Antoinette by Kelly dePucchio and Christian Robinson
Simon and Schuster, 2017. ISBN 9781481457835
(Age: 4-8) Recommended. Paris. Bravery. Family. Dogs. A charming
tale of being yourself, of following your heart has Antoinette,
despairing of her place in the household, where her three brothers
are known for their strengths. Rocky is clever, Ricky is fast and
Bruno is strong, but she has nothing to compare with them. Mum
reassures her that she has a special gift but it is not yet
apparent. One day while in the park, Mrs Bulldog notices that one of
the poodle pups is missing. Antoinette sees her brothers try out
their special gifts, but they cannot find Oo-La-La. She decides to
try for herself and follows the scent after the others have given
up. Her nose takes her across the park to the Louvre, and despite
being chased by a guard, she finds Oo-La-La in a most perilous
position and rescues her. Her bravery and tenacity is apparent for
all to see and later she becomes a famous police dog.
The stylish naive illustrations give the impression of block prints
with slabs of acrylic colour used as the background to the story.
The reduced pallet of colour compliments this impression, making the
story stand out against a pared back setting, while the dogs have a
collage appearance, which children may like to emulate after reading
the book. I loved the setting with images of Paris on several pages.
Readers, like me, will have a great time recognising iconic images
of Parisian life and its buildings: the Louvre, an artist, poodles,
a beret amongst others along with some French words to further pique
interest.
Fran Knight
Florette by Anna Walker
Viking, 2017. ISBN 9780670079414
For children moving house away from friends and familiar things can
be tougher than parents realise, and especially so when the move is
from one well-known environment to one that is completely unknown.
Mae and her family move from her house with a garden, an apple tree,
daisies and daffodils, green grass and birds to an inner-city
apartment that is all rooftops and tall buildings - the epitome of
the concrete jungle. There are no windy paths and leafy cubbies,
just statues and Keep Off The Grass signs. There are no treasures
for her treasure jar, just boxes and more boxes and when she tries
to draw familiar things on the pavement outside, the rain washes
them away. No matter what she does, Mae cannot make this new place
resemble her old one.
But one day, standing on a box peering through her binoculars at the
endless rooftops, she spies an open space with swings in the
distance and so she, her mum and dog set off to find it. It is a
long walk through this unforgiving city and the end result is a
disappointment. But as she sits forlornly on the swing, she spies a
bird and follows it until it disappears into a leafy forest. But the
forest is closed. And then Mae spots something that changes things...
Anna Walker is the creator of Mr
Huff, winner of the CBCA Early Childhood Book of the
Year in 2016, Peggy shortlisted in 2013 and a host of other
books that centre around her ability to get into the head of the
subject, consider "what if..." and then emerges through her
gentle, detailed illustrations that bring the text to life and
invite the reader to delve deeply into them.
Mae could be any child who has moved house, perhaps with little say
in the decision made by parents concerned with adult things, who has
discovered themselves amongst the totally unfamiliar but who has
drawn on their inner reserves and resilience to try to make it work
until eventually it does. Without describing Mae's feelings, but
detailing her actions in words and pictures, the reader feels and
understands Mae's vulnerability and bewilderment and yet throughout
there is a sense of hope and a knowledge that she will prevail.
Despite the bleakness of the city and its harsh facade there is a
feeling that Mae will break through - perhaps it is in the children
who come to view her courtyard art amidst empty plants pots or in
the new budding trees as she goes through the streets, or in the
swan, duck and ducklings in the river as the city awakens to spring.
Florette, a small flower that makes up a bigger one, is the
perfect title for this story perfectly encapsulating that concept
of 'from little things...'
A look through Anna
Walker's website shows a host of awards for her work - this
could well be added to that list.
Barbara Braxton
A tragic kind of wonderful by Eric Lindstrom
Harper Collins, 2017. ISBN 978008183011
(Age: 14+) Themes: mental illness, bipolar disorder, friendship, family, love. Mel Hannigan's has bipolar disorder, diagnosed after a period of traumatic events, requiring a period in hospital. Her best memory is of the day her brother Nolan encouraged her to wag school and they had an amazing day of doing crazy things together. But this memory is closely tied to her worst memory, one she won't allow herself to contemplate, an ability she describes as her 'superpower'. We soon find out that Nolan died and this precipitated her parent's divorce, requiring Mel and her mother to move in with her aunt. On her first day at a new school Mel was bullied by a group of girls but rescued by Annie, Zumi and Connor who soon became best friends. After her breakdown Mel is reluctant to tell her friends about her illness and the friendship suffers. She is not the only one in her family to suffer this mental disorder, HJ, her aunt prefers to enjoy the highs and endure the lows rather than take medication, and it is pretty obvious that her brother's death happened while he was in the grip of a manic episode. We find that the disorder manifests itself in a wide spectrum of symptoms and Mel keeps track of her own symptoms by keeping a mood diary which helps when adjusting her medication. At school Mel describes herself as an antisocial underachiever but she works at a retirement home where she is in demand for her empathy and cheerful assistance, there she meets David, the grandson of one of the residents and they have immediate rapport. The normal highs and lows of teenage life (including mood swings with the onset of menstruation) are complicated by Mel's disorder and her unwillingness to share knowledge of it with her friends. When problems with her friends become traumatic, coinciding with a crisis in her mood, things go terribly wrong. Packaged up into a readable story about friendships and first love, readers are introduced to what it must mean for a teen to live with bipolar disorder in a way that is both detailed and insightful. Following on from Lindstrom's Not if I See you First and joining a number of recent stories about mental disorders, this novel is sure to find an enthusiastic readership especially from year 9/10 girls.
Sue Speck
The Great Shelby Holmes girl detective by Elizabeth Eulberg
Ill. by Matt Robertson. Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408871478
(Age: 8-10) Recommended. Shelby Holmes is a feisty nine-year-old
girl detective who loves to solve mysteries in her local
neighbourhood. She lives upstairs in Apartment 221B Baker Street
Harlem, New York City, with her family, Mrs. Hudson their
housekeeper and Sir Arthur their English bulldog. Shelby is a
well-known and liked figure in her neighbourhood, where she uses her
logic and skills of observation to solve crimes.
As eleven-year old John Watson and his mother move in downstairs, a
loud explosion startles them. A rather dishevelled Shelby comes down
to apologise for the commotion and she totally surprises them with
her astute observations. She deduces that John has diabetes, that
his parents were recently divorced and Mrs. Watson had been an Army
doctor in Afghanistan. John's observations and feelings are openly
shared with the reader; his relationship with his father, who does
not keep in contact, his mother's concerns about his diabetes and
his friendship with Shelby. He expresses his feelings through
journal writing recording his feelings and daily adventures with
Shelby.
Shelby takes John under her wing and they venture all over, meeting
a diverse mix of shopkeepers and neighbourhood characters. Their
first mystery to solve together involves a stolen dog, dog trainers
and culminates at the Dog Show. Along the way, John meets some new
friends and becomes closer to Shelby. The scenes at the Dog Show are
humorous, as John sneaks Sir Arthur on to the subway train and has
to handle the British bulldog in the ring.
Matt Robertson's fun drawings are entertaining; there is Shelby's
frizzled hair after the explosion, the paw embellishments, Sir
Arthur's poses and the colourful front cover. Author Elizabeth
Eulberg has creatively woven characters and elements of the Sherlock
Holmes novels into The Great Shelby Holmes Girl Detective.
With themes of friendship, solving mysteries and overcoming worry
and anxiety, this is an enjoyable novel suited to ages 8-10.
Rhyllis Bignell
I don't know what to call my cat by Simon Phillip
Ill. by Ella Bailey. Simon and Schuster, 2017. ISBN 9781471124136
(Ages: 3-5) A new pet brings joy, happiness and a few problems for
the new owner. Where will it sleep? What to feed it and where to
feed it - not the high chair as there will be food everywhere. The
biggest problem of all of course, is what to name the kitten, maybe
not Kitty. It may be difficult to call 'Kitty', when all the cats in
the neighbourhood turn out for tea! The little girl tries Princess
High and Mighty, but the cat definitively did not like the princess
outfit. She tries everything from Pat, Tricia, Tracey and Betty but
nothing seems right. Of course, at the vet's, she discovers an
important fact - her kitten is a boy!
After trying Rocky, Arnie and Mr. Maestro, her cat tires of dressing
up and of being called names that do not fit his character, so he
leaves in a huff. She looks everywhere, even putting up Missing Cat
posters all over the zoo. There on a zoo bench she meets Steve the
gorilla, who follows her home and cheers her up. He messes up her
room, enjoys painting banana pictures, and he even accompanies her
to the Museum and a cafe. Unfortunately, the Bureau for Naughty
Animals takes him away in the BNA van. To the young girl's surprise,
her grey tabby cat returns home with a collar and a name Tricky!
Emma Bailey's delightful digital illustrations are visually
appealing; they lift this simple story and bring the characters to
life. She engages her young audience with her use of fresh modern
colours, wide-eyed creatures and humorous scenes. Look for Tricky
hiding in the gorilla scenes, carefully placed in the Egyptian room,
the cafe and disguised as a BNA agent.
Simon Phillip's picture book story loses its purpose towards the
end, when Steve the Gorilla enters the scene and takes over as the
little girl's pet. Fortunately, the tale gets back on track when the
lost cat returns home, appropriately named Tricky and prepared to be
a great friend to the little girl.
Rhyllis Bignell
Traitor to the Throne by Alwyn Hamilton
Rebel of the Sands bk 2. Faber and Faber, 2017. ISBN
9780571325412
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. Fantasy. What a roller coaster of a
ride this book turned out to be! Amani, the Blue-Eyed Bandit from Rebel of
the Sands, has been captured by the Sultan and imprisoned in
his palace. Stripped of her powers, and made to obey the Sultan's
every order, Amani is determined to spy on everything that goes on
and report back to the rebels. She is desperately plotting to get
information out of the palace and to keep the momentum of the
rebellion going.
Danger is everywhere, especially in the harem, where intrigue is the
order of the day. Amani has to come to grips with people from her
past, and begins to think about her actions and where they have led
her. Her understanding of the powers of the Demdji is growing as is
her confidence in her own abilities and beliefs.
While attending the Sultan's meetings she has the opportunity to
observe how he operates and also has many conversations with him,
where the nature of ruling and power are discussed. The plight of
women in the harem is also highlighted - they are powerless unless
they have a male heir, and many disappear. This contrasts with the
power that the women who align with the Rebel Prince have - they are
leaders, generals and valuable advisors.
The setting of the Sultan's palace forms an interesting background
to the political intrigues and the friendships that Amani forms.
There are some new characters introduced and some desperate losses
as the group face the fact that a traitor has betrayed them. Amani's
romance with Jin is low-key as maintaining the rebellion takes up
most of the time.
There is a gut-wrenching conclusion that will leave readers longing
for the next book in the series.
Pat Pledger
Triangle by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen
Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781406376678
(Age: 3-5) Warmly recommended. Board book, Shapes, Mathematics,
Friendship. A hardcover book about triangles! Hmm. But the face made
by the triangle on the front cover invites the reader to open up and
look inside.
Triangle lives in his house, a triangle, and uses his door, a
triangle. He walks to his friend's house, Square. To get there he
walks past big triangles and little triangles, shapes that are not
triangles at all, until he gets to Square's house. Here he plays a
sneaky trick on his friend, and then is followed by Square all the
way back home. Once back home, Square becomes stuck in Triangle's
door, and so plays a sneaky trick on Triangle, blocking the light,
knowing Triangle is afraid of the dark.
By the end of the story children will be laughing at the tricks the
two shapes play on each other, they will know what makes a square
and a triangle, and that one cannot fit into the other. They will
also have realised that playing tricks on their friends is not quite
the best way to treat friends.
The seemingly simple illustrations done in single bold colours will
intrigue readers. Shapes are contained on each page, reinforcing the
theme of the book, and the eyes peeing out from the shapes will
entrance all readers, while the question on the last page will cause
wonderment as the readers question what they have seen happen.
By the authors of Sam and Dave dig a hole, and Extra
yarn, both Caldecott Honour Books.
Fran Knight
Witch glitch by Sibeal Pounder
A Witch Wars Adventure series. Bloomsbury,
2016. ISBN 9781408880340
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Witch Glitch is another story
in the A Witch Wars Adventure series. Tiga has been reunited
with her mum, Peggy is in charge of the witching world and Fran the
fairy is still annoying. The good thing about this series is readers
will know what is going on without reading other stories in the
series. In Witch Glitch, Tiga has discovered a book about a
group of witches called The Karens. At the same time, Tiga's mum has
invented a new fairy and Fran the fairy is rather upset. When Fran
receives a letter from The Karens, promising to grant her wishes,
Fran disappears and becomes a new story in the book found by Tiga.
Tiga and her other friends set out to find Fran and discover a jelly
castle and a group of witches all called Karen. Their wishes have
evil twists and Fran finds herself growing bigger and bigger and
bigger! How will Tiga and her friends save Fran? How will they
prevent other witches from seeking out The Karens. Witch Glitch will have readers laughing at the antics of the
witches and the funny world they live in. Australia is even
mentioned in it! The story is easy to read and moves quickly and
readers will be fascinated with the use of the word 'frog' when they
speak, the sneakiness of The Karens and the weirdness of this witchy
world. Throughout the story, the local newspaper makes reports on
recent events including warnings to watch out for falling cake
baskets and chats with witches who think their cat shaped jam jar is
a real cat! It is highly recommended to readers aged 8+.
Kylie Kempster
Stormwalker by Mike Revell
Quercus Children's Books, 2016. ISBN 9781784290696
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. A year ago, Owen lost his mum. He has
tried hard to get on with his life but his dad is still struggling.
After an argument, Owen's dad agrees to go to counselling and starts
to write again. All of a sudden, Owen's reflection is different and
during a moment in class Owen sees a dead world around him. After a
run in with a bike, Owen finds himself running from the Darkness and
running for his life. The world is different, he looks different and
everyone is calling him Jack. What is going on? Owen has Jack's
memories but he also remembers his life as Owen. As Owen settles
into this new life, he has a crazy idea. Is he part of his dad's
story? How will he get back to his own world? Can he help save the
lives of his new friends? Will Owen's dad realise what he has done?
Storm Walker tackles loss, recovery, adventure and change. The
descriptive text is easy to read and follow as Owen skips between
make believe and reality. The story moves quickly, keeping the
readers on the edge of their seats and it is highly recommended for
boys aged 10+. The topic of loss is discussed sensitively but also
shows the strength a child can have despite such a great loss.
Kylie Kempster
The perfect picnic by Ciara Flood
Five Mile Press, 2017. ISBN 9781760405366
(Age: 3-6) Highly recommended. Ciara Flood's The perfect picnic
is a quintessentially English tale of friendship, as Squirrel and
Mole prepare for a picnic in the countryside. Just like the Odd
Couple, these two characters are the complete opposites of each
other; Squirrel is the perfectionist while Mole is more easygoing.
Squirrel's tree trunk home 'Oak Lodge' shown in a beautiful cutaway
picture is neat and tidy, everything in its perfect place. His house
is next to Mole's underground home 'The Shack' which has mess outside and
inside, even his vegetable patch is untidy.
Their friendship is celebrated by dancing, baking, cycling, even
painting together. Preparing for the perfect picnic involves
Squirrel directing the careful packing of the backpack with
delicious food, cutlery and the rug. While Mole is given the
responsibility of carrying the backpack, Squirrel wants to find the
perfect spot, however the meadow is too sunny, and the hill too
windy and the beach is just too sandy. Oh no, while the two friends
were searching for the perfect spot, the picnic bag ripped and all
the food has fallen out. The perfectionist Squirrel is overcome and
all her plans are ruined!
To their surprise, their friends have followed their journey and
each one has rescued something from the picnic bag. Bat has the rug,
Otter has the apples and Mouse has the plate of slightly squashed
cake balanced above his head. What could they do with the sandy
sandwiches, cold tea and bent cutlery? It is up to Mole to save the
day? The delightful story ends with Squirrel repeating Mole's
refrain, 'Right you are, Mole. Right you are.'
Ciara Flood's whimsical illustrations are visually appealing and a
delight to peruse. While the text focuses on Squirrel's search for
the perfect spot, the ripping of the backpack and loss of all the
picnic items is shown entirely through the lovely painted pictures.
What a wonderful way to begin a discussion with a young child about
what is really happening. The sepia toned maps on the endpapers show
the journey of the two friends and introduce the idea of mapping
their journey as well. The perfect picnic is a wonderful resource for Early Years
teachers, for Foundation Geography - simple mapping and introducing
places and environments and for English engagement with visual
texts.
Rhyllis Bignell
I don't want curly hair by Laura Ellen Anderson
Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408868409
(Age: 4+) Recommended, Hair. Satisfaction. Body image. With wild
hair springing out on every page, and many many words for curls
taking up the text, readers will laugh out loud at the antics taken
by the protagonist as she tries to straighten her unruly hair. The
methods are as wild as her hair, as she ties balloons to her hair in
the hope of them going skyward taking her hair with them, or putting
heavy books on her hair to iron out the wrinkles, or having her
friends pull it out for her. She craves straight hair, and despises
her mop of wild unruly hair which makes a birds' nest on her head.
The uproarious illustrations will have readers following the girl's
attempts with glee seeing her many attempts to tame her hair. But
all to no avail, until she hears someone with straight hair trying
to change her hair to curly. The exact opposite is happening with
someone else. She is trying all sorts of strange methods to get her
hair curly and the two have a wonderful time working out fun things
they can do with their hair, satisfied that what they have cannot be
changed to something it is not.
This book will encourage children to look at their positives and not
to be dissatisfied with how they look.
Fran Knight
Dogman unleashed by Dav Pilkey
Dogman series bk 2. Scholastic, 2017. ISBN 9780545935203
(Age: 7+) Dog Man unleashed is Dav Pilkey's second book in
the amusing, comic Dog
Man series from the author of Captain
Underpants. Colourful cartoon scenes fill the pages, as
Dogman steps up to save the day. He is an unusual character, with a
cop's body and the transplanted head of Greg the dog. He never
speaks, but he communicates with his funny actions, and he loves
dead fish, squeaky balls and enjoys visiting Penny's Pet Store.
Pilkey's book includes grammatical errors, crossed out words and
intentional misspellings, deliberately made to look like a fourth
grade student was the author. As he has done previously, there are
drawing lessons and Cheesy Animation Technology - Flip-O-Ramas
included.
Dogman comes up against three villains in this zany story. The
Police Chief has a birthday and the hero's purchase of Flippy the
fish from the pet shop sets up all the problems of the book. Petey
the cat returns to be a 'supa' baddie, his inventive way of escaping
from jail is very entertaining and it unfortunately creates another
more evil character - Flat Petey, a paper cat with a dastardly
magical spray. Dogman swings from buildings, speeds down snow
covered mountains and uses creative solutions to foil the villains'
plans; he depends on his team to help him save the day. Dogman unleashed is a great book for reluctant readers, for
Pilkey fans and for readers who enjoy comic books.
Rhyllis Bignell
The Story of Australia by Robert Lewis
National Museum of Australia. Random House Australia, 2017. ISBN
9780857983145
The National Museum of Australia
is home to one of the richest collections of objects, photographs,
artefacts and other items that document the history of this country
from the times of our earliest indigenous people through European
exploration, settlement and expansion and on into the 21st century.
Drawing on these riches, Robert Lewis has traced the story of
Australia in a way that is accessible to young independent readers
wanting to begin to understand their heritage.
Filled with photographs, charts and other illustrations, it gives an
overview offering explanations of key events and the people behind
them which encourage the young historian to delve deeper, explore
further and perhaps even make a plan to visit the museum itself to
see the actual objects.
This would make a great reference work to have on the home shelves
as children start their formal study of the nation's history but it
also perfect for the library's collection to help answer quick
questions and show that history is about story not just facts and
figures.
Barbara Braxton
Strange the dreamer by Laini Taylor
Hodder and Stoughton 2017. ISBN 9781444788983
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. The city of Weep has been cut off
from the world and even those that remember the stories have
forgotten the city's true name. It seems that everyone has forgotten
Weep. Everyone but the city's inhabitants and an orphan boy, Lazlo
Strange. It is Lazlo's obsession with the city which earns him a
place on the expedition to save it when Eril-Fane (Godslayer) visits
Zosma where Lazlo has worked as a junior librarian for the past
seven years. Eril-Fane has spent two years away from Weep searching
for people with a select set of skills which will enable him to save
Weep. Being the only one who can speak fluently in the lost language
and a potential translator makes Lazlo a valuable member of the
party - even if he doesn't see it that way. When they arrive in Weep
however, none of them are prepared for the challenge that awaits;
not even golden-boy Theon Nero, famed alchemist and the only person
to have succeeded in making gold. How can Lazlo, a librarian, ever
hope to help these people?
A whirlwind adventure this fantasy is sure to captivate any fantasy
lover and I would highly recommend it to people twelve and up. Strange
the dreamer highlights the importance of the imagination and
reiterates that sometimes the truth is stranger than you can
imagine. Dealing with grief, peer pressure, and first love, it is a
piece about finding your place in the world and accomplishing your
goals. Just like Lazlo, everyone should have the opportunity to
realise their dreams if they only try hard enough.
Kayla Gaskell, 21
My friend Tertius by Corinne Fenton
Ill. by Clive Swan. Allen & Unwin, 2017. ISBN 9781760113827
(Age: 6+) Recommended. World War Two. Singapore. Hong Kong. Gibbons.
Melbourne Zoo. Arthur Copper, working as an intelligence office in
Hong Kong prior to the Second World War, rescued a small gibbon from
a street stall. He took the animal home, calling him Tertius and
training him to live with him as his pet. The pair developed a bond
of friendship which saw Arthur taking Tertius with him from Hong
Kong to Singapore before the Japanese advance, and then getting on
the last boat to Australia when Singapore surrendered. Once in
Australia difficulty with emigration authorities forced Arthur to
make a difficult decision about his friend. But the warmth of their
friendship remained in place.
In Swan's beautifully rendered illustrations, details of colonial
Hong Kong and Singapore are shown through his understated and soft
pallet of colours giving a sense of the muted, fearful atmosphere in
these places as the Japanese forces made their way south. Readers
will be able to identify images reflecting the Asian setting, images
attesting to the times, and see hints of the encroaching war.
Tertius' story will win many hearts as readers see the lengths some
people go to protect an animal they love, and be made aware of the
mutual love and respect which existed between these two lone
characters. I had fun trying to work out why the gibbon was called
Tertius, and readers will be equally engrossed researching this
name.
Fran Knight
