Archive | January 2018

Penguin Problems

Jan10
Penguin Problems

Penguin Problems

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Penguin Problems

Jory John

Lane Smith

Walker Books,  2016

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

9781406375992

Poor Mortimer.  His life really is difficult.  It’s so hard living in the Antarctic when you don’t like snow, the light is too bright, you have to swim in the ocean which is too dark and it smells salty, you sink like a stupid rock and there are lots of things that want you to be their dinner.  And when you are on land you have to waddle and you look silly when you waddle, and that’s just the beginning.  Try looking like everyone else and not being able to find your parents… Is there no end to the problems that penguins have?  Every day seems to be a “terrible, horrible, no good very bad day” and then a  walrus tapping him on the shoulder. Is this day going to have a very bad ending too?

Apart from being very funny even though Mortimer himself is so serious and makes sure he gets the last word, this is an important book in the armoury of the mindfulness collection and even moreso with the issue of children’s mental health attracting official attention so teachers in all sectors can detect and determine students’ problems early. Mortimer is definitely a pessimist who can see no joy in anything and as teachers, we are all aware of the child in our class who has a similar outlook.  While one story alone is not going to turn this around – as the final page in the story suggests – nevertheless we can help children start to count their blessings, look for positive validation in themselves and offer genuine affirmation to others. 

Perhaps the author deliberately chose a penguin as his protagonist because of their stark “black-and-whiteness” where life is either good or bad and Lane through her illustration style not only softens the edges of Mortimer but also his surroundings so that there is the possibility of some light getting through.  If we are teaching our students to be critical readers and ask, “What is the author’s purpose for writing ?” ;”What does the author want me to know from reading this story?” and “How is the message being conveyed?” then this would be an excellent tool as we try to get them to examine  issues of objectivity and accuracy in other resources.

Right from the get-go with no title on the front cover (it is on the back, though) and the inner flap setting Mortimer’s tone, the reader knows this story is going to be different. A search online will reveal a range of resources to support it, but as with all quality picture books, it stands alone as an entertaining story first and foremost whether its underlying message is explored or not. 

 

Wilbur, Grace and Joe

Jan9
Wilbur, Grace and Joe

Wilbur, Grace and Joe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wilbur, Grace and Joe

Phil Cummings

Amanda Graham

Little Book Press, 2017

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

9780994385284

Wilbur the dog is as much in love with the new twins Grace and Joe as their parents. He becomes their furry, four-legged guardian angel as he shares the exciting days and the sleepless nights as they grow from newborns to toddlers with all that that entails.

This is a charming family story with a soft palette that emphasises its gentleness and which families will relate to as a new baby enters the world of a couple and their dog.  A lovely bedtime story for a young reader with a faithful dog who will want to know if that’s what their life was like too.

 

Here We Are: Notes For Living On Planet Earth

Jan8
Here We Are: Notes For Living On Planet Earth

Here We Are: Notes For Living On Planet Earth

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here We Are: Notes For Living On Planet Earth

Oliver Jeffers

HarperCollins, 2017

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

9780008266165

“Well, hello.
And welcome to this Planet.
We call it Earth.

Our world can be a bewildering place, especially if you’ve only just got here. Your head will be filled with questions, so let’s explore what makes our planet and how we live on it. From land and sky, to people and time, these notes can be your guide and start you on your journey. And you’ll figure lots of things out for yourself. Just remember to leave notes for everyone else… Some things about our planet are pretty complicated, but things can be simple, too: you’ve just got to be kind.”

Written for his baby son, Jeffers tries to offer an explanation of this planet and how it works so that young Harland (and any other little children) will be able to negotiate it successfully.  Even though this planet is a complex place, Jeffers manages to extract its essential elements  – there are basically two parts, the land and the sea – and using direct narrative, his iconic illustrations and simple labels he explores the concepts of the planet and the people and animals who inhabit it. Huge ideas reduced to simple but carefully chosen words that convey both explanation and advice.

“People come in many shapes, sizes and colours.  We may all look different, act differently and sound different … but don’t be fooled, we are all people.”

Throughout there is the underlying message of choosing kind and gentle to the land, its people and all its inhabitants, underpinned by a quote from J. M. Barrie as part of the dedication page..

With so much emphasis on the environment in our school curricula these days, this is the perfect book to create a child’s awareness of their surroundings beyond their immediate self.  But there are so many avenues that could be explored by posing questions such as “Is there more land that sea?”  or “If most of the land is at the top of the planet, why doesn’t the planet roll?” that could lead to investigations by all ages.  

Here We Are: Notes For Living On Planet Earth was the #1 New York Times Bestseller and voted #1 TIME Best Book of the Year for 2017.  It’s easy to see why. A must-have in your collection and one to be recommended to teachers as the staple that underpins all their lessons this year.

Pete the Cat – Meet Pete

Jan7
Pete The Cat: Meet Pete

Pete The Cat: Meet Pete

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pete The Cat: Meet Pete

James Dean

HarperCollins, 2017

18pp., board book., RRP $A12.99

 9780062675170

From posts sent to a US teacher librarian network, Pete the Cat is one of the most popular characters for preschoolers and now our youngsters can meet him and his friends in this new tabbed board book.  With each character having its own tab, little fingers can easily turn to the page that they are seeking – a very early manifestation of the role of an index in the information literacy process!

With a strong emphasis on songs and music and a myriad of online resources to enrich and enhance the child’s experience, this little cat is sure to become a favourite here too. 

Disney Pixar Coco: The Essential Guide

Jan6
Coco: The Essential Guide

Coco: The Essential Guide

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coco: The Essential Guide

Glenn Dakin

DK, 2017

64pp., hbk., RRP $A16.99

9780241288412

Hundreds of young people are going to Coco the latest holiday release from Disney Pixar, the story of a Miguel a young Mexican boy who loves music even though it is banned in his family.  On the eve of Dia de los Muertos, the night ancestors return to the Land of the Living, a magical incident takes Miguel to the Land of the Dead where he discovers a family secret that explains the ban.

While Miguel doesn’t want to fight his family, music is his passion and he needs to find a way to be able to express it in his home. 

This new release from DK enables those young people to explore and understand the movie more thoroughly as it introduces the settings and the characters as it moves through the significant parts of the plot.  It even has a double-page spread which sets up Miguel’s’ dilemma – should he follow tradition or should he follow his heart?

One of the surefire ways to get young children to transition between screen and print is to offer them resources that feature their favourite screen characters so there is a feeling of familiarity and connection already, and when those resources enrich and enhance the screen experience as brilliantly as DK do, then they have to be valuable.  From the popular sugar skulls which decorate the endpapers through to the vivid, full-colour illustrations, many using graphics from the movie itself, through to the enticing layout, small snippets of information in text accessible to the target audience and a voice that talks directly to the reader, this is a book that will extend the movie experience long after its 100 minutes on the screen.

Common sense media offer a review of this movie (and many others) so parents can determine if it is suitable for their child.

The Wolf, the Duck and The Mouse

Jan5
The Wolf, the Duck and The Mouse

The Wolf, the Duck and The Mouse

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Wolf, the Duck and The Mouse

Mac Barnett

Jon Klassen

Walker Books, 2017

40pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781406377798

When the wolf swallows the mouse, Mouse is very surprised to find that his cries of woe wake Duck who is safely ensconced in bed and trying to sleep.  Because it is dark in the wolf’s tummy, the difference between daylight and darkness can’t be discerned but when Duck discovers it is morning he declares it is breakfast time and produces the first of many surprises for Mouse.

Explaining that on the ‘outside’ there was always the danger of being swallowed, but now that that has happened Duck has no intention of being eaten and so has set up home in the ‘belly of the beast.'”You would be surprised what you can find inside of a wolf”.

But their celebrations give the wolf a bellyache and his howls attract the attention of a hunter…

Despite the limited colour palette, there is much that is included in Klassen’s illustrations that those attuned to looking for detail will enjoy and which will make the ending not only surprising but appropriate.

This story has a fable/fairytale quality that is enhanced by both the choice of characters and the language they use, and its conclusion cements that.  While primarily for younger readers, it also has a place in the library of those a bit older as the underlying message that it is those who are flexible who will flourish in a world and time of change is so relevant.

Lucky Button

Jan4
Lucky Button

Lucky Button

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lucky Button

Michael Morpurgo

Michael Foreman

Walker, 2017

176pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

 9781406371680

May 8th, the one day of the year that Jonah dreads because it is the anniversary of the accident that left his mother in a wheelchair two years previously and left him as her carer.

He regards it as ‘the day the music died’ because despite her love of music and American Pie being her favourite tune, his mother has not played or sung since the accident.  Jonah himself loves to sing and has been given an important role in the upcoming school play because of his voice. However, because of having to care for his mother – a fact he keeps secret although his teachers are aware of it and are compassionate – he finds it hard to fit in at school, has no friends except for the thread of one with Valeria, a newly-arrived Russian girl, and is teased and bullied because of his name.

During play practice one of the other boys deliberately injures him, and after being attended to by the school nurse, Jonah flees to the school chapel, his place of refuge where he can cry, and yell out his anger and sing his heart out till he gets back to a place of balance.  There on the floor he finds a brass button and as he picks it up, the church’s pipe organ begins to play and a remarkable story that impacts him profoundly unfolds…

As with stories like The Fox and the Ghost King, Morpurgo weaves the facts of history with the fiction of his imagination into an engaging, memorable story and Lucky Button is no exception.  Focusing on the story of Nathaniel Hogarth, an orphan of the Foundling Hospital, created by Thomas Coram in 1739 with help from William Hogarth and George Frideric Handel, music becomes the centre of the story as the young boy is befriended by the young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his sister during their time in England. Sensitively illustrated by Michael Foreman, this is a story for newly independent readers who like historical fiction and something a little bit different.

The Poesy Ring – a love story

Jan3
The Poesy Ring

The Poesy Ring

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Poesy Ring – a love story

Bob Graham

Walker, 2017

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

9781406378276

Way back when, in this case in 1830 in County Kerry, Ireland, poesy rings were given as tokens of friendship and affection between lovers.  And way back when, just as today, bitter words can be spoken, relationships break up and rings discarded. 

This one, aptly inscribed “Love Never Dies”, is caught by the wind, tumbling end over end and settles deep in a meadow near the sea where it lies for seasons undisturbed until a little deer catches it in its hoof as it eats the acorns from the tree that has grown ad fruited over the years beside the ring.  Then its adventure begins until over 200 years later it is placed on a new finger, showing that its message is as eternal as the land that has ensconced it.

This is Bob Graham at his story-telling best using the poetry of his words and the beauty of his illustrations to take the reader on a journey through and across time showing that the world and its living things keep turning and enduring offering hope and optimism even if things seem a bit bleak in the short term.  And it is the same with love and relationships – just as the ships that cross the ocean near the meadow sail through storm and war as the lighthouse guides them to safety – so the bonds between people can be tested, saved or severed.

Astute readers might pick up on the dedication at the front of the book and the date that the love story turns full circle – perhaps this has been inspired by something very personal to the creator. 

While publishers’ and booksellers’ website suggest that this is a story for 3-8 year olds, it is so full of symbolism that it is a story for all ages.  Parents sharing it with their young children might need to offer a few explanations, pointing out how Graham has shown how time passes and love endures and once they understand the subtlety of the illustrations they will learn to look for the clues and cues by themselves, not only enriching their engagement with this story but enhancing their understanding of how top-shelf picture books work. It is a story that needs to read and then read again so the beauty of its message is as entrenched as the beauty of the prose and pictures.

Like so many of his previous titles, this is most likely to be on awards lists in 2018.

 

 

The ABC Book of Feelings

Jan2
The ABC Book of Feelings

The ABC Book of Feelings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The ABC Book of Feelings

Helen Martin & Judith Simpson

Cheryl Orsini

ABC Books, 2017

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

9780733338298

Many schools are now including mindfulness in their curricula as they encourage children to check in on their own feelings and those of their peers in a bid to promote and protect positive mental health.  This book, the 9th in this series, will be a valuable addition to the resources as it not only introduces the range of human emotions but also reaffirms them as being natural rather than positive or negative; demonstrates that feelings change; and that others might respond to a particular situation in a way that we don’t experience or expect.

The latter point can be a tricky concept for little ones to understand as they are not yet mature enough to step beyond their own response to objectively look at others but the process can be started by having them compare food likes and dislikes so they begin to understand that there can be differences of opinion and that our personal experiences shape who we are and how we respond.  For example, a little one I know who is so totally in tune with nature has no issue with having her pet snake as her hair adornment whilst others will shudder because their experiences with these creatures are very different! But knowing and accepting that we all respond differently can be a step towards minimising teasing and bullying.

Speaking directly to the reader, the authors not only introduce the more common emotions we experience but acknowledge that anger and sadness and apprehension are also natural and offer ways to deal with them so we can move on to a better place.  They explain that other people can influence our feelings and even the way our body is feeling physically can have an impact.  Who hasn’t been cranky when they’re hungry or have a headache or been in the sun too long?

Any book that helps little ones understand and acknowledge their feelings and know that they are the body’s natural response to events and are part of who we are as humans is important in not only helping us to know ourselves better but also to know others and help develop both empathy and resilience, both important in combating bullying.. With its charming illustrations and personalised text, this could be at the core of your collection of mindfulness and mental health resources.

 

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Visual Dictionary & Incredible Cross Sections

Jan1
The Last Jedi Visual Dictionary

The Last Jedi Visual Dictionary

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Last Jedi Visual Dictionary

Pablo Hadalgo

DK, 2017

80pp., hbk., RRP $A29.99

9780241281093

 

The Last Jedi Incredible Cross Sections

The Last Jedi Incredible Cross Sections

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Last Jedi Incredible Cross Sections

Jason Fry

Kemp Remillard

DK, 2017

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

9780241281079

In 1977, when most of the world was dancing to Saturday Night Fever  George Lucas created a collection of characters who lived  “a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away”.  Who could have foreseen that 40 years on those characters would still be as popular as ever and the eighth episode in the saga would break box-office records in its first weekend of release.

In The Last Jedi , the second film in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, following Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), the Skywalker saga continues as the heroes of The Force Awakens join the galactic legends in an epic adventure that unlocks age-old mysteries of the Force and shocking revelations of the past.  And, like its predecessors, it is packed with memorable characters and amazing machinery so it was inevitable that these two publications would accompany its release as fans and fanatics strive to know more about everyone, everywhere and everything.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi™ The Visual Dictionary is the definitive guide to the movie revealing the characters, creatures, droids, locations, and technology from the new film whilst The Last Jedi Incredible Cross Sections reveals the inner workings of 13 key vehicles from Episode VIII of the Star Wars™ saga, Star Wars: The Last Jedi™. Each vehicle is shown as an intricately detailed, full-colour cross-section artwork, complete with callouts to the important features of each ship. Clear, comprehensive text makes this an indispensable reference guide for the new craft in the Star Wars galaxy.

The Star Wars phenomenon has spanned almost the entire length of my teaching career and I wish I had $1 for every child, particularly boys, who has sought out the publications accompanying each film, pored over them with mates for hours discussing, reading, searching, and learning so much more than just about the topic of the book.  With the usual excellent and now expected standard of DK publishing they have been stand-outs, almost impossible to keep on the shelves and these two new additions are no exception. 

There will be few students who have not seen this movie over this holiday period and so to come back to school to a display which features the very latest in print accompaniments will be like a huge welcome banner telling them that the library really does have something for them in 2018!

Can’t get better than that!