Archive | March 20, 2022

Mila & Ivy

Mila & Ivy

Mila & Ivy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mila & Ivy

Katrina McKelvey

Jasmine Berry

Wombat Books, 2022

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

9781761110801

The fun that can be had with a cardboard box is only limited by the imagination and sisters Mila and Ivy have plenty of that. Mila is a cardboard design engineer and as well as the usual stacks, cars, tunnels and hats, she takes things further to build robots, zoos , roller coasters and the best time machine ever.  Currently she is designing and constructing a cupcake catapult Ivy but things change when Ivy destroys their project, making cardboard confetti instead. Mila is devastated and wants nothing more to do with Ivy. Mila continues to engineer – alone. But something is missing. Maybe Ivy was making cardboard confetti for a reason. So how do sisters rebuild their relationship while engineering their next ultimate cardboard creation?

Building on the theme of girls can do anything, and reminding them that no field of endeavour is off-limits because of gender, readers can have fun dreaming of something spectacular they could make with a cardboard box and then draw up plans, gather materials, experiment and document their work as they build not only learning a lot about the design process but also how to deal with their frustration when things don’t work out and developing patience and resilience as they solve the problems.  Perhaps there is a better solution than making cardboard confetti.

It is also a story of the inevitable clashes in the sister-sister relationship that opens the door to discussions about the reader’s relationships with their siblings, the range of emotions including frustration, heartbreak, stubbornness, and determination as they eventually reconcile and understand that such ups and downs are normal.  That no matter how pesky little sisters can be (says the grandmother of two, five years apart) that there is always a special bond and as they grow up, the age difference becomes less. 

One that will resonate with so many… 

 

 

Amazing Animals

Amazing Animals

Amazing Animals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amazing Animals

Sabrina Weiss

Paul Daviz

What On Earth Books, 2022

64pp., hbk., RRP $A34.99

9781912920358

Record breaking tongues, playful dolphins, sleepy koalas – animals come in all sorts of weird and wonderful shapes and sizes… Discover over 100 of the world’s most remarkable creatures in this illustrated tour of Earth’s wildlife.

Animals come in all sorts of weird and wonderful shapes and sizes. From the record breaking tongue of a chameleon to the dashing dance of the peacock spider,  it includes the most amazing examples from air, land and sea. Beginning with an introduction to the animal kingdom itself,  and the different environments they live in, the book is divided into sections that group the animals according to their habitats and habits, providing a snapshot of information about each that whets the appetite to know more. A central gatefold offers a world map which reveals the locations of all the animals included in the book.

A great beginning text for newly independent readers, this offers a gateway to learning more about those with whom we share the planet encouraging them to investigate those that capture their interest further by providing a list of the sources of information used, as well as a glossary and index to help with navigation.