Archive | December 2021

Inside the Suitcase

Inside the Suitcase

Inside the Suitcase

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inside the Suitcase

Clotilde Perrin

Gecko Press, 2021

20pp., hbk., RRP $A29.99

9781776573431

Away behind the hills you’ll find a charming little house. Who’s inside? Knock knock… A boy packing his suitcase. Lift the flaps to see what he takes, and travel with him over oceans and mountains, underwater and into the forest. With every step on this voyage of obstacles the boy faces a decision that will lead to a new adventure and help him get home.

Suitcases have always fascinated me because they mark the start of a journey that was always an adventure.  We could have been going to my grandma’s house on the beach or my aunty’s on the farm.  Or somewhere else entirely.  So this book really captured my imagination, particularly with its layers and layers of lift-the-flap opportunities to explore and follow. Within each are the most unlikely tricks and treasures that help the boy to go full circle, rather like Alice in Wonderland, and the end is a surprise – although the reader imagines it will only be for a short time.  

While we usually associate this sort of format with stories for the very young, this one is more for the independent reader as not only is the font in cursive, but it uses the technique to unveil the action, rather than words.  As a shared story between parent and child, it would be so much fun.  And then they could track down its predecessor Inside the Villains, and explore inside the heads of an ogre, a wolf and a witch!

As many of our young readers demand the special effects of screen-based stories, Clotilde Perrin demonstrates that is it can be just as intriguing exploring the possibilities of print! 

Roald Dahl: On the First Day of Christmas

 

 

 

 

 

Roald Dahl: On the First Day of Christmas

Roald Dahl: On the First Day of Christmas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roald Dahl: On the First Day of Christmas

Roald Dahl

Quentin Blake

Puffin, 2021

16pp., board book, RRP $A14.99

9780241492888

On the twelfth day of Christmas a grown-up gave to me…

12 books a-balancing

And so begins a less-than-traditional countdown to Christmas featuring many of Dahl’s most well-known and well-loved characters and Quentin Blake’s iconic illustrations.  But as well as being a counting book, it is also the best introduction for little ones to the works of this much-loved author whose books, while largely written for more independent readers, will nevertheless entertain our youngest ones if they’re shared as a read-aloud.  No child should go through their young life without knowing what a whizz-popper is or dreaming of winning that golden ticket!

And when they’ve heard those classics, there are the other stories featured in this book to work through and then a whole host of others crafted by one of the most popular authors in a primary school library.  Can you think of a better, more enduring gift to give a little one? 

The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s Australian Feast

The Very Hungry Caterpillar's Australian Feast

The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s Australian Feast

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s Australian Feast

Eric Carle

Puffin, 2021 

12pp., board book., RRP $A16.99

9780241489536

We all know of The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s liking for food and the foods on the menu of his first feast, but what would be on the table if he came to an Australian feast? Particularly one designed for a picnic on the beach?

Very young Australian fans of the VHC will delight in this exclusive release written just for them as they lift the flaps on iconic treats searching for their little hero.  Interactive, a familiar character, vivid illustrations in Carle’s recognisable style and rhyming text make this a terrific addition to this collection as young readers discover another adventure.  Is their favourite food mentioned?  What would be in their beach picnic basket?  (And who’s the ladybird? Could that be another story from the master storyteller?)

An Aussie Christmas Gum Tree

 

 

 

 

An Aussie Christmas Gum Tree

An Aussie Christmas Gum Tree

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An Aussie Christmas Gum Tree

Jackie Hosking

Nathaniel Eckstrom

Walker Books, 2021

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

9781760652715

From his lofty watch post, Possum is drawn to the sight of a distant tree covered in sparkling trinkets. A Christmas Tree, according to Kookaburra. So begins a quest in which Possum and his crafty crew of helpers try very hard to decorate their very own Christmas gum tree from Bowerbird’s treasure trove. But it’s not as easy as you might think.

There is something about Christmas books that celebrate the Australian experience that make them stay in my mind moreso than any of the other classics.  Over all the years that I have done a Christmas Countdown both with my class and my family, and in more recent times, on this blog, there are a handful that truly encapsulate what it is to have Christmas in this country, and this new offering is now one of those.  

While we know that many of our Christmas traditions have their origins in northern hemisphere customs were brought here by those earliest European settlers so they could still feel the connection to their own origins, (and the concept of a Christmas tree stretches back to pagan times)   and continue to be perpetuated slowly, slowly we are building a set of uniquely Australian customs and this story is an important contributor to that.  How much family fun could there be in doing what the animals did and decorate a branch of a gum tree with things found in nature?  May be easier to say than do for those in the city, but for those who can take a drive in the bush there are plenty of fallen branches to gather and keen eyes will soon find a store of decorations as rich as any bowerbird’s collection.  

Hosking’s rhyming text is superbly supported by Eckstrom’s illustrations which capture our unique flora and fauna in a fun-filled way that befits the joy of working together to create a spectacular centrepiece.  Young readers will delight in identifying those they recognise and meeting those they don’t but for me, the essence of this book, is the co-operation and collaboration. A couple of years ago when S & S came they were disappointed that my usual masterpiece wasn’t waiting for them (but to be fair I’d had a heart attack and was recovering from heart surgery) but this year a new activity will be born. Grandad can find a suitable branch from the thousands on our bush block and we will all spend a couple of hours using what we can find to make it our own.  Maybe in years to come that will be the norm in the family and the tree will have so much more meaning for coming generations. . 

Scaredy Bath

Scaredy Bath

Scaredy Bath

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scaredy Bath

Zoë Foster-Blake

Daniel Gray-Barnett

Puffin, 2021

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

 9781761043475

For most of the day, Bath spends it times worrying about the coming evening when it hears the sound of feet thumping up the stairs it knows that time of the day is approaching and there is going to be piping hot water, gooey much, toys and then children covered in spaghetti and dirt and smells.  They would  yank the plug, whack the tap, thrash and slide and even wee in the water!!! 

And if that wasn’t enough, then the dog would jump in. But when Bath decided enough was enough and tried to leave, it discovered it was anchored to the floor and couldn’t.  As Sink observed, bath time was here to stay and so Bath might as well try to enjoy it while Toilet pointed put things could be worse… And then, when there is no bath time for a few days, Bath discovers something strange…

As well as being an action-packed story with hilarious illustrations that bring usually taken-for-granted inanimate objects to life,  it is also a story about some things being as they are and unable to be changed so we just have to learn to make the most of them. We can choose to let them overshadow our entire day so we miss being in the moment or we can take a different perspective. Our young students have faced some tricky challenges this year, as have we all, so sharing this story could be an opportunity to take some time out to reflect on what being stuck at home allowed us to achieve, rather than bemoaning what we missed or may still be missing.  While we will have missed some important occasions what do we have to look forward to?  Helping our younger ones understand that some things are what they are and to try to view them from a different perspective helps build resilience and like Bath, they can learn to cope with, if not appreciate, what they have.  After all, does anyone really want to be Toilet?  

 

 

John Williamson’s Christmas in Australia

 

 

 

 

John Williamson’s Christmas in Australia

John Williamson’s Christmas in Australia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

John Williamson’s Christmas in Australia

John Williamson

Mitch Vane

Puffin, 2017

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

9780143507178

Christmas in Australia – time for families to get together and of, course, the perfect family photo for posterity.  But getting everyone together at the same time is not as easy as it sounds. And given the separations of the last few Christmases and the reunions taking place for many this year. family photographs will be high on the agenda so both the book and the song will echo in the minds of many.

This is an hilarious, rollicking tune, probably known to every Australian school student, brought to life in picture book format through the talents of Mitch Vane.  As families gather together as the big day draws closer, no doubt its scenarios will be played out in real life in many backyards and children will be heard singing the song.

A must-have in any Christmas collection and for sending overseas to those who want to know about a summer Christmas as well.

Twas the Night Before Christmas

 

 

 

 

 

Twas the Night Before Christmas

Twas the Night Before Christmas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Twas the Night Before Christmas

Clement C. Moore

Raquel Martin

Magic Cat, 2021

24pp., hbk (including music box mechanism). $A44.95

9781913520298

“Twas the night before Christmas

When all through the house

Not a creature was stirring

Not even a mouse…”

Are there any more recognisable words than these at this time of the year?  This poem, by Clement Clarke Moore (although he called it “A Visit from St Nicholas”) was first published almost 200 years ago on December 23, 1823, has become the perennial favourite for Christmas Eve as it  stirs the imagination of generation after generation. From it we get the names of the reindeer and all sorts of other images that endure today.

While it has been published in many formats over that time and illustrated in many media and styles, the text remains the same and so it is with this new version.  However, this one  includes a wind-up music box mechanism that allows the reader to listen to the music of  Deck the Halls, another Christmas tradition, this one Welsh and dating back to the 16th century although the English lyrics weren’t written till the mid-19th century. 

An opportunity to round off your Christmas Countdown combining two classics in one. 

The Nutcracker

 

 

 

 

The Nutcracker

The Nutcracker

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Nutcracker

Lily McArdle

Bodil Jane

Magic Cat, 2021

24pp., hbk (including music box mechanism). $A44.95

9781913520212

In 1891, Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky began working on his third ballet, the first two being the magical Swan Lake, my personal favourite, and the second, The Sleeping Beauty.    This one was The Nutcrackeran adaptation into music and dance of the original 1816 story be E.T.A. Hoffman. in which young Marie Stahlbaum’s favorite Christmas toy, the Nutcracker, comes alive and, after defeating the evil Mouse King in battle, whisks her away to a magical kingdom populated by dolls.

Part of the score for the ballet is the famous Waltz of the Flowers  and it is this which sets this version of the story aside from others because the book includes a wind-up music box mechanism that allows the reader to listen to the music as well as the words. So while the story is a somewhat abridged version of the original (although it covers all the main aspects) it will inspire many to not only seek out the story but also the music and the ballet.

It used to be the Sugar Plum Fairy in her tutu that garnered all the attention but now nutcrackers are becoming a common part of Australian Christmas decorations so sharing this story will add extra meaning to the Christmas dinner festivities, particularly if it is also the choice of the back ground music! A stunning gift for any budding ballerina. 

 

Once Upon A Silent Night

 

 

 

 

Once Upon A Silent Night

Once Upon A Silent Night

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once Upon A Silent Night

Dawn Casey

Katie Hickey

Bloomsbury, 2021 

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

9781408896921

Once upon a silent night,
a stable stood. A star shone bright.

This is a new interpretation of the timeless story of the Nativity, retold in a manner reminiscent of the Christmas song, The Friendly Beasts as it tells the story of how the animals assisted the new parents once they were turned away from the inn.  First, the cow white and red offers up his manger for a bed,  the donkey shaggy and grey gives his hay, the sheep with the curly horn offers its wool to keep the baby warm while the doves will sing the babe to sleep, the trees will watch over him, and the moon will fill his dreams with silver light. 

But while the story may be old, the illustrative interpretation is is more modern with Joseph and Mary portrayed in modern clothes, adding to the concept that not only is the story timeless but it transcends time. So this is a new way of introducing the story of the first Christmas so that our youngest readers understand not only the origins of this celebration but also the references to it that they will encounter time and again. 

A worthy addition to your collection. 

 

The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel and the Golden Acorn

The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel and the Golden Acorn

The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel and the Golden Acorn

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel and the Golden Acorn

Educational Insights

Lucia Gaggiotti

Candlewick, 2021

12pp., board book., RRP $A21.99

 9781536222739

The Sneaky Snacky Squirrel is looking for something extra special today: the Golden Acorn. Is it in the tree?  How about at the beach?  Could Frankie have Golden Acorns on his food truck menu?  Maybe Sophie the otter has seen it in the sea? Or Hoppy Floppy might find it in the meadow? Wait—here comes a gust of wind, blowing a pile of leaves . . .

Inspired by the popular game celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2021, and featuring the characters from other books in the series, this book offers lots of flaps to explore and a wheel to turn ensuring our youngest readers are actively engaged rather than passively watching.  Bright and sturdy, the Sneaky Snacky Squirrel’s second adventure will keep readers occupied as it helps strengthen colour recognition and classification skills while also introducing animals not ordinarily seen in Australia but which feature widely in children’s literature.

One for those with young readers craving something new.