The Amazing Illustrated Floodsopedia by Colin Thompson
Random House; Australia: 2012. ISBN 9781742751047.
Highly Recommended for all Floods aficionados. For all other readers
it will act as an introduction to the strange and interesting world
of the Floods, and the quirky humour and illustrations of the self
proclaimed 'Amazing Illustrating Colin Thompson'.
This is an eclectic collection of information regarding the Floods
and Transylvania Waters.
Articles include the personal profiles of an array friends and
relations such as Nerlout, Nerlin's twin brother and Crown Prince
Corduroi the future king of Transylvania Waters. Recipes, Gardening
tips from Queen Scratchrot and Winchflat's wonderful inventions also
give us a more intimate knowledge of this family of immense wisdom
and magic, as they would have us believe.
Tourist information includes the Transylvanian Waters Post Office,
the famous Transylvanian Waters Clock and a visitor's guide to
nearby towns and resorts. Of general interest are the poetic
interludes, Horoscope, Aunty Crumble's Problem Page.
Whilst followers of the Floods will appreciate the characters in
this book it's true value is alluded to in the caution on the inside
cover which reads,
'Caution: This book contains words. Some of them have more than four
letters and may improve your life in exciting and dramatic ways.'
Colin Thompson appears to be having a wonderful time playing with
words, adding footnotes with outrageous explanations and generally
poking fun at everything with his richly coloured, computer enhanced
illustrations adding to the mayhem. I loved the risk assessment
report at the front of the book and now realize the importance of
horizons (you'll have to read it to understand!!)
Sue Keane
Who could that be at this hour? by Lemony Snicket
Ill. by Seth. Egmont, 2012.ISBN 9781405256216.
(Age: 10+) Recommended. Adventure. Lemony has been apprenticed to
the unlovely S. Theodora Markson. From the start we are unsure why
this has occurred but strange things do happen which the reader
hopes will all be made clear by the end of the fascinating book. She
books a room at the hotel at Stain'd-by-the-sea, where a burglary
has taken place. She and Lemony have taken the assignment to get the
statue back to its rightful owners. Theodora keeps reminding Lemony
just how lucky he is to be with her, his chaperone, but berates him
when things go awry as they inevitably do. Once at Stain'd they meet
an extraordinary array of characters, from the amazing proprietor of
the hotel, to Moxie trying in vain to reconstitute her parent's
business of running the local newspaper, to the pair of police
officers and their odious son, Stew.
Late one night, Theodora and Lemony break into the house on the
hill, steal the statue and go hand in hand down the hawser to
safety. But all is not as it seems, and when the police catch Lemony
at Moxie's she wraps it in newspaper and sends Lemony off to post it
away from prying eyes.
The next day Lemony finds he has been duped with a bag of coffee and
so needs to start over again.
The first in the series, All the wrong questions, this book
has an emphasis on words and their meanings, on phrases and sayings
heard everyday, of idiotic conversations which make the reader laugh
out loud, of people with the most extraordinary names and situations
quite out of the ordinary. All the while Lemony narrates his tale,
reminding us that he is asking all the wrong questions! At the end
of this first book, we are none the wiser, but intrigued enough to
eagerly wait the next volume in this new series.
Fran Knight
Armageddon by James Patterson
Daniel X. Young Arrow, 2012. ISBN 978 0 0995 4407 4.
Armageddon is the fifth book in the Daniel X series. Daniel X
is an alien teenager who lives on earth and looks like a typical
teenager but he has an amazing array of super powers to help protect
the Earth and humankind from dangerous extraterrestrials. In
this book Daniel has to prevent Number 2 from enslaving the earth's
population in preparation for the return of Number 1, the most
powerful alien in the Universe. Along with an almost endless
number and variety of super powers, Daniel has the support of secret
government agencies and his own imaginary friends to help battle the
seemingly unstoppable Number 2.
The authors use very short chapters and plenty of action to move the
story along at a cracking pace. There are many scenes of
destruction and plenty of hideous aliens and humans to battle.
Given Number 2's talent for creating images it is not always
apparent what is real and what isn't.
I imagine that boys especially and Men in Black fans would like the
fast pace and action involved. It would suit the reluctant
reader as well as those just looking for an enjoyable story that is
not demanding.
David Rayner
The Young Inferno by John Agard and Satoshi Kitamura
Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2012; 80 pages; p/b. ISBN 978 1
84780 109 8.
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. The Young Inferno is a collaborative
work from award-winning duo, poet John Agard and artist Satoshi
Kitamura. Their graphic poem is an outstanding contemporary
adaptation of Dante's epic, Inferno. Together with Agard's
lively verse, and Kitamura's gritty images, it thrusts Dante's
fourteenth century epic forward into the edgy world of the
twenty-first century teenager. Old and young alike however, will
appreciate the genius of Agard's lyrics.
Through the hoodie hero's eyes, and with Aesop as his guide, the
slightly offbeat allegorical content of The Young Inferno
makes this a clever introduction to Dante's work.
Agard and Kitamura clearly understand the modern young adult
culture, hitting close to its beating heart with a hoodie
protagonist who clutches a mobile phone, where hell is likened to a
scary movie, and a chilly finger runs down his spine when he meets
with Frankenstein.
The poem follows our hoodie who is lost in a wild and sombre wood,
unable to find his way forward. Soon, Aesop of fables fame, appears
to him above the treetops, and becomes his guide. As they journey
together through the 'rooms' of Purgatory and Hell, 'Hoodie' meets
hypocrites, torturers, money lovers, powerbrokers, and tyrants, and
is uncomfortably aware of the presence of dark and evil. Out of this
mix emanating from Shakespeare to the Bible, and much in between,
will he find his way back to the world above? Will he find love with
his ideal woman, Beatrice?
John Agard's work is a light-hearted, yet thoughtful parody of
Dante's epic; Kitamura's artwork is witty, edgy and contemporary.
Their collaborative work is highly recommended for inclusion in a
school library collection, and would be a useful addition to the
English Literature Curriculum for secondary students.
Colleen Tuovinen
Hubert and the magic glasses by Candice Lemon-Scott
Ill. by Joe Spellman. New Frontier, 2012. ISBN 9781921928246. Hubert and the Magic Glasses is another in the Little Rockets
Series, designed especially for the emerging independent reader.
With short chapters and occasional colourful illustrations Hubert's
story will resonate with young readers who should, but are reluctant
to, wear glasses.
Hubert is goal keeper for the Able Ants soccer team. Unfortunately
he is unable to stop the opposition scoring and realises his team
will not win whilst he remains goalie. Regardless of how hard he
trains he seems to be getting worse and is under pressure from his
team mates.
Hubert's mother realises that he needs glasses, especially after he
mistakes dog food for pizza toping, and takes him to the
optometrists despite his protests. There Hubert learns he has
astigmatism which means he takes longer to focus on things and he is
finally fitted with some frames.
Hubert is determined not to wear his glasses, however, when he
finally puts them on, after another mishap with food, he feels
transformed. No longer Hubert the ordinary school kid but 'Hubert
the Brave', a cool dude. They also do wonders for his goalkeeping
with the Ants going on to compete in a stirring final and of course
Hubert and his magic glasses play a major role in their success.
Hubert is representative of all boys who are faced the dilemma of
needing to wear glasses but still being able to compete on the
soccer or footy field. While he thinks the glasses are magic he
finds that it is he who is in control, and that it is better to wear
glasses both on and off the field.
Any parent or teacher who has tried to convince a child that wearing
glasses is only going to make their life better will appreciate the
value of this story. We need more active heroes who happen to wear
glasses as role models for our younger readers.
Sue Keane
Australia's Greatest Inventions and Innovations by Christopher Cheng and Linsay Knight
In association with the Powerhouse Museum, Random House Australia,
2012. Pbk., 184pp., RRP $A24.95. ISBN 9781742755649.
Most of us of a certain age (or a little bit less) know that
Australians have been responsible for giving the world the Hills
Hoist, Victa lawnmower, Vegemite and the black-box flight recorder.
But did you know that we are also responsible for things like
ultrasound, the staysharp knife, the stump-jump plough and the super
sopper? In this fabulous book by Chris Cheng and Linsay Knight in
association with the Powerhouse Museum, we are introduced to a much
wider range of inventions and innovations than we would normally be
in books with a more international focus. The baby safety capsule,
the dual-flush toilet and the means to a good cup of coffee have all
come from Australian brains.
Apart from bringing us a wider range of inventions, many of which
are available to view at the Powerhouse Museum, the format of this
book is perfect for the younger researcher, both as an information
source and a model for their own research reports. Each entry starts
with the problem such as 'To find a way of treating burns quickly so
that they have a better chance of healing with as little scarring as
possible' and continues with easy-to-read information about the
invention/innovation, how it works and who was behind it. There are
keywords and brilliant diagrams and photos to add to the
understanding, all delivered in way that is accessible to those with
a non-scientific bent. Chris Cheng has clearly used his knowledge of
what kids want and Linsay Knight, her knowledge of non-fiction for
children to combine to produce a book that is just right for its
audience.
Just last week I was looking at the 608 section of a particular
library and seeing resources that were there 10-15 years ago and
thinking 'Someone needs to do something new, something that will
reflect the sort of format that students demand and which looks at
more modern inventions' and lo and behold, this marvellous book was
waiting in my letterbox to be reviewed!!! It is superb and more than
worthy of a place on your library shelf.
I bought Miss 8 and Mr 6 an annual pass to the Powerhouse Museum
for their birthdays, so you know where my copy is going. They love
going there so can you imagine how they will be able to use this
book next time they go, seeing the objects and then learning their
history?
Barbara Braxton
101 things to do with baby by Jan Ormerod
Little Hare, 2012. pbk., 32pp. RRP $A19.95. ISBN 9781921894114.
The excitement leading up to and surrounding the birth of a new baby
sister or brother is almost immeasurable. But what happens
when the baby is finally there and Big Sister (or Big Brother)
discovers that really, this baby isn't much fun because all it does
is eat, sleep, cry and fill its nappy? The whole event can become a
bit of an anti-climax! In this gorgeous book, Jan Ormerod
literally offers 101 things that can be done with Baby, each one of
which is a simple but loving act. But for all that this
special person is loved and lovable, the nicest time is when Baby
has gone down for the night and you get your parents back again, all
to yourself.
In cartoon-like frames, we follow Big Sister through the day with
all the things she does, things that often go unnoticed but are all
part of having a new baby in the house and help her be the BEST big
sister. Even the most mundane can become a new game. As well as
being an 'instruction guide' for Big Sister, this book also helps
parents see how they can involve the older child in Baby's care and
the final page is a salutary reminder that they have two children.
With two new babies in the families of Miss 8, Mr 6 and Miss 6, the
events of this book are very familiar and helped us not only to
remember to acknowledge and thank them for all that they did to ease
their little sisters into their lives, but also to remember to make
time for them too.
Ever since I first saw Jan Ormerod's Sunshine, I have loved
her work - and this one is no exception.
Barbara Braxton
Terry Denton's bumper book of holiday stuff to do! by Terry Denton
Penguin, 2012. ISBN 9780 14 330665 8.
(Age: 7+) Recommended. Non fiction. Activities. Published just
in time for the looming school holidays, this is a good little
(well, large!) stocking filler that will use up the tedium of long
drives to the relatives, days spent at the beach with nothing to do,
and those idle hours when all seems grey. Looking rather like a book
of black line masters, I was at first put off, but going inside, I
was drawn by the plethora of things to do, pages to fill in, things
to find, colours to render, drawings to be made . . . all calling
not on repetition and copying of what is there, but imagination and
observation. Terry Denton's funny drawings cover most of the pages,
and to my eyes, are full of interest because of the size presented.
The tiny drawings which are offered in other books are difficult to
see and so diminish the joke.
So we have pages devoted to school break up, Christmas, beach
holiday, city holiday, camping and so on, all the things which make
up a typical Australian Christmas holiday season. Each chapter, and
yes, they are in chapters, delineated with a contents page, gives
things to do associated with that time. So in Camping, for example,
the opening double page spread is a Where's Wally style of
presentation, with a plethora of people, tents and activities to be
identified and sorted. Turning the page is a checklist of things to
spot on your way to the campsite, followed by a page where the
reader must list all the things that begin with that letter. After
that several pages are devoted to exhorting the camper to fill in
some drawings of their own, while the following pages are devoted to
food and its companion, ants. Several more pages ask the reader to
fill in a star map, and things they see in the dark. All in all, a
series of pages which ask the reader to observe while being
entertained and illuminated.
Denton warns the reader that they will need pens, ideas, sense and
time, and the canny parent will welcome this book and make sure one
is in the car along with the requisites.
Fran Knight
The fire chronicle by John Stephens
Doubleday, 2012. ISBN 978 0 8575 3087 5.
Highly recommended. The fire chronicle is the second book in The
Books of Beginning series which started with The emerald
atlas. Kate, Michael and Emma have seemingly been abandoned by
their parents although it is for their own protection. As The
fire chronicle opens the children are in the Edgar Allan Poe Home
for Hopeless and Incorrigible Orphans waiting for news of Dr Pym who
helps them on their quest to reunite the Books of Beginning and
prevent a great evil returning to the world. Kate is soon
taken by a Screecher and trapped in nineteenth century New York, so
it is up to Michael and Emma with the help of Dr Pym to try and find
the second book.
As the book progresses we learn more about the prophecy involving
the children and why their parents had to leave them as well as
their nemesis the Dirc Magnus.
I loved The emerald atlas and it was a great pleasure to continue
the story. All of the characters are well developed and the
story combines all its diverse elements into a satisfying
whole. Like all good fantasy stories it can be read on a
number of levels but will especially reward the reader prepared to
put in a little effort. I can't wait for the next installment,
highly recommended.
David Rayner
Let's count kisses illustrated by Karen Hull
Lothian, Hachette Press, 2012. ISBN 978 0 7344 1270.
Recommended. This is a beautiful book, which highlights the many
wonderful species
of Australian butterfly. Supported by a website, the story
counts kisses for many
Australian animals, such as koala, wallaby, galah, kookaburra,
echidna,
wombat, platypus, dingo, crocodile and barn
owl, and gently prepares the listener for a cosy bedtime.
As the story moves along, there are flaps to lift, butterflies to
count, and animals so richly drawn that you could reach into the
page
and give them a big cuddle. The cadence of the
story is light, lulling the listener into a calm and sleepy state,
winding down for bed. Karen Hull's illustrations (done in pencil)
are
amazing and vibrant,
and they caring along the rhyme of the story beautifully, adding
richness to the text that would be sorely lacking
were they not there. The butterflies are a highlight, with an amount
of
detail rarely seen in picture books of
this ilk. The illustrator based the butterfly illustrations on the
photography of Geoff Walker, and the result is
very lifelike.
Prime for not just bed time, but for increasing the all important
early
numeracy and one to one correspondence skills, this book is
recommended
for both home and early years
libraries.
Freya Lucas
Beginner's Guide to Revenge by Marianne Musgrove
Random House, 2012. ISBN: 9781742750866.
(Age: 10+) Recommended. South Australian author Marianne Musgrove,
best known for the junior novels The Worry Tree and Lucy
the Lie Detector, has created two engaging and insightful
protagonists in Romola and Sebastian. The Beginner's Guide to
Revenge is a light hearted, humorous and insightful story
which will capture the attention of readers ages 10-13.
Firstly, there are two things you should know about Romola, she has
a bombastic and fiery spirit, and she is ferociously proud of her
father, a serving soldier. Also, Romola has had a lot of practice in
starting new schools, but not always making friends. It just never
gets any easier! But this time around Romola has a plan. She will
unleash New and Improved Romola and everyone at her school will see
just how exciting, funny and pleasant she is. Unfortunately, just
when Romola sees her plan working, she is given the opportunity to
honour her father on ANZAC Day but a snide and insensitive remark
from a 'friend' causes Romola's blood to boil, and she is then
confronted with a dilemma; will she allow Old Romola to retaliate or
ignore the remark and continue to play her 'new and improved' role.
Sebastian has a conundrum of his own; he is desperate to reunite his
family before his mother makes the biggest mistake and marries a
'square bear' named Marshall. It is opportunistic that Romola and
Sebastian find an ally in each other, however through their scheming
and plotting both discover much more about themselves, and find that
the merciless and passionate quest for sweet revenge is not what
they hoped for.
It is clear from the outset of the novel that Romola and Sebastian
feel they exist at the fringes of their communities. They struggle
to 'fit in' at home and in school and so seek methods to retain
control over their worlds. Musgrave sensitively underscores the
concept of 'revenge' with exploration of being different, handling
change, isolation, and bullying. I enjoyed Musgrove's prose, she
invites readers into the characters psyche by using carefully
constructed inner monologues and representing the intricate process
of rationalisation. Readers will identify with Romola and
Sebastian's moral dilemma, but also their sense of justice.
Ultimately, this is a precious coming of age story about friendship
and family, and the bonds which unite these elements to make us the
people we are. Readers will feel empathy for the wonderfully flawed
Romola and Sebastian, yet also laugh out loud when they are caught
up in the sticky mess of revenge!
Marni Trevena
The Odyssey retold by Gillian Cross
Ill. by Neil Packer. Walker Books, 2012. ISBN 9781406303674.
(Age: 9+) Recommended. Greek myths. Reading a new edition of The
Odyssey is like meeting an old friend. The stories are the
same, although the rendering of them slightly different, the
illustrations new and unusual, but at its heart it is familiar and
evokes comfort. So the tale of Odysseus trying to return home after
ten long years at war with Troy, is full of the stories of Cyclops
and Circe, the Sirens, Penelope rejecting her unwanted suitors,
Poseidon's winds, Calypso and more, while at its heart it tells of
man's battle against the whim of the Gods and his own frailties.
If Odysseus had not taunted Cyclops after escaping his island,
perhaps his father Poseidon, would not have called the winds to cast
the boat upon the seas, perhaps if Odysseus' men had not been
suspicious and opened the bag of winds then nine years of sailing
the seas would not have been wasted, perhaps if they had not upset
the Gods, then the men on his boat would have been able to sail
safely home. Reading these again, I was struck again by the frailty
of men, the fragility of their existence, their dependence on
cunning and guile to get them through, the strength of character
usually shown by Odysseus, and that of his wife Penelope, in
rejecting the suitors crowding at her door. And this retelling flows
beautifully.
In illustrating these beautiful old stories, Packer has used a
variety of techniques, rendering the pictures accompanying the tales
with a mixture of collage, line drawings, sometimes emulating the
Greek vases and their drawings, shadow pictures and outlines, or
using black with great effect. Whatever technique is used the
illustrations give details which reflect the story well. I love the
illustrations giving a family tree, outlining the Gods and their
relationships with each other as they appear on the scene, and the
map showing the seas traversed by Odysseus and his men, as well as
the illustrations on the front and back of the slip cover on this
impressively produced hard cover book. The thicker pages are durable
and strong, allowing for lots of little and big hands to open and
read, for teachers to read aloud, for people to borrow and read at
home, marvelling at the sepia tones presented on each page.
reminding us all over again that this is an old story, one passed
down through the ages, told and read over millenia, and here
tantalisingly re-offered.
Fran Knight
Dark Star by Lara Morgan
The Rosie Black Chronicles, Book 3. Walker Books, 2012 ISBN
9781921529412.
(Age: 11+) Sci-fi/Fantasy. Adventure. Recommended. With foresight,
Rosie allows herself to be taken by the 40 year old man to the city
of Newpath a place where operatives are trained. All eyes are on her
as they mistrust her motivation and are alert to any mistake she may
make, exposing herself as a spy. The opening paragraphs clearly show
the reader what has happened in the previous two chronicles of Rosie
Black and this stunning book will entreat them to stay till the end.
For this is an adventure, although superficially like many others
with strong willed young female heroes, is dissimilar with its
science fiction themes.
But power struggles are going on and implicate even the most benign
of managers, as Rosie finds that it is the manager of the powerful
Helios company that really rules and it is he and his cronies who
have let the deadly MalX virus spread, controlling the population.
Into the mix, Pip is brought. It is his blood they are after as it
seems to have an inbuilt immunity to MalX and so could prove
invaluable to the company that owns it. But the other volunteers in
the research establishment are dying, and Pip really seeks to find
Rosie to explain things to her, as they left on bad terms.
So the story develops as the survival of the two is tantamount.
But things within Helios are not running smoothly. Rebellion is
brewing and so a powerful denouement is to be reached. A great third
book within this series, it should keep readers hooked up to the
last pages. Parallels to modern problems abound if the reader cares
to make comparisons. A good website
introducing the series is available.
Fran Knight
Below deck on the sunken wreck illustrated by Mandy Foot
Lothian, 2012. ISBN 9780 7344 1282 9
(Age: 4+) Marine life, Rhyming tale. One of a series produced by
Lothian, all illustrated in Mandy Foot's distinctive style, this is
a rhyming tale of a what has happened beneath the waves. Others in
the series, The wheels on the bus, All set for the big wet, and so
on can be found on Mandy's website.
Each is bold, distinctive and uses humour well to get across its
message.
Two children dive on the wreck of the old sailing ship lodged firmly
on the bottom of the ocean floor. In diving around the wreck they
come across many identifiable objects, an octopus, shark, schools of
fish, dolphins, starfish and so on, as well as clutter from the
wreck, a wheel, treasure chest, spyglass, lamps, and a fishing net.
Small children will have some fun recognising the range of animals
drawn, of locating them all, and finding the sea horse which appears
on all the pages. The tale can be read aloud before using the book
as a search for clues about what happened to the ship and ponder
about what it might be called.
Fran Knight
Clementine Rose and the surprise visitor by Jacqueline Harvey
Random House, Australia 2012. pbk., 128pp., RRP $A12.95.
And so begins the first in a new series of books by Jacqueline
Harvey, who is also the author of the Alice-Miranda series.
Clementine Rose is just five years old, and gets into all sorts of
situations that young girls can relate to and which make her lovable
and fun. She has a pet teacup pig called Lavender, and between them,
they bring new life to both Penberthy House and Lady Clarissa. But
when scary Aunt Violet comes to stay with her mysterious black bag,
things take an awkward turn . . .
This is a book for the newly-independent reader who is looking for a
recognisable character and the support of short chapters, an
easy-to-read style with a splash of humour and cute illustrations
that add a richness to the story. Many young girls will see
themselves in the story, either as Clementine Rose or a close
friend. While this is the first in the series, others are in the
pipeline and it's delightful to find an author who is prepared to
let their little girl heroines be little girls, not 5-going-on-15.
You can recommend this to parents for their daughters' Christmas
stockings with confidence. There's a book trailer at http://jacquelineharvey.com.au/
(scroll down) and no doubt she will have her own website in time.
Barbara Braxton
