Little, Brown, 2017. ISBN 9780751567168
(Age: 15+) Recommended. Mystery. Louisa Cannon has problems. It's
1919, and her oppressive uncle is proving to be dangerous. She
really wants to escape London and is happy when she secures a
position as a nurserymaid at Asthall Manor the home of the Mitford
family. Then Florence Nightingale Shore, goddaughter of her famous
namesake, is murdered on a train and Louisa becomes entangled with a
young railway policeman and Nancy Mitford as the trio try to solve
the murder.
To my surprise I discovered that this was a real murder, which has
never been solved. It was interesting to read a murder mystery
knowing that the culprit had never been found and wondering how the
author would present the case. Many people have put forward theories
and Fellowes' solution is one that the reader can believe in.
Setting much of the action in the Mitford home will give readers who
enjoyed The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate
by Nancy Mitford, a glimpse into the life of the upper classes in
the early 20th century. At the same time the reader gains an
in-depth knowledge of World War 1, the brave nurses who served
during the war and the life of the poor in London.
The narrative is slow but the historical background and characters
of the three main protagonists keep the reader's interest and ensure
that further research is done into the real murder.
Pat Pledger
The Paris Wedding by Charlotte Nash
Hachette Australia, 2017. ISBN 9780733636455
(Age: Adult - 16+) Recommended for romance lovers. Australian
country life. Rachael West is 28 and devastated by the death of her
mother. Years before she had chosen to care for her mother who
suffered from MS and run the family farm, rather than following her
boyfriend Matthew to university to study as a journalist. Now she
has received an invitation to Matthew's wedding to a rich socialite,
Bonnie, in Paris. Determined to put her feelings for Matthew, now a
successful doctor, behind her, she sets off for Paris with her best
friend Sammy and there is faced with many difficult choices. Can she
and Matthew rekindle what was there when she was 17, even though it
would break Bonnie's heart, and does she have a future in journalism
or fashion design?
What stands out in this novel is not the romance between Rachael and
Matthew or the attraction that Rachael feels for the photographer
Antonio, but rather the coming of age of Rachael as she struggles to
come to grips with her feelings for Matthew and her desire to
discover what abilities and future she might still have. After over
hearing two women talking about her being left behind she is
overwhelmed by the need to uncover her talents as a seamstress or as
a journalist. Her caring nature also stands out, even though she is
oblivious to the problems that her friend Sammy is experiencing.
Of course the beautiful setting of Paris makes a wonderful
background to the story and will ensure that people who haven't
visited will want to go, and anyone who has been fortunate enough to
visit there will be enthralled by the descriptions of the standout
landmarks and also the little back alleys and the world of high
fashion as well as the beautiful dresses that Rachael has designed.
But Rachael's vivid descriptions of the Australian outback near
Parkes to Antonio will also strike the reader with a vision of just
how beautiful the Australian landscape can be. The hard work and
business acumen needed to run a country farm also come to life as
Rachael's struggles with her dilemma of whether to stay on the farm
or seek her life further afield.
An easy to read story, the narrative in The Paris Wedding
flowed beautifully, grabbing the reader with relatable characters
and Rachael's feelings for her first love and the strength of her
friendship with Sammy. The book also includes an extract from Nash's
bestselling novel The horseman.
Pat Pledger
Landscape with invisible hand by M. T. Anderson
Candlewick Press, 2017. ISBN 9780763699505
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. Wealth and power. Commerce. Art.
Invasion. Science fiction. When the vuvv hover above earth, telling
people that they have been watching since the 1940's, they promise
sharing their technologies which means freedom from disease and less
work.
But as with all invaders the promises are hollow. Humans lose their
jobs to the technology, food is prepared elsewhere and sold to
people whose farms are now derelict, so can no longer afford to buy
it, medicine is costly, healthcare a thing of the past and humans
must learn to communicate with the vuvv through translators attached
to their bodies. Not being part of the world of those who became
wealthy when the vuvv arrived, Adam and his family reflect the
growing desperation of humankind.
When dad loses his job he abandons them, mum keeps going in the hope
that she will find something to do, but with long sometimes
aggressive queues at every job opportunity, she begins to despair.
They sell their possessions eventually taking in another family
whose rent buys their food for a while.
Told in chapters which reflect paintings that Adam creates, Adam and
his girlfriend, Chloe, sell their intimate moments to the vuvv.
Saddled with recording equipment and translators, they learn the
idioms of the post WW2 America to give the vuvv what they want to
see. But this breaks down when Adam and Chloe part, Chloe pairing
with someone else to cash in from the vuvv and Adam left with
litigation.
Adam's unabashed look at the new world is startling. Through his
eyes we see the invasion of his society by another force and their
degradation through being seen as an indigenous culture whose mores
and traits, music, art and language are studied as a curiosity.
Anderson makes some pithy comments about how our society is
proceeding, with a huge divide developing between rich and poor, a
reliance on technology that is stultifying; factories, shopping
centres, suburbs and cities left derelict, a school system where
teachers are volunteers, while Adam has Merick's Disease, an
everpresent bowel and stomach condition which has come from drinking
unpurified water, a service the government no longer provides.
Submitting several of his landscapes to the vuvv for a competition,
Adam goes to the celebration in the sky gallery and finds that his
voice is lost in the crowd, he has become a non person, so he
decides to act.
This is a powerful look at our society. Set in New England, it could
be any western country, where technology is seen as the great
nirvana but means loss and dislocation for many, where government
decisions are made for the rich, where services are abandoned and
where the aim to be wealthy over rides all common sense. The
distance between - the space, is never going to be spanned, but Adam
and his family hope for a future where the invisible hand reclaims
what is lost.
This is one story that begs discussion and debate as it exposes the
nastiness in our society, one that has gone off the rails in its
adherence to commerce, technology and wealth.
It is fascinating that it was written probably several years ago to
be published in 2017, but could have been written about Trump's
America.
Fran Knight
Busy builders: Airport by Timothy Knapman
Quarto Children's Books, 2017. ISBN 9781925381443
(Ages: 3-7) Airports, Airplanes. This presents as a largish box
containing a small information book and materials to create a model
airport. It includes very thick runway pieces that fit together like
a jigsaw puzzle and cardboard pop-outs made of sturdy board. When
opened out, the packaging box becomes the airport terminal and joins
the runway pieces. The last part of the book contains the
construction instructions, which are easy to follow with helpful
illustrations. The construction is simple, mostly requiring engines
and tails to be slotted in, etc. Children in the younger age group
may need help with some of the smaller, fiddlier pieces but they
will be interested in both the book and the airport and the models
will mostly withstand their play. When the child is done with
playing, the pieces can be packed back into the box and reassembled
without too many hassles. There are lots of planes and extra bits
and pieces (control tower, windsocks, baggage truck, etc.) for
increased engagement. As the children assemble or assist in the
assembly, they will learn lots of aircraft specific language and
about different aircraft parts (e.g. blades, engines, fuselage,
etc.). There is also a selective glossary at the end of the book for
general airport terms such as arrivals, pilot and hangar.
The rest of the book has detailed illustrations and information
about airports and air travel, including what happens behind the
scenes (air traffic control, preparing the plane). The Information
is clear and factual, often explaining to the reader what they need
to do at each stage or area of the airport (e.g., 'Show your ticket
and ID here to get a boarding pass...'). It also uses up-to-date
terminology ('unless you have already downloaded one to your
smartphone or tablet') and does not shy away from using proper terms
('the pilot turns on the transponder'). However, it is still
manageable and uncomplicated, even for younger children ('This sends
a signal to tell the controllers where the plane is'). Information
is given in detailed illustrations and signs within them, speech
bubbles, text boxes, labelled diagrams, etc. This publication will
appeal to children of a wide variety of ages on different levels.
Adults will easily be able to pick out bits of interest for younger
children while older children will be able to read the book and
assemble the model themselves. Information is organised under clear
headings and with a logical flow. A contents page is also included.
As an information book this is great but because it is more of an
activity pack than just a book (and because the back of the book
includes the instructions for model assembly) it is more suited to
individual home use rather than to schools or libraries.
Nicole Nelson
When I grow up by Tim Minchin
Ill. by Steve Antony. Scholastic, 2017. ISBN 9781742764955
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Growing up. Adulthood. A child's
perspective of being an adult is shown with fun and music in this
offering from Tim Minchin. The children see adulthood through their
eyes, the things an adult does are the things they would like to do,
but are restricted from doing by the adults. So their adulthood
means that they can watch all the cartoons they want, or eat all the
sweets and restricted food that they want, go to bed late every
night and wake up when they want to. When they grow up they will be
strong enough to lift all the heavy things adults carry around, and
brave enough to scare away the monsters beneath the bed.
Minchin's representation of childhood exposes all those things that
adults tell them not to do, or eat, while his adulthood reflects
some of the things that children see as only being able to be
achieved when that age is reached. He cleverly exposes some of the
needs of children and toils of being an adult through his humorous
lines, and readers will have a great time listing all the other
things they will be able to do as an adult that they cannot do now.
Added to the fun are laugh out loud illustrations, designed to
register with the younger readers, and proving a smart adjunct to
the words.
A good read aloud, the words and illustrations demand children be
involved, either predicting the words that follow each line or
humming along or sweeping their eyes over the illustrations,
involvement will be effortless. In the front of the book is a card
that enables the readers to download Tim Minchin performing his
story.
Fran Knight
My dog Socks by Robyn Osborne and illustrated by Sadami Konchi
Ford St, 2017. ISBN 9781925272826
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Dogs. Family. Love. Imagination.
Socks' owner loves walking with his dog, because wherever they go
Socks becomes another animal. If they are in the forest, he becomes
a black bear, scraping the trees with his claws, or a wild wolf,
calling to the moon, or a terrible tiger, searching for prey. When
they visit the farm, he is more like a contented cow, rolling in the
grass, or a pongy pig, mucking about, while at the beach he becomes
a daring dolphin, cresting the waves. In the garden he becomes a
mischievous magpie, reaching for snacks, or a curious cat, racing in
circles. Each double page has a glorious illustration of the boy
with his dog, Socks, as he and the dog explore their environment,
the dog taking on the attributes of each animal, with its shadow the
shadow of that animal. Readers will love seeing the dog become those
animals as they turn each page. The watercolour illustrations are
just delightful, underlining all the while the antics of the dog,
and the bond between Socks and his owner, as they walk through the
forest, visit the farm, go to the beach and play in the garden. A
host of different activities are shown, and the background displays
an Australian lifestyle, a barbecue, paling fence, Hills
clothes-hoist, outside toilet and bungalow.
Each animal is presented with alliteration followed by two sentences
brimful of movement and colour.
I love the front cover, impelling the reader to pick up the book and
turn the page while the endpapers cleverly reflect the relationship
between the boy and his dog and foreshadow the way in which their
relationship is represented.
Children will relish the way the dog is part of the boy's life, and
see that their relationship is a mutual one, each is the other's
best friend.
This is a lovely addition to the range of books available about the
place of dogs in our families and our hearts.
Fran Knight
A semi-definitive list of worst nightmares by Krystal Sutherland
Penguin, 2017. ISBN 9780143573913
(Age: 15+) Recommended. Themes: Fear and Anxiety; Resilience;
Cowardice and Bravery; Mental Illness: Suicide; Teen Romance; Family
Struggles. This is a book filled with gut-wrenching fear - for the
characters, not the reader. It is a book filled with oxymorons -
tragedy and comedy; cowardice and bravery; depression and hope;
obsession and a light touch. Krystal Sutherland has also managed to
braid into the harder parts of this book romance and understanding
of the very complex world of those who struggle to live well with
mental illness. And you won't want to put this book down because the
characters will charm you!
Esther Solar is the quirky, fear-riddled central character whose
family appear to be cursed with struggles that lead them down the
road of mental illness in a myriad of forms. Her family life could
only be described as twisted out of shape. Her twin brother is
severely challenged by the dark, her mother is afraid of bad luck
(which she seems to court by her gambling habit) and her father has
not left the basement for years; and Esther manages to keep going,
wearing bizarre outfits that are her way of disappearing (even
though everyone looks at her!). Her best friend, Hephzibah, is a
selective mute and together they have silently battled being the
odd-bods at school by sticking together. The only person from their
past who supported them, Jonah, dramatically reappears into the
action. He then proceeds to complicate Esther's existence in ways
that she could never expect, compelling her to confront the long
list of fears that hangs over her like an ever present storm cloud,
ready to drop an unexpected deluge of disaster. And through all of
the complexities of her life walks the visitor from her
Grandfather's tales - the visitor that no one ever wants: Death!
There are many laugh-out-loud moments in this book as Esther's
family's frailties are 'undressed and revealed' in their raw
humanity in the face of the deep darkness that accompanies them.
Despite this expose of severe mental illness, the care of a friend
and the expressions of love provide opportunities to see hope grow.
Not with an easy-fix, but as if the clouds part and small glimpses
of sunshine peek through. Jonah is an endearing and strong
character, who has his own tough issues to deal with - but is
absolutely a 'winner'. But don't expect everything in this book to
be completely believable!
The book contains some hints about how to seek help for those facing
their own battles with anxiety and mental illness.
NB: The personification of Death in this book could enable this book
to be used as a paired text with Markus Zuzak's 'The Book Thief' for
Senior English students.
Recommended: For mature readers aged 15+ (Readers who have enjoyed
John Green books will also enjoy this book). There is some swearing
included.
Carolyn Hull
Danny Blue's really excellent dream by Max Landrak
Hachette, 2017. ISBN 9780734417589
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Blue, Colour, Change,
Invention. A quick flip through this book shows readers that blue is
the predominant colour for most of the book, while more colours
creep in towards the end, and the endpapers at the start show only
various chades of blues while the last endpaper shows the whole
colour spectrum. So kids' interest will be piqued and they will want
to know about Danny and why his last name is Blue.
Danny lives in a world of blue. There is nothing in his world which
is not blue. He eats blueberries out of a blue bowl with a blue
fork, he wears a blue striped shirt, he lives in Blue York, his
favourite band is The Blues Brothers, his favourite food,
blueberries and his favourite colour sunset blue! One night in his
blue bed he dreams about the blue whale, but suddenly the whale
isn't blue anymore. Danny does not have the words to describe what
he has seen in his dream, and despite being sent to Dr Indigo, and
playing his blues guitar and eating blue cheese, he cannot get the
new colour out of his head, so he decides to make it. He uses his
chemistry set to make up the colour he has seen, and tries to share
it with others. But they are not so sure: some do not like it at
all, some are baffled by it, some think it the worst thing ever, but
every now and again the non blue colour turns up in the most
unexpected places, until it becomes accepted. But then comes the
problem of a name . . .
This lovely tale of invention and change will cause ripples of
laughter from the audience as they read of the blueness of Danny's
world, and his attempts to bring about change. In doing this he
accepts that people are unhappy about change but by simply
presenting what he has seen, change does occur, from something small
to something more widely accepted. People are encouraged to move
outside their comfort zone and accept something new.
This delightful book, like a fable, will engender much discussion
and little fingers will love looking a the various shades and hues
of blue and the way the illustrations reflect the sameness at the
start and the beginnings off change towards the last few pages.
Fran Knight
Max Booth Future Sleuth: Tape Escape by Cameron Macintosh
Big Sky Publishing, 2017. ISBN 9781925520606
(Age: 7+) Highly recommended. Max Booth might be on the run, have no
parents and no real home but he does have an excellent sense for
survival, adventure and amazing resilience. He also has a dog robot
called Oscar. What more could a boy want in this futuristic world?
Max and Oscar live, in secret, in the museum and help their friend
Jessie out. In return, Jessie looks after them. When Jessie finds an
unusual object from the past, Max and Oscar are off to discover what
it is. After breaking into a warehouse that houses books from the
past, Max discovers the mysterious object is a tape cassette. On it
is a long lost recording of David Snowie (love how they have changed
the famous names). Unfortunately, Max trusts the wrong person and
the tape is stolen. Will Max and Oscar's crazy plan to get it back
work? Max Booth Future Sleuth: Tape Escape is highly recommended
for boys aged 7+. Young readers will love reading about such a
strong and resilient character like Max. They will laugh at his
hi-jinks and imagine the high-tech futuristic world he lives in.
Readers will want a robot dog just like Oscar. Max Booth is a quick
moving story where good wins over evil. The vocabulary is
descriptive and easy to read and will encourage reluctant readers.
It is a great first chapter story.
Kylie Kempster
I wish I could be a superhero by Susan Hall
Ill. by Cheryl Westenberg. National Library of Australia, 2017. ISBN
9780642278890
(Age: 3+) I wish I could be a Superhero written by Susan Hall and
illustrated by Cheryl Westenberg is a gorgeous picture book about
Wesley Wombat who is desperate to be a superhero like his friends.
Each page showcases the 'superpower' of one of his Australian animal
friends, and repetitively ends with But when he tried . . . enabling
younger readers/listeners to join in the story and turn the flap to
reveal his attempts. My daughter enjoyed naming the all of the
Australian animals and the book enticed interesting conversations
about what these animals could do and also about their habitats. The
illustrations are bright and colourful, but not too cluttered so the
visual information is easily seen and deciphered. I really enjoyed
the addition of the extra information about each of the animals at
the back of the book. It was easy for younger children to understand
(as young as 3) and also provided interesting facts that captivated
both myself and my 7 year old. I personally thought that there were
perhaps too many animals in the book (7) as the repetitiveness was
slightly frustrating and by the end my 3 year old had lost interest
in the extra information by animal 4; however for the target
audience of pre-schoolers this book is a winner as they get both the
picture book/fiction story and then the information. Introducing
non-fiction information in this context is also a great way to
increase interest and learning with our younger readers. Target
audience 3+.
Lauren Fountain
Ten pound Pom by Carole Wilkinson
Ill. by Liz Anelli. Black Dog Books, 2017. ISBN 9781925381214
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Immigration, Migrant experience,
Voyages and travel, Australian history. The story of Carole
Wilkinson's journey to Australia in the 1960's is revealed here for
a primary audience to encourage their understanding of the trip made
by many of the migrants coming to Australia after World War Two. A
scheme encouraging migration from the United Kingdom was set in
place in 1945, called the Assisted Package Migration Scheme, with
the catchcry of 'Men for the land and women for the home', with a
similar scheme begun in New Zealand in 1947. Over one million people
migrated from the United Kingdom between 1945 and 1972 swelling
Australia's population.
With her family making the decision to come to Australia at the
height of the Cold War, saying goodbye to friends and family was the
order of the day. Dad built some big boxes to take their furniture
and these were picked up by the authorities. On the ship, Wilkinson
outlines some of the things they did, while calling in to several
places along the way. Anelli's mixed media illustrations scatter the
book, giving an outstanding visual accompaniment to the text,
putting into pictures the Wilkinson family's journey.
The family discusses what will happen to them and so the readers
will learn of what happened to migrants arriving in Australia. No
nissan hut for this family, they were to live with family members
for a while until dad could get a job and find a house.
At the end of the book is given a brief outline of the government
policies which instituted the Assisted Migrant Scheme, along with a
glossary of unfamiliar words used in the text, and a useful index.
An engaging text, full of the hopes and concerns (particularly when
dad's boxes were unloaded in Perth instead of Adelaide) of the whole
family, alongside lively illustrations will ensure that this book is
well received, giving a perspective of Australia's migrants not
often seen. It will fit well in a unit of work looking at the
different ways Australia's population has developed and students
will be able to compare the differing government policies towards
migration to our shores.
(NB: I read Pea pod lullaby by Glenda Millard, and
illustrated by Stephen Michael King, at the same time as Ten
pound Pom and could not help thinking about the difference
between the migrant experience presented in the two books).
Fran Knight
Ruben by Bruce Whatley
Scholastic, 2017. ISBN 9781743810354
(Age: 7 to adult) Highly recommended. Picture book for older
readers, Homelessness, Cities, Survival. A child emerges from his
safe place. He must venture out into the abandoned factories and
buildings around Block City to find food. He watches the huge
overloaded trains that come into the city, delivering their goods,
returning empty. Nothing is available to him, the goods vans all
locked. He must be careful wandering around this place avoiding the
robotic watchers on the prowl for people who should not be there.
So Whatley develops his bleak and scary background, a few spare
words being but a small part of the evocative story, the
illustrations detailing a city dying at the edges, living only for
itself, oblivious to the plight of the street people, the homeless,
those surviving on the edge. Every page of the three sections is
full of meticulously drawn detail, detail that will astonish the
reader, at once absorbed by the city and its structures, but also
grieving for the lone child who lives in its shadows.
Children will soak up the atmosphere Whatley creates through his
pencil drawings, using just light and shade, a wonderful exposition
of entwined factories, industrial detritus and abandoned warehouses,
above ground train lines, derelict buildings, metalwork and
plumbing. I was enthralled looking at the detail offered on each
page as will younger readers pointing out detail and found objects
to each other as they read and follow Ruben's story.
The 100 or so pages zip by as the readers are drawn into Ruben's
tale, their hearts with him as he avoids the huge wheels of the
train, runs from the Listeners, the Controllers and the Sweepers and
strives to find something useful in an increasingly sparse and
hostile environment.
As he goes further into the city he sees someone else in the shadows
and makes a small boat which slides down the puddle to her.
He picks up a book dropped from one of the carriages, and in the
Epilogue their stories come together.
Whatley began this story ten years ago and began the illustrations
six years ago. This engrossing finished product will create much
discussion and debate within the classroom, from talk about being
homeless in our society to dystopian fiction and its implications,
impelling us to rethink the environment in which we live. But
reflection ensures the reality of Whatley's book hits home, it is
not a future but a now that we are looking at. His book makes us
profoundly aware of the dramatically changing industrial landscape
leaving so many of our population bereft. It is a salutary read.
Fran Knight
The rogues: Accidental heroes by Lian Tanner
The rogues series. Allen and Unwin, 2017. ISBN 9781760293529
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. Fantasy, Power, Magic. When the
country was over run by the invaders from Halt-Bern, five hundred
years ago, they called the land Neuhalt, and built a city they
called Berren around the Grimstone, the Saaf place for ceremonies.
The Bayam begged the invaders not to do this, but they did not
believe in magic, so scoffed at the Saaf. One Bayam survived inside
the Strong-hold, waiting her chance and when an idle-cat strolled by
speaking to her, she began looking for a child who could take on her
powers and bring back the magic.
But this child Pummel has come to the city to be a Sniffigator, a
member of the force which clears the streets of any vestiges of
magic, and then she spies another one, a girl, Duckling, come to the
city with her scheming grandfather. He is after a young boy to be
the dupe in his scheme to enter the citadel and Pummel is enveigled
to leave his post and join them. The trio gets inside the
Strong-hold, and Pummel is offered to the Heir as a companion, but
both children are taken in, and once the trio stays the night they
are trapped inside the place, never to leave.
So begins a multi layered and breathless fantasy tale that will
impel its readers to follow the exploits of the two children in the
Strong-hold. Each member of the large cast of characters is
entrancing, complex and fascinating, living on the pages as the
readers follow their journeys.
Duckling finds that she hums and this brings up a little wind about
her, while Pummel can do things others cannot. Each child has an
aura of magic recognised by the Bayam, and when on their first night
in the Strong-hold, they foil a plot to assassinate the Heir, things
become very tense. Others have been beheaded before them, so they
come to see themselves not as companions but protectors of the Heir
and his rise to the Faithful Throne. But who to trust? Duckling
keeps secrets from Pummel and certainly distrusts her grandfather.
She is as fearful of those around her as Pummel is trusting.
This is the first in a series of three stories about the duo, Pummel
and Duckling, and their attempts to bring back the magic to the
Grimstone.
With lashings of humour, the story is cleverly told with readers
highly involved with the trail these children wander.
Fran Knight
Crazy about cats by Owen Davey
Flying Eye Books, 2017. ISBN 9781911171164
(Age: Primary school) Highly recommended. As the title suggests this
book gives you information about cats, mainly concentrating on the
wild cat species. Did you know there are 38 different types of cats
in the world? This book has large amounts of beautiful illustrations
and infographics surrounded by bite sized amounts of information.
The 34 chapters (which are double page spreads) include the
different cat species, hunting for food as well as weird and
wonderful facts. There are some fascinating references to cats and
mythology as well. Crazy About Cats has a perfect balance of information and
visuals for primary school aged children. The setting out of the
facts using infographics make the book both informative and easy to
read. I particularly like the diagram showing the comparison of
different cat sizes with a human.
The colour palette for this book is stunning, with the author/
illustrator using warm colours with muted greens. This makes the
book a visual treat. The illustrations themselves are slightly
stylised and are more like works of art. The end papers are just as
attractive as the rest of the book.
The author has also produced two other books in this series, using
alliteration for their titles as well. They are Mad About
Monkeys and Smart About Sharks.
This is a book you can go to for information but also read just for
the compelling way it has been created. A visual joy from the
beginning to the end.
I highly recommend this book for primary school students and suggest
it should be in every school library collection.
Jane Moore
DK Children's Encyclopedia
DK, 2017. ISBN 9780241283868
(Age: 6+) Highly recommended. Encyclopedias. DK has produced another
excellent non fiction reference book, this time for younger children
who will really appreciate the excellent illustrations and
relatively easy to read text that DK Children's Encyclopedia
has to offer. There are over 250 topics in the book including
ancient civilisations, Astronomy, Climate change, Clocks, Galaxies,
Insects, Milky Way, Continents, Vikings, Weather and Zoos. The
Reference section contains lists of artists and writers, alphabets
and writing systems, scientists and mathematical information.
The book contains a table of contents with the topics organised in
alphabetical order. There are instructions on how to use the book
giving details about how the topics are colour coded into nine
different key subject areas, Art, People, History, Earth, Nature,
Science, Technology, Space and the Human Body. At the back there is
a comprehensive index as well as a glossary. The "Story of..." pages
are double-page spreads about interesting topics like colour,
storytelling, clothing, energy, water and inventions all of which
contain useful information for research and class work.
Each page deals with a different topic and is illustrated with
wonderful pictures that will help the child's understanding of the
topic. See also boxes will send the reader off to associated topics
giving the reader the opportunity to further their knowledge. The
information given is interesting and informative and is sure to keep
the inquiring child occupied for hours.
This would be an ideal gift for the young child. It is sturdy and
beautifully produced. It would also be an excellent reference book
in the library and classroom.
Pat Pledger
