Allen and Unwin, 2018. ISBN 9781760293123
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Themes: Horses, Australian animals,
Environment, Habitat. Noni the pony rescues a joey will
captivate its audience, already thrilled at the first book about Noni
the pony (2010) and Noni the pony goes to the beach
(2014). All the right ingredients are brought together, Noni, of
course, with her two friends, Coco and Dave, and an array of
Australian animals for young children to recognise and name while
they have this rhyming story read to them. They will thrill at
predicting the word to end each line, and work with Noni and her
friends as they try to find the joey's parents.
Lester entrances her readers with a story of loss, but as Noni asks
each animal she meets, the joey finds her mob, and along the way
small pieces of information are given teaching the audience some of
the habits of these animals. So many of the animals are asleep,
being nocturnal, the koala and her joey asleep because of their poor
diet, the echidna is digging, the father emu is looking after his
chicks, and finally as evening falls the other wallabies come out to
graze, and the joey is reunited with the family.
Lester's recognisable illustrative technique will delight younger
readers as they will be able to find other books by this prolific
Australian author in the library.
The range of animals that live in Waratah Bay will intrigue readers
as they note the echidna, possum, quoll, koala, wallaby, goanna,
emu, wombat and platypus, and feel impelled to find out more about
these Australian animals and their habitat and habits, perhaps
looking for them in their own neighbourhood or seeking them out at
the zoo.
Fran Knight
The Afterwards by A. F. Harrold
Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408894316
(Age: 10+) Recommended. Ember and Ness are best friends, completely
inseparable. Ember can't imagine what life would be without Ness.
Until Ness dies, in a most sudden and unexpected way. Ember feels
completely empty. How can this even be real? Then Ember finds a way
into the afterworld - a place where the recently dead reside. She
knows there must be a way to bring Ness back, so she decides to find
it. Because that's what friends do: rescue each other. But the
afterworld holds its own dangers. How far will Ember go to make
things the way they were?
The wonderfully talented A. F. Harrold, author of The Imaginary,
has not disappointed fans with her latest works. This is a heart
warming and touching story that delves into the dark side of the
afterworld. It explores the emotional roller coaster people can
travel on when faced with losing a loved one - the character could
easily be a best friend, family member or even a pet. The book
leaves us wondering what extremes would we go to if we were able to
bring our loved ones back. Themes such as desperation, loss, love
and darkness are evident throughout the storyline. Due to the depth
of darkness in the book, I would recommend it for children aged 10
and up. It would make a fabulous read aloud and create some
interesting discussions. A must have for the library and a welcome
addition to the Christmas wish list.
Kathryn Schumacher
Rudi Hooper's Super Pooper-Scooper by Alan Horsfield
Big Sky, 2018. ISBN 9781925675160
(Age: Primary) Rudi Hooper's Super Pooper-Scooper is
certainly a title that leads the mind to think that the story will
be filled with toilet humour, and silliness. But, to the author's
credit, it is actually a well written story that has a whole range
of concepts and ideas meaning it will engage readers that vary in
age and likes.
The book centres on Rudi Hooper and his aim of winning fame and
glory through Student of the month and the Tidy Towns initiative,
where he decides to clean up the problem that most people pretend
isn't there - the dog poo! He uses all of his inventive ideas to
make the job quicker and easier, which leaves his family very proud
of him. His younger brother Morris also plays a valuable role, as he
sticks up for his brother and tries to help solve the very
interesting mystery that is integrated beautifully into the story.
This book was well liked by my 8 year old, although he stated that
he would have enjoyed a few more pictures throughout the story,
especially of all the poop! I liked how Alan Horsfield was able to
weave conflict, cheating, inventions, sibling rivalry, problems,
family support, humour and dog poo altogether in one story. Rudi Hooper's Super Pooper-Scooper was a good book that would be
enjoyed by primary aged children. It is funny, and will assist to
engage readers who may not enjoy reading on a daily basis. The
laugh-out-loud nature of the book keeps it interesting and will
ensure the reader wants to go back for more. A good reader to add to
the library collection, 3.5 out of 5.
Lauren Fountain
Collecting sunshine by Rachel Flynn
Ill. by Tamsin Ainslie. Puffin Books, 2018. ISBN 9780143785187
(age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Seasons, Autumn, Leaves Friends. Mabel and
Robert love collecting. They leave home with Mum and their much
younger sibling, and a paper bag in which to put all the marvellous
things they spy on this wonderful autumn day. The children are
dressed for the cold day, boots and jackets keeping them warm. They
collect seeds and leaves, berries and flowers, and some sticks, and
when it begins to rain, Robert opens up his paper bag to collect
some raindrops. They soon learn that this is not a good idea as the
water softens the bag so much that their collection falls out of
through the sodden bottom of the bag. With no bag, they collect
things with their eyes, spying a train and a birdsong, while walking
home, they collect a dog's smell and jump in lots of puddles. Once
home, they draw what they have collected, jackets and boots put away
for another day. A lovely book to remind us all of the great
outdoors, of the wonderful things to look at and see, if only in the
streets around out homes. The children see lots of other people,
other children and animals being walked by their owners: they count
out some of the things they see, but after the bag has
disintegrated, use their eyes and imaginations to collect things
around them.
Perfect illustrations add another dimension to the story as the
children's journey is set in a suburban street, the small single
fronted cottages with their range of fences and gates, front gardens
and occupants offering a contrast to the park and the high rise
flats behind the houses. The setting is familiar and small scale, a
place where the imagination can roam freely. This is a wonderful
promotion of children playing in the great outdoors, of families
being together outside, of using their imagination to fill their
days, and on each page readers will eagerly search for a budgie and
a mouse hidden within the colours of the park.
Fran Knight
Clever crow by Nina Lawrence
Ill. by Bronwyn Bancroft, Magabala Books, 2018. ISBN 9781922142610
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Aboriginal themes. Crows.
Cleverness. Language. Crow flies around the countryside looking for
food, he is hungry and no matter how far he searches, he cannot find
anything to eat. He spies several young men preparing for a
ceremony, while their mother fans a fire ready to cook a turtle egg.
Crow spies the egg and swoops down to grab it in his beak. But other
animals are cleverer than he. Kookaburra laughs, making crow laugh
and the egg drops from his beak. It rolls into the waiting pouch of
a wallaby, but when she goes to rest in the shade, it rolls out of
her pouch and onto the riverbank. Nearby an old man is fishing and
spies the egg, taking it onto his boat. He knows someone will be
happy to eat this egg, and finds several young men and their mother
on the riverbank preparing for a ceremony, the perfect recipients
for the egg. But crow is still watching, and when the egg is handed
over he swoops, taking the egg back again and flying off with his
prize.
A delightfully funny and rounded story of being clever, crow will
make readers laugh as they watch his antics at getting food for his
empty stomach. The stunning illustrations complement the story, with
their bold, black outlines and techniques reflecting dot paintings.
Award winning illustrator, Bronwyn Bancroft, a Djanbun clan member,
brings her vast experience to the story, adding levels of interest
to the story of the crow which will engage and delight younger
readers. In telling the story of crow, Nina Lawrence, from the
Yidinji of Far North Queensland, reflects the community of her
childhood and the stories she heard of survival in the bush.
The book has parallel texts, of English and Yolngu of Arnhem Land and
the latter seems almost woven into the illustrations as it follows
the repeated band of colour and dots across the bottom of each page,
drawing the eye to the unfamiliar words, which are given in
translation in a glossary at the end of the book.
This book gives so much more than the simple story told. Children
will talk about the ceremony and what the boys are doing, they will
ask questions about their mother building a fire, and the food that
people eat and how it is collected, they will wonder at the things
the people are doing. Each page will produce questions from the
listeners and I can imagine many students trying out Bancroft's
illustrative style as well as speaking the language for themselves.
Fran Knight
Doctor Who: Twelve angels weeping: Twelve stories of the villains from Doctor Who by Dave Rudden
Ill. by Alexis Snell. BBC Children's Books, 2018. ISBN
9781405938273
(Age: 12+) Recommended. Themes: Science fiction. Doctor Who. Time
travel. Monsters. Aliens. Robots. Villains. Life on other planets.
Twelve short stories featuring the villains from the Doctor Who
series will enthral any fan of Doctor Who and probably encourage
many who haven't seen all the series to go back and find them. The
author Dave Rudden must have an immense knowledge of and love for
the series to be able to write convincingly of all the monsters and
villains that are described in this set of stories. As a fan of the
series I was reminded of many episodes that I had seen and some that
I had missed.
The introduction reminds the reader that 'Everywhere in the
universe, on every planet that has existed or will exist, there is a
winter...' and that 'stories are a light in themselves' and then
goes on to explain the light that is carried in these stories. All
were very readable and will be particularly enjoyable for Doctor Who
fans, but some stood out for me. One was 'Student bodies',
where a young PHD student, Donovan Claire, tries to record what is
happening to her as her memories are stolen by something strange and
alien. The reader also finds out about River Song's youthful
exploits at the university. In 'Judoon the rhino of twenty-three
Strand Street', 10 year old Patricia meets an alien rhino and
learns that she needn't restrict herself to the narrow pathways that
Mother Superior and her father expect of her. Of course a volume
about Doctor Who would be incomplete without a story featuring
Daleks, and the reader will be mesmerised by 'Daleks, the third
wise man', and the doctor as the Renegade.
Each of the stories has a full page black and white drawing by
Alexis Snell and each one vividly illustrates the villain in the
following story - some may give you nightmares!
A must for any Doctor Who fan, this group of short stories will be
welcomed in a library or as a gift.
Pat Pledger
Giraffe problems by Jory John
Ill. by Lane Smith. Walker Books, 2018. ISBN 9781406383164
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Giraffes. Comparisons. Self
image. Edward the giraffe does not like his long neck, he feels all
the other animals are looking at it. His neck is too long, too
bendy, too dopey, too narrow, simply too necky. He tries tying
scarves around it, neck ties and bow ties, but nothing seems to
work. He tries hiding in the river, behind trees, shrubs and
ditches, all to no avail. He looks at the necks of other animals: an
elephant's neck is strong and powerful, yet graceful, while he loves
the classic stripes of a zebra's neck. Cyrus the turtle comes along
and tells Edward that he has been admiring his neck from afar.
Edward cannot understand how this little animal admires his neck,
but his reply shows him just how different their necks are as Cyrus
shows him how restrictive his little neck is. Cyrus really wants a
banana high up on the tree, but try as hard as he can, his neck will
not budge, it is tiny. The pair work together to get Turtle what he
wants, and Edward comes to understands that each of their necks has
a purpose and it's there for a reason.
The illustrations, with an African motif, mainly wrought in giraffe
colours of browns and cream are endlessly humorous as Edward tries
to do all he can to lessen the visual impact of his long neck. Cyrus
with his shades of green, has the most amazing range of facial
expressions reflecting his frustration at not getting that banana,
that readers will laugh out loud, sensing his vexation.
This is a lovely story of self image, of being happy with what you
are, of not wanting to change to fit with others. A funny story,
beautifully illustrated (watch out for the lift the flap page) and
stylishly designed, the book will be a hit amongst early readers.
Fran Knight
How to tame a human tornado by Paul Tobin
The genius factor, book 3. Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN
9781619638990
(Age: 9+) Recommended. Themes: Science experiments. Gifted children.
Inventions. Friendship. Sixth-grade gifted inventor Nate Bannister
and his best friend Delphine return in the third book of The
genius factor series. Frenetically-paced, constantly chased,
scientifically amazed, How to tame a human tornado
challenges our beliefs as we follow in the wake of Nathan's
outrageous escapades.
While trying to avoid the evil Red Tea Society and all their wicked
destructive schemes, Nate has found time to hide his science vials
all over town. Each contains a crazy invention, a plague of toads, a
brother turned into a zebra running with a pack of humans also
morphed into zebras and wild lightning storms that won't stop.
Super-wealthy Nate and his talking dog Bosper are a force to be
reckoned with: on Friday the 13th he usually does three outrageous
things, this time he's exceeded his quota causing mayhem in his home
town Polt. His friend who is definitely not his girlfriend is taken
along for the ride, literally. There's even an improved jetbelt
fitted with miniature magnetoplasma rockets to assist Delphine and
her talking bee Melville to escape from the villains chasing them.
When Nate talks scientifically, explaining the structure and
capability of each invention, Delphine is more concerned about
practical issues. The Red Death Society know where Nate lives and
his mission needs to focus on concealing all the hidden vials. When
Delphine's friends become involved, drinking vials of Gravity
Dispersal potion and Crayon Summoning, her adventure course training
is a vital tool in their rescue. Delphine's daily exercise in her
backyard obstacle course has increased her physical and mental
agility. Flying cars that talk even while underwater, talking
animals, hyper-speeding people and the wildest weather add to the
heightened drama.
Paul Tobin's How to tame a human tornado is a rollercoaster
ride at warp speed! There are multiple absurd and crazy characters,
situations and settings that twist and turn continuously.
Friendship, wittiness, scientific and mathematical knowledge add to
the enjoyment of reading this novel for middle grade students.
Humorous scenes, being chased by rubber boots, attacked and buried
under layers of toads and Bosper's smart doggy comments add
excitement. Where to next for Nate and Delphine, especially with the
Red Tea Death Society having a base under the lake?
An exciting, slightly crazy novel filled with science and technology
suitable for preteens, teenagers and adults.
Rhyllis Bignell
Alphaprints: Sea life by Roger Priddy
Priddy Books, 2018. ISBN 9781783417131
(Age: Preschool) Highly recommended. Sea life (from the Alphaprints
series) is another fantastic board book produced by Priddy Books. It
has simple, rhyming text that enables younger children to predict
and fill in the end words after only listening to it a few times.
The Alphaprints series is characterised by tactile
fingerprint shapes that help to create the body or markings of the
animal on each page. The illustrations also include household items
such as pegs, tools and dress-up equipment adding interest and
talking points to each animal.
I really like how although each animal only gets a few words of
description, the authors have been able to provide enough
information to spark conversation and increase the knowledge and
understanding of the young reader. Two of my favourites are -
'Swordfish; is fast, with a long sharp bill' and 'Narwhal: The
unicorn of the arctic sea.'
This is the second book in this series that we have read and they
are firm favourites in our house for the almost 4 year old. She
loves feeling the tactile fingerprints (and then discovering her
own!!) and identifying all the objects they have used to make each
animal.
Once again Priddy books have come up with the goods with their board
books. The pages are wipe-able and the book is durable and sturdy,
perfect for holidays or car trips. Since reading this second Alphaprints
book I have kept a look out and added more to our collection. 5 out
of 5
Lauren Fountain
Laugh your head off 4 ever by various authors
Ill. by Andrea Innocent. Pan Macmillan, 2018. ISBN 9781760559854
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Andy Griffiths headlines this
collection with Runaway Pram. Andy is the lone passenger in
a pram, following an extreme downhill path. We're on the edge of our
seats at each nerve racking change in the pram's trajectory. Does
Andy arrive at his destination in one piece? A good choice of opener
to keep children turning pages, what follows is many landscapes for
humour rather than the familiar Family or Contemporary genres. There
are even Sci Fi and Fantasy stories, which somehow manage to make
use of several comedy keys including: mistaken identity, unlikely
anti-heroes and exaggerated or reversed stereotypes - none more
titillating than the fat, hairy, Feral Fairies of Foggarty's
Field. 4ever is the fourth collection of short stories in the Laugh
Your Head Off series and targets middle to upper primary
students with 10 stories, each penned by an established Australian
author : Andy Griffiths, Felice Arena, James Roy, Matt Stanton, Lisa
Shannahan, Penny Tangey, Marcus Emerson, Yvette Poshoglian and
Katrina Nannestad.
None of these isolated stories, nor the four volumes in the series,
need be read in any particular sequence but young readers will
certainly sample at least one or two laugh-out-loud moments. Each
volume in the series uses only one colour. This time, yellow
monochromatic illustrations lend the book a vintage or retro vibe
that signals good, clean fun. Even so, don't be fooled - none of the
cheeky contributions typify the perfunctory old levelled school
readers of their grandparents' childhoods .
Deborah Robins
What if it's us? by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
Simon and Schuster, 2018. ISBN 9781471176395
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. This novel explores the awkwardness
of teenage love, friendship and fate, in a modern story written from
two perspectives. Arthur is in New York on an internship for the
summer, hoping to gain experience for his application to Yale. Ben
lives in New York with his lower-middle class family, stuck in
summer school thanks to his now ex-boyfriend. Arthur is completely
captivated by the magic of the Big Apple. For Ben, it's his every
day. Two entirely different worlds, and yet the universe makes them
collide. Right from the first time they meet, you're rooting for the
two boys as you feel their clumsy chemistry emanating from the page.
After the first meeting is interrupted, it takes a while for them to
reconnect in a city of 8 million people, and it's certainly not
smooth sailing from there. It takes them three attempts to get a
first date right, as they struggle with Arthur's tendency to care
too much and Ben's inability to show how much he really cares. This,
along with movements in both their friendship groups cause
increasing tension to build up, dampened only by the romance they
share which keeps them hanging on. Through the highs and lows of
their relationship, they learn that love is not about doing things
perfectly and getting it right the first time, it's about working
through things together to work out what's right for them.
The story is written in a unique way by two authors: Becky
Albertalli and Adam Silvera, both writing from one of the
perspectives of the two main characters. Although the voice of each
character is not specified, those who have read the authors'
previous works may be able to distinguish their particular styles.
Aside from this, there are multiple references to musicals that
Broadway fans will appreciate, along with other references that
teenagers can relate to.
This novel perfectly displays the awkwardness and challenges that
come with being an openly gay teenager, or anyone in a young
relationship in today's society.
Sam Rugless (Student)
When I was a child by Andy Stanton and David Litchfield
Hodder, 2018, ISBN 9781444928853
(Age: 3-6) Recommended. Themes: Grandparents. There is magic in everything.
The world is a spinning star,
No matter how old you are.
Andy Stanton's When I was a child is an evocative and
uplifting story of a grandmother and grandchild sharing beautiful
memories of past and present times. David Litchfield's enchanted
multi-media illustrations compliment the lyrical story and take us
to beautiful places.
Grandma opens her book of memories sharing her world from long ago
where people and elephants flew across the sky and the world joined
in with a grand parade. Wonderful celebrations with music and
dancing happened when the world married the sun. Grandma holds her
granddaughter's hand as they watch the Martian girls high kicking up
in the stars. The mood changes when her grandmother talks of 'the
world growing old and grey' and the 'magic shrinking away.'
Emily grasps her grandma's hands and together they fly off into a
bright world with faces in raindrops, there are "minutes that last
for hours" and "flowers celebrate birthdays." The young girl's world
is just as enchanted and splendid.
Andy Stanton's allegorical story delivers a message of hope and
love; both Grandma and Emily see the beauty and reality of their
worlds' past and present. David Litchfield's surreal scenes, filled
with light and shade, energetic magical characters and other worldly
settings add to the enjoyment of this story. A beautiful book just
right for sharing with grandparents and families. Take time to
remember and record special moments together.
Rhyllis Bignell
It's a Story, Rory! by Frances Watts
Ill. by David Legge. HarperCollins, 2018. ISBN 9780733335938
(Age: 5-8) Storytelling. From the creators of the standout picture
book Parsley Rabbit's Book about Books comes this similar
look at stories and storytelling conventions. Regardless, this
doesn't quite live up to the highs of Parsley Rabbit and his
tutorial about the book making process. This clearly aims to give
children some tools and inspiration to create their own stories but
the three layers of text (the author talking directly to the reader,
the story narration and the characters dialogue) make it hard to
follow and needlessly complex. At one point, the reader is asked 'Do
you remember how the story began?' and it is poignant as by then
most children probably won't. There are so many twists and turns in
focus and probably a bit too much text altogether. What it does do
well is explain how visual elements contribute to storytelling
(e.g., how a character's reactions can help a reader to understand
their personality) and how language can be used effectively (e.g.,
how reactions can be conveyed through words). It also touches on
genre, uses visual techniques like close-ups and appropriate
technical language like plot, characters, setting and narrator. As a
tool for teaching story writing this will be handy but children will
require teachers to help them unpack it substantially and it will
probably need to be read a few times before it is grasped fully.
While it aims to educate it has a frenzied pace which helps to
emphasise the creative joy of story telling. It also uses humour
effectively, particularly through the character speech bubbles.
Nicole Nelson
Follow me around the world: maze book by Roger Priddy
Priddy Books, 2018. ISBN 9781783416653
(Age: Pre-schol) Highy recommended. Follow me around the world:
maze book is a colourful book that encourages interaction from
the young reader through cut out/tactile mazes on every page. Each
page in this book follows the journey of the main character Fox, who
is travelling the world, discovering major icons and meeting new
friends along the way.
I gave this book to my 3 year old for bedtime reading, and although
I initially thought that it may be too young for her, she engaged in
both the trailing through the mazes and also the text. She loved
adding to the animal friend list and finding them on each page, and
also playing 'Spot Fox' within the beautiful illustrations.
This book is from the Follow Me series by Roger Priddy,
whose books are amazing tools for young children. I can see this
book (and others from the series) being used in so many ways with
children of a multitude of ages. The three areas of focus in this
book (as stated on the back cover - another tick for publisher
Priddy Books!) are encourages imagination, problem solving and
hand-eye coordination. All of these areas are extremely important to
young readers and to be able to seamlessly weave them into a reading
experience gets a big thumbs up from me. I also really enjoyed the
interaction between parent and child that it facilitated. The
illustrations are colourful and fun, leading to discussions about
animals and landmarks, but also about the characters and what they
were doing.
Lastly, this is very robust book which is great for young hands and
would make an excellent book for travelling. The wipe able pages are
a well-received added bonus! 5 out of 5.
Lauren Fountain
Inheritance by Carole Wilkinson
Black Dog Books, 2018. ISBN 9781760650360
(Age: 11+) Highly recommended. Themes: Aboriginal History; Time
Travel; Historical Fiction. Carole Wilkinson has proved herself as
an engaging author in the Dragonkeeper series, but this book
is a departure from the fantasy style of that series, but proves
that she can tell a story with great power and flair regardless of
the genre. Time travel could fall into the realm of fantasy fiction,
but this book is inherently a Historical Fiction narrative. In Inheritance
Wilkinson has managed to handle the time travel genre with great
skill and some uniqueness, to tell the story of the dreadful
massacre of Aboriginal people in Australia's past. In the present
day, Nic (short for Veronica) is left to stay with her rather grumpy
Grandfather in the family homestead in rural Victoria and
unwittingly discovers the secret of time travel. But is it an
unexpected blessing or a terrible curse? This amazing experience
leads her to discover truths about her forebears that are upsetting,
but yet give her a reason to continue her travel. With a school
project as a stimulus, and a friendship with the local boy (who
reveals his Aboriginal heritage) there is some hope of creating
something that will make a difference, despite the horrors of the
past. As Bruce Pascoe's quote reveals at the start of the book,
"There is a wound in the soul of the world and we're all paying for
it."
This is an awesome book and the revelations of the terrible past add
a layer of significance for a modern-day reader. With hints at
things from history that are inherently interesting, but also with
the personal story of a young teenager coming to terms with her sad
past, and her loneliness, this is a book to be recommended on many
levels. And the zig-zag rift in time is a great way to reveal
history.
Highly recommended for readers aged 11+
Carolyn Hull
