Bloomsbury, 2015. ISBN 9781408852637
(Age: 11-13) Themes: Family relationships; Grief and depression;
Friendship; Coming-of-age. In Cherry Blossom Dreams a
soon-to-be teenager narrates a family tale with complications. Sasha
and her twin Sean are dealing with a potential new Step-dad who also
happens to be an admired teacher at their school. Their mother's
previous relationship following their Dad's death was a disaster,
and now it seems that there is the potential for more pain and hurt.
Not least, because the teacher knows how to discipline them. To add
to this family drama are friendship and trust issues, the beginning
of the flutters of romantic interest for Sasha, a forbidden party
and a missing snake. Their grandmother's role as rescuer during
times of crisis is bitter-sweet and the mystery surrounding the
magician grandfather who died before they were born comes with a
twist. All of this is connected to a large home called Blossom
House, that Sasha and Sean's mother is trying to sell, and the
children are using as a secret haven to escape the stresses of life.
This is a fairly standard family drama and teenage-coming of age
story with multiple plot twists, but it is quite enjoyable and is
likely to appeal to 11-13 year old girls.
Carolyn Hull
Ducks to water by Brett Avison
Ill. by Janine Dawson. Five Mile Press, 2015. ISBN 9781760066062
(Age: All) Highly recommended. Bryn loves visiting Mum & Ted's
farm, but this time there's a problem! The pond is dry, the big pipe
is blocked with mud . . . how to unblock it and fill up the
waterhole?
Meanwhile, Oscar the dog, is surprised when a nest of duck eggs
begins to hatch. As Ken comes to the rescue with his mighty crane,
jiggling the pipe to empty out the stuck mud, Oscar becomes 'Mum' to
the ducklings.
When the pond fills . . . it's time for a SWIM for people AND ducks.
Then Bryn discovers that the clever ducks have learnt a new game!
Bouncing along in a romping rhyme, this engaging story with comical
illustrations is thoroughly entertaining.
A delightful story, amusingly illustrated, I highly recommend it for
all children.
J. Kerr-Smith
A countess below stairs by Eva Ibbotson
Speak, 2007. ISBN 9780142408650
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. Romance. Feel good book. The Russian
aristocracy have been forced to flee abroad by the Russian
Revolution. Anna Grazinsky, a young countess, has been left penniless
and decides that she can no longer live with her English governess
Miss Pinfold and takes a job as a domestic servant in the household
of the Westerholme family. Rupert, the Earl of Westerholme, has
recently become engaged to a beautiful heiress and his country house
must be made fitting for the new bride. Anna, armed only with The
domestic servant's compendium by Selina Strickland, arrives at
Mersham where she tries to hide her identity while falling in love
with Mersham and the earl.
Anna is perhaps Ibbotson's most memorable heroine. She is that rare
person who has a natural goodness that wealth and gifts couldn't
spoil. Wherever she goes, her joy and ability to really see and
enjoy what is around her, spreads to those she comes in contact with
and enhances their lives. Rupert, too, is a memorable character.
Wounded in the war, he has been nursed back to health by Muriel, a
wealthy VAD, who on the surface is beautiful and generous. However
as Rupert gets to know her in his own home, her belief in eugenics
leads her to treat badly those loved members of the community around
her who are not perfect. Rupert is an honourable man and is torn
between doing what he considers is his duty and his growing love for
the strange Russian girl who is acting as a maid.
Minor characters are beautifully portrayed and the reader becomes
caught up in their lives as well as learning much about their
environment. Ollie is the brave little girl who lives nearby and who
has struggled with a damaged leg and Ibbotson tugs at the
heartstrings of her reader as she is chosen to become a bridesmaid.
Mrs Park the cook brings wonderful delicacies to the table and Mr
Proom the butler is a wily and canny man who has a vital role to
play in the story. The life of the Russian emigres as they struggle
against poverty and bias is also vividly described and adds detail
and interest to the story.
Eva Ibbotson has written a beautiful, intelligent romance that is
perfect for the reader who enjoy books by Georgette Heyer or who
wants a feel good, comfort book that challenges thinking and
enlivens understanding of how vividly language can be used. First
published as an adult book, other romances by Ibbotson have also
been re-issued for the teen market and titles include A song for
summer, A company of swans, The reluctant heiress
and The morning gift.
Pat Pledger
Billie's great desert adventure by Sally Rippin
Ill. by Alisa Coburn. Billie's Super Dooper Adventures
series. Hardie Grant Egmont, 2015. ISBN 9781760124434
(Age: 5-7) Recommended for fans of the Billie B series and
as an introduction to the characters for younger children. In this
picture book Billie is having a rainy day at kindergarten. Even
though Billie has her duck boots on it is too wet to play outside so
she makes herself a cave in the cushions and when her friend Jack
comes along they go off on a wonderful adventure, finding a treasure
cave and being chased by forty thieves with swords.
This would be a great read aloud for young children and a stirring
book for those who are just becoming independent readers but who
still like a picture book to read. Billie and Jack have an exciting
time finding treasure, learning a magic word to open a stone wall
and flying off on a magic carpet, while finding a way to stop the
thieves from chasing them. After reading the book, an adult could
then go on to read the original Ali Barber and the forty thieves
classic and discuss how the author has used this as a basis for Billie's
great desert adventure.
The illustrations by Coburn, with the vivid expressive faces on
Billie and Jack and the forty thieves, complement the story.
Children will enjoy noticing small details like duck heads on an
umbrella and how the children's clothes change when they go into
the cave and will recognise many familiar things in the
kindergarten.
This is a lovely celebration of the power of the imagination and the
way that stories can stimulate children's play.
Pat Pledger
Ben by Jack Townend
V&A Publishing, 2015. ISBN 9781851778287 Jenny the jeep by Jack Townend
V&A Publishing, 2015. ISBN 9781851778294
(Age: junior primary) Recommended. Steamroller. Loneliness. War in
England. Design. Ben the steamroller works well with his supervisor,
Mr Dodie. He flattens the new roads in the town and works very hard.
He is proud of the work that he does. Each night when he is shut
away in his shed, tears fall as he is lonely there by himself. One
day Mr Dodie tells him that he is to flatten the new road out of the
town between this town and the next town, Wibsey. He is very
excited.
On the road he works hard, but the same thing happens, at night, he
is still alone.
One day he spies some smoke over the next hill, and is excited to
find it belongs to the Wibsey steamroller, Matilda.
They are so happy to see each other that they decide to run off
together and they do, finding a forest where they stay the night.
But the next morning their supervisors find them and prepare to take
them back. Ben is adamant that they will not work unless they are
together, so a solution is found to their problem.
The second of the two Townend books, Jenny the jeep is set
very firmly in wartime England, with pictures of jeeps and ship
building, factories working hard, and many soldiers crossing the
pages. Jenny is pink and stands out from the monochrome colours of
the rest of the group, and attracts derision because of it. But her
time comes around when she saves the day. After the war she is sold
off and she ends her days as a useful part of society partly because
of her colour.
Both stories are delightful and the illustrations will fascinate
younger children as well as those interested in historical design.
Townend was an illustrator and art lecturer who published picture
books in the 1940's. His books are held in the Victoria and Albert
Museum and are republished here for a new generation of readers. The
stories are delightful and the illustrations are charming,
reflecting the style of the middle of the twentieth century. For
those who wish to present a range of styles of story and
illustration then these are perfect, and read on their own, will
entreat new readers just as they did in 1944.
Fran Knight
Meet Banjo Paterson by Kristin Weidenbach and James Gulliver Hancock
Random House Australia Children's, 2015. ISBN 9780857980083
The picture book series of Meet... has been
extraordinarily successful in bringing the biographies of
outstanding Australians to younger readers. Taking simple
information and presenting it in a very accessible text accompanied
by illustrations has opened up a whole new experience for younger
students, giving them all a very clear picture of salient points
about each subject's life and times.
The latest offering in the series examines the life of arguably our
most famous poet, A. B. Paterson, better known to all as Banjo,
beginning with his early life growing up in the countryside near
Yass and through to his working in the 'big city' where his longing
for the outback evidenced itself in his bush ballads.
Banjo's acclaim as a bush poet was swift and universal - loved by
both city dwellers and country folk alike. Lines from various poems
are cleverly quoted to highlight certain events and highlights and
Hancock's illustrations in tones that reflect that landscape offer a
visual exploration of others. Readers could certainly try to
identify each poem from its given illustrative clue.
Of course, perhaps the most familiar composition for the intended
readership is 'Waltzing Matilda' which receives its due attention
and offers a wonderful opportunity to explore the vocabulary of this
famous poem in detail. There is much in here to enrich a teaching
program - comparisons of town/country life in Banjo's time and in
the present day, entertainments and hobbies of the past, landscapes
and so much more. Here the provided teaching
notes will be a terrific bonus.
As with previous titles in the series a double page spread at the
end contains a timeline of The Banjo's life and given his
involvement with WWI this could be a timely chance to introduce
younger students to the man whose work is loved by so many
generations of Australians.
Sue Warren
Thank you: Cheeky monkey manners by Lisa Kerr
Five Mile Press, 2015. ISBN 9781760067212
(Age: 1-3) Manners. This is a short board book suited for
under 3 year olds to teach the simple courtesy of saying 'Thank
you'. The cheeky monkey does not realise that the 'magic words' that
his Grandma needs, and that he is sent to seek are the simple words,
'Thank you'. The illustrations are quirky and cute in this ten page
narrative.
Carolyn Hull
Wendy and the wallpaper cat by Jason Hook
Ill. by Ilaria Demonti. Bloomsbury, 2015. ISBN 9781851778300
(Age: Junior primary) Highly recommended. Art and design. Sleeping.
Bedtime. Grandparents. When Wendy cannot sleep, her parents decide
to take her to see Grandpa Walter. She has never visited his house
before, and cannot help but notice that his suit is the same design
as his garden. When she climbs the stairs she notices the rose
wallpaper, and when she looks closely at one of the roses, finds she
can smell it. Grandpa offers her one of the bedrooms. She goes into
one and the wallpaper is of the sea and shells, and touching it she
finds sand in her hand. The next bedroom has luminous fruit trees on
the wall, and when she touches the paper, an orange falls into her
hand. But the third bedroom has wallpaper covered in scenes and
characters from nursery rhymes, and she decides that this is the
bedroom she wants. That night after reading her book of nursery
rhymes, she settles down to sleep. During the night she follows the
blue cat as it plays its fiddle between the trees, she follows him
across the sea shore, and into the garden full of red roses and then
dances the whole night long. The next morning she wakes, telling
Grandpa that she danced the whole night long, and returns to her own
house to find that the same wallpaper has been put into her room, so
now everyone can get a good night's sleep.
This is a beautiful picture book which uses the wallpapers designed
by Walter Crane in the nineteenth century to carry its story of
getting to sleep. The girl finds that the stories from the nursery
rhyme wallpaper flow through her dreams enabling her to sleep
easily. Mark Twain used this wallpaper in his children's nursery,
and the history at the end of the book shows how popular Crane's
work was. Crane illustrated many books, including the works of the
Grimm Brothers and his work is deposited in the Victoria and Albert
Museum which published this book. Demonti has used his work as a
basis for her own stylish pictures of Wendy and her family, making
the whole memorable. Children will pore over this book, finding all
sorts of things in the illustrations, talking about how they get to
sleep and discussing the nursery rhymes presented in Crane's
wallpaper.
Fran Knight
The monster within by Darrell Pitt
A Jack Mason adventure Book 4. Text Publishing, 2015. ISBN
9781922182876
(Age: 9-12) Recommended. Victorian London. Steampunk
Fiction. Detectives. Mysteries. Kaboom! The streets of London are
filled with people shopping, walking and enjoying the first day of
summer when an explosion rocks the streets. Panic ensues and Jack
desperately searches for his friend Scarlet in the rubble of the
haberdashery shop. News of other fatal bombings draws the detective
team of Mr. Doyle and the teenagers Jack and Scarlet into another
fast-paced adventure. Against the backdrop of Victorian London where
women are fighting for their right to vote by marching through the
city and starving for their beliefs, a monster is seen rising out of
the sewers, terrorising the people of Whitechapel. Are these two
mysteries linked? The skills, creative thinking and derring-do of
the team is needed.
Mr. Doyle's quirky habits has him eating mouldy cheese from the
depths of his pockets, and reminiscing about past adventures where
three unusual objects helped him solve the mysteries. His apartment
at 221 Bee Street is filled with a quirky assortment of objects and
a home for Jack and Scarlet. Inspector Greystoke, Mrs. Dudley, leader
of a peaceful suffragette group The Primrose Society, and her husband
industrial chemist William Dudley plan the best way to stop The
Valkyrie Circle, a terrorist organisation.
Before travelling to Spain, Jack and Scarlet set out to discover if
the monster exists, and trouble awaits, with fights, confrontations, and
Scarlet's consistent comparison to her favourite story heroine
Brinkie Buckeridge ever present. They board 'The Lion's Mane'
and travel across the skies to the Gaudi inspired city of Barcelona.
Their hunt for the terrorists involves much danger, great risks and
unfortunately Jack and Scarlet are captured.
Back in London, all the threads link together and conclude in a
spectacular fashion.
This Jack Mason Adventure by Darrell Pitt is all that the
fans expect and this time there's more detecting than technology and
the teenagers are seen developing their skills, education and taking
more risks.
Recommended for readers from 9-12.
Rhyllis Bignell
Our baby by Margaret Wild
Ill. by Karen Blair. Working Title Press, 2015. ISBN 9781921504785
(Age: 0-4) Recommended. Babies (Human). Families. Siblings.
Brothers and sisters. Our baby is an observance of families, all
sorts, nuclear, with two mums or two dads and those that live
together or live apart. The babies are the stars of this book, with
Margaret Wild's simple descriptive text and Karen Blair's bonny
babies exploring their world.
There are babies with milky mouths, little ears and snotty noses and
bald heads just like Grandpa's. They have fun with so many
activities, cycling in the baby seat with a leopard helmet, visiting
cafes or crawling with their bottoms in the air. They enjoy life and
bring a sense of wonder and love to their families and siblings.
Onesies of every colour and pattern clothe the youngsters, as they
wibble-wobble in the bouncy swing, look at the world upside down
or are wrapped up in a mess of toilet paper. Karen Blair's use of
pen, ink and gouache brings a lightness to all of the baby
activities. Each is fun to explore. There's the banana about to be
thrown in the toilet, the dress-up page with a colander hat and teatowel cape; all enjoyable everyday experiences.
A delightful picture book for families to share.
Rhyllis Bignell
Clementine Rose and the movie magic by Jacqueline Harvey
Random House Australia, 2015. ISBN 9780857985187
The avid Clementine Rose in your library crowd will eagerly pounce
on No #9 in this sweet series. This latest adventure sees the
beginning of next door neighbour Basil's film documentary about
Penberthy House - of course, starring Clementine Rose! This
excitement is tempered however by Lady Clarissa's worries about some
strange occurrences at the quaint hotel which are exacerbated by the
arrival of two unexpected guests - one hotel inspector and one very
well groomed but snooty woman. Both have a pivotal role in the
latest drama to occupy Clementine's family. With the hotel's future
- indeed the very house's future - at stake, it's a lucky thing
indeed when a very sneaky sabotage plot is revealed.
Parallel to these story threads is the promise of a budding romance
as Basil's assistant Drew and his 7 year old son Will develop an
immediate rapport with both Lady Clarissa and Clemmie. Now we all
will be awaiting the next instalment very impatiently to see how
this progresses!
Jacqueline Harvey continually strikes just the right note with her
books for younger girls. The mix of adventure, mischief, humour and
excitement has great appeal for the intended age group and each book
contains much with which these readers can easily identify - even
though they don't live in a big old house or own a teacup pig!
Find teaching
notes or visit Jacqueline's website online.
Sue Warren
Don't think about purple elephants by Susan Whelan
Ill. by Gwynneth Jones. Exisle Publishing, 2015. ISBN 9781921966699
(Age: 4-8) Highly recommended. Subjects: Anxiety, Worry, Overcoming
Fear, Bedtime, Family Life, Psychology. Susan Whelan draws
from her own family experiences with a young daughter who was
anxious about bedtime, when all the worries of the day crowded in.
Their solution was to refocus the thinking, when told not to imagine
colourful animals like pink elephants, green meerkats or turquoise
giraffes, of course she would! Her worries started to disappear as
she imagined all the wonderful activities they could participate in
and the worries disappeared.
Sophie only worries sometimes, school is fun playing with her
friends and engaging in learning and she enjoys afternoons playing
games and drawing. Her weekends are filled with reading, gardening,
baking and watching the clouds pass by. At bedtime, when life
quietens down then the dark clouds of worry start to roll in. She
begins the what if scenarios and she can't settle down to sleep,
resulting in a very tired little girl the next day. Her loving
family try to help with warm milk and honey, sharing toys, but
nothing works. Her mother finally tells her 'go to bed, close your
eyes and DON'T think about purple elephants.
Purple elephants of all shapes and sizes take over, swirling in her
long blonde hair, sipping her milk, drink playing with her toys,
calming her fears. Sophie is not tired at school and even draws
purple elephants.
Gwynneth Jones' creative illustrations complement the narrative.
Bright, happy colours are used when Sophie is enjoying life,
however, when the worries creep in tones of black and grey take
over. The pivotal page shows Sophie and her friend swinging high in
the blue sky and soft white clouds, then as the worries creep in,
the sky darkens and she's suspended in space, tucked in her
bed. Her dark thoughts are shown with a comedic quality, no milk for
breakfast means Sophie leads a dairy cow into the kitchen ready for
her to begin milking. Her cereal bowl is the focus and is
highlighted in red. The pink elephants cavorting over the pages are
a delight, there's one sitting on the toilet sipping hot milk! Watch
for the cat's antics as well, is he in the washing machine and
stealing the giant apple?
This book is a fabulous resource, for supporting children's social
and emotional wellbeing, for health practitioners, schools,
kindergartens and for families to share.
Rhyllis Bignell
A single stone by Meg McKinlay
Walker Books, 2015. ISBN 9781925081701
(Age: 13+) Recommended. An island . . . a valley . . . a village . .
. a completely isolated civilization with strange customs and
beliefs to rationalize survival. Jena is a young girl, barely a
teenager, but she leads an elite group of petite girls trained to
tunnel into the surrounding mountain to harvest Mica shards, which
are a crucial source of heat throughout severe winters. The girls in
the 'line' take great pride in their role and aspire to their
dangerous vocation by abstinence and bodily dysmorphia commenced
soon after birth. Jena is disenfranchised when she discovers that
the 'Mothers' who lead the village, are prematurely inducing the
babies born to tunnelling mothers, in order to breed an even smaller
and more efficient 'line'. In this state, it becomes easier for Jena
to grasp alternate perspectives and seek opportunities to escape
their mountain prison. Coincidently, these are presented to her when
an outsider stumbles upon a path into the valley. What happens when
Jena moves that last stone?
Meg McKinlay uses her fictitious village to show how body image can
be influenced by cultural expectations and beliefs. The Mothers
bind, wrap and starve petite females who are highly prized.
Conversely, boys and big boned girls, have less relative value. They
are just mouths to feed. Optimal status and resources are given to
the families of the seven girls in the 'line' who collectively
ensure the survival of the village. These themes will resonate with
teenage girls and to some extent help us to ponder our own cultural
obsession with body image.
The inaccuracy surrounding the properties of the mineral, mica, is a
disappointment in terms of continuity and belief. The author could
have suspended our belief by choosing another mineral, real or
imagined, whose contradictory inflammable qualities are less well
known. On the whole, a fantasy, a real-world parallel and not a bad
piece of escapism.
Deb Robins
Hop up! Wriggle over! by Elizabeth Honey
Allen & Unwin, 2015. ISBN 9781743319987
(Age: Early childhood) Recommended. Australian Animals, Bed time,
Daily activities. Nine bouncing baby Australian animals roll across
each of the pages in this enchanting look at the activities a family
undertakes during a day. From getting up with parents, kangaroo and
koala tugged awake by their hungry offspring, to bed time where all
sleep the sleep of the exhausted after a fun packed day children
will scream with delight recognising the things they do with their
own families.
Each double page shows a different activity that a family would do
during an ordinary day. Breakfast after waking will delight the
readers with the words, 'crunch, crunch, gobble gobble, lick lick,
more' over the illustrations showing the family enjoying eating in
their own special way. Then they get on their transporters to find
their way to the park and have a picnic, first having fun on the
play equipment. After the picnic, play again occurs, then the
kangaroo calls the family together to go home. Picking salad
vegetables for tea causes mayhem, but tea is even more messy, with
'chomp, chomp, munch, munch, slurp, slurp, errp' written over the
illustrations. Bath time then snuggling down to bed completes this
representation of family life.
Read aloud, the playful words will encourage children to recognise
and join in, marveling at the new words they can say. Looking
closely at the illustrations too will encourage their participation
in the story and they will delight in the touches of humour along
the way. I loved the warmth displayed by everyone, and the small
touches, like the echidna being picked up by the kangaroo, or the
bigger animals helping the smaller ones, all lend themselves to
discussions about families and getting along as well as routines and
some less common Australian animals.
The soft watercolour drawings are impressive in in their simplicity,
giving an impression of each animal with panache and will make this
book even more appealing as the readers endeavour to find the nine
animals on each page
Fran Knight
Kookoo Kookaburra by Gregg Dreise
Magabala Books, 2015. ISBN 9781921248900
(Age: 4-8) Highly recommended. Themes: Aboriginal peoples -
Dreaming, Kookaburras, Kindness, Gentleness. 'Kindness is like a
boomerang - if you throw it often, it comes back often.'
Greg Dreise's second morality tale Kookoo kookaburra reminds
young children to think about how they treat others and to speak
kindly to all.
Kookoo's story is set in the Dreamtime, way before the
once-upon-a-time of fairy tales. He loved to sit and watch the
Australian bush animals and when one would act in a silly way,
Kookoo would laugh. He made up stories about their silly ways. These
were kind and gentle stories and he used his words wisely. The
animals gathered around and loved to listen, until one day Kookoo
started to tease them and embarrass them with mean stories. The
red-winged parrot has to remind him of Uncle Googaguga's message
about kindness. It takes a while for the message to filter through
to the kookaburra.
Greg's illustrations use natural, earthy tones, the birds' feathers
and wings are painted with brush strokes and dot paintings. The use
of dark and light coloured backgrounds set the moods and convey the
message. Kookoo's final happy laugh is a splashy, dazzling spread -
a celebration of happiness .
What a wonderful new Dreaming story, with an important message about
the power of words and the importance of being kind. This would be a
wonderful core text for so many curriculum units in Humanities and
Social Sciences, Health, English, Dreaming Stories, Art and just for
sharing.
Rhyllis Bignell
