This Is an Elf

Dec5

 

 

 

This Is an Elf

This Is an Elf

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Is an Elf

Beck &  Matt Stanton

ABC Books, 2025

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

9780733344169

As that pesky little elf on the shelf starts to pop up in strange places overnight, watching who is naughty or nice and sending Santa daily reports, it’s time to think about just what an elf is and just how much they know and do.

In this hilarious story from two who are dedicated to ensuring children see the fun and joy in reading, there is a trigger on the front cover that suggests it might not be what it says.  For just like their classic, This is a Ball,  the illustration does not match the title,  and so doesn’t predict what the story might be about as is the norm.

So, if the cover illustration is not an elf, it could be time to investigate what the children already known about elves so they are set for the dichotomies they are about to encounter. Like its predecessor,  ‘misnamed’ objects are introduced accompanied by a “commentary” that suggests the interaction between child and reader. Designed with pages and illustrations that are reminiscent of the uncluttered style of Dick Bruna, preschoolers will love the opportunity to contradict and correct the adult, something they rarely get a chance to do legitimately. And, if the adult asks, “how do you know?” it also gives them a chance to consider what they know about elves,  organising and expressing their thoughts to explain why the adult/book is wrong, offering an early lesson in presenting evidence to justify and argument.  

Something special to bond child and grown-up as the silly season gathers pace.

The elves have taken over...

The elves have taken over…

A Barney Gumnut Christmas

Dec4

 

 

 

A Barney Gumnut Christmas

A Barney Gumnut Christmas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Barney Gumnut Christmas

Tamsin Ainslie

HarperCollins, 2025

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

9781460759721

Traditional images of Christmas show winter landscapes and families gathered around a roaring fire, stockings hanging from the mantelpiece and  with a decorated Christmas tree standing sentinel, waiting to be surrounded by brightly-wrapped presents. 

Australian Christmas images usually show a big blue sky, sun blazing down and people swimming, playing cricket, having a barbecue with a gumtree branch stuck in a bucket, awaiting those brightly-wrapped gifts.

But whatever the visuals, there are some things that are common to this time of the year that evoke those beliefs and values that underpin the Christmas spirit, and in this charming book Barney the koala and his friends Hoppity the kangaroo, Edith the echidna, Charles the cockatoo, Robert the wombat and Wilfred the budgie share their thoughts after Edith asks Barney, “What does Christmas actually mean?”

Each has their own opinion from giving presents to eating pavlova to going camping, but threaded through all the activities is the concept of sharing the time with friends, and enjoying their company and friendship while working together to make the day a special one.

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

Little ones will enjoy seeing the bush animals doing many of the things that they themselves do, offering an opportunity to talk about  some of the things that happen in their own homes, including those that are different, and reflecting on those ties that underpin the celebrations. 

As the hype starts to build and the excitement mounts, this is a gentle story that offers offers a chance to stop, take a breath and think about what this time is really about and why we do what we do.  

A Song for the King

Dec3

 

 

 

A Song for the King

A Song for the King

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Song for the King

Katrina Nannestad

Freya Blackwood

ABC Books, 2025

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

9780733343315

 

While for many of our youngest littlies, Christmas is all about Santa Claus and presents, its real origins are steeped in the story of the birth of Jesus and there will be few who don’t hear the story of Mary, Joseph, the donkey and the birth in the stable under the star by the time they start school.  There are so many books available that retell the story from the Bible that it would seem impossible to successfully craft another one, but this is such a story, this time with a focus on the animals who gathered around the manger to welcome the new baby..  

Netta the donkey loves to sing with her friends, Esther the sheep and Uzi the camel. At first it is just Netta who sang  “from dawn till dusk. In villas and vineyards. In stables and streets. In taverns and tents, In markets and meadows. And from the top of the hill that overlooked the town.” But when she meets Esther the sheep who was also “born with a song in her heart” they form a duo, and then a choir as Uzi the camel joins them.  They frolic around town from dawn till dusk, braying, bleating and gurgling. But sadly, not everyone likes to listen and they are taken to market..

Netta is so scared of being returned to the market after she is bought by Joseph, she falls silent until something so wondrous happens that her song bursts forth once more.

Perfectly illustrated by the mastery of Freya Blackwood who depicts all the emotions of Netta and her friends so sensitively, this is one for everyone to remember who put the Christ in Christmas, even if it is a story they have heard so many times before. 

 

Christmas in the Bush

Dec2

 

 

 

Christmas in the Bush

Christmas in the Bush

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas in the Bush

Maggie May Gordon

Faye Gardiner

Little Steps, 2024

32pp., pbk., RRP $A19.99

9781922833075

No matter how many books and stories there are for little people featuring Santa, reindeer, snow-covered landscapes and the like, and how much these appeal because we cling to those traditional images of Christmas perpetuated by our northern hemisphere ancestors who wanted to be reminded of a home far away, it is always refreshing to discover new works that not only reflect the reality of an Australian Christmas, but celebrate it.

In this collection of stories and poems from acclaimed poet Maggie May Gordon, each is set in the outback and illustrated in a way by Faye Gardiner that gives it that “olde worlde” feel that gives it a particular charm.  From fairies on the Christmas tree -“Though not like fairies you usually see, For she wear not a gauzy gossamer gown But Gumnut Blossoms drifting down”  to a swaggie camping under an old gum tree, readers are taken to a different time and place with a more relaxed rhythm away from the sound of the cash register.

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

As well as sharing the words, it offers the chance to reflect on today’s festivities and how they contrast with not only those more common images of a winter wonderland, but also the sorts of things done then and now.  Children can share the always-have, always-do things in their family, investigate their origins and consider what they might continue with their own families when they are in charge of the celebrations,.

A little something for everyone that offers a calming, settling retreat from the rush,

 

Countdown to Christmas

Dec1

 

 

 

 

Countdown to Christmas

Countdown to Christmas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Countdown to Christmas

Evie Garland

Rachel Gyan

A & U  Children’s, 2025

10pp., board book, RRP $A19.99

9781761181993

It’s very nearly Christmas. Your wait is almost done!
Let’s count it down together, from ten right down to one.

What better way to start a Christmas Countdown than with a countdown book?

From ten shiny baubles to one golden star, little ones will enjoy counting down to the most magical time of year as they explore the colourful, seasonal pictures in this interactive book shaped like a Christmas tree and perfect for little hands.  As the scene gets more decorative as the pages are turned they can practise their counting skills, identify the things that stamp this as being an Australian home, and delight in seeing things like baubles and tinsel and stars that might even be on their own tree. And if they have sharp eyes, they might even spot the little mouse hiding on each page.  

Sometimes the number of sleeps until THE big day seems overwhelming but this is the ideal start to learning to count backwards, – perhaps even introducing a print calendar so they can physically cross of the days and actually see that time is passing. 

And, if you feel that this is too juvenile for your students (or children), use this unique Advent calendar as a model to reflect on students’ circumstances and compile a more personalised class one so that everyone can help make someone’s Christmas a little brighter.

Advent Calendar - origin unknown

Advent Calendar – origin unknown

 

 

Super Great Kids’ Stories

Nov30
Super Great Kids' Stories

Super Great Kids’ Stories

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Super Great Kids’ Stories

Kim Normanton

Bloomsbury, 2025

160pp., hbk., RRP $A29.99

9781526679277

One of the common denominators that connect and unite everyone in the world is their need to create, tell and hear stories and in this collection curated from the award-winning podcast Super Great Kids’ Stories, there is a story that is going to resonate with children from every continent.

From its intriguing front cover there is a treasure trove of 30 tales collected from around the world – some traditional and well-known, others told for the first time – that are not only going to delight those whose countries have been included, but introduce other readers to some new stories that open up new worlds for them 

In West Africa, they meet Anansi the spider as he takes on the King’s hot pepper soup; in Ireland, there is a girl who tries to outwit a leprechaun; in Australia, you’ll discover how the Lyrebird got its voice; and in North America, you’ll laugh out loud at the story of the ghost who needs a plaster! Even the story of how Maui, a demigod from my native New Zealand, slowed the sun to make the days longer is included! And who knew why the kiwi has no wings, the tui has two distinctive white feathers at its throat, the pukeko dwells in swamp lands and the pipiwharauroa lays its eggs in other birds’ nests!!!

And, as well as enjoying the stories in the book, readers can listen to others via the podcast and interact with others through the blog, submitting their own artworks and connecting with other story lovers. 

One of those gifts that will keep giving long after the wrapping is discarded. 

The Lonely Brown Trout

Nov29
The Lonely Brown Trout

The Lonely Brown Trout

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Lonely Brown Trout

Araman Cam

Emma Stuart

Little Steps,2025

32pp., pbk., RRP $A16.95

9781923306400

The little brown trout was happy playing with his friends in the pool in the stream at the top of the hill but then a thunderstorm turned the stream into a rushing creek and his friends were swept over a cascade into a larger pool with an even bigger waterfall at its end.  While his friends disappeared over that, intent on their next adventure, he didn’t have the courage to go with them.  

Shall I shan’t I, or should I beware?
Will I won’t I, what should I do?

Written in rhyme and beautifully illustrated, this is another in the growing collection of stories about little ones, whatever form they take, being hesitant to step outside their comfort zone and experience new things.  But this time, the consequences of staying put are laid bare as the little brown trout finds himself alone for a long time, and he is overcome by loneliness.  Will he have the courage to make that final leap and find his friends?

Sometimes,  staying put can eventually be worse than moving forward, but while we want our little ones to be cautions we need to allow them the freedom to try new things in their own time so they can build resilience and experience. So this is an opportunity to directly engage the child with the story and ask them why the little brown trout was scared and what they would do if they were him, Their answers may be a surprise. 

 

Evie P and Me

Nov28
Evie P and Me

Evie P and Me

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Evie P and Me

Petra James

Andrew Joyner

Walker Books, 2025

144pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

9781760657468

What starts as an ordinary Tuesday morning in Ms Trunketebella’s class soon gets turned on its head when Evie P is introduced as their newest student,  Apart from the fact that no one ever starts a new school on a Tuesday, Evie P is an air-explorer and has spent her life living in an airship with her parents having extraordinary adventures. But she is “like a visitor from deep dark space -but without the green skin and spacesuit – stepping into wonder on a New Planet.”

But Evie P has a deep, dark secret – she has never been to a school before – and when she chooses to sit beside Lily, herself a bit of a misfit, and it’s Lily’s job to help her integrate into school life,  it seems school is as fascinating to Evie P as Evie’s adventures are to Lily…. and thus, both Lily and the reader discover the wonder that exists in the ordinary, taken-for-granted life so many live.

Told by Lily so it reads more like a conversation with the reader than a narrative, this is one for newly independent readers who still need a bit of support like the plentiful illustrations which combines a familiar setting with identifiable characters like Gretchen who says she can invariably  detect someone’s lies and Tom the keeper of the class diary but with lots of humour, imagination and mystery especially when Evie’s Storm Glass Weather Predictor goes missing from the Lost and Rarely Found Cupboard in the staffroom, setting the stage for another episode…

Lively and entertaining,  fresh and original, this is something new to encourage young readers to keep reading – and perhaps begin to see the extraordinary in the ordinary for themselves as they see things through Evie P’s unique lens. 

 

 

Juniper’s Painting

Nov27
Juniper's Painting

Juniper’s Painting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Juniper’s Painting

Catherine Bauer

Jennifer Horn

Wombat Books, 2025

32pp., hbk., RRP $A26.99

Juniper likes nothing better than playing on the beach, but today she is stuck inside in her house tucked into the sandhills, watching a storm whip the sand and the sea into a grubby grey frenzy.  Her mum told her she couldn’t go outside, but Juniper soon exhausted all the inside things that she liked, so, as a last resort, she decided to paint her beloved beach.  But not as it was but as she wanted it to be….

And suddenly, it was!

As storm season rolls in in full swing, there will be many who will relate to Juniper’s frustration at having to stay indoors and watch their sunny landscape turn to more than fifty shades of grey as Mother Nature exerts her authority. And Jennifer Horn’s clever use of colour that echo Juniper’s feelings with just a bright spot of colour and yearning in each illustration will echo their own vexation at having to stay indoors where it is safe. 

For as much as this is a story about a little girl watching a storm thwart her desires, it is also about how we can respond when we are presented with such challenges.  While we might not be able to control or change the weather – or whatever else is blocking us – we can control, choose and change the way we respond to such events. While others might have chosen to rant and rave and yell, “it’s not fair” at the wind and the rain, Juniper is more resigned, and chooses to wait it out, spending her time in other things that bring pleasure.  That doesn’t mean she’s not feeling the big emotions that can overwhelm little people, but she has learned that tantrums and anger don’t necessarily get us what we want. Sometimes, we have to be patient in a world of instant gratification and accept that often the wait is worth it.  And thee may even be some unexpected joys to be discovered while we are waiting. When was the last time you helped a little one build a blanket cubby? 

That bright spot of colour in each picture is a reminder that life will go on, the proverbial “light at the end of the tunnel”  – a metaphorical reference that just as the storm passes and the sun shines again for Juniper, so it will for us too.  Perhaps we may even come to realise that there might even be a silver lining – even though the wind and waves may have changed the landscape, what treasures washed up on the sand will Juniper and her mum find as they head out with Juniper’s bucket and spade once the storm has passed? 

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

Between author and illustrator, this is a masterpiece of words and pictures blending seamlessly and sensitively together to not only tell a story but also guide young readers on their way to managing their emotions, understanding that there are choices they can make and some are better than others,  and patience can pay off..  

Ginger’s Courage

Nov26
Ginger's Courage

Ginger’s Courage

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ginger’s Courage

Lynsey Patterson

Angela Perrini

Little Steps, 2025

32pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

9781923306042

Ginger the dog loves playing football with her two friends, a kelpie and a terrier, playing every day regardless of the weather.  She has developed remarkable skills over time, kicking, dribbling, heading the ball and defending the goal.  But one day, when she is more intent on the ball than the traffic she has an accident that results in a leg being amputated, and for months she lies in her bed, getting more and more disconsolate convincing herself she will never get to play again.  Until the day she at last got up and went to the park and saw another little dog, also with only three legs, who seemed to be having lots of fun regardless of the missing leg…

This is a story that may well resonate with some children who have had to suffer major setbacks in their lives, have fallen into a funk of “Poor me” and are having trouble seeing a brighter future.  Like Ginger it is natural to grieve for lost dreams and aspirations, and the grief can overwhelm the ability to set new ones, particularly for young people who live in the here and now, without the experience to appreciate the old adage that “life goes on.”  So perhaps they will draw strength from Ginger’s story that they are not alone with a disability or whatever catastrophe has befallen them, that they can accept and love their new self,  and find a workaround that with persistence and perseverance, pulls them back into friendships and fun again.  So that while they might not be kicking goals in the way they envisaged, they are kicking them in their own way. They are not defined by their disability, but rather the courage it takes to get back up and try again.  Just as Ginger’s new team embraces others with different abilities, disabilities, strengths and challenges, so too can they find acceptance and inclusion and extend that to others. 

Written in rhyme that bounces along, with energetic and empathetic illustrations, I shared this with my preschoolers during my weekly story-sharing session and while they responded positively to it, a couple of the sharp-eyed budding football players remarked that the ball was the wrong shape.  It should be round if it is going to be dribbled and headed, they told me, and “that shape doesn’t roll like soccer ball.” Out of the mouths of babes…

That aside, there are extensive teachers’ notes aligned to the Australian curriculum available to explore the story further with young readers.