Illus. by Nancy Bevington. Big Sky Publishing, 2020. ISBN:
9781922265715.
(Ages: 4-8) Harry and his Dad are having a day at the beach with
their dog Jasper. It's a beautiful sunny day and Harry starts
pointing out some things he can see in the clouds. 'Clouds make me
hip-hip happy', he says. 'When we're happy everyone around us is
happy', says his dad. Harry spends time blissfully observing the
clouds, spotting sheep, flowers, birds and cats; but soon the clouds
start to build and change colour. The darker clouds bring things
that make him shiver: dragons and fierce rhinos. We see how Harry's
mood reflects the clouds and he points out that happiness is like a
cloud. Some moments are rainy and stormy and then these feelings
roll on and we are floating along in the sunshine again. Harry
doesn't like the rain and the unhappy dark clouds. 'Ah, but the dark
ones carry a belly full of rain and hope' says Dad, pointing out the
happiness rain brings to the natural world.
There is some beautiful imagery throughout the text ('Harry felt the
happiness of the afternoon leak out of him like rain from the
rhinoceros rain cloud') and the illustrations are an interesting
combination of photographs and drawings that provide a realistic
landscape. The clouds have been drawn in so we see what Harry sees
in the sky, but they seem a little too overt, not leaving much to
the imagination or encouraging children to stretch their own when
looking for shapes in clouds. Happiness is a Cloud provides a great visual representation
of emotion and is lovely reminder for children that moods are not
permanent and that we, as well as the people and world around us,
can help bring happiness back. Themes: Emotions, Clouds.
Nicole Nelson
Magnificent mistakes and fantastic failures: Finding the good when things seem bad by Josh Langley
Big Sky Publishing, 2020. ISBN: 9781922265692.
(Age: 5-12) Recommended. Award-winning author Josh Langley (Being
You is Enough, It's
OK to Feel the Way you Do) is back with another title
that aims to help kids feel good about who they are. This one is all
about resilience and looking on the bright side when things don't
seem so great. He tackles a serious subject in a fun and
non-threatening way, offering hope and strategies for kids to build
their resilience and see mistakes as opportunities for learning. The
book is really a series of illustrated messages, similar perhaps to
Todd Parr's books, although this is more suitable for older
children. The structure is also reminiscent of Parr's books, with
illustrations and a small amount of text on each page flowing on to
the next. Although it reads well as a whole, each section (Mistakes
can be magnificent, Failing can be fantastic!, Maybe problems aren't
really problems at all, Good friends are good to have around, Every
'body' is OK just the way they are, Feeling weird and awkward is
normal too, Be the star and director of your own life, and Talking
to someone always makes you feel better) could be read
independently. The final message is 'You are important to the world.
Now go and be amazing in your own unique way.'
This is a gem of a book to read with all children in the hope that
some of this will stick in their mind as well as to put into their
hands when they are having a rough day. It will also provide a
really good conversation starter about how they feel about
themselves, what worries them and how they can reframe their
self-talk. Perfect for primary school classrooms and homes. Themes:
Resilience, Positivity, Confidence.
Nicole Nelson
Roma the road train's first road trip by Debbie Camps
Illus. by David Clare. Little Steps, 2019. ISBN: 9781925839524.
(Ages: 4-8) This is an Aussie book for Aussie kids who love road
trains. Roma is a smiley green road train with four huge trailers
and Norm is her driver. 'Today Norm is driving his brand new road
train . . . from Darwin to Alice Springs' (this journey is also
depicted in the front of the book on a map of Australia). They have
a long way to drive and heavy and important freight on board. The
story takes us through the journey step by step, from the safety
check Norm performs and his farewell to his wife and young kids all
the way through to getting a new load and going back the other way.
Lots of information about both trucks and the Northern Territory is
crammed into the story (we learn trucks have loud air horns and that
truck drivers talk to each other over UHF radio as well as that you
can't swim in the water because of crocodiles) but it also tells a
lovely story about the life of a truck driver. Lots of fun fact text
bubbles about trucking and Australian wildlife are also scattered
throughout the book ('Tourists and travellers dress the termite
mounds in all sorts of interesting outfits along the highways in the
Northern Territory!').
This is a perfect information story book for young ones who have
truck driving parents or the many who are simply fascinated by these
big machines and the vast distances they travel across Australia.
Themes: Australian Road Trains and Drivers, Northern Territory.
Nicole Nelson
Ella Diaries: Passion For Fashion by Meredith Costain
Illus. by Danielle McDonald. Scholastic Australia, 2020. ISBN:
9781743832318.
(Ages: 6-9 years). The colour theme for the latest Ella Diaries:
Passion For Fashion is purple. This aptly ties in with the P
theme for the disco that Ella and her friends, Ammy and Zoe, are
attending. There are many shared thoughts in Ella's diary about
possible fancy dress choices and in the end she decides to go as a
pangolin. Her attempts at making her costume are not successful and
then Nanna Kate steps in and helps her to sew the scales on. Ella
then makes a nightie for Olivia and a mask and cap for Max. These
sewing sessions ignite in Ella an idea to start a sewing club during
lunchtime at school. She enlists the help of Ammy and Zoe and after
modelling some bike shorts turned witches' britches from an idea
from Nanna Kate, the sewing club begins. Support from school staff
is welcomed and sewing machines are sourced from the Art room. After
a number of weeks the students hold a highly successful fashion
parade and the ideas for the recycled and op shop clothing are quite
a hit.
The uncomplicated style of drawings by Danielle McDonald keep the
reader entertained and focused on the text which is not onerous for
young readers who are ready for novel-type books. Themes: Diaries,
Friendship, Sewing, School, Disco, Fashion.
Kathryn Beilby
Use your noodle by Sarah Brazier
Little Steps Publishing, 2020. ISBN: 9781925839517. Unpaged.
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Sarah Brazier and colour-loving
illustrator Andrew Hopgood create a factional text about the brain
that looks and feels more like a picture book. The author uses Tom
and Emma to demonstrate dual workings of our brain, ideal for shared
reading. We are introduced to Mind, who never shuts up. He's the
noisy, sensing, colourful, feeling and reactive one. For a friend,
his behaviour can certainly cause us a lot of anxiety and
embarrassment. Hopgood's flesh tone rendering of Noodle however,
shows us the bland, contemplative, reasoning brain, who helps us to
choose to be awesome. Hopgood aids young readers by highlighting
awesome words and instructions. When Tom and Emma are challenged
by their irrational feelings, they allow Mind's "fight or flight"
reflexes to take over. To be their best selves, both are advised to
consult Noodle and analyse each situation before making rash
decisions. The delightful thing about Use your noodle is not
to denigrate our amazing emotions with unique thoughts and
experiences. But Brazier wants us to consult someone else, a
different inner self, aka Noodle, and that makes all the difference.
It is not surprising that the hat tip to both academic and spiritual
thinkers concludes the book, since the takeaway is to balance our
"two" brains, making sure that Noodle has the time to convince us of
the best outcome. But the message doesn't end there with the
absolutes of neuroscience - the most important message is saved for
last . . .
"There is only one special you. Only you have your mind and your
noodle. No one will ever know exactly what you are thinking, and you
won't know what someone else is thinking. So try not to worry about
what others do. Just treat other people as you would like them to
treat you."
Fans of Hey warrior by Karen Young, will think this
instructional text ugly by comparison, but Use your noodle
targets all young readers, and many adults too, whose compulsions
are not restricted to clinical anxiety.
Deborah Robins
Eddy Popcorn's guide to parent training by Dee White
Illus. by Benjamin Johnston. Omnibus, 2020. ISBN: 9781743834022.
211p.
(Age: 11+) Recommended. Eddy is not happy to be grounded and missing
the first days of the school holidays, when he should be hanging out
at the local beach with his mates. The teacher has contacted his
parents to say he hadn't completed his two book reflections. Mum, a
policewoman, has convinced Dad to ground Eddy until he has caught
up.
It should be easy, but something is always getting in the way of
task completion, like the dog destroying one of the set books,
forcing Eddy to order it online. Meanwhile Eddy becomes side-tracked
by his indignation at discovering that his parents have been
consulting a self-help book, A parent's guide to raising tweens.
Eddy decides to retaliate and write a guide for children whose
parents are strict or unwittingly embarrassing their child. Much of
the humour in the book comes from this sub-text.
Being grounded is at times excruciating, but Eddy spends increasing
amounts of quality time with his parents and brother, if only at
first to ingratiate himself and have his punishment reversed. Most
of his angst concerns his upcoming twelfth birthday sleepover party.
He's banking on his Grandma's generosity to save him from his
parent's wrath but can he be any more embarrassed by his
well-meaning and hands-on parents?
Submitting his book reflection videos may finally end Eddy's
suffering, but what his brother Davey does next, ensures that Eddy's
own manuscript makes a splash.
Benjamin Johnston inserts copious sketches in each section - one for
each day of Eddy's ruined holiday. The chapters fit between and some
words are illuminated to enhance the narrator's emotions and make
this a very visually engaging and easily read novel for upper
primary.
Deborah Robins
Fabio the world's greatest flamingo detective: Peril at Lizard Lake by Laura James
Bloomsbury, 2020. ISBN: 9781408889374. 128pp., pbk.
In a small town on the banks of Lake Laloozee lives Fabio, the
world's greatest flamingo detective. He's not tall or strong, but
slight and pink. And he's very, very clever.
Most of the time. But when an unusual lapse of judgement leads Fabio
to accept a ride in his associate Gilbert's plane, little does he
know he'll be nose-diving into a new mystery!
When the tiny plane crash-lands near a remote village in the
savannah, all Fabio wants is a pink lemonade to calm his nerves. But
the town well has dried up, and the water didn't just disappear on
its own! Fabio's on the case, and it's going to take a daring sting
operation to set things right.
With its hot pink and citrus yellow colour scheme in both the
illustrations and pages, this is a series that will appeal to newly
independent readers who like something a bit wacky in their reading
diet. Flamingoes are up there with unicorns on the popularity charts
right now, so for that reason alone it will be appealing but as the
third in the series, it offers more than just offbeat characters
with a mystery to solve through an engaging storyline while still
supporting readers who are transitioning to the complexity of
novels.
Barbara Braxton
The other passenger by Louise Candlish
Simon and Schuster, 2020. ISBN: 9781471196461.
(Age: Senior secondary/Adult) Highly recommended. Louise Candlish
weaves an absorbing tale of deceit, love, greed and duplicity in
this wonderful thriller. The reader is taken on a ride where the
characters need your sympathy one minute and have your loathing the
next.
Candlish sets her narrative firmly in London, mostly around the
Thames. The commute by river boat has a large part to play. Jamie,
who has a phobia about crowds and confined spaces, finds the journey
to and from his job relaxing, comfortable and convenient. It is also
where he meets Kit, a young man with an easy, confident persona.
Interestingly Kit's partner, Melia, works for the same trendy real
estate firm that Clare, Jamie's partner, is a leading light.
The four become friends, with an invitation to Clare and Jamie's
Georgian town house on Prospect Square. Kit and Melia cannot help
but be impressed particularly as they are renting an expensive small
flat nearby, but find it difficult to make ends meet.
The Thames commute also brings in some others who form a wider
acquaintance group, where Kit seems to be the one to whom the others
defer. When Kit disappears over the Christmas festive season, Jamie
is questioned on his way to work by a couple of detectives, who seem
to believe he may have had a part to play in the disappearance.
As the story evolves so does the tangled web Jamie, Melia, Kit,
Clare weave for themselves. Stories change and one is never entirely
sure who can be believed. This is Jamie's story but he is an
unreliable narrator who does not allow you to know the whole truth.
Your sympathies which lie with our story teller at first, soon begin
to fall away as he lets you in to what you believe are truths but
then are blown away in the next chapter.
Louise Candlish is the author of a number of other works including Our
House a winner of the Crime and Thriller Book of the Year at
the British Book Awards. This is the first of hers that I have read
and cannot wait to read others she has published. She knows how to
twist her plots leading her readers up all sorts of garden paths
only ready to be taken on yet another false direction.
If you enjoy a good thriller look no further. Themes: Crime, London,
Riverboats, Commuters,Thriller, Unreliable narrator.
Mark Knight
7 steps to get your child reading by Louise Park
Illus. by Nene May Pierce. Allen & Unwin, 2020. ISBN:
9781760524678. 256pp., pbk.
As the new school year approaches there is great excitement for new
students as well as their parents as one of the biggest milestones
in their lives approaches. And for the little ones, no matter what
else is promised, it is the prospect of learning to read that is
predominant. So much so, that for many there is great disappointment
because they don't achieve that goal on the first day!
After almost 50 years of teaching our youngest readers to master
that mysterious code of squiggles on the page, I know that it is
imperative to have them able to begin their journey in both the
classroom and the library from that very first day. But there is
much that can be done at home in preparation for that more formal
instruction and this book from author and education consultant
Louise Park outlines a series of steps that parents can implement
long before the classroom doors open.
While there are many books written by many people who have
experience in the literacy field from all of its diverse angles,
this one focuses on the children of the tech generation where there
is so much competition from screens. It combines the traditional
thinking while embracing technology so that the two are not mutually
exclusive. The seven steps are:
Step 1: Talking their way to literacy
Step 2: Reading their way to literacy
Step 3: Linking writing and reading
Step 4: Taming the tech and making it count
Step 5: Harnessing the power of book ownership
Step 6: Embracing two reading philosophies
Step 7: Finding just-right books for any age
Difficulty learning to read, write and spell
Each is set out in an appealing format with language that parents
will readily understand - it's not full of the eduspeak that so many
teachers favour - yet treats them as intelligent human beings. It
clearly explains what the brain is doing when we read and that there
is no one-size-fits-all magic bullet simple because every child's
experiences and circumstances are different.
That 50 years of working with little ones and their parents has also
taught me that when it comes to reports and interviews, it is the
child's literacy development that parents are most interested in
because they know that that is the key that unlocks all the other
doors. But I also know that reading begins long before a child comes
to school, that success is a partnership between parent and
professional and so providing books like this either informally or
formally as part of a parent participation program can help them
enormously. As the professionals we have the responsibility to do
whatever it takes to ensure the children in our care explore and
explode their potential so helping their parents help them is an
essential foundation.
Barbara Braxton
Scientists who changed the world series by Anita Croy
EK Books, 2020. 64pp., hbk. Charles Darwin
ISBN: 9781925820706. Rachel Carson
ISBN: 9781925820690. Sir Isaac
Newton ISBN: 9781925820713.
It could be said that never before in the lives of our young
students, has science been at the forefront as it is at the moment.
Every night on the news and in other programs they have access to,
science is featured along with the obligatory white-coated scientist
as there are reports of progress in the race to a vaccine and
treatment for Covid-19, the disease keeping them trapped inside. The
importance of research, testing, trials and all the other vocabulary
associated with the discipline is becoming a natural part of their
vocabulary and there would be more than one little one who now has
aspirations of finding that one thing that will save mankind.
So this new series about the scientists on whose shoulders today's
generation stands is timely, Apart from anything else, it
demonstrates there are almost as many fields of science as there are
people investigating and so if immunology and epidemiology don't
appeal, then there are endless other facets that might. The first
three in the series introduce us to a physicist, Sir Isaac
Newton, a marine biologist, Rachel Carson
and an anthropologist, Charles Darwin,
all of whom changed the world's thinking with their discoveries.
Teacher's notes are available from the publisher's website.
Using accessible text, colour illustrations and an appealing layout,
young readers are introduced to each including not just their
discoveries but also their early life that influenced the paths they
took. With at least three more in the series planned (Albert
Einstein, Galileo Galilei and Stephen Hawking) this is a series that
will be a most useful addition to the library's collection because
of its modern presentation and timely release as children return to
the classroom with big dreams of adding their names to the list of
world-changers.
Barbara Braxton
You are positively awesome: Good vibes and self-care prompts for all life's ups and downs by Stacie Swift
Pavilion, 2020. ISBN: 9781911641995. 144pp., hbk.
One of the greatest concerns of this pandemic that has engulfed the
globe is the mental health of those who have been in lockdown for
some time. Humans are sociable creatures, particularly our young
folk who haven't yet developed the wherewithal to be comfortable in
their own company for long periods and who need the contact with
their peers to validate and boost their sense of self-worth. Even
though governments may have offered millions of dollars to help with
the crisis, including for organisations like Kids Helpline, not all
will reach out to such bodies and so books like this that talk
directly to them and offer positive affirmations such as the
following can be very valuable in the hands of those who can help:
* we are all in this together
* we all need a bit of TLC
* we have all survived every bad day and overcome every
obstacle we've faced
Chapters include headings such as:
* Hey, you're awesome!
* Why is this stuff important?
* We all have times when life is a bit rainy
* It's okay
* Self-love matters
* You can be a good person with a kind heart and still say
'NO'
* Say yes to self-care
Each page has an affirmation, information and often an activity that
can offer a pathway forward. For example, in chapter 7 which focuses
on self-care, the advice goes much deeper than temporary fixes like
bath bombs and candles and offers some strategies for a 5-minute
self care as well as identifying those things that matter to the
individual so they can build their own circle of self-care and make
sure they complete it each day.
As well as being an essential tool in the teacher's well-being box
so that students consciously learn the strategies of mindfulness and
taking care of their own mental health, this could also be a gift to
a young one who might be adrift because of the loss of their
immediate peer support at this time. Even as students gradually
return to school, that return is different from coming back from
school holidays because families will have had to have faced a whole
range of unprecedented experiences unique to them, some might feel
shame or anxiety about the loss of income or whatever, and so
working through the things in this book should form part of each
child's learning over the next weeks. Help them to understand that
while each has had a unique set of circumstances to deal with and
these will continue to be endured for some time to come, we are in
this together and together we can survive and thrive. That said
though, help them build the mindset and strategies that will build
resilience and help them to help themselves when those difficulties
arise.
Barbara Braxton
Cinders and Sparks series by Lindsey Kelk
Illus. by Pippa Curnick. HarperCollins, 2019-2020 Magic at midnight. ISBN: 9780008292119. Fairies
in the forest. ISBN: 9780008292140. Goblins and gold. ISBN: 9780008292171.
Cinders lives a boring life with her selfish stepsisters and mean
stepmother, doing the chores and tending to their every need, just
like her traditional counterpart. While they prefer to stay indoors
all day listening to their mother read, Cinders would dearly love to
be outside playing and although they can't see the value of that, she
is allowed to do so once her chores are completed. But something
strange happens while she is outside - her dog Sparks starts talking
to her, her wishes start coming true and her fairy godmother, Brian,
materialises. (It's been hard to track Cinders down because she is
not on social media.)
And so begins a new series for young independent girls who are ready
for a solid adventure story but still believe in magic and the
characters of their childhood. Easy to read, engaging and funny in
parts, familiar characters and an ongoing quest make this a great
read but at the same time, it has an underlying message that
celebrates diversity and reaffirms that it is OK to be different.
Miss 9 asked for The worst witch series for her birthday six
weeks ago, and she is going to be thrilled when she discovers this
series in her letterbox as a follow-up because it will be perfect
for her. Thoroughly modern, thoroughly entertaining and just right
for a winter read.
Barbara Braxton
Lottie Perkins: The ultimate collection by Katrina Nannestad
Illus. by Makoto Koji. ABC Books, 2020. ISBN: 9780733340987. 240pp.,
pbk.
Charlotte (you can call me Lottie) Perkins is an exceptional child -
well, that's her belief anyway. She has a range of talents - each
different in each story - but most of all she has drive,
determination and a confidence in herself that is remarkable for a
seven year old. In each episode of the series, Lottie becomes a
different character, one that is determined by the events that get
her into strife and how she extricates herself from it.
Aided and abetted by her best friend Sam Bell, who believes in her
as much as she does herself, her goat Feta and her pet rabbits, she
slips into new roles while managing to circumvent the blocking
efforts of mean-girl Harper Dark and her cronies, using her unique
talents to emerge triumphant and even more confident than ever.
Included in this compendium are the first four books in the series -
Movie
star,Ballerina, Pop singer and Fashion
designer - offering young girls who are becoming independent
readers some great reading while supporting their new skills with
large font, short chapters and liberal illustrations. They will
relate to the feisty, resilient Lottie and readily imagine
themselves in her shoes.
Collections like these are always good value and during this
stay-at-home time, four stories for the price of one will be
welcome.
Barbara Braxton
Alphabetical Tashi by Anna Fienberg and Barbara Fienberg
Tashi. Illus. by Kim Gamble, Arielle Gamble and Greer Gamble.
Allen & Unwin, 2020. ISBN: 9781760525293. 80pp.
(Age 3+) Highly recommended. An excellent book to introduce Tashi to
newly independent readers and for younger children to learn the
alphabet, Alphabetical Tashi will delight a new generation
of readers. Tashi is a strange little boy who has wonderful
adventures and tells exciting tales and in this book he guides
children through his wonderful world: In a land far away, you'll find . . .
A boy called Tashi, brave and bold,
Baba Yaga the witch, cunning and cold,
Chintu the giant, bigger than most,
Dragon of fire, who'll turn you to toast!
This is a beautifully produced book showcasing through brilliant
illustrations the amazing characters and objects that will be found
in the Tashi series. These have been restored by Kim Gamble's
daughters and are so memorable. The rhyming text and repeating
refrain of In a land far away, you'll meet . . . makes this an
exceptional book to read aloud and I can see it being used in a
classroom to give children the flavour of the Tashi books -
and it is sure to grab their imaginations. Add to the fact that Tashi
is now a television show and it is sure to be a winner. With younger
children, an adult may need to reassure children that Tashi can
always overcome the ferocious characters and emphasise the humour in
many of the pictures, for example the K in Kidnapping Bandits on
a hairy horse, or the pathos in Ogre whose love fills his
eyes with tears, rather than the some of the scary pictures.
The final double page spread has a smiling Tashi flying on a spotted
dragon and the reader is reminded that there is nothing better than someone who's kind
whose heart is big along with his mind."
It is easy to see why the Tashi books, first published in
1995, are such a hit with children. Alphabetical Tashi is a
keeper and one that will handed on to the next generation of
children.
Pat Pledger
Tashi : The book of magnificent monsters by Anna Fienberg and Barbara Fienberg
Illus. by Kim Gamble. Allen & Unwin, 2020. ISBN: 9781760525217.
248pp.
(Ages: 6 - 9) Recommended. This collection of Tashi stories links
together eight fantastic tales about monsters. Among them are Baba
Yaga, Demons and a Chimera (part lion, part goat and part serpent).
All the stories have the common element of a boy called Jack and his
parents, who live in the modern day world. Jack's friend Tashi is
otherworldly and has many exotic tales to tell and this he does to
entertain Jack and his parents. Tashi is always able to outwit the
monsters and associated nasty characters, such as the War Lord or
River Pirate. Tashi tames his own fears of spiders and snakes with
the power of his mind and he saves Princess Hoiti-Toiti from
marrying the evil Khan. The setting is a global blend of Asia,
Persia and Russia which is laid out in a map of Tashi's village at
the beginning of the book.
The many wonderful pencil illustrations by Kim Gamble are really
suited to the text and make the monsters a lot less frightening.
Jack's parents also help soften the scariness with their inane
childish comments, juxtaposed with Tashi's smartness and bravery.
Some of the characters have somewhat humorous names such as Ah Chu
or Soh Meen and if you can ignore this silly cultural stereotyping
there is some enjoyable reading for children about 6 to 9 years.
They are quite popular as a novel for newly independent readers or
as a read aloud. Some of the stories have been around since the
1990's but are really quite timeless and it is no wonder they are
still being published. Three similar Tashi collections have also
just been released.
Jo Marshall
