Archive | November 2015

Ten Blue Wrens and what a lot of wattle

Ten Blue Wrens and what a lot of wattle

Ten Blue Wrens and what a lot of wattle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ten Blue Wrens and what a lot of wattle

Elizabeth Honey

Allen & Unwin, 2015

32pp., pbk., RRP $A14.99

9781760290511

 

There have been boundless counting books based on Australiana over the years, but Ten Blue Wrens has to be one of my favourites.  Full of iconic but different images, it is a celebration of this nation in pictures and rhymes that will capture the imagination of any little person.  Who could resist

One little nipper dipping in the pools

Two straight fingers for a goal in Aussie rules

Each page brings something that the reader will relate to and want to talk about as they discover the detail in the enchanting illustrations. “Six fat strawberries on a passionfruit pavlova. There were six lamingtons…none left over.”  Unlike most counting books that end at 10 or 12, this one gives opportunities to count up to some of those ginormous numbers that little ones like.  The endpapers are gorgeous but my favourite is the final page and the clever use of words that sums up everything.

Shared bedtime stories can be as much about the learning as the bonding and there is research to show that chatting to children about maths concepts as they read can improve their understanding  so there are riches and rewards in one that is so full of fun.

Putting on my teacher librarian hat, I love stories like this – not just for the joy and energy they bring to our littlest listeners but also for the model they provide for older students to create their own.  What better way to investigate what it is to be Australian than to use this as a kickstart for thinking beyond the obvious and drawing on personal passions to say who you are.  Honey created the images using acrylics sponged onto stencils adding another element to explore as students create their own interpretations.

The hardback edition of this book was a CBCA Notable Book for Early Childhood in 2012.  Its release in paperback in 2015 means not only has it endured but also a new generation of young readers can enjoy it. A classic in the making.

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

 

Herman’s Holiday

Herman's Holiday

Herman’s Holiday

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Herman’s Holiday

Tom Percival

Bloomsbury, 2015

32pp., pbk., RRP $A14.99

9781408852088

It’s summer and holidays are approaching.  Best friends Herman Bear and Henry Raccoon are really looking forward to going away for a few days but all the brochures they’re looking at are from places that are just too expensive.  Herman is so upset that his friend Henry is upset at the thought of having to stay home that he decides to organise a holiday they can afford.  Going camping – because everyone loves camping, don’t they?  Well perhaps everyone except Henry who is more of the glamping sort.  While Herman loves the adventure and finds things easy, Henry is not so enamoured and their postcards home give two very different perspectives.  When Herman realises that Henry is not having the time of his life, he decides to do something about it – and the result is a holiday that makes both of them happy.

This sequel to Herman’s Letter continues not only the friendship these two creatures enjoy but also the interactivity with the lift-the-flap postcards that will add intrigue for younger readers. With so many Australian children enjoying a camping adventure for their summer break, this story will appeal to them because they will relate to it so well.  Putting up a tent isn’t so easy for some and tears can be closer than laughter and who hasn’t wondered what it is that is going bump in the night.

Just in time to share with young readers as term draws to a close and to allay fears for those embarking on a camping adventure for the first time, this charming colourful tale from the creator of Bubble Trouble is perfect for a summertime read, one that will evoke both memories and anticipation.

Itty Bitty Kitty

Itty Bitty Kitty

Itty Bitty Kitty

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Itty Bitty Kitty

Joan Holub

James Birks

HarperCollins, 2015

32pp., hbk., RRP $A27.99

9780062322197

Like many little people, Ava’s greatest wish is to have a pet of her own but her parents believe she is too small.  Besides, with a new baby and her dad’s work her parents are busy enough already.  However, Ava is not deterred and when she finds a “furry purry, snuggly huggly, cutie patootie itty bitty kitty” abandoned in a box near the seat at the end of her street she thinks her dreams have come true.  Even though she wants her parents’ permission, they’re too busy to listen and so she decides to keep Itty Bitty a secret.  He was just what she wanted but sadly he didn’t stay itty-bitty for long – he was a very hungry kitty – and the damage bills kept mounting.  Disaster strikes when he escapes from her room and he ‘scared the fish, broke a dish, chased a bug, clawed the rug, leaped from a cupboard and got  DISCOVERED!”  Ava is devastated and it seems that Itty Bitty Kitty is to be abandoned yet again until…

This is a story that will appeal to young readers, particularly those who empathise with Ava in their own quest for a pet, but also because of the internal rhyme structures in places that give the text a lyrical rhythm.  There is no repetitive phrase for them to anticipate and shout out but the story moves along at a fast clip and the ending, while predictable, is satisfying.  The illustrations are big and bright and bold, almost cartoon-like, and right from the front cover it is clear that this is anything but an itty bitty kitty setting up the reader for a story of contradiction!

While Joan Holub as an author is new to me, she is cited as being the “ New York Times bestselling author of Mighty Dads. She is also author and/or illustrator of over 130 books for children, including author of the picture books Little Red Writing and Zero the Hero, and co-author of the bestselling Goddess Girls and Grimmtastic Girls chapter book series.”  There is a new Itty Bitty Kitty adventure due early next year.

Meet… Sidney Nolan

Meet...Sidney Nolan

Meet…Sidney Nolan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meet… Sidney Nolan

Yvonne Mes

Sandra Eterovic

Random House Australia, 2015

32pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9780857985897

I recently evaluated the 759 section of an established primary school library collection, the section that could be best described as ‘painters and their paintings’.  While there was a solid representation of those European artists that could be expected, there was nothing relating to our Australian painters, particularly those of the 20th century.  So I was delighted to see that the latest in the Meet… series, that collection of biographies about iconic Australians for primary students, addressed the life and times of Sir Sidney Nolan.  Its focus is the story behind the distinctive Ned Kelly paintings (available via Scootle MO12591).

As a boy in Victoria, Nolan loved to listen to the stories about Ned Kelly told to him by his grandfather who was a police officer at the time.  It inspired his imagination in many ways and so when circumstances of World War II had him on the run rather like the Kelly gang, an idea was sparked and an signature series of images was created.  And from that grew a new and different way to show this country’s amazing landscape making his style and works instantly recognisable, both in Australia and beyond.  There is now a permanent display of his works at the Canberra Museum and Gallery and together with the tools available on that site, this new addition to this series is perfect for enabling younger students to begin to learn about the legacy of this great Australian.

 

Seagull

Seagull

Seagull

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seagull

Danny Snell

Working Title Press, 2015

32pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781921504815

Flying makes Seagull’s heart sing.  Using wind and wings, she would hover and glide, swoop and soar over the sea, the beach and the dunes.  But one day as she lands on what looks like clean white sand, her foot gets caught in some tangled fishing line thoughtlessly discarded  as it so often is.  She can no longer fly and she cannot free herself.  The more she tries, the more difficult it becomes, and her friends are unable to help. Each can only loosen it a little. Exhausted, hungry and unable to find food, she nestles into the grass in the dunes.  Just as she is going to sleep, she hears footsteps and a little boy comes along…

Apart from a personal love of seagulls and the freedom they represent, this is a touching and timely tale of how a thoughtless act such as discarding unwanted fishing line can have disastrous and unforeseen effects.  While Danny Snell doesn’t take the story to what could have been its conclusion, nevertheless his words and pictures carry a very strong message that should reach every reader’s heart.  Based on a true event, he has taken an everyday situation and used his skill with words and pictures to create a memorable story that has a profound message. For while Seagull flies through clean, fresh, invigorating air, she flies over sand dunes that look pristine from on high but which, in reality, are littered with rubbish left by lazy humans.  The simple, sparse expanses of nature’s landscape make the unnatural elements come into sharper focus. 

With summer coming on and beach holidays looming,  this is the perfect story to share, to discuss and to create awareness that just because a piece of rubbish is out of our hands, it is not gone for ever and that our carelessness can have dire consequences for the creatures that give this planet the beauty it has. A plastic bag can be fatal for so many. There is also a parallel message about the cumulative effect of everyone just doing a little and that what may be overwhelming for one, can be overcome by many. Together, we can make a difference.

Even though it may look like it is intended for our youngest readers, it has something to offer a broad age group and hopefully the message of “take only photographs, leave only footprints” will become the mantra and model of all our students.

Dandelions

Dandelions

Dandelions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dandelions

Katrina McKelvey

Kirrili Lonergan

EK Books, 2015

32pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781921966828

Oh dear!  Dad has mown the lawn and, to his daughter’s dismay, he’s cut down two dandelions.  He sees them as weeds but she’s been watching and waiting for them to be puffballs so she can blow their fluffiness away on the wind. To her, dandelions are magical, a part of a miniature world that big people can’t see. Disappointed but pragmatic and forgiving her father, she settles to wait for them to grow again but dad has a surprise for her.  There are a couple by the verandah post that he hasn’t pulled and they’re just ripe for blowing.  But where do they go when you blow? Take your imagination on a journey as you follow the tiny parachutes over the fence, along the street, through the park, down to the river and onwards, ever onwards.

This is a most calming, peaceful story about enjoying being in the moment and taking time out to just be, imagine and wonder.  Who hasn’t enjoyed the sunny face of a dandelion and blown a ‘fairy clock’? Who would love to take time out, lie on the fresh-mown lawn, look at the endless sky and just dream? Where will your imagination drift? Celebrating a most ordinary moment in daily life, it encourages the adult reader to take time to notice the small things tht are big things to the children in our lives and rejoice in them.

The beautiful, gentle watercolours give the book so much of its charm and tranquillity, giving life to the lyrical text through its beautiful design.  Created by a former paediatric nurse, they ooze a knowledge of very young children in need of comfort and time out, a chance to take themselves out of wherever they are at the moment. 

In the busy, noisy life of school, this is a perfect choice for that after-lunch settling period as you invite the children to imagine they had just blown the seeds and where they would travel.  Would they have a different journey from that in the story?  And what happens to them when they land?  A magical introduction to an investigation about how things grow!