Ill. by Olga Demidova. Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408839201
(Ages: 3-6) Recommended. Feelings. Having spent most of his time
writing for television and radio, this is one of the author's first
forays into children's literature and is the illustrator's second
picture book (her first was Usborne's Peep inside the Farm).
Their relative newness to the field is not apparent as this
collaborative effort pairs witty and age-appropriate writing with
attention-grabbing illustrations that successfully capture the
emotions of the main characters. An appealing and well-designed
front cover with bold colours draws the eye immediately and children
will want to find out more about this big, dark creature (the
personified Big Bad Mood who looks a bit like a blue Mr Chicken).
The story features George, who is having a particularly bad day.
When his mum tells him that there is a big bad mood hanging around
him he goes looking and finds 'a curious fellow, rough like
sandpaper and smelling of socks which REALLY needed changing'.
Children will identify with George; everyone has had one of those
days and done their fair share of stomping, shouting and huffing and
puffing. They will also love hearing about the mischief George is
dragged into by his Big Bad Mood: making a Big Bad Mood Sandwich
with caterpillar legs and spider mayonnaise, and filling the
swimming pool with jelly and custard. The Big Bad Mood is having a
great time but George is getting a bit tired of being grumpy (it is
hard work and his friends aren't very happy) so off he goes to tidy
up, to say sorry to those he might have hurt, and play happily with
his friends. Making the Big Bad Mood an incredibly happy,
enthusiastic character (rather like Drop Dead Fred), whose job is to
make everyone grumpy, is great as it adds a life and humour that may
have been missed if it had been a grump itself. This is a great
reminder to children that it is ok to have grumpy days when they
don't want to share or play nicely with their friends but that their
friends won't want to play with them if they are in a bad mood all
the time. It also shows young children how to deal with the
aftermath of a grumpy episode (saying sorry, tidying up) and gives
them the language to talk about their emotions and frustration with
their parents, teachers, and friends.
Nicole Nelson
My school project: Family, friends and furry creatures by Liz Pichon
Tom Gates series, book 12. Scholastic, 2017. ISBN
9781743816523
(Age: 8-11) Recommended. Boys. Family life. School
activities. Family trees. Drawing. Tom Gates is back with another
humorous diary packed with furry creatures, silly doodles, fun
cartoons and a running commentary about school and home life. What
happens when his shoes make loud raspy sounds on the way to school,
on the newly polished hall floors and in class? Tom tries
unsuccessfully to make everyone believe it is no shoes day at
school, but Mr. Fullerman sends him to the office and Tom has to
wear a pair of dazzling white gym shoes. Class 5F are building their
family trees, interviewing their family members to find stories of
their lives for this project. Tom creatively draws his baby picture
when he forgets his photo.
Of course, nothing is ever straightforward with Tom Gates, even
though he tries hard. He's a great procrastinator; he'd rather be
eating snacks or creating furry creatures with sticky tape and
pencil lines. Tom uncovers loads of interesting facts about his
family and his friends. There is the Wrinklies - his grandparents
who have been travelling around the world for the past seven years,
even swimming with sharks. There is lots of humour in Tom's unique
school project, he reveals family secrets, embellishes his
grandparent's careers and includes some rather embarrassing moments.
Liz Pichon's Tom Gates series is perfect for reluctant
readers who enjoy stories told through visual presentations,
cartoons, doodles and sketches. The text is minimal, presented in a
variety of formats, styles and sizes, handwriting, bubble writing,
emphasized words, block writing and words made out of patterns. My
school project : Family, friends and furry creatures is
another fun addition to the popular Tom Gates books, recommended for
a readers from 8-11.
Rhyllis Bignell
Running on the roof of the world by Jess Butterworth
Orion, 2017. ISBN 9781510102088
(Age: 10+) Set on the top of the world in Tibet and India we follow
the adventure of Tash, a 12 year old girl who is intent on meeting
the Dalai Lama, who she believes can help rescue her parents who
have been arrested by Chinese soldiers. Her father publishes an
underground newspaper. The brave girl escapes her hometown with her
best friend, Sam, and together they set out on an epic journey
through the Himalayas armed with two yaks and her Dad's backpack
that contains mysterious but important papers. The pair are hoping
to escaped a persecuted Tibet and cross the border into India where
they will be safe.
Friendship, perseverance, overcoming adversity and never losing hope
are strong themes that run throughout the book.
This book is suitable for children aged 10 and upwards and would
make a perfect read aloud.
Kathryn Schumacher
Sweet as sugar by Oakley Graham
Big Sky Publishing, 2017. ISBN 9781925520033
Picture book. Highly recommended. A beautifully illustrated book,
telling the story of a young sugar glider who has to make her own
way in the world. Sugar finds herself a place to live and works hard
to make it a home. Sugar's new neighbours make her feel welcome.
Sugar notices she is different to her new friends and she didn't
like it, until one day when she learnt why she was different and
used this difference to save her new friends.
Sugar learnt that we are all different for a reason, we just need to
work out what that reason is.
Karen Colliver
Boy by Phil Cummings
ISBN: 9781760277055.
(Ages: 4-8) Highly recommended. Perception, communication, deafness, power. From the author and illustrator of Wang Wang and Funi comes this modern fairy tale that cleverly conveys important moral messages. The title character, Boy, lives in a small village on the edge of a forest. He also happens to be deaf. He communicates with his 'dancing hands' and by drawing pictures in the sand, but only his parents are able (or want to) understand him. The dragon that lives in the forest is always fighting the king and their battles are always noisy ('Cling clong clang!', 'ROAR!'). While Boy can't hear the endless fighting he can feel and see the fear. One day, when he accidentally finds himself in the middle of the battlefield, he writes a question in the sand: “Why are you fighting?” When the dragon and the king start talking, they discover that their fighting is the result of misunderstanding and a lack of communication. Because of his influence in solving the problem, the villagers finally see Boy as a person worthy of their time and make an effort to communicate with him. There are many layers of both simple and complex messages here; the most obvious being that we need to make an effort to understand others and that we shouldn't make assumptions. Boy may not communicate like the other villagers but he does have important things to say and the dragon may be big (and called a dragon) but he is not scary or mean. It reiterates that the pen is mightier than the sword and that power can be silent rather than loud and aggressive. There is potential to use this story to discuss issues faced by those with a hearing impairment as well as how society often overlooks or ignores the voices of people with disabilities (and even just those who are not as loud or who don't communicate in the dominant manner). It may also open more general discussion regarding different forms of communication and the importance of communicating effectively. The overall tone is one of hope and optimism; it implies that if we communicate and make an effort to hear the voices of everyone in our community everyone will get along better. This is supported by the rounded, soft illustrations in which even the dragon is cute rather than scary. There is a lot of symbolism in both the text and the illustrations and it will engage and stimulate children of different ages on different levels.
Nicole Nelson
Dr Karl's little book of space by Dr Karl Kruszelnicki
Ill. by Russell Jeffery. Pan Australia, 2017. ISBN 9781925481235
(Age: 10+) Junior Non fiction. Dr Karl's Little Book of Space
is a small book full of fun activities (quizzes, puzzles, drawings,
etc) related to space. As such it is not a text book, but a fun and
interesting way for children to learn facts and concepts related to
space.
Examples: Space race: determining which of 3 spacecraft navigating
their way through various routes will be the first to reach a
planet; It's a sign activity where a sign language is used as a
method of attracting attention in space (since screams cannot be
heard in space).
Chapters cover most of the planets, sun and other stars and some
historical aspects eg what Ancient Egyptians believed about space
with a related Egyptian hieroglyphic decoding activity.
There is an answer section which further enhances the value of the
book.
It would be a great little book to keep children (about 10 years of
age and over) usefully occupied during journeys, holidays, etc).
The book is in the form of fill in activity book in which users
complete drawings, quizzes, etc so, if teachers wish to use some
pages, and are able to gain duplication consent, the activities
could be incorporated into science lessons and/or used as extension
exercises.
The book by a famous Australian would be a great gift for children
who have an interest in anything related to space. It would also be
a useful addition to a Junior Library non fiction collection.
Ann Griffin
Goodbye Mr Hitler by Jackie French
Angus and Robertson, 2017. ISBN 9781460751299
Historical war fiction. This story follows on from Hitler's
Daughter andPennies
for Hitler, however I read it as a stand alone story.
This may explain why I initially found the terms such as Mutti and
Vati confusing.
The story was deliberately set towards the end of 1944 so that the
main characters who are incarcerated in Auschwitz concentration camp
have a chance to survive for the story. It ends in 1972 in
Australia.
Each chapter is set within a specific time and place and about the
experiences of the main characters: Ten year old Johannes separated
from his parents when sent to the concentration camp and German Frau
Marks whose English husband is killed but she is able to send her
son George to England before being discovered by the Germans. She
then resumes her maiden (German) name and nursing occupation.
Through their narratives, the chapters detail the horror of life and
survival or death for their families and others at the hands of the
brutal German soldiers.
Most web sites label this book for 10+ aged readers. It is arguable
whether 10 - 13 year olds have the emotional maturity or historical
context to make sense of the inhuman treatment detailed in the book.
For example early in the book, a two year old boy and four year old
girl being hidden from the Germans in the basement of the hospital
where Frau Marks works are discovered and bayoneted to death while
on Frau Marks' lap. If this were a film the violence would probably
ensure it was rated PG or higher.
Despite the horror there are acts of courage as people like Sister
Columba attempt to save and protect Jewish children - without hatred
in her heart.
Besides Johannes and his parents and Frau Marks another significant
character is Helga and her 'mother' and 'brother'. Helga finds and
helps Johannes after he escapes the camp just before the Allied
liberation. There is a mystery about her.
After the liberation of the concentration camps, the main
characters, find and are reunited with their families in the
displaced persons' camps. Eventually Johannes and his parents, Helga
and Frau Marks (whose son had been sent by his relatives to
Australia for safety) all migrate to work and live in Australia. So
there is a happy ending.
It is when the hate the characters still have for Hitler (the ogre)
can be released and forgiven that the characters are truly free from
the nightmare.
The book is suspenseful with a twist at the end regarding Helga.
According to the end notes, Jackie French based the stories on true
events told to her by survivors of the concentration camps. I found
the horrors too much at times and had to stop reading (while still
wanting to know what happens to the characters and story).
If used as a school text, there is great scope to study the themes
of: The Holocaust and anti Semitism, Friendship and love versus
hate, Hitler's Germany and Nazism, Morality and choice.
The teacher's
notes would be of use to teachers.
Ann Griffin
Pride by Lazaros Zigomanis
Busybird Publishing. ISBN 9781925585247 (Ages: 15+) Highly recommended. Luke is an 18 year old country boy
who loves the regular footy game with his mates, and there is a girl
he's interested in, the daughter of the footy coach. Footy training
has always been casual, nothing too demanding, and he and his mates
enjoy a good drinking session afterwards. The girl, Amanda, has
other ideas, she has serious plans for the future and little
interest in people who seem to be just wasting life away. Luke is
challenged to step up, and the new talent on the field, newcomer
Adam, may be just the person to inspire the team to really commit to
the game and take out the notorious Scorpions, led by the vicious
Rankin. The Ravens coach would also like just once to lead a really
great football team to victory.
It sounds like a simple enough story about teenage life in a country
town, but there is a mystery at the heart of the novel, a mystery
surrounding Adam, the Aboriginal player who just turns up to play
one day, and then after each game disappears to his country the
other side of the playing field. The more that Luke and Amanda try
to find out about him, the stranger his story seems. Who is Adam
really? Where is his family? Where does he go to each night? And why
does Rankin, the Scorpion coach, seem so obsessed with him?
The twists in the story kept me engaged until the end. The mystery
gradually reveals the undercurrent of racism and dispossession that
haunts the Aboriginal player. The descriptions of the football
matches are very gripping and I am not even a football fan, but I
was thoroughly caught up in the action. The writing style is easy to
read, the conversations sound authentic, and the portrayal of the
relationships between people are very realistic; Luke's relationship
with his silent stoic father is especially poignant.
There is a lot to like about this novel, it has humour, action,
mystery, and football! This is the first Young Adult novel by
Zigomanis. Hopefully there'll be many more.
Helen Eddy
101 collective nouns by Jennifer Cossins
Lothian, 2017. ISBN 9780734417978
(Age: Primary) Recommended. Language. Collective nouns. A list of
animals and their collective nouns in alphabetical order from
aardvarks to zebras, is given an entrancing backdrop of endearing
illustrations by Cossins. Lists of these nouns appear now and again,
and sometimes the phrase is used in a book but to see them
altogether is stunning. Children will see the humour behind some of
the words given for a group of animals, and be intrigued to try and
work out just why that word is used. In her introduction, Cossins
tells us that collective nouns have their derivation in
onomatopoiea, or describe behaviour or habitat, but of course, some
do not fall neatly into these divisions.
Children will be able to discuss why a word may be used, and perhaps
suggest some of their own descriptive nouns, as she tells us that
Australian animals are quite often referred to as a 'mob'.
Several took my interest. Those using onomatopoiea as a collective
noun include a flamboyance of flamingo and a parcel of penguins,
while those describing behaviour include, a siege of cranes and a
paddle of platypus, while some reflect their habitat as in a caravan
of camel and a rookery of albatross. Many do not fit these divisions
and it would be fun to try to work out just why that noun has been
given, so reiterating the parts of speech with a class.
I enjoyed it greatly.
Fran Knight
Where's my jumper? by Nicola Slater
Simon and Schuster, 2017. ISBN 9781471146213
(Ages: 2-5) Counting. This fun and humorous book with cut-outs and
flaps counts backwards from 10. It features bold text with number
words in capital letters and retro illustrations of orange, yellow,
blue, pink, red and green. We see Rudy on the front cover, a bright
blue rabbit holding an empty coat hanger and asking 'Where's my
jumper?'. So, off we go, hunting around Rudy's house for his
favourite jumper that was 'a little bit short and showed his tummy'.
In each room he encounters a group of animals, from ten tumbling
cats to two passing foxes. This isn't your average counting book
with 'five kangaroos bouncing, four leaping lizards' though and it
doesn't carry a repetitive or predictable pattern like most other
counting books either. There are fancy-pants llamas jiving under a
disco ball, prima pigerinas pirouetting in the kitchen and dogs
riding ski lifts up the stairs. There are humorous and crazy
illustrations that children will appreciate (a cat wearing jocks, an
octopus taking a selfie in the pool, a shark in the swimming pool
and a crocodile on the toilet). Children will enjoy following the
trail of wool, opening the flaps and exploring the cut-through
pages. The ending is actually a little bit confusing, especially for
the younger end of the target age group: his youngest sister has
taken his jumper but the trail of wool he was following was being
knitted into a new jumper for him. It is great that there is nothing
predictable about this book and that children need to discover for
themselves where there are flaps and to follow the wool trail. It
will be enjoyed by children as young as two for its rollicking
rhythm and bright illustrations but those of preschool and
school-age will get a lot more out of it and be more engaged.
Nicole Nelson
Zombie family reunion by Zack Zombie
Diary of a Minecraft Zombie series. Scholastic, 2017. ISBN
9781743818336
(Age: 7+) What is next for Zombie? He's on his summer scare-cation,
just back from camp and all he wants to do now is stay home, eat
cake and play video games. Unfortunately, it is the time for the
Zombie Family Reunion held every one hundred years. Just for fun, he
invites his human friend Steve who needs a disgusting makeover to
fit in with the zombie way of life. Steve pretends to be Zven an
exchange student from Zveden. Accompanying them on this train trip
to Grand Zombie Canyon is their smelly cousin Piggy. This rail
adventure takes them across familiar Minecraft landscapes.
When they wake up early Monday morning from a night sleeping in
their body bags, little brother Wesley has pulled the pin and
detached their carriage from the rest of the train. Zombies need to
hide from the sun, so they shelter in a cave. Along the way, they
are kidnapped, land in jail and learn to rely on each other.
Familiar places from the Minecraft game are included as screen
shots: there is the Mesa Biome, the Desert Temple and the Steep
Cavern. Little Wesley finally comes to the rescue during a cave-in
and with the help of Mutant and some family members, Zombie, Steve
and Piggy are saved. Zombie family reunion is another humorous junior novel, just
right for Minecraft fans that enjoy reading about their favourite
characters and their zany lives.
Rhyllis Bignell
Raymond by Yann and Gwendal Le Bec
Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781406362428
(Age: 5+) Recommended, Dogs, Behaviour. Raymond is a loved dog in
the family. Each year the family treat him to a surprise birthday
party, but one day Raymond has a big idea. Why shouldn't he sit with
the family at tea. And so he does. After that it is a not a big
stretch for him to do other human things, and soon all of the
community's dogs are behaving like humans. They go to the theatre
together, have their cappuccino mornings, and Raymond reads a
magazine called Dogue.
When the family is out one morning, he goes to the offices of the
Dogue magazine and asks for a job. He interviews a range of dogs and
becomes so successful that he is soon a presenter on TV.
But then he is so admired that he needs security dogs to keep back
his followers, a groomer to attend to his coat and nails each day, a
secretary, and soon the only time his family sees him is on TV.
He becomes so stressed with all of the work he needs to do, his
family persuade him to take a holiday.
Lying on the beach a ball is thrown near him and the old urge to
chase the ball sets in.
He is cured and goes back to his family, quite content to be
scratched behind the ears just like he was in the past.
This charming story of being satisfied with what you have, of having
time to smell the roses, will resonate with younger children whose
lives are filled with things that seem important at the time. An
astute teacher could discuss with the class what is important to
them, after reading how Raymond becomes a slave to his job,
forgetting about the things that really made him happy.
The humorous illustrations will tickle the fancy of many readers as
they see Raymond behaving as a human but make them question just
what is most important to them.
With nods to the hipster generation, with its emphasis on screens,
cappuccino and takeaway meals, this up to date picture book will
leave readers with a smile of recognition.
Fran Knight
A-Z of endangered animals by Jennifer Cossins
Lothian, 2017. ISBN 9780734417954
(Age: primary) Recommended. Animals, Endangered animals. Artist and
writer Cossins, has brought her skills together to present this book
about some of the world's endangered animals. Each double page
represents one of the animals in danger, in alphabetical order from
Amir tiger to Zebra duiker. On one side is a brief outline of the
animal giving readers information about their endangered status, how
many are left in the world, what their characteristics are, why they
are endangered and several interesting facts.
M is for Mandrill for example, and we learn that there are only 3000
left in the wild. They live in equatorial jungles in Central Africa
and eat a variety of food. Their habitat is under threat but the
biggest threat today is the search for bush meat. On the right hand
side of the page is an illustration of the animal.
Children will love using this book as an information book but I can
also imagine children reading it from cover to cover. The
information is precise and concise, and paired with the
illustrations gives a fact file about the animal, enough for most
younger students but encouraging others to search further. To this
end, Cossins gives websites for the readers' research and an outline
of what the words used in the book mean: endangered, threatened and
extinct for example.
Fran Knight
Dino diggers: Digger disaster by Rose Impey
Ill. by Chris Chatterton. Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408872444
(Ages: 2-5) Dinosaurs, construction, teamwork. This cleverly
combines two things that young children love: dinosaurs and diggers,
and the bright, cartoon-like and action-filled illustrations will
keep them engaged. This is just one in a series of dinosaur
construction stories, each one containing a cardboard pop-out
build-your-own project. This one has a build-your-own dino and
digger. In each story the team of Dino Diggers 'put things right
when they go wrong and never let you down'. This is a great motto
for young children to hear and model their behaviour on. The
dinosaurs have great names and personalities, like the grumpy Mr Ali
O'Saurus and the clumsy apprentice Ricky Raptor. Today the team are
building a car yard but it isn't long before they run into a
problem: they've hit a water pipe. Everyone pitches in to fix the
problem and their great teamwork means that they finish the job on
time. Even the apprentice, who turned the plans upside down and
created the problem is supported and valued, not ridiculed. There is
great modelling here for young children: happy workers who are proud
of their work and a team of boy and girl dinosaurs building, driving
machines and working side by side. The construction language is also
great: backhoe, cracked a water main, digging out the foundations,
tower crane. Little ones who spot a construction site from a mile
away will love this and the fact that the characters are dinosaurs
makes it even more fun.
Nicole Nelson
The Cherry Pie Princess by Vivian French
Ill. by Marta Kissi. Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781406368970
(Age: 7-9) Themes: Magic, Princes and Princesses, Castle Life.
Princess Peony lives in a castle with parents the King and Queen and
her six older sisters. Their lives are ordered and organised - even
a visit to the Royal Library is strictly controlled. Whilst the
governess quickly herds the older girls through, young Princess
Peony expresses her interests in the recipe books. After she's
hurried away by the strict Miss Beef, the chief librarian Denzil
Longbeard notices a cooking book about pies and pastries is missing.
For a short while, the youngest princess enjoys cooking in the
castle kitchen, until the King finds out and bans her.
When a baby prince is born, his parents plan for an elaborate
christening party and invitations are sent out to the most important
people including magical creatures. The King refuses to invite the
wicked hag; this of means there will be magical mayhem at the
upcoming event.
The story switches focus to the Hag's preparation of a magical brew
in her cauldron and the three fairy godmothers' plans to attend the
party. Basil the talking cat observes the activities at the palace
and reports to the fairies.
Just after her thirteenth birthday, feisty Princess Peony discovers
that Mr. Longbeard, the librarian, was thrown in the dungeon for
talking to her when she visited the library. She finds herself
locked in the dungeon for speaking out of turn to her father. Of
course, she escapes and with the help of Basil and the other
prisoners, she's in the right place at the right time to foil the
hag's plans to steal young Prince Vincenzo. The Cherry Pie Princess is an easy to read junior novel
written by Vivian French. She is a popular children's author who
understands the interests of her young audience, girls who enjoy
princesses, life in a castle and magical creatures. Marta Kissi's
beautiful and humorous black and white illustrations display the
adventures of the determined and creative Princess Peony.
Rhyllis Bignell
