Archive | October 2022

The Crayons Trick or Treat

The Crayons Trick or Treat

The Crayons Trick or Treat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Crayons Trick or Treat

Drew Daywalt

Oliver Jeffers

HarperCollins, 2022

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

9780593621028 

The hilarious crayons from  The Day The Crayons Quit are ready to celebrate Halloween! They want to go trick-or-treating, but they’re not sure what to say!

So Purple Crayon tries to teach the rest of the box the magic words to say when they ring their neighbours’ doorbells. (Hint: It’s NOT “Boo!”)

This is a story for young children who are noticing the preparations happening in stores for this not-so-traditional celebration in Australia but who are fascinated by it, its trappings and the concept of trick-or-treat.  While it is growing in popularity here, there are still many who mutter about it being an American thing but in fact, it is much older than that, dating back to  pagan times and the festival of Samhain which marked the end of the harvest season  then gradually morphing into All Hallows Eve as the night before the Christian festival of All Saints Day as Christianity spread throughout Britain, and its familiar celebrations were taken by the Irish to the USA.

Written as a conversation between the crayons themselves, the font used means that this is one for adults to share with littlies, which opens up opportunities to talk about the origins of trick-or-treat as well as the importance of using manners. 

 

Wizelda

Wizelda

Wizelda

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wizelda

Maggie May Gordon

Natasha Hagarty

Little Steps, 2022

32pp., pbk., RRP $A16.95

9781922358608

Everyone knows what a witch looks like – always dressed in black with a funny old black hat.  And what they do – stirring strange brews in big pots with large spoons. And what they have – broomsticks that they fly around on at night, with cats perched on the back and accompanied by owls and bats. 

But what if that’s not what you want?  If you’re left out of the other children’s games because of your black dress but you can’t afford to buy the coloured fabric they are all wearing? And your black pointy hat crushes your curls? Then one day you spot a beautiful  rainbow, full of colour and your mother tells you about the pot of gold at the end of it? Of course you climb it – but is this a case of be careful what you wish for or is there a more magical ending?

An interesting book to share at this time of the year with Halloween and all things witches in the spotlight, or any time you want to introduce children to the concepts of colours and rainbows and they are as curious as Wizelda. 

The Muddy Chef

The Muddy Chef

The Muddy Chef

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Muddy Chef

Penny Whitehouse

Emma Bear

Wild Dog, 2022

48pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781742036380

Across Australia, and particularly in NSW, the one thing that there is plenty of right now is MUD. And kids who want to play in it. 

So this is a timely release that encourages children to play outside and make mud cakes, although these are quite fancy using all sorts of natural ingredients and with names like unlickable lasagne, mud and seed cupcakes and nature’s nachos!  Set out like a traditional recipe book, beginning with setting up the mud kitchen and stocking it with the appropriate utensils and ingredients, each recipe is based on a familiar food item with step-by-step instructions on how to make it, including a photo of the finished product. 

Designed to get children to play outside rather than necessarily developing their culinary skills – there are warnings about NOT eating what is created- as well as following the suggestions in the teachers’ notes  to entice children away from screens and out into their natural environment, this could also be an engaging way to introduce them to procedural texts and all the concepts and vocabulary of measurement, time and sequencing that go with those. 

Certainly something different to share with your parent body.

Amazing Animal Journeys

Amazing Animal Journeys

Amazing Animal Journeys

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amazing Animal Journeys

Jennifer Cossins

Lothian, 2022

58pp., hbk., RRP $A26.99

9780734421432 

Each year we watch in wonder as whales transverse the humpback highways , but who knew that the humble monarch butterfly (the North American species) is on a journey that takes four or five generations to complete?

The monarch’s is just one of the amazing journeys shared in this new book that  focuses on 25 animal species from Australia and around the world including that of the Arctic tern which has the longest migration of all birds, flying from the Arctic to Antarctica and back each year, and that of the wildebeest in east Africa which is so vast it can be seen from outer space?

Once again, Jennifer Cossins has given young readers a fascinating insight into the natural world, an insight which includes  The Ultimate Animal Alphabet Book The Ultimate Animal Counting BookA-Z of Endangered Animals and Book of Curious Birds . The endpapers offer a map of some of the journeys that are covered, demonstrating that the natural world is constantly on the move, and each double page spread introduces the migratory journey of a creature from tiny to enormous, some familiar but many not so.  It includes the New Zealand longfin eels that travels upstream navigating waterfalls and dams with its unique climbing abilities, as well as the bogong moth which uses the Earth’s magnetic fields and the light of the moon and stars to navigate deep into the Snowy Mountains of NSW, although, as the author outlines, that journey is becoming more difficult with a wider impact on other wildlife. 

The more we know about the creatures with whom we share this planet, the more we are likely to be aware of their needs and necessities and thus, hopefully, begin to tread with a lighter step.  Through her works that are so interesting and readable for young readers, Jennifer Cossins is making a significant contribution to that awareness.  

The Big Book of Exhibits

The Big Book of Exhibits

The Big Book of Exhibits

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Big Book of Exhibits

Marita Bullock

Joan-Maree Hargraves

Liz Rowland

Lothian Children’s, 2022

56pp., hbk., RRP $A29.99

9780734419996 

For centuries people have discovered or made  all sorts of things that have provoked awe, wonder and curiosity amongst those who have seen them displayed in various places around the world, and in this somewhat unique book many of these exhibits and their stories are shared with curious young readers.  

Whether they’re dinosaur discoveries, microminiature sculptures that can fit in the eye of a needle, space debris or the world’s largest quilt that is still growing, this is a collection of objects brought together in a curiosity cabinet that spans time and place as well as history, art, archaeology, technology, craft, medicine and more.  Each page offers a new wonder that is awe-inspiring in itself but which could also send the reader on a trail to discover more. 

Although the font is small, the text itself is quite accessible to the independent reader and it is surrounded by lots of hand-drawn illustrations to whet the imagination. The contents page  offers the reader the opportunity to dip[ and delve into the collection that fascinates them – more than 50 – whether that be the Disgusting Food Museum in Sweden, the Dog Collar Museum in England or the more sinister Stasi Museum in Berlin.

A companion to The Big Book of Festivals, this is one for those who prefer non fiction and are looking to expand their knowledge of the quirky and unique. 

Lifesize Baby Animals

Lifesize Baby Animals

Lifesize Baby Animals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lifesize Baby Animals

Sophy Henn

Farshore, 2022

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

9781405299497

Imagine opening a page in a book and finding yourself staring into a lifesize eye of a baby blue whale.  There’s not much more of the whale on the page, but nevertheless, it gives an idea of its overall size.

From the tiny baby honey possum about the same size as a fullstop, young readers are taken to visit various animal babies all portrayed in the same scale so they understand the difference in size, inviting them to think about how they compare with these amazing creatures. From baby zebra seahorses that look like comma-sized squiggles on the page to the amazing four-page spread that is as tall as a baby elephant, young readers can compare themselves in all sorts of ways suggested by the text as well as learning the concepts of measurement and scale as they work out the dimensions of the adults using the book itself as their measuring tool.

This is one of three in this fascinating series which includes Dinosaurs (already published) and Deadly Animals (due April 2023), each of which is intriguing in itself but also an opportunity to show how the library can support the maths curriculum making them relevant to a much wider audience than early readers. Imagine a collaboration between older and younger students where they actually mapped the real sizes of creatures, first using the book’s size as suggested, and then converting this to more formal measurements.  As well as bringing the concept of scale to life in a meaningful way for the older students, they could compare the babies to the adult versions and determine which grows the greater amount both in proportion and percentage, and compare that to human growth. Younger students would have lots of fun consolidating the vocabulary of measurement beyond just comparing themselves to their peers, as well as mapping their own growth since birth or comparing the length of their bones or even trying to find an accurate way to measure around their head.  . 

The value of books like this that go far beyond their intended purpose and audience, including building connections between children, cannot be underestimated. IMO, this a must-have.   

 

What to Say When You Don’t Know What to Say

What to Say When You Don't Know What to Say

What to Say When You Don’t Know What to Say

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What to Say When You Don’t Know What to Say

Davina Bell

Hilary Jean Tapper

Lothian Children’s, 2022

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

9780734421142

Sometimes we are confronted with situations that are so incomprehensible that we don’t know what to say – and that is our response. “I don’t know what to say.”

So imagine what it is like for our children when they find themselves in the same position, with not only no previous experiences to draw on but also no words to express the feelings that are overwhelming them.  Whether it’s surprise, anger, frustration, fear, or any of the other big emotions that swamp them from time to time, the words just aren’t there.  And while, for adults, it’s big life-changing things like a death, a diagnosis, a flood or fire or other devastating loss, for little ones it can be everyday occurrences such as leaving the family home, being excluded from a group activity or not being brave enough for a sleepover.

This is an excellent and important book  that should be in every parent’s library or teacher’s toolbox to help prepare little ones for these sorts of events, help them build the strategies and vocabulary to express their feelings and develop empathy as they negotiate big things in their lives such as starting a new school, joining a new group, or the loss of a pet.  Each page features an everyday situation that they are likely to encounter, either as the “victim” or the one reaching out, and each is captioned with a single sentence that encapsulates an empathetic and kind response as a way of dealing with it.  It acknowledges that events can evoke feelings of fear, guilt, loss, pain, uncertainty, embarrassment, being different, brave, shy, or uncomfortable, or needing to ask for help or negotiate a solution  but each of these can be overcome.

It is a dip-and-delve book in which the adult might show the child the picture, perhaps one that relates to an upcoming situation, discuss what is happening and then help the child develop strategies to deal with it or the words of comfort that might help someone else deal with it. For example, when the bullies destroy a friend’s carefully constructed sandcastles, acknowledging their feelings by saying, “That shouldn’t have happened to you. It was unfair,” can go a long way to soothing the situation that might otherwise escalate into something larger. Teachers’ notes can guide these sessions.

Although  the cover of the book depicts the idyllic freedom of childhood that we all imagine for our children, the front endpage is more realistic.  But then, the back endpage shows that a simple act of kindness can go a long way to making things right again.  

At a time when many of our little people haven’t been able to have the normal beyond-family contacts that usually help them develop their social skills, building empathy and resilience can be tricky so this is a timely release to help. 

 

 

The Moon

The Moon

The Moon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Moon

Sanlyn Buxner

DK, 2022

80pp., hbk., RRP $A27.99

 9780241529065

It seems incredible that it is more than 50 years since almost every eye on Earth was turned towards the moon as its surface was disturbed by the first human footsteps and that is it almost 50 years since the last mission when Apollo 17 landed in December, 1972.

Yet now, as then, and indeed for thousands of years, the fascination with our planet’s nearest neighbour remains – a regular nightly sight that appears and disappears almost magically and which has such an impact on our lives.  In this new guide written and illustrated for our younger readers, that ‘magic’ and influence and impact is explained in accessible language and lots of photographs and diagrams that that age group can readily understand as it covers  the Moon’s formation and geography, the lunar phases, a history of NASA’s Apollo missions, the Moon’s effect on Earth’s tides and nocturnal animals, its place in our mythology, recent scientific discoveries, and so much more. It includes up-to-date images from space agencies such as NASA and ESA, combined with bold illustrations, info panels, timelines, and diagrams that help demystify and explain the wonder of the Moon with all that we have learned since those first tentative footsteps of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin.

As interest in moon exploration grows again with NASA’s Project Artemis with plans to have humans back on the surface in 2025,  with the first major step hopefully being conducted on November 14, 2022, this is one that your budding young astronauts with their own, realistic aspirations of one day going there, will be demanding. 

 

 

 

Mia

Mia

Mia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mia

Through My Eyes – Australian Disaster Zones

Dianne Wolfer

A & U Children’s, 2022

256pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

9781760877026

It is 2019 and 13-year-old Mia lives on a bush block in the Pilbara, where she assists her mother’s work as a vet and equine therapist. Although she is used to the seasonal cyclones that threaten the West Australian coast, nothing can prepare her for the ferocity of Cyclone Veronica when she finds herself home alone and needing to protect their property and the animals she loves. She is used to cyclone build-ups, but the noise and energy of the wild rain squalls keep her awake half the night. What if the cyclone hits before Mum gets back? As wild winds batter the coast, Mia knows she must keep calm. The animals need her but when her friend Nick arrives, pleading for help, and her favourite horse is injured, will Mia be able to withstand the greatest challenge of her life? As the storm intensifies, can she save her beloved animals? 

This is the latest in this series that offers fictionalised accounts of world events that help our older, independent readers not only understand what happened but allows them to process it.  By giving each story a central character such as Lyla who endured the devastating Christchurch earthquake in 2011, the story becomes one of courage, resilience and hope rather than an historical recount with meaningless facts and figures. It offers the ‘colour and detail’ to the stark monochrome sketches of news reports, websites and other information-only sources.  

Like its predecessors, Mia  is a well-written, well-researched blend of imagination and information that above all, tells a story of one girl’s experience and shows that it is OK to be scared and fearful, but that natural human resilience can prevail.  But because it will resonate with many in one way or another , if you have a system that places trigger warnings in your books, this may be one to consider.  There could also be an argument that in this time of such extensive flooding and loss, this is not the time for such a book but it might be the vehicle that offers the light at the end of the tunnel for those enduring such hardship to strive for. 

While we would all like to protect our kids from the disasters of modern times, natural or otherwise, that can be an impossible task as the world now comes to them in the palm of their hands, but stories like this can offer insight, understanding and a feeling that they too, can come through the other side – often shaped by it but also more resilient and courageous because of it. 

Smarty Pup (series)

Smarty Pup

Smarty Pup

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Smarty Pup: Friends Fur-ever

Anh Do

Anton Emdin

A & U Children’s, 2022

160pp., pbk., RRP $A15.99

9781760526399

Life is a little ordinary for Lily right now, particularly as she has lost her mum, but things change when her Dad decides they could be a family of three again by getting a dog – something both Lily and her mum had wanted for ages.  

At the animal shelter, Lily chooses JJ, who kind of clumsy, but something about his smiley face makes her really happy inside. They change even more when Lily discovers  that JJ can talk and is actually super smart. He can speak a number of languages, and knows the answers to maths and geography questions.  This could be the answer to her constant dilemma about having something interesting for show-and -tell, but then things get complicated. It’s one thing to be the centre of attention for a few minutes, another to be accused of something you didn’t do. 

Anh Do is one of Australia’s most popular and prolific authors, and this new series is somewhat of a cross between a picture book and a novel. Told by Lily herself , highly illustrated in colour with conversations in speech bubbles and different fonts, it is an ideal stepping stone between basal, instructional readers and the novels newly independent readers are aspiring to. The story is grounded in the familiar situation of what to share for Show and Tell, and the characters are relatable, although of course there is the usual Anh Do twist. Reading a popular author loved by older peers and siblings is an added bonus! 

A new series that will have a lot of fans and followers.