Archive | March 2023

One and Everything

Mar21
One and Everything

One and Everything

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One and Everything

Sam Winston

Walker, 2022

48pp., hbk., RRP $A29.99

9781529509298

Once there were many stories in the world. Some had beautiful sunsets, some lived at the bottom of the sea, and some were simply about dogs. Until one story decided that it was going to be the most important story ever. It called itself the One and started to consume every other story in existence. Soon it seemed that the One was all that was left … or was it? Because inside the One’s tummy, something was happening—the other stories, combined into new words, become a Voice. Pushing back against its captor, the Voice gets the One to understand that it is actually Every Story, not merely a single one. Will the One be angry and turn on the others, permanently silencing them for ever, or will it heed the words of the Voice and create magic?

At first, this looks like a book for little people, but then the storyline seems to be an allegory for political power for older students, and then you read the endpages and find it is something completely different and you return to pay much closer attention to the illustrations which rather than being randomly coloured dots whose patterns are actually symbols  of 50 different scripts (the written symbols for spoken language) of languages once spoken around the globe.  Given that it’s estimated that there are currently more than 7000 languages spoken, these fifty are but a sample of those that have already disappeared, but inspired by the Endangered Alphabets project, aimed at preserving cultures by sharing their unique scripts, Sam Winston has used writing systems such as cuneiform, Canadian aboriginal, Egyptian hieroglyphs and ogham to illustrate this book, as well as including a fascinating explanation of those languages, where they come from and a challenge to find them used in the story. 

Given today is Harmony Day, this is an ideal story to use as a springboard to explore the languages spoken in the classroom or school, and perhaps even invite someone to share a story from another culture.  Students could interview their parents and grandparents to investigate what their favourite stories and authors were, and then see which ones are still popular today – some of today’s parents will recall the excitement of the initial publication of the Harry Potter series!!!

 

Dreaming Soldiers

Mar20
Dreaming Soldiers

Dreaming Soldiers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dreaming Soldiers

Catherine Bauer

Shane McGrath

Big Sky, 2018

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

9781925675528

Jimmy Watson and Johnno Hogan were the best of friends – swimming-in-waterholes, camping-under-the-stars, sharing-water-bottles kind of friends. Throughout their lives they did everything together and even when their paths diverged because there were different rules and expectations for “white” and indigenous children then, they still came back together as close as they had ever been.  And then one day they went into town for supplies, heeded the call for men to fight in a war far away and enlisted…

This could be the story of any number of friendships of the early 20th century when ‘white’ and indigenous kids on farms formed friendships that were blind to colour, cultural differences or any other racial prejudices and its strong focus on that friendship is its positive. While the treatment of indigenous soldiers during the conflicts that Australia has been involved in since the Boer War in 1899 could have been its focus, its power lies in that spotlight on the friendship, the shared adventures and stories, the fears and hopes that are common regardless of skin colour. Teaching notes are available. 

Within the Australian Curriculum, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures cross-curriculum priority is designed for all students to engage in reconciliation, respect and recognition of the world’s oldest continuous living cultures, and so this book offers the opportunity to help our younger students understand that despite rules against their enrolment (those not of “substantially European origin” were excluded from enlisting by the Defence Act 1903) and not being recognised as citizens until 1967,their neglect and exclusion on their return, indigenous people have fought for Australia in many overseas conflicts and their contribution has been vital.  Now, each year following the Dawn Service at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, there is a special ceremony acknowledging their service. 

Further information, and some of the stories of the estimated 1000 who managed to enlist can be found on the Australian War Memorial site and an internet search will provide links to further valuable resources.


 

Originally published April 23, 2020

Updated March 2023

Dorrie

Mar19
Dorrie

Dorrie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dorrie

Tania McCartney

HarperCollins, 2023

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

 9781460760109

If you read the entry for Dorothy Wall, creator of Blinky Bill, in the Australian Dictionary of Biography, you learn, “Dorothy Wall (1894-1942), author and illustrator, was born on 12 January 1894 at Kilbirnie, Wellington, New Zealand, daughter of Charles James William Wall, soldier, and his wife Lillian, née Palethorpe, both English born.”

If you read the new biography by Tania McCartney, creator of Mamie (amongst many others), you learn. “On a frosty day , in a land of long white clouds and snowy peaks , a little girl was born. Her name was Dorothy but her family called her Dorrie.”

If you look at the ADB entry you get a formal photo of the subject…

While the McCartney version is this…

 

Two different styles for two different audiences, each appropriate for their situations, but Dorrie demonstrating yet again why it is essential that we, as teacher librarians, must continue to offer our students non fiction in accessible, engaging print format. 

As with Mamie, in which McCartney brought to life May Gibbs, the creator of the Gumnut Babies and Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, so too has she created an appealing, readable biography of the author of the Blinky Bill series, focusing on her early life that helped shape the creation of the characters. As a child, Dorrie was  a master creator- singing, Dancing, sewing, making jewellery, designing patterns, painting nature and drawing illustrations, winning scholarships to prestigious art colleges in New Zealand and then migrating to Australia at the outbreak of World War 1. But it is when a cheeky koala appears in a tree outside her window, her world is turned upside down. A fascination and passion for Blinky soon becomes her life work – and not only is  a lifelong friendship born but also a series of stories that remain children’s favourites generations on.  Who hasn’t read The Adventures of Blinky Bill  or seen the television series or movie made from them? 

The little koala in the red overalls is a  literary staple in our children’s lives and this outstanding new biography is an essential addition to the collection because just as Dorrie captured the warmth and beauty of Blinky, his pals and their environment, so has McCartney.  Although in reality, if you continue to read the ADB entry, Wall’s life was not an easy one and she died from pneumonia at a young age, McCartney focuses on the joy and the fun of playing and singing and dancing like no one’s watching.  The final illustration of her books being displayed in an Angus & Robertson window (a company synonymous with books in times past) is perfect – not just for the book itself, but also for this year’s CBCA Book Week them of Read. Grow. Inspire.  Both Wall and McCartney encourage that. 

  

The Animal Toolkit

Mar18
The Animal Toolkit

The Animal Toolkit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Animal Toolkit

Steve Jenkins

Robin Page

Clarion Books, 2023

32pp., hbk., RRP $A34.99

 9780358244448

Until 1960, when Jane Goodall observed a chimpanzee using a blade of grass to “fish” for termites, it was believed that humans were the only animal to use tools and that the use of these because we have opposable thumbs were what separated us from animals in general.  However, since her discovery, we’ve learned that many creatures use sticks, leaves, rocks, and other natural items as tools to perform all kinds of tasks.  

In this fascinating picture book from Caldecott Honor–winning team Steve Jenkins and Robin Page, readers learn all about what makes a tool a tool— “an object than an animal manipulates and uses to affect its environment, another animal or itself – and the remarkable ways animals that use them to interact with the world. From the tailorbird, which repurposes spider silk to stitch a leaf into its nest, to the gorilla, which uses sticks to test water depth and build bridges, these animals are intelligent, innovative, and creative.

Written in a narrative style that is easily accessible to the young independent reader, and using his signature cut paper illustrations, Steve Jenkins offers readers a closer look at these animals, their habitats, and their behaviours, making it a “poster-child” for why we must continue to offer our students a robust non  fiction print collection.  How else will they discover that apes and monkeys regularly clean their teeth, that crows indulge in sword-fighting just for fun and the bottlenose dolphins of Shark Bay, WA have learned to use seashells to catch food? 

This is one that will fascinate animal enthusiasts and aspiring inventors everywhere, and perhaps inspire them to look more closely and investigate further.

Mim and the Disastrous Dog Show

Mar17
Mim and the Disastrous Dog Show

Mim and the Disastrous Dog Show

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mim and the Disastrous Dog Show

Katrina Nannestad

Cheryl Orsini

ABC Books, 2023

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

9780733342240

Imagine being a young girl travelling the world in an old wooden caravan pulled by a horse that decides where they will go and which seems to have magical powers that mean borders and mountains and oceans are no barriers.  And that caravan is full of books, because it, too, has a magic that means that it is like a Tardis with so much more on the inside than appears on the outside. 

That is the life of 10-year-old Miriam-Rose Cohen (who prefers Mim), her father and little brother Nat, Coco the cockatoo and Flossy the horse.  They travel to wherever they are needed, wherever there is a child in need of a book to make their world right again because “the line between books and real life is not as clear as people suppose.”

This time, in the fourth episode of this intriguing series for young independent readers, Mim has arrived in the picturesque Cotswolds, in England just in time for a dog show. But the judge, Lord Melville-Timms, is in a pickle. He has judged cakes and flowers and vegetables, but never dogs. And his bulldog, Bubbles, is shamefully disobedient! Mim knows they’re here to help Lord Melville-Timms. To give him courage. To prevent a dog-show disaster.  If only she can find Lord Melville-Timms the right book. If only Dad would stop giving him the wrong book.

Put “bookshop” in the title of a book and you’ve got me – and, I suspect, many others. Young readers will delight in meeting Mim and Nat and their dad again as well as travelling to a completely different country as this series (this is #4) goes from strength to strength.  Even though I’ve never quite seen the point of dog shows and the like – they’re all beautiful just as they are to me- this one still kept me reading to the end.  

How Do You Say I Love You?

Mar16
How Do You Say I Love You?

How Do You Say I Love You?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How Do You Say I Love You?

Ashleigh Barton

Martina Heiduczek

ABC Books, 2022

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

9780733342172

In every country around the globe,
we all have ways to show
the people who mean the most to us
what they ought to know.

And whether through actions or words, the three most important we can utter are “I love you” and every language has its own phrase to express the emotion.

In this companion to What Do You Call Your Grandpa?, What Do You Call Your Grandma? and What Do You Do to Celebrate?  young readers journey around the world from dawn to dusk, having meals and school days in a variety of places and learn that wherever they are, the bonds are strong and each country has its own way of saying “I love you.’ Whether it’s Sami saying munayki in Quechua, one of the official languages of Peru and Bolivia or Tala in the Philippines saying mahal kita in Tagalog, or Henry signing in Auslan, it’s obvious that regardless of the words, it is the love that is shared that is the main thing. 

While there are clues to the locations in the illustrations, there is also a glossary that explains where the children are, the language they are speaking and where they are living.  It just screams to be added to by the children in your care as they add their own special words in their language. No wonder it’s a CBCA Notable Book for 2023. 

Aroha ahau ki a koe

Grandma’s Guide to Happiness

Mar15
Grandma's Guide to Happiness

Grandma’s Guide to Happiness

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grandma’s Guide to Happiness

Andrew Daddo

Stephen Michael King

ABC Books, 2023

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

9780733341304

My grandma says the funniest things.

She says that you don’t need much to be happy – not really.

Grandmas know that it’s often the simplest things that make you happy, like splashing in a puddle or baking delicious cookies, and the further I got into this book the more I was convinced that Andrew Daddo had been spying on me – right down to the creation of the fairy garden!!! We even moved from city to country so our little ones would have the space to roam freely and use their imaginations!

So there were so many memories of the things we did together when they were little in this charming book that shows that happiness can be found in the simplest things, if we just take the time to enjoy the moment. Despite all the attractions and distractions of today’s busy world, there is something magical about lying on the grass watching the pictures in the clouds or cooling off under the sprinkler or taking a sneaky swing on the clothesline.  The things we grandmas enjoyed as children are just as fun today, if we and our grandchildren just take the time… Although Stephen Michael King has been flattering in his illustration of me – I’m more the traditional short, rounded, glasses-wearing granny (although I do still have my natural red hair) – nevertheless, he has interpreted and captured Daddo’s words in a way that just shows the magic of mindfulness,  And although my littlies are now Miss 12 and Miss Nearly 17, there are still times when we just take a minute to jump in a muddy puddle – especially if Grandad is close by!

Intergenerational relationships are so important for all, and they’re long and strong in this family.  Thanks for the memories, Andrew and Stephen!!!!

 

 

Down in the Dumps (series)

Mar14
Down in the Dumps (series)

Down in the Dumps (series)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Down in the Dumps (series)

Wes Hargis

HarperCollins, 2023

96pp., pbk., RRP $A12.99

Down in the Westerfield Dump amongst all the rubbish discarded by the local community live Nana the dried up banana, Ms Kettle the teapot and Moreland, the crusty blob of goo.  And they are the best of friends. Not for them the familiar meaning of being “down in the dumps” – they are very happy to be who they are, where they are, doing what they do. 

This is a new series for young readers who are just beginning to transition from structured basal readers to the world of novels.  Almost like a graphic novel, they are specifically written for this cohort with minimal narration (clearly set in text boxes) and the action is carried in the illustrations and  speech-bubble conversations. Chapters are short and fast-paced and at the end of each, readers are given direct encouragement to keep reading. 

Despite a landfill area being an unlikely setting and the characters being somewhat different to what we expect, nevertheless they are very relatable with the common themes of friendship, acceptance, loyalty and fighting for what’s right (even if you’re trash) as they face issues that will spark consideration and conversation with suggestions for thinking, feeling and acting offered in the “super Stinky Games” section.

Years ago, writers like Paul Jennings, Christopher Milne, Morris Gleitzman and Andy Griffiths tapped into the young readers’ love for characters and plots that would make adults blush or cringe, and this does a similar thing.  There’s something appealing about that which doesn’t appeal to grown ups, and with four in this series planned, at least, this is one for even the most reluctant reader. 

The Tale of Peter Rabbit Picture Book

Mar13
The Tale of Peter Rabbit Picture Book

The Tale of Peter Rabbit Picture Book

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Tale of Peter Rabbit Picture Book

Beatrix Potter

Warne, 2023

32pp., boar book., RRP $A16.99

9780241606339

In 1902 publishers Frederick Warne & Co. took a punt on publishing a children’s book that had been privately printed but rejected by other publishers.  

Not only were the stories of Peter Rabbit and the infamous Mr McGregor’s garden were available to children around the world, but also their iconic format of small books with white covers, glossy pages and lots of white space around the pictures and text.  In 2022, a new edition with a splendid gold cover was released to mark the 120th anniversary of that first publication, and now it is available in board book format so little hands can read it for themselves, over and over. .  

As with the 2022 edition, this is the original tale with Peter at his most adventurous, cheekiest and lovable self as he wriggles into Mr. McGregor’s garden, with Beatrix Potter’s original text and her beautifully engaging illustrations.

When it was first released, creator Beatrix Potter patented a Peter Rabbit doll in 1903 and followed it almost immediately with a Peter Rabbit board game. becoming one of the first to introduce broader merchandise to accompany the core product and thus Peter has featured on a range of goods for both children and adults, including toys, dishes, foods, clothing, and movies, thus establishing his familiarity and popularity with succeeding generations.  

If you, or someone you know, is establishing a library of must-have children’s classics, then this is an essential. And having whet the appetite, continue to share the joy with the others in her repertoire

Book 1: The Tale of Peter Rabbit (1902)
Book 2: The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin (1903)
Book 3: The Tailor of Gloucester (1903)
Book 4: The Tale of Benjamin Bunny (1904)
Book 5: The Tale of Two Bad Mice (1904)
Book 6: The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle (1905)
Book 7: The Tale of The Pie and the Patty-Pan (1905)
Book 8: The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher (1906)
Book 9: The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit (1906)
Book 10: The Story of Miss Moppet (1906)
Book 11: The Tale of Tom Kitten (1907)
Book 12: The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck (1908)
Book 13: The Tale of Samuel Whiskers (1908)
Book 14: The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies (1909)
Book 15: The Tale of Ginger and Pickles (1909)
Book 16: The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse (1910)
Book 17: The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes (1911)
Book 18: The Tale of Mr. Tod (1912)
Book 19: The Tale of Pigling Bland (1913)
Book 20: Appley Dapply’s Nursery Rhymes (1917)
Book 21: The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse (1918) 
Book 22: Cecily Parsley’s Nursery Rhymes (1922)
Book 23: The Tale of Little Pig Robinson (1930)

And don’t forget the recently-discovered Book 24 – The Tale of Kitty-in-Boots.

Few children’s stories have withstood the test of time and generations for 120 years, and so that in itself is testament to the quality of the story, its illustrations and its popularity.  It truly deserves the tag of “classic”. 

Mama’s Chickens

Mar12
Mama’s Chickens

Mama’s Chickens

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mama’s Chickens

Michelle Worthington

Nicky Johnston

EK Books, 2023

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

9781922539458

“What happens when a couple of kids and their mother, who has early-onset dementia, welcome some backyard chickens into their lives? “

This is the tagline used by the publisher on the website but the real story of this story is found in the back story of the book, found in the teachers’ notes  and the media release.

While there are some books addressing the impact of dementia on young children’s lives, they mostly focus on the child’s grandparents, yet 28 000 of Australians living with dementia today are mothers under the age of 50 with children at home, the author being one of them.  And so the chances are that there is someone amongst the school’s students who is having to face the challenges of a mum who doesn’t act like herself anymore, forgetting who they are and all the other symptoms that come with the disease, including getting cranky to the point of frightening the little ones.

Told from the perspective of one of her children, this is a sensitive, gentle book that explores the impact of the condition as more and more the children have to become their mother’s carers.  The chickens, imbued with personality through both words and pictures, add a lightness to what could have become a sad, depressing story but is actually one full of love, understanding and support both for the children, their mum and the reader who might be relating more closely than we realise.

I have often praised the editors at EK Books for being brave to tread a path that others don’t, by publishing books that lift the lid on tricky issues that affect our children, and this is no exception.  While, as teachers, we like to think we know and understand the out-of-school issues that our students are facing, it is books like this that give us so much more insight so we can better understand, as well as opening up the topic for the child’s peers to gain a glimpse into what might be happening in their friend’s life.  How do you explain that your mate’s mum might not remember you from one day to the next, when she is having trouble remembering her own children.  But the one thing that permeates both the book and the reality, is that undying, unconditional love between parent and child that can never be underestimated or overestimated- and if that is the only message a young reader takes from this, then job done and done well, Michelle Worthington.