Ill. by Paul O. Zelinksy. Andersen Press, 2015. ISBN 9781783441860
(Age: Preschool - K) Books for preschoolers about shapes are not
uncommon but rarely are they as quirky and as much fun to explore as
this one. Each shape in the book is linked to an everyday item but
each explanation is invaded by a moose with a selfie fetish. The
narrator keeps telling Moose that he is in the wrong book but Moose
refuses to leave, even when Zebra tries to chase him away and causes
chaos as he does. The narrator tries valiantly to carry on but the
story is hijacked.
One of the hallmarks of a quality picture book is if you can hear
yourself reading it aloud as you read it alone and this is one of
those. Another hallmark is if you can imagine the child's reaction
as the pages are turned and this is one of those. This is a way of
teaching shapes that will remain with the child for a long time
especially if you encourage them to put themselves in the narrator's
place and get them to suggest and draw other items that could have
been used and how Moose might have got himself into them.
Early childhood teachers will love this one!
Barbara Braxton
Resonance by Celine Kiernan
Allen & Unwin 2015. ISBN 9781743313084
(Age: 14+) Recommended. A dark fantasy set in a remote Irish
village, Resonance is clearly not an everyday read. I would
recommend it to lovers of dark fantasy aged fourteen and over.
The story follows a case of mistaken identity as Joe, a poor cab
driver, is accused of being Mathew by a black man with ominous
glowing eyes. Joe is confident that he will never see Vincent
again, but then he reappears in the theatre district with Lord
Wolcroft. They are searching for performers for an extravaganza.
Meanwhile Mickey the Wretch beats Joe almost to death before Vincent
swoops in and saves him. He says that the only way for Joe to
survive is to return home. In no state to argue, Joe is bundled into
the carriage along with his friend Tina and her boss, Miss Ursula.
Watching all this and unable to stand by, Harry, an American
magician, jumps aboard the carriage, determined to help his friends.
It doesn't take long for Tina to discover Lord Wolcroft's dark
secret. Instead of an extravaganza, they are headed for a feast, and
they are the main course. The friends must work together to prove to
the two men that they are more than just food, and in the process
teach them that change can be for the better.
The book deals with change and the way people cope with it. Some
want it, while others abhor it. The novel is an incredibly detailed
piece and a great feat of the imagination with believable characters
whose determination to succeed is inspiring.
Kayla Gaskell
The toast tree by Corina Martin and Fern Martins
Magabala Books, 2015. ISBN 9781922142689
(Ages: 5-7) Recommended. Grandparents. Imagination. Magic.
Aboriginal family life. Corina Martin grew up in Broome, Western
Australia in the 1960s and used her childhood memories to create The
toast tree. Her grandfather would arrive home after work with
a special treat for Corina and her siblings - golden brown toast
from the toast tree! Fern Martins' watercolour paintings evocatively
capture the family scenes, the sense of wonder and magic described
in the simple story and the richness of the surrounding landscape.
This is a story that celebrates the power of the imagination. Every
night Grandpa brings Ella and Mia a special treat, golden brown
toast he's picked from the toast tree. He's the only one who knows
its secret location. The girls search the sand dunes and bush
without success; they discover one tree with yellow blossoms and
sweet nectar. Grandpa is clever directing the children to find
Grandma fishing near the shore, while he disappears into the bush
for more treats.
This is an uncomplicated gentle story that shows a simpler time,
when children believed in the stories of their grandparents and
their magic.
Rhyllis Bignell
The Palomino Pony comes home by Olivia Tuffin
Nosy Crow, 2014. ISBN 9780857633033
(Age: 10+) Fourteen year-old Georgia is like many girls of her
age - horse crazy. Her greatest joy is when she is caring for
Wilson, the show pony belonging to 17 year-old Sophie who's quite
willing to have the glory of the ribbons from riding well but would
prefer not to get her hands dirty with the stable stuff. So Georgia
willingly steps up spending all her time at the stables wishing she
could have a horse of her own but knowing that since her father
left, it is but a dream. Unfortunately caring for Wilson means
Georgia neglects her studies and she finds herself having to attend
summer school in Wales and not having Wilson to herself as she's
been promised.
But on a geography activity she spots a palomino pony looking
neglected and abandoned in a paddock next to a deserted house. And
so begins her relationship with this beautiful creature which has
run for its life from its cruel owner and which has spawned a new
series including The Palomino Pony wins through, The
Palomino Pony rides out, The Palomino Pony runs free
(due April 2015) and The Palomino Pony on parade (due
September 2015).
Even though she is 14, Georgia is a young 14 and while there is a
hint of romance with Dan, a fellow schoolmate also at summer camp,
this is a very suitable series for those upper primary girls who are
always on the lookout for new books about horses. There's plenty of
action and adventure and the characters are well-drawn. I know Miss
10 will be very keen to get her hands on this series.
Barbara Braxton
I don't like cheese by Hannah Chandler
Ill. by Lauren Merrick. Exisle Publishing, 2014. ISBN 9781921966668
(Age: Preschool - Year 2) What do you do if you're a mouse and you
don't like cheese? Do you starve to death? Or are you lucky like
Mike and live in the house where the Walker family lives and
daughter Ashley brings you a special treat for dinner each night? No
matter what type of cheese Mike's mum gave him, he refused to eat
it. Instead he waited patiently each night for Ashley to bring him
something yummy for his dinner. And each night it was a taste from
somewhere different - meat pie and tomato sauce from Australia on
Monday; tacos on Tuesday; sushi on Wednesday. As well as the food
there was also a little something from the featured country so Mike
could have a little culture with his cuisine.
But on Friday night, along with his French croissants and creme
brulee there was a note from Ashley telling Mike that she is going
on holiday and won't be able to leave him his dinner. What will
Mike do?
This is an appealing story that immediately brought to mind the
amazing celebrations a local school has just had for Harmony Day
where the children got to sample food from so many different
countries, dress in their national costumes and participate in
dance, craft and other activities. It would be the perfect story to
include in those, but it would also make an ideal platform for
investigating just how broad the Australian diet is and the
influence that the cuisine of so many places has on it.
It was written by Hannah Chandler when she was just 11 years old in
response to a challenge from the school principal as she tried to
tempt fussy eaters. From being bound and put into the school's
library collection word spread and this charming professional
picture book is the result. So it could also be used as inspiration
for all the budding writers in your school.
Worth seeking out from http://idontlikecheese.com/the-book/
Barbara Braxton
Thunderstorm dancing by Katrina Germein and Judy Watson
Allen & Unwin, 2015. ISBN 9781743314593
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. Weather, Family, Dancing. I found it
hard not to sing this out loud, the music of the words, their rhythm
and rhymes so infectious that my feet were tapping as I read. I can
imagine a class full of kids learning pieces of this and singing it
out loud as it is read over and over. The words take you by storm
(sorry) as the wind and rain descend on the beach shack where the
family is staying. Grandma calls the children inside, and Daddy
plays with the kids, becoming the wind, Tommy prances around like
the clouds and Poppy stamps his feet in time with the thunder. Each
of the family is part of the storm, playing their part in keeping
the story of the storm going while it rages outside. The whole
family makes noise, stamps around the room, dances to the wind and
rain outside, with Granny on the piano. But suddenly it subsides,
everything becomes quiet once again, Granny is the sun and the child
called inside is the rainbow.
This is just delightful, allaying any child's fears of a storm,
giving many children an idea of the words used to describe a storm,
showing the might of a storm and reiterating that it does eventually
calm down and the sun and a rainbow do appear, showing that the end
of the storm has come.
For classes looking at weather this would be a great introduction to
the work, allowing children to recognise the words describing the
weather event and encouraging them to share their own stories of
storms. For dance and looking at rhyming words too, this book is a
must have, and for getting kids to join in, it is just wonderful.
The illustrations by Judy Watson move across the pages with verve
and vigour. The ink outlines filled with colour and watercolour wash
are terrific. I love the spots of white splatter paint denoting the
frothy waves, and the swirls of dancing people on many of the pages,
and the storm sweeping across. And I love the endpapers, the first
with a group of buffeted seagulls holding their own in the rain and
wind, and the last with calm and light as the storm has finished.
I'm sure youger readers will follow the fish, the gulls and the cat
with interest as they randomly appear, and others will follow the
little girl, as she comes in from the storm to cuddle with her dog
on a chair, but gradually feels more at ease with her family's
dancing, until finally she is able to get up and almost join in as
the storm goes away. Loved it all.
Fran Knight
Julius Zebra: Rumble with the Romans by Gary Northfield
Walker, 2015. ISBN 9781406354928
Recommended for readers from 8+. Themes: Zebras - fiction,
Gladiators, Rome - fiction. Julius Zebra's life is rather boring, he
longs for adventure, freedom from his dull existence on the African
plains. He absolutely hates Wednesdays, bath day in the smelliest
watering-hole in the Serengeti! While his mother and older brother
Brutus love bathing in the stinking lake, drinking the disgusting
water and catching up with their zebra friends. How quickly things
change, caught in a trap with a friendly warthog and the fierce
nomadic lion that had been chasing them. Captured by Roman
centurions, the odd trio endures a long sea journey to Rome, where
they are destined to become circus animals at the Colosseum.
Gary Northfield's humorous cartoons showcase Julius's rise to fame,
the fun and games, the struggles as he learns to become a gladiator,
sword fighting and hand to hand combat. This is a laugh out loud
story as the motley band of animals combine their natural animal
instincts with their gladiator training to become strong
competitors. This book follows a similar format to the Horrible
Histories series combining facts about Ancient Rome, Spartacus and
the life of gladiators with funny sketches. The animals' dialogue is
sharp, witty, sarcastic, Cornelius the warthog is a great foil to
Julius's character. A great story to share with a class or share
with a child who enjoys historical fiction
Rhyllis Bignell
Love bomb by Jenny McLachlan
Bloomsbury, 2015. ISBN 9781408856093
Betty Plum is a confident and happy teen, secure in her world of
best friends Kat and Bea, BFF Bill, her dad and her cat, Mr Smokey.
But then she turns fifteen and her life suddenly becomes a lot more
complicated.
What happens? Well there is the advent of Tobias Gray who makes her
want to change her never been kissed status. Then there are all the
compromises she's prepared to make to win his approval. Her dad,
after 13 years of happiness with just her and Mr Smokey suddenly has
a girlfriend. Bill and Kat seem to have become BFFs or more and
Betty's not happy about that but doesn't know why and the only one
who can help her make sense of all of this is her mum and she's been
dead for thirteen years and is only available through a series of
fifteen letters - the last one to be opened on Betty's fifteenth
birthday. But did her mum remember her own teens and leave a
lifeline for Betty?
McLachlan has a sure hand in writing of the trials and tribulations
of Betty's fifteenth year. The novel, while fun and often light is
never patronising and possesses subtleties and nuances for the
discerning reader. Overall Love Bomb leaves the reader
feeling happy and optimistic for Betty and the people in her world
and surely that's no small thing.
R. Lange
The Beast of Blackmoor Bog by Kate Forsyth
The Impossible Quest, bk 3. Scholastic Australia, 2015. ISBN
9781743624081
(Age: 9-12)The quest to save Wolfhaven Castle and overthrow Lord
Mortlake continues with mystery, magic and legendary creatures
assisting the four children. The children find that they have no
idea who to trust and that old acquaintances aren't always who they
think they are.
After escaping Witchwood, and some dissention over the best way to
proceed Sebastian and Elanor have come to Crowthorne Castle seeking
the help of Lady Ravenna, leaving Quinn and Tom to look after the
Unicorn and Griffin on the moors. It is not long before the pair
come across Jack Spry, the young thief who spied for Lord Mortlake
and opened the doors to allow the Bog Men into Wolfhaven castle, and
find themselves in the dungeons rather than welcomed by the miserly
Lady Ravenna.
They discover that Lady Ravenna has a financial arrangement with
Lady Mortlake to provide the Bog Men, and that they and the other
prisoners are to be fed to the bog at noon the following day as part
of the Fire Festival. Elanor manages to escape the castle as
Sebastian holds off the guards only to be eventually recaptured.
Meanwhile Quinn finds herself imprisoned by The Beast when she is
betrayed by a girl she meets on the moors while looking for food.
When Tom attempts to find her he is also locked in an oven.
Fortunately Elanor is able to free them before the festivities begin
and they hide in the hopes of rescuing Sebastian.
Another old acquaintance accompanies the procession to the bog,
Wilda the witch, who had helped them previously and whose sight they
had helped restore but who Sebastian discovers was firmly aligned
with the Mortlakes.
Sebastian fears he has been abandoned by his friends but with magic,
bog men, fast growing briars and man eating plants, giant leeches
and a flying dragon skeleton, good triumphs and the quest continues.
Sue Keane
Zafir by Prue Mason
Through my eyes series. Allen & Unwin, 2015. ISBN
9781743312544
(Age: 13+) Recommended. Having recently arrived in the Syrian city
of Homs, Zafir is relatively naive to the brutal realities of life
under the regime of President Bashar al-Assad and must try to
discover the facts without drawing attention to himself or his
family.
In happier times, Zaffir had lived with his Syrian parents in Dubai,
where his father was employed as a medical doctor and returning to
their homeland has exposed the family to unforeseen danger and
tension.
Set at the beginning of the Syrian uprising, the story tries to
explain how the populace overcame serious censorship and media
control to establish a collective awareness which led to resistance
against the oppressive dictatorship. The complexity of religious
differences between Moslems and Christians, together with
consideration of the political affiliations and influences of
supporters versus opponents of the regime form the basis of the
story. This is a country where to be heard criticising the President
may lead to arrest, torture and murder, hence to be involved in
organising protests as Zafir's uncle does is a dangerous practice.
In the prelude to this social turmoil, Zafir's life is relatively
mundane as he attempts to establish a friendship with Australian
girl Eleni who shares his love of skateboarding and is the daughter
of a visiting Orthodox Christian Priest whose family becomes close
to Zafir's. At school, Zafir's only friend Rami's father is in exile
after speaking out against the regime and the boy educates Zafir
with insight tinged by an understandable hint of paranoia. As Rami
is bullied and maltreated in the schoolyard by the more powerful
loyalist majority, Zafir is forced to make difficult decisions
regarding alliances and justice, mirroring what is happening in the
socio-political sphere.
An interesting feature of the tale is the consideration of social
media in such uprisings. Zafir's mother uses banned Facebook to
learn what is happening elsewhere and becomes vocal in calling for
resistance to the regime. The reader is prompted to evaluate the
potential cost in suffering, especially when online clamoring for
uprising originates from unrealistic idealists or those who are safe
from the consequences. Zafir's father, perhaps more aware of
potential outcomes, urges a more discrete and pragmatic approach,
however when circumstances demand, he responds, facing up to what
could be terrifying possibilities for all his family.
Dramatising the Syrian uprising with historical accuracy precludes
fanciful outcomes, however amongst the grim reality is hope for both
Zafir and his tormented country.
Rob Welsh
Lily the Elf series by Anna Branford
Ill. by Lisa Coutts. Walker Books, 2015 Lily the Elf: The Midnight Owl. ISBN 9781925081053 Lily the Elf: The Precious Ring. ISBN 9781925081046
(Age: 5+) Recommended. Themes: Elves, Overcoming Fears,
Grandparents, Owls. Lily the Elf lives with her dad in a tiny house
under a bridge and her granny lives in a flat at behind their home.
Anna Branford's new series is written for newly independent readers,
with very simple text, large font size, illustrations on each page
and short chapters. These are delightful stories dealing with
overcoming problems, fears and working things out.
When Lily lays awake, she hears the spooky call of the midnight owl,
what is it saying? Her granny finds a special feather at the back of
her wardrobe and shares of her grandfather's rescue of a baby owlet.
To help Lily overcome her fears of the night noises, Granny suggests
a twilight picnic and a visit to the owl's home in the great oak
tree.
Lily needs to prepare herself and practice acting bravely, by
reading a scary story, going down into a dark cellar and by jumping
off a high toadstool. Lily even dresses in her matching boots and
hat and adds her warmest jacket while Granny prepares treats for the
picnic. Of course her visit with the owl and the connection of
the feather help Lily overcome her fears.
Lisa Coutts' watercolour, pen and ink illustrations bring Lily, her
family and their environment to life, everything is scaled perfectly
for an elf's view of the world.
This is a charming story, a wonderful beginning to a brand adventure
new series from Anna Branford, author of the popular Violet Mackerel
books.
In Lily the Elf: The Precious Ring Lily the Elf finds
a beautiful golden hoop filled with water, in her backyard after a
rainy night. The jewels on the ring's side make rainbow patterns
all over the garden. This is a perfect pool for an elf princess and
Lily enjoys splashing about. When Granny comes out to check, she
recognises the hoop as a child's ring, someone has lost something
special. Elves always return lost things to humans. Granny makes a
new jewel out of a chocolate foil wrapper and sticky tree sap,
however, she tells Lily she must return the ring to the little girl
who lost it. Dad, Lily and Granny string the ring up and haul it up
onto the bridge above their houses and listen as the ring is claimed
by its rightful owner.
With themes of responsibility, care of property and the rewards of
doing the right thing, The Precious Ring is another
delightful story by Anna Branford.
Rhyllis Bignell
Our love grows by Anna Pignataro
Scholastic, 2015. ISBN 9781743626269
(Age: 3+) Love, Families, Pandas, Growing. In the forest the baby
panda, Pip, asks his mother when he will be big. She responds by
pointing out all the things they know in the forest: trees once as
high as Pip, have grown into huge trees, seasons have passed as
flowers bloom and then their petals fall, just like the pinecones
falling from the trees, and his toy, Birdie was once new and shiny
but is now a little scruffy. Through rhyming phrases Piganataro
shows the passage of time. Pip's blanket once covered all of him,
but is now small, his footsteps in the snow were once very little,
but now are much bigger, the songs they sang together seemed to take
forever, just as their games once did. And just as he has grown so
has their love.
This is a sweet story to read to younger children. Through it they
will be reassured that they all grow, just like the trees and
flowers. Their understanding of the passage of time and what happens
to them will be enhanced, and with a parent or teacher discussions
about life cycles can be developed. The idea that above all else the
bond between parent and child is steadfast and loving, is paramount.
Pignataro's soft watercolour illustrations suit the topic admirably.
The pale greens contrast with the softness of the brown trees and
the water with its silky blues contrasts with the floating boat. The
endpapers parallel the blanket that Pip uses as a young panda and
many children will recognise the early need for such a prop, but one
that is now left behind. Pignataro is the author of the popular Princess
and Fairy series.
Fran Knight
Space mash by Knife & Packer
Wheelnuts! Craziest Race on Earth! Book 3. Scholastic
Australia, 2015. ISBN 9781743627242
(Age: 7-9) Themes: Car racing, Outerspace, Adventure. The Wheelnuts
crazy cars return in another wild race. Warren 'Wheelie' Wheelnut's
new challenge for the six cars and their crews is an adventure in
space, of course, there are no road rules and the obstacles are out
of this world!
Knife and Packer's imagination and creativity make this graphic
junior novel an exciting action-packed adventure, the crazier the
better! There's the Rust Bucket 3000 driven by robots Nutz and
Boltz, The Flying Nappy with Gurle and Burp on board - leading to
lots of gross jokes and the Dino-Wagon's crew is Turbo Rex and
Flappy a pterodactyl out to win.
The adventure begins at the Space Centre where Warren reveals the
six cars have been mechanically upgraded to rockets for their
outer-space race. With space junk obstacles, cheating drivers and
diversions to other planets for special adventures.
Humorous, comical, colourful, gross and outrageous Knife and Packer
deliver all the elements for another mad Wheelnuts race.
Rhyllis Bignell
Man in the Shadows by Chris Morphew
Phoenix Files Volume 1. Contains Book 1: Arrival.
Book 2: Contact. Hardie Grant Egmont, 2015. ISBN:
9781760124250
Set in some unknown part of Australia, Phoenix, unreachable by phone
or internet, appears to be the perfect town, inhabited only by the
employees of the Shackleton Co-operative.
Seventeen year old Luke, simmering with resentment and already
missing his dad, finds himself confronted by a scenario that even he
finds difficult to believe. The world is about to end and he and two
new friends, Peter and Jordan, have to prevent the Co-operative from
completing the countdown to the annihilation of the human race.
With his mum engrossed in her new position and working all hours,
Luke has only his friends to help him make sense of the cryptic
messages Crazy Bill, the town's one jarring oddity, leaves for him.
As they do, all three begin to realise the danger that they and
everyone else is in. It soon becomes clear that the Co-operative
will stop at nothing to achieve its end goal. The collateral damage
begins to mount and the hundred day countdown to Armageddon has
already begun.
The first of a 3 volume trilogy, Man in the Shadows, is a
tense and realistic portrayal of 3 ordinary teens attempting to make
sense of what, even to them with their newly discovered proof, seems
untenable. With time running out, with no allies, with Crazy Bill
locked away, what can 3 teenagers do?
This reader eagerly awaits the next instalment to find out.
R. Lange
Rosie Gigglepip's lucky escape by Daisy Meadows
Magic Animal Friends. Orchard Books, 2015. ISBN 9781408326329
(Age: 6+) For fans of the series. Themes: Magical Animals, Pets,
Witches, Dragons. Lily and Jess are best friends, they love helping
to care for the sick animals at the Helping Paw Animal Hospital, run
by Lily's parents. They also have a special friend, Goldie the
magical talking cat who leads them on adventures into the Friendship
Forest. They enter the forest through a special door, hidden in the
big oak tree and shrink in size with their skin tingling like bubbly
lemonade.
The forest families are threatened by a fierce storm, with heavy
rain, thunder and lightning scaring the small creatures. Of course,
Grizelda the evil witch is behind the destruction. She has commanded
Breezy the storm dragon to destroy the Gigglepip's home, a windmill
called The Whirligig.
Jess and Lily save the day with a little help from the dragon family
and peace is restored in the Magical Animal Kingdom. Another junior
novel from the popular Daisy Meadows team.
Rhyllis Bignell
