Archive | February 2022

MerTales 3: The Great Treasure Hunt

MerTales 3: The Great Treasure Hunt

MerTales 3: The Great Treasure Hunt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MerTales 3: The Great Treasure Hunt

Rebecca Timmis

Albert Street Books, 2022

136pp., pbk., RRP $A14.99

9781760526573

It’s the day of the Great Treasure Hunt and everyone is joining in! Coral is excited to lead her team of best friends to the treasure first. But soon they discover that there is a bigger mystery to solve…  Who is the mer-sterious Count Frumplesquid, and what does he really want in Cockleshell Cove?  Can Coral and her crew work together to uncover the truth and keep the precious treasure safe?

This is the third in this series designed for newly-independent readers who love to read about mermaids and all the other creatures that inhabit that watery world, particularly as many will be fresh from coastal holidays and may even have spotted one of these elusive creatures.

With all the supports needed for those transitioning to more complex novels including short chapters and lots of illustrations, the adventures of the mermaids of Cockleshell Cove will delight those who are fascinated by these mystical beings but who want some substance to their stories. As a new school year approaches and a new batch of readers invades the library looking for something new to feed their passim, this is a series worth promoting. 

Ouch: Tales of Gravity

Ouch: Tales of Gravity

Ouch: Tales of Gravity

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ouch: Tales of Gravity

Kate Simpson

Andy Hardiman

A&U Children’s, 2022

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

9781760526610

Over 350 years ago, Isaac Newton saw an apple fall from a tree and he began to wonder why it fell straight down rather than floating upwards or sideways.  Being a person of very great brain he surmised that there must be a force pulling the apple to the ground and from there he devised a number of theories and experiments that explained what gravity does, but it wasn’t until 1915 when another scientist Albert Einstein published his works that we began to understand  how it does. Or, at least, those people who have clever brains understand it.

Therefore, this book is tailor-made for those like me who have never mastered the magic of physics even after years of enforced study at high school and who remain just as bewildered now as then. It is also tailor-made for our students who, like Newton and Einstein, do notice such things and want to know more. Because in simple text and hilarious illustrations, it explains to even those like me the whats and the hows of this force that keeps feet firmly on the ground and the planet circling the sun so we can all carry on carrying on. It is ideal for answering those inevitable questions that children ask their parents but it is also a great platform for the scientifically inclined who want and need to know more. 

As well as the explanation that is simple enough for even me to understand why what goes up must come down, there are also some brief notes about Newton and Einstein and their contributions and an experiment to conduct – a version of that old conundrum about whether a feather or a hammer will hit the ground first when dropped from the same height.  

So many of the concepts of physics are too abstract for ordinary people (and particularly children) to understand so this book is a most useful contribution to the scientific growth of our young (and not-so-young) people. 

 

The Super Adventures of Ollie and Bea (series)

The Super Adventures of Ollie and Bea (series)

The Super Adventures of Ollie and Bea (series)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Super Adventures of Ollie and Bea

It’s Owl Good

9781760526474

Squeals on Wheels

9781760526481

Wise Quackers

9781761066665

Bats What Friends are For

9781761066672

Renee Treml

A&U Children’s 2021-2022

64pp., pbk., RRP $A12.99

Ollie is an owl who wears glasses. And Bea is a bunny with very big feet, but, despite their differences they are best friends who work together to solve mysteries. 

This is a new graphic novel series for young readers transitioning from the basal readers of commercial reading schemes to less-controlled books offering a stepping stone to more complex “early chapter books”. Treml has endowed her characters with the usual charm so they appeal to her audience and Owl’s constant corny puns offer an introduction to this play on words as a humorous concept.  Told as a continuous conversation primarily between Owl and Bea, and in contrast to her Sherlock Bones series, this one has blank backgrounds that therefore place the emphasis on the characters and what they are saying, another opportunity to explore the concept of how critical dialogue can be to carry the story as well as divulging the character’s natures as they share and show important messages about being nice.

Young readers will relate to and like Ollie and Bea, seeing parts of themselves in each, and those who met them in their first two adventures will be thrilled there are now two more available.  Treml has a knack of combining her degree in environmental science with her illustrative ability to craft stories that have instant appeal to our youngest readers. including  Wombat Big, Puggle SmallTen Little OwlsOnce I heard a wombatOne Very Tired WombatColour  for Curlews, Sleep Tight, Platypup,  Roo Knows Blue, Ten Sleepy Sheep, and Let’s Go, Little Roo and there is something special about those who grew up with these stories now able to read her works themselves. 

Ten Minutes to Bed: Little Dinosaur

Little Dinosaur

Little Dinosaur

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ten Minutes to Bed: Little Dinosaur

Rhiannon Fielding

Chris Chatterton

Ladybird, 2022

28pp/. board book., RRP $A14.99

9780241532676

Magical creatures live in the Land of Nod, but each of them is not keen on going to bed because they are having too much fun.  But sleep they must if they are to be ready for more fun tomorrow and so using rhyme and enchanting illustrations, author and artist take both the characters and the young reader on a calming countdown to bedtime leading them gently to the land of sleep.

This time, it is Little Dinosaur who wants last adventure but as the minutes tick by, he finds himself going deeper and deeper into the jungle until he is lost. Even the appearance of a mob of much larger, older dinosaurs doesn’t deter him until the shadow of one in particular looms ominously close…

 With its rhyme which flows naturally, stunning illustrations and the countdown, it is perfect to share to settle even the most un-sleep-ready child as they learn that even the creatures they love to dream about have to sleep sometime.  It contains all the elements that little ones associate with the dinosaur world, including an erupting volcano, and they will love to identify the various dinosaurs that come out of the valley en masse.  Who belongs to those large grey legs? 

And this new board book format means that little hands and heads will be able to read it again and again and it will stand up to the wear and tear. Definitely a series for the youngest readers to collect. 

Atlas Of Amazing Migrations

Atlas Of Amazing Migrations

Atlas Of Amazing Migrations

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Atlas Of Amazing Migrations

Megan Lee

Matt Sewell

Pavilion, 2021

160pp., hbk., RRP $A29.99

9781843654995

When Australians think of animal migrations, our thoughts tend to turn to the annual whale trails up and down are coasts as whales, particularly humpbacks, make their journeys from the cold, wintery waters of Antarctica to the warmth of the South Pacific to breed and give birth and then return to their rich feeding grounds of the south. To see these magnificent creatures “in the flesh” is a lifelong memory and on the bucket list of many. 

But there are so many other creatures on this planet that also undertake amazing journeys in search of food or warmth or a mate (or all of the above) and this book, richly illustrated in watercolours by Matt Sewell, traces many of them whether they involve journeys of thousands of kilometres like the humpback, or just crossing the road, which can be treacherous if you’re a snake, or takes generations as is the case of the monarch butterfly. And even though those trips and treks can seem long and arduous, migration is in the genetic makeup and the creature is compelled to follow its instincts following magnetic fields, temperature and light as their navigation tools. Throughout the book there are maps of some of the routes taken showing the enormous distances travelled, leaving the reader in awe of the undertakings. 

More for the independent reader with an interest in natural history, nevertheless the information is accessible, straight-forward and interesting, offering the opportunity to explore particular creatures of interest further.  It is a great follow up for those wanting to know more after reading  Tiny Possum and the Migrating Moths   which explores the relationship between the rare mountain pygmy possum and its food source, the bogong moth and the impact that urbanisation has had on the moths’ migration. 

It could also be a follow up tangent to any stories or units about the travels and journeys that the students have made, particularly as places start to open up again.  Add a new dimension by having students think about their purpose for travel, the preparations they made, the navigation tools they used and so forth. Could take the ‘what I did/where I went in the holidays’ staple to a whole new level.  What if they were the humpback whale or the corn leaf aphid?

So while we can and do celebrate the return of the humpbacks to our waters each year, this book teaches us that there are many who make journeys and who may also be in peril of more than a speeding car. 

 

 

 

Big Green Crocodile

Big Green Crocodile

Big Green Crocodile

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Big Green Crocodile

Jane Newberry

Carolina Rabel

Otter-Barry Books, 2021

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

 9781913074531

Regular readers of this blog will know that I always promote early reading behaviours – those that come long before any direct interaction with the marks on a page – whenever I can, and that these include the acquisition of language in the first place. And this book certainly fits into that.

Over 50 years ago when I first began my formal teacher ed studies I became fascinated with how children learn to speak, and this deepened when my son was born and so I delved into the research with enthusiasm. Not to bore you with the details, but it was evident that oral language development is inherent and that children will learn their mother tongue by listening to it, engaging with it, practising it, having fun with it and a belief that they will master it.  Integral to that development is repetition, rhyme and rhythm so throughout the generations little ones have enjoyed rhymes and ditties that roll of the tongue and especially those that accompanied by body movement, particularly finger play.  

And while there are hundreds of well-known rhymes that are passed through families, it is always interesting to have some new ones and this book offers 16 of those, complete with imaginative illustrations and instructions for actions. They cover the activities of a child’s day and play, encouraging movement and imagination while being short and simple enough for the child to learn them quickly so they can join in enthusiastically.  

Written by someone who has been teaching music to nursery-aged children for decades, the book was one of just five shortlisted for the UK Centre for Literacy in Primary Poetry Award (won by Michael Rosen for On the Move: Poems about Migration) and although it didn’t win, the fact that rhymes for this age group were acknowledged is significant. Recognition that this is a vital part of children’s language development will add weight to the writing and publishing of quality works for this age group. 

You can share Jane’s presentations of some of the rhymes here

This Tree is Just for Me!

This Tree is Just for Me!

This Tree is Just for Me!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Tree is Just for Me!

Lucy Rowland

Laura Hughes

Bloomsbury, 2022

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

9781408892954

Jack was very excited. He had just received a new book in the mail and all he wanted was a small quiet nook so he could read it in peace.  But with blackbirds tweeting and squirrels eating, he was having a hard time finding somewhere secluded so he decided to find a tree of his own.  And there it was in the corner of the garden- the perfect tree!  Or is it?

The perfect book for this year’s CBCA Book Week theme Dreaming with eyes open, this is a delightful story about being careful what you wish for and learning that there are times when sharing your good fortune is so much better than keeping it to yourself.  With its rhyming text and vibrant illustrations, young readers will really be attracted to it and will want to share not only their favourite stories but their favourite places to read them.  It’s the perfect opportunity to share Dr Seuss’s iconic poem and develop a stunning display for the beginning of the year… students can draw themselves reading or better still, share a photograph.  Don’t forget to include yourself in it!

Tiny Wonders

Tiny Wonders

Tiny Wonders

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tiny Wonders

Sally Soweol Han

UQP, 2022

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

9780702263477

When we were kids, if you held a dandelion under your chin and the yellow was reflected it meant you liked butter, and if you blew on the fluffy seeds, the number of breaths it took to clear it represented the time in Fairyland.  But for April, they represent something much more…

She thinks if her town was a colour, it would be grey. Everyone is too busy to stop and look around. How can she help them slow down?

When she remembers the happiness that dandelions brought her grandmother, April comes up with a plan … what if she were able to plant dandelions so their bright yellow flowers brought joy and colour back to the town. But it’s not as easy as she thinks, but then she has the determination and tenacity to persist…

Even though recent global events have meant that many have slowed down and are appreciating the natural world more, the easing of restrictions has shown that it won’t take much for towns and cities to become grey and blind again so this is a build-on book that could inspire all sorts of plans and preparations to make our homes and schools more cheerful and friendly, and, in doing so, give Mother Nature a helping hand.  As well as allowing young children to investigate how they could beautify their neighbourhood and the life cycle of plants, there is scope to discover what grows where and when and why as well as having to take on the long-term responsibility of nurturing a garden.  There are all sorts of biology investigations about the colour of flowers and the insects they attract and their value to the bigger picture as well as the language of flowers that both April and the author focus on.  

While there are many picture books focusing on the environment, this one that brings it right back to the child and their own back yard is a charmer and offers much scope for change – perhaps there will be many pockets of colour amongst the grey in the months ahead.