Balzer and Bray, 2016. ISBN 9780062398741
The animals are having a jumping contest - Elephant, Bear, Rabbit,
Turtle, Frog and Fox have all entered - and Fox is determined he
will win. He even imagines how good the trophy will look perched on
his mantlepiece.
But Fox isn't particularly good at jumping so he figures if that
trophy is going to have pride of place in his loungeroom he will
need a bit of assistance. So while the other animals practise, he
schemes and plans and builds. His solution? A jetpack that he paints
to match his fur hoping the other animals won't notice - so it is
clear that he knows he is cheating.
On the day of the contest with the bird judges all ready and perched
high in the branches the animals show their talents. Frog does well
and gets extra points for style; Turtle doesn't do as well and
Elephant less so. Bear was loud and Rabbit was spectacular. And then
it was Fox's turn . . .
This is a story with a twist, and it's a twist that can spark some
great discussion points which are perfect for getting young children
to start to think critically, to philosophise and to empathise. Fox
with his jetpack strapped to his back disappears so high in the sky
that the judges can't wait for him to return so they begin the
awards ceremony. But just as Rabbit is about to receive the trophy,
Fox falls back to Earth and plops into it and takes first place. The
final scene shows Fox standing back admiring the cup on his
mantlepiece, right where he had envisioned it would be.
But does Fox deserve it? Has he cheated? Were there written rules
about external assistance or were they just assumed? Why do we have
rules? How do the other animals feel about the win? What about
rabbit? Has there been fair play and sportsmanship? What is the
twist in that final scene and was it a reasonable way to solve the
problem? What does 'compromise' mean?
Careful exploration of the text, verbal and visual, offers a lot of
depth to this story and it deserves re-reading to get the most from
it. For example, Elephant doesn't mind that she cannot jump well
because she is "good at other things" and that in itself could
provoke another discussion about how we all have our strengths so
comparisons are not always fair. Even very young children have a
strong sense of justice and with the pictures enriching the words so
well with their extra detail and action there is much to examine and
ponder.
Life and literature are full of characters who are determined to win
regardless and this is a surprisingly good story that can introduce
even very young children to contemplate, at their own level, the
philosophical question of does the end justify the means and giving
them an opportunity to start thinking on a more abstract level, from
different perspectives and consider what is not being said.
One to get brains moving . . .
Barbara Braxton
Usborne illustrated traditional stories
Usborne 2016. ISBN 9781409596721
This is a collection of 17 stories from around the world that have
been passed on from generation to generation so they are now part of
our literature but which don't fit into the fairytale
classification. Stories like The Boy who Cried Wolf, The
Gingerbread Man, Baba Yaga and The Little Red Hen
sit alongside not-so-well-known ones like Tam Lin and The
Fisherman and the Genie.
With lovely illustrations throughout and with a luxury padded
hardback cover, this is one of those must-have volumes in your
teacher's toolkit that you can take out and share whenever there is
a spare minute or two, continuing the tradition of passing them on
to a new generation.
Newly independent readers will also enjoy them as the familiar
stories, larger font and short story format will make them an easy
bedtime read. This series is filling a niche for younger readers
that has been empty for some time.
Barbara Braxton
The Satanic mechanic by Sally Andrew
Text, 2016. ISBN 9781925355130
(Age: senior secondary to adult) Highly recommended. Crime fiction,
South Africa, Food. Tannie Maria is out of her depth. She cooks
beautifully, and often recommends recipes from her beloved Klein
Koroo and her family to her love lost correspondents at the Klein
Koroo Gazette where she works as the Dear Jane writer. The letters
she receives fill her with love for these people who have a need to
write to someone with their problems and her advice often begins and
ends with food. But she cannot solve her own problem. She has a
boyfriend, Detective Henk and they get along very well, particularly
after their involvement in the first of these novels, Recipes
for love and murder (2015). But try as she might, the final
act of love brings back so many painful memories of her abusive
husband who died some years before, that she cannot feel anything
but guilt and powerlessness at the thought.
She confesses this feeling and is advised to seek counseling and
ends up at an unusual PTSD group run by a man called the Satanic
Mechanic. Here the group sits in a circle in the middle of a laager
made by beat up rusting cars and vans grouped around a fire which
often holds food cooking for them to eat after each session, and
here they tell their stories. But someone is not who they seem, and
one man is killed during the evening.
The recent murder of a Bushman who took a mining company to stop the
desecration of their land, has caused anger amongst the community.
Detective Henk is investigating this murder and does not want Tannie
Maria to be involved, but with the death at the counseling group,
she is involved.
He breaks off their relationship because he cannot bear to see
another love die, and Tannie Maria accepts his decision.
But a last meeting at the PTSD group sees the resolution of the
murders and Tannie Maria at last confessing her guilt at her
husband's death.
This is a wonderful tale from South Africa, involving many
ingredients: a mining company and its plunder of Bushman land,
jealousy and guilt, counseling and PTSD. And above all, Tannie
Maria's marvelous recipes. The second book delves more into her back
story and brings this wonderful cook even closer to the readers.
Fran Knight
The stand-in by Steve Bloom
Carolrhoda Books, 2016. ISBN 9781512410235
(Age; 14+) Highly recommended. Bildungsroman. Brooks Rattigan is the
stand-in and the book's narrator. Desperate to be accepted into
Columbia University AND able to afford the fees, working class
Brooks founds his own business, escorting rich nerdy graduates to
their dances and formals. Celia Lieberman does not approve of the
date her parents have arranged and behaves much like Caterina in
Shakespeare's The taming of the shrew. The ending is thus
foreshadowed.
Complications arise when Brooks' best friend, The Murf, feels that
Brooks is abandoning his roots. He doesn't approve of Brooks' blind
ambition to attend the elite university, or his method of funding
it. Brooks' deadbeat father, himself a Harvard graduate, lets him
down and discourages him. Brooks is also attracted to a very
shallow, very beautiful high society girl. To make matters worse,
Shelby has a very jealous ex-boyfriend.
After a few initial spats, during which Celia is a very ungracious
date; she becomes the only person who is demonstrably supportive.
Both Celia and Brooks develop into the kind of friends who can rely
on each other. This is important because, much to our delight, no
two characters in fiction could possibly experience quite so much
bad luck.
Steve Bloom's concept is fresh and no doubt the movie rights have
already been secured. The characters and their relationships are
hilarious because Bloom knows exactly what they should do and say.
Brooks is sometimes inspiring - at others contemptible but we must
like him. We admire his grit to succeed in the face of failure - to
respect women yet exploit their situation at the same time. Most of
all we like that he falls for the one girl he started off hating.
Brooks Rattigan is a paradox and so are we.
Deborah Robins
Midnight at the zoo by Faye Hanson
Five Mile Press, 2016. ISBN 9780763689087
(Age: 4-7) Recommended. Faye Hanson's beautifully created,
intricately detailed and vibrant colourful illustrations add to the
delight of reading Midnight at the zoo.'
Max and Mia's class are off to the zoo for an exciting adventure.
They've studied the map presented at the beginning of the story and
hope to see the ring-tailed mongoose, the red pandas and the
flamingos.
In their loud animal print bedroom with the 'Explorashon HQ' tent,
the brother and sister prepare for their special day. They are
definitely animal fans; everything in their bedroom has a pattern or
design, from their backpacks to pyjamas. In the morning, Max and Mia
'trundle like elephants to the car, cling like monkeys' to say
goodbye to Mum and even nibble their early snacks like lemurs.
Twenty excited children and one wide-eyed teacher enter through the
zoo gates filled with excitement. 'But not the flick of a tail or
swish of a whisker can be seen.' After a very disappointing day, the
teacher leads her class towards the exit. Without a headcount,
eighteen students and the teacher board the bus, whilst two are left
behind. Max holds his sister Mia's hand and with a torch from his
backpack, they look for a way out. In front of them, a locked wooden
door appears; what are they going to do?
As the clock strikes midnight, they are welcomed into another world
filled with animated creatures, fiery fireworks and fantastic
scenes. They discover flouncing flamingos, mischievous monkeys,
lanterns illuminating laughing lemurs and kingly cats. Max and Mia's
fantastic night-time adventures end with a comforting sleep nestled
in the fur of a majestic lion and lioness. Daytime comes and as they
reunite with Mum, they cannot wait to share their amazing adventure.
Fay Hanson's lively story Midnight at the zoo is filled with
fun alliteration and with charming descriptions. At times, the blue
text is hard to read as it blends in to the black of the night
scenes. Teachers reading this to a class may question the ratio of
one adult to twenty excitable children and the idea that she did not
know about Max and Mia's problem! The story ends with a magnificent
midnight map of the zoo, fountains of fireworks, colourful costumes
and dancing animals are illuminated.
Rhyllis Bignell
Meet the Flying Doctors by George Ivanoff
Ill. by Ben Wood. Random House, Australia, 2016. ISBN 9780143780687
In 1911 John Flynn went to work on a mission more than 500
kilometres from Adelaide, the beginning of a journey for which
thousands of people have been grateful for over the decades since
then. In what is still a remote area, Flynn was greatly disturbed by
the lack of medical facilities beyond the metropolitan areas. Not
satisfied with patients being treated by those with a rudimentary
knowledge of first aid with support being sent in Morse code over
the telegraph system, while doctors could take weeks to reach them
using whatever transport was available; Flynn knew there had to be a
better way and so began his quest to find a solution.
Flight seemed the obvious answer but in those days both planes and
pilots were hard to come by and it took 10 years of campaigning
before his first plane was ready for service. In 1928, his dream
came true - he formed the Australian Inland Mission Aerial Medical
Service using a single-engine plane on loan from QANTAS aptly named
Victory. Immediately there was a difference - 50 missions and 255
patients treated in a year.
But they were not out of the woods yet - in fact they were a bit
lost over desert landscapes navigating by landmarks because there
were no radios in the planes. Even though it meant that they could
only fly at night in extreme emergencies, nevertheless the pilots
put their craft down in the most amazing places and with Alf
Traegar's invention of the pedal radio in 1929 at last the people of
the outback started to get the services they needed.
In 1955 the name was changed to the Royal Flying Doctor Service, and
one of Australia's most iconic institutions has gone from strength
to strength now servicing rural and remote areas from 23 bases
scattered around the country.
The story of the RFDS is one that every child should know - from
those in the cities where medical services on tap can be taken for
granted to those in the Outback where lives depend on it daily. It
is a rich and rewarding story of success and Ivanoff has managed to
cram so much information into just 32 pages while still keeping it
personal and connected to its child audience. Wood's illustrations
emphasise the isolation and enormity of the landscape adding weight
to the extent of the issue and the importance of its solution.
As always with this series, there is a timeline at the back that
encapsulates the milestones. Meet... is one of the most
significant series of biographies written for young Australian
readers as they are introduced to the diverse and critical
contributions that have been made by individuals to the development
of this nation.
Barbara Braxton
Busting! by Aaron Blabey
Scholastic, 2017. ISBN 9781743812389
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended, Toilets, Problem solving, Verse. All
readers will instantly sympathise with the animal on the cover: eyes
popping, mouth grimaced, running helter skelter following the sign
to the toilet. Who hasn't been there!
Opening the endpapers reveal the almost white tiles found when the
toilet is reached, but opening the book to the next pages the little
animal with the problem finds that there is quite a queue to this
loo.
Blabey in his wonderfully irreverent style of story telling has Lou,
the hero, trying to talk his way into the loo, past the other
animals in the queue. They all tell him in no uncertain words, that
he is not allowed to jump the queue and to shoo. And shoo he does,
trying to find somewhere to relieve himself that isn't obvious.
Several spots cause him some discomfort. He can be seen behind the
bamboo, the kangaroo boots him away, while other receptacles, a
shoe, a boat and a cup are all too public, until he finally finds a
queue free loo.
Wonderful rhyming words will intrigue the readers as they get their
mouths round the words, predicting what might come next. And of
course the last page will have the readers call out the obvious
rhyme with Lou when he finally reaches the toilet, but they will be
wrong and so laugh again at the way Blabey finishes his tale.
His illustrations are wonderful, inviting the reader to follow the
hero's antics almost holding their breath with him as he searches
for a place to relieve himself. Apart from being blindingly funny
and a wonderful book to share and reread, this book will be an
amazing introduction to the toilet procedure within schools and
preschools, some of which are coping with children who are not
toilet trained.
Fran Knight
Virginia Wolf! by Kyo Maclear
Ill. by Isabelle Arsenault. Book Island, 2017. ISBN 9781911496038
(Age: 6+) Highly recommended. Mental health, Depression, Virginia
Woolf. With nods to The yellow wallpaper (Charlotte Perkins
Gilman 1892) on the endpapers, the story of Virginia's slide into
depression, becoming a wolf, is handed with such clarity that even a
younger reader can see what the story is about. They do not need to
know the story of Virginia Woolf or the book The yellow
wallpaper, but these echoes are there for older readers and
adults to recognise and perhaps seek out.
Vanessa is dismayed when her sister begins to sound like a wolf. She
keeps to her bed, growling at any attempt to calm her, her ears seem
to grow larger, she is disinterested in anything and everyone around
her, she tells everyone to leave her alone.
Akin to several books I have recently read, I need a hug!
(Aaron Blabey, 2015), Blue whale blues (Peter Caenavas,
2015), Mr Huff (Anna Walker, 2015) and Small things
(Mel Tregonning, 2016) each book in its own distinctive way tackles
depression in children and young adults. Each book could be used in
a group showing the readers that they are not alone, that others
feel like this too, with all books depicting the child overcoming
their low days with open communication and support from friends and
families.
Vanessa takes to her paints, making the walls in Virginia's room
bright and alive with colour and flowers, taking the word,
Bloomsbury at its basic meaning. Her continued support helps
Virginia overcome her depression, the ears disappear, she gets out
of bed, she becomes a smiling happy child again, and together they
leave her room to go out and play.
The illustrations showing Virginia often in shadow or a lump in the
bed, reflect the lack of happiness in her life. As the flowers
unfold, the trees become higher, the flowers brighter, the ladder is
extended out of the room and into the sunshine, into the world
outside. These will entice young readers to look at the reasons the
illustrator has included some of the things shown. I just love the
page starting with 'The whole house sank' with its topsy turvy view
of the girls amid various objects, repeated near the end of the book
with the line, 'The whole house lifted' with the same illustration
shown from a different perspective. Illustrators that make you think
and explore make a huge contribution to the success of a story, and
this is a wonderful example.
First published by Kids Can Press in Canada in 2012.
Fran Knight
Saturdays at sea by Jessica Day George
Castle Glower series bk. 5. Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN
9781408878248
(Age: 8-11) Recommended. Saturdays at Sea is the fifth and
final instalment of the wonderful, fantastical Castle Glower
series! Fans of Jessica Day George's imaginative stories will be sad
to reach the conclusion and with two more days to go - Sunday and
Monday there are opportunities for a return to Castle Glower and a
wedding or two to take place.
Written like a three act play, the story is firstly set in the
flamboyant and exquisite Royal Palace of Grath and the picturesque
seaside kingdom. The royal family and their entourage including
their magnificent griffins visit the Kingdom of Grath for the
upcoming wedding of Lilah and Lulath. They are also there to build
the ship from pieces from all the kingdoms including magical pieces
from the Castle Glower. Initially the ship builder Master Cathan
refuses to use the other materials until Celie speaks up; she
understand the reasons why the enchanted item need including.
The Grathian royal family are obsessed with customs; they change
clothes continually, have hundreds of dogs, a multitude of beautiful
rooms and speak in a rather poetic way. While the Castle Glower
family are used to a different style of talking and dressing, they
realise they must be accommodating for the sake of the engaged
couple. When Grathian Prince Orlath returns from his sea adventures
with his pet monkey, things begin to change. Celie, Pogue and Rolf
assist the prince with the shipbuilding and Celie's feelings of
missing Castle Glower are eased.
Lilah's quest to find the lost village of the unicorns directs the
second act of the story. After the wonderful festivities of the
betrothal celebrations, The Ship is ready for the maiden voyage.
This enchanted vessel determines its own course and there is nothing
to stop it. With Queen Celina's magic and her clever planning, they
are able to survive. Their time aboard the speeding ship proves
interesting. Magical places, mystical islands, trading ports,
overcoming dangerous conditions and griffin rides make the second
and third acts exciting.
Jessica Day George's fantasy series is an exciting and engaging read
that leaves fans wanting to read about Celie and Pogue's future and
witness the spectacle of Lilah and Lulath's wedding.
Rhyllis Bignell
Snot Chocolate by Morris Gleitzman
Puffin Books, 2016. ISBN 9780143309222
The blurb reads, "Stop your mum picking her nose, read the secret
diary of a dog, catch a bus and then let it go, discover how one
slice of toast can make you the most popular person in school, start
wearing a crown and give up eating pig-nostril gruel, use a wrecking
ball to defeat a bully, show your big sister the very scary secret
in your wardrobe, unleash the awesome power of chips, live in a
house that gets wiped clean more often than a bottom."
But there is so much more to this collection of short stories from a
master storyteller who seamlessly switches between the poignancy of
Two weeks with the Queen, the gaiety of Toad Rage and
the seriousness and sincerity of the Once series. Gleitzman
himself says, "Nine stories, and I've made them different lengths
because different parents have different ideas about how long a
person should be allowed to read before turning the lights out."
With a title designed to attract that reader who loves to makes sure
parents and teachers have a stomach-churning moment when they see
it, nevertheless there are serious undertones to each as the central
character of each tries to grapple with a big problem affecting
family or friends using a thought process and logic that are
particular to that age group. Creativity is alive and well in
children - until the formality and seriousness of school try to
quell it.
Along with Give Peas a Chance and Pizza Cake, these
stories which give the author "a break from the stiff neck and stiff
brain you sometimes get writing book-length stories" might seem a
long way from the stories Gleitzman commonly crafts and which he is
so valued for, but as he says, he would "hate to forget that in
stories a laugh can have a teardrop as a very close neighbour."
However, despite the sombre notes this is a collection that will
keep those newly independent readers, particularly boys, reading and
help them transition to the next phase of their reading journey -
which will probably be a Gleitzman novel - as they show that even
short stories with wicked titles can have great, credible characters
and a depth of plot that makes reading so worthwhile.
Parents, teachers and teacher librarians are blessed to have such a
gifted writer as Gleitzman on their side.
Barbara Braxton
The summer seaside kitchen by Jenny Colgan
Little, Brown, 2017. ISBN 9780751564808
(Age: 16+) Recommended. Romance. Scotland. Environment. This is the
first book that I have read by Jenny Colgan, a Sunday Times top ten
bestselling author, and I found it immensely enjoyable. Flora is
living in London, trying to cope with her job and city living and
crushing on her boss, Joel. When she is asked to go back to Mure,
the isolated Scottish island where she grew up and where people
refuse to forget her past, she is uncertain but knows that she can't
refuse. Her firm's rich client wants to stop a wind farm spoiling
his view and her boss thinks that she can influence what happens on
the island with her insider knowledge of people and their
motivations.
Arriving back home, Flora has much to contend with - her father
seems to have grown smaller and more introverted and her three
brothers aren't very happy. Soon she finds herself immersed in
family life and the discovery of her mother's recipe books leads to
a love of cooking and also the opening of a little shop on the
harbour.
Although essentially a romance, Colgan keeps the reader guessing
about who Flora will end up with and the background of the island's
politics and personalities play an important part in Flora's
realisation of where she wants her future to lead.
The wonderful setting of a quiet Scottish island adds interest as
its inhabitants struggle to keep their young people on the island
and try to ensure that the millionaire building a resort actually
employs some of the islanders.
This is a feel good book, peopled with relatable characters and
events. Its warmth and uplifting plot made it very readable. I will
certainly follow this author in the future when I want to enjoy a
good escapist romance.
Pat Pledger
Alice-Miranda holds the key by Jacqueline Harvey
Alice-Miranda series bk 15. Random House, 2017. ISBN
9780143780700
(Age: 8+) Recommended. In popular author Jacqueline Harvey's new
novel Alice-Miranda holds the key, she creatively weaves the
familiar stories of school, village and home life and the annual
garden party at Highton Hall with puzzling new characters,
situations and mysteries to solve. Who holds the key - the runaway
girl, the new neighbour who is causing problems or the saboteur
involved in industrial espionage? The family grocery empire,
Kennington's, is under threat as hundreds of people have fallen ill
after eating products made at their factory.
After sharing their picnic lunch with friends, Millie and
Alice-Miranda race their ponies through the woods back to the
Academy. When Alice-Miranda is knocked off her pony and is injured,
Millie's quick thinking and first aid save the day. After a few days
in hospital, she is sent home to Highton Hall before the end of term
to recuperate. Here everyone is in the midst of cleaning and busy
preparations for the annual garden party. The young girl senses the
worry and concern of her parents, caught up in the investigations
surrounding the factory sabotage. Even Mrs. Oliver their cook and
Kennington's food scientist is involved in solving the dilemma.
Interwoven into Alice-Miranda's story is the tale of a very unhappy
girl, Francesca Compton-Hall. Chessie has been placed as a boarder
at Bodlington School for Girls by her recently remarried mother. Her
decision to run away from school and travel to Bedford Manor, where
her mother is frantically trying to update her new ancestral home
proves to play a pivotal part. Her discovery leads Alice-Miranda on
the path to solving the huge problems facing her family business.
The tightly woven threads of the mystery, the cast of potential
criminals and the carefully placed clues build the tension and
excitement, as the villagers, family, friends, and Highton Hall
staff prepare for the marvellous annual garden party. Of course,
Alice-Miranda's insight and intuition prove vital to solving the
mystery of the sabotage and save her family from ruin. Alice-Miranda holds the key is a wonderful addition to the
series. Author Jacqueline Harvey's creative narratives will appeal
to a wide audience, with wonderfully appealing characters, continued
friendships, supportive families, special celebrations and a frisson
of drama and mysteries to solve.
Rhyllis Bignell
Millie loves ants by Jackie French
Ill. by Sue deGennaro. Angus & Robertson, 2017. ISBN
9781460751787
(Age: 5+) Recommended. Echidnas. Ants. Australian animals. Verse
story. Families. Millie the echidna just loves ants and the narrator
of the story follows her everywhere, as she enjoys finding ants to
eat in the most amazing of places around the house and garden. In
rhyming lines, French tells how the echidna finds ants amongst the
gnomes in the garden, under the bath, in the kitchen and the shed,
in her bed and on her picnic, in hollow trees where they make nests
of leaves. French follows the ants too as they busy themselves
gathering all sorts of foods to take into their nests beneath the
ground. Always followed by the echidna of course, as the girl
follows Millie trying to work out exactly why she eats so many.
Finally we all find out when the last page is revealed. The charming
story follows the trail of ants followed by the hungry echidna,
showing the reader how one is dependent upon the other, and showing
each animal as it stores food. In a classroom this could be a
starting point for discussions about animals and their behaviour.
This new book about echidnas sits well alongside French's wonderful
books about wombats and both are part of an expanding group of books
about Australian animals. DeGennaro's illustrations are very
different from those usually seen in French's books, and readers
will love looking at the detail on each page.
Fran Knight
I'm Australian too by Mem Fox
Ill. by Ronojoy Ghosh. Scholastic (Omnibus) 2017. ISBN 9781760276218
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Refugees, Inclusivity,
Multiculturalism, Verse. In rhyming stanzas Mem Fox outlines to
small children the range of people who make up Australia. The verses
rhyme easily and could be readily leant by children after hearing it
only once, enabling them to join in. The statement at the end of
each verse underlines its impact stressing the inclusion of each of
the groups of people she writes about.
But it is the last several verses that knock a punch.
In the first part of the book, each of the verses has ended with the
refrain, 'I'm Australian too'. They tell of the Australian born, the
English, Irish, Aborigines, those with Greek or Italian backgrounds,
with hints about why some have come to live here.
Then we hear of the Lebanese, Afghanis and Syrians and Somalis, all
here after fleeing war. And each verse ends with the refrain, 'I'm
Australian too'.
Each page gives many points of discussion for younger readers, the
illustrations adding another level of interest and information. But
the last several pages highlight a different group of people.
Here the readers meet a young refugee, 'not Australian yet' but
hoping to become an Australian, to line in a place which opens doors
to strangers and where hearts are mended, beneath the Southern Star.
The bright illustrations will appeal to all readers as they
recognise iconic places within Australia: the Melbourne tram, the
Sydney Harbour Bridge, Adelaide's Elder rotunda, the Ghan train as
well as the ordinary things Australians expect to be able to do,
lazing at the beach or by a pool, out on a cattle station, eating
pasta, watching fireworks, catching a bus, all without having to run
from war, seeing their homes and families disintegrate.
My initial thoughts about the word, 'too' in the title, were
overwhelmed by the heartening message in the book, that we are all
Australians, no matter where we have come from. There are those who
wish to be, and by implication through the illustration, we are not
treating them with the fairness implicit in our anthem. This little
book will arouse much thought, discussion and introspection.
Fran Knight
Little Chicken Chickabee by Janeen Brian and Danny Snell
Raising Literacy Australia, 2016. ISBN 9780994385338
Crickle, scratch, crackle, hatch - four little chicks pop from their
eggs of proud Mother Hen. Each one cheeps as expected except for
Number 4 who says, "Chickabee." This startles Mother Hen and the
other chicks who insist that "Cheep" is right and "Chickabee" is
not. But Little Chicken is not deterred and goes off to see the
world. However, she finds that even the other farm animals insist
that chickens say "Cheep" not "Chickabee" although when Little
Chicken challenges them, they have no real reason why not.
Showing amazing resilience, Little Chicken knows that while
"Chickabee" might be different, it is right for her and regardless
of the sound she makes, she is still a chicken. Even when her
brothers and sisters reject her again, she has the courage to go
back into the world and this time she meets different things that
make different sounds which bring her joy and comfort. And then she
meets a pig . . .
This is a charming story about difference, resilience, courage and
perseverance and how these can lead to friendships, even unexpected
ones. Beautifully illustrated by Danny Snell, this story works on so
many levels. It would be a great read for classes early in this 2017
school year as new groups of children come together and learn about
each other while even younger ones will enjoy joining in with the
fabulous noises like rankety tankety, sticketty-stackety and
flippety-flappity as they learn the sorts of things that are found
on a farm.
Given the trend throughout the world towards convention and
conservatism and an expectation that everyone will fit the same
mould and be legislated or bullied into doing so, Little Chicken
could be a role model for little people that it is OK to be
different and that no one is alone in their difference.
Barbara Braxton
