Archive | January 2024

Chico the Schnauzer

Jan21
Chico the Schnauzer

Chico the Schnauzer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chico the Schnauzer

Taryn Brumfitt

Puffin, 2024

24pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

9781761343988

Chico the Schnauzer has a very distinctive appearance with his salt-and-pepper coat, cheeky eyebrows, fabulous moustache, and really big beard.  He loves anything that starts with ch, particularly Chelsea and Charlie and when they go to work in the morning, he likes to stand at the gate and say hello to all his friends.  But one day, when the gate is left open, he ventures through it and goes to play with them all.  Susie the Sausage Dog, Penelope the Poodle and Digby the Dalmatian and all the others invite him to play with them and Chico is amazed at how different they are and how well they can do certain things – many of which he finds a bit tricky.  

But instead of envying them their skills, he is proud of what he can do and shares his talents with them.  At the end of the day, he is tired but happy because he knows that everyone is different and that he has his special talents too.

Author of Embrace Your Body,  and 2023 Australian of the Year, Taryn Brumfitt has been recognised around the world for her efforts in getting people, especially young ones to not only accept who they are and what they look like but to celebrate it, and this book follows that theme.  Chico admires what his doggy pals can do but also shows his strengths as well.  It’s a message our young readers need to hear over and over it seems, as anxiety levels continue to grow as expectations seem to compound.  They are invited to reflect on what their ‘AH-MAZING’ bodies can do and share this. Perhaps an opportunity for a photo display of each class member’s unique skills as part of the the customary getting-to-know-us activities for the new school year. 

The Squirrel and the Lost Treasure

Jan20
The Squirrel and the Lost Treasure

The Squirrel and the Lost Treasure

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Squirrel and the Lost Treasure

Coralie Bickford-Smith

Particular Books, 2023

64pp., hbk., RRP $A35.00

9780241541975

As autumn turns to winter in the woods, and leaves and acorns fall, the young squirrel watches others scrabble to collect them, murmuring about a secret place in the centre of the forest where no trees grow at all.  As night falls she sees a solitary acorn lying in the leaves and gathering it quickly, she clutches it all night determined not to let it go ever.  When dawn broke she heads for the centre of the forest where there are no trees  no birdsong, and no other squirrels to steal her precious prize.  And there she buries it safe from the cold and snow to come.

After the long winter finally passes and Spring comes again, the squirrel hurries to find her treasure – but where is it?  And why has everything changed?

The creator of this “fable about growth, new life and finding hope in unexpected places” describes herself as “a designer of fine things, mostly books” and her talent is very obvious not only in the lyrical, almost poetic text of this book but also its presentation. Author-illustrator of this as well as  The Fox and the Star (2015) – the first picture book to win the Waterstones Book of the Year award – The Bird and the Worm (2017), The Song of the Tree (2020) and the designer of many more, particularly the Clothbound Classics series from Penguin, she has a distinctive style which turns a seemingly-simple story into something so much more, harking back to a style of bygone times.

This has a place in any library collection as much for its presentation as its contents offering goodies as rich as the acorn the little squirrel buried. 

 

 

The Battle

Jan19
The Battle

The Battle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Battle

Ashling Kwok

Cara King

EK Books, 2020

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

9781925820409

It is Edward’s first day at knight school and to protect himself from the battles he expects to face, he puts on his full suit of armour. Sitting in the back of the Great Hall surrounded by unfriendly creatures , he is mortified when the king asks him to tell the others about himself. Even though at home he likes to fight giants and ogres, here at knight school he seems to be surrounded by them and he is not so brave. And when one sits beside him on the bench as he starts to eat his lunch, things are r-e-a-l-l-y scary…

It is that time of the year again when the prospect of Big School is looming closer and closer and some of our little ones are getting really apprehensive. There is a mixture and nerves that can become overwhelming.. So stories like these that not only show that fears are shared but they can be overcome are welcome as they offer such reassurance. Cleverly illustrated showing the ogres and dragons as ordinary boys and girls and the concept of the physical armour holding him back in the same way that mental armour does, Edward comes to some new understandings and discovers this school-thing isn’t as frightening after all.

This is one to add to your collection to share to give an added dose of confidence and show that even the bravest can feel nervous. 

The Crayons Go Back to School

Jan18
The Crayons Go Back to School

The Crayons Go Back to School

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Crayons Go Back to School

Drew Daywalt

Oliver Jeffers

HarperCollins, 2023

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

 9780008560850

Summer holidays are drawing to a close and the crayons are getting ready to go back to school.  Each has its own special subject that it prefers, but there is one that they all agree on….

As our own summer break begins to drag on for some, this is a reminder of all the fun that can be had at school and the new learning and adventures that are on the horizon.  Young readers will enjoy predicting what each colour likes while sharing their own favourites too.

This is a series that makes the ordinary extraordinary in a simple but engaging way. 

Ready, Set, Big School

Jan17
Ready, Set, Big School

Ready, Set, Big School

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ready, Set, Big School

Jan Stradling 

Jedda Robaard

ABC Books, 2023

24pp., hbk., RRP $A22.99

9780733342875

Maurice has a funny feeling in his tummy – because while he is excited to be starting big school, he is also nervous because of the new people he will meet, the new things he will do and the new routines he will have to learn. But his Play School friends are feeling the same way, especially after Mr Bao comes to talk about some of the things to expect, so they all go home to practise the things they will need to do – trying on new shoes, putting on their uniform, packing their backpack, using a checklist to make sure everything is included, and even learning how to introduce themselves to new friends.  

And then it is time for THE day,,,

This is another in the excellent Mindfully Me series in which the familiar characters of Play School put themselves in the shoes of children facing common situations and offer suggestions and strategies for coping with what might arise.  As many young readers are about to take this big step themselves, this is another story to share to show them that not only will they be okay but the apprehension they are feeling is common to everyone so they are not alone. But being prepared is a big start to building resilience and doing the sorts of things Maurice does will help them feel in control. 

Proud Mouse

Jan16
Proud Mouse

Proud Mouse

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Proud Mouse

Cara Menzel & Idina Menzel

Disney Publishing, 2023

48pp., hbk., RRP $29.99

9781368080996

Cara Lee is a proud mouse. She is proud of her big sister Dee. She is proud of her specially decorated journal. And now she’s proud to become what she’s always wanted to be: a student. But her first day of school is different than she imagined. Everyone keeps comparing her to Dee. But who is Cara Lee? 

Faced with an issue that many young children will encounter in the next few weeks as they start school and find themselves in the shadows of their brothers and sisters who have gone before,  this is a touching tale of a little mouse who has to learn who she is, rather than just being Dee’s sister.  Using her mother’s advice that often you see yourself more clearly if you stand alone, Cara Lee sets out to discover just who she is and what her unique talents are. 

 A sequel to Loud Mouse, in which Dee, herself finds her voice, this is one to share with little ones starting school to give them the confidence to shine in their own way, as well as showing those around them that being siblings doesn’t mean you are the same. 

Lawrence & Sophia

Jan15
Lawrence & Sophia

Lawrence & Sophia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lawrence & Sophia

Doreen Cronin

Brian Cronin

Rocky Pond Books, 2023

40pp., hbk., RRP $A32.99

9780593618301

Lawrence stays close to home because “out there” is too big and loud and crowded. Sophia stays high up in the tree branches because “down there” is too bumpy, dark and dangerous. When they meet and become friends, they find ways to enjoy each other’s company without leaving their own safe spots . . . until a storm comes, and both are so worried about the other that they are finally able to take a huge, scary leap into the unknown. Together they feel brave, and the future is suddenly a lot more interesting.

This is a story about feeling vulnerable and scared, and your imagination making things more fearful than they actually are. How gradually taking the first step and then another, can lead to something so amazing that the things you feared just fall away. How sometimes your concern for someone or something else can lead you to do things you would never have considered possible when you are the only one in the picture. And it’s particularly appropriate for this time of the year and new schools loom for so many of our young readers and anxiety increases.  So much easier to stay in your comfort zone than risk being where it seems big and loud and crowded. Talking about the joys that Lawrence and Sophia shared because one day Sophia got the courage to walk to the very end of her branch might just be the impetus for encouraging your child to take their first step.

On a broader scale, research and data gathered since COVID, particularly, are showing that the levels of  anxiety in children and school refusal  is at an all-time high, and while one gently written and illustrated picture book is not going to solve such a complex problem, nevertheless it may be a starting point.  With its deceptively simple text and soft palette, this is a story that offers neither solution nor judgement but allows the anxious child to see themselves in a story and offers them some hope that there can be a life beyond their self-imposed prison that they can be a part of, and that might start with a conversation after sharing the story.  Perhaps musing on why both Lawrence and Sophia only feel safe and comfortable in their own space, putting the conversation at arm’s length so the child doesn’t feel threatened, will offer an insight into what is causing the child to feel so anxious, because it is certainly more than “laziness” and “being okay to stay home” as one commentator recently opined.

This interview between creators Doreen and Brian Cronin offers an insight into the story behind the story including how there is a bit of both Lawrence and Sophia in both of them. 

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

 

Ruby and the Pen

Jan14
Ruby and the Pen

Ruby and the Pen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ruby and the Pen

David Lawrence

Cherie Dignam

EK Books, 2023

280pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

9781922539380

Ever since her husband died, Ruby’s mum has tried to manage her grief with a series of boyfriends, each weirder than the last.  Ruby has named the current one Dodgy Dave and not just because he is sending her to boarding school in another state. Grounded and confined to her room, Ruby sneaks out to her favourite markets one last time to sell some of her cartoons and have a little pocket money for the trip, and through a series of mysterious circumstances comes home with an unusual old fountain pen, inscribed with the words manibus futuri meaning  “the future is in your hands. “

Being an excellent cartoonist, Ruby is fascinated by the pen but it is not until she gets to her new school and is being bullied by students and staff alike that she discovers it powers – whatever she draws comes true. But while she is able to protect herself from the bullies through her drawing, she discovers that Dodgy Dave and Mr Lemon, the principal, are in collusion in a very dodgy plan and it is going to take more than the stroke of a pen to disrupt it.  And although that leads her to making some friends, she also finds that there are things like relationships that need more work than a funny/nasty drawing.

With its Trunchbull-like characters and the theme of kids triumphing over adults, this is an engaging read that despite its humour in both text and illustrations, has some powerful undertones about relationships and how they can be much more complex to make and maintain than just having a magic wand to fix problems.

And to cap it off, it concludes with Ruby throwing her pen into the sea and it being purchased, again from a mysterious market stall, by a boy named Xander who loves to draw superheroes…

Who has the biggest Mouth?

Jan13
Who has the biggest Mouth?

Who has the biggest Mouth?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who has the biggest Mouth?

Judy Cannon

Verena Heirich

Little Steps, 2023

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

9781922678096

On a trip to the zoo with Grandma and Grandpa the children are looking for the creature with the biggest mouth.  While they discover lots of interesting and unique information about a number of individual species, do they find the one with the biggest mouth?

Young readers will have fun predicting who they think is the winning candidate as they share this book and they may be surprised by their discoveries.  If the reserve list for the latest Guinness Book of Records is any indication, little ones are fascinated by these sorts of extremes and so this could be the start of an individual or group display of investigating who, in the animal kingdom, has the biggest, longest, heaviest, smallest whatever encouraging young naturalists to delve deeply into the 500s collection to read and interpret with purpose while learning about measurement, comparison and adaptation.

Chloe’s Lunar New Year

Jan12
Chloe's Lunar New Year

Chloe’s Lunar New Year

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chloe’s Lunar New Year

Lily LaMotte

Michelle Lee

HarperCollins. 2024

40pp., hbk., RRP $A29.99

9780063076518

It’s almost Lunar New Year, and Chloe can’t wait to celebrate! But first, Chloe and her family must prepare for the new year. They buy new shoes, lay out good-luck oranges in a bowl, decorate the red envelope, and make a crispy turnip cake. Everyone comes together to cook a fantastic feast, saving a plate for A-má, no longer with them, of course. Chloe enjoys the festive celebration and yummy food, but most of all, she loves spending time with her family.

As many of our students start to prepare for their most important annual celebration, just as with the traditions of Christmas there are core elements that all observe, but this story focuses on the traditional things that form part of the Taiwanese version of the celebration, particularly the reunion dinner. There are many dishes, each with a special significance for individual members of the family and it is this coming together and sharing this special time that flows through this story.

The upcoming year is the Year of the Dragon, and while this opens up all sorts of possibilities to investigate, perhaps this story will encourage an exploration of how each of our Asian neighbours celebrate, especially the different emphases on various elements and the food that is shared.   Students could share their stories, acknowledging their culture and customs and feeling that they are continuing those traditions by teaching others about them.  A search of SCIS shows very few picture books about this important celebration that are readily available in Australia, so maybe this is an opportunity to collect the students’ stories and create a new resource for the collection.