Archives

An Aussie Night Before Christmas

Dec24

 

 

 

 

An Aussie Night Before Christmas

 

An Aussie Night Before Christmas (10th Anniversary edition)

Yvonne Morrison

Kilmeny Niland

Scholastic Press, 2015

32pp., hbk.,

9781760157487

 

Twas the night before Christmas; there wasn’t a sound.

Not a possum was stirring; no-one was around.

We’d left on the table some tucker and beer,

Hoping that Santa Claus soon would be here…

So begins this iconic salute to Christmas in Australia drawing on the familiar sights and sounds of a night that is usually so hot and it’s hard to sleep because it’s still daylight outside, never mind ‘dreams of pavlova’ dancing around heads.  And when there’s a ruckus outside that needs to be investigated, who would be surprised that it’s Santa in a rusty ute pulled by eight mighty kangaroos? Kangaroos called Kylie, Kirsty, Shazza and Shane, Kipper and Skipper, Bazza and Wayne?  

There are many stories that put the Aussie spin on Christmas, but this is such a rollicking good yarn, funny and engaging that it’s no wonder this is a 10th anniversary edition and it is popping up all over the Internet in full, although the YouTube version loses some of its charm with the American accent and the change from ‘beer’ to ‘root beer’.  Australian Santas drink real beer!

Accompanied by the distinctive illustrations of Kilmeny Niland, this is the perfect story to read to the little ones before they settle down, and the perfect story to end our Christmas Countdown.

Dec23

 

 

 

 

An Aussie Day Before Christmas

An Aussie Day Before Christmas

 

 

 

 

An Aussie Day Before Christmas

Kilmeny Niland

Scholastic, 2008

32pp., hbk., RRP $A15.99

9781741690972

‘Twas the day before Christmas
And in his beach shack,
Santa was snoozing,
Flat out on his back.

‘Shake a leg, love,’
Sheila Claus said.
‘Time to get ready
For the big night ahead.’

There is much to do before Santa makes his once-a-year flight…chooks to feed, breakfast to have, a walk with his missus, the news to read, pressies to wrap and the ‘roos to sort out. “The koalas won’t help me, they’re too flamin’ slow.” 

Putting iconic Australian sayings and slang to the familiar rhythm of the Clement C. Moore poem, Kilmeny Niland uses her artistic talent to portray a DownUnder day before Christmas through stunning illustrations that capture a very different picture of Santa than the traditional one our children are so familiar with.  

Before sharing it, children might like to speculate on what it is that Aussie Santa does in preparation – perhaps a surf, perhaps a nap, perhaps prawns and a beer – whatever they predict they will delight in Niland’s interpretation that might dispel their snowy North Pole images forever. And a must for any collection of Australian Christmas stories you might be sending to children overseas.

The Aussie ABC Christmas

Dec22

 

 

 

 

 

The Aussie ABC Christmas

The Aussie ABC Christmas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Aussie ABC Christmas

Nancy Bevington

New Frontier, 2018

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

9781925594256

In 1788 when the first wave of immigrants from the northern hemisphere came to Australia, they brought with them the celebrations and their associated traditions as they tried to settle into what was a land that was so different from what they knew, it was beyond their imagination.  Subsequent waves of immigrants have done the same thing and so now, 230 years later, so much of what we see and do at Christmas is still rooted in those wintery northern customs and people still strive to create a winter wonderland in their homes.

Slowly though, there are some uniquely Australian twists that are becoming more widespread and artist Nancy Bevington has captured these in this beautifully illustrated alphabet book.  There are B for beach, I for icecream and P for pavlova, and for those things like gifts, reindeer and Santa which are more universal, each illustration is quirkily Australian.  I can’t decide if my favourite is the emu putting the star at the top of the tree or the kookaburras laughing with joy. 

Young readers will delight in seeing so much that is familiar while those sharing this with them will love the humour in each picture. A treat for an Aussie Christmas stocking this year, and while it might be too late for this year as school is all but over, it would be perfect to stimulate a class display (or library display with each class contributing a letter) for next year, perhaps the reveal of each letter being part of the Christmas Countdown. 

The Twelve Underwater Days of Christmas

Dec21

christmas_countdown_2016

 

 

 

 

The Twelve Underwater Days of Christmas

The Twelve Underwater Days of Christmas

The Twelve Underwater Days of Christmas

Kim Michelle Toft

Silkim Books, 2007

hbk 9780975839041

pbk 9780975839034

 

Take the traditional Christmas song, add the most magnificent creatures of the world’s oceans, include important information about those creatures and immerse the whole in the beautiful painted silk artworks of Kim Michelle Toft and you have, quite simply, my most favourite Christmas book ever!

Toft has used the words of The Twelve Days of Christmas not only to introduce readers to the dwellers of the deep, but has also built on the tradtional concept of gift-giving at this time to emphasise what a precious present these creatures  are – one that we may not enjoy for much longer if we don’t start to value it now.

“All of the magnificent creatures in this book rely on the ocean for their survival and many were once found in abundance.  This is no longer true.  Modern technology, huge increases in the world’s population and lack of management have resulted in some serious problems.  These problems include over fishing, pollution from poorly treated sewage, effluents from oil spoils, litter and global warmingwhich is contributing to the destruction of coral reefs all around the world.  It is up to nations,  governments and the will of the people to work together to help conserve these incredible gifts from nature.”

Thus, as well as being a stunning visual feast, there is a serious message that can be emphasised, enabling this book to sit well within any sustainability curriculum.  Even though students might not be able to replicate the artworks which are handdrawn with gold gutta on white silk then painted with brushes using silk dyes, the concept itself might inspire a class project of those things in the local region that might disappear if no action to preserve them is taken.

At the end of the book is an amazing poster containing all the creatures mentioned, and some versions have a CD of Toft’s lyrics sung by Lisa Hunt.  What a wonderful song to add to the Christmas repetoire.

Toft always writes and illustrates about her passion – the preservation of ocean life – and you can see all her publications here and as a bonus, here’s a full unit of work for The World that We Want.

She is one who must have a place on your library’s shelves – school or home.

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

 

Don't miss the poster!

Don’t miss the poster!

 

Peppa’s Christmas Unicorn

Dec18

 

 

 

 

Peppa's Christmas Unicorn

Peppa’s Christmas Unicorn

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peppa’s Christmas Unicorn

Peppa Pig

Ladybird, 2021

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

9780241476222

Peppa’s family are decorating the tree and revisiting lots of lovely memories as they add decorations from times and adventures past.  But there is an empty branch left…

On Christmas Eve, and Peppa and her family are off to a Christmas fair. There’s yummy food, fun games . . . and a carousel with a magical Christmas unicorn!
But what other Christmas magic is in store for Peppa? Will there be something to fill the empty branch?

This is another special story for young readers that brings together favourite times that they can relate to and familiar characters, factors that spread the magic of both Christmas and reading as well as any unicorn.

 

Peppa’s Australian Christmas

Dec17

 

 

 

 

Peppa's Australian Christmas

Peppa’s Australian Christmas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peppa’s Australian Christmas

Peppa Pig

Ladybird, 2021

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

9780241519240

When Peppa and her family land in Australia for Christmas, Mr and Mrs Kangaroo are surprised to see them – clearly there has been a communication breakdown – but nevertheless they all pile into the Kangaroos’ Kombi and head for the beach.  This is a surprise for Peppa because she is used to a cold Christmas and so are all the activities which are so different to what she is used to.  Santa surfing in on a surfboard is something to behold!

Even though the day is far removed from what Peppa is used to, young readers will recognise and relate to it as we experience summer – although perhaps like Kylie Kangaroo they yearn for snow!

Twelve Little Festive Frogs

Dec16

 

 

 

 

Twelve Little Festive Frogs

Twelve Little Festive Frogs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Twelve Little Festive Frogs

Hilary Robinson

Mandy Stanley

Catch A Star, 2021 

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

The twelve little frogs who taught our young readers the initial poses of yoga are back in their version of the traditional Twelve Days of Christmas.  

However, their interpretation involves a giant game of pass the parcel in the woodlands, one that can go on and on even after the first 12 days! Like the song, and its predecessor, this is a counting book with lots of opportunities to predict what might come next as well as counting those who are already there. 

While it is set in the snowy regions of the northern hemisphere, it is an opportunity to talk about why what the frogs do is so different to our little ones’ experiences and perhaps even create an Australian version which would give it a wider audience and a meaningful activity for those last wind-down days!

My First Elmer Christmas

Dec15

 

 

 

 

My First Elmer Christmas

My First Elmer Christmas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My First Elmer Christmas

David McKee

Andersen Press, 2021

10pp., board book, RRP $A18.99

9781839130540

It’s two days before Christmas Eve, the night Papa Red visits, and the young elephants are very excited. This year Elmer has a special treat in store for the young elephants, if they can keep quiet and out of sight… 

Elmer the patchwork elephant is an enduring favourite with our youngest readers and this  specially abridged version of the original is shaped like a Christmas tree and designed for little fingers that will add to the anticipation of THE night!  Who knew that elephants and their friends celebrated this special time just like we do?

A classic for the Christmas Countdown collection that will open up a whole world of Elmer stories, activities and fun for a new generation. 

 

Green is For Christmas

Dec14

 

 

 

 

Green is For Christmas

Green is For Christmas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Green is For Christmas

Drew Daywalt

Oliver Jeffers

HarperCollins, 2021

32pp., hbk., RRP $A17.99

 9780008496203

When Green Crayon claims that green is the only colour for Christmas, other crayons let him know that there would be no Christmas without them either. No candy canes or Santa without Red, no snow without White, no bells or stars without Silver and no cookies or reindeer without Brown!  Can they come to some agreement or will their Christmas be ruined because of their squabbling?

The mark of a great storyteller is one who can not only take a simple concept and turn it into an entertaining story, but who then opens up all sorts of questions that the reader can muse about, perhaps even investigate.  For example, crayons’ opinions aside, why are red and green the colours that are traditionally associated with Christmas, and having discovered the answer to that, ask if this holds true for Australia.  Are red and green the predominant colours of our Christmas period or would it be better to use the blue of the sky and the gold of the beaches, or maybe even the sage green of the bush?

Daywalt and Jeffers are developing a growing body of work featuring the iconic Crayons, seemingly simple in concept and appearance but each offering much to inspire our youngest readers to think deeply and investigate just how and why their world works.  Green is For Christmas is a worthy addition. 

 

Unicorn’s Christmas

Dec13

 

 

 

 

Unicorn's Christmas

Unicorn’s Christmas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unicorn’s Christmas

Lucy Golden

RHUS Children’s, 2021

12pp., board book., RRP $A14.99

9780593374856

It’s almost Christmas! Unicorn is so excited, but there’s still a lot to do: make a list for Santa, decorate the tree, make cookies, and more!

But this is a book with a twist… literally!  For within the text there are blanks, almost like a cloze activity, and the reader has to turn the wheel to find the best word to fit the context.  Helped by an illustration of each word so it is easily read, they can either make a story that is fun but doesn’t really make sense, or they can use the cues and clues to predict what is just right for the gap.

So apart from being a story featuring a familiar character doing all those things that herald that special day, it really encourages the young reader to focus their attention and use their existing knowledge to create the story so it makes sense, an essential concept about print and pre-requisite to reading. Physically turning a wheel adds another dimension to the fun, making this one of the most unique Christmas books for our youngest readers.