Princess Snowbelle and the snowstorm by Libby Frost
Ill. by Lucy Fleming. Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408890011
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Princess Snowbelle and the
snowstorm is a gorgeous picture book and is also a lovely
story of friendship, courage and resilience. Princess Snowbelle is
rather nervous as she will be singing at the Snow Ball. Thankfully,
her friend Sparkleshine will be helping her. As Snowbelle waits for
Sparkleshine, a huge snowstorm hits the forest. Snowbelle and her
pony Icetail race into the forest to get Sparkleshine but find
themselves lost. Can Snowbelle use the magic in her charm bracelet
to find her way? will she make it to the Snow ball in time? Princess Snowbelle and the snowstorm's detailed and colourful
pictures are engaging and help tell the story. They show feelings in
the character's faces and the scenery is breathtaking. The story is
quick and easy to read and would be easy to retell in a classroom
situation or when parents read it to their child. The story would
also be great in Child Protection lessons as children learn about
feelings and problem solving. Alternate endings could be written,
characters could be changed and children could create their own
version.
It is highly recommended for girls aged 3+ and more independent
readers aged 7+ can read it on their own.
Kylie Kempster
Ori the Octopus by Anne Helen Donnelly
Anne Helen Donnelly, 2017. ISBN 9780646962207
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Ori the Octopus is a good friend and
his eight legs come in handy when everyone needs help. Ori can make
a cake while cuddling a baby. He can sip his tea and help a hurt
friend. Can he remember what he needs to do when his legs get too
busy? Can you sip a bandaid and mix a baby? Oh no! What will Ori do?
Can his friends help Ori? Ori the Octopus is a gorgeous story about helping others. Ori
is a fantastic role model for children and so are his friends -
asking for help can be hard. The pictures are bright and colourful
and it will be a great bedtime story. The book is also great for the
classroom. It models how to treat your friends and how to help them.
It is great for problem solving. The character cut-outs can be added
to popsticks for retelling and the actions can be acted out, keeping
the children engaged and active during the story. This book is
highly recommended for children aged 4+.
Kylie Kempster
Dancing with deception by Catherine McCullagh
Big Sky Publishing, 2017. ISBN 9781925520866
(Age: Adult) Recommended. Themes: War - WWII. Truth and lies. A
beautiful girl, growing up in a privileged life in Sydney with
beautiful clothes, music and suitors, defies her socialite mother to
pursue her own interests and to become a nurse. Along the way she
also hides much of herself from scrutiny - she does not fit the
family expectation to marry well to someone from the social elite.
In fact she explores a sexual relationship that should never happen
and the reader is very aware that she walks a very fine line; one
mistake and she would be plunged into disaster. Her beauty and
demeanour though enable her to glide through this deception, until
she makes herself available as a nurse in London as the Second World
War is about to begin. Eventually the brave and determined woman
serves in a Red Cross hospital in Paris becoming a critical
participant in the local Resistance. Strangely, her beauty places
her into the arms and bed of a local Gestapo Agent and she must
again walk the line of deception, always afraid of revealing too
much information in the arms of a man who could have many innocent
lives destroyed. Will she be the one that destroys the Resistance
group's effectiveness? Is her own life in danger?
This is a love story and a war story, woven with lies and deception
which together have created an impressive historical saga. The
author's own military and historical knowledge are evident (even
though there are fictitious elements to the story - eg no Red Cross
hospital actually existed in Paris during WWII). Revelation of the
bravery of many ordinary folk involved in the subterfuge of the
Resistance movement is amazingly told. But essentially this is a
story of a very brave and beautiful woman, whose intelligence and
personality shine through the events and tragedies. This is a saga
that adults would enjoy, and it is deftly written, a little 'racy'
in parts; some violence described, but with reservation; and
characters that have interesting quirks as well as those that
display all the worst aspects of war-time horrors and the pursuit of
power.
Recommended for adult readers.
Carolyn Hull
One Christmas Eve by Corinne Fenton
Ill. by Marjorie Crosby-Fairall. Black Dog, 2016. ISBN 9781925381252
"One Christmas Eve, Grandpa puts on his best shirt, Bella passes him
his favourite hat, and they wave goodbye to Gran. Together they walk
along the tape measure streets and roundabout corners until there,
before them, is Luna Park.
When Bella visits Luna Park on Christmas Eve with Grandpa, he hands
her a single silver coin to use on a ride. Bella enjoys the
excitement of the roller-coaster, the squeals from the ghost train
ride and the laughter from the giggle palace, but she is drawn to
the sparkling carousel and it's here she spends her precious coin.
When Bella climbs onto her dashing carousel horse, something magical
happens when they launch into the velvety night sky where they
encounter a jolly man in a red suit and his prancing reindeer. But
the magic doesn't end there..."
This is a nostalgic, charming story of Christmas in the less hectic
times of 1968 that will arouse memories with many as they share it
with their children and grandchildren in this Christmas Countdown.
Reminiscing about Christmas in a time that wasn't so dominated by
big, bold, bright and brassy - I spent my 1968 Christmas coming to
terms with the heat of Port Moresby - and just taking the time to
enjoy the simple things. And regardless of the season, who hasn't
dreamed of a magical, mystical ride on one of the beautiful carousel
horses and Fenton's beautiful text and Crosby-Fairall's stunning
illustrations are a perfect match as we soar high above the clouds
and discover the magic that is there. The power of imagination and
dreams transcends all timeframes and generations. One Christmas Eve
was the focus of the Melbourne and Brisbane Myer Christmas
windows for 2016 and these are in Ballarat for 2017.
Lucky are those in a position to go to see them!
Barbara Braxton
What do you wish for? by Jane Godwin and Anna Walker
Viking, 2015. ISBN 9780670078110
Each year the children in Ruby's street put on a Christmas show with
songs and costumes and real curtains during the party in the park at
the end of the street. Before that they decorate the big tree and
each writes a Christmas wish to hang in it. Everyone has a wish but
Ruby knows that the wish deep inside her is too big to put on a
small piece of paper. What could it be?
This is a charming story that reminds us of the warmth of Christmas
traditions, the magic of wishes and a child's timeless dreams - the
patchwork of events and activities that make the memories for when
they are older. It reminds us as adults that no matter how old,
tired, jaded, it's-Christmas-again-already? we get, it is a most
magical time for our children and the things we do will be taken on
through their lives to their children. They DESERVE our time to make
it special for them, and if that's the only thing we can give them
then that is the biggest gift of all. To know that we are willing to
pause our busy lives to bring some magic to theirs is often all they
want - just like Ruby.
Barbara Braxton
The Tooth Fairy's Christmas by Peter Bently and Garry Parsons
Hodder Children's, 2014. ISBN 9781444918359
It's Christmas Eve and when the Tooth Fairy gets a message from
Robin Redbreast that Little Tim Tucker has lost a tooth, it puts an
end to her hopes and plans for an early night at home. Outside a
winter's gale is blasting and she is tossed every which way, ending
up lost. But in the distance she hears a strange sound and into
sight comes Santa and his sleigh. He rescues her but that is not the
end of her adventures... will Little Tim Tucker wake up to
a nice surprise or will he be disappointed.
Santa Claus, Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy are such an integral
part of the early lives of children the world over that to have two
of the three team up and help each other has to be a good
combination that will appeal to our very young children. Working
together, Santa and the Tooth Fairy show that all sorts of problems
can be overcome - each has skills and that special something that
when put together as a team can solve all sorts of dilemmas.
Bright glossy pictures, imaginative layout and rhyme and rhythm move
the story along making an original and intriguing adventure story
that will delight as the Christmas Countdown continues.
Barbara Braxton
A is for Australia by Frane Lessac
Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781925381979
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. A is for Australia is a
beautiful picture book based on Australia. It is a wonderful way for
a child and their family to learn about the country; its landmarks,
towns, cities and features. As readers, they become a tourist in
their own country. As well as beautiful illustrations, each page has
a variety of facts about the place or feature. The reader will also
travel across the country from Tasmania to Queensland and the
outback of South Australia. Have you heard of Qui Qui? It is a sheep
station in Queensland and children can learn about the Flying
Doctors, mustering and how children in the outback go to school.
Find out about the Nullabor Plain and the huge population of camels.
Discover Lake Eyre dragons and the bunyip that lives in the lake.
Investigate the capital cities of Melbourne and Sydney and see the
beautiful wild flowers that grow in the Walls of Jerusalem National
Park. A is for Australia is a great 'before bed' read as well as a
great book for the classroom. In a unit on Australia, the class
could read about a different part of Australia each week. They could
map the locations and investigate the natural features of the areas
with Google maps. Students could compare real life photos of the
areas with the illustrations.
This book is highly recommended for readers aged 3+ when reading
with an adult as well as readers aged 7+ when reading independently.
Kylie Kempster
Don't spew in your spacesuit by Tim Miller
HarperCollins Publishers, 2017. ISBN 9780733334672
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Don't Spew in Your Spacesuit
will have readers laughing even before they read the story. What
child doesn't laugh at words like 'spew'? Our young astronaut is
heading for Mars and his stomach is upset from the moment the
spaceship blasts off. Poor thing, the cockpit is full of spew and he
is floating through it all! The young astronaut meets a Martian on
Mars but vomit has the alien on the run. Who knew being an astronaut
could cause so many problems? Don't Spew in Your Spacesuit is a hilarious look at life in
space. The cartoon style illustrations are funny and full of spew
(of course). The rhyming story is engaging and rhythmic, making it a
great read out loud story for bedtime (if you don't mind too many
giggles) as well as the classroom. It is a quick story to read and
great for retelling and maybe drawing a few scenes. It would be good
to use as part of a unit on space, comparing it to real images of
astronauts and space. Students could also create their own alien.
This story is highly recommended for all readers aged 4+, especially
if they love all things space and aliens.
Kylie Kempster
A tangled tale of tagliatelle by Yves Stening
Ill. by Nigel Buchanan. Dinner Detectives Case 102. Creative
Books, 2017. ISBN 978064800871
(Ages: 5-8) Yves Stening and Nigel Buchanan's A Tangled Tale of
Tagliatelle is the second picture book in the Dinner
Detectives series which explores the origins of pasta.
Clementine and her brother Aksel meet their new football loving
neighbour Sophia and are introduced to delicious Italian food made
by Sophia's papa. When Sophia asks about the origins of Bolognese
sauce it is time for the dinner detectives to begin their next
culinary adventure in Italy.
Buchanan's colourful graphic designs add fun and liveliness to the
easy to read text. The bird's eye view map of Italy is dressed in a
boot, the children race chariots in the Colosseum passing a fierce
lion and singing Roman statues introduce different types of pasta.
Both historical information and cooking facts make this an
interesting and entertaining picture book. The detectives discover
that Bolognese sauce comes from Bologna and explore with Marco Polo
as he travels across Asia to meet Chinese emperor Kublai Khan. Back
in Italy Chinese noodles are transformed into hundreds of pasta
shapes and sizes.
Clementine, Aksel and Sophia find out the meanings behind some of
the popular pasta shapes, vermicelli like little worms, farfalle are
butterflies and ombelico are belly buttons.
Stening includes a recipe for tagliatelle al ragu with handmade
pasta and tips for little cooks to make with some adult help.A
Tangled Tale of Tagliatelle is an engaging story exploring all
things pasta, the history and invention of different types and
sizes. A fun picture book for young readers who enjoy cooking.
Rhyllis Bignell
The whiz mob and the grenadine kid by Colin Meloy
Ill. by Carson Ellis. Penguin, 2017. ISBN 9780143787860
(Age: 10+) The Whiz Mob and the Grenadine Kid is the complex
and excessively detailed story of a secret gang of child and teenage
pickpockets who target the tourists and rich people of Marseille in
the early 1960s. A Dickensian narrative, with a large cast of
interesting characters, set in a time when children could explore a
city with adult supervision with extensive information about living
outside of the law. Twelve year old Charlie Fisher son of an
American diplomat and abandoned by his mother, brokers a deal with
his tutor to freely explore this French city and record his short
stories of people passing by in his notebook.
Charlie observes the elaborate and smooth moves of the young
pickpockets operating in the market place and is drawn into their
intriguing world, after Amir steals Charlie's silver fountain pen.
He becomes intrigued and joins with the 'whiz mob' a multicultural
band of young people who train and then practice the art of
thievery, stealing jewellery, wallets and personal items. Their
actions portrayed as adventurous, challenging and exciting rather
than operating on the wrong side of the law. His acceptance into the
mob and his intense training at home and his commitment to robbing
the public drives the story.
After weeks of this heightened level of excitement and dangerous
activity, his friend Amir tells Charlie to quit the whiz mob and hey
have a falling out. Amir leaves and Charlie is set up to undertake
the biggest con of all, at a high society ball amongst diplomats and
royalty. Charlie comes to realize what the mob's long con has been
and the part he plays. Charlie and Amir undertake an intrepid
journey to Bogota Colombia the headquarters where young thieves are
trained. They travel without passport or currency relying on their
wits and skills determined to right the wrongs that happened at the
ball.
Meloy's writing style includes cynical asides to the reader and
copious descriptions of pickpocketing skills complete with technical
language. Carson Ellis's black and white full page sketches bring
the characters to life, showcasing the whiz mob, their skills and
their targets. The reader needs commitment to the reading challenge
of this lengthy story, set in a time where children can travel the
world, engage in underworld activities and roam free without
parental authority.
Rhyllis Bignell
Girlish: An empowering journal for the twenty-first century girl by Alana Wulff
Nero, 2017. ISBN 9781863959780
(Age: 11+) Highly recommended. Themes: Feminism, Women. Starting
with the quote from Zendaya, "A feminist is a person who believes in
the power of women just as much as they believe in the power of
anyone else" Girlish continues on as an inspiration to girls
and women, giving an introduction to "Being a freaking girl rocks"
and then going on in journal style to let the reader think about
feminism in lots of different ways. There are truth bombs that stand
out like the history of feminism as well as truths in other areas of
life. "In Australia, netball has a higher participation rate than
Australian Rules Football" has a comment about women's football by
athlete Penny Cula-Reid who fought for a women's game. Another truth
bomb is "130 million girls across the world don't have access to
education" with Malala Yousafzai's wise words to accompany it. There
are wonderful examples of women from all walks of life - Michelle
Obama, Julia Gillard and Hilary Clinton with advice about leadership
and not being afraid to be the smartest person in the room. Stars
like Rhianna, Katy Perry and Reese Witherspoon also feature with
inspiring quotes.
This is a book that can be read from beginning to end with lots of
opportunities to fill in a personal journal that motivates and
challenges thinking. It is also a book that can be dipped into for
daily inspiration or to encourage positive thinking when a girl is
feeling down. Some of the journal entries include things like giving
a list of feel good and encouraging words, what friendship means and
setting goals.
All of the book is set out in gorgeous colours, beautifully
illustrated with drawings and photos that will make the reader want
to continue with reading and writing.
This would be an ideal gift for any girl or young woman and is one
that I will be keeping for my granddaughter.
Pat Pledger
Fantastically great women who changed the world activity book by Kate Pankhurst
Bloomsbury Activity Books, 2017. ISBN 9781408889961
(Age: 7+) Recommended. Themes: Women, Activities. Based on Kate
Pankhurst's book Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World,
this activity book will be a great addition to the original book.
The book is organised into snippets about famous women from a range
of achievements and features women like Coco Chanel, Mary Anning,
Anne Frank and Marie Curie among others. Each double page or single
page spread about the woman has the information as well as an
activity to challenge the reader both artistically and creatively.
Some of the activities include drawing the reader's own
self-portrait on the Frida Kahlo page, copying and colouring the
picture of Amelia Earhart, and writing a news story about something
that the reader believes is really important on the Emmeline
Pankhurst page. There are a series of postcards that can be cut out
and posted to "fantastically great women" and a page to draw the
people that the reader admires, as well as a page to write "How are
you going to change the world?" Over 200 stickers complete the book.
This would really complement the original book but it has sufficient
information for it to stand alone and is enjoyable, enlightening and
entertaining. I found myself finding out about women I hadn't heard
of, eg. Mary Seacole a woman from Jamaica who built a hospital for
wounded soldiers in the Crimean war, and then spending time doing
the "spot the difference" activity.
Pat Pledger
Papa Sky by Jane Jolly and Sally Heinrich
MidnightSun Publishing, 2017. ISBN 9781925227291
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. Themes: Cloud forests, Endangered
animals, Climate change. Papa Sky sits high where earth meets sky.
But one day he is blown down into the forest through the clouds.
What will happen now?
The story is set in a fictitious cloud forest, and the reader will
gain first clues about the tale when looking at the end papers. The
first endpaper slow a map of the world where cloud forest are and
the last end paper shows all the animals that live in cloud forests.
The title page features a poem, Song of the Cloud Forests by
Ry Cooder and then the reader is taken into a fabulous story about
Papa Sky and about how important he is to the cloud forests that are
the animals' homes. They work together to get him back to where he
belongs.
The narrative is one that lends itself to being read aloud, as it
flow along beautifully with the text making strong visual images.
The intricate illustrations by Sally Heinrich are done in strong
greens and blues and the animal shapes in the clouds will fascinate
any reader.
This is a story that deals with complex issues of climate change and
endangered animals, but in an enticing and interesting way. An adult
reader can start with the note about the animals and the Golden Toad
mentioned by Tim Flannery and talk about what a cloud forest is, and
teachers will find the teachers'
notes very useful.
The combination of wonderful text and illustrations make Papa
Sky a stand out picture book.
Pat Pledger
Goodnight stories for rebel girls by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo
Penguin, 2016. ISBN 9780141986005
(Ages: 5 - Adult) Highly recommended. 100 inspirational women from
around the world are featured in this collection of bedtime stories.
Each woman's story is a double page spread in the book. On one side
is a beautiful illustration of the woman featuring a quote they said
which is encouraging or inspirational. The other page contains brief
biographic information and a simple story about the woman's life. A
diverse range of women are featured, who have an empowering story, a
journey to overcome adversity and who have become successful in
their field of art, music, science, mathematics, literature, sport,
fashion and politics. Many of the women overcame obstacles and the
message of the book is that women can achieve anything they want to
if they are determined to do it.
This is not a non-fiction book, but rather considered by the authors
as a work of 'creative non-fiction' as it is written in a fairytale
style and does not contain an encyclopedic account of events. 60
female artists from around the world drew the portraits featured in
the book and the range of colourful and unique illustration styles
are thought provoking and add another element to the book's
presentation. At the back of the book there is a blank double page,
inviting the reader to write and draw their own story.
This is a heartwarming book for all ages, and for boys as well as
girls, to share in the stories of women who have lived adventurous
lives.
Pamela Edwards
Nexus by Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan, and Deborah Biancotti
Zeroes bk 3. Allen and Unwin, 2017, ISBN 9781925267259
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. These three outstanding authors have
done it again. Nexus is a thrilling end to the series and will be
welcomed by all who enjoyed the first two books in the series, Zeroes
and Swarm.
As the publisher states on the back cover:
"The Zeroes are in disarray.
One of them has vanished into thin air.
One of them is in prison.
The rest of them are on the most-wanted list.
And something big is brewing."
The reader is taken on a roller coaster ride as the Zeroes go on the
run from the FBI, who have a teenager with a superpower that could
put them all out of action. Sonia Sonic reappears and leads them to
New Orleans during Mardi Gras, where the power of the crowd could
lead to a massive misuse of power. It is up to the Zeroes to use
their powers for good.
I held my breath the whole way through Nexus as the team came to
grips with their powers and what they wanted to do with them. I
spent the whole book trying to work out how it could be finished and
I was surprised and thrilled with the very clever and exciting
conclusion.
This is a great series that will grab the reader's attention and is
well worth reading. The books would be better read in their order
and are sure to be enjoyed by those who enjoyed action packed
adventure and the deeds of superheroes.
Pat Pledger
