Archive | March 2020

There’s a Hippopotamus on Our Roof Eating Cake (40th Anniversary edition)

Mar8
There's a Hippopotamus on Our Roof Eating Cake

There’s a Hippopotamus on Our Roof Eating Cake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There’s a Hippopotamus on Our Roof Eating Cake

Hazel Edwards

Deborah Niland

Puffin, 2020

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

9781760896270

What do you do when there is a hippopotamus on your roof eating cake?  Well, you keep calm and carry on, of course.  It doesn’t matter whether its drawing with crayons, having a shower or wearing a bandage on its knee just like yours, there’s nothing outlandish or outrageous about having a hippopotamus on your roof.

When Dad notices that there’s a hole in the roof, his imaginative daughter decides that there is a hippopotamus up above eating cake that’s causing it. and even though it works part-time at the zoo it always returns to share the adventures she has had that day, even when she’s been in bother. Eventually men fix the leaking roof, but they don’t see it because it clambers down the ladder when they are not looking, but the little girl is convinced the hippopotamus will be back that night. In fact, it is likely it will be on the roof or accompanying her on adventures all through  her childhood.

When this was first published in 1980, it became such a favourite that it has been published continuously for 40 years and has evolved into a series of seven picture books, and inspired a young readers’ novel, classroom play scripts, a musical production for the stage and a short movie, as well as having been translated into Auslan and Braille.  There would be few children who have not been exposed to the story in one format or another. 

With its rhythmic, repetitive text and simple line drawings depicting the hippo as a friendly fellow, the appeal of this book and it premise of imaginary friends has been tested over time and this special anniversary edition has a special cover to make it a collector’s edition while also revitalising the character for another generation. 

 

 

Fish Kid and the Mega Manta Ray

Mar7
Fish Kid and the Mega Manta Ray

Fish Kid and the Mega Manta Ray

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fish Kid and the Mega Manta Ray

Kylie Howarth

Walker Books, 2020 

160pp., pbk., RRP $A14.99

9781760651138

In this sequel to Fish Kid and the Lizard Ninja,  Fish Kid is holidaying at Ningaloo and keen to show his friend Emely not only the reef but also his secret superhero-like powers. But things don’t go according to plan and he is torn between obeying his parents and using his powers or becoming shark bait.

With Bodhi’s parents being underwater specialists – his dad is a marine biologist and his mum an underwater photographer  – discovering what is under the surface is just what the family does, and the author has carefully woven all sorts of interesting information about the creatures there into the story so that is as educational as it is entertaining.  Every chapter contains a rollicking fiction romp (with illustrations to match) plus a focused nonfiction animal fact box (with more realistic illustrations). 

This is a series that will appeal to newly independent readers still needing a bit of textural support and with each episode featuring a different part of the oceanic world and its inhabitants, the scope for unique and interesting adventures is broad. There is already a new addition in the pipeline. 

 

The Secrets of Magnolia Moon

Mar6
The Secrets of Magnolia Moon

The Secrets of Magnolia Moon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Secrets of Magnolia Moon

Edwina Wyatt

Katherine Quinn

Walker Books, 2019

160pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

9781760651541

From the publisher…

Magnolia Moon is nine years old, likes Greek mythology, her best friend Imogen May (who understands the importance of questions like, “If you could be one fruit, any fruit, what would you be?”), wishing trees, and speaking crows. She knows instinctively that buffadillos are armadillos crossed with buffalos and believes there are walramingos living in her garden. She’s also the kind of person who can be entrusted with a great many secrets. Each chapter in this novel, which captures Magnolia’s year of being nine and ends on Chapter Almost 10, reveals a secret that Magnolia is keeping. But the novel also chronicles a year of change for Magnolia. From her best friend moving to the birth of her little brother Finnegan, Magnolia navigates every challenge and secret that comes her way with the kind of authenticity and innocence that comes from being nine years wise.

I have been deliberately sitting on this book till now because as soon as I got it to review I knew it would be perfect for Miss About-To -Turn-9 and I needed to keep it a secret. But the day is nearly here and with it being listed as a CBCA Notable for Younger Readers for 2020 it is time to share.  While the book spans a year in Magnolia’s life giving the story continuity, each chapter is a separate entity so it is perfect for that bedtime read when just a chapter is enough to transition to the world of dreams. With its recognisable hero mixed with just a touch of fantasy, it is just right for newly independent readers who are reading on and consolidating their love for reading and honing their skills each day. The writing uses twists of phrases such as “It was only Tuesday, but Magnolia felt hungry enough for Wednesday’s and Thursday’s lunch too. Plus a hot chocolate. ” that not only stay in the reader’s head but also inspire them to broaden their own writing style., and there is a balance of illustrations that continues to support those budding skills and understanding.

Miss About-To -Turn-9 is going to love this and with a Canberra winter looming, the more books she has the happier she will be. 

The House on the Mountain

Mar5
The House on the Mountain

The House on the Mountain

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The House on the Mountain

Ella Holcombe

David Cox

Allen & Unwin,2019

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

9781760636968

 

There is a fire coming, and we need to move quickly. Mum and Dad start packing bags, grabbing woollen blankets, the first-aid kit, torches, and then the photo albums. Dad puts Ruby on her lead and ties her up near the back door. My chest feels hollow, like a birdcage.

At first, it was just another hot day as  summer days can be in Victoria, with the heat lingering well into the night. But this hot day turns out to be like no other… For this is February 7, 2009 – a day that is forever etched in Australia’s history as Black Saturday. Over 400 fires took 173 lives and left thousands homeless.  

And sadly, it could have been any one of a number of deadly days of this past summer as fires again tore through the landscape, on a much larger scale devastating homes and lives in every state on an unprecedented scale.  In this particular story, the author draws on much of her personal experience of 10 years ago to tell of the fear, the anguish, the devastation, the unknown but she has changed the ending of one of family tragedy – she knows that story too well – to one of hope and continuity and renewal. 

But this could be the story of so many of our students this year – those who have witnessed the fires first-hand, those who have had to evacuate, those for whom there is no home to go back to; those for whom life is going to be topsy-turvy and very different for a long time to come.  But while it is a bleak story to begin with, one that will stir memories for many, it is that message of connection and continuity, that one day (that might seem too far away just yet) their children may play on land they once called home that can offer succour and strength to try one more day.  And it may be the catalyst for some to open up about their experiences and begin to share and process what they can.

Even if students have not been able to return to their own schools, nevertheless it is the routines of school that are the constants in students’ lives right now so anything we, as teachers, can read, understand and do to support them is so important. Used sensitively at this time, this could be an important part of the help we offer. 

 

Derek Dool Supercool 1: Bust a Move

Mar4
Derek Dool Supercool

Derek Dool Supercool

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Derek Dool Supercool 1: Bust a Move

Adrian Beck

Scott Edgar

Puffin, 2020

256pp., pbk., RRP $A14.99

9781760892951

Think of the COOLEST, FUNNIEST, most HANDSOME kid in school, times it by a gazillion and you get DEREK DILBERT DOOL. At least he thinks so . . . Pity he’s the only one.

Life’s tough when your name’s Derek. You’re destined to be uncool. But Derek is determined to find something – anything – that will change that. He’s sick of being picked last in PE, of not being invited to parties, and of all the cool kids using his freckles as dot-to-dot challenges. Derek is going to find something that will make him SUPERCOOL and nothing is going to stop him.

There are many boys like Derek in our classrooms so his situation will resonate with them, and with its short chapters, punchy sentences and liberal illustrations this is a new series (Going Viral is due in August) that is going to have wide appeal with independent readers who don’t want to have to concentrate on convoluted storylines and complex characters yet.  The popularity of other series like Diary of a Wimpy Kid  has proven there is a strong market for these sorts of books amongst our newly independent male clientele so to have one that has an Australian flavour will have extra appeal.

Taking the Lead: How Jacinda Ardern Wowed the World

Mar3
Taking the Lead: How Jacinda Ardern Wowed the World

Taking the Lead: How Jacinda Ardern Wowed the World

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taking the Lead: How Jacinda Ardern Wowed the World

David Hill

Phoebe Morris

Picture Puffin, 2020

32pp., hbk.,  RRP $A19.99

9780143774518

In 2017 Jacinda Ardern was elected Prime Minister of New Zealand,  an event that history has shown doesn’t really rate headlines in Australia. But this Kiwi PM is now as well-known here as her Australian counterpart and even when she pops into a cheese shop on a private holiday in Queensland it makes news. 


Sadly, it has been a series of tragedies that have propelled her onto the world stage but nevertheless, through those catastrophes young people have seen what a real leader looks like and can inspire, encouraging them to become involved in the broader spectrum of their own lives. This illustrated story of her life from her high school days when she was compelled to help her classmates who were too poor to afford shoes, to her desire to be a clown and then a scientist, tells a story of a young woman driven by compassion and empathy and a need to make others’ lives better and the world a healthier place to live. 

Written to engage a primary school audience so they too can understand and believe that nobody is too young to start changing the world, this is the latest in a new series about inspirational New Zealanders that includes Hero of the Sea; Dinosaur Hunter; Sky High; First to the Top and Speed King. As well as introducing our younger readers to Ardern, a contemporary name they are probably familiar with and opening up conversations about the qualities of leaders, Taking the Lead also provides entry into biographies and their characteristics as a genre. Perhaps they could even consider someone who inspires them and write their biography. 

Lola Dutch I Love You So Much

Mar1
Lola Dutch I Love You So Much

Lola Dutch I Love You So Much

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lola Dutch I Love You So Much

Kenneth Wright

Sarah Jane Wright

Bloomsbury, 2020

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

9781547601172

Lola Dutch‘s friends are not having their best day.  Gator is cranky and cold; Crane can’t find her favourite picture book and Pig is positively peevish.  But she knows just what each needs to cheer them up and goes about setting things right in her usual cheerful way. But what about Bear?  Has she left him out?  Or is it that she can’t decide how she can show him how much he means to her?

This is another in this series about this over-the-top little girl who seems to live life at full-speed. Based on the creators’ own family, it seems nothing is too much trouble or too difficult to achieve to make her friends happy and so there is a strong message about thinking about others, being unselfish and matching deeds to needs.  Little ones might like to think of a special person in their life who deserves a special something, one that can be given without a monetary cost while others might like to reflect on something they have received and learn about Pay It Forward, setting up a positive class or school culture.

A charming picture book series for young readers, most likely to appeal to girls.