Archive | November 2014

The Beach They Called Gallipoli

Nov20
The BeachThey Called Gallipoli

The Beach They Called Gallipoli

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Beach They Called Gallipoli

Jackie French

Bruce Whatley

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

9780732292263

 

On April 23, 1915 on a beach on the Gallipoli Peninsula, seagulls swooped as fish flapped silver in the nets… a peaceful, tranquil scene.

But it was to be the last day of peace for that Turkish beach for a long time for on April 24, 1915 the ships came.  And less than twenty four hours later, blood-stained foamed fringed the grey waves of a grey sea under a grey sky.  For eight, long tragic months the conflict lasted as more ships brought more men and took away the broken bodies of the wounded, while leaving many more who would never leave this beach and its sentinel cliffs.  “A land with few names had new names now: Anzac Cove, Quinn’s Post, Rhododendron Ridge, The Apex, Farm and Lone Pine.”  Names etched into our history along with the courage, the compassion and the comradeship that we associate with them.

On December 21, 1915 the beach was again silent and empty, a tranquil place. Perhaps the seagulls and the fish had not yet returned, but the waves still rolled in onto the shore, just as they had done for months, years, decades, centuries. But months, years, decades, a century on we remember… Lest We Forget

Among the plethora of publications being written and released to commemorate the centenary of the events of April 25, 1915, this is a standout.  By focusing on the place, Jackie brings range of perspectives about the people – the fishermen, the many nationalities who fought and those who defended.  The blood that was shed mixes and mingles into a story of a battle with no heroes or winners – just people and the futility of war.

Superbly illustrated by Bruce Whatley with collages of photos, paintings, drawings, diagrams, artefacts, symbols and flags, it is a masterful insight into the campaign – its before, during and after. The sounds and sights and smells are brought to life through the skilful selection and arrangement of the vignettes that emphasise that while the place shaped the events, it is the people who created and encountered them and their consequences.  There is no favouritism – it is written and illustrated as though the landscape is the observer witnessing men from everywhere trying to master it – as though that were ever going to be possible.

While such rich imagery leaves little to the imagination, it inspires the imagination.  This was not the remote-control driven warfare that invades television news bulletins today – this was face-to-face conflict of a type that breeds the legends that have endured for so long.  And all the while, the waves lap on the beach.

Jackie French and Bruce Whatley, as author and illustrator, are a match made in heaven.  This could be one of their most important collaborations yet and I predict it will be high on the awards lists this year.  It is an essential resource in your commemoration collection.

Inside History has an interview with Jackie and Bruce about the reasons behind the book and the research that went into it go to  To follow up on the events within it,  the Department of Veterans’ Affairs has produced Investigating Gallipoli 

Outstanding.

Santa’s Outback Secret

Nov19
Santa's Outback Secret

Santa’s Outback Secret

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Santa’s Outback Secret

Mike Dumbleton

Tom Jellett

Random House, 2014

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

9780857982254

It is just a couple of weeks before Christmas and Santa is very busy carefully reading his Christmas mail.  But when he opens a letter from Ben, he pauses and thinks and reads it again and again.  For Ben has requested something really special …something that makes Santa interrupt his Christmas preparations, put on a disguise and leave the North Pole just days before the big event! Dressed in some torn blue jeans stained with dirt, a snake-skin belt and an open shirt, old boots, a hat, a waterbag, a stockman’s whip and a canvas swag, he has his reindeer take him to the outback where he finds an old homestead and knocks on the door…  (if I say much more I will give away the secret!)

This is another fun story in rhyme from Mike Dumbleton and Tom Jellett who brought us Santa’s Secret a couple of years ago and which was such a hit with my young students.  They really liked the idea that they might meet a stranger on the beach and I’m sure many spent their Christmas holidays in anticipation!.  Finding Christmas stories that are a bit different can be a difficult task but I really enjoyed this one because it focuses on the giving side of Christmas rather than the getting. Santa is struck by the unselfishness of Ben’s request and it opens up the possibilities of what we can do for someone as a gift rather than what we can buy. 

If you are looking for a new Christmas story to add to your collection, this would be an ideal addition.

 

 

 

Santa's Secret

Santa’s Secret

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Santa’s Secret

Mike Dumbleton

Tom Jellett

Random House, 2012

hbk., 32pp., RRP $A19.95

9781742748801

(also available as an ebook 9781742748801)

 

Santa has a secret and I can’t tell you too much about this book without giving the secret away.  But if you want to know what Santa gets up to after he’s finished delivering all the presents, and if you’re looking for a fantastic tale, superbly illustrated, that has a twist in the tale and is the perfect addition to your collection of Christmas books, this is the one to buy.  And look out for who’s on your beach this summer and be suspicious if your child comes home with a free present and a strange story.

 

Whale in the Bath

Nov18
Whale in the Bath

Whale in the Bath

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whale in the Bath

Kylie Westaway

Tom Jellett

Allen & Unwin, 2014

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

9781743318584

It’s bath time for Bruno, but he has a problem – there is a whale in his bath.  And it’s using his bubble bath, even though it doesn’t like the smell and would prefer something more krill-like.  Poor Bruno. He’s trying to do what he’s been told but when he seeks help his sister Ally doesn’t believe him and accuses him of telling lies.  Just because there was a bear under Bruno’s bed and a walrus in the backyard she tells him,”You’re always making things up.”  His mum doesn’t believe him either and sends him back upstairs but the whale is still there…scrubbing and rubbing and taking its time. It’s tricky to wash yourself all over quickly when you’re as big as a whale and the bathtub is as small as a bucket!  So Bruno goes to see his scientific brother Pete  but Pete wasn’t interested.  “A whale can’t fit in the bath,” he said. Even a baby whale would be too big.” 

So back to the bathroom Bruno goes to plead his case but the whale still isn’t finished – and then Dad comes home and orders Bruno to stop mucking around and have his bath.  But the whale won’t budge, perhaps not for an hour or even four – it’s enjoying the hot water and the soap, neither of which it can get in the ocean. But it does have an idea…

This is the most delightful story of imagination and fun, that has a cute twist in the end that enables the reader to read Bruno’s mind and say “I told you so!’  Tom Jellett has provided some superb illustrations that make this romp all the better.  Young listeners will have fun thinking about how the whale might have got into the tub and how it will get out!  There’s also scope for following it up with a discussion about why Bruno’s family didn’t believe him and perhaps sharing The Boy who Cried Wolf .  From a visual imagery perspective there is opportunity to explore the layout and how certain words have been emphasised as well as how Jellett has managed to suggest the enormity of the whale without trying to fit it into the page.  And then there is a mathematical perspective of comparing sizes – perhaps even sharing Bill Martin Jr’s poem, What is Big?

This one is going in my school box as my next read-aloud to students!  It will set up the learning for the whole day.

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

Our Village in the Sky

Nov17

 

Our Village in the Sky

Our Village in the Sky

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Village in the Sky

Janeen Brian

Anne Spudvilas

Allen & Unwin, 2014

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

9781743318140

‘Our village sits above the great river, nestled in the Himalayan mountains. This is what we do on summer days when school is closed for holiday time, in our village in the sky.’ 

Written as a series of narrative poems which merge seamlessly together, this is the story of a day in the life of the children in a remote Buddhist village showing how ordinary, everyday chores are turned into games and fun. There is Drummer Boy who makes music on the container that he has to take t the village water pipe.  There is Washer Girl whose job is to launder her brother’s trousers, dreaming as she soaps, squeezes, rubs and rinses.  Washer Boy ensures that the lamas have clean bed linen and robes while Herd Boy tends the goats and chases after runaways. .  Each child has work to do and each does it as part of the family and the community, without the distractions of modern technology or even toys.  But, nevertheless there is plenty of joy and fun … “A ladder lying down makes no sense. But a seesaw does.”  Five stones make the traditional game of knucklebones. 

With beautiful imagery and evocative language, Janeen Brian has captured the joy of life in summer in the high alps, so different from the white, cold and frozen of winter.  Anne Spudvilas’s soft, gentle, water-colour images are the perfect accompaniment as they complement the gentle, peace-loving life that we associate with these people.  Simply drawn they capture the friendliness and and happiness of the children, and coupled with the colour choice they evoke a feeling of warmth and contentment.

This is a life very different to that lived by most Australian children where for most, getting water is as simple as turning on a tap, so it is a perfect introduction to a compare and contrast investigation as students examine their lives, their roles and responsibilities in their families, the way they entertain themselves and then  relate it to that of the children in the story. It would also be a wonderful introduction to narrative poetry and free verse and the use of imagery to convey a message and an atmosphere. “Sometimes my fingers flutter like small, brown  butterflies and the sound is their heartbeat.”

The best picture books are more than just a story – they are a symbiosis of text and illustration that offers many layers of meaning and response.  This is one such book.

To explore if further, teachers’ notes are available at and there is a QR link to listen to poems read aloud.

Chu’s First Day at School

Nov16

Chu's First Day at School

Chu’s First Day at School

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chu’s First Day at School

Neil Gaiman

Adam Rex

Bloomsbury, 2014

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

9781408847039

It is Chu’s first day at school, and like every new-starter he is worried that the others won’t like and they won’t be friendly.  He is somewhat dismayed when his teacher asks them all to share their names and something they are really good at.  One by one, she writes their names and special talents on the board – so many that she has to keep rubbing them off and starting again.  All the while Chu says nothing but at last it is his turn and suddenly everyone finds out what he is good at – with catastrophic results.

I’ve been holding this book back until schools start thinking about next year’s new entrants as transitions to Kindergarten start to happen and “big school” is really in the picture.  This is lovely blend of the anticipation and nerves that beset every child who is starting this new adventure, delightfully offset by Gaiman’s humour and Rex’s illustrations.

This is one for that collection of first-day-of-school books that you have to reassure pre-schoolers that this is a day to be enjoyed and celebrated, even if things don’t go quite the way you want.

 

Amelie and Nanette: Sparkly Shoes and Picnic Parties

Nov15
Sparkly Shoes and Picnic Parties

Sparkly Shoes and Picnic Parties

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amelie and Nanette: Sparkly Shoes and Picnic Parties

Sophie Tilley

Bloomsbury, 2013

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

9781408836637

Amelie and Nanette are very excited. Nanette has a brand new pair of shoes, red and shiny with the prettiest bows.  She was just about to give up looking for new shoes when she spotted them on the highest shelf.  And Amelie had something new too – a party dress with roses and ribbons. So they decide to have a New Shoes and New Dress Picnic Party.  So they packed up a yummy picnic and a blanket, umbrella, sunhats, sunglasses and towels (in case they went paddling)  got dressed in their new clothes with extra petticoats, bangles and necklaces. 

Then they carried everything over the fence into the meadow to their favourite tree by the stream.  It was their own secret hideaway. 

Their new clothes make them feel like dancing and singing and spinning until they fell down giddy and giggling.  It is time for the picnic – but what’s a picnic without flowers? So Amelie goes off to pick some while Nanette goes to the stream to get water and…disaster strikes.

This is one of those traditional, feel-good stories about carefree kids who are best friends, sharing everything.  Both the text and the illustrations have an olde-worlde feel about them that takes the reader back to a slower, simpler, safer world  where two young girls can pack a picnic, go over the fence and have fun without a care in the world.  And you just know that there will be a happy ending.

This is an ideal series for introducing young children to the concept of a continuing collection of stories with the same characters, an important element of developing early literacy skills.  Not only does it allow them to ‘dive right into the story’ because they already know who these characters are and what they’re like but that in itself makes them think back and bring that information to the present situation.  “What do I already know about Amelie and Nanette that will help me enjoy this story?” is part of that ability to transfer known knowledge to new situations.  It helps them predict what might happen based on what they already know and well-developed characters like Amelie and Nanette become favourite friends, reinforcing the understanding that books and reading are friendly, fun, perhaps even a solace.

 

 

Snowflakes and Fairy Wishes

Snowflakes and Fairy Wishes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amelie and Nanette: Snowflakes and Fairy Wishes

Sophie Tilley

Bloomsbury, 2014

hbk., 32pp., RRP $A22.99

978140883664 

Best friends Amelie and Nanette are really looking forward to Christmas.  Together they make paper chains, write Christmas cards, wrap presents, make yummy scrummy snowflake fairy cakes and decorate the tree. But even better than doing all those things that mean Christmas is coming, is doing them with your best friend.  The girls are so busy that they don’t notice that it is snowing, but when they do discover it they’re outside in a flash having so much fun making the biggest snowman, jumping and rolling around in it, throwing snowballs and making snow angels.  Nanette is so excited that she goes out without her winter woolly warms on.  And sadly, instead of making her fairy costume for the school Christmas play, she ends up in bed with a cold, too sick to take part in anything.  But what are best friends for?

This is an enchanting story about friendship and the joy of having a best friend. Tilley’s illustrations are as gentle and subtle as the story offering a package that all young children will relate to.  Why can’t you put cardboard antlers on your dog when you’re in need of a reindeer?

This book is about what really is the true meaning of Christmas – celebrating love and friendship and being there for those who really matter.  And with other Amelie and Nanette stories coming  the girls are likely to become favourite characters of this age group.

 

Go to sleep, Jessie

Nov14
Go to Sleep, Jessie

Go to Sleep, Jessie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Go to Sleep, Jessie

Libby Gleeson

Freya Blackwood

Little Hare, 2014

Hbk., 32pp., RRP $A 24.95

9781742977805

Jessie now shares big sister Jo’s bedroom now and she won’t go to sleep.  Every night she screams and screams and Jo cannot get to sleep.  Even sharing T-Bear only works for a little while and mum and dad aren’t a lot of help when Jo pleads with them to do something.  A clean nappy and a lullaby only work for a little while until Jo demands her own room back – she NEEDS to sleep.  “You wouldn’t like that,” says Mum and when Dad finally puts Jessie in the car and drives her around the block again and again and again Jo realises mum is right.  So when Jessie wakes again after the long car ride, she has to think of another solution…

This is a lovely story from the brilliant pairing of Libby Gleeson and Freya Blackwood that will resonate with many young children who share a room with their baby brothers or sisters.  It’s a story of love and tenderness and is so real that it will strike a chord with most.  The classic muted tones of Blackwood’s illustrations are there but this time in tones of blue and orange which juxtapose the upstairs and downstairs worlds of the house as well as the peace and love in the story with the noise and frustration of Big Sister.   Blackwood writes about this in her blog http://www.freyablackwood.com.au/blog.htm

I love these sorts of pictures books because they provide an opportunity for the children to become so involved in the story – most of them have a similar story to share or something to contribute and they’re the perfect opportunity to start the prediction and problem-solving processes.  In this case, asking them “What would you do?” and “What do you think Jo will do?” will open lots of talk and help little ones realise that stories are fun, stories can be about them and they have something worthwhile to offer.  Essential steps as they develop their early literacy skills.

 

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

 

Celia and Nonna

Nov13
Celia and Nonna

Celia and Nonna

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Celia and Nonna

Victoria Lane

Kayleen West

Ford Street, 2014

hbk., 32pp., RRP $A24.95

9781925000603

pbk., RRP $A14.95

9781925000610

Celia has the most wonderful relationship with her nonna, and her most favourite thing is having a sleepover at Nonna’s house.  Together they bake and fill the kitchen with delicious smells, and Celia has her own special cupboard full of her jigsaws, colouring books and felts.  Best of all is when Nonna reads her a bedtime story – or two or eight or nine…  But as time passes, Celia notices that Nonna is getting forgetful, so much so that Nonna is in danger and so she has to move to a hostel.  Instead of her familiar house with its tumbled garden, kitchen, and its special cupboard, Nonna now just has a room with bare grey walls, a tiny bookshelf and a funny smell.  And NO special cupboard.  But Celia has an idea…

This story will really resonate with so many young children, my own grandchildren included, as they come to terms with their nonnas and great-nonnas having to move from familiar surroundings to assisted care facilities.  Gone are the things that make it a special place and instead there are other old people, funny smells and blank walls.  Even though my grandchildren coped with that quite well, as Celia does, because GreatGran was still Great Gran and Nonna is still Nonna, it’s hard to be quiet and still  so you don’t disturb others.  Nearly as hard as it is for Great Gran and Nonna to be confined to such a small space where there is only room for a tiny bookshelf and a few special things.  Celia’s solution is both clever and poignant and makes the transition to a new way of life so much easier for both her and Nonna.  Miss 8 did a similar thing!

Victoria Lane has hit on a topic that will be the story for many of the children in our care and I know Miss 8 and Miss 3 not only empathised with Celia but also got a lot of comfort in knowing that they weren’t the only ones dealing with these changed circumstances that really bring old age into such a clear focus for them.  It can be scary to see so many old folk, especially those needing so much assistance, and hard for them to understand what’s happening, but if books like this can encourage them to continue to visit and celebrate their special times, then we will have a compassionate generation to look after us.  Accompanied by the most gorgeous pictures from which love just oozes out, this book touched my heart and that of a friend in similar circumstances.  You can read her review at https://losangzopa.wordpress.com/?s=celia+and+nonna

A must-have if you know of children who are facing these big changes and who need a little support to deal with them… 

A House of Her Own

Nov12
A House of Her Own

A House of Her Own

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A House of Her Own

Jenny Hughes

Jonathan Bentley

Little Hare, 2014

hbk.,  RRP $A24.95

9781742974620

Audrey is so much bigger than she was yesterday – so much bigger in fact that her dad’s house is too small for her now.  So she needs a house of her own.  The dog kennel is too small; the garage is too big; and the tool shed too crowded.  So her dad built her the most amazing house in a tree.  It had a staircase with a bannister to slide down; a swinging bathtub for snorkelling; a cupboard, a bed and some chars for guests; even a stove for making cakes!  It is a very high house, almost as high as the sky but Audrey is much bigger than she was yesterday. However, as dusk starts to fall and Dad heads down the staircase back to the warm, cosy house, Audrey begins to have second thoughts…

This is a charming story that celebrates the love between fathers and their daughters and captures that special relationship they have as well as the struggle encountered when crossing the bridge to independence as Audrey moves from confidence to a touch of anxiety as her “tummy turns over” to relief as she realises she will always have a dad and a home no matter how big she is.

The beautiful, imaginative illustrations by Jonathan Bentley provide much to explore -every child is going to want a suspended bath to swing in – and the colour choices cleverly reflect Audrey’s changing moods.  Bright and bold to start with, softening as dusk creeps in and then the warm, welcoming lights of home at night.  It would be a perfect kick-starter to a design and build unit as students put their imagination into gear to design their own treehouse! 

 

 

The Cleo Stories

Nov10
The Cleo Stories

The Cleo Stories

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Cleo Stories: The Necklace and The Present

Libby Gleeson

Freya Blackwood

Allen & Unwin, 2014

hbk, 64pp., RRP $A16.99

9781743315279

This is the first in a series of books about Cleopatra Miranda McCann, an independent and creative young lady who is very comfortable in her own skin. 

In the first story, The Necklace, Cleo is going to her friend Nick’s birthday party.  He will be 6 so she’s making him a special card with lots of balloons and gold stars on it.  When her mother shows her a pretty party frock to wear, Cleo chooses her Christmas t-shirt and spotty shorts instead.  At the party, Cleo’s card is left on the table with the presents while everyone oohs and ahhs over Isabella’s card which plays Happy Birthday when you press a button.  But Cleo is not fazed.  She joins in the party fun, playing Pin the tail on the Donkey and Hide-and-Seek.  But she is quite envious of the beautiful necklaces her friends are wearing and wants one too.  But her mother says such gifts are just for special occasions and Cleo’s birthday is ages away.  But as she and Nick take a break from their game of shipwrecks, she spots Uncle Tom with his shirt off.  And that gives her an idea….

In the second story, The Present, Cleo is counting the days to her mum’s birthday and is agonising over what to get her.  Her brain is “as empty as the garbage bin after the truck comes and takes everything away.”  Dad suggests she do a painting but that’s what she did last year.  Nick suggests a food whizzer but Dad is the cook in the house.  Dad suggests they get something together but Cleo is determined it will be something just from her.  She decides that she will glue the bowl she broke back together but Superglue and little fingers are not a good combination.  On the morning of mum’s birthday she STILL doesn’t have a present.  And then she has an idea…

This is the latest in a line of collaborations between Libby Gleeson and Freya Blackwood and once again, it is a winner.  The clever, creative, free-spirited Cleo is charming and Freya’s illustrations complement the text perfectly. Based on Freya’s daughter Ivy, they are gentle but capture the quirks of childhood so well.  The sequence of trying to get unstuck from the Superglue is superb – who hasn’t “done a Cleo” in their time? There are clues to Cleo’s creativity in the bedroom scene (many of them inspired by Ivy’s creations) and so her out-of-the-box solutions are not a surprise.

Newly independent readers, or those who are nearly so and are ready for a slightly longer but complete bedtime story will love her and her imagination.  There is more text than usual in a picture book, but not so much that it is too daunting a task to read.  A perfect stepping stone that will delight any little girl.

 

A peek inside...

A peek inside…