Archive | May 2019

Moonfish

May17
Moonfish

Moonfish

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moonfish

Harry Laing

Ford Street, 2019 

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

9781925804256

Decades of research have shown that children respond to the rhythm, rhyme and repetition of their native language as the first steps in learning to talk and later to read. The words can be utter nonsense or hold little meaning as the poems of Spike Milligan and traditional nursery rhymes have proven by their endurance because it is the cadence and expression that captures the ear.  

Thus, poems are important in children’s early literacy development and so a new book with a range of poems  that capture both the ear and the imagination is a delightful addition to this genre.  from the mysterious yumbie to the elusive moonfish to the pet flea who eats 100 meals a day (“it’s my blood but that’s okay) to the angry old lady of 93 who is on Facebook and learning karate, Laing spans the spectrum of the topics in his imagination, providing a rhythmic experience that has broad appeal and reinforces why our language should be predominantly spoken aloud. 

Featuring eye-catching and fresh art by some of Australia’s best known illustrators including Shaun Tan, Leigh Hobbs, Judy Watson, Marjory Gardner, Mitch Vane and Anna Pignataro, there is something in here for everyone, young and not-so-young that will create or renew the fascination with language and how we can manipulate it. 

If your students are tired of the sterilised, contrived texts that they are supposed to engage them and engender a love of reading, share these poems with them and watch the joy return. 

Touch the Moon

May16
Touch the Moon

Touch the Moon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Touch the Moon

Phil Cummings

Coral Tulloch

 A&U Children’s, 2019

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

9781760523657

July 21, 1969 seemed like a pretty ordinary winter’s day in much of Australia and elsewhere.  Smoke drifted from chimneys, ice clung to the windscreens of cars, breakfast was served, dogs waited to be walked… But there was something different about this day. In the days before breakfast television was the norm, televisions were turned on and tuned in to an event happening a quarter of a million miles away and the whole world was focused on it.  Man was about to touch the moon!

But as life slowed in anticipation, something else began to happen.  For the first time in the tiny town of Peterborough, 200 km north of Adelaide, snowflakes began to fall. The dilemma between watching world history, indeed space history, being made and playing in snow for the first time ever was such a tough decision to make.  Which will win?

As we lead up to the 50th anniversary of Neil Armstrong’s “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”, this is the author’s autobiographical account of a momentous day in history, both for the world and for him. He was torn between going out to play in the snow or watching the events unfolding on television but even if it hadn’t snowed in Peterborough it was still such a momentous day that there would be few who were alive then and are alive now who can not remember where they were and what they witnessed.  And that is the purpose of his writing the story – for older generations to “share with children their experiences and memories and encourage children to ponder and be excited by the endless possibilities in their future.” 

Beautifully written and superbly illustrated the story inspires the reader to think about what a whole new world would look like for them. Would it be seeing snow, the ocean, the city or the desert for the first time? Would it be imagining what the world would be like on the centenary of the anniversary in 2069? Would it be having a brother or sister or being disease-free or something else they longed for that would be life-changing? Have they already experienced such a change? So much scope for talking and writing and dreaming, pondering and wondering just as Cummings wanted!

 

Moonwalkers

May15
Moonwalkers

Moonwalkers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moonwalkers

Mark Greenwood

Terry Denton

Puffin, 2019

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

9780143793557

July 21, 1969 and like so many Australian children, Billy stared at the moon in amazement through his telescope wondering if it was really possible for man to land on the moon. Nearby, in a sheep paddock , a much larger telescope was also trained skywards as Apollo 11 with Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins on board, made its historic voyage.  

For the three days between launch and landing Billy taught his little sister and brother all about how to be astronauts, building models, making spacesuits, using the bath to experience lunar gravity and recreating the Command Module in their bedroom. And as that large telescope in the field nearby beamed live pictures of the landing, the whole family sat transfixed in front of their television and watched and wondered. 

Man’s first landing on the moon was one of those momentous occasions in history when those who were alive can recall exactly where they were and what they were doing, and all collectively wondering whether the astronauts would make it back to Earth safely.  Greenwood and Denton have taken this event and woven the facts and details into a stunning story that will not only bring back memories for many but also introduce the emotions and intricacies of the event to new generations who take space exploration for granted, perhaps even having it on their to-do list. Using their own memories as the basis for the story- it was near Denton’s birthday and he was convinced it was some sort of special birthday present – they have created a story that shows the power of imagination coming true as generations of children throughout the centuries have looked at the moon and wondered “what if…?” What dreams will this story inspire?

A great story in itself, it is also the perfect springboard to investigating the event as the 50th anniversary approaches and there is also an activity pack to accompany it. 

The Race to Space

May14
The Race to Space

The Race to Space

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Race to Space

Clive Gifford

Paul Daviz

Words & Pictures, 2019

64pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781786038890

It is hard to believe that it is only a little over a century since the Wright Brothers made the first powered flight, achieving  a distance of 37 metres at an altitude of just three metres with the flight lasting just 12 seconds at the amazing speed of nearly 11km per hour, and now we take flight for granted with humans spending months in space in the International Space Station, vehicles landing on Mars and probes travelling to the deepest corners of the solar system.

Even though the earliest rockets were invented by China over 600 years ago, it wasn’t till the mid-20th century when the USSR launched Sputnik, the first manmade device to orbit the Earth, in 1957 and the US, the other world power to have emerged from World War II, were concerned that this would lead to the USSR having military control of space, that the race for the exploration of space really got going.

As the 50th anniversary of man first’s landing on the moon approaches, this new book traces the history of the space race from the launch of Sputnik to the moon landing with its early focus on the tensions between the US and the USSR, and concluding with the “handshake across space” in the joint Apollo-Soyuz mission in 1975 marking a new collaboration rather than competition.  Illustrated in full colour and spattered with quotes from significant participants of the times, this is a book for independent readers who want to know the stories behind the milestones and understand why it became a “race” with that word’s connotation of winners and losers. 

Another opportunity to revitalise your collection about this period of history that is really so recent that many staff and parents will remember it vividly. 

Space Race The Journey to the Moon and Beyond

May13
Space Race The Journey to the Moon and Beyond

Space Race The Journey to the Moon and Beyond

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Space Race The Journey to the Moon and Beyond

Sarah Cruddas

DK, 2019 

192pp., hbk., RRP $A34.99

9780241343777

For such a long time, people looked out into the blue sky of day and the black sky of night and wondered – what is out there? But to discover the answers was just a dream until the early 17th century when Galileo refined the work of Hans Lippershey and became the first to develop and use a telescope for astronomical purposes.  

While science fiction writers imagined and wrote about space travel, the real space race as modern generations know it began in October 1957 when the Russians launched a beach-ball sized object which they called Sputnik (“travelling companion”) and it became the first manmade device to orbit the earth. This astonished those in the US who believed they would be the first to be in space because they thought they were clearly much further ahead in both scientific research and military firepower, but now there was a clear threat that the USSR could achieve military dominance in space. And so the space race began with an impact that reached as far down as the elementary school curriculum and a new focus on the sciences.

Now the two countries work in relative harmony on the International Space Station and a host of other countries and companies are opening up space as a commercial and tourist destination. 

This new publication traces the origins and development of the space race  taking young, independent readers on a journey through the breakthroughs and the disasters, giving them an insight into the amazing changes that have taken place just during the lifetime of their grandparents, changes that have contributed to changes in their own lives as the technologies involved become commonplace in their world. Using diagrams, photographs and easily-accessible text major milestones and their implications are explored giving explanations and perceptions into why what has happened ‘out there” has relevance and importance for “down here”.

With the 50th anniversary of man’s first walking on the moon looming in July, there are many new publications about space and its race becoming available and this is the perfect opportunity to revitalise your collection with new, up-to-date resources. This is the perfect addition to that collection.    

WWE SmackDown 20 Years and Counting

May10
WWE SmackDown 20 Years and Counting

WWE SmackDown 20 Years and Counting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WWE SmackDown 20 Years and Counting

DK. 2019

200pp., hbk., RRP $A34.99

9780241363775

In April 1999, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) launched Smackdown on television and it became an instant success, and 20 years on, not only is it still being screened but many of the participants are now household names.

To celebrate its 20th anniversary, this is a collection of the most notable highlights of the series, both in the ring and behind-the-scenes, accompanied by spectacular full-colour photographs from WWE’s own archive.

Whatever one’s personal views might be on the show in particular and wrestling in general, this is one of those books that young boys will pore over, sharing their discoveries and thoughts together and building their literacy skills in that communal way that seems to be a critical part of their development. For that reason alone it should be in your collection, but being a definitive history of this popular show, it will also be sought after by the fans of both the show and the sport.

Up to Something

May9
Up to Something

Up to Something

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Up to Something

Katrina McKelvey

Kirrili Lonergan

EK Books, 2019

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

9781925335705

A sign on the door of the hardware store catches Billy’s eye – it’s for a great billycart race.! It doesn’t matter that Billy doesn’t have a billycart because he has heard his Dad banging, drilling and sawing in his shed so many times that he is excited about what they could build together.

He is even more excited when his Dad agrees and they begin work together.  But excitement turns to disappointment when his dad appoints him as his “special helper” fetching and carrying the tools and materials, rather than using them. And even though he gets promoted to “assistant” because it sounds more important, the duties don’t change and Billy is soon bored with menial tasks like sweeping his dad gets him to do.  He had dreams of them working side by side building something magnificent together. But as he sweeps he has an idea and while Dad is busy measuring and sawing, Billy is doing the same…

Billy’s story is that of so many youngsters – wanting to get in and be like their dads but being assigned to the sidelines – that it will resonate with young readers who are more interested in making and doing than watching. Lonergan’s gentle illustrations that are so rich in detail echo the relationship between Billy and his dad offering a story that could be a lesson for dads about not underestimating the talents and skills of their offspring.

From a STEM perspective there is plenty of scope to explore creating plans for billycarts, but if readers look carefully at the elements of Billy’s cart they might be encouraged to look at everyday objects differently.  What else could a laundry basket or an old pair of roller skates become? Lots of scope for creative thinking embedded in a story that is just a joy to read in itself.

Cats and Robbers

May8
Cats and Robbers

Cats and Robbers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cats and Robbers

Russell Ayto

Bloomsbury, 2019

32pp., pbk., RRP $A12.99

9781408876503

While inside the house everything appeared to be as it should, outside three robbers were spying on it and making a list of things they would take once they were inside. They had dismissed the paintings, the vases, the sculptures and the sweets and their primary goal was the safe! So in they crept intent on their mission.

But they did not know they were being watched by two cats. Two cats who had their own reasons why the safe was sacred and would not be taken, and who put into place a plan to protect it.

This is a delightfully funny story that will have young readers in stitches as the slapstick comedy plays out and they want to discover who wins! The twist in the end is perfect…

Written with repetitive phrases and clever use of bold font, it is made for reading aloud with the reader using the cues to build up the tension and suspense. This is not a book that can be read in a monotone with no passion or engagement. Lots of fun and lots of scope for ideas to foil the robbers and their plans.

Wilam

May7
Wilam

Wilam

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wilam – A Birrarung Story

Aunty Joy Murphy & Andrew Kelly

Lisa Kennedy

Black Dog Books, 2019

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

9781925381764

As ngua rises, Bunjil soars over mountain ash, flying higher and higher as the wind warms. Below, Birrarung begins its long winding path down to palem warreen. Wilam – home.

In this stunning new picture book, Yarra Riverkeeper Andrew Kelly joins award-winning picture book duo Aunty Joy Murphy and Lisa Kennedy to tell the Indigenous and geographical story of Melbourne’s beautiful Yarra river, from its source to its mouth; from its pre-history to the present day. Using many of the words of the Woiwurrung language for places and things, the reader is taken on a journey that not only embraces this much-maligned river but also draws the reader into the journey as they use Lisa Kennedy’s beautiful artworks to interpret the text. This makes for a remarkable sensory experience as you are engrossed in the beauty and diversity of the river.

2019 has been declared by the UN to be the International Year of Indigenous Languages and this is the perfect addition to a collection celebrating this.  Not only does it embed the language of the people whose lands were focused around Birrarung into a context that makes sense to all readers, it also exemplifies the connection between text and illustrations as readers must use the one to understand the other. 

A must-have.

 

The Usborne Book of Planet Earth

May6
The Usborne Book of Planet Earth

The Usborne Book of Planet Earth

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Usborne Book of Planet Earth

Megan Gullis & Matthew Oldham

Stephanie Fizer Coleman

Usborne, 2019

64pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781474936620

As our youngest students mature, they have more and more questions about the world around them as they endeavour to understand their place in it. As their world widens and they meet more and more people from more and more places, they begin to realise that this planet is bigger than their home town and the questions start to come. 

In this new release from one of the masters of non fiction for young readers, the child is taken on a journey around the planet discovering its amazing places and features. Starting with its place in the solar system, they visit continents, isolated islands, steamy jungles, fiery volcanoes , dusty deserts, coral reefs and a host of other phenomena that shape not just the planet but the lives of those who live there. 

Beautifully illustrated with simple explanations that will not only answer their questions but also inspire them to find out more, it is like a mini-encyclopedia of the planet but on a young reader’s scale that can be read alone by independent readers or shared by an adult.  As usual, Usborne have complemented the text with a page of Quicklinks to take young explorers on even more journeys.

A peek inside...

A peek inside…