburra's laugh). In addition, it is far
from comprehensive; it includes only eighteen Australian animals and
a mere eight from the Antarctic region. While clearly not intended
as a reference book, it seems odd that information is not given for
each animal. Nevertheless, this is a beautiful book of art sure to
be treasured by animal lovers and young artists.
Nicole Nelson
Into the white: Scott's Antarctic odyssey by Joanna Grochowicz
Allen and Unwin, 2017. ISBN 9781760293659
(Age: 10+) Recommended. Antarctica, Exploration, Heroism. This
extraordinary story of Captain Scott and his ill fated race to be
the first to make it to the South Pole, is given new resonance for
younger students in this highly readable book, Into the white.
Having heard of Scott and his fellow expeditioners at primary school
when Social Studies was filled with stories of well known people, I
knew about their heroism, their daring and some of the tales about
their trek. I read this thinking I knew at least the background of
the tale, but was pleasantly surprised: the story is compulsive and
the detail simply mind boggling. I can hardly imagine minus ten
celsius, let alone minus fifty, but these men trudged on. The
description of Wilson's hands bulging with frostbite and then saying
that they would keep going, paralleled the tale of another three
stuck on an ice flow being circled by killer whales, the poor horses
slipping into the water. Or having to kill the horses to feed the
dogs, or getting into sleeping bags that were wetter than they were.
All the stories in this book attest to their courage and bravery,
keeping on even though they knew that Amundsen from Norway would get
there first.
The comradeship of the crew is impressive, the leadership shown by
Scott amazing, and above all their reasons for being there a
salutary reminder of the values of those who have gone before us.
I would have loved a timeline but was able to access one quite
easily on the internet, which I kept referring to as I read. Written
for younger readers, it is still 256 pages long and supplemented
with a cache of photographs in the middle, several maps at the
beginning and appendixes at the end rounding off the story.
I hope more people will read of these brave adventurers.
Fran Knight
