Ill. by Mark Jackson. Nature Storybooks series. Walker Books, 2015.
ISBN 9781922077448
(Age: 6+) Recommended. Platypus, Australian animals, Fiction and non
fiction. Alongside each page of the fictional tale of a male
platypus going about his daily tasks, is an information paragraph
with facts about this unusual animal. Each of the texts is given a
different font and so a canny reader will quickly understand that
there are two stories here, one a story, the other facts. To
underline this the index at the back has a line underneath telling
the reader to look for both as they read, while the brief index
gives younger children easy access to the material in the book and
teaches how to use an index to gain information.
The platypus peeps out of his burrow on the first double page, its
duck bill contrasting with the dark undergrowth. Information is
given about the platypus and its unusual shape and characteristics,
while the factual paragraphs tell us how at first, scientists could
not believe the animal first discovered in 1799 was real.
The animal forages finding food, while the factual text tells us how
each of its characteristics help it swim, dive, forage and survive.
Children will love reading of the platypus' night time forage and
appreciate the inclusion of factual information making the story
much richer.
The beautiful illustrations serve to place the platypus in his
environment and the browns and greens swirl together to give a
marvellous impression of where he lives.
An information page at the end reiterates the facts given,
underlining its oddness in the animal world.
The language is wonderful, using the correct terminology and not
talking down to the audience, making the reader ask questions.
This is the second book I have seen in this series called Nature
Storybooks and I can see it well used in the classroom, both
by children wanting a storybook about one of Australia's strangest
animals, and also for gathering facts.
Fran Knight
Izzy Folau: Chance of a Lifetime by David Harding and Izzy Folau
Random House Australia, 2015 . ISBN 9780857986610 Izzy Folau: Reality Check. ISBN 9780857986634
(Age: Independent readers) This series featuring champion Israel
Folau will be just what younger rugby fans will adore to tide them
over the football season.
Its two stars, Daniel and Sione have both been picked for the Valley
rep team to play at the State Championships. But they couldn't be
more different with Daniel from an affluent family, attending
sports-mad Barker College and having all the confidence in the world
while Sione is from the other side of the tracks where his school
holds a mufti day to raise the funds for him to attend the selection
camp and he's so lacking in self-confidence that he doesn't go to
school that day. But both have been picked and are off to camp to be
coached by Izzy Folau.
As the series follows them through their training to the final
match, as well as great tips about playing football there is also a
strong undercurrent of sportsmanship, friendship and what it means
to be a team member as well as believing in yourself, even when
you're angry and frustrated and you don't reach the heights you were
sure you could. Folau tells the boys, "I've changed sports a few
times and every time I did there were people who weren't happy.
Without meaning to I upset fans, the media, and, worst of all, my
teammates. Each time I had to walk into a change room filled with
people I didn't know to play a game I wasn't too sure about. I found
it hard to be happy and relaxed sometimes, but I did my best to make
it work. I trained, I was nice to people, I was a good teammate. You
know why? . . . If I didn't, I might as well have gone home.
It's the same for you guys. If you can't chill out, have fun and be
proud of your achievements, then you might as well think about going
home."
With episodes three and four in the series being released on the eve
of the World Cup, this is a series for the young fan who is an
independent reader who wishes they had the opportunities that Daniel
and Sione and their teammates have. But even if they don't realise
the dream of having Izzy Folau as their coach, there is much to
learn and enjoy from this series.
Barbara Braxton
Vietnam by Deborah Challinor
My Australian story series. Scholastic, 2015. ISBN
9781743628003
Highly recommended. This brilliantly crafted story is a realistic
depiction of life in Australia in the late 1960s using authentic
characters and historical events. Davey Walker is twelve years old
and carefree, enjoying surfing every day on Newcastle beaches with
his mates Pete and Johnno when his older brother Tom is selected for
National Service. Davey records his and Tom's experiences over the
next year in a series of diary entries.
It was delightful to read a captivating story which is historically
accurate and which avoids judgement and slavish presentation of
views more palatable to a modern perspective. There is however
nothing inappropriate or unsuitable to an early teen readership in
this book. The harsh truths of the war - death, physical and
psychological injury, fear, even the My Lai massacre are all covered
in a manner which presents the facts without glamour or unnecessary
detail. Challinor deserves credit for crafting a robust, worthy
story which includes a bewildering amount of historical information
and accurate micro details which is suitable for the readership in
terms of content and level of understanding.
I particularly liked that a range of authentic figures interplay to
put forward points of view on the validity of conscription, the
involvement of Australia in the war, the protest movement and
international relations in exactly the way that people did at the
time. I was thrilled to read the explanation of the origins of the
conflict and Australia's role through the words of Davey, his school
mates and a new teacher as they discussed the topic in a social
studies class. A complex matter was summarised clearly for modern
readers and the author is to be commended for not endorsing one
point of view (with child characters parroting their parents'
ideology) over another.
The story is so good because whilst the war is central to the
narrative and important events like the Moon landing are included,
it principally emphasises family relationships and friendship.
Mateship is associated too frequently with the battlefield in
Australian folklore and this novel emphasises the value of caring
friendships in all walks of life in a profoundly moving way.
Rob Welsh
Bob the railway dog by Corinne Fenton
Ill. by Andrew McLean. Black Dog Books, 2015. ISBN 9781922179890
(Age: 4-adult) Highly recommended. Dogs, Loyalty, Independence,
Steam trains, Railways, Historical story, Nineteenth century.
Transport. Living in Peterborough for twenty years, it was
impossible not to hear the story of Bob the railway dog, and to see
it now memorialised in several books, a statue in the main street of
the town, with an information board in Terowie where it was known as
Terowie Bob, is wonderful.
Several years ago a book was published about the animal, (The
Railway Dog by Olwyn Parker) and now a picture book adds
another level of interest. And of course there is a Facebook page
for people to add photos of themselves with the statue in
Peterborough.
This picture book takes the reader into the reasons for the railways
to exist in the outback regions of South Australia, and throughout
the story the impact of the railways on small communities is neatly
observed, while readers will have an overview of the size of
Australia and the distances travelled by the dog.
At Carrieton Station in 1884, a train carrying a load of dogs
destined for the cattlemen in the north of the state, arrived and
one dog piqued the interest of the guard, Ferry.
He took the dog, naming him Bob, and soon they travelled together on
the trains in the Mid North. But when the intercolonial between
Adelaide and Melbourne was opened, he climbed aboard. Several
stories of Bob travelling even further were known, but he was
certainly well known on the trains around South Australia.
This delightful story of Bob will melt the hearts of the readers and
McLean's wonderful illustrations add to the development of the tale.
His watercolour, charcoal and black pen illustrations bring the last
part of the nineteenth century to life, as we see the sparse
landscapes of the mid north of South Australia, the growing wealth
of the cities, the detail of the stations now closed, the finely
observed porters' rooms, and the steam trains chugging through the
saltbush. Text and illustration create a beautiful picture book
evocative of times past, but extolling the virtues of independence
and loyalty.
Fran Knight
Glenn Maxwell series by Patrick Loughlin
Random House, 2015. Glenn Maxwell: State Showdown. ISBN 9780857986115 Glenn Maxwell: World Domination. ISBN 9780857986139
(Age: Yr 3-4) The interest in cricket at my school is very high with
the Ashes series. With the women also competing in their Ashes
series, that interest is widespread. So it has been with delight
that when several have asked me if I had the latest in this series
that features the world's leading T20 player, I've been able to hand
them over or put their names on the reserve list.
The series continues Will Albright's journey from local team to
state representation which is his dream. But a crisis in confidence
threatens his success and so Maxwell steps into help. And finally,
in World Domination his team is off to England to take on the best
of the best in the T20 Youth World Cup. Each book includes Maxwell's
Top Tips for T20 batting and a full glossary of cricket terms and
colleague Sue Warren has a Q&A with Glenn Maxwell himself at https://losangzopa.wordpress.com/2014/12/08/qa-glenn-maxwell/
Even though the books themselves are written for an independent
reader about Year 3-4 level, a number of the names on my reserves
list are both older and younger, showing that the subject is the key
ingredient and that having enjoyed the first two it is the storyline
that brings them back, not any degree of difficulty with the text.
If you haven't got the first two - Lucky Break and Academy All-Stars
- then it is worth seeking them out so when students' thoughts turn
to playing cricket as summer comes (they say it is coming) you will
have a complete series to offer them.
Barbara Braxton
Alex as well by Alyssa Brugman
Curious Fox, 2014. ISBN 9781782020899
(Ages: 13+) Recommended. Growing up. Sexuality. Now a teenager, Alex
feels more female than male, and refuses to take the medication
which suppresses his femininity. Born without specific gender
alignment, Alex has been brought up as a boy by sometimes caring but
often confused parents, but is determined to make his own decisions.
He leaves school where he has been bullied, and enrolls in another
school as a girl, wearing a dress and drawing her hair extensions
back into a pony tail. She is amazed at how differently she is
treated as a girl, and the underlying values attributed to one sex
over the other. It is fascinating to see Brugman playing around with
sex roles through this novel, exposing for us the different traits
credited to each gender through the body of the sometimes capricious
Alex.
But things do not go as she expects. Her new life is at odds with
the old, she is lonely and unsure of herself. She makes friends but
is attracted to one of the girls, while one of the boys is attracted
to her. Going to a solicitor to gain a new birth certificate telling
the world she is female, she makes her only friend, one who believes
her, explores the issues for her and protects her when her parents
become cloying.
It is the scenes with his parents that disturb. They come across as
totally confused, their relationship in tatters because of Alex and
their treatment of him, and they feel that life has treated them
unfairly. At times I wanted to yell at them, they never see Alex in
terms other than their failed male child, they never sit down with
her to talk things through, nor allow Alex to explain how she feels,
there is never a counsellor visited or doctor consulted, but the
internet and the rubbish advised by 'friends' seems to take
precedence, particularly where her mother is concerned.
I was enthralled with Alex's story, wanting her to make it in the
end, find her feet and make a stand. This she does, but in accepting
that her parents will never be wholly supportive she realises in the
end that we are all flawed, especially when it comes to gender and
what is expected of us.
Fran Knight
My amazing Dad by Ezekiel Kwaymullina
Ill. by Tom Jellett. Little Hare, 2015. ISBN 9781921894862
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Families, Fathers, Difference. What a
delightful story. Having just read Fly-in fly-out Dad (Sally
Murphy) this story compliments the other like a hand in a glove,
both reflecting the diversity of arrangements that make up
Australia's families.
In My amazing Dad, the children reflect upon the things that
their father does with them. He is different as Jellett shows in the
opening picture of the two children on Dad's back, all still in
their pyjamas. The stage is set for a Dad who stays home with his
children. Overleaf, he does not like mowing lawns, but loves to make
a mess. He never gets the two children to school on time, but gets
there in the end. He cannot bake a cake but they all eat happily
what he buys at the bakery. Each pair of two double pages presents
Dad and something he doesn't like doing, but overleaf shows what he
does instead. He may not be the 'typical' Dad but has many other
wonderful qualities ensuring the lives of his children are happy,
safe and full of humour.
The subtle inclusion of Mum returning from work at the end
underscores the stay at home Dad theme, and adds to the love filled
story.
Jellett's illustrations fill the pages, bringing a sense of fun and
excitement to the children's days as Dad does things in an
unexpected way. Jellett's expressions are priceless and his ability
to make a flat painted face reflect so much expression will amaze
the readers as they can read what each character is feeling with
ease.
I just love the humour, from the toys the children have, appearing
on most pages, to the frog cakes in the bakery window, the tool kit
in the bathroom and the bathroom full of bubbles. Readers will
readily recognise each stage of daily events and laugh out loud at
Dad's antics.
Fran Knight
Fly-in fly-out Dad by Sally Murphy
Ill. by Janine Dawson.Five Mile Press, 2015. ISBN 9781743467299
(Age: 5+) Recommended. Flight, Working away from home, Mining,
Families. A situation that affects many families in Australia, where
work is to be found many kilometres from their homes, the fly-in
fly-out dad is represented with clarity in this timely book. When
Dad comes home, the narrator envisages his life away as a superhero,
complete with superhero suit emblazoned with a capital D. He lives
in a donga, drives a huge machine, has meals cafeteria style, eats
with his co workers, some of whom play jokes on him, but above all
works hard, sometimes having to work in the mine at night to get the
job done. It is a life away from his family so the week spent at
home is frenetic, as he joins in with all the things he misses in
the weeks he is away. He helps hang the washing, reads the children
stories, listens to their tales of what has happened to them while
he has been away, but each few page we hear the narrator wishing Dad
could stay. The wistfulness adds a level of sympathy to the story
and children reading it will feel with him as he watches his father
leave again at the end of the story.
The illustrations playfully underline the life the family leads with
Dad away, but when he is home, the boy's imagination soars and the
pictures are funny and poignant, reflecting the tone of the story.
The family's cohesiveness is obvious to all readers, as the
illustrations show them doing things together and the emotional pull
of the images at the end of the book as Dad readies to fly out
again, cannot be ignored.
This book admirably reflects the diversity of Australian families,
one many children will not have come across, but reading this will
now have a greater understanding of the lives lead by some of their
peers.
Fran Knight
Time for bed, Daddy by Dave Hackett
University of Queensland Press, 2015. ISBN 9780702253812
(Ages: 3-6) Recommended. Author and illustrator, Cartoon Dave
presents a bedtime book with a twist - we are used to stories about
children getting to bed (eventually!) but this one is about a little
girl getting her daddy to bed. He manages to capture the special,
playful relationship between a father and child beautifully and
preschool children will find the premise hilarious - putting dad to
bed! Dad tries every trick to prolong bedtime - he isn't tired, he's
busy playing, he doesn't need a bath, can he have a horsey ride
first?, are there monsters under the bed?, how about a story?, and a
song? ...just one more snuggle? In addition, the little girl tries
all her tricks to get daddy to bed - bubbles in the bath ('That gets
Daddy in every time'), jokes at dressing time and funny voices at
story time. Parents and children alike will find the cartoon
illustrations humorous as the role reversal is perfectly
illustrated. Daddy is playful and childlike: splashing in the bath,
shaking with worry over the monsters under the bed and cuddling up
to his teddy as he falls asleep. The look of reluctance on Daddy's
face as he is 'helped' to his room (carried, pushed and pulled!) is
one that all parents will recognise.
The dialogue and narration is simple and realistic with key words
highlighted and enlarged, to make for fun expressive reading. This
will really appeal to pre-schoolers' sense of humour and they will
love the bright cartoon illustrations. This is sure to be a hit at
bedtime, especially when it is dad's turn to read!
Nicole Nelson
The hush treasure book: stories, poems and pictures from your favourite storytellers
Allen & Unwin, 2015. ISBN 9781760112790
(Age: 5-10) Warmly recommended. Collection, Short stories, poetry,
Music, Hospitals. The Hush Music Foundation aims to bring music into
children's hospitals, helping children cope with the stress of being
away from their families, in a strange place. Begun by Dr Catherine
Crock, she collected a number of musicians together to donate their
time and abilities to produce a series of CD's. These are now
augmented with a book of short stories and poems, written and
illustrative by well known Australian authors and illustrators.
Several of the stories include medical themes designed to make
children laugh. The elephant bird by Tohby Riddle makes its
appearance early on in the book, making the readers laugh out loud
at the strange story. After this is Alison Lester's remarkable Flying
home, which will carry a child back to his home before he goes
to sleep in hospital. The long shadow by Bob Graham evokes sympathy for a dog
nearing the end of its days, loved and protected by hits owner,
while My shadow by Karen Briggs and Paul Seden takes the
reader outside to playing with his shadow.
Several longer stories will pique the interest of older readers, Ghost
motel by Michael Camilleri and Jackie French and Grandma's
treasure by Victoria Rohan and Jane Tanner, while Shaun Tan's
enigmatic Ward will have children reading and rereading to
develop a sense of what it is about.
This collection with a music CD tucked into its back cover will help
children in hospital sit and read and be engrossed in a story or
poem, music or illustration, allowing their minds to seek another
place during their stay.
I loved Nothing to be scared of by Doug Macleod and Craig
Smith, reading it as possums scampered across my roof, and the last
offering in the bookFree to fly by Bruce Whatley, evoking the
peace and freedom of being outside. Each offering in this book
presents another place where children would like to be if only for a
little while, away from where they must be for the time being.
Fran Knight
Stay with me by Maureen McCarthy
Allen & Unwin, 2015. ISBN 9781743316887
(Age: Young adults) Recommended. Stay with me is Maureen
McCarthy's most recent novel in her growing list of publications for
young adult girls. A comprehensive novel that explores the topical
issues of partnership abuse and violence, it examines the question
many ask: 'Why doesn't she leave?' McCarthy's addressing of this
sensitive and profound issue is a timely reminder for young people.
The detailed narrative builds tension steadily until the reader
fears something . . . anything . . . might happen. Tess is stuck in
an abusive relationship. Living in fear, on a farm in the Byron Bay
hinterland with Jay and their three-year-old daughter Nellie, Tess
knows any attempt by her to escape her violent partner will be the
most dangerous thing she'll ever do. Against her older sister's
wishes, seventeen-year-old Tess had chosen to leave her own
fractured family four years previously, in favour of life with an
older man and she has not communicated with her family since. An
unexpected meeting with a couple of strangers enables her escape
home to Victoria, the only place where she feels she can hide.
However any reunion with her siblings is likely to be fraught given
the circumstances of her departure from the family fold, and the
long road trip gives her pause for reflection on the reception she
might receive at the end of the journey. Coupled with this is the
ever-present threat that Jay will discover her whereabouts.
While the issues of abuse are not overt or too graphically
portrayed, the inferences and threats of danger are still strong.
McCarthy's characters 'are real' and I enjoyed the emotional
connections she portrays, especially the relationship between little
Nellie and the adults who surround and care for her. With some
issues still to be resolved, perhaps a sequel is in the planning.
An easy to read narrative that deals with issues of domestic
violence, this novel is recommended for young adults.
Colleen Tuovinen
Abigail by Catherine Rayner
Little Tiger Press, 2015. ISBN 9781848956469
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Giraffes, Humour, Counting, Africa.
Abigail loves to count. She begins to count the spots on the
ladybird, but it climbs under the leaf. She begins to count the
stripes on the zebra but it moves away. She begins to count the
spots on the cheetah but he runs away. And the leaves on the tree
disappear as zebra eats them. Ladybird suggest she counts the
flowers in the vast plains and the friends begin. But zebra and
cheetah are not very good at it, so Abigail must help them. At first
they say lots and many to describe the number of flowers they see
but with Abigail's patient help begin to count the flowers. But they
are stopped when night begins to fall, but when they look up they
see a sky full of things to count.
This is a lovely story of friendship as the animals help Abigail
find something to count even though they are not very good at it,
and she in return patiently helps them succeed. This story
reiterates the skill of counting and shows the reader how important
it is. It also differentiates between a precise number and the words
which describe groups of numbers. The background of the plains of
Africa is stunningly presented and children will be amazed at the
diversity of flora and fauna shown with so clearly with simple
watercolour images. They will be delighted at the surprise page near
the end and marvel at the size of the giraffe. I love the trees with
their typical flat underbellies, especially as used on the
publication page adding another level of humour to this delightful
book. Rayner is a Kate Greenaway Medal winner (2009) and her books
with their lovely watercolour images have always intrigued me.
Fran Knight
Green Valentine by Lili Wilkinson
Allen & Unwin, 2015. ISBN 9781760110277
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. Gardening. Environmental protection.
Conservation. Humour. Astrid is smart and pretty and a favourite
with all the teachers. Hiro is rude and resentful and always in
trouble. They meet at the shopping mall when Astrid is dressed in a
lobster costume and Hiro is working gathering shopping trolleys.
They give each other superhero nicknames - Lobster Girl and Shopping
Trolley Boy. When Hiro is assigned to Astrid to help her in the
school garden that she is trying to get going, he doesn't recognise
her and begins to get to know Astrid only as Lobster Girl. But the
path of love is not easy.
This is a very funny, but also thought provoking book that tackles
some big themes in an easy to read way that make it quite difficult
to put down. Astrid is the perfect girl but can be quite annoying
about her belief that she knows best for everyone. Hiro is smart but
lives to make trouble at school. When the two get together, Astrid
learns not only about gardening and how to make things grow, but
about tolerance and respect for the opinions of others, realising
that not everyone has the same aspirations to be good and go to uni
that she has. The secondary characters in the book are also very
well rounded. I found the blossoming of Astrid's mother after
finding out that her husband was having an affair and kicking him
out a great take on a marriage break-up. Hiro's grandmother too is a
wonderful character and her garden is one I would like to visit.
The beliefs of the mayor and Astrid's science teacher about what
they want their community and school to be like clash with Astrid
and Hiro's attempts to beautify their part of the city and Astrid's
crusade for the environment. Wilkinson is able to introduce (by way
of very funny footnotes) lots of information about protecting the
environment and the difficulties that campaigners face when they are
trying to sway public opinion, not to mention lots of hints about
growing vegetables and community gardens.
This is a feel-good book, with a romance that feels real and plenty
of humour to keep the reader laughing until the end. It would also
be a great novel for a literature circle or a class text as the
themes of protecting the environment, disengagement from school, the
responsibilities of local government and tolerance for others'
beliefs give ample opportunity for discussion and thought.
Pat Pledger
Tashi series by Anna Fienberg and Barbara Fienberg
Allen and Unwin, 2015. Tashi and the Golden Jawbone. ISBN 9781925267020 Tashi and Giant Squid. ISBN 9781925266993
(Ages: 6-8) Recommended. Based on the Popular Television Series.
Tashi has been a much-loved character since 1995, when mother and
daughter Anna and Barbara Fienberg published their first junior
novel. Flying Bark Productions has taken the wonderful stories,
special characters and created an animated series for ABC3. These
colourful new stories showcase the bold graphic designs from the
animations.
Each story begins with the explanation that Jack's parents have sent
him to stay with his cousin Tashi and they are caught up in magical
adventures in a fantastical land inhabited by unique creatures and
evil villains, trolls, giants or witches. Of course feisty Lotus
Blossom is there to help the boys in the difficult situations that
they always seem to find themselves in.
In Tashi and the Golden Jawbone the annual Storyteller's
Competition is being held and the prize is a huge golden shark's
jawbone. Jack's story of the box factory impresses the villagers,
however, all Tashi can think about is wanting to experience
something new, exciting and dangerous. Desperate to steal a tale
from Tashi the storyteller, the Baron captures the boys. After
escaping from the Baron and avoiding capture by the bandits, the
boys run into Baba Yaga's house. She is delighted and sets about
making boy stew. With the help of an old Instamatic camera, they
escape from the witch and avoid the Baron's clutches. After an
encounter with a white tiger and a little help from the Thunderdove,
the boys are back just in time for Tashi to recount his adventures
and win the master storyteller prize.
The villagers are excited to be competing in the Annual Fishing
Contest in Tashi and Giant Squid. Jack's first attempt with
his new techno-rod and glittering lure catches a small baby squid -
a Kraken. Of course The Warlord marches in with his soldiers
carrying a gigantic Trumper eel which he claims he's caught (without
any proof.) Even though Tashi informs Wise-as-an-Owl that eels are
freshwater creatures and can't be caught in saltwater, the Warlord
wins the prize again. The boys set up an aquarium for the little
squid, not heeding Lotus Blossom's warning. When the Warlord calls
the next morning demanding that his prize is returned to him,
another chase begins. Jack and Tashi use their keen detective skills
to solve the disappearance of the trophy and Squidly is returned to
his mother, a giant squid with huge pink tentacles.
Twenty pages of puzzles, activities and games are included as well.
These stories are a great gift for the young Tashi fan.
Recommended for 6-8 year olds
Rhyllis Bignell
YIKES, Ticklysaurus! by Pamela Butchart
Ill. by Sam Lloyd. Bloomsbury, 2015. ISBN 9781408839690
(Ages: 2-6) Sam Lloyd's vibrant multi-coloured dinosaurs bring to
life Pamela Butchart's rhyming picture book, YIKES,
Ticklysaurus!
All of the dinosaurs are bored and glum on a hot day in their muddy
swamp home. Brontosaurus wants something fun to happen. One of his
friends, the big, purple and yellow Ticklysaurus know just what to
do. It is time for a game of Tickle Chase, yikes! Brontosaurus is
the first to be caught and in the excitement, does a wee. Tickly's
arms reach everywhere up to the tree where Pterodactyl is hiding and
into Stegosaurus's cave. No one is safe from the spaghetti arms of
the Ticklysaurus with a tickle, tickle, wiggle, giggle each of the
friend's is found except for T. Rex. No the funny dinosaur can't do
it, so he turns to tickle you!
A humorous read aloud story for families, kindergartens and
preschools to share.
Rhyllis Bignell
