Archive | November 2013

No Matter Who We’re With

Nov30
No Matter Who We're With

No Matter Who We’re With

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No Matter Who We’re With

Robert Vescio

Cheri Scholten

IP Kidz, 2013

Hbk, RRP $A 26.00

9781922120212

Ebk RRP $8.00

9781922120229

 

This is a sensitive story about two children who are dealing with an issue that so many of our students do – their parents are separated and they spend time living at both houses.  Even though they do different things with each parent, like growing their own vegetables in mum’s splendiferous garden or helping dad make Spaghetti Bolognese, there’s a joy that shines through and the most important message that regardless of who they’re with they know they are loved and that will never change.

Cheri Scholten’s colourful illustrations are the perfect accompaniment as they manage to portray the fun and joy and love the children have, reaffirming and reassuring the young reader that even monumental events like your parents separating can be overcome.

So many children struggle with their parents’ separation, and often blame themselves.  They believe that if they had been better, then their parents would not have split. And then, on top of that guilt, comes the perceived difficulties of spending time with both parents which often leaves them confused and conflicted. The beauty of this book is that it demonstrates that they can have fun with both parents and celebrate the spontaneity and pleasures of childhood, making the most of what is rather than regretting what was or what should be.  It’s a book that needs to be in the library’s collection so that our young readers can read about other children just like them, which in itself, can be a powerful healer. It might even be the catalyst for getting a troubled child to write their own story about the good things they do with each parent and realise that they are loved by both and that won’t change, no matter what.

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Nov29
The Very Hungry Caterpillar

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The  Very Hungry Caterpillar

Eric Carle

Penguin 2002

9780140569322

“In the light of the moon a little egg lay on a leaf”.

Who doesn’t know this classic story of the hatching of that little egg, and the caterpillar’s journey through a an orchard of fruits throughout the week, a un-caterpillar feast on Saturday and culminating in a massive stomach ache?  So big, in fact, that the little caterpillar has to eat through a nice green leaf to ease it and then goes to sleep for another week, snug in a cocoon until he emerges as a beautiful butterfly.

First published in 1969, this story has endured for 45 years because it has all the things that young readers like – an engaging character, bright pictures created in Carle’s signature collage style, cut and cutout pages that promise new things when they are turned, counting and prediciting and reading along, and a most satisfying ending.

Over the years, Carle has written many stories for the very young and whether its The Very Busy Spider, The Tiny Seed or Does a Kangaroo have a mother, too? each has a place on the bottom shelf, your read-aloud basket and your teaching toolkit.

Now, at the age of 84, Carle has released Friends a new story inspired by an old snapshot and a long-ago memory.

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

Coming Home

Nov28
Coming Home

Coming Home

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coming Home

Sharon McGuinness

Shannon Melville

Wombat Books, 2012

hbk., RRP $24.95

978-1-921633-77-5

 

“Gemma watches her dad as he sits alone in his garden. Waiting. Day after day.  Looking but not seeing. Shoulders hunched.  Body slumped.”  No matter what Gemma does – whirling like a ballerina, turning cartwheels, even playing a tune on her recorder – nothing seems to break through to that dark and lonely place that her dad inhabits these days.  She even wonders if he loves her any more.  Weeks pass and then one day…

I waited and waited to review this remarkable book by teacher librarian Sharon McGuinness – she who is behind the wonderful Mrs Mac’s Library http://www.mrsmacslibrary.com/ that is such a wonderful resource for all of us.  Gemma’s dad suffers from depression and in Coming Home, Sharon has dared to tackle an issue that she knows much about, that many of our students experience within their families, and yet few bring into the open through contemporary realistic fiction that is aimed at the primary school child. 

This sensitively illustrated picture book that starts in a dark place with just a few spots of colour of hope blossoms into a beautiful story that needs to be shared. Despite its focus, it is a story of hope and learning to enjoy what is, not worry about what might be.  Gemma’s dad may relapse, but, for now, Gemma’s just glad to have him ‘home’. The words may seem simple, but they are carefully chosen and convey a powerful message.   Perhaps it will be your lead-in to RUOK Day .

Mental health issues are very slowly losing the taboo that has surrounded them for centuries, and by writing Coming Home Sharon has given us a story that can help us open discussions with a group or be gently suggested to a particular student because the teacher librarian knows both students and the collection.  This is a story written with such delicacy that you know it has been written by one who has lived the life and knows how to reach out to children.

Sharon has developed a book trailer which is available on Mrs Mac’s Books   next week, and teachers’ notes  are available.  She is also donating all royalties to the Black Dog Institute to help fund education programs and further research.

Even if you only have $25.00 left in your budget for this year, spend it on this book.  Congratulations, and thank you, Sharon.

Advice, support and treatment for depression is available from

Black Dog Institute

Beyond Blue

Headspace (Australia’s national youth mental health foundation)

RUOK?

Lifeline

 

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Nov28
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Judith Viorst

Ray Cruz

Angus & Robertson, 1973

0207954852

Alexander is having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.It starts with waking up with gum in his hair, tripping over his skateboard that he left on the floor, and dropping his sweater in the sink while the water was running and he knew it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

And he was right.  From only finding cereal in his breakfast cereal box when his brothers found amazing toys, to being scrunched and smushed in the middle of the backseat on the school run, to a visit to the dentist and kissing on TV, Alexander has a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.  It’s so bad he thinks he will move to Timbuktu but even there…

This is one of my all-time favourite read-alouds.  Told in a droll, monotone with such a catchy phrase repeated throughout, the children are captured as they live through Alexander’s day, empathising with his morfortunes as they remember their own terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days.  The accompanying monochrome drawings add to the atmosphere and altogether, it makes for a story that has been on my read-with-kids list since it was first published in my first year of teaching. There would be few children who have been in my care during those 40 years who have not heard it, or its sequels Alexander, Who’s Not (Do you hear me, I mean it!) Going to Move and Alexander, who used to be rich last Sunday (great for building maths activities on.)

An internet search will bring up lots of activities that can be used to accompany the story, but my favourite was getting them to write about their terrific, fabulous, super-duper, do-it-again day. But it also offers opportunities for a discussion about feelings and emotions, starting the concept that it is OK to talk about your mental health early and perhaps breaking down barriers.

Even though this is an old book, it is still readily available and its release as a movie in 2014 will ensure its popularity with another generation. (Read this for a more complex analysis.)

 

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

If your child enjoys this adventure then try…

Alexander who used to be rich last Sunday

Alexander who used to be rich last Sunday

Alexander Who's Not (Do you hear me? I mean it!) Not Going to Move

Alexander Who’s Not (Do you hear me? I mean it!) Not Going to Move

Jellybean Goes to School

Nov28
Jellybean Goes to School

Jellybean Goes to School

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jellybean Goes to School

Margaret Roc

Laura Hughes

Random House 2013

pbk., RRP $A14.95

9781848530751

It is the most exciting time in a young child’s life and Jellybean is no exception – taking that big leap and starting school. She wants to read by herself and write by herself and find out why clouds are fluffy and spiders spin webs.  But most of all she wants to find a friend, because while she has a baby brother, he’s not big enough for her yet. 

Finally the BIG day arrives and, in her new uniform, she’s ready,  although her tummy is so jittery that she can’t eat her breakfast.  She is SO excited, until she sees the size of the school and the noise of the playground.  Overwhelmed, like many on the same adventure, she thinks she might stay with her mum and brother after all. But Miss Benson is used to children with first-day nerves and introduces Jellybean to Alex, who is also not as confident.  It’s easier to meet the world with a friend.  Miss Benson also knows how to engage and enthuse the children for this new experience, easing them into all that is on offer in a way that the best Foundation teachers do.

Author, Margaret Roc has tapped into Jellybean’s feelings of apprehension perfectly and so has illustrator, Laura Hughes.  At first, when they use the building blocks, Jellybean’s imagination has her far, far away in Rapunzel’s tower but as she and Alex and the other children explore what is on offer, she gradually moves into the here and now and imagines the possibilities of what this new place itself, can offer. The bright colours and familiar backgrounds will enable other Jellybeans to take the journey with her and gain security and comfort from knowing that all the other children are feeling the same.

This is such a lifelike book dealing with such a familiar subject, and one that is coming closer and closer for many that it is sure to have a wide appeal.  Many schools are having transition programs as pre-schoolers learn what big school is really about, and having a library of these sorts of books so parents can borrow them to share with their child or preschool and Foundation teachers can use them to show that nerves are part of the deal, is one way the library can be involved in these programs as well as starting a productive relationship with the parents. “Jellybean Goes to School” deserves its place in that collection.

 

A peek inside

A peek inside

Little BIG

Nov24
Little BIG

Little BIG

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Little BIG

Jonathan Bentley

Little Hare Books, 2013

Hbk, RRP $A24.95

9781921894442

This is a lovely story about a little brother who desperately wants to be bigger and do the things his big brother does.  No matter how hard he tries, it doesn’t work.  But then he realises that while being bigger has advantages, it also has distinct disadvantages.  And there are some times when being little is just perfect.

Jonathan Bentley has used his writing and illustrating skills to create a book that so many children can relate to – having a younger sibling who wants to do what they do, or being the younger child wanting to emulate their older siblings. Miss 7 is struggling with that now as Miss 2 doesn’t understand that their five-year age gap means that things cannot be the same for both.

The illustrations are rich with things to discover – why does the little boy choose to be a giraffe, a gorilla and a crocodile – but each is touched with a gentle hand so they are not scary.  There is a subtle humour that appeals, particularly in the final spread which is the perfect end to a well-told tale.

In the hands of a skilled teacher, this book could be a great way to start a discussion about how we all grow and change but how we are right now is just perfect. It could also be the platform for the students to write an extra page. Using the nodel of advantage/disadvantage they could explore what could they do if they were bigger, but what would that mean they couldn’t do. Books that inspire talk and a personal response deserve their place on any library shelf.

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

Seadog

Nov19
Seadog

Seadog

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SeaDog

Claire Saxby

Tom Jellett

Random House Australia, 2013

hbk., RRP $A19.95

9781742756523

9781742756523 (ebook)

 

“Our dog is not a work dog, a round-’em-bring’-em-home dog. Our dog is a SEA DOG. A run-and-scatter-gulls dog.”  So begins the most delightful little story about a most unusual dog that is not like any other dog in any way, except for one thing… 

With language that just drips off the tongue in delightful phrases, so much so that it was the winner of the Best Book for Young Children 2013 from Speech Pathology Australia, this is a great story for the very young that just begs to be read aloud, joined in with and acted out.  Everyone who has ever had a dog will relate to it, and the humour in the text and illustrations will resonate with every dog lover.  You can hear yourself reading it aloud and see the children engaging with you.

And just in case you’re wondering, my dog is not a round-’em-bring’-em-home dog either.  Nor is she a Sea Dog.  She’s a sook dog, a chased-by-the-chooks dog, but, just like Sea Dog, there is one thing that she shares in common with all the other dogs in this story…

Loved it!

To Get To Me

Nov19
To Get To Me

To Get To Me

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To Get To Me

Eleanor Kerr

Judith Rossell

Random House, 2013

hbk., RRP $A19.95

9781742758831

“Hi Ahmed.  It’s me, Peter.  I’m going on an excursion to visit the animals at the zoo. Do you want to come with me?”  A common request that most would not see as the foundation for a delightful children’s picture book.  BUT there’s a twist- Ahmed lives in Morocco and Peter is in Sydney and so there’s quite a journey to make. But Peter knows just what Ahmed has to do starting with riding his favourite camel through the desert, he gives Ahmed the directions and through a series of charming illustrations accompanied by simple but engaging text, he gets to Sydney, finally hopping on the ferry and the chairlift to take him to the zoo.   

On the surface, this appears to be a simple picture book about transport for the preschool child, but there is much in both the text and the pictures that make it so much richer with lots of new things to be discovered with each reading.  There’s the onomatopoeia of the transport words which the young child can both suggest and make with enthusiasm; and details in the pictures such as the text which transitions from Arabic to English; opportunities to identify modes of transport, symbols, colours; things to count and so it goes on, making this a new favourite with Miss 2 but still engaging for Miss 7 who got out her globe and tracked the journey, learning much along the way.

A great introduction to the world beyond our shores which could kickstart any number of investigations for our youngest readers.

i Love You Book

Nov18
i Love You Book

i Love You Book

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

i Love you Book

Libby Hathorn

Heath McKenzie

 

IP Kids 2011

hbk., RRP $A26.00

9781921479892

 

Ebook RRP $A8.00

9781921479908

 

This inspiration for this book could have been the sonnet by Elizabeth Barrett Browning which begins “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways…” because it is an ode to the pleasures and delights of the book – its sights, sounds, smells and the remarkable places it encourages our imagination to visit and the amazing creatures we meet when we get there.

“I love you book,

When they read you through and through

Onceuponatime

Undiesontheline

Or by myself I read out loud

If there’re only just we two!

From the “rustle-bustle” of the pages to the “dots and commas, question marks Performing every page” to the “happily-ever-afters, packed-to-the-rafters”, this is an enthusiastic, energetic romp that reaffirms the joy that reading provides and why books are here to stay because they are the perfect format. On each page, illustrator Heath McKenzie has created fantastic artworks (hand-drawn using a digital tablet) which match the energy of the text and help us recall some of the most magic moments in our reading lives. And even if we haven’t yet met the centipede being rude or visited those lands at the top of the tree, it inspires us to find those books so we can.

Ms Hathorn says the inspiration for the book comes from an item she saw at a school assembly when three mothers of the students performed a “book drama” called I Love You Book in honour of their children’s excitement about learning to read and she immediately jotted down some ideas for this book.  I wonder if those mothers know how far their performance has reached, particularly if we ask our students to express why they love books, not just as an exploration of the senses but also as a way of having them recommend books to others.  Which books make you “dreamy and sometimes quiet and slow”, and which books make you want to “go, get up and go!”? Similarly, how do those “short-long words” make the story move, and what role do those dots and commas have?

If you’re planning to start 2014 off with a focus on reading and books and the pleasures the children are going to be in for as the year with you progresses, this is a must-have.

 

A peek inside

A peek inside

 

Banjo and Ruby Red

Nov18

 

Banjo and Ruby Red

Banjo and Ruby Red

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Banjo and Ruby Red

Libby Gleeson

Freya Blackwood

Little Hare 2013

hbk., RRP $A24.95

9781921549087

 

Is there anything better than chooks in books? I’ve been building units of work around that theme for years and I’ve just discovered the BEST one to add to my collection.

Old Banjo is a chook dog. He sleeps in the sun with one eye on his charges as they peck and scratch and discover goodies that only chooks delight in.  And each evening, when he gets the signal, Banjo barks and the chooks come from everywhere, scampering and scurrying to be safe on their roosts from the night creatures.  All except Ruby Red.  From her perch on top of the woodheap, she defies Banjo with an arrogance and aloofness that just o-o-z-e-s from the illustrations.  Ruffling her feathers and stretching her neck to stare at the sky, she shows Banjo who’s top of the pecking order! 

It’s a game they play every day until one day, there is no Ruby Red on top of the woodheap.  Banjo is baffled and searches and searches until he finds her, lying still, feathers flat, eyes closed…

Enriching the story are the superb illustrations of Freya Blackwood.  Here’s a snippet of how she did them…”Yes, the colour palette is an odd one – I didn’t really choose it, it just developed this way. I think there were a few colours I had in mind and the rest just got there by trial and error. I used oil paint this time, on watercolour paper. It was lots of fun! The brown you see in the photos is just the gum tape used to tape the paper to watercolour boards. ”  She blogs about the creation of her artworks  here and tells a little more of her story here .

This is a remarkable story of a relationship between a dog and a chook that might seem difficult to believe, if I hadn’t seen it with my dog Ebony and our chooks, Steggles and Ingham. 

Because they were here before she was, she’s grown up with them and thinks she is one of them.  Being the same height, they often eyeball each other and see who gives in first, and all three run to the gate when they hear the sound of a familiar motor.  Ebony runs at them full tilt, either dodging at the very last minute or leaping over them.  The chooks just stand there, unfazed, knowing that a quick peck will bring her into line. They are the triumvirate ruling this household daring any other creatures to set foot into their domain. There’s been more than one night when Ebony, who is well named, has been locked in the chookhouse in the dark! So it’s no wonder I love it, and Miss 7 and Miss 2 begged me to give it to them after we barked and squawked our way through it together.

The award-winning combination of Libby Gleeson and Freya Blackwood would be reason enough to buy this book – neither needs any introduction as the creators of the best of literature for young readers – but its subject has made it a personal favourite. Miss 7 and Miss 2 might just have to love it while they are here…

a peek inside

A peek inside