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
Getting over Garrett Delaney by Abby McDonald
Candlewick Press, 2012. ISBN 9780763655075.
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Seventeen year old Sadie has been in love
with her best friend Garrett Delaney ever since he came into her
life. Together they read Proust, go to art movies and listen to 80's
indie rock. However he is oblivious to her obsession and when he
falls in love with another girl at a summer literary retreat, Sadie
decides it is time for her to have a total detox of Garrett Delaney.
With the help of a 12 step plan, her new job and friends at the
cafe, including a good looking chef, Josh, Sadie embarks on a life
getting over Garrett.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I followed Sadie in all her
ups and downs as she came to realise that she couldn't keep waiting
forever for Garrett to notice her. I applauded as she came to grips
with her feelings, cried with her through her bad moments and
enjoyed reading about the friendships she made as she worked as a
barista. It is a coming of age story too, as Sadie realises
that she has to make her own life without Garrett and when doing
this finds out just what she wants in her friends and job. She sorts
through her books and finds that she wants to keep some of the
literature that she and Garrett both read, but other books she
discards. She tries different movies and music finding that she
enjoys new things that once she and Garrett made fun of. Most
importantly, she discovers the joy of making new friends.
The themes of friendship and self-perception and moving on are
handled with humour and sympathy by the author. Teenage girls will
empathise with Sadie as many will have had an unrequited crush or
know someone who obsesses over a boy who doesn't notice them at all.
Readers who enjoyed Lola and the boy next door by Stephanie
Perkins and books by Sarah Dessen should enjoy reading about the
tribulations and fun that Sadie has while learning about herself and
growing up.
Pat Pledger
There's a monster under my bed who farts by Tim Miller and Matt Stanton
ABC Books, 2012. ISBN 978 0 7333 3125 1.
(Age: 6+) Picture book. Body parts. Humour. The monster
in this house farts at the most inappropriate times. He farts
under the bed, he makes enormous smells in the toilet, his belly
rumbles so badly that he blocks out the television, in the car,
everyone is overcome, in the supermarket, people avoid the family
because of the smells emanating from one of its members. The monster
is able to fill the balloons for the birthday party, but when a fart
blows out the candles on the cake, he is evicted. And so on it goes,
the young boy complaining about the monster who farts better than
his Dad, or who farts under the kitchen bench or in the bath, but we
must turn to the last page to work out just who this monster is.
The wide eyed characters in this funny story will grab the attention
of the book's readers, laughing along as they begin to realise just
who the monster is, recognising situations at home and sometimes in
the classroom. The bold illustrations reflect the story well.
Readers will laugh at the faces made by all concerned and the
contrasting style of illustration with the images set against a one
colour background will entreat the readers, inviting them to look
more closely at the images of the boy and his family.
This book would be a wonderful adjunct to lessons about body parts
and their uses, as well as a cautionary tale to discuss when the
obvious happens either at home or in the classroom.
Fran Knight
Marty's Nut-Free Party by Katrina Roe
Wombat Books, 2012. ISBN: 9781921633362.
Recommended for children aged 3 and above. Party animal, Marty the
Monkey, loved nothing more than going to parties. At each he'd
arrive early and leave late. His favourite treat at every party was
the big bowl of nuts that always seemed to be present. Unfortunately
for Marty, whenever he ate peanuts, he would get sick . . . so sick,
in fact that he ended up in hospital. When the Doctor told him he
was allergic to peanuts, Marty thought the Doctor was just being
mean. Despite his promises to his mum, when Marty went to Emma's
party he decided his mum would never find out if he ate just one
peanut. Of course, the naughty little monkey again woke up to find
himself in hospital. After being banned from attending any more
parties and missing several, Marty finally convinced his mum to let
him go to Gemma's birthday party. Although he did the right things
and ate the food his mum had packed for him, he ate a piece of cake.
Even the trace of nuts Marty must have eaten saw him again return to
hospital. When his mother finally throws Marty his very own nut-free
birthday party, his friends decide that there really is no party
without Marty and all of their parties in future could be nut-free
to ensure that he can attend.
Although I found this book to be somewhat didactic, perhaps for
young children it would appear to be less so. The illustrations are
bright, stylised and simple and certainly give the story a lot of
appeal. Certainly, it revolves around an important issue and, with
so many children in schools suffering from various allergies, would
be an asset to any classroom or library. Teachers would undoubtedly
be grateful for such a simple tale to use as a starting point for
discussion with Junior Primary classes and it should fit into a
health program with ease.
Jo Schenkel
The emu that laid the golden egg by Yvonne Morrison
Ill. by Heath McKenzie. Little Hare, 2012. hbk., RRP $A24.95. ISBN
9781921894008.
'A long time ago, amid hills dry and brown
A flock of wild emus moved into town
They were hoping to find something wholesome to eat
So they set up their base at the end of Main Street . . .'
Because of the drought, these emus weren't fussy so they tried
everything that looked like food, even cans of soft drink carelessly
thrown away. But Emma decided she wanted a big, fat juicy, black
beetle and when it escaped her snapping beak she set off on its tail
and trail. The beetle escapes but Emma found something else instead
. . . some kernels of corn in a creek.
'It was strange-looking corn, oddly heavy and bright
And before long her stomach no longer felt right'.
The rest of this hilarious story is about what happens to Emma,
creating a uniquely Australian version of Aesop's classic The Goose
that laid the Golden Egg. Poor Emma! She falls victim to Nasty Ned
and Pongo Pete who decide rather than stealing a golden egg from the
nest every day, it would be much easier to kidnap the bird. And to
use that time-honoured cliche, you'll have to read the story to find
out what happens. But it is a tale that has to be told. Miss 6 and I
loved it!!
Yvonne Morrison and Heath McKenzie have teamed up previously to
write other Australian parodies of legendary tales such as The
Cocky who Cried Dingo, and Town Possum, Outback Possum
and their magic and chemistry just keep getting better. This is my
favourite so far. I love the use of the word 'flummoxed' and the
other superb vocabulary that has been woven into the rhyme - just
fabulous for extending young minds, and their own writing. How much
richer and engaging is 'The pair hoisted Emma on top of their nag'
than 'They lifted Emma onto their horse'? Perfect picture books are
those where the text and illustrations enhance each other into a
seamless whole, and the Morrison-McKenzie combo achieves this
brilliantly.
On the surface, it is just a rollicking good yarn but there are so
many themes that could be explored such as the impact of drought on
our native creatures; littering and unexpected consequences (and
this could be compared with sea creatures swallowing plastic or the
bears scavenging rubbish bins in Canada); greed and honesty - the
list goes on. Even though its primary audience is younger children,
this is definitely a picture book for older students as well as they
can compare the original to the parody and all the literary avenues
that that opens up. But, better still, have the students put their
Nasty Ned and Pongo Pete hats on to devise a plan to kidnap an emu!
Think of the creative and imaginative thinking such a task would
produce.
This books fits into the Australian National Curriculum on so many
levels, it's a must-have. (And for those of you with little people,
it would be just perfect for the toe of the Christmas stocking!)
Barbara Braxton
Good night sleep tight by Mem Fox
Ill. by Judy Horaeck. Scholastic Australia 2012. ISBN: 978174283579.
(Age 3-6) Recommended. Another wonderful offering from the creative hive that is Mem Fox and Judy Horaeck, very much in the illustrative style of Where is the Green Sheep?.
According to Fox, this book is a reproduction of something she produced in 1988, based on some information she had heard, that children who come to school knowing 6 Nursery Rhymes are usually in the top reading group by age 8 - so she wrote a book weaving in 7, factoring in one extra, for good luck.
The book features two young ones, Bonnie and Ben, and their male babysitter, Skinny Doug. This was so refreshing to see, all too often, aside from the token 'Dads are AWESOME' style books, much of the picture book world of young children is animals, children and mothers. Having a male care giver was a refreshing change - especially to the young test audience I read this with, who very much enjoys having male carers, both at home and in out of school hours care.
The structure of the book is simple - Skinny Doug spouts a series of rhymes at bedtime for Bonnie and Ben, who greet each offering with 'We love it! We love it!' 'How does it go? Will you say it again?', to which Skinny Doug responds 'Some other time - but I'll tell you another I heard from my mother.'
This is a book which is ideal for those aged 3 - 6, and would be a valuable addition to any home or school library.
Freya Lucas
Flying Kites: Friendly Street Poets 36 edited by Judy Dally and Louise McKenna
Wakefield Press, 2012. ISBN 9781743051009.
Having just finished this collection of poems I have become acutely
aware of one thing; I should read more poetry. Our 'modern'
lifestyle seems to mean that we have far too many competing demands
and far too little time. My reading time is divided roughly into
three equal parts; Adult Fiction, Young Adult Fiction and Adult
Non-Fiction. Where is the time for poetry you ask? I do read the odd
collection of a trusted favourite but nowhere near enough.
This 36th anthology from the Friendly Street Collective reminds me
why people write poetry and why we should read it. I can't pretend
to have loved every poem in the collection but the standard was
uniformly good and there were some seriously fine poems that I
re-read more than once. The beauty of any anthology is that you have
lots of styles and subject matter to choose from and here is no
exception. Standout poems for me were John Pfitzner's Pointless,
Sharon Kernot's Dear Publisher, and both efforts from Mike
Hopkins, The Adelaide Taxi Driver's Prayer and my personal
favourite, Last of the Cat Poems.
Stephen Bull
Fashion notebook by Julia Stanton
A and C Black, London, 2012. 128 p.
(Age: 12-16) This English publication describes itself as a personal
style companion. It aims to inspire teenage girls to create their
own fashion style. It should help young fashionistas to plan and
create their own wardrobe.
There is a lot of room in this notebook for personal notes,
sketches, photos, cut-outs, designs and the rating of current trends
eg tribal or clashing prints. You can learn how to draw silhouettes
and then create fashionable items to outfit them. You can learn how
to make mood boards, and learn about colour and colour wheels. As
well as fabric design there is the opportunity to design fashion
accessories - shoes, hats, bags, make-up and nails.
Colour is used extensively throughout this publication with colour
illustrations and coloured borders on the pages. This is an
attractive, quality publication in a sturdy, spiral bound format.
Also included are an Introduction, Contents and Credits as well as
Apps. for iPhone, iPad, Android and BlackBerry devices. There are
quotes by fashion industry identities eg fashion designer Gianni
Versace and fashion journalist Diana Vreeland
This book is suitable for girls 12 -16 years. One Year 8 girl, to
whom I spoke, especially likes the patterns and the apps., and
thinks that this book would make a great Christmas gift. Its
publication late in 2012 means that it is just in time for the
Christmas market.
As this is essentially a notebook for one individual to use, if it
were purchased for a school library, it would be best housed in a
Reference collection. One word of caution, however . . . a focus on
teenage fashion means that this book will have a short life as
fashions change and evolve.
Margaret Strickland
Penguin and Pinecone by Salina Yoon
Bloomsbury, 2012. ISBN 9781 4088 2905 9.
(Ages 3+) Picture book. Friendship. Flagging the reason behind
writing the book with its sub title, A friendship story,
this unusual tale about a penguin finding a pinecone in the snow
will intrigue younger readers. Pinecone becomes the penguin's friend
and they do everything together, but Penguin is aware that Pinecone
is not in his correct habitat, despite having made him a nice warm
scarf. He is told that it is too cold for Pinecone, and so he makes
preparations to take Pinecone back to his own home. This he does,
leaving a trail of rocks in a heart shape around the place that he
leaves Pinecone. Sometime later, Penguin returns to visit Pinecone
and sees that he has grown into a big strong tree and the two
remember each other and recall their friendship. But Penguin cannot
stay there and so returns.
The overstated message is one to warm the hearts of the readers, and
would be a simple text to initiate discussions in the classroom
about friendship and loyalty, about the selflessness of love and the
pleasure that it can bring.
Fran Knight
Black Spring by Alison Croggon
Walker Books, 2012. ISBN 9781921977480.
Using Wuthering Heights as a template, Croggon has mixed
fantasy with this retelling of Bronte's Gothic classic. The
structure is the same as in the original; the narrator is well
developed as the housekeeper who grew up with the Cathy and
Heathcliff characters, Lina, and Damek. She tells their story to the
convalescing outsider from whose perspective the story unfolds.
Technically the structure is well managed but the addition of
witches (Lina is one) and a most disturbing system of vendetta
seemed a distraction and the constraint of sticking to the original
meant that these elements were not well integrated. Readers of
Croggin's Pellinor series will read and enjoy this book,
especially those who have not read Wuthering Heights, and it
could be a useful opportunity for senior students to use it as a
paired text to help them analyse the original.
Sue Speck
Today we have no plans by Jane Godwin
Ill. by Anna Walker. Viking, 2012. ISBN: 9780670075201.
Highly recommended for younger children. The busy life of a young
girl and her family is broken down, day by day. With calendars,
lists, school notices, homework and invitations pictured on the
front end papers, any parent with young children will identify with
the activities and responsibilities of getting everything organised
to keep on top of the daily routine. Each day at school brings a new
activity for the girl, with Saturday no exception. With swimming
lessons, orchestra, after school care, library visits, shopping and
weekend sport, the girl becomes more and more tired as the week
progresses. When Sunday arrives, the family loves nothing more than
to announce that they have 'no plans'. Finally each member of the
family has time to rest, relax, play, create and appreciate nature
and the small things in life, as well as simply enjoying one
another's company before their return to rushing and routine.
The wonderful pairing of Jane Godwin and Anna Walker is truly a
match made in heaven. Godwin's rhyming, engaging text is sure to
delight adults and children alike as it tells the story of a busy
week. Walker's free flowing, sketches and water-colour paintings
complement the story perfectly. The differences in the end papers at
the beginning contrast brilliantly to those at the end as the
conclusion of the book shows no lists, alarm clocks or the like but
instead depict the fruits of a day spent on creative pursuits and
relaxation. This could be used in Junior Primary classrooms to
discuss family activities, sequencing, days of the week,
appreciation of nature and the value of time spent dreaming. A truly
beautiful book!
Jo Schenkel
Speechless by Hannah Harrington
Harlequin Teen Australia, 2012. ISBN: 9781921796579.
(Age: 15+) Highly recommended. I absolutely loved Harrington's first
novel, Saving June, so I was excited to see this one. I am
not sure why we get it at least 6 months before the US market, but
for whatever reason, thank you! Speechless is almost the
perfect teen contemporary novel, and will be very popular amongst 15
and 16 year old girls.
Chelsea is living a precarious life. Her deepest fear is that her
BFF, Kristen, popular cheerleader material, will suddenly realise
how boring Chelsea is and dump her for more wealthy, more good
looking, more daring girls. So Chelsea plays dangerous games,
gossiping, judging, and criticising her peers to entertain Kristen
in a desperate attempt to keep her friendship. Readers know this a
slippery slope and it's inevitable she will make a complete fool of
herself, but even when it happens, it's shocking and horrible.
The consequences are monumental and the one thing Chelsea dreaded
happens: Kristen dumps her completely and publicly, and Chelsea's
life at school does the predictable thing: dives from winner to
loser, popular to shunned, heckler to heckled. If I had one
criticism of the book, it was the way other students treated
Chelsea. The sheer amount of bullying she deals with is horrifying,
and hopefully unrealistic. Maybe kids do suffer as much as Chelsea
does, but I sure hope not.
Chelsea chooses a life of deliberate silence. Not trusting herself
to speak, she stops altogether, and the story shows how the people
around her react to this provocative behaviour. Many adults don't
cope, so imagine the younger crowd. Needless to say, the plot now
becomes fairly standard teenage fare: Chelsea bonds with new quirky
people, finds a part-time job, and learns to live with the mistake
she has made. Her honesty and resilience in dealing with her bad
behaviour, and the treatment she receives afterwards, allow great
character development. Harrington's writing is full of humour and
affection.
This novel is not long or drawn out; Harrington keeps it tight and
strong. The love-interest is a terrific character, honest and loyal.
The new best friend has her own story, and Chelsea's family aren't
left on the (unrealistic) sidelines. Themes include bullying, peer
pressure, romance, family relationships, coming-of-age, friendship,
and identity.
Trisha Buckley
Superworm by Julia Donaldson
Ill. by Axel Scheffler. Alison Green, 2012. ISBN 9781407132044.
(Ages: 4-8) From the author illustrator team that bought you such
masterpieces as StickMan and The Gruffalo comes Superworm
- a rollicking tale about a worm who is flexible, helpful and loved
by all. Much like Donaldson's other work, the hero of the tale finds
himself in some strife, which he overcomes, returning again to the
place where he is loved and adored.
This is one of the strongest selling points of the book -
Donaldson's work quickly becomes familiar to children - they know
there will be adversity, and sometimes the situations the main
characters find themselves in can be quite precarious indeed - but
that this will be overcome, and things will return to their natural
state of equilibrium soon enough.
Superworm is everything a hero should be - he's super long, super
strong, and keen to lend a hand. He prevents baby toad from being
squashed, becomes a skipping rope for bees, saves beetle from
drowning, but then . . . disaster strikes, in the form of a crow, an
evil wizard, and some treasure hunting.
The illustrations are bright and vibrant, with the 'baddies' having
suitably shifty eyes, and the 'goodies' being drawn with aplomb.
This is a delightful book, and would be a great addition to any
collection, for ages 4-8.
Freya Lucas
That's what I'd do by Jewel
Ill. Amy June Bates. Simon and Schuster, 2012. Hardback. ISBN:
9781442458130.
This is a beautifully illustrated piece, with the watercolor,
gouache, pencil and pastels illustrations lifting the rhyme, which
limps along as a story, not flowing very well, but comes into its
own as a song.
Mother and baby are pictured in beautiful environments, both indoor
and outdoor, with whimsical additions such as hearts, flowers and
animals. There are many butterflies to count within the pages, which
adds a nice touch, an extra visual focus for the child being read
to.
Described by the author as a devotional letter, the book certainly
reads that way, at times even a little over the top. I felt that
there were opportunities within the illustrations to be more
inclusive of diverse parenting practices - for example the mother
was pictured feeding the baby with a bottle - however there can be
no doubt of the love of the mother for her child in these
illustrations.
The content of the story itself is simple and time honoured - if I
was a painter, a carpenter, a rabbit, this is what I would do. The
mother in the story is clearly besotted with her child, and their
relationship which is played out on the pages is a very special one.
I would recommend this book for libraries frequented by new parents
of all kinds - there is much about this book which would appeal to
mothers in the first flush of baby love.
Freya Lucas
