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Little Horses

Feb12
Little Horses

Little Horses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Little Horses

Deborah Kelly

Jenni Goodman

Wombat Books, 2024

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

9781761111310

Out in the bay, where sailboats glide

Little horses drift and glide

Changing colours so predators pass

In gardens of sponge and coral and grass

In the calm peaceful waters, disturbed only by the rise and fall of the tide, little seahorses spend their lives swaying with the movement of the water, occasionally spotted by sharp-eyed scuba divers who are lucky to see them amongst the seaweed. They give birth and raise their young in a way that only seahorses do, continuing a cycle that is generations old.

But then a storm hits the bay and the seahorses are swept away from their home by the tumbling, crashing waves to a barren place where there are no sponges, coral and grass until…

Inspired by true events when severe storms hit Port Stephens, NSW between 2010 and 2013 and almost wiped out the fragile population of White’s Seahorses (hippocampus whitei) – so much so that it was declared endangered on the IUCN list – this story tells the story of how scuba diver David Haraski spotted two seahorses beginning to build a new home on an old lobster pot that had also been swept away bit which was starting to sprout new corals and sponges. With the adage, “If we build it, they will come” in mind, in 2018 Haraski  built and placed the first seahorse hotel onto the Port Stephens seabed – and it worked.  Haraski the tried his concept in Sydney Harbour where there were other endangered populations and now these seahorses hotels are springing up around the world, including a dedicated breeding program at Sydney Sea Life.

This is such a positive spin on how humans are working to save the environment and its creatures that it deserves a place in any library collection to support the environment and sustainability curriculum. The gentle rhyme has a rhythm that mimics the wave movement, building to a crescendo when the storm hits, and all set against eye-catching artwork that is so lifelike.  There are notes about both the seahorses themselves and the seahorse hotels to add context and whet the appetite to know more and explore further.

With summer beach holiday memories still fresh in the mind, this is the ideal time to encourage students to think what lies below the yellow sands, beneath the rockpool calm and beyond the sparkling waters and used together with Beach Song and Voice of the Sea, there is the trifecta of storybooks to form the basis of the investigation.

 

 

 

Voice of the Sea

Feb11
Voice of the Sea

Voice of the Sea

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Voice of the Sea

John Williamson

Andrea Innocent & Jonathan Chong

Puffin, 2024

32pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

9781761344237

Described as “an unrequited love song to the ocean, a national anthem of the sea”, this is the picture book version of the iconic song by one of Australia’s most loved musicians that has become so integral to the campaign to conserve the oceans that it won an ARIA award.

With references to global warming, overfishing and the risk of losing some of our incredible marine wildlife a turtle swims through what were once pristine waters, narrowly escaping the clutches of a plastic bag already filled with precious creatures, lamenting, “Where did it go? Where has it gone, your love for me?” From the time that the first European settlers landed, the oceans of this country “girt by sea” have been exploited and now, with the personification of the ocean as a friend in need, students are encouraged to think of how we can preserve this natural wonderland – how we can give rather than take.

Written specifically for the Australian Marine Conservation Society, there are both teachers’ notes and a free education kit  to encourage not only an awareness of humans’ impact on the ocean but also how we can embrace it as a friend again including investigating the projects already in place like The Accidental Penguin Hotel.  the seahorse hotels and others that they might become involved in, offering hope for those who are concerned about the planet’s future. 

This is most definitely one for any collection, and the perfect starting point for any investigation of the oceans, it creatures and their challenges. 

 

Wear a Purple Poppy: Remembering Animals in War

Feb1
Wear a Purple Poppy: Remembering Animals in War

Wear a Purple Poppy: Remembering Animals in War

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wear a Purple Poppy: Remembering Animals in War

Fiona White

Kathleen O’Hagan

Lothian, 2024

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

9780734421630 

It begins…

For the horses and the mules, for the donkeys and the camels,

We wear a purple poppy for you.

To the dogs and the pigeons, to the elephants and cats,

We wear a purple poppy for you…

And it continues by taking each part of the poem and explaining the role that animals have played in conflict for Australia over the decades “from Beersheba to Afghanistan, Kokoda to Posières” in tribute to these brave creatures that now “lie in distant fields far from home”. 

In 2019, the Australian Parliament declared 24 February each year as the National Day for War Animals, also known as Purple Poppy Day. It’s a day to pause, wear a purple poppy, and pay tribute to the many animals who served alongside soldiers and this is a poignant and stunningly illustrated tribute to all those creatures, often symbolised by Simpson’s donkey but which involved so many other species doing so many other things in so many fields. So important have they been that there is now an international war memorial for animals at Posières in France and those who have provided outstanding service or displayed incredible courage and loyalty can be awarded the Dickin Medal or the Blue Cross Medal.

Released in time for this year’s commemoration, this is an enlightening tribute that is supported by comprehensive teachers’ notes which cover significant strands of the curriculum and include a long list of picture books, novels and other resources which will encourage students to read and investigate more widely. As well, the Australian War Memorial has compiled a number of resources that will further students’ understanding including a digitised version of their popular A is for Animals exhibition and its accompanying publication M is for Mates which may be in your collection already because it was distributed to all schools in 2010. There is also an education kit available.

For any school that has the commemoration of our military history in its curriculum, this is a must-have in the library’s collection.

 

An Amazing Australian Camping Trip

Jan29
An Amazing Australian Camping Trip

An Amazing Australian Camping Trip

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An Amazing Australian Camping Trip

Jackie Hosking

Lesley Vamos

Walker Books, 2023

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

9781760654948

Having completed their Amazing Australian Road Trip, now the family is off on a camping adventure because Aunty wants to paint “a fantastical beast”.

“It eats like a fish and swims in the lakes, has fur like a dog and venom like snakes, with a bill like a duck, it also lays eggs, has a tail like a paddle and walks on four legs.”

With the 4WD loaded to the hilt and beyond, they head to country to find this amazing creature, finally setting up camp and starting to relax. And although there is lots of wildlife to discover, each with one of the attributes that Aunty has described, none has them all.  What could she be looking for?

As with its predecessor, this is a story that rollicks along in rhyme accompanied by eye-catching illustrations full of detail and humour including the mysterious animal hiding on each page waiting for the eagle-eye to spot…  While many readers will be familiar with camping, and understand the terminology as well as recognising the creatures that the family spot, for those for whom the Australian bush is a mystery there are lots of explanations of unfamiliar words as well as information about the various animals. And, also like its predecessor, it offers a lot of potential for investigation, not the least of which is the meaning and purpose of a glossary.

As summer holidays fade into the distance, this is one that will bring back so many memories for children who spent their time camping “out bush” as they giggle their way through familiar scenes and adventures – although I was a bit concerned that the copperhead snake that inhabits the cool climate region I live in is active at night – and begin to look forward to the next one. 

Loving this series which brings our country to life in such a fun way. 

 

Peggy and Molly

Jan10
Peggy and Molly

Peggy and Molly

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peggy and Molly

Juliette Wells

Ebury Australia, 2023

128pp., pbk., RRP $A22.99

9781761344503

In September 2020 Molly the magpie fledgling was rescued by Peggy the Staffordshire terrier’s owners and nursed back to health, and the two creatures formed a bond that made them inseparable. There was a surprise when Molly eventually revealed that he was a male, but nevertheless, he was a family member and when Peggy had pups he formed just as close a bon with Ruby, the only female in the litter. 

This little book, full of photographs of the trio, celebrates their connections and is captioned to encourage the reader to be “kind, humble and happy”.

There is a little more about their story on their webpage, with regular updates for those who have access to Facebook, including a video of Molly barking just like her friends.

 

Christmas Days in the Sunshine

Dec16

 

 

 

Christmas Days in the Sunshine

Christmas Days in the Sunshine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas Days in the Sunshine

Byll & Beth Stephen

Susan Howe

ABC Books, 2023

34pp., hbk., RRP $A22.99

9780733342745

Every year in December
Christmas lights go up ’round here.
I wait up late till it’s darker
to see them in the moonlight.

While Christmas for many is all about Santa Claus and cold, wintry days, in Australia it signals the beginning of the long summer holidays and all the fun of those.  So many children’s stories focus on that northern hemisphere experience that it is refreshing to share one that has an Australian focus and features all the things that are familiar to our families.  So while there are the traditional things like trees and lights and food, the illustrations give them a very Aussie flavour, staying up late to see the lights as darkness falls, swinging on the clothesline, running through the sprinkler, trying to hear yourself over the cicadas’ song, even those pesky mossies that come to spoil the fun.

Something for little ones to relate to when the winter stuff is so foreign, and something to spark conversations about why the two versions of Christmas are so different, even why we still do so much of that northern stuff as we recreate snow-covered pine trees and and other cold-climate fantasies. 

 

Little Puggle’s Christmas

Dec6

 

 

 

Little Puggle's Christmas

Little Puggle’s Christmas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Little Puggle’s Christmas

Vikki Conley

Hélène Magisson

New Frontier, 2023

32pp., hbk., RRP $A26.99

9781922326812

Christmas is Puggle’s favourite time of the year as everyone helped to put together a very special day for each other.  All he wanted to do was help them as they went about their special tasks, and to their credit, Long Tail, Lacy Tail and Mama Grey were willing to let him try.  But even though he told his legs and his claws  and his arms to be careful,  somehow things didn’t go as planned.  What can you offer when all you are clumsy, spiky and waddly?  Despondent, Little Puggle wandered away and sat looking at the sparkly night sky.  And then he made a special wish on a falling star…

We first met Little Puggle when he saved the bush choir’s performance to celebrate the birth of the emu chicks, and to have him back with a special Christmas story complete with the most glorious illustrations is a treat in itself.  Once again the message of being yourself and making the most of what you can do is strong, and will particularly resonate with young readers who also want to help with the preparations in their own home but are just a little bit little to do some things.  But, maybe instead of wishing upon a star, the family could work out just what they could do and that becomes their personal task to be responsible for – even if it’s just making sure the presents are still under the tree each morning!

Loved it!  

Where are all the Christmas Beetles?

Dec3

 

 

 

Where are all the Christmas Beetles?

Where are all the Christmas Beetles?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where are all the Christmas Beetles?

Suzanne Houghton

CSIRO Publishing, 2023

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

9781486317905

Once upon a time, not so long ago, our kids looked forward to summer barbecues because it meant they were going to be bombarded by those shimmering green and gold beetles with the sharp little feet that clung to skin and clothes.  And rather than being afraid or squealing in surprise, they knew they were Santa’s special messengers and if they whispered what they wanted for Christmas, the beetle would take the request straight back to Santa. 

But now those kids want to share that Christmas ritual with their kids and there are fewer and fewer beetles to be seen!  There are no tell-tale dead patches in the grass where the grubs have eaten the roots,  they aren’t high in the gum trees either and they’re not even buzzing around the street lamps like they used to do.  Where have they all gone?  

In this beautifully illustrated book that brought back so many memories of Christmases past, the author/illustrator speculates on what might have happened to them.  Could it be the changing weather? The drought? The floods? The loss of habitat?  Scientists don’t know for sure yet and have initiated the Christmas Beetle Count for sightings and photos to be shared but before students get involved in that there are really useful notes at the back of the book as well as teachers’ notes that can help them become junior scientists and help solve the mystery.

After all, what’s Christmas in Australia without Christmas beetles and how will Santa ever know just what to leave underneath the tree? 

Silver Linings

Dec1
Silver Linings

Silver Linings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Silver Linings

Katrina Nannestad

ABC Books, 2023

304pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

9780733342257

Rural New South Wales in 1952 – a new monarch is about to be crowned and for five-year-old Nettie Sweeney life is almost perfect.  She has a dad, three big sisters, a farm full of cows and a cat called Mittens, can read and write and even does spelling with Second Class because she is so clever.  But Nettie longs for a mother.  Her own passed away when she was born (leaving her with all sorts of misconceptions about babies and storks) and she would love to have one who has a gentle touch, sparkles in her eyes and lots of love and hugs to give.  But instead she has cranky Aunty Edith who is quick with her hands and even quicker with her tongue as she clings to the old ways.  

When Dad marries Alice, all Nettie’s dreams come true and the Sweeney home overflows with laughter, love and a new philosophy of looking for the silver linings in everything rather than the dark clouds.  When her baby brother. Billy, is born he becomes  the light of Nettie’s life and her world is perfect.  Until it isn’t…

Those who are familiar with five-year-olds, and even those who aren’t , will laugh out loud all through the beginning of this book as we see life through the unfiltered lens of Nettie and her doll Fancy Nancy.  And they will empathise with the unsophisticated five-year-old who has to handle the family tragedy in her own way because she just isn’t mature enough to know of any other. Her naivety endears her from the beginning and her resilience and courage as events play out inspire. While the big issues of PTSD, loss and depression that are confronted could be anywhere, anytime,  by placing them in the early 50s Nannestad distances them enough from the reader’s here and now for them to be acknowledged but not necessarily absorbed. And for those of us old enough to know better, how will we ever think of Queen Elizabeth II as anything but “the mongoose of the British Umpire” again? 

It’s a rare author who can write a story for young children in a way that has adult readers turning page after page because there has to be a solution, and Nannestad is one of those.  As with The Girl who brought Mischief, this one had me reading past my bedtime because I was so enamoured of Nettie and needed to know there was a happy ending.     

This is one for independent readers who like real-life stories (it is based on family happenings) and if you are preparing a list of books for Christmas stockings, this should be on it.         

Bluey: Cricket

Nov30
Bluey: Cricket

Bluey: Cricket

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bluey: Cricket

Bluey

Puffin, 2023

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

9781761049415

Backyard cricket is every Australian kid’s rite of passage – every summer there are games going on somewhere as the sun sets and the joys and benefits of daylight saving are acknowledged.  The rules are the same everywhere – the garbage bin is the stumps and over the fence is out!  And everyone groans when that one player who is really good gets a turn at batting because they are never going to get them out.

Bluey would much rather play tiggy than cricket and her dad says that’s what they will do as soon as they get Rusty out.  But Rusty would play cricket 24/7 if he could and despite everything they try, he remains obstinately at the crease until…

This year has been a big one for international cricket and with the ODI World Cup just finished and the domestic men’s Bog Bash about to start, interest in the game is reaching a peak, so this is a timely release. Based on the episode of the ABC series of the same name, this is another is this very popular collection of stories in print format that allows young readers to return to the story time and again, cementing in their minds the value of print as a medium as well as learning some of life’s necessary lessons – and there are several lessons in this one, not the least of which is learning some of the unique terminology associated with the sport.

And just to make sure everyone’s summer is Bluey-based, for those who aren’t so keen on cricket there is the new Bluey At the Beach colouring book as well. Christmas stockings sorted!