The Hairy-Nosed Wombats find a new home by Jackie French
Ill. by Sue deGennaro. HarperCollins Australia, 2014. ISBN
9780732295486.
Not so long ago, there were only 176 Northern Hairy-nosed Wombats
left in the entire world! And because their home was at risk of
flood and fire meaning they would be gone forever, they had to find
a new home. But where would that home be? The one they had was just
right (except for the threat of flood and fire) and it was going to
be tricky to find one that had tasty grass and was safe and secure
enough for them to have babies. So five brave wombats went on a
wondrous wombat adventure to find that new home . . .
Rarer than the giant panda, the northern hairy-nosed wombat has been
critically endangered for many years, with their numbers dropping to
just 35 ten years ago when drought crippled much of Australia, even
though they were in a protected, secluded and exclusive environment.
When the rains did come, their numbers had increased to 176 by 2010
but fire and flood still threatened their special home and so a new
one had to be found again. This is the story of their plight, their
move and the joy of a baby being seen in March 2011 and it is Jackie
French displaying two of her passions - storytelling based on
detailed research and wombats. Even though the wombats' plight is
pared down to its basic thread, she has woven a wonderful account
that introduces the very youngest reader to the predicament of these
creatures and shows that species can be saved by providing a safe
place to live with good food and water. (The full story underpinning
the events is provided at the end.) It's an introduction to how we
all need to share our planet and that our lives are so much richer
when we do.
Jackie's words are powerful, but they are made even more so by Sue
deGennaro who has translated them into the most divine pictures
using a whimsy which brings the characters to life - why wouldn't a
hairy-nosed wombat have a magnificent moustache and be delighted
when the girls arrive? And why wouldn't they arrive in a bus with
all the modern accoutrements to setting up home? Or parachute in to
a ready-made environment? Using watercolour to draw the wombats and
collage to dress them (the story of that is told too) Ms deGennaro
has created the perfect accompaniment that kept Miss 3 and Miss 7
totally engaged and wanting to know more. It went from a first-read
to a favourite immediately and each time we shared this story, there
was more to see and each time we understood a little bit more of
what it all meant. And the freezing cold day gave us the perfect
excuse to stay indoors and draw and dress our own wombats! Miss 7
even remembered that when she was just Miss 4, she got to snuggle a
baby wombat because a close friend raises orphans for a wildlife
foundation, http://www.laoko.org.au/ and the week before she and I
had been making pouches for the new orphans who sadly, continue to
arrive.
Released in time for Hairy
Nosed Wombat Day on May 11, Jackie is donating the
proceeds of this book to enable further research. However, in
alignment with the theme of the book that we can all make a
difference, there are a range of resources for schools available
(even a recipe for hairy-nose truffles) on that page and more at http://wombatresources.com/.
And if you want to make a personal contribution, why not wear
whiskers for wombats next Sunday, make a donation and tell your mum
it is her Mothers' Day gift? I suspect that given the impact of this
book on my little ones, that's what I will be getting. YES! http://www.wombatfoundation.com.au/HairyNosePoster.jpg
Barbara Braxton
Found by Salina Yoon
Bloomsbury, 2014. ISBN 9781408854402.
(Age: 0-4) Recommended. Bears, Lost things, Friendship. When Bear
finds a toy bunny in the woods, he is distraught that someone's
favourite toy has been lost and so does something about it. He
prepares a number of posters, and taking the toy rabbit with him,
pins them up far and wide. He places the poster on trees and notice
boards, looks down the river, and up on a tree, but all to no avail.
No one seems to have lost their toy bunny. All the while, Bear
becomes more and more attached to the little toy and wishes it was
his to keep.
They do everything together until one day a Moose calls out to them.
The toy's name is Flopsy and Moose had the toy when he was young.
Bear turns away disconsolate, but Moose calls out to him. And all is
resolved.
This is a lovely story of friendship, of caring, of trying to find
the real owner, despite wanting to keep the toy yourself.
The bold illustrations by Yoon, remind the readers of her earlier
books about Penguin, all three of which contained similar themes,
friendship and togetherness. Her seemingly simple texts evoke basic
emotions, while her equally stylised illustrations with bold bright
colours are wonderful to look at and read.
Fran Knight
Nymph by Tonya Alexandra
The Love Chronicles, Book One. Walker Books, 2014. ISBN:
9781922077240.
Greek Mythology meets Teen Romance! This book creates a
female-friendly romance to rival the Percy Jackson Series/Adventure
phenomena that has captivated the youth market. This book too relies
heavily on the Greek Gods and the Olympian drama of Greek mythology.
For those, like me, that have only a cursory understanding of the
specifics and characteristics of Greek mythology it is perhaps
merely a 'fantasy' world, but by setting the majority of the book on
a Greek Island, there is an inherent mortal-world 'fantasy' element
too for Australian readers. The central character of this
other-worldly narrative is a nymph who has not quite found her place
in the heavens and has found the interests of Orion - the Hunter, to
be not to her liking and is required (sent by Zeus) to earth to
consider her options. The first human she meets is a teen Greek
youth and he becomes her love interest. Her goddess-like qualities
in Olympia makes her very desirable on earth, even if she was one of
the least favoured in her own realm. Unfortunately the romance with
a mortal is not permitted by Zeus, and definitely not appreciated by
the spurned Orion. Their powers and influence see some major
impediments to the romance between the beautiful Star Nymph and the
mortal youth, but all this takes place within the dramatic setting
of school, friendships and the teen realm of learning to fit in as
the new kid in a close-knit community. This book requires a major
suspension of disbelief, but it will be liked by young teen readers
for its romance angst and tension, its insight into Greek Mythology
and as a human coming of age drama.
Note: as Greek mythology or the realm of the gods is introduced as
having limited moral boundaries, readers are introduced to an arena
where selfishness and amorality are the norm. Not unlike our modern
world!
Carolyn Hull
Little Bug Books by Graeme Base
Penguin Australia, 2014. Cows Say Moo. ISBN 9780670077618. Pigs Have Piglets. ISBN 9780670077625.
Absolutely adorable! Graeme Base has brought his outstanding talent
to books for the Very Tiny ones. This series of oh-so-cute fold out
books now has two new titles which will enchant the littlies in any
home (or library). With simple concepts and texts perfect for the
smallest of humans to explore and recite, these are just gorgeous.
I'm pretty sure the titles of each will give a huge clue as to the
contents but bear with me while I explain. Cows Say Moo goes
through a range of animals and their sounds. Pigs have Piglets
goes through a range of animals and their young. Each sturdy book
has the most delightful accordion style folds so at first look there
is one single animal and then the fold out reveals a bigger picture
with a family.
I really cannot wait to show these to my tiniest grandchild as I am
sure she is going to love them, although she is slightly past the
toddler age. Each book is a sturdy, almost board book, construction
with heavy duty card weight pages, perfect for grotty little fingers
to turn eagerly. As one would expect the illustrations are most
beautifully done and very realistic - a perfect learning experience
while experiencing the joy of reading. I envisage that small people
would be very quickly 'reading' along the simple three word
sentences with each successive title. Apart from the delightful
pictures the simplicity of them reminds me of the old original PM
readers we used to start our beginning readers on in Year 1.
Sue Warren
The duck and the Darklings by Glenda Millard
Ill. by Stephen Michael King. Allen and Unwin, 2014. ISBN
978743312612.
(Age: 6+) Highly recommended. Friendship. Future. Love. Rather than
concentrating on the mess the world has become, Millard shows what
can happen when people have hope. Grandpapa has memories he cannot
express, he is critical of bringing the duck down into their dark
place, but the young boy keeps the duck which then leads them to the
light, to the world which has become usable again, showing signs of
revival.
Peterboy is one of a group of Darklings who live beneath the earth's
surface, down in its deep dark places, needing hats with candles to
find their way. But they need their candles above ground too, as the
place has become blighted, tainted with overuse, the place the
Darklings go to scavenge what they can to survive below. The boy
finds an injured duck and despite knowing that Grandpapa will
grumble, takes the animal down to the Dark. It becomes well,
repaying their kindness with eggs. But Grandpapa has warned that
when the winds blow, the bird will leave, and one day it climbs
above ground and with the boy watches for the light that will show
its path. Peterboy convinces Grandpapa to remember and tell the
tales of long ago, but still Idaduck stays. When the light does not
appear, Grandpapa decides to hold a farewell party for the duck and
in doing so, everyone sees that the earth has renewed herself,
dressing herself in forests and trees.
Millard's prose is exceptional, taking us down to the depths of the
cave the sorry place, while the boy above ground uses his spiderling
fingers to seek the things to take below, their language almost as
forgotten as Grandpapa's disremembered stories of the past. Millard
builds the word images carefully, each phrase resonating with the
spoiled atmosphere above, memorialising what it has become through
her use of language. Stephen Michael King has painted the world
described by Millard with passion. The muck hills over which the boy
climbs each day to scavenge remind the reader of the hills of
rubbish many children climb each day for food and goods to sell, the
chairs that Grandpapa sits on are assemblages of flotsom from the
world above, and their clothes put together from a scrap bag of
castoffs and found objects. The Darklings are small, pen drawn in
the mess of black ink that denotes the underground passages they
call home. Above ground colour begins to appear as Grandpapa
remembers his stories and the duck finds enough light to guide her
path.
This is a glowing story of friendship and family, of renewal and
hope. It is a masterful picture book which speaks of sadness and
loss, of a world blighted by the actions of previous generations,
but offers hope for the future. A book which gives more each time it
is read.
Fran Knight
Machine wars by Michael Pryor
Random House Australia Children's, 2014. ISBN: 9780857982766.
(Age: 10-15)When you pick up a book and the high speed,
edge-of-your-seat action starts within the first few sentences, you
know you are on the edge of a breakneck journey that will keep you
glued to the pages.
Michael Pryor's new novel Machine wars, explores the scary side of
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and those who have seen movies on this
theme will know just how scary it can become.
Utilising SciFi ideas around technology which is already becoming a
reality, Pryor's main character is 14 year old Bram, a young man who
has a very unusual family. His father is an environmental scientist
of some kind and his mother is at the cutting edge of AI research
and development. Bram has grown up living in many places and
consequently with few friends but always with a contingency 'Scatter
and Hide' plan. Bram's mother Anita has prepared her family well in
the event of one of her AI creations turning rogue.
And suddenly that day has arrived.
Bram arrives home unsuspectingly after school and band practice and
is almost terminated by 'junkbots' who have invaded his home and
indeed, blow it up. As he quickly goes into the 'Scatter and Hide'
mode, he is on his own - his dad away on an expedition, his mother
gone into her refuge to try and stop this new evil of her own
creation. His mother has prepared for every foreseeable
eventuality and with Bram's hidden emergency kit is his old toy Bob
the duck - now a sassy and spookily smart AI guide and mentor.
Prepared to buy his mother time with only Bob to help him, Bram
unwittingly involves an acquaintance from his new school, Stella, in
his deadly mission. Having gravitated to each other due to their
respective oddities, the pair become worthy opponents of the AI
mastermind Ahriman.
Three weeks of dodging CCV systems, internet stalking, overhead
drones and copters, junkbots, dangerous home appliances and killer
heavy machinery bring Bram and Stella closer together and enables
them to fully realise latent skills and talents which take the
battle to the enemy.
With plenty of furious action, techno gizmos and a relatively
undemanding vocabulary, this will be perfect for reluctant readers.
Boys (particularly) from 10 to 15 will love this exciting and
thrilling modern day adventure.
Sue Warren
Gibblewort the goblin series by Victor Kelleher
Ill. by Stephen Michael King. Random House, 2014. Get me outta here collection (Goblin in the city;
Goblin in the rainforest) 9780857982643 The summer holiday collection (Goblin in the bush; Goblin
on the reef) 9780857982636 The winter escape collection (Goblin in the snow; Goblin
at the zoo) 9780857982650
Gibblewort is a nasty goblin who likes to be in his home country of
Ireland with its grey clouds, squelchy rain and icy winds, playing
mean tricks on his mates. But instead he finds himself in Australia
- the Snowy Mountains, The Great Barrier Reef, the rainforest, the
bush - and in each story he finds the country gets the better of his
nasty nature and he longs for Ireland again. Except he never quite
gets there.
These books are a re-release of one of the most popular series for
younger readers that I had in my school library's collection. They
were never on the shelves and the reserve list was long. With two
complete stories in each book, they're an ideal way to support those
making the transition from instructional readers to novels. Each has
short chapters with sparse text and many illustrations - all the
essential elements which give them the confidence to take their
reading journey further - and the humour in both the text and the
illustrations as Gibblewort tries to extricate himself from
precarious situations of his own making appealed to both boys and
girls. They also found that it was a safe bridge to the world of the
fantastic - a nasty Irish goblin was much less scary than some of
the creatures and worlds their older siblings were reading about as
the fantasy genre began to grip. "Blither and blather!" was commonly
heard in the playground and even the most reluctant readers wanted
to be part of the in-crowd who had read each story and eagerly
awaited the next one. (We had competitions to see who could have it
first!)
Now that my grandchildren are reaching the stage of independent
reading, I've been searching for some of those titles that were so
popular with my students 8-10 years ago and I'm so glad that
Gibblewort is available for them to enjoy. Your students will be
too.
Barbara Braxton
Little owl by Phillip Gwynne
Ill. by Sandy Okalyi. Working Title Press, 2014. ISBN 9781921504587.
(Age: Preschool) Recommended. Owls. Animal behaviour. When the
Little Owl falls from his tree, he calls out, Whooo am I? In
searching for his identity he comes across a number of other animals
in the forest, and asks the same thing of each of them, Whoo am I?
The two lines are repeated:
But when he opened his beak, out came a hoot
Whooo? Whooo? Whooo? am I? asked Little Owl.
He asks a sugar glider, eating the same thing that he eats, but the
glider soars away. He asks a bat, but the bat swoops away. He asks a
cockatoo, but the cockatoo struts away, and so on until at the end
his Whooo is answered by his mother and he is restored to the branch
once again.
This is a lovely story of loss, of finding one's place in the world,
of families and relationships, of finding your feet. In telling us
the tale of Little Owl, Gwynne also introduces other Australian
animals to the reader, using words which best describe their
behaviour, a neat introduction to words that describe for younger
readers. The repeated refrain too, encourages younger children to
join in with the known lines as they appear, listening for the new
line inserted each time it is read out, a neat way of surprising
them and expanding their knowledge of the known refrain. By the time
the book has been read several times, I am sure most children, if
not the adult reading it, will know that refrain well.
The illustrations are wonderful, showing the owl and the other
animals in sculptural forms, angular and boldly coloured, lighting
up the pages as each is turned. The tree branches sprout the most
fascinating leaves while many of the animals had me chortling as I
took them in. The layout of the book too is something which helps
the story flow, and small children will love to read of one animal
and how it scarpers away looking eagerly to see which animal
follows. Younger readers are in for a treat when this book is read
to them.
Fran Knight
How the Beatles changed the world by Martin W. Sandler
Bloomsbury, 2014. ISBN 9780802735652.
(Age: all) Recommended. Beatles, Music industry, The 60's, Social
history. Historian Sandler has put his considerable talent and
expertise to this weighty tome about the Beatles. He has written
thirteen essays to accompany some of the many photos covering the
Beatles and their rise to fame and after, all of which show with
certainty the impact these four young men had on the world. The
first chapter deals with the night in 1964 when the Beatles, newly
arrived from Liverpool, appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show in
USA. This was an amazing thing to do, as they admitted, Cliff
Richards had gone to America and failed, so for a group, unlike most
other rock and rollers who were lone acts, it was a risk. But their
reception at the airport set the stage. For a studio audience of
seven hundred, Sullivan's office turned down fifty thousand
applications, and the show that went to air remains the most watched
of any TV event of all time.
The next chapter concerns itself with the Beatles' impact upon
popular music, and includes things like album covers, offering hit
songs on both sides of singles, producing albums with themes and
writing your own words and music. It is only in the third chapter,
'How Hamburg changed the Beatles', that the reader is able to see how
the Beatles evolved and began their spectacular rise to fame. The
pictures in this chapter show the Beatles as they were before the
mop tops and suits took hold and tells the story of their incredible
round of appearances in eight hour shifts in the nightclubs of that
bombed city.
Chapter four, 'Beatlemania sweeps the world', shows their rise to fame
outside Britain and the USA, while the next two chapters deal with
their impact upon fashion, film and religion. In between these
chapters are more sobering discussions of how success imprisoned them
while the second to last chapter deals with their split and what
happened afterwards. The final chapter is a summary of their impact
upon the world, a coming together of what has been said before.
Entertaining and always interesting, it must be hard for writers to
find something new to say, but Sandler has brought together much of
the material seen in other books, on websites and magazines, and
has produced a book worth reading and keeping, a fascinating insight
into fame and its dangers, to the way a band can have an impact on
things much wider than the music they play. By starting with the Ed
Sullivan Show, Sandler announces his book will rely heavily on
stories and photos from the perspective of USA which sometimes
rankled in what otherwise is a readable and involving book.
A discography, list of sources and detailed index round off the 176
pages of good clear text and an array of crisply reproduced photos.
A wonderful addition to any library.
Fran Knight
Knick knack bushwhack ill. by Mandy Foot
Lothian, 2014. ISBN: 9780734413123.
The classic kids' song 'Knick Knack Paddywhack' has been revamped
for this fun Aussie retelling. Beginning with little croc, the book
follows many beloved Australian animals 'with a knick knack
bushwhack' as they join in with their mate, the little croc, and his
catchy song. The lovely illustrations by Mandy Foot show the
cheerful-looking animals against a realistic Australian backdrop
using a colour palette that is predominantly blue, green and brown.
This would be suitable for use in an early childhood educational
setting as a simple counting book and could be extended across the
primary years as a stimulus for a music or drama lesson. The inner
cover pages both feature the musical score although the book could
be a great prompt for children to imagine what alternative materials
they could use to create music.
This is a fun book that is bound to get any reader smiling as they
sing along with this group of little Aussie mates.
Stephanie Bell
Red Shadow by Paul Dowswell
Bloomsbury, 2014. ISBN 9781408826249.
In Red Shadow Dowswell provides the reader with an evocative
account of Moscow 1941 just before and at the beginning of the
German invasion.
The tale is related through the experiences of Mikhail ((Misha)
Petrov. The prelude sees the arrest of his mother by the NKVD whose
ominous and fearful presence pervades the story.
Misha is a clever, yet ordinary boy who despite being two years
younger is in love with his best friend, Valya and it is largely
through these characters they we see the story unravel. They are
schoolmates and committed members of the Komsomol (Youth wing of the
Communist party). Misha loves literature and after school conducts
classes for the workers at the Stalin Automobile plant. Valya, on
the other hand, is a science wiz who has her sights set on becoming
a pilot, a real possibility for a female in Stalinist Russia.
Misha and his father live together in the Kremlin where his father
works in Stalin's inner circle and consequently works long hours.
Through this, the reader gains some insight into the character of
Stalin or Vozhd (boss) and is direct witness to some of his
idiosyncrasies which increase as the German army moves closer to
Moscow.
The fear provoked by the NKVD is repeatedly illustrated by the
arrests and disappearance of Misha's acquaintances. To begin with,
Dowsell provides the reader with only subtle hints of violence
perpetrated by this menacing group but as the story evolves the
detail becomes more explicit and the reader shares the anxieties of
living in a society where individuals, even at the highest level,
have only a tenuous hold on personal security.
The appeal of this story lies both in its humanising of a
totalitarian regime, as well as in its attention to detail and
authenticity. As with all good historical fiction the reader has a
sense of reading a true account. Dowsell uses Russian terms and
references to real historical events to create this reality. A
glossary of the terms is provided at the end of the book. Red Shadow is a good read, especially for those who enjoy
historical fiction.
Barb Rye
I have a dog (an inconvenient dog) by Charlotte Lance
Allen and Unwin, 2014. ISBN 9781743317815.
(Age: 3+) Recommended. Dogs, Pets, Relationships. A charming picture
book which focusses on the good and bad behaviour of the pet dog in
the house exposes not only the convenience and inconvenience of the
dog but also the relationship between the boy and his dog. In so
doing the author creates a platform where the reader is able to look
at the difference between the two words, convenient and
inconvenient, applying them readily to the boy and his dog. Children
will see that the breadth of the story widens as the underlying
humour is taken in and understood.
The boy finds that his dog's behaviour is inconvenient when he wakes
up, and the illustration shows the dog pulling the blankets from the
bed: or at breakfast, and here the illustration shows the aftermath
of trying to have breakfast with a dog at hand, or wanting to play.
The list of things is endless and readers will laugh with glee as
the illustrations encourage them to imagine the mayhem caused by the
dog. But sometimes his dog's behaviour is convenient. When for
example, the boy breaks something and can blame it on the dog, or
watches something sad on TV, or his dinner is disgusting, then the
dog is very handy.
Whether read out loud or individually this book will cause gales of
laughter from the audience, recognising situations they have seen or
know about, looking closely at the humorous illustrations to laugh
further, with the fun continued on the endpapers.
Fran Knight
Through the Cracks by Honey Brown
Penguin, 2014. ISBN 9781921901546.
(Age: 16+) Child abuse. Thriller. Crime. Reluctant readers.
Four-year-old Nathan Fisher disappears from the bank of a rocky
creek but an extensive search cannot find him. A decade later Adam
Vander knows that he is tall enough and strong enough to take down
his father, who has abused him, locking him in the house and never
letting him leave. He enters a world that is completely foreign to
him and with a young man, Billy, as his guide has to survive without
money or a home.
Honey Brown unravels the story of Adam in a compelling way that
ensures the reader doesn't put the book down until the final page.
The fate of Adam is engrossing, from the moment he leaves the
suburban house where he has been kept, to his experiences in the
underbelly of society where children are abused by adults. The
friendship between Billy and Adam is brilliantly described as is
Adam's development in understanding the world he lives in.
The suspense is kept up throughout the novel as the reader is left
wondering who Adam really is and what part Billy played in his fate.
I was on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen to the pair
and whether Adam will find a happy resolution.
Although the themes are very dark, they are not handled in a
sensational way and the ending is ultimately positive. Readers will
have plenty to think about as Adam emerges from his prison and
begins to relate to people and the character development of both
Adam and Billy is exceptional.
Pat Pledger
The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
Bloomsbury, 2014. ISBN 9781408849989.
(Age: Year 10+) A debut novel published when the author was 21, The Bone Season is a dystopian fantasy set in 2059 AD.
Interestingly, Shannon has chosen to begin the divergence from our
current society back in 1859, so the London world of the novel is
200 years into a society of many types of clairvoyants.
The main character, Paige Mahoney, is a 19 year old clairvoyant who
has been headhunted for her special talent as a dream walker,
becoming part of a gang in the criminal underworld of London, where
all clairvoyants are regarded as unnatural. She is then kidnapped
and transported to Oxford along with other variously talented
people, there supposedly to spend the remainder do her life in
servitude to a human-like race, the Rephaim, who live in abandoned
Oxford and feed off the auras of clairvoyant humans.
The plot is fast and furious, and follows a pattern of young
talented protagonist caught up in a world order out of her control,
but whose special gift is key to a successful resolution. There is a
love/hate relationship (or maybe I should say . . . hate/love)
between herself and her keeper, the mysterious Rephaite Warden.
Naturally, this relationship develops as trust between the two grow
and we discover that all is not harmonious within the ranks of the
Rephaim.
Shannon has created a complex world complete with its own jargon. I
first read the book in hard copy and was then interested to try it
as an ebook. The beginning contains four pages of explanatory
diagrams of the different magical orders which becomes background
assumed knowledge as you read the novel. I had hoped I could use the
search function to reference these terms quickly and easily, but
sadly, the search function only went back as far as Chapter 1, and
thus didn't pick up on 'The Seven Orders of Clairvoyance' preceding
the story. It did, however, take you to the glossary (nine pages) at
the end.
This is the first novel of a proposed series of seven, and already
has been acquired by 20th Century Fox for a proposed film. Students
who love fantasy should enjoy this novel, so it could be a good one
for the library shelves, though at over 460 pages, it's not one for
the casual reader. Having said this, The Bone Season has
been a New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller, and has been sold
in twenty-eight countries.
The interest level is around Yr 10 and up.
Anne Veitch
Lulu Bell series by Belinda Murrell
Ill. by Belinda Murrell. Random House, 2014. Lulu Bell and the Sea Turtle. ISBN 9780857982018 Lulu Bell and the Circus Pup. ISBN 9780857981998
These are the two latest additions to the new series by Belinda
Murrell for young girls who are verging on being independent readers
and looking for a novel which features a young heroine just like
them. Lulu Bell is just eight, the practical one in a family
that includes her six-year-old sister Rosie, who loves wearing angel
wings and sparkly shoes; her three-year-old brother Gus who always
wears his superhero suit; her dad, a busy vet and her mum, an
artist- not to mention a menagerie of pets. Lulu Bell and the Sea Turtle is set on the Dampier Peninsula, which
stretches 220 kilometres north of Brome in Western Australia and is
based on the adventures that the author's family had when they were
there. This time Lulu's mother has been invited to visit an
Aboriginal community to choose paintings for an art show and so the
family accompanies her to this remote place. From camping out,
visiting the famous reef which flows like a waterfall as the tide
recedes, making spears in the traditional way and learning to use
them, this is a story packed with both adventure and authenticity
that is characteristic of Murrell's writing. Lulu Bell and the Circus Pup is set much closer to home and involves
all the fun of the circus when Spangles the performing dog goes
missing, although Lulu finds out it is not all glamour when she
finds her new friend shovelling horse poo! Her willingness to help
with the tasks leads to all sorts of new opportunities that will be
the envy of many a young lady!
This is a refreshing series of stories about characters the readers
can relate to, particularly Lulu as the strong, sensible
level-headed lead. Each story is well-written, based on
everyday events that only the most accomplished can turn into an
engaging story and accompanied by charming illustrations by Serena
Geddes who had six years' experience with Walt Disney Studios in
Sydney before turning to book illustrating. Miss 7 has
been eyeing these on my to-read pile for a few weeks now,
impatiently wanting to get her hands on them since we read the first
episodes together last year and Santa left some too. (Now she
can read them for herself!) Add these to you collection and
look out for two new titles in June and you will find that your
younger girls will be queuing up for them.
Barbara Braxton
