Archive | April 2016

Elephant Man

Elephant Man

Elephant Man

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Elephant Man

Mariangela Di Fiore

Hilde Hodnefjeld

Translated by Rosie Hedger

Allen & Unwin, 2016

48pp., hbk., RRP $A29.99

9781760292201

The publishers’ blurb says it best…

“’Gather round – prepare to be amazed! A sight so very gruesome that you simply won’t believe it. Ladies and gentlemen – THE ELEPHANT MAN!’

Joseph doesn’t look like other people. His skin is thick and lumpy, his limbs are oddly shaped, and his head has a big bony bump. People call him Elephant Man and scream in terror when they see him. But inside, Joseph longs for a friend to understand him.

As Joseph is bullied and rejected at every turn, his situation grows more and more desperate. But a meeting with a kind doctor holds the hope to change his life

Based on the famous true story of Joseph Merrick, Elephant Man is a powerful tale about being different, finding happiness in even the hardest circumstances, and discovering beauty inside everyone. The unforgettable true story of one young man’s immense courage and his unbreakable spirit.”

This is a heart-breaking but uplifting story of a young man so badly deformed that he was sent to one of the infamous workhouses of 19th century England at a time when any disability – physical or mental, visible or invisible – was treated with such suspicion that the only solution by ‘genteel society’ was to lock the sufferers away.  “Out of sight, out of mind” would summarise the concept well.  Seeking to escape, Joseph found that exhibiting himself in a human oddities show had more appeal than the life he was living – a sad indictment of the times, indeed. But out of the inhumanity comes Frederick Treves who changes Joseph’s life…

Merrick’s life has been the subject of books, films, plays and documentaries so that over 100 years on, it is still a fascination. This picture book, based on fact but ficitionalised by the inclusion of thoughts and conversations, and cleverly sprinkled with original photos and documents, might seem to have little place in the collection of a primary school of the 21st century. But it’s value is far-reaching for all Joseph really wanted was to be accepted for who he was inside, not his external appearance; as a person first and a person with an illness last.  Extreme example it may be, but what a discussion starter for body image, racism, religious perspectives and all those other characteristics that judgements are made on.  Older students might even examine Hitler’s view of ‘Aryan supremacy’ or Jane Elliott’s Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes exercise.

The book also stands as a testament to how far we have come in our perception and treatment of those who are not “perfect” in a very short time in human history.  As we mark the centenary of World War I, students are reading of those who returned disabled and “shell-shocked”, often shunned by society and certainly with little social support as attitudes did not change.  Indeed, the biggest turnaround was in 1981 in the UN-declared  International Year of Disabled Persons and there was a global spotlight on each nation having a plan of action for “equalization of opportunities, rehabilitation and prevention of disabilities.”  From looking at something as basic as entry into public buildings we now have federal government legislation Disabled Standards for Education  which demands that we adapt our environments and our teaching for inclusivity.   While there is still much to do, gradually we are getting there and it is the understanding, tolerance and idealism of our young that will continue the march.  We should do these things because they are the right thing to do not because we are compelled by legislation.  

Elephant Man is not a gratuitous story about some freak-show oddity – it is a story about a man whose message reaches out across time to teach us so much about belonging, compassion and identity.  There is more information about Joseph Merrick at Biography.com

Lenny & Lucy

Lenny & Lucy

Lenny & Lucy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lenny & Lucy

Phillip C. Stead

Erin E. Stead

Allen & Unwin, 2016

48pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781760292119

Through the dark woods with its tall, foreboding trees and across an old wooden bridge stands the new house that will now be home for Peter, his dad, and his dog, Harold.  Their car is laden with all their worldly possessions and he has his dad and his dogbut even those do not make Peter feel comfortable as he starts his life over in such unfamiliar surroundings.  The woods seem sinister in their wintry silence and Peter is very disconcerted – terrible things hide in trees.  Even though Harold would like to help, he can’t – even his presence is not enough – and all night he and Peter lie awake thinking about those terrible things.  Next morning Peter has an idea about how he can keep the dark woods on the other side of the bridge where they belong…

It is easy to see why illustrator Erin E. Stead has won the Caldecott Medal in the past because the mood of this story about being resilient and conquering fear is set and captured brilliantly in the subdued colour palette that could be dubbed “fifty shades of grey” with just pops of muted colours for the characters, like the few bright spots in Peter’s current life.  Even the wallpaper is in grey tones and its busy floral pattern contrast perfectly with the window through which Peter and Harold see the tree trunks standing straight and tall like cell bars, imprisoned by their imaginations. But amidst the greys and the characters are other colour spots like the front door and the solitary leaf hanging from on autumn that are symbolic of light and life remaining when all else seems lost.  The owl who appears even before the title page remains a constant, an unseen guardian.  And as the woods, the bridge and the house remain grey in the closing pictures and the pops of colour become more plentiful, there is the suggestion that they are receding into the background as new life comes back into Peter’s world. 

The text is very measured and its pace is reflective of the way that Peter and Harold gradually come to terms with this new situation. While we don’t know why Peter and his father are having to start their lives afresh in a place clearly a long way from familiarity, there is much in the choice of words and their repetition that take away any scariness and reassure the reader that safety and security abound for Peter.  His fears are implied – “terrible things hid in trees” – and while this might not be the ideal bedtime story for the very young, nevertheless it would be a wonderful way of helping a child come to terms with the “monsters under the bed” especially if they built their own Lenny and Lucy.

But despite being dark both visually and conceptually, there is nevertheless a compelling storyline that keeps the reader engaged through to its uplifting end.  Just as his imagination has Peter trapped, it is also that which sets him free – there are almost echoes of Max and the Wild Things as he relies on himself to sort himself out.  And with this growing confidence, Peter takes the first steps towards his new life.

The more I read this book, the more I got involved and went back and read and reread it getting more and more from it each time.  It is only the third from this team and for one of those to be the 2011 Caldecott Medal winner speaks volumes about their talent and their connection and synergy.

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

I Just Couldn’t Wait to Meet You

I Just Couldn't Wait to Meet You

I Just Couldn’t Wait to Meet You

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I Just Couldn’t Wait to Meet You

Kate Ritchie

Hannah Somerville

Penguin Random House, 2016

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

9780857989703

When the author discovered she was pregnant, typically she was very excited and so she began to write about her feelings as she waited for the time to pass.  The result is this gentle story-in-rhyme that mirrors the thoughts and feelings of most expectant parents and their families.  Who will this new little life be?  And what will their life be like?  It traces the things that are done during that nine months from ultrasounds to decorating the nursery, tracking a common journey that very young readers first asking about where they came from will love to know about. It might even reassure parents-in-waiting that anxiety is as normal as anticipation.

Even though this is Ms Ritchie’s story, it is a universal one and Hannah Somerville’s illustrations using such a soft palette take it beyond the personal so it becomes almost a lullaby of love that would serve very well as Baby’s first favourite shared each night.  There is so much evidence that even our very youngest children are aware of the harsh realities of life, the differences between their lives and that of their peers, so to have such an affirmation of being loved and wanted and cherished should bring enormous comfort and reassurance.

There is a place and a need for this sort of book and Ms Ritchie has fulfilled it well. 

My Family is a Zoo

My Family is a Zoo

My Family is a Zoo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Family is a Zoo

K. A. Gerrard

Emma Dodd

Bloomsbury, 2016

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

9781408869406

Imagine if all your family’s favourite animal toys came alive and then they were all put into the family car to go on a special journey.  So your dad’s elephant, your bear, your sister’s whale… – even your uncle’s penguin – are all in together, squished in, strapped on, smooshed up and not a complaint amongst them. It must be a special destination or celebration. There’s no mention of mum at all although there are a couple of unattached polar bears that might give a clue.

This is a fun, colourful story-in-rhyme that will appeal to pre-schoolers and make them laugh out loud.  They will enjoy the rhyme and the rhythm as well as watching the car get more and more crowded.  Perhaps it’s a good thing the family gets to their destination when they do.  Because all the familiar family members are mentioned this would be a great starting point to explore the concept of family and how its members are related as well as where they fit in the scheme of things.  Some may choose to investigate their immediate family tree and compare the structure, people and numbers in their families to those of their friends and the book family. If every family is different, what is the thread that makes them a family?  Others might like to do an in-class survey to find out if teddies are the most popular toys, graph the results and talk about their findings.     

Simple on the surface but like all good stories, one read is not enough because there is always more to explore. 

Anna Liza and the Happy Practice

Anna Liza and the Happy Practice

Anna Liza and the Happy Practice

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anna Liza and the Happy Practice

Eoin Colfer

Matt Robertson

Barrington Stoke, 2016

108pp., pbk., RRP $A13.99

9781781125595

Anna Liza Madigan’s mum is a psychiatrist – sye-kye-a-trist.  She talks to people who are very lonely or very upset until they are better.  Anna Liza thinks this is so important that even though her mum tells her only grown-ups can be psychiatrists, she sets up her own office in her mum’s waiting room and wearing her stethoscope and white coat from her “Nurse Nancy on Duty” set, she does the rounds of the waiting room every afternoon after school.  She gets those waiting water or a magazine, sometimes even cheering them up with her version of “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”.  But one day she meets Edward who is seven point five years old, doesn’t like sauce on his burgers and is the saddest child she has ever seen.  Even her 17 best knock-knock jokes can’t make him raise a smile.  Determined to get to the root of the problem, Anna Liza digs deeper and discovers that Edward’s sadness is because is dad his sad because his mum has left them. 

So Nancy devises a plan to make Edward’s dad’s life go somewhere and make him happy again… but will it be successful?  Racing through like a sequence from a cartoon, complete with illustrations that leave much to the imagination, Anna Liza’s plan can only end badly.  Or does it?

This is another title from the Little Gems series that is deliberately formatted to cater for readers with dyslexia (see my review of Out for the Countbut regardless, it is just a rollicking good story written by the author of the Artemis Fowl series who knows what it takes to entertain young readers.  Despite its physical length, it is not a long read and is full of humour and fun with a delightful twist at the end that invites the reader to continue the story in their head.  And, of course, the whole thing invites a Knock-Knock Jokes Fest. 

Funny, different, entertaining – I know Miss 9 will love this one.

Out for the Count

Out for the Count

Out for the Count

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Out for the Count

Anne Fine

Vicki Gausden

Barrington Stoke, 2016

96pp., pbk.,  RRP $A13.99

9781781125076

Like many children, Hugo would really like a pet – in his case, a gerbil.  He raises the issue again with his dad just as he is finishing the repainting of Hugo’s room.  Even though his father acknowledges that Hugo would probably look after it very well, he is not a fan of keeping things in cages and so the answer continues to be no.  However, there may be a compromise.  Hugo works out that the gerbil would only be in the cage for seven hours during the time he is at school, so his father suggests that Hugo experiences that by staying alone in his now-empty room for the same time.

Hugo accepts the challenge and at midday with just the newspaper already spread on the floor, a snack, three chosen toys (a ghost puppet, a bucket of bricks and a monkey on a stick) and his watch he enters the room to stay alone for seven hours.  And even though he also has what gerbils don’t – an imagination – the time creeps by so slowly it seems like it stands still.  Will Hugo last the seven hours?   

This is an entertaining short story for emerging readers written some time ago but repackaged for the Little Gems series which is deliberately designed to support students with dyslexia. The font is “dyslexia-friendly” helping those who confuse letter shapes to see them more clearly and spaced to minimise confusion; the pages are tinted and the paper thicker so illustrations are not “shadowed” on previous pages; the stories short but engaging; and the book is just right for small hands to hold and read alone.  Plots are linear and the language and its structure less complex than in other stories for a similar age group. “This process was developed by dyslexia and speech and language experts in response to research and feedback from thousands of readers on hundreds of Barrington Stoke manuscripts over the years.’ 

Dyslexic or not, Out for the Count is entertaining, witty and wise and will spark lots of conversations about people’s need to confine animals to cages and the “rightness” of this.

Milo: A Moving Story

Milo: A Moving Story

Milo: A Moving Story

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Milo: A Moving Story

Tohby Riddle

Allen & Unwin, 2016

48pp. hbk., RRP $A29.99

9781760111632

For a dog, Milo’s life is quite ordinary.  He lives in his kennel in “an okay part of town”, spending his days delivering parcels and enjoying the company of his friends like Cluffy and Snombo.  He has few complaints until one night he has a strange dream that leaves him quite out of sorts.  He argues with Snombo who is starting to write and quote “really lofty poetry” and there are some strange signs during the day that confuse him like a large rabble of moths fluttering by and even a scarecrow tumbling over and over.  As the wind picks up, Milo seeks shelter in his kennel until that too, is picked up … and his adventures begin, especially after he meets Carlos, a curios sneakers-wearing migratory bird.

With its muted, almost monochromatic, palette adding to the atmosphere of ordinariness of Milo’s life and then his response to his argument with Snombo, Tohby Riddle has created another gentle but deep tale about friendship and falling out. The power of having a group of friends and the importance of apologising sits in stark contrast with the setting of New York, a city which conjures up an image of millions anonymous people, and readers will appreciate the quirky way that Milo learns his lesson. Riddle says that the story grew after being ill for weeks drifting in and out of sleep around characters who’d been “in his notebooks for years” and an image from a Goya painting.  There is certainly a “Wizard of Oz” feel to the big wind blowing Milo away – did he really meet Carlos and the helpful window cleaners or was it all a dream because he was so upset after his argument with Snombo?

An enigma… that is moving in both senses of the word.

Bear Make Den

Bear Make Den

Bear Make Den

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bear Make Den

Jane Godwin & Michael Wagner

Andrew Joyner

Allen & Unwin, 2016

32pp. hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781760110017

 

Bear has decided it’s time to make a new den.  With his trusty how-to book, he finds a suitable hillside and sets to work digging out something that is custom made and therefore should be just right.  But no – it’s not.  And so guided by necessity being the mother of invention, he starts to fill it with the essentials of life – chairs, table, bed, a lamp …  But still there is something missing,  It is not as he had dreamed.  Even a huge cake, a game and art on the walls does not bring the feel he wants.  Can he work out what is missing and can he find it?

Despite Bear’s despair, this is a joyful story about what makes a house a home that little people will love as they try to work out what it is that is missing from Bear’s den and start to investigate the difference between needs and wants.  By carefully looking at the pictures like two chairs not one; bunk beds not a single; a game needing two players- they may well be able to determine what it is that is missing before Bear himself does. How is Bear feeling? Will he give up and give in? If he does, will he be happy? What are the clues in the pictures that show he is resilient and will persevere?

Working on Glasser’s Five Basic Needs theory (survival and safety; freedom of choice; power and recognition; love and belonging; fun and satisfaction) young children can make suggestions that might satisfy Bear’s needs as they answer the question “Can he live without this?” They could then transfer what they’ve learned about Bear’s needs into what it is they need and how those can be satisfied. Just as Andrew Joyner’s playful pictures bring the simple text to life, I can envisage a large wall display of  Needs vs Wants as the children determine what are the essentials in their lives and search magazines and other images to illustrate their statements classifying them according to whether they are necessities or desirables. (Look here for some starter ideas .)For those slightly older, this could then expand into how the basic needs are met for children around the world (if indeed they are) and from that a poem such as Kids Are Kids  could be crafted.

The best picture books are deceptively simple – they are a perfect marriage between text and illustrations based on a simple premise that has wide application and then hidden depths so that each time the story is read or shared, there is something new to discover. This book meets all those criteria from cover to endpapers.

Dave’s Cave

Dave's Cave

Dave’s Cave

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dave’s Cave

Frann Preston-Cannon

Nosy Crow, 2016

32pp. hbk., RRP $A19.99

9780857636232

“Dave loves his cave. Inside is decorated EXACTLY the way he likes it. Outside there is a lovely spot for a fire and the grass is always lovely and green. But, Dave is unhappy. What if there might be an even better cave out there? And off he sets in search of a new home. But it turns out that good caves are hard to find. They’re either too small, or too big, or too full of bats, until he finds one that looks MUCH more promising. Outside has the perfect space for a fire and the grass is greener than any he’s ever seen… But why does it look so familiar?”

The basic premise of this book is a quote from T. S. Eliot which is shared on the very first page …”We shall not cease from exploration, and the need of all our exploration will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time” .  This is certainly true for Caveman Dave who finds himself right back where he started from but rather than trying to get the target audience to discuss such an esoteric quote, they are more likely to respond by sharing their stories of times they have really wanted something or to go somewhere and it hasn’t lived up to expectations.  “The grass is greener” comes to mind.

While it is a charming story with a predictable outcome, I found the rather stilted language to be distracting.  In my head it sounded like those old-time Western television shows where the Native Americans spoke a halting English and it bothered me.  For example,
“This Dave. This Dave’s cave. Dave like cave.” At first I thought it had been poorly edited but no… Perhaps it has been done to emphasise the primitiveness of Dave who is a caveman; perhaps children who haven’t been exposed to those Westerns won’t notice it; perhaps it can be an introduction to the need for fluent speech… For me, it just made what could have been a great story a little less so.

However the big, bright bold illustrations are very appealing and there is plenty of scope to investigate the sorts of things our ancestors had to deal with like the sabre-tooth tiger in the fourth cave or why Dave was living in a cave to start with. Maybe it will spark an interest in ancient history which our very young love to explore.

Baxter’s Book

Baxter's Book

Baxter’s Book

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baxter’s Book

Hrefna Bragadottir

Nosy Crow, 2016

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

9780857635211

 

Baxter adores books.  Books about scary wolves, brave lions, cuddly bears, cute little rabbits… He loves stories so much his greatest wish is to be in a one too.  As he comes out of the bookstore laden with new purchases he spots a sign for an audition to be in a storybook.  This is his dream come true!  He is SO excited but when he joins the very long line of characters waiting to show their talents, he realises all have been in storybooks before – except him.  But he is convinced of his talents – he can sing, dance, act and do gymnastics – so goes forth undaunted onto the stage as the first performer.  Imagine his disappointment when the judges dismiss him because they just don’t know what he is.  He’s not a scary wolf, a brave lion, a cuddly bear, a cute rabbit or even a hungry crocodile and when he tries to be like them, he fails.  Why is being himself not enough?

This debut picture book from Icelandic author Hrefna Bragadottir is quite charming with its lovable main character (who is a totally original concept) who is prepared to follow his dream but finds himself not accepted because he’s different and doesn’t fit the stereotype of a storybook character.  As a story in itself, with soft pastel pictures that take the edge off his rejection, it is a stand-alone but there is greater depth here than just a single read because it raises all sorts of questions about stereotypes – are wolves always scary and rabbits always cute? – as well as being true to oneself, tolerating difference and all those other relationship issues young children encounter when they step into the bigger world of preschool or big school for the first time.  Venturing into the unknown always raises some questions of self-doubt and when things don’t go as anticipated there can be all sorts of ramifications.  The heart-warming ending to the story will bring reassurance and recognition and Baxter will never be an oddity again!

Young readers will delight in identifying the characters they know like the three little pigs, but there’s also scope to investigate other stories that feature the creatures – perhaps make lists and displays to inspire wider reading – and compare and contrast each character with the stereotype.  Character analysis in preschool!!!  For those a little older it could lead to discussions about preconceptions and misconceptions we have about people and start to break down some of the barriers that are already in place even at this age.

Baxter’s Book is a perfect example of children learning about life through literature and why we need to keep sharing such wonderful stories.

A peek inside...

A peek inside…