Fremantle Press, 2019. ISBN: 9781925815757.
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Themes: Antarctica, Animals, Survival,
Counting book. From one to ten, the unusual animals of the Antarctic
are presented to the reader. For a younger child the book is a great
read aloud, reinforcing the numbers one to ten, while older readers
will be intrigued with the animals presented, asking questions about
how each survives in such an inhospitable place, reading the four
pages of information given at the back of the book to find some
answers.
Each double page presents a group of animals: one is for the leopard
seal, two has two emperor penguins, three is for the elephant seals,
and four reveals four right whales while ten is for ten sea stars.
Each double page has a line about the animal, using rhythmic
descriptive words, begging the listener or reader to repeat the
words, allowing them to roll about the mouth, enjoying the freshness
of the descriptions.
Moira Court's illustrative technique ensures the eye will pour over
every page, pondering how each image is produced, marvelling at how
the remote, cold and isolated place can be revealed with scraps of
paper.
Court uses a range of print making and collage techniques to produce
her work, and younger children will be introduced to this form of
art reading this book. It will excite their interest working out how
each image is produced, encouraging them to try their skills to make
one of the animals. Court's website gives some
clues about her techniques and is worth a look.
This book is a wonderful introduction to Antarctica and its animals
and landscape, giving quirky facts in the information for older
readers and encouraging all readers to look, question and ponder.
Antarctica is again in the news with pressure mounting for oil
exploration to occur. This is a timely addition to the field and
will enable readers to know just what does live in the Antarctic.
Fran Knight
Every day resilience by Michelle Mitchell
Big Sky, 2019. ISBN: 9781922265029.
(Age: Adult -16) Highly recommended. Subtitled Helping Kids Handle
Friendship Drama, Academic Pressure and the Self-Doubt of Growing
Up. 'In this book Michelle shows every family how they can cultivate
resilience in their children or adolescents by focussing on 7 key
traits - courage, gratitude, empathy, self-awareness,
responsibility, self-care and contribution. She answers questions
like: How can I help my child be more confident? What do I say when
my child is rejected by friends? How do I help a child who is
struggling academically? What do I say when my child says, "I
can't"? How do I help an anxious or shy child find their voice? What
can I do to help them discover their potential?' Every day resilience is a book for all parents, teachers,
counsellors and older teenage readers (perhaps 16 plus). It tackles
the harder issues and shows how to overcome them. It is a self help
book that is recommended for those struggling times.
The author's website
also has helpful hints about parenting, eg an article and video
entitled, Bringing
the Calm: How to Interrupt the Anxiety Loop, and the
book is accompanied by The Everyday Resilience Journal and Video
Series for Tweens.
Vincent Hermann
Liars: Lockdown by Jack Heath
Liars book 4. Scholastic, 2019. ISBN: 9781742993423.
(Age: 10-15). Recommended. Jarli, creator of the Truth app, is one
of the students trapped in a hospital by mercenaries taking
hostages. 'All the phones are jammed. The building is locked down.
No help is coming. The mercenaries work for Viper, a ruthless and
deadly criminal. Jarli and his friends have outwitted Viper before.
Can they do it again?' (Publisher)
This is a very intense YA novel, part of the recommended Liars
series, highly engaging and up-to-date for young readers. The series
of novels follows on well and is quite suitable for the youth of
today.
Vincent Hermann
Home by Charles Hope
Wild Dog Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781742034249.
(Age: 7+) Highly recommended. Themes: Information book, Animal homes
and habitats. The ingenious dwellings of the animal kingdom are
portrayed here through beautiful and insightful photography (as with
Hope's very successful Close up series and the CBCA
shortlisted The big book of Antarctica). The book first
explains why homes are important for animals before giving brief
information about animal habitats. It then separates animals into
two categories: the builders and the squatters. The builders section
shows and discusses webs, hives lodges, burrows, bird nests and
non-bird nests (such as termite mounds and alligator nests). The
squatters section deals with those who dwell in caves (entrance,
twilight and dark zones), hollows, shells and exoskeletons. There is
no great detail about any one animal but a focus on the types of
homes and why and how they are built or chosen. There is a great
diversity of animals mentioned, including many that children may be
unfamiliar with or not know much about. There is then a double page
each on animal homes in zoos, pet life and farm life (with each
discussing the purpose and associated problems of these unnatural
animal homes). There is also some information about baby animals'
first homes (eggs, chrysalis, pouch, frogspawn, womb) and those who
are carried by their parents as young. The book then succinctly
answers the question of why not all animals need homes and explains
migration and its purpose.
Overall, this is a fantastic text that explains why things are the
way they are rather than just stating what happens. It provides
fascinating information about this Australian Curriculum topic in an
interesting and engaging way. It is very reader friendly with plain
language, an unfussy layout that contains lots of white space and
some full-page photographs that provide a break from the pages with
longer text sections. The photographs are spectacular and provide a
detailed and insightful look at many new and unusual animal homes.
There is also a detailed glossary and index to assist readers in
developing research skills.
Nicole Nelson
Full disclosure by Camryn Garrett
Penguin, 2019. ISBN: 9780241367063.
(Age: 16+) Recommended. Themes: HIV, Sexuality, Gender, LGBQT+,
Prejudice. Simone is the adopted daughter of a gay couple she calls
Dad and Pops. The two men chose her, an HIV positive baby, as an act
of caring after seeing friends die from AIDS. Simone's condition is
managed with regular drug treatment, her viral load is almost
undetectable which means she is not a risk to anyone. But whilst she
is informed and responsible, she knows that the ignorance of people
around her can mean humiliation and rejection if anyone finds out -
that was the horrible experience at her last school. She is now
starting at a new school, with new friends, and has been selected as
director of the school play, but just when everything seems to be
going well, anonymous messages threaten her happiness once again.
Camryn Garrett wrote this book when she was only seventeen years
old, and it is a refreshingly candid account of teenage worries and
fears: anxiety about the first date, first sex, gender confusion,
sexual attraction, masturbation and even a first visit to a sex
shop! The voice is open and honest, and the values are positive
throughout. Her fathers are both caring involved parents, her
friends are loyal and supportive, she has an encouraging teacher,
and even the blackmailer is revealed to be a troubled person in need
of help rather than punishment. The book advocates for speaking up,
sharing worries and getting help. And ultimately Simone learns to
overcome her fears and to trust in the people who care for her.
Dealing openly with topics people generally don't like to talk
about, this story will reflect many teenage concerns, and also is
very enlightening and informative on the subject of human
immunodeficiency virus - readers will come away having enjoyed a
heartwarming story and be a little more knowledgeable as well.
Helen Eddy
A banana is a banana by Justine Clarke and Josh Pyke
Illus. by Heath McKenzie. Penguin, 2019. ISBN: 9781760891664.
(Age: 3-6) Themes: Names, Humourous stories. Based on the authors'
song by the same name, A banana is a banana looks at the
humour in some of the names given to things ('If an eggplant really
grew eggs, chickens would be out of a job. If a catfish was really
made of cats, then it might get chased by a dog . . . And a banana
is a banana. That's what it's called. I don't know why'). This
definitely sounds better when sung, but it reads rather well and
unlike the song it allows time for discussion about what it means.
Kids will love 'getting the joke' ('It would be just like a bad
dream, if they serve you up jellyfish and ice cream') but they may
need some help understanding it. This will be enjoyed by those who
are already familiar with the song but will also encourage those who
don't know it to have a listen. As always, Heath McKenzie's
illustrations are bright and fun and use mini-versions of the three
creators.
This is a fun nonsense book that isn't complete nonsense, because it
does make you think!
Nicole Nelson
A dog's promise by W. Bruce Cameron
Pan Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781529010084. A dog's promise reminds me of the literary tradition of
family sagas, in which the personal travails of families are set in
the context of societal upheavals. The story follows Burke, brother
Grant, father Chase and Chase's mother. Other significant characters
include Wenling and her Chinese father and American mother.
The book is third in the A dog's purpose series, but it does
stand alone.
Its narrator is the dog Bailey, who becomes Cooper, then Riley, then
Oscar. We meet Bailey when he is born as Cooper, visualising him
becoming Burke's assist dog, whom we first meet as a child in a
wheelchair. Together they confront prejudices about disability.
Burke's small farm family faces the environmental and economic
impacts of agribusiness. Children strive to break away from parental
expectations and brothers fight because they are jealous. Anger
leads to lasting grudges. Illness and death feature, too.
Dialogue is crucial in expressing ideas. After one dispute between
the brothers, Grandma tells Grant not to hurt Burke because, 'You
shouldn't take your frustrations out on others.' Racial prejudice is
flagged in the following exchange when we find out that Wenling's
father is a janitor, not a leader in agribusiness:
'I guess I assumed he was an engineer', said Chase.
Why, because he's Asian? Wenling asked.
'Yeah . . . you got me. I'm sorry'. (p. 192)
Bruce Cameron writes fluently and preaches that we can choose the
thoughts we carry through our lifetime(s). Happiness or anger.
Forgiveness or resentment. He also comforts readers with the idea
that what goes wrong can be righted by love.
Sometimes there is humour to relieve the tension of sober themes,
for example, when Cooper hopes that his people will stop trying to
get him excited about a nylon bone. A dog's promise is long. I'd suggest it to Year 10s and 11s
who like stories about families and about dogs. Some may read avidly
about the love triangle between brothers. But I find myself
wondering. What the dog knows and understands is not always
congruous and though the thought that the animals we love may be
reincarnated is appealing, I can't suspend my disbelief.
Chris Bourlioufas
Max Booth future sleuth: Film flip
Illus. by Dave Atze. Max Booth future sleuth series. Big
Sky, 2019. ISBN: 9781922265104.
Recommended for readers aged 7-11. Themes: Future, Photographic
history. Max and his robo-dog, Oscar, find a 400 year-old film
canister and try to discover its contents. Unfortunately their
understanding of the photographic process is limited . . . the old
Internet ceased to function in 2037 and it is now 2424!
Unfortunately their exploration of this 'old historical item' causes
others to be interested too, and they encounter some risky moments
as they race to keep the film safe. This is a fun exploration of a
piece of 'lost' history that children from the digital era will also
be baffled by.
Cameron Macintosh has written a short, but appealing story set far
into the future with a quirky mix of travel, technology, robotics and
history as backdrops to the storyline. It is a fun and comedic
adventure with some variations in pace and characterisation.
Illustrated with engaging cartoons, this is a book for readers aged
7-11, and they will enjoy learning about other 'old' items
discovered by Max Booth in the other books in the series.
Carolyn Hull
The crayons' Christmas by Drew Daywalt
Illus. by Oliver Jeffers. HarperCollins, 2019. ISBN: 9780008180362.
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Themes: Crayons, Christmas, Humour,
Pop up. This beautifully presented book, with flaps, letters,
envelopes, lift ups and pop outs will intrigue and delight younger
readers along with the older readers who helps them navigate the
pages.
Eager fingers will love searching through the intricacies of the
book's production. Buy two, even three! Kids will love it and shown
how to use it carefully, the book will last just as long as any
other popular book in the library or at home.
The humour of the The
day the crayons quit(2013), followed by The
day the crayons came home (2015) and Crayon's
book of numbers (2016) is spread throughout this
Christmas offering as the two, Red and Green crayon prepare for the
celebrations with Duncan.
Letters arrive at their home, but the contents are not for Duncan,
but various other crayons.
After being outdoors for a while in the snow they decide to get out
the Christmas decorations and hang them up, pulling out the box of
decorations that everyone has stored somewhere in their house.
Each routine of Christmas follows, putting up decorations, singing
carols, making a Santa in the snow, making biscuits and a drink to
leave for Santa, wrapping presents, receiving and sending cards and
letters, emails and gifts, until the night before Christmas arrives
and the Christmas play is over. All is in readiness. But Duncan
receives a map of the world showing a world tour by his friends and
hears that they won't be home for Christmas, so the crayons take the
day in hand, presenting a Christmas to remember.
A wonderful play on the idea of Christmas, this book revolves around
the routines of Christmas, the things done in western societies
heralding the day and its customs. Children will follow the routines
readily, recognising the ones done in their homes and seeing some of
those replicated in the shops and streets of their towns. Children
will love opening the envelopes and reading the messages, piecing
together the story as it unfolds, and enjoy hanging the decorations,
popping up the tree, taking out the clothing to put on the crayon.
Fran Knight
The lonely Christmas tree by Chris Naylor-Ballesteros
Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN: 9781408892923.
Recommended. The lonely Christmas tree is a small picture
book, based loosely upon the classic Christmas poem 'Twas the
night before Christmas. This book also follows a poetic rhyme,
which allows the reader to fall into a nice rhythm quite quickly.
Each page of text only has 4-6 short lines and a beautiful
illustration on the opposing page.
The story follows a lonely little tree who found its self far away
from all the others who had already been cut and decorated.
Suddenly a jolly fellow came and chose the tree for a prime position
in the town, and when the bright star was placed on top all the
tree's woodland friends returned.
Of course we all know who this jolly fellow is, and although not
named in the book it is easy to tell, which brings a special element
to the book for those who believe.
I really liked this book, and think it would make a great addition
to the Christmas Eve festivities.
The illustrations are simple, yet extremely effective in showcasing
a winter theme. Each page has dark tones, movement within the snow,
and just the right amount of brightness to light up the town on
Christmas Eve.
My favourite page is the last one, where the scene is of St Nicholas
(readers might have to explain this name to young listeners), who is
lit up by the silver moon, the town is below and most importantly
the once lonely tree is taking pride of place looking out over the
town and snowy mountains. The silver additions add that extra
element that brings some extra Christmas feeling to the page.
Loved this one, the short rhyming story and the beautiful
illustrations. 4 out of 5.
Lauren Fountain
We're going on an elf chase by Martha Mumford
Illus. by Laura Hughes. Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN: 9781526606303.
Recommended. We're going on an elf chase is a cute little
board book that encompasses a 'life the flap' on most pages.
It is the perfect size to read on the couch/bed with your little
ones but also great to pop into your bag for a day out (it has a
nice and sturdy cover so I think it will hold up well with lots of
use). The story follows 4 lovely little rabbits who are going on an
elf chase through the snow, where they come across winter animals
like penguins, birds, polar bears and even some festive reindeer!
As the reader lifts the flaps and find the elves, they can identify
the number they are up to (under each flap the numbers are written-
a great numeracy link!), and practice counting to 10.
The story also following a repetitive style with every second page
being the same text, allowing the reader to learn and join in with
the 'reading' of the book. My newly 5-year-old is just starting to
be interested in actual reading and this helped her begin to
identify words as she could predict what they were based on the
repetition of the book. I also liked how the author used some sounds
and noises associated with the animals they were creeping around.
This added interest and definitely increased engagement in the
story. We pretended to be reindeer who went cloppy, cloppy, clip and
birds who went chirpy, chirpy, cheep!
I really liked this book, as although it is a fairly simple story, I
was able to stretch that into the worlds of numeracy, literacy and
even some drama. Both my daughter and I enjoyed the illustrations
too, they are whimsical and free flowing and you can almost see the
freezing wind blowing across the landscape behind the rabbits!
I give We're going on an elf chase by Martha Mumford 4 out
5, a great Christmas book for children aged up to 6 years.
Lauren Fountain
Peppa's Christmas jumper day
Penguin, 2019. ISBN: 9780241371589.
Most parents of young children know the phenomenon that is Peppa
Pig, and probably can't help but sing the tune when it comes on the
TV! On top of the show, kids also have the ability to read about
Peppa and her friends!
This story is called Peppa's Christmas Jumper Day, and
follows the story of Peppa and her brother George who need Christmas
Jumpers for a special day at playgroup, but unfortunately theirs are
too small. It all ends with Daddy Pig coming to the rescue . . .
turning a normal jumper into a Christmas one with lots of baubles
and glitter.
Peppa Pig books follow the same predictable lines as the TV show,
and whilst reading it is easy to hear the characters' voices (if you
have had the privilege of hearing the shows over and over again!) in
your head. This will be comforting to young children who will feel
familiar with not only Peppa, her family and friends but also the
text.
The illustrations are exactly as they are seen on TV, bright
colourful and relatively simple.
I must admit that Peppa Pig was not one of my favourite TV or book
characters, however my daughter loved the show which meant that it
was a regular during quiet time at our house.
For children who love the Peppa Pig franchise, this Christmas
edition will be a fitting addition to their bookshelf. 3 out of 5
stars.
Lauren Fountain
The Underhills: a tooth fairy story by Bob Graham
Walker Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781536211122.
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Themes: Teeth, Tooth fairies, Fairies,
Cupid, Angels, Airports, Immigration, Grandparents. With the
Underhill parents called to a job, the girls and their baby brother
go to their grandparents' house, a teapot by the airport, to stay.
Here a splendid time awaits: fairy cakes, pancakes for breakfast,
feather beds and chocolate. And the girls bring a jar of tadpoles
for Grandma. But an urgent call comes in: a tooth is arriving from
Ghana, and they are close to the airport. Grandpa is left reading
his poetry book in the garden with baby Vincent tied to him lest his
wings take him up like a balloon.
Grandma, Esme and April (seen first in April
Underhill: tooth fairy, 2010) fly to the terminal, there to
wait for the plane. Cupids and angels are there too, waiting to ply
their skills: cupids to help loving people greet each other, and the
angels to comfort those who are alone and sad, enfolding them with
their wings and helping to push their trolleys.
An announcement alerts the family to the plane's arrival and the
girls watch out for the Ghanan family and the young girl whose tooth
has fallen out. Grandma reminds the girls about where to find the
tooth and the girls fly to the young girl and climb into her pocket.
They retrieve the tooth, leaving a small coin behind, whispering in
Akuba's ear that she will not remember the event.
Grandma was worried about the girls doing their first extraction but
had confidence in them.
That night the girls sleep in the feather bed, the tooth safely
beside them, while Akuba sleeps on the other side of town with her
small coin, unsure of how it got there.
This charming story full of hope and love, shows the Underhill
family plying their trade. The girls are supported by their gran on
their first job at the airport, searching for the Ghanan family as
they come into England. They are successful and the Ghanan family is
at peace in their new home.
Graham's playful illustrations reveal the lure of staying with
grandparents, while the children take on a role usually done by the
parents. But his delightful micro world always pays homage to what
is happening around us. The endpapers have huge planes landing over
the tea pot house, wire fences and bright lights surrounding the
airfield, the outline of the plane overshadowing the nearby suburbs,
Gran has a mobile phone. In the airport, a soldier returns from
duty, older people come in alone, people arrive from other
countries, some heads covered by a hijab, but all hopeful and full
of anticipation. While outside the now quiet airport, some tadpoles
turn into frogs and slip away into the night.
Graham's work always leaves readers with a warm glow: recognition of
a familiar scene, reworked to reveal a different perspective.
Children will look again at the images presented here, not only the
loving family, but the background figures, those coming into the
airport for a variety of reasons, but all finding a safe haven.
Fran Knight
Have you seen Mr Robinson? by Arwen Huang
Starfish Bay Children's Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781760360818.
(Age: 4+) Themes: Loss, Shyness, Isolation, Friendship. Anna makes
friends easily with the characters in her beloved books. The pages
are illustrated with the many characters that she likes: a unicorn,
Red Riding Hood and William Shakespeare to name a few. Her love of
books sees her going to the library with her grandfather to get even
more books and he suggests she might to go outside to play. She
watches the other children at play but cannot join them. Looking
into the pond a small boy appears asking if she has seen his cat, Mr
Robinson. He describes the animal to her and together they go off
looking for the cat. They hunt high and low in the streets, even
asking a police officer who suggests that they need to get a higher
view over the town. They climb the tower and using binoculars, spy
the cat high in a tree.
The boy climbs the tree to retrieve his cat and together they wander
off to look for the next adventure together.
A sweet tale of two children finding friends, this book will be
loved by many children who pick it up. The clear illustrations will
delight the readers as they spot the characters Anna so loves, at
the same time noting the activities undertaken by the children in
the park.
A charming tale, well told.
Born in Taiwan, author illustrator Arwen Huang studied at Taipei
National University of Arts before studying for a masters in the UK.
Fran Knight
The wishing bones by Michelle Lovric
Orion Children's Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781444009972.
(Ages 14+) Recommended. A magical and mysterious adventure novel
that follows a young orphan named Lily who has been raised in a
cruel and lonesome convent at the inhumane hands of the badessa.
Upon accidentally setting the convent aflame, Lily is sent to work
in the Hotel of What You Want. Here she meets Ivo Peruch, the
hotel's mysterious Boy-of-All-Trades who is cold and tight-lipped
and makes her an accomplice in a dark act before she realises what
she is partaking in. As the dark secrets of the hotel come to her
attention, Lily's desperation to leave is only exacerbated with the
arrival of a new guest, Deidre 'Darling' Dearworthy, who has a
direct connection to the dark act still haunting Lily. As Darling
quickly becomes Lily's first and best friend, she will do anything
to keep her from suffering a deadly fate at the hands of the
Signorina, the manager of the hotel. After the bones of Saint Lucy
are stolen, Lily, Ivo and Darling band together to save Venice;
facing countless dangers and adventures and meeting some magical
allies along the way.
Lovric creates a vivid and historically detailed Venice with rich
characters that provide a powerful message to the reader that you
are not your past and that you can still be a good person if you've
done things you regret. A powerful ode to resilience and the
importance of the family that you make for yourself. It should be
noted that this book is very grim and dark at times, with warnings
for substantial themes of death, grief, loss, murder, supernatural
themes and graphic discussion of dismemberment. Recommended for
children aged 14+ for these reasons.
Daniella Chiarolli
