Cinderella: stories around the world, retold by Cari Meister
Picture Window books, 2015. ISBN 9781479554492
(Age: 5+) Cinderella. Fairy tales. Four of the world's store of
stories about Cinderella will be a good read aloud for younger
readers. The stories include a French version of Cinderella, a
Canadian story called Little Burnt Face from the Micmac
tribe, Yeh-Shen a Chinese Cinderella tale and Rhodopis,
an Egyptian Cinderella story.
Each of the girls is poor, the lowest ranked child in the house,
cleaning and sweeping for her board and lodging. There is always a
prince looking for his true love, a ball or test, a slipper and
finally a wedding. All four are astonishingly similar from such
disparate parts of the world.
Read aloud and discussed with a class looking at fairy tales, these
four will provide a basic understanding of the Cinderella motif, and
give a wider view of the story.
I love the Grimm Brothers version and this would be a great contrast
to the sweeter offerings here.
The French version is very similar to the well known version,
paralleling the Disney film from 1950. The Canadian version of the
girl whose face is burnt by her stepsisters surprised me, as it
brings in the degree of cruelty offered in the version by the
Brothers Grimm. Rhodopis certainly adds another flavour to
the tale, as it is set in Egypt and Yu-Shen will intrigue those
readers with its different setting and names.
The illustrations presented by four different artists reflect a
Disney style common amongst books for this age group, although the
illustrator for Little Burnt Face, Carolina Farias has
attempted to emulate the stylised drawing techniques of North
American groups and her illustrations present a different view.
This is one of a series of books comparing different fairy stories
around the world.
Fran Knight
The last of the spirits by Chris Priestley
Bloomsbury, 2014. ISBN 9781408854136
Suggested for age 11 upwards. Moderate horror themes. Utilising
Dickens' Christmas Carol as a framework, Priestley brings forward
the characters described by the original author as 'Ignorance' and
'Want' presenting them as the desperately poor brother and sister,
Sam and Lizzie.
Their existence is one of true survival where failing to gather
sufficient pitiful scraps of food through foraging and begging may
result in death from malnutrition and exposure in the freezing
conditions endured by homeless children on Victorian London streets.
Sam is understandably bitter, outraged by social injustice and faces
the world with a hot headed belligerence which impedes his wisdom
and capacity to show sensitivity to his sister whom he clearly loves
and protects.
Scrooge is loyally portrayed as a mean and callous miser who is
completely indifferent to the suffering of others as he suggests
that the poor should be sent to prison. He further expresses the
repugnant opinion that those who would rather die than suffer the
horrifying workhouses should do so in order to decrease the
population.
The spirits and ghosts from the original tale naturally make their
appearance to bring about the drastic change in attitude in Scrooge
which is achieved by essentially terrifying the life out of him.
Importantly, Sam is similarly affected by the revelations produced
by the Ghosts of Past and Yet to come. He is moved by being able to
watch a happy scene from his childhood where he lives safely in the
company of his mother and sister and is shocked and distressed when
able to view the eventual downfall of both himself and Lizzie if he
maintains his current destructive path.
The brutal conditions described by both authors are historically
accurate and Dickens wrote from personal experience in a bid to make
his contemporary readers appreciate how miserable life was for the
poor, especially children. Equally important in this tale is the
emphasis on redemption and the ability to change one's path in life
by rejecting what is undesirable or destructive by choosing a way
forward which fulfills others and the self in return.
Rob Welsh
Please Mr Panda by Steve Antony
Hachette, 2014. ISBN 9781444916645
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Humour, Animals, Manners. Mr Panda has
an armful of donuts and many other animals come by when he offers
the donuts to them. The penguin wants the pink one, the skunk wants
the blue one and the yellow one, but Mr Panda turns his back. His
offer to the ostrich is rejected (she is a ballet dancer), but the
orca wants them all. Finally a lemur asks if he can have a donut,
'Please Mr Panda', and so the riddle of how to get a donut is
solved. You need to use your manners, with a please and then a thank
you.
The story of using your manners will have resonance in classrooms
and at home where manners are being taught and discussed, and the
humour in the story will make sure the lesson is taught with fun.
Children will enjoy recognising the animals drawn and be able to
discuss them further. Steve Antony's The
Queen's hat(2014) is a very funny story about her hat
blowing away in the wind, and would be worth getting from the
library to compare with this story and its illustrations.
There are very few books about manners to use in the classroom, and
those that are available are didactic and teacherish. Talking about
manners with a large dose of humour makes the lesson far more
palatable.
The illustrations are noteworthy with their use of the grey page and
the placement of the animals. I love the upside down panda and lemur
towards the end of the story and this will draw questions from the
audience. The use of the endpapers too adds another dimension for
humour and discussion which I for one appreciate as I am sure
younger readers will notice as well.
Fran Knight
The way I love you by David Bedford
Ill. by Ann James. Little Hare Books, 2015. ISBN 9781760123956
(Age: Baby) Recommended. Board book, Animals, Family. That's the way
I love you is the refrain used at the end of every three phrases,
telling of the love and companionship shared between a small child
and her dog. They do many things together, play games, run around,
share food, dress up, jump, share secrets, cuddle up and read, then
fall asleep, secure in the knowledge that each is there for the
other. The list of activities they share builds up through the day,
waking and putting on the dog's lead, playing, then having lunch,
the afternoon bath and then bedtime. The sequences will remind the
reader of their own routines during the day. Themes of sharing, of
fun and play, are all surrounded by the love the two companions have
for each other and all readers will share that feeling as the book
is read to them by a loving parent or friend.
Ann James' illustrations are beautiful, adding to the spare words,
giving a deeper level of meaning to the text. Her joyous child's
face parallels that of the lovely dog, with the exuberant activities
slowing down towards the end of the book as they fall asleep.
Movement is masterfully depicted with a few lines and brushes of
colour, adding to the mesmerising effect of the story. I love the
whole book, and I am sure all kids who hear the story, handle the
board book, and look at the pictures will too.
Fran Knight
The two of us by Andy Jones
Simon and Schuster, 2015. ISBN 9781471142444
(Age: Adult) Sex scenes and drug references. The two of us
is a story of one year told exclusively through the eyes of William
Fisher. At the beginning Fisher, as he likes to called, meets Ivy
and so begins a nineteen day passionate affair which results in
Ivy's pregnancy. The two settle down to face the ensuing nine
months, passion being replaced by aching backs, morning sickness and
all the other accoutrements of gestation. While Ivy is the one to be
enduring these, Fisher, as he so insistently tells the reader, tries
to be understanding: a supportive modern man.
The details of 'their' pregnancy are graphically explained and only
occasionally interrupted by Fisher's shallow descriptions of his
work as a film director primarily making advertisements for such
scintillating products as toilet paper and cheese. His weekly visits
to his friends El and Phil add some distraction and Jones does
elicit some sympathy for these characters as El is dying from
Huntington's disease and the degenerative effects are described
vividly although not without a touch of black humour.
While Ivy is naturally central to this story the reader gains very
little insight into her character. What we do see is merely what
Fisher tells us as a reflection of his own feelings toward her. We
have little opportunity to develop our own thoughts and opinions.
While the concept of a novel such as this has some merit, it fails
to deliver to any great depth and would have appeal to a limited
audience.
Barb Rye
Minton Goes! by Anna Fienberg
Ill. by Kim Gamble. Allen & Unwin, 2014
(Age: 4-7) Highly recommended. Minton Goes includes seven
adventure-filled stories in one big book, from Hector the
Hottest Boy who ever lived to all of Minton the spotty
salamander's escapades. Hector and Minton live on a tropical island.
They enjoy mangoes and pineapples and each other's company. Hector
longs for a real friend, someone to talk to and hug, however, he's
too hot to touch. Minton rides on his big toe because salamanders
can dance through fire. After a tropical storm, they are blown out
to sea and begin a new life in a Viking village. Hector's warmth is
used in lots of creative ways.
Minton leaves Hector behind and goes off on his own adventures. He
loves anything that moves, boats, trucks, cars and submarines. With
his less adventurous friend Turtle they explore the world, making
model vehicles out of everyday objects. The plans for construction
are included at the end of each story. The themes of these stories
celebrate friendship, creativeness and resourcefulness.
This is a wonderful story collection from Anna Fienberg and Kim
Gamble's creators of the Tashi series. There is a seamless,
complimentary collaboration between the story and the illustrations.
It's time to introduce Hector and Minton to a new generation of
young readers.
Rhyllis Bignell
Lennie the legend: Solo to Sydney by pony by Stephanie Owen Reeder
National Library of Australia, 2015. ISBN 9780642278654
(Age: 9+) Recommended. Lennie the legend is based on the story of
Lennie Gwyther, who rode his pony Ginger Mick from the family farm
in Victoria to Sydney to attend the opening ceremony of the Sydney
Harbour Bridge in 1932. His journey was reported in the newspapers
of the day, and like the bridge he went to see, helped to lift the
spirits of Australians during the Great Depression.
Stephanie Owen Reeder has developed an effective strategy for
focusing on a personal journey while immersing readers in the daily
life of a bygone era. Lennie's story, told in strong, well-paced
prose and convincing dialogue, relates how he coped with bushfire
and flood, was helped by relatives and strangers alike, and
encountered characters as diverse as swagmen and the Prime Minister.
Each stage of the journey ends with an explanation of one aspect of
social conditions at the time - farming life, the consequences of
the Great War, mass unemployment and the optimism engendered by
nation-building projects such as the construction of Canberra and
the bridge. An epilogue traces the course of Lennie's life until his
death in 1992. These passages facilitate an understanding of the
significance of Lennie's achievement while allowing the narrative
itself to flow uninterrupted by intrusive explanations of its
historical context. The text has been complemented with photographs,
maps and posters, which the designers have presented in the style of
an old-fashioned photograph album. A bibliography, glossary, picture
credits, index and author's notes are evidence of thorough research.
The inclusion of some invented names, dialogue and events is
explained as being due both to necessity, when information is
unavailable, and to a desire to heighten the impact of the story.
Part history and part historical fiction, Lenny the legend brings to
life an inspirational episode from Australia's past and provides an
insight into the values and resilience of a generation that survived
against the odds.
Elizabeth Bor
Extra weird! by Anh Do
Ill. by Jules Faber. Weirdo 3. Scholastic, 2014. ISBN
9781743627051
(Age: 8-10) Recommended. Anh Do's wickedly humorous Weir Do returns
in this laugh out loud graphic novel. Weir's family members are
rather unique characters, Mum's so cheap she tells her children the
icecream truck only plays music when he's run out of icecream!
Granddad and Dad love hanging like monkeys on the bars, younger
brother Roger eats anything: old gum on shoes and worms in the
backyard.
Mum's competition wins are unusual, there's the camel's saddle and
the anchor waiting for a ship, but it is Dad's dance entry in the
Talent Quest that is hilarious. The prize is a year's supply of dog
food - of course the Do's don't have a pet dog. Jules Faber's
cartoons showcase Dad's quirky moves, there's the worm dance, the
horsey, the shopping trolley, changing light bulbs and the snake.
Granddad even shares his itchy bottom squirrel steps.
Boy jokes about boogers and farts with gross pictures that add to the fun
of reading Ahn Do's junior novel. Soccer fans will love Weir's
attempts to gain much-needed skills before the tryouts and his first
game. Dad's dance moves come in handy for goalie Weir!
Another funny addition to the Weirdo series, great for reluctant
readers and fans of the diary style novel.
Rhyllis Bignell
The adventures of Stunt Boy and his amazing wonder dog Blindfold by Lollie Barr
Pan Macmillan, 2014. ISBN 9781742613673
(Age: 9+) Recommended. Adventure. Circus. Bike stunts. When Stunt
Boy's dad, Fred Stoke comes off his bike during a routine display
for the Stoked Stunt Circus, owned by the family, Stunt Boy is
suspicious. The circus manager, Ginger Styles takes over but when
Stunt Boy sees her talking to his father's rival, Chesterley, he
decides to investigate further. With dad in hospital in a coma, he
must work alone. But he has two companions, Benny his best friend,
and his dog, Blindfold. They decide to raid the other circus and
getting themselves caught, end up locked in cage next to the lion
cage. Here they are able to see some of the goings on in this circus
where animals are treated poorly, but when the Police turn up, it is
Stunt Boy and Benny who get into trouble.
The boys find that their circus is on the edge of bankruptcy and are
able to persuade a famous rider to ride for them for free. All seems
well but Stunt Boy's uncles turn up, bent on selling the circus now
that their brother is incapacitated, and so Stunt Boy's problems
deepen.
This is a funny story of circuses and adventure where two young boys
and their dog are able to save the family business, learning a lot
about human nature along the way. They expose some illegal
activities in the rival circus and of course save the day at their
own. A warm story for upper primary boys.
Fran Knight
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Orion Books, 2015. ISBN 9781409151173
(Age: 15+) Highly Recommended. This is a world divided by blood -
Red or Silver. The poverty-stricken Reds are commoners, slaves,
living in the shadow of the Silvers, elite warriors with god-like
powers. Mare Barrow, 17-year-old Red girl from the Stilts, her life
is already set for her. She is going to be sent to war. Mare finds
herself working at the Silver palace; in the midst of those she
hates the most. Quickly, she discovers that, despite her red blood,
she possesses a rare and deadly power of her own. One that threatens
to destroy Silver control. Power is a dangerous game, and Mare must
learn to play.
This is a thrilling and breath-taking fantasy set in a dystopian
world; an amazing read that had me hooked with the first chapter and
I could not put the novel down, finishing it in one sitting. There
was at no point in the novel that I felt lost or confused.
Victoria Aveyard created a storyline that was perfect and
outstandingly captivating. Mare has had to grow up fast and had to
re-learn a new way of living without losing herself in the process.
This is one that I definitely recommend.
Cecilia Richards
Square Eyes words and music by Craig Smith
Ill. by Scott Tulloch. Scholastic New Zealand, 2014. ISBN:
9781775432692
(Age: 3-6) Recommended. Listen to the enclosed CD for another
exciting song by Craig Smith, much-loved creator of The Wonky
Donkey and Willbee the Bumblebee. Sing along to Square
Eyes as Panda and his friends sit on the couch all day and
watch television. A beanie-wearing bee warns his friends not to let
the day waste away. After some initial difficulties the turtle,
lemur, owl and panda are encouraged to try dancing, play games and
read at the library. Book surfing, swimming in the ool - no 'p'
please, climbing trees and baking cookies are great suggestions.
Panda is not quite convinced, every time the chorus is sung, of
course, he's back on the couch watching another show. Craig Smith
suggests hiking in the hills, doing chores or learning an
instrument, at the end of a busy day, the four friends are back on
the couch napping.
Scott Tulloch's bold paintings complement the lyrics, Panda's tv
snack is bamboo in a popcorn box! He imaginatively uses the white
spaces as the characters zoom in from different directions on bikes,
scooters, surfboards and books.
Another entertaining song and story picture book from Craig Smith.
Rhyllis Bignell
Silver Shoes series by Samantha-Ellen Bound
Random House Australia, 2015
Book 1: And All That Jazz. ISBN 9780857982827
Book 2: Hit the Streets. ISBN 9780857982841
(Age: 8-10 years) Recommended for dance enthusiasts. Junior Novel.
Samantha-Ellen Bound's new four novel series introduces Miss
Caroline's Silver Shoes Dance Studio and four girls who love
different dance styles. The author is a skilled dancer and
choreographer who has drawn from her own experiences to create this
world of tap, ballet, rap, ballroom and jazz.
In And All That Jazz, ten year old Eleanor Irvin's whole
world revolves around dance classes and her best friend Paige. She
is very competitive and desperate to be part of the elite troupe
chosen to perform at the Jazz Groove Dance Competition. She has a
few problems to overcome, auditions are a struggle and she's sure
her number one enemy Jasmine is out to ruin her chances. Ellie
becomes even more upset when a new student Ashley from a rival dance
company begins jazz lessons too. From specific jazz moves to the
nitty gritty of dance classes, this junior novel captures the world
of dance for young enthusiasts. Hit the Streets focuses on Ashley who has settled into
lessons at the studio and now made friends with Ellie, Riley and
Paige. Silver Shoes Dance Studio offers free trial lessons in
different dance styles and Ash is keen to try Hip Hop. At home she
loves to listen to hip hop tunes and watch her sister Bridget's
boyfriend Brimax dance with his crew. She loves her first class and
the teacher Jay, who encourages her to find her own beat. Ash's
dance clothes and shoes are old and worn and her family is unable to
afford new ones so she finds work cleaning up the costumes and props
room at the studio for discount passes to lessons. This second story
delivers all the dance moves, as well as showing how one girl's
determination and creativity help solve her clothing dilemma.
Rhyllis Bignell
Summer of monsters by Tony Thompson
Black Dog Books, 2014. ISBN 9781742032252
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended, Frankenstein, Horror, Fictionalised
biography. In 1792, Mary Wollstonecraft wrote a seminal feminist
book, A vindication of the rights of women, but died five
years later after her daughter was born. The girl, named for her
mother, had an erratic upbringing. Her father took her daily to
visit her mother's grave and eventually succumbed to the attentions
of a woman who he married, a woman Mary despised. At the time great
interest was shown in medical things, Mary and her father once
attended an experiment where Dr Aldini used electric currents to try
and bring them back to life a recently hanged man. Dinner
conversations with learned men were commonplace at their home, and
Mary sat and listened, but the new woman in the household clashed
constantly with Mary. She was sent off to Dundee to stay with
friends.
Coming back to London when she was sixteen, she met the poet,
Shelley and eloped with him to Europe along with her step sister,
Clare. Here they lived a nomadic life, shocking conventional
attitudes, attracting ridicule and even abuse. Mary Shelley as she
became went on to write the most famous horror story of all time, Frankenstein.
This fictionalised biography of Mary and her companions is
enthralling. The background of the time is captivating, giving the
reader a sound basis to look at their lives within the context of
the early years of the nineteenth century. Conventions were put
aside by Shelley and others in his circle, a circle which included
the poet Byron, and in 1816 in Geneva, they were challenged to write
a ghost story by Dr John Polidoris, another member of the group,
later to write the first modern vampire novel. Mary wrote the
beginnings of her novel, Frankenstein, bringing together all
the sights and discussions she had seen and been involved in during
her life, writing a book that has been rewritten, republished,
filmed and parodied ever since. Thompson's book is utterly
fascinating and brings to life the strange characters that made up
the group around Byron and Shelley, poets who died within eight
years of that summer in Geneva.
Fran Knight
A is for Australia by Frane Lessac
Walker Books, 2015. ISBN 9781922179760
(Age: 7+) Australia, Iconic places, Cities, Rural landscapes.
Frane's naive style of painting is used again in this new offering
from Walker Books. Subtitled, A factastic tour, it gives
younger readers a taste of some well known places in Australia,
giving information accompanied by maps and pictures in an A-Z
format. It is easy to point out some obvious omissions, but
selecting just 26 of the places that are representative of Australia
would be very difficult, and makes an interesting exercise with
children to work out what they would include.
Accuracy has taken second place to impression as a quick overview is
all that is offered for younger readers. The selection includes the
Nullarbor, Bondi Beach, Kakadu, Uluru, as well as lesser known
physical features, Wave Rock, Rottness Island, Coober Pedy and so
on. The range is tantalisingly thought provoking. Just what would I
include? And why this and not that? Again an interesting class
activity.
Each selection in the main covers a double page with lots of odd
little bits of information given placed around the picture. So on
Coober Pedy, for example, the subtitle tells us that this is the
largest opal mining town in the world, then the pictures represent
the open cut method of extracting the opal, and the home beneath the
surface. Information is given about opals, why people live
underground, when golf is played and who the traditional owners are.
Some less well known places will be new to readers, Qui Qui, a sheep
station in Queensland, Exmouth and Yallingup in Western Australia,
for example. The book covers much of Australia and although the map
under A is a bit dismissive of South Australia, it does serve the
needs of the book, but I would imagine a teacher will have a map of
Australia somewhere at hand to use with the class. For younger
readers this will be a treat of information and pictures to ponder.
Fran Knight
Funny families by Dr Mark Norman
Black Dog Books, 2015. ISBN 9781922179975
(Age: 6-10) Highly recommended. Animals, Families, Non fiction. In a
series of books about animals, Dr Norman of Museum Victoria promotes
their oddity in the books, Funny bums, Funny faces
and Funny homes. The fourth in the series, Funny
families, promises to be just as informative, including a
large dose of humour to engage younger readers. The front cover with
its family of meerkats bunched together will intrigue readers to go
further. The photographs sourced from a wide range of places, all
acknowledged inside the front cover, support the spare text, as Dr
Norman outlines the odd lives led by some animals.
Each double page offers a different perspective on several groups of
animals, how many offspring the animal has, to who looks after the
offspring, to learning about their environment, and finally leaving
home.
The book takes the reader on the cycle of birth to independence, all
with wonderfully informative photographs and a text which is pared
back to give basic facts about that animal.
Several pages are my favourites. I love the pages entitled Difficult
kids, with its images of an echidna, the spikes designed for
protection, but being born spineless which helps with the rearing,
and on the facing page is a shark and its offspring with information
I had not come across before.
At the end of this lovely production is a short glossary, an easy to
use index, and a double page with further information about some of
the animals represented. All in all an informative easy to read book
for primary people.
Fran Knight
