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Picasso and the Greatest Show on Earth

Sep15
Picasso and the Greatest Show on Earth

Picasso and the Greatest Show on Earth

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Picasso and the Greatest Show on Earth

Anna Fienberg

A & U Children’s, 2023

384pp., pbk., RRP $A17.99

9781760296988

Frances is in a new house in a new neighbourhood and going to a new school, but no amount of new can make her forget the old, sad secret dragging at her heart. Not the pictures of bacteria that she draws with painstaking precision, not even Picasso, the puppy with the long soft ears and the cute black circle like a target on his bottom. With her father overseas in Pakistan writing about terrible diseases and her mother in mourning, they are both out of reach to Frances and she carries her grief and guilt alone. 

But then she meets Kit, the tall, quiet boy with the two-coloured eyes, who seems as alone as she is, as he seeks refuge in the school library to draw each lunch break. . Kit is a real artist. His coloured pencils fill page after page of exercise books. He sees wonder in the rocks and ferns and sky, although Frances soon detects  Kit has worries of his own.

But when secrets are spilled, Frances’s life turns grey and drab. Not even Picasso’s wet nose can brighten her up. Frances and Kit will need to face the truth of their pasts to find colour in their world again. After all, don’t the most brilliant sunsets need a cloudy sky? 

While their stories may be different, many readers will relate to this new novel by Anna Fienberg as they too, will have been the new kid in town with all the uncertainty and upheaval that that will bring, although few would be carrying the guilt of believing they are responsible for their younger brother’s death. In subtle, gentle ways, the author draws together a diversity of characters each experiencing and expressing grief in different ways and how shared interests, nature and a cheeky puppy can bring about a healing not thought possible.
More suited for upper primary students, this is a story that offers reassurance and hope that there is is way through the darkness we experience, even if the light  is not yet visible.  You never know when it will glimmer and brighten or the direction that will come from. 

George and Tao

Sep11
George and Tao

George and Tao

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

George and Tao

Claude K. Dubois

Gecko Press, 2023

48pp., hbk., RRP $A22.99

9781776575251

When George the puppy is introduced to Tao the kitten, The two of them “look at each other and wag their tails,”  and it is not long before they are best friends. playing and together all day long. But when George chases him up the curtain in the living room, and Tao falls, George is bereft. While the kitten is scooped up and taken to the vet, George has no idea where his friend is.  He searches in all the usual spots but Tao is nowhere, and so he sits at the door and waits and waits, and waits…

This is a tiny book just made for little hands and being shared with a little one, that focuses on friendship and fun and what happens when things get out of hand -as they often do when little ones play together.  The text is simple, but the watercolour artwork carries so much making George’s loss when Tai disappears, palpable.  

Exquisite. 

Being a Cat

Aug24
Being a Cat

Being a Cat/ Being a Dog

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Being a Cat: A Tail of Curiosity

9780063067929

Being a Dog: A Tail of Mindfulness

9780063067912

Maria Gianferrari

Pete Oswald

HarperCollins, 2023

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

Little people, like big people, love their pets and often try to be like them, so these two books are perfect for encouraging them to examine their cats and dogs to really get to know them.

With minimal text and quirky, funny illustrations, they can get up close and personal and then, explore the traits in more detail in the final pages.

Something very different for the animal lovers in your domain. 

Dog Squad: The Newshound

Aug21
Dog Squad: The News Hound

Dog Squad: The Newshound

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dog Squad: The Newshound

Clare Vulliamy

HarperCollins, 2023

128pp., pbk., RRP $A15.99

 9780008565336

Eva has always wanted to be a journalist, and, together with her friends Simone and Ash, the she produces  the Newshound newspaper for her school readers.  While they’ve written a few stories, there hasn’t been anything really significant, so when she finds a stray dog outside her home, Eva thinks she might just have found her first case.

The dog follows her home but living in a block of flats where pets are banned is problematic and although her mum says it can stay overnight, secretly Eva has other ideas.  The dog, which she determines is a whippet, is so thin she calls it Wafer and even though tracing its owner might offer The Newshound its biggest story yet, Eva soon realises that she might not want to get to the bottom of the mystery after all – because won’t that just mean she just has to give Wafer back?

Even with its English setting, this is a story that is going to resonate with a broad audience of young newly-independent readers because if they are not budding writers like Eva and her friends wanting to get to the bottom of these sorts of stories, then they are animal lovers whose hearts reach out to stray, mistreated creatures that so clearly need a home.  They may even be non binary  like Ash and enjoy seeing themselves in a story affirming their identity. As well as being an engaging read, it also provides food for thought as it raises issues about the treatment of animals by humans, from breeding in puppy farms for profit to their disposal when they are no longer wanted, perhaps even inspiring some to delve deeper.

And just to top it off, it is the start of a new series, with The Race scheduled for early 2024, so readers have something to look forward to. While they wait, they might like to meet Dotty Detective, a series in a similar vein of young girls solving mysteries. 

 

Scout and the Rescue Dogs

Aug9
Scout and the Rescue Dogs

Scout and the Rescue Dogs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scout and the Rescue Dogs

Dianne Wolfer

Tony Flowers

Walker Books, 2023

224pp., pbk., RRP $A15.99

9781760655860

As the school year comes to an end at the Arcadia Boarding School for Young Ladies, Scout has only two plans for the long summer holidays – to enjoy the time with her trucker dad and to persuade him that Arcadia is not the best fit for her and she shouldn’t have to go back there.  She has only been there since her mother died from cancer and having kept that a secret from the other girls, she has found it hard to make friends.  And now her teacher has set  the class a summer project of reaching out to three others to establish stronger friendships… and , of course, two of her three assigned contacts are her greatest tormentors.

But, Dad has one last run to do before they can escape to their farm near Beechworth – a philanthropist has donated a load of dog food to be delivered to animal rescue shelters in anticipation of the increased numbers they experience over Christmas – and soon Scout’s school-based problems fade into perspective as she meets carers and dogs and even makes a new friend through Ms Lawler’s initiative, all the while facing the threat of bushfires sweeping the countryside. 

Set against the backdrop of the unprecedented fire season of 2019-2020 and travelling through south-eastern Australia through country that is so familiar to me – I’ve been to every one of the towns mentioned so many times – this was a story that kept me reading well past my bedtime and into the early hours.  Wolfer has created a character who tells the story of that dreadful time through a child’s eyes – the interminable days of smoke and ash, the concern for the native wildlife, the fear of ember attacks and worse – and while, as an adult who evacuated twice because of the imminent danger, I could cope with the memories, it may open wounds that are just beginning to have scar tissue for some readers. But, at the same time, it is a story of love,  the importance and power of memories,  friendship, the camaraderie amongst strangers as communities rally together as they do in dire times, and of hope as Scout comes to terms with her situation through her deepening relationship with her dad and her own philanthropic enterprises.  And threaded through it to lighten the mood as the real-life issues are addressed, is the greatest collection of the WORST Dad Jokes ever!!!

Burrumbuttock Hay Run

Burrumbuttock Hay Run

 

The Unlikely Heroes Club

Aug7
The Unlikely Heroes Club

The Unlikely Heroes Club

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Unlikely Heroes Club

Kate Foster

Walker Books, 2023

208pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

9781760655969

Eleven-year-old Oli is spending his school holidays at Heroes Club, a special gathering for autistic children so they can learn how to recognise and manage their emotions, and thus, make and maintain friendships. But on the way there a small brown dog is almost run over by the traffic and, as it freezes in shock, it catches Oli’s eye as if pleading for him to hop out of the car and rescue it. But Oli is a rule-abider and even though he has all sorts of worries about the upcoming class, he stays in the car.  Supported by his mum and his big sister Cathy, whom he adores, Oli makes it to his new class and over the course of the week begins to make friends. Gradually, he overcomes his worries and fears, but the thought of the dog haunts him, and when he not only spots it in an abandoned building from the classroom window but also learns the other children in the group have also seen it, he begins to hatch a plan to rescue it, especially when it seems the adults won’t listen to him.  

However, it is an audacious plan that requires the other kids to help and he is concerned that they will change their minds while he doubts his own ability to be there when he is needed…

Author Kate Foster says she is “passionate about encouraging and teaching a wider understanding of autism and mental illness via positive approach and representation”  and she has certainly achieved this in her books so far – Paws, Harriet Hound, CBCA Notable The Bravest Word, and now this one. By having the lead character as autistic and telling the story in the first person, the reader gets an inside look at the lives of these children in a way that neither observation or textbook can offer. Through that knowledge comes understanding and acceptance so that everyone’s life is richer. And in this book, with five of the children and Marge on the spectrum we learn a little about the range of ways that it manifests itself so that each child is different as opposed to a physical disease that has predictable signs and symptoms and solutions. Just as with “normal” kids, each is a unique individual deserving dignity, understanding and respect.

In my native New Zealand, the Maori word for autism is takiwatanga which means “in my own time and space” and The Unlikely Heroes Club is the most poignant story of how children can come together for the greater good even if they are in their own time and space.  

In my opinion, if it has Kate Foster’s name on the cover, then it should be in your collection. 

Takiwatanga

Takiwatanga

 

Lauren Myracle

Lauren Myracle

 

 

Dads and Dogs

Jul30
Dads and Dogs

Dads and Dogs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dads and Dogs

Mick Elliot

Walker Books, 2023

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

9781760655044

For every dog there is a dad and for every dad there is a dog and together they romp through this hilarious celebration of the companionship they offer each other.  

With its clear illustrations and simple text this is an excellent book for empowering young people to believe that they can not only read, but they can write. 

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

By looking at the pictures the child can work out what is happening and predict the text. But the final page shows the child, his dad and his dog so why not ask the child to add their own picture and caption.  But wait – there is a challenge.  Take a closer look at the author’s caption and look for the alliteration (as well as the upper and lower case versions of each letter) and see if they can follow that same pattern making the adjectives align.  An opportunity to not only write but to extend their skills and vocabulary. 

My page would be easy – Snoozy dad with a sooky dog.  What would yours be? 

A Boy, His Dog and the Sea

Jul27
A Boy, His Dog and the Sea

A Boy, His Dog and the Sea

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Boy, His Dog and the Sea

Anthony Browne

Walker Books, 2023

32pp., hbk., RRP $A27.99

9781529507058

Danny is bored. He would have liked to have been playing with his brother Mick but he’s off with his mates so, instead, he takes his dog Scruff for a walk on the beach.  Even though Danny thinks it’s a vast, boring nothingness, especially on a cool wintry day. Scruff loves it and it’s not too long before they are having a game of fetch as Scruff continually chases a stick into the water and brings it back.  But it’s when they see a crowd of people shouting and laughing and waving to someone in the water, that Danny’s afternoon takes a remarkable turn…

As usual, master storyteller Browne offers a visual feast as he combines fairly straight-forward text with his rich illustrations and, just as Danny’ mother suggests he use his eyes closely because “you never know what you might see”, so too should the reader.  But, for me, as much as I love the sea in all its changing moods and colours, and the treasures found along its shore, it is the dedication that underpins this story.  “In loving memory of my big brother Michael” suggests there is a poignant undertone of loss and longing that there could have been a different ending to his brother’s real-life story and this is echoed in the muted palette and flat, almost featureless seascape with just the odd break on the horizon.

So, as well as offering young readers the opportunity to think about what Danny’s mother suggests about finding hidden treasures and sharing their stories of seaside adventures, it is also an opportunity to think about friends and things lost forever and the emotions attached to this.  Given this is the third book about loss and  grief that I have read and reviewed in the last three days, perhaps I am overthinking what might seem a simple story but my experience of Browne’s writing is that like, the beach, there are always hidden treasures to discover. You just have to look. 

 

Dolly Parton’s Billy the Kid Makes it Big

Jul16
Dolly Parton's Billy the Kid Makes it Big

Dolly Parton’s Billy the Kid Makes it Big

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dolly Parton’s Billy the Kid Makes it Big

Dolly Parton

MacKenzie Haley

Puffin, 2023

40pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

9781761342837

French bulldog Billy the Kid was born with an ear for music. And not just any music. He loves barking to the beat of country music! So Billy sets out to Nashville to sing his heart out.

But when he meets some big bullies at the Battle of the Bow-wows, Billy worries he’s barking up the wrong tree. But when they start to pick on one of his new friends, one much smaller than all the others, he knows it is up to him to stand up and call out the bad behaviour.  But he knows he will need the help of his new friends, and so he comes up with a clever plan…

Based on the theme of one of Dolly Parton’s own songs, Makin’ Fun Ain’t Funny, based on her own life experiences, the anti-bullying message is strong as young readers are encouraged to celebrate differences rather than mocking them, a theme underlined in the illustrations which show dogs of every shape, size and colour. But as strong as that message is, there is  an equally strong one about following your dreams, believing in yourself and persevering to make them happen as Billy the Kid faces adversity and rejection before he finds his niche. 

Parton, herself, is well-known for her Imagination Library, a free book gifting program devoted to inspiring a love of reading in the hearts of children everywhere (including in some parts of Australia) with over 211 million books given to young children to help foster a love of reading and encourage them to dream. “The seeds of these dreams are often found in books and the seeds you help plant in your community can grow across the world.” So this copy will find its way into the local community as part of the hidden books initiative that is growing daily. 

Harriet Hound

Jul13
Harriet Hound

Harriet Hound

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Harriet Hound

Kate Foster

Sophie Beer

Walker, 2023

176pp., pbk., RRP $A15.99

9781760654702

Harriet Hound is pretty much like other girls her age – she is eight years old; she has short curly hair; her favourite letter is H; she lives in a town called Labrador; and she loves dogs.  She lives with her grandparents, her mum, and her older brother Hugo in a huge home especially built to be dog-friendly and now it is a dog rescue shelter.  BUT – she is also autistic and has a superpower that allows her to summon the dogs from her family’s rescue shelter every time there’s trouble afoot… Whether it’s a carnival catastrophe, a sudden storm, or vanishing vegetables, Harriet and her best dog friends use their super special talents and problem-solving skills to save the day!

Told in a series of short stories, this is a delightful book from the author of one of my favourite recent releases, The Bravest  Word  and again, she makes Harriet’s autism such a natural part of her life, something Harriet and her family are comfortable with, and it is this authenticity that not only allows those on the spectrum to read a book about themselves but for those around them to understand the condition better.  As Harriet says, “I stimmed. I flapped my hands out to the side and clicked my fingers out in front of me over and over again. It’s okay. There’s no need to be worried. Stimming is something I do ALL THE TIME. I do it when I’m worried and when I’m angry.  Sometimes I can’t stop my hands from doing it, but I also do it when I’m excited or when I’m happy. I stim to calm myself down.”  Can there be a better, more straightforward explanation By showing that being autistic is just a different way of being human, that there is nothing wrong that needs to be “fixed”, and certainly nothing to be ashamed or frightened of, Foster advances the cause of acceptance immeasurably.  Indeed, she continues this focus on kids with special needs in her upcoming book, The Unlikely Heroes Club. 

Autistic or not, this is a wonderful set of stories for young, independent readers who love dogs and who would desperately like to live where Harriet does, and have her superpower.