Archive | May 2018

Pugs Don’t Wear Pyjamas

Pugs Don't Wear Pyjamas

Pugs Don’t Wear Pyjamas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pugs Don’t Wear Pyjamas

Michelle Worthington

Cecilia Johansson

New Frontier, 2018

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

9781925594034

Tom is excited to go to stay with Aunt Roz because he knows she has a new friend called Ellie for him to play with.  But he is a little dismayed when he finds Ellie is a pug, and even more so when he discovers Aunt Roz treats Ellie like a human.  Perched between Tom and Roz wearing new pyjamas, Ellie listens to the bedtime story and the next day at the beach she wears a beautiful wide-brimmed straw hat.  

Wherever Roz and Tom go, so does Ellie pampered and acting like the furbaby she is.  Tom remains somewhat mystified but gradually he accepts Ellie as his friend, particularly as she makes friends wherever she goes – something that is difficult for Tom to do.  So one afternoon, when he is supposed to be looking after her in the backyard but is more intent on playing soccer and Ellie slips out through the unlatched gate, he is as worried as Aunt Roz about her and together they hunt through all the familiar places.  But neither he nor Aunt Roz expect to find her where she is…

There are lots of kids who, for lots of reasons, can’t have pets but who long for one and Ellie would be just the one they would choose.  A dog that is willing to be dressed up, can skateboard and climb trees would be the answer to many child’s prayers, particularly those who are lonely.  So this story will resonate with many and they will delight in Ellie’s adventures, especially the ending, and have lots to say about what they would do if they had an Ellie. Superbly illustrated with pictures that capture both Tom’s emotions and Ellie’s joy, this is a charming story about owning a pet and caring for it, possibly sparking discussions about whether treating pets as humans is the best thing for them.  Where is the line between animal and human drawn? Are there any human things (like chocolate) that dogs should not have?

A fabulous story for introducing a unit of work for early childhood about caring for pets and meeting their needs more than our own.   Children could create a photo wall of their pets explaining the things they like to do and share with them while learning about the no-nos. 

 

The Duke of Hinklewinkle

The Duke of Hinklewinkle

The Duke of Hinklewinkle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Duke of Hinklewinkle

John Phillips

Big Sky, 2018

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

9781925675153

Bridget lives in the sleepy, seaside town of Hinklewinkle. She spends a lot of time with her Grandpa because her mother often has to work late
and her father lives in another town. 
Grandpa breeds show chickens and Bridget loves to help him out. One day when Bridget is feeling a little lonely, Grandpa decides to let Bridget pick a chicken of her own. Far from picking the most beautiful chicken, she picks a strange looking rooster – a Big Beaked Pencilled Hortner – which she names the “Duke of Hinklewinkle”. The two become inseparable, with the Duke of Hinklewinkle following her like a pet puppy.

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

Next door lives Mr Borewater who also breeds show chickens and he and Grandpa are bitter rivals, but when Mr Borewater’s chickens are under threat, The Duke of Hinklewinkle surprises everyone.

This is a delightful story that is just fun to read.  While the theme of chooks in books is not new, this one is full of family love and humour and accompanied by bright, cartoon-like pictures that will attract the reluctant reader immediately.  Something to share just for the fun of it – is there a better reason?

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

Papa Sky

Papa Sky

Papa Sky

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Papa Sky

Jane Jolly

Sally Heinrich

MidnightSun, 2017

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

9781925227291

Way up high in the cloud forests where the earth meets the sky, Papa Sky is having fun taking handfuls of clouds, shaping them into beautiful sculptures and then, with a puff, sending them east and west across the lands.  All day he is does it. making amazing lifelike images to drift across the big blue for cloud-dreamers to watch and imagine. 

But that night he is so tired that while he is sleeping a wind blows him down, down, down through the forest where he lands with a thump and a bump startling the inquisitive creatures below.  But while they are fascinated by their unexpected visitor, they know that he must return to his home for “Without him, we are nothing.” And so, from the smallest, and the quietest to the most secretive they work together to try to get Papa Sky back where he belongs.  Can they do it?  Will be once again be the maker of cloud-shapes and fabulous figures?

From the first endpaper to the last, this is a beautiful story stunningly illustrated with a palette as gentle as the text making it a seamless match of words and pictures that is unique. High over some of the worlds tropical and subtropical regions where there is persistent moisture that continually rises in the heat, rainforest canopies mingle with the clouds making for a mysterious setting just waiting for someone with the imagination of Jane Jolly and the talent of Sally Heinrich to weave something magical, almost a modern legend that could be shared with children when they ask where the clouds come from and start to see the ever-changing shapes. 

Australia has its own cloud forests beyond Cairns, as does New Zealand so students could investigate what creatures would be there to help Papa Sky if he had fallen there, and, using the back endpaper as a model, present their discoveries. A new way to studying the perennial “creatures of the rainforest” topic! Or perhaps pose the question, “If Papa Sky doesn’t make the clouds, where do they come from?” and male a mural on cloud-shaped paper of the suggestions and then investigate and create an explanation. Or maybe just take them outside on a “partly cloudy” day and let them experience the joy of just lying back and watching the clouds and wondering

This book deserves its place among the CBCA Notables for 2018.

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

Dotty Detective (series)

Dotty Detective (series)

Dotty Detective (series)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dotty Detective (series)

Clara Vulliamy

Harper Collins, 2017+

176pp., pbk., RRP $A9.99

Super Secret Agent

 9780008132491

The Paw Print Puzzle

 9780008132453

The Midnight Mystery

9780008132422

The Lost Puppy

9780008248376

The Birthday Surprise

9780008248413

The Holiday Mystery 

9780008248451

Meet Dorothy Constance Mae Louise, or Dot as she prefers to be called! She and her best pal Beans and TOP DOG McClusky love to solve mysteries and in this new series written especially for the young almost-independent reader, there are plenty of mysteries to be solved!

Inspired by their favourite television character Fred Fantastic, Ace Detective, Dotty and her best friend Beans have formed the Join The Dots Detective Agency.  They have special badges that they wear underneath their coat collars so they don’t blow their cover and are ably assisted by Dotty’s dog McClusky to solve mysteries that seem to occur.

Guided by Fred Fantastic’s tenets of

  • Stay Frosty. Always be on the lookout
  • Follow That Hunch. If you’ve got a funny feeling you may be onto something important
  • Use Your Noodle. Think
  •  A Light Bulb Moment. A sudden genius idea
  • Get Proof.  You must have the evidence before you can solve your case
  • Jeepers Creepers Use your Peepers

In Super Secret Agent  mean girl Laura seems set on sabotaging the school talent show, Dot is determined to find out how, and save the day…

In The Paw Print Mystery  Dot starts hearing strange noises at night she’s convinced there must be something SPOOKY afoot. But before they can prove there’s a ghost on the loose, Dot and Beans have to follow Ace Detective Fred Fantastic’s golden rule: GET PROOF. Easier said than done when the suspect appears to be invisible!

In The Midnight Mystery Dot and Beans can’t wait for their school trip to Adventure Camp where they will do lots of exciting activities like zip-wiring, grass tobogganing and roasting marshmallows round a campfire! But once they arrive, strange things start happening. Could mean girl Laura could be up to her old tricks in a bid to win the Adventure Camp Prize…? It’s up to the Join the Dots Detectives to find out!  Meanwhile, TOP DOG McClusky is entered into a local dog show! Will he keep up his training while Dot’s away and win the prize for handsomest pooch?

Last week of term in The Lost Puppy and the children are looking forward to the School summer fair. Dotty and best pal Beans will be looking after pet’s corner, starring McClusky and his two canine pals: Geoffrey and the little sausage dog puppy, Chipolata. But just days before the fair disaster strikes – Chipolata has gone missing.

The Birthday Surprise has Dot’s trusty sidekick, Beans and TOP DOG, McClusky are keeping secrets from Dotty while The Holiday Mystery (due July 2018) Dotty and Beans are SUPER excited about their summer holiday together. It’s going to be SO much fun. Beaches, BBQs and best of all NO SCHOOL! But there’s no rest for the Join the Dots Detectives who soon have a campsite case to solve…

This is a new series that is perfect for the newly independent reader with its layout, illustrations, larger font, shorter chapters and humour.  The pace is rapid and the use of a variety of fonts highlights key ideas and actions without the need for a host of words.  Girls will relate to her feisty nature but boys will also find the situations familiar and appealing. 

LEGO Animal Atlas

Lego Animal Atlas

Lego Animal Atlas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LEGO Animal Atlas

Rona Skene

DK, 2018

78pp., hbk., RRP $A35.00

9780241316573

No matter which part of the planet you live in, there will be fascinating and unique creatures to see and learn about.  From the blue-ringed octopus of Australia to guanaco of South America to the addax of Africa each continent and each habitat within that continent is populated with wildlife, familiar and not-so. In this new book from master children’s publishers DK, young readers are not only introduced  to these creatures but are also provided with the Lego blocks to start constructing some of them.

Beginning with building instructions for a mini giraffe, panda, penguin and kangaroo for which the blocks are provided, suggestions are then made for making body parts like noses, eyes, teeth and beaks using the reader’s own collection of bricks. And if the reader doesn’t have them, they are encouraged to use their imaginations to substitute what they do have.   There are tips on how and what to build with the emphasis on the fun of building rather than a perfect product. 

Readers are then introduced to the world’s major habitats and continents and the unique species of each.  As well as the clear photos and tips and tricks that will inspire building there is also a ‘model map’ with  a colour-coded key designating the different bricks used for each habitat.  So as well as making the unique creatures of Australasia, for instance, these can also be placed on a map base to show where they are found. 

Of course it wouldn’t be DK without lots of tidbits of interesting information about the creatures backed up with a comprehensive glossary and index which support the child’s information literacy development.  Learning is definitely fun! Because there are no step by step instructions for making the creatures apart from those for the giraffe, panda, penguin and kangaroo, just the clear photos and some suggestions for the trickier bits, challenging children to create their own instructions for a particular model using step-by-step photos using those initial instructions as an example would provide an authentic learning experience that would definitely stretch their skills, demonstrate their knowledge and be fun!

This would be a wonderful addition to those with makerspaces but because of the small parts provided it is only suitable for those over 6. 

Marvellous Mummy

Marvellous Mummy

Marvellous Mummy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marvellous Mummy

Katie Poli

Giuseppe Poli

New Frontier, 2018

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

9781925594188

We all know mothers are special, but what makes Mummy marvellous?  Is it because she is “pretty and fancy and bright. Sparkle, sparkle, shine?”  Or because she is “scary and  noisy and loud. Raah, raah, boo?”

This is a softly illustrated, gentle book about what makes mummies so lovable – even when she is “grumpy and grouchy and cross. Grumble, grumble, roar” – that is perfect for this time of the year particularly.  Little ones will translate the world and words of Baby and Mother Elephant into their own lives and have lots of stories to share about why their mummies are marvellous. An opportunity to reflect on the important role mothers play in families.

Teachers notes are available. 

The Bear in our Backyard

The Bear in our Backyard

The Bear in our Backyard

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Bear in our Backyard

Emma Middleton

Briony Stewart

Affirm Press, 2018

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

9781925584806

Mum says, “Tom and Tilly if you go outside and play, don’t make too much noise in case your bear is there today.”

As they go out, they find large muddy footprints that lead to the treehouse,  where the bear might be sleeping!  Preparing a nice sugary sweet snack to entice the bear to wake, as they go up the stairs to share it, they drop it.  The bear is awake…  Playing lots of games and having lots of fun, the children and the bear spend a precious afternoon together, sharing dinner and then “Bear” has to leave.

With Mother’s Day on the horizon this is a charming book that celebrates the relationship between mothers and their children, one that goes beyond the dull, dreary routines that have to be done and explores those special times when the only focus is fun. Young readers will like sharing their special mum-moments while perhaps thinking about how they can help mum with the dull and dreary so she has more time for making memories with them.

A companion to The Lion in Our Living Room, this is one to share whenever the focus is on families.

 

 

 

The Most Marvellous Spelling Bee Mystery

The Most Marvellous Spelling Bee Mystery

The Most Marvellous Spelling Bee Mystery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Most Marvellous Spelling Bee Mystery

Deborah Abela

Random House Australia, 2018

240pp., pbk., RRP $A14.99

9780143786689

In Yungabilla, Australia, Toronto, Canada and Wormwood, England three young people are receiving invitations to an event that could change their lives forever.  Having proved their ability as champion spellers, each has been invited to compete in the Most Marvellous International Spelling Bee in London. But, like all children, each is unique and faces their own difficulties in getting to London.

India Wimple who won Australia’s  The Stupendously Spectacular Spelling Bee is so shy that she cannot compete without her family by her side but the organisers will only pay for the contestant and one chaperone; Canada’s champion Holly Trifle’s family is reminiscent of the Wormwoods in Dahl’s Matilda and see her competing only as a way to promote their weight-loss business; while bullied, lonely Peter Ericksson hopes that maybe his absent dad will see his face on television, recognise him  and come home because it’s been 2922 days since he walked out and left a dad-sized hole in Peter’s life.

With incredible insight into the lives of children, Deborah Abela has crafted an engaging, unputadownable story that weaves the  lives of India, Holly and Peter together as well as the familiar faces of Rajish and Summer as they compete while trying to get to the bottom of some mysterious mishaps.  

Independent readers will relate to all three characters – if they are not mirrors then they will know someone like them – and will become engrossed as they follow their struggles to overcome their personal obstacles as much as their competitive ones.  Being able to put yourself in the shoes of the characters is the most important way to ensure the page is turned to see what happens to them and Abela has the ability to do this in spades.  Miss 11 is going to LOVE this sequel.

Sorry Day

Sorry Day

Sorry Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry Day

Coral Vass

Dub Leffler

NLA Publishing, 2018

34pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9780642279033

Standing amidst the large crowd gathered on the slopes of Parliament House in Canberra is light-haired, fair-skinned Maggie clutching her Aboriginal mother’s hand waiting for the most important speech from a politician for generations.  It is February 13, 2008 and, on behalf of a more enlightened nation,  the newly-elected Prime Minister is about to deliver the long-awaited apology to all Australia’s indigenous peoples for their losses in past times when it was thought that their children would be better off if they were taken to live with and be raised by white families – the Stolen Generations.

In a time ‘long ago and not-so-long-ago’ children were taken from their parents, their ‘sorrow echoing across the land’. 

Intertwined with Maggie’s story of anticipation and sudden loss as she falls among the legs of the crowd, is that of her mother, a young girl in different times when the roar of a truck and the thud of boots was a signal to hide before the white men came to take them.

“Screams echoed across the land as they scrambled to escape, sliding in the mud with every step.”

But, in the final fold-out flap the stories merge as Kevin Rudd proclaims,For the pain, suffering and hurt of these Stolen Generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry.  To the mothers and the fathers, the brothers and the sisters, for the breaking up of families and communities, we say sorry… We today take this first step by acknowledging the past and laying claim to a future that embraces all Australians.”  

And at last, hope glimmers.

The recognition of the treatment of Australia’s indigenous peoples was a central focus of the 2007 election campaign for it had been 40 years since the referendum to acknowledge and include  Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as citizens of Australia, and ten years since the historic Bringing Them Home report  was tabled in Federal Parliament. 

While many of an older generation will remember where they were on the day of the speech, our younger generations may not understand its significance seeing it as just another day paid homage during the school year. So to have such a beautifully written story with such evocative illustrations to explain its importance – perhaps akin to ANZAC Day in the shaping of our nation – is superb and a must-have in every school library collection, particularly as there are two pages of explanation and illustrations drawing on the collection of the National Library of Australia  to complete it. 

In a few, well-chosen words and sublimely constructed sentences, Coral Vass has written an evocative story that not only expresses the heartbreak of those whose children were taken but also the fear of the children as Maggie is briefly separated from her mother.  Accompanied by unforgettable illustrations that capture the landscape, the emotions and the tension of both Maggie and her mother’s stories, this is a unique story that enables all of us to understand the importance of May 26 each year.

Teachers notes are available

LEGO Star Wars Choose Your Path

Lego Star Wars Choose Your Path

Lego Star Wars Choose Your Path

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LEGO Star Wars Choose Your Path

Simon Hugo

DK, 2018

125pp., hbk., RRP $A29.99

9780241313824

What more fitting book to review for May the 4th than one with a Star Wars theme? Even though it is not released till May 28, there is no harm in building up anticipation for something new and different that is going to encourage even the most reluctant of readers to explore.

With the book comes protocol droid U-3PO, a small toy suitable for those 6+, who accompanies the adventures, gives advice and maybe even leads the adventurer astray. The reader chooses one of three quests- Hunt the Sith, Fight the Empire or Defeat the First Order – and then sets off to achieve it while meeting favourite characters and creatures, travelling in awesome vehicles as they move from planet to planet, all the while remaining in charge of the journey as they select the route according to the choices on offer.  

Along the way there are photos, facts and figures and information about a range of incredible Lego models that can be purchased – Star Wars fans like my son are so easy to buy for! –  as well as challenges to build new, original models.

The power of choose-you-own-adventure has long been proven as an inducement to read and discover, so to combine it with both Star Wars and Lego is just genius.  Perfect for that collaborative reading that young boys who are verging on independence love and need, or for any Star Wars fan.