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Artichoke to Zucchini

Artichoke to Zucchini

Artichoke to Zucchini

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Artichoke to Zucchini

Alice Oehr

Scribble, 2023

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

9781761380617

Many of us grew up learning that healthy eating was based on selecting something from the five food groups each day…

 

Five Food Groups

Five Food Groups

And then we learned that we should be judicious in our choices using the Food Pyramid as a guide…

Food Pyramid

Food Pyramid

Then we were encouraged to eat a rainbow every day…

Food Rainbow

Food Rainbow

So it seems only logical that now we can indulge in an entire alphabet of food in this beautifully illustrated new release from graphic artist Alice Oehr, a follow up to her successful first book, Off to Market. a CBCA Notable and the Winner of the 2023 ABIAs Small Publishers’ Children’s Book of the Year.

A is for artichokes and long spears of asparagus. It’s for bright, creamy avocados and salty little anchovies …

While these sorts of books appear, on the surface, to be for very young readers learning new vocabulary as they pick out those foods they recognise, they have a much wider value as we try to encourage little ones to learn to make healthy choices from the get-go.  Students can have fun classifying the various foods into those familiar food groups; they can tick off those they have tried and those they are yet to try; they can suggest foods they know that start with a particular letter but which haven’t been included on the page; those from other countries can contribute foods they are familiar with which we might not know; they can seek out recipes and ways to cook and prepare the foods they are unfamiliar with; they can carry out research and data collection of favourite foods; they might even venture into the history of food, the concept of food miles, traditional foods for traditional celebrations – the list is endless.

This is the first book I’ve reviewed for this company and if this is the calibre, then we are in for some good stuff.  I’m just glad I did the review after my healthy chicken and salad meal! 

Emma Memma’s Alphabet Day

Emma Memma's Alphabet Day

Emma Memma’s Alphabet Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Emma Memma’s Alphabet Day

Emma Memma

 Puffin, 2023

26pp., board book, RRP $A16.99

9781761343780

Behind the the curly red hair, pink shirt and orange dress of the main character is  Emma Watkins, once known as the “yellow Wiggle” but also a woman passionate about raising awareness  of Australia’s deaf community, who already has formal qualifications in Auslan and who is currently undertaking her PhD in “the affective, artistic integration of sign language, dance and film editing.” In consultation with artists who themselves are deaf, she is producing and releasing a range of formats that as well as the storybook will include, an ebook, audiobook and an Auslan video translation so that all young readers can be entertained through “movement, creativity, inclusiveness and friendship”.

In this new release Emma Memma takes a walk through her day teaching young readers how to sign each letter of the alphabet relating the letter to something she sees or does. 

There is a lot of research relating to learning a second language in early childhood, not just because it is easier for the child but because of associated benefits so learning Auslan alongside learning the English alphabet makes a lot of sense.  By using a recognised character, everyday situations and multi-modal delivery, Emma Watkins is doing much to normalise this way of communicating so that all children can be included.  

An A to Z of Dreaming Differently

An A to Z of Dreaming Differently

An A to Z of Dreaming Differently

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An A to Z of Dreaming Differently

Tracey Dembo

Lucia Masciullo

Puffin, 2023

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

9780143778905

A is for Attitude.
May you have bucketloads of it, kid.

But for many children,  A may well be for Anxiety as they try to navigate a pathway through the expectations they believe others expect them to meet, the acceptable behaviour that is demanded by society, the beliefs and values of their families and community groups, and who they are actually are inside.   

Inspired by an incident when her 4-year-old daughter was given a “slightly old-fashioned, moralistic books about a kid who was taught that there are consequences if rules aren’t observed”, and she was angry because her daughter was “was already getting enough messages from the world about following rules” and needed ” a book that did the opposite” , the author believed,  “There needed to be a book about writing your own rules. About asking questions and being curious. About trusting your own instincts and relying on your gut to make a decision. About following your own path. About not feeling like you need to shrink yourself or to conform because of what someone else thinks. That it is all right to stand up for what you believe in. That it is good to speak up. That it is okay to be unapologetically YOU.” 

Amidst the myriad of picture books encouraging children to be themselves and affirming that who they are as they are is enough that have been published over the last few decades, using the alphabet to organise these affirmations to help the child develop their emotional intelligence and become curious and critical thinkers is rare.  Each letter is used to highlight a trait that encourages the child to have the courage to be themselves, follow their dreams, to ask questions, have fun, speak up and reach for the stars. 

I is for Imagination
Grow yours big and feed it every day.

V is for Voice.
Find yours. Use it loudly and proudly. Be seen AND heard. 

While there are extensive teaching notes and an activity pack to support the use of the book in the classroom,  older students could also use the format to develop a new book that inspires other traits that not only enable us to be ourselves but also to be more outwardly-focused. Perhaps C could be for Caring and Compassion or even Consequences; E could be for Empathy; J could be for Joy and Jubilation; L could be for Listen and Learn; R could be for Responsibility; U could be for Understanding and so forth, giving older children the opportunity to consider what these attributes mean and look like and their impact on others,  so having found and accepted themselves they can contribute to the greater good rather than stopping at the feel-good.  

Alphabetical Sydney

Alphabetical Sydney

Alphabetical Sydney

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alphabetical Sydney

Antonia Pesenti

Hilary Bell

NewSouth, 2022

56pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781742237763

This is our Sydney, the brightest and best of it,
North to the south to the east and the west of it.
Bats and cicadas, lawn bowls and the zoo,
This is our town. Let us share it with you.

As the holidays stretch out, this might be the perfect book to share with young readers to plan what they might do for the next few weeks.  For those in Sydney it could become a checklist of things to see, do and visit, ticking off each item as it is discovered, some of which are as easy as going outside.  While it has places such as Luna Park and the Harbour Bridge, it also has entries like J for Jacaranda and N for nature strip and even learning that Vinegar is a quick antidote for bluebottle stings! And who hasn’t needed U for Umbrella in recent days?  Meanwhile those in other places could be challenged to start building their own alphabet of their region, perhaps creating something that could be offered to the local Information Centre as a guide for tourists – practical and purposeful.

This is the 10th anniversary edition of this gem that offers all sorts of potential once you start thinking about it beyond just a rhyming read. 

 

All the Words I Need to Know

All the Words I Need to Know

All the Words I Need to Know

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All the Words I Need to Know

Jane Godwin

Andrew Joyner

Puffin, 2022

40pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781760897277

The development of oral language underpins our ability to communicate, and the development of vocabulary underpins oral language, and so the place of alphabet books should not be under-estimated.  With the Australian Curriculum emphasis on little learners developing their oral literacy skills as the foundation for all literacy, and NSW requiring students to recognise, use and respond to familiar and specific vocabulary through explicit teaching, the place of these “first dictionaries” is now unequivocal in any collection that caters for young learners at home or school.

So while this new book joins a long list in this well-established genre, it will be a welcome addition with its pages connected by a young owl who is so exquisitely portrayed in Joyner’s illustrations so that it becomes so much more than a collection of objects and labels.  Owl interacts with all the words in some way from dodging a speeding car to giving his sweetheart a bunch of red roses as family members and friends become an integral part of his adventures. 

 

Most of the words featured will be familiar to the young reader and they will have fun predicting what the words say, delighting in their success while learning that the words we say can also be written down and thus, shared with others over time.  And with the teaching of phonics also a key part of early reading instruction (a debate for another time) there is the opportunity for focusing on the beginning sound of each word and perhaps for the child to suggest and draw their own contribution.  

The pairing of Godwin and Joyner is inspired to produce something that could have been another same-old into something unique. 

The Aussie ABC Christmas

 

 

 

 

 

The Aussie ABC Christmas

The Aussie ABC Christmas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Aussie ABC Christmas

Nancy Bevington

New Frontier, 2018

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

9781925594256

In 1788 when the first wave of immigrants from the northern hemisphere came to Australia, they brought with them the celebrations and their associated traditions as they tried to settle into what was a land that was so different from what they knew, it was beyond their imagination.  Subsequent waves of immigrants have done the same thing and so now, 230 years later, so much of what we see and do at Christmas is still rooted in those wintery northern customs and people still strive to create a winter wonderland in their homes.

Slowly though, there are some uniquely Australian twists that are becoming more widespread and artist Nancy Bevington has captured these in this beautifully illustrated alphabet book.  There are B for beach, I for icecream and P for pavlova, and for those things like gifts, reindeer and Santa which are more universal, each illustration is quirkily Australian.  I can’t decide if my favourite is the emu putting the star at the top of the tree or the kookaburras laughing with joy. 

Young readers will delight in seeing so much that is familiar while those sharing this with them will love the humour in each picture. A treat for an Aussie Christmas stocking this year, and while it might be too late for this year as school is all but over, it would be perfect to stimulate a class display (or library display with each class contributing a letter) for next year, perhaps the reveal of each letter being part of the Christmas Countdown. 

The ABC of Cuddles

The ABC of Cuddles

The ABC of Cuddles

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The ABC of Cuddles

Sophy Williams

Gavin Scott

A & U Children’s, 2021

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

9781760526115

A is for airport cuddle, when it’s time to go away.
B is for bear hug, when teddy goes astray.
C is for crying cuddle, a scary ghost went boo!
D is for daddy cuddle, when only Dad will do.

In these times when even the littlest person knows the phrase “social distancing”,  in fact, especially  in these times, the need for and the warmth of a cuddle is paramount.  And in this beautiful book for those littlest learners, cuddles between family members are celebrated in an entire alphabet of reasons. Using a menagerie of animals, Gavin Scott has captured the clever text perfectly making this a lilting lullaby that little people will relate to as they share the joy of contact with those they love, whether there is a reason or not. 

Alphabet books are a common part of a young child’s library and come in many formats, but regardless of whether this is used as a formal educational tool by getting them to suggest other reasons, the language has that connection and cadence that is so important to their literacy learning and the joy of the love that is demonstrated is palpable.

Ideal for giving to new parents to share. 

My Spaghetti ABC

My Spaghetti ABC

My Spaghetti ABC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Spaghetti ABC

Deborah Niland

Puffin Books, 2021

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

9781760897253

Is there anything more delicious, more fun and more messy than a big bowl of spaghetti with a rich tomato sauce? Spaghetti that can be twisted into glasses, butterflies, a giggly face with wiggly feet and anything else that grabs the imagination?  How about the entire English alphabet?

i love spaghetti with heaps of sauce
and always make a mess, of course!
I use my fork, my spoon, my hands.
It’s so much fun to twirl the strands!

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

Perfect for kids (but perhaps not for parents) this is a delightful romp through the messiest, yummiest tea ever that culminates in a four-page spread of just how versatile wriggly spaghetti can be.

And what story about spaghetti would be complete without learning the classic children’s song On Top of Spaghetti?

Just for the joy of it.

 

 

The Ultimate Animal Alphabet Book

The Ultimate Animal Alphabet Book

The Ultimate Animal Alphabet Book

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Ultimate Animal Alphabet Book

Jennifer Cossins

Lothian Children’s, 2020

64pp., hbk., RRP $A29.99

978073442009

There may be only 26 letters in the alphabet but in this 64 page book there are more than 400 featured as Jennifer Cossins, creator of The Ultimate Animal Counting Book, introduces young readers to some of the creatures that inhabit this planet.  

Some are familiar and some not-so, but each is labelled and many have a sentence or two offering unique information about them which curious readers may wish to explore further. For example, unlike other big cats, snow leopards cannot roar. I wonder why! 

 

 

A peek inside....

A peek inside….

This is a dip-and-delve book that just calls for the reader to try to list as many creatures as they know starting with a particular letter before they turn to page to find what Cossins has included (or not)!  Who knew that there were at least 14 that started with Q?  My tally stopped at four – quetzal, quail, quoll and a quokka!

This is the perfect companion to her other offerings, including A-Z of Endangered Animals which was an Honour Book in the CBCA Eve Pownall Awards in 2017 and one that will have young readers poring over the pages as they discover new creatures to add to their knowledge bank. 

 

 

Tashi Picture Books

Tashi Picture Books

Tashi Picture Books

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alphabetical Tashi

80pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

9781760525293

My First Tashi Colours 

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

9781760877323

My First Tashi 123

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

9781760525286

Anna & Barbara Fienberg

Kim, Arielle & Greer Gamble

Allen & Unwin, 2020

Coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the publication of the original Tashi story, are three early childhood books which introduce the very youngest readers to the characters and settings while also helping with those basic concepts of  number, colours and the alphabet.

Because the original stories are perfect family read-alouds at bedtime, this collection will be ideal for introducing younger readers to that magical world that carries the stories along, or to assist those who are learning English as an additional language to learn the basic words using titles that are not as babyish as more traditional concept board books.  The original stories were illustrated by Kim Gamble, but since his passing his daughters have assumed the mantle and there is a seamless transition between the old and the new bringing the traditional monochromatic drawings to life in vivid colour.

With his own website and television series, Tashi is a perennial favourite who deserves his place in the legends of Australian children’s literature.

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