Fearless with Dad by Cori Brooke. Illus. by Giuseppe Poli
New Frontier, 2021. ISBN: 9781925059625. (Age:2+) Highly recommended.
Originally published in 2015, entitled Fearless with my dad, here is what the reviewer had to say about it (and I think that it would be very appropriate to read to very young children):
(Age: 6+) Highly recommended. Fearless with my Dad is a beautiful picture book, following a young boy and his dad. Together they are pirates, flying like an eagle and travelling to the moon. The underlying theme is a child can be anything and do anything as long as they have their dad there to support them.
The beautifully illustrated text will engage younger readers and encourage new vocabulary as children and their carers discuss all the amazing adventures of this boy and his dad. Older readers could create their own version and the main character could be changed to a girl.
It would make a great gift for a father on Father's Day - no matter their age - but would be a great gift for a first time dad.
Highly recommended for all readers - whether they read it independently (aged 6+) or with a parent.
Kylie Kempster
Themes Fathers, Imagination.
Meet Ella: New Teacher by Rebecca McRitchie and Danielle McDonald
Ella and her best friend Zoe have started school and Ella enjoys having Miss King as her teacher. All is going well until Miss King announces that she is going on holidays for a while and will be replaced by Mrs Shoe.
Mrs Shoe does things differently and can’t even get Ella’s name right. Ella is very unhappy with the changes but is comforted by her mother who asks Ella to give Mrs Shoe a chance.
This small novel deals with the excitement and anxieties of starting school and the impact of change on younger students.
Ella enjoys being with her friend, reading and ballet, but she worries about her teacher being replaced. These are problems that other young students will be able to relate to. Ella is encouraged by her mother to work out her issues and be more open to accept the new replacement teacher.
This book is the second in the series and is “from the world of Ella and Olivia” stories which are extremely popular with the younger students in my school. The first book in the series is Spotty Puppy.
An appealing cover, large font, lots of illustrations by Danielle McDonald and short chapters will make this book attractive to newly independent readers.
I recommend this book for 4–7-year-olds.
Themes Teachers, School.
Jane Moore
Mummy! Where are you? by Charmaine Oates. Illus. By Jelena Jordanovic-Lewis
Little Steps, 2021. ISBN: 9781922358912. (Age:2+) Recommended.
‘Mummy! Where are you?’ is a very familiar cry for young mothers, especially Charlie’s mother as she tries to get a myriad of household tasks done while being trailed by a toddler and his dog.
This is a delightful story what will appeal to young children and to the adults who read it to them. The illustrations and layout of the book are clever and very appealing. On each double page spread, the reader sees a scene, with the words 'Mummy! Where are you?' and then on the next double page spread is a lift the flap that shows mum trying to do some work and Charlie asking if he can help. On the following double page spread is the refrain 'Mummy! Where are you?' while the illustrations show the chaos that Charlie and his dog have left behind. He piles things over the bedroom floor, scatters the laundry and knocks plants out of the wheelbarrow. Finally, after a very busy day, Mum and Charlie go to sleep.
The text is short, and toddlers will love to repeat the refrains, 'Mummy! Where are you?' and 'Charlie help too' and beginning readers may find this a lovely book to try out their first words. The love and warmth in this little family shines through both in the narrative and the illustrations. The gentle pastel colours of the illustrations are gorgeous and Charlie, Mum and the dog come alive on the pages.
This book is a keeper for me.
Themes Family, Children, Mothers, Housework.
Pat Pledger
No one is angry today by Toon Tellegen and Marc Boutavant
Gecko Press, 2021. ISBN: 9781776573455. (Age:9+)
No One is Angry Today is a picture storybook written by Toon Tellegen who was born in the Netherlands. The book has been translated into English and provides ten short stories discussing responses to anger. The interactions between the animals and how they manage their feelings of anger is at times confusing and unusual. Some of the stories are reasonably gentle and others are quite confronting, particularly the first story, 'The Firebelly Toad and the Hedgehog'. The bullying behaviour of the toad is both violent and completely unexplainable. His unrestrained anger and the nasty actions that follow are trying to provoke the other animals to match his feelings, but they almost appear shocked by what has transpired, and their reactions are more muted. Each story appears to portray a different level of anger and how each animal deals with it. For younger readers this book would be better shared with an adult as there would need to be further explanations and follow-up discussions. The illustrations by French artist, Marc Boutavant, are both appealing and complementary to the text. Anger wears many disguises and is often misunderstood and hidden. This book may be trying to open more dialogue about this complex feeling.
Themes Animals, Anger, Short Stories.
Kathryn Beilby
Unleash your creative monster by Andy Jones. Illus. by Olaf Falafel
This new release aimed for the middle primary to early secondary student market provides an honest and entertaining guide to the creative writing process for children. The book is full of tools and tips on how to write and has wonderful story prompts to engage both the reader and budding writer. Written in the first person, author Andy Jones has cleverly used his wit and writing skills to give younger writers a step-by-step guide through the process of creating a story.
The book has a detailed Contents section divided into four sections: Training your Creative Monster, Monster Mistakes, When your Monster Gets Stuck and Feeding your Creative Monster. Each section is then sub-divided further into short chapters. The book begins with an introduction to both the author and illustrator and then moves onto an explanation of the use of the monster analogy. These imaginative and detailed monster illustrations spread throughout the book, add so much to the text and are often accompanied by speech bubbles, labels and amusing information.
The book has been written in a way that the reader/writer can either work through at their own pace as there is clear pathway to be followed in each section or chapter with lots of ideas and the all-important story prompt at the end. Or the book also could also be used as a quick reference for a particular writing skill when required.
Classroom teachers may find this book a very valuable resource when working through narratives with their students. The humorous approach provided by both the author and illustrator will entertain and provide reassurance that narrative writing can be fun.
There are two worthwhile YouTube clips that would be perfect to share with children before using the book:
Themes Creative Writing for Children, Story Prompts, Ideas.
Kathryn Beilby
Title fight: How the Yindjibarndi battled and defeated a mining giant by Paul Cleary
Black Inc., 2021. ISBN: 9781760642846. (Age:Senior secondary / Adult)
Cleary’s book is a detailed description of the incredibly protracted process of negotiation and litigation between the powerful Fortescue Metals Group and the Yindjibarndi people over access to their country for mining interests. Central to the story is the way the white dominant culture assumed that it knew best how to compensate the traditional owners, with the idea of providing training and jobs in the industry it created, practical intervention, rather than royalties or compensation to the Indigenous owners who presumably might squander the wealth unwisely. It might sound good, but at the heart is the idea of ‘we know best’, a complete disrespect for the knowledge, integrity and decisions of the Aboriginal people. Even more than that, the FMG company ruthlessly sought to have unfettered access to the land, offering only minimal compensation, exploiting differences between groups, orchestrating events to their advantage, relentlessly engaging in litigation, and destroying heritage sites in their path.
However led by Michael Woodley, the Yindjibarndi people stood their ground. Under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous people have the right to self-determination, to freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development. The group persisted through thirteen years of legal battles with the mining giant, to achieve recognition of their ongoing spiritual connection and responsibility for their country. It is a David and Goliath story, and while David slays the giant, the story exposes the inequalities between mining companies and native title groups, a power imbalance that continues today and is desperately in need of reform.
I would put this book alongside Maralinga by Garry Hiskey, as another important historical record of the ultimately successful win by an Aboriginal group, despite the incredibly aggressive legal assault they endured. Michael Woodley stands out as a calm and persistant leader of his people, and fortunately the Yindjibarndi people prevailed in the end. That it should have been such a long and costly process shows the many failings of our legal system to support and respect our Indigenous people. For those interested in Aboriginal culture and native title law, this is another essential read.
Themes Non-fiction, Mining, Native title, Aboriginal land rights.
Helen Eddy
Four all at sea by Sophie Masson. Illus. by Cheryl Orsini
This is an early chapter book written for newly independent readers by the noted author Sophie Masson. A sequel to Four on the Run, the characters are all vehicles (tractor, two sedans and a motorbike) that are capable of communication. They are on their way by ship to star in a film production. Unfortunately, a storm causes their container to wash overboard, and they are marooned on a deserted island hoping they might be rescued. Working together and using their combined mechanical wisdom, they also outsmart the resident tank guardian of the island.
This is a simple, no-frills story with impossible characters who self-drive and display human characteristics, but young readers will engage with the fanciful and enjoy the farcical scenario. Illustrations by Orsino are simple line drawings, and apart from an error in detail in comparison to the written text, are in keeping with the naive text. With mechanical characters, this book will also provide a connection for young male readers who would prefer stories about cars rather than animals or children. Recommended for children aged 5-7 who are beginning as independent readers.
Pony is an extraordinary story by the American author of Wonder. The central voice is a 12-year-old boy called Silas Bird. It begins in a small town called Boneville, Ohio, in 1860. Silas’ beloved only parent, Pa, is kidnapped by a bunch of outlaws. Against Pa’s wishes Silas chooses to risk his life and follow them, riding a mysterious pony which seemingly returns for him. He faces personal fears in the woods and fortunately convinces a Marshal to take him on his quest to hunt down the kidnappers. Pa has been targeted because of his ability to take photographs using new scientific techniques. Their intention is to use his skills for counterfeiting money. Fortunately, Silas has an imaginary friend only he can see called Mittenwool. Mittenwool guides Silas on his perilous adventure. Silas likens Mittenwool to a ghost/spirit and Silas realizes he can communicate with other such spirits.
There are many great characters in Pony. Silas is a philosophical principled boy who grows stronger and wiser as he faces violent and nail-biting challenges. Sherriff Chalfont’s and the gruff Deputy’s relationship with Silas add humour and kindness. The spirit/ghosts are not light weight and silly but feel real. There are interesting seeds sewn in the plot, such as the violin case Silas inexplicably takes with him. Historical and scientific tidbits also enrich the story.
I particularly enjoyed the authentic language and unfamiliar words and phrases like “I don’t cotton to folderol like that”. As an Australian who is not so familiar with US children’s literature, I found myself drawing on films like True Grit by the Coen Brothers to understand the time and place. Also, Little Women since it is set in the times of the Civil War. This book is gutsy with shoot-outs and deaths but also has emotional impact and strong themes of goodness and love. Each chapter has a quote to ponder and an old photograph of a person whose image inspired Palacio. It was refreshing to read such a unique story and I believe it will be appreciated by both young adults and adults alike.
Deep in the Scottish Highlands, many years from now ...Gertie Gif, a lowly cleaning droid from the village of Loch Lan, sets out on an heroic quest to liberate her fellow robo-folk from the curse of a legendary, battery-draining laptop who lives in the castle on the hill.
And with this introduction, Graeme Base creates a story that will appeal to all readers, the computer obsessed and the art lovers, the children who adore rhyming stories and the parents who are looking for something a little different to amuse and engage both themselves and their children. This is not a book that will scare children but it will keep them on the edges of their seats until the end.
The curse of the Vampire Robot is set in the future where robots have replaced humans to the point of sharing all of our emotions and idiosyncrasies. The main character is a brave cleaning drone who travels to the castle on the hill to battle the “vampire” laptop – an energy draining beast. Along the way she meets many characters including a (soft)ware-wolf and policeman PC Web and witnesses the aftermath of an attack by Voltoid. The text is full of references to computers with some amazing rhymes set in a format that would be familiar to readers of Graeme Base’s other books. Unlike his other books, all the illustrations are black and white and this adds to the story and the ominous nature of the story without making it too scary for young children. The added details that are synonymous with the authors style, such as a desk-top mouse that looks similar to the real animal and a bat-like lap-top flying above the castle will ensure that even the youngest readers can find something to giggle about and love about this book.
I loved this book and would recommend it highly, it is a book that would fit in any bookshelf and would be brilliant for the classroom to use for story telling, art lessons and book studies.
This book has many links to classics tales that older readers could use for a book study; an ordinary person who becomes a hero, a journey of danger and a battle between good and evil, all set in a computer-centric world, although they would also enjoy the story on its own too.
How Was That Built? written engineer Roma Agrawal and illustrated by Katie Hickey is a beautifully presented non-fiction book which focuses on stories behind awesome structures from all over the world. The Contents page contains fourteen “How to build…” chapters which includes ideas of how to build long, clean, a dome, across, stable, in outer space, in the sea, as well as others. Each chapter explains the technology behind a famous construction related to each individual topic with an explanation of how it was built, other interesting fact-related material and ideas for trying things at home.
In the How to Build Tall chapter The Shard in London is described in great depth. The author, who worked on the design of this building, includes information about what makes a building stand and introduces the reader to several technical terms. The How to Build Stable chapter provides a comprehensive look at the Te Matau A Pohe, a bridge in earthquake prone New Zealand. To resist earthquakes the engineers left a small gap between the moving and fixed parts so during an earthquake, they are unable to damage each other. The final chapter looks at Building into the Future and is followed by an extensive glossary and finally a snapshot of some very talented engineers.
The detailed and softly coloured illustrations by Katie Hickey include large scale cross sections and drawings of each structure as well as examples of the engineering techniques shown to the reader. The drawings are clearly labelled when necessary and provide an important visual display to accompany the text.
This book will be a valuable resource for STEM when looking at man-made structures. There are many ideas for budding engineers or builders and so much to learn. A worthwhile purchase for home, school or public libraries.
Themes Engineering, Built Structures, Construction, Technology.
Kathryn Beilby
The adventures of Mittens by Silvio Bruinsma. Illus. by Phoebe Morris
Penguin, 2021. ISBN: 9780143775850. (Age:4-7)
Sub-titled Wellington's Famous Purr-sonality, this is based on the real-life adventures of Mittens the cat, who is a well-known cat about town in Wellington, New Zealand. The story recounts a week in the life of Mittens, who leaves his brother Latte at home and heads out on an adventures. Children will love watching as he visits some of his favourite spots: trying on hats in the clothing store, hiding amongst the flowers in the florist and stopping at his favourite drinking spot. He meets many people along the way as he stops in at the hairdresser, the police station and an office building and on Saturday is presented with the keys to the city. Sunday is family time and he spends it curled up at home with his brother.
This is a very short, rhyming text perfect for young cat lovers, particularly those who might have a visiting or roaming cat of their own. There is a small write-up at the back of the book about the real Mittens and Latte and the back cover has a helpful list of tips to help family cats co-exist with local wildlife (an important consideration at a time when many areas are clamping down on free-roaming cats). Soft illustrations perfectly complement the gentle flow of the story and showcase the diversity of the Wellington community.
Themes Cats, Rhyming Stories.
Nicole Nelson
The magical bookshop by Katja Frixe
One World, 2021. ISBN: 9780861541096. (Age:7+) Highly recommended.
Mrs Owl owns the magical bookshop where Clara and her friend Lottie spend their free time until Lottie and her mum move away to put some distance between Lottie’s dad and “Smelly Toes” his girlfriend.
Clara finds comfort in the book shop and the characters that inhabit it, but when an antique dealer claims that the talking mirror, Mr King, is actually his and plays dirty tricks to get the mirror, Clara must join forces with her new friend and find a way to save the bookshop and ensure that Mr King stays with Mrs Owl.
This book focuses on Clara and the feeling of loss that comes from a friend moving away, she finds comfort in the bookshop and spend more time there especially once school starts and she discovers that her new teacher, Sophie Rose, is the one person she blames for all her unhappiness, and then there is the new boy who is sitting in Lottie’s seat. Leo helps to make things better and slowly a friendship develops and they join forces to work out a solution to help save all her bookshop friends.
This book is a lovely read with the characters showing real emotions and what happens when we allow ourselves to accept change and be open to new friendship opportunities. The story feels real, dealing with loss and bullies and new friends and the unsavory elements of any community and learning to move through anger and betrayal to find the positives in a situation and working together for the greater good. All of these are included in this book without being too overt or feeling like a lecture.
This is a beautifully told story that has been translated from the original German version, that is the first in a series. I hope that they translate the other stories as I loved this book and can see it being used in a classroom or family home with equal enjoyment from its readers.
Rusty Mulligan is a reserved Aussie boy who is regularly laughed at by his classmates. His best friend is a blue-tongued lizard named Bongo. He does have one supportive classmate in the person of accident-prone Charlotte, but she is not always able to protect him from the local bullies. Rusty would love to be able to communicate with Bongo and so enters a competition, advertised by a talking cat, to attend The School For Talking Pets – but will a blue-tongued lizard be able to learn to speak? The school enables Rusty and Bongo to meet many animals with amazing skills, but then it seems that the school is under threat. Will Rusty and Bongo be needed to save the school?
This is a gentle fantasy, with elements of humour, mystery and anguish as the young boy addresses his own feelings of inferiority in the face of the successes of others. This will be a story that resonates on many levels, but the delight of discovering the conversation and talents of many animals has a joyful quality that children aged 8-12 will love. I will be recommending this book to capable independent readers who enjoy a longer story, but who are still wanting a story that is fun and not too complex.
HarperCollins, 2021. ISBN: 9781867230847. (Age:Young adult and adult) Recommended.
Ella has led a supportive life, being wife of a successful builder and mother of three now adult children. She has nursed her husband through a terminal illness enabling him to die at home as was his last wish. Now, at 70 she finds herself exhausted and bereft and unable to clearly articulate her wishes. The children quickly persuade Ella to sell the leafy eastern suburbs family home in Adelaide and move in with son Anthony, wife Kirsten and grandchildren Sophie and Stefan while they build her a granny flat on their property. When the relationship breaks down Ella leaves and drives north, ending up in Cutlers Bay a small seaside town on the Yorke Peninsula near her best friend's property. There she befriends drifter Angie Daniels who has left a failed relationship in Cairns and is making her way towards Perth where her mother lives. She also meets, in the course of his duties, local police sergeant Zach Cooper when Ella’s family reports her missing suggesting she is not in her right mind. Zach too is recently single and is determined to protect his emotions even though he is attracted to Angie. As the relationship with Ella’s family deteriorates further she finds support and friendship in the small country town and begins to rebuild her life and her determination to fight for her rights. After supressing her own wants and desires for so long Ella needs time and space to regain her emotional balance but her family have invoked their Power of Attorney claiming she is mentally incapable of making decisions and thwarting her plans to buy a run-down property in Cutlers Bay.
Ella’s first person narrative is alternated with the third person parallel narratives of Angie and Zach as they each negotiate challenges and gradually build their own relationships with each other, their families and the community. Like domestic violence, elder abuse can occur in the most unlikely of places and this subtle exploration of the importance of self-determination and the right to choose whilst still acknowledging the importance of family and friends is worth reflection. Ella’s relationship with 14 year old grandson Stefan is delightfully written but his mother, Kristen, is a less believable character.
Appleyard has created a well written, entertaining story set in a charming country town about courageous individuals that will appeal especially to older adults.
Themes Relationships, Ageism, Family.
Sue Speck
Ten delicious teachers by Ross Montgomery and Sarah Warburton
For little ones who would delight in the idea of their teachers being eaten by monsters, comes this rhyming picture book about just that. 'Ten tired teachers are finished for the day, The kids have gone, the homework's marked, the chairs are tucked away' and they're off home. Too bad they've missed the last bus...would they brave the shortcut through the dark forest? And so begins the countdown from ten to one as each teacher is cornered, tricked or trapped into the jaws of a monster. Miss Hunter, the nursery teacher, is the last one standing. But being a feast for a monster is not something she will tolerate. 'Stop that at once!', she shouts at the hungry horde, before declaring their need for a proper education. 'Ten uneasy monsters at their brand-new monster school, Learning how to be polite and follow all the rules'.
The illustrations in this are perfection and the text is wonderfully paced and fun to read aloud. There is plenty of discussion to be had with children about what is going to happen next, particularly on the front cover that features ten monsters rather than ten teachers. They will also love the naivety of the teachers, who trust the sign that declares 'no monsters here!' and don't notice the monsters lurking in the trees. The hairy, colourful monsters are not scary and while the teacher feast is implied it is in no way evident within the pictures. This is a fun, nonsensical read aloud with wonderful illustrations (and particularly great endpaper artwork).
