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Neville’s Great Escape

Mar17
Neville's Great Escape

Neville’s Great Escape

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Neville’s Great Escape

Sean E. Avery

Walker Books, 2025

32pp., hbk., RRP $A25.99

9781760659042

Neville’s story begins well before the beginning of the book.  It starts back in Frank’s Red Hat, when, being a risk-taker, he agreed to wear the beautiful red hat that Frank had made.  But as soon as he put it on, he was swallowed by a killer whale!  

Now, Avery continues the tale because while everyone assumed that landing in the whale’s throat was the end of Neville, in fact there was a further tale to tell.  Because as well as being a risk-taker, Neville was brave and bold and figuring that he hadn’t yet been eaten, he was determined to escape.  Not helped by the pessimism of Reg – a seal also awaiting its fate in the whale’s maw – be, nevertheless, is persistent in his efforts to get out of there.  There’s no wiggly teeth to dislodge and wriggle through, and the whale’s blowhole is not only out of reach, but not even in the same part of its body.

So – does Neville succumb to what seems the inevitable, particularly as the whale starts to make eating-like movements, or is there a happy ending?

Avery is a master of offering original, whimsical, offbeat stories and this is no exception. Perhaps with some slight overtones of the biblical tale about Jonah, the reader finds themselves hoping that Neville’s plans will work and that the joyless Reg who is happy to play cards while he awaits his fate will be proven wrong.  

Given that Frank’s Red Hat was not only shortlisted for the 2023 CBCA Picture Book of the Year but won the of Shadow Judges Picture Book of the Year this is a companion title that has to be in the collection, particularly as the ending suggests that there is yet more to come.. 

 

Protecting the Planet: Emperor of the Ice

Jan27
Protecting the Planet: Emperor of the Ice

Protecting the Planet: Emperor of the Ice

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Protecting the Planet: Emperor of the Ice

Nicola Davies

Catherine Rayner

Walker Books, 2024

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

9781529514414

It’s April, and one of the most important months of the year for the Emperor penguins as the sun gets lower and lower in the sky, the temperatures drop and the sea ice starts to form and provide the platform for them to breed.  Smooth enough to walk and slide on, and low enough for the birds to be able to leap into the ocean, it lasts just long enough to be able to raise a chick and so, as the day shorten, satellites pick up long lines of these creatures – the largest and most majestic of all the penguin species – making their way to Halley Bay, Antarctica “like spidery writing across a blank page.”  There they will bond, mate and raise a solitary chick – but could this be the last time the rituals and routines happen?

In this beautifully illustrated book, we follow a sequence of events that has happened since time immemorial, but, as with so many creatures, climate change is having an impact even in this remote spot.  In fact, it is probably more noticeable in these extreme climates where more severe storms rage than ever before and the amount of sea ice is noticeably less. Since severe storms in September 2016 broke up the sea ice in Halley Bay, no Emperor penguins have bred there. And although satellites have been able to confirm that there are 61 breeding sites (compared to the known 36 before that imagery was available), showing that they have found alternatives, there are estimated to be only just over 250 000 breeding pairs and their changing habitat means fewer chicks are surviving to independence.  

Climate change, human impact on natural habitat, and the planet’s sustainability and preservation are now deeply embedded into the curriculum from the earliest years and even our youngest students have a growing awareness of its potential.  So books like these, which do more than explain what it is by showing its effect on creatures that they relate to, have an important role to play in helping them understand not only what is happening but start them thinking about what they can do to minimise their own footprint.

An ideal companion for the others in the series- The Season of Giraffes  and Ice Journey of the Polar Bear. 

Einstein: The Case of the Polar Poachers

Jan12
Einstein: The Case of the Polar Poachers

Einstein: The Case of the Polar Poachers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Einstein: The Case of the Polar Poachers

Iona Rangeley

David Tazzyman

HarperCollins, 2024

256pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

9780008476076

It was a cold December day in London “where the days end early and forget to start on time” when the Stewart family decided to spend the afternoon at London Zoo and six-year-old Arthur and nine-year-old first connected with Einstein and Arthur tells him, “And you, Mr Penguin, must come and stay with us whenever you like.  Penguins are always very welcome at our house.”  So they are very surprised when Mr Penguin actually turns up on their doorstep that evening, with a rucksack labelled ‘Einstein’ on its back…

But what is a fairy penguin from Sydney, Australia doing in London in the first place?  

In the first adventure in this series, Arthur and Imogen reluctantly send Einstein back to Australia, even though it means they may never see him again, but in the second, he returns to London and once again connects with the children.  Now in the third, and perhaps the final, there is another mystery to solve as penguins start disappearing from the South Sandwich Islands, and the children are convinced that there is foul play involved, rather than natural forces. Even though Imogen believes that now she is in Year 7 playing detective is too babyish for her, nevertheless she decides that this is an important issue and decides to help Arthur uncover what is really behind the disappearances -and discovers a lot more than she bargained for. 

Best read in order because of the reappearance of previous characters whose backgrounds are assumed to be known, and references to those previous mysteries, this is a series for independent readers who like to solve mysteries and see themselves in the role of the main characters.  

As with the original, it also offers opportunities to think about the ethics of keeping animals in captivity, the huge illegal wildlife trade and why it is so profitable, estimated to be worth billions of dollars., as well as its impact on the future of some species.  

Pablo and Splash: Frozen in Time

Jan9
Pablo and Splash: Frozen in Time

Pablo and Splash: Frozen in Time

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pablo and Splash: Frozen in Time

Sheena Dempsey

Bloomsbury, 2024

240pp., graphic novel, RRP $A17.99

9781526662804

Pablo and Splash are two penguins, and even though they are very different in that Pablo loves his icy home and Splash is sick of the cold, they both agree that a holiday would be a good thing.  But it’s tricky when you live at the bottom of the planet in Antarctica and warm places are too far to swim and without wings, you can’t fly.

But Antarctica means there are scientists nearby and surely they have a solution…  And that’s how they discover Professor O’Brain and her Timebender machine who sent them to the sunny beach they craved but they found themselves sharing it with dinosaurs.  In this second episode of the series, they decide to visit Professor O’Brain again to see if she has mended the machine, but both are determined that they will not end up in some weird destination this time, especially as this time they know where the secret hole takes them.  

However, instead of finding her in her lab as they expect, they discover the time machine has misbehaved again and this time it is the professor, herself, who has been stranded in the Ice Age.  Clearly, Pablo and Splash must help her  and so the brave penguin buddies set out on a rescue mission – destination 68,000 years ago! When a Neanderthal man accidentally wanders into their time machine, it’s not just the professor who is stuck in the wrong time period. But luckily a scientific breakthrough for Pablo and Splash’s endlessly upbeat approach to life’s challenges helps save the day!

Graphic novels, time travel and familiar, appealing creatures on a rescue mission are the right ingredients for a story that will engage young readers and with its bright, full-colour illustrations that carry the story along with just speech bubbles as text there will be many who could be enticed to pick up a novel-length book for the first time. 

As with the first one, it’s an opportunity for the reader to think of where the next adventure might take place, who or what Pablo and Splash might encounter and perhaps research and write their own story.  Perfect for the CBCA Book Week 2025 theme of Book an Adventure. 

 

Ethel the Penguin

Oct12
Ethel the Penguin

Ethel the Penguin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ethel the Penguin

Ursula Dubosarsky

Christopher Nielsen

A & U Children’s, 2024

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

9781761180880

Ethel the Penguin’s in my class,
Though she doesn’t sit next to me.
Miss Ink likes Ethel to sit by herself,
She can be a bit lawless, you see.

Everyone needs a best friend like Ethel. She’s not afraid of teachers. She’s not afraid of heights. In fact, she’s totally WILD!  Even though she hatched in Antarctica, Ethel now lives next door with her family, “in an iceberg, semi-detached”. 

Right from the get-go with Ethel swinging from a fan on the front cover, to its crazy endpapers and their vibrant illustrations which could tell another tale in themselves, giving a hint of what Ethel’s ultimate dream is, this is a riotous, LOL story in rhyme that has to be shared just for the fun of it.  Even without being able to read the words independently, little ones will be able to tell themselves the story as they read the pictures, following Ethel’s adventure as she decides she wants to ride the ferris wheel at the amusement park, and her parents’ concern, worry and fear when they discover her intentions.  Their jaws will drop when they see her step off the top of the wheel when Ethel realises the distress she has caused them because, despite her desire.  everyone knows penguins can’t fly, but then, like the illustrator, they can have fun thinking of ways she could fly safely and perhaps even come up with a new adventure for her. Because even though Ethel promises never to jump off a ferris wheel again, doesn’t mean she’s promised to be safe and sensible…

This is a story that celebrates the joy of stories, particularly for little ones who suspend reality and just go with the flow of the author’s imagination, living the dream of being Ethel or having a friend like her – fearless and fun, doing crazy things almost without consequence, understanding the richness a friend who is different can add to their lives, and through the magic of anthropomorphism, they can. It’s one to use if you’re helping parents understand how they can get the most out of sharing a picture book, particularly demonstrating the crucial symbiotic relationships between text and illustration so that the sum is greater than the parts.

This is one to share when the day is getting a bit long and ordinary, and everyone needs a boost, especially if it’s followed by a drawing session where the children illustrate the many ways Ethel could fly!  Everyone could go home on a high, so to speak.  

A Penguin Like Me

Aug21
A Penguin Like Me

A Penguin Like Me

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Penguin Like Me

Marcus Pfister

North South Books, 2024

32pp., hbk., RRP $A29.99

9780735845589

Every penguin is different.  But each one is a penguin…

At first glance, all the penguins in the colony look the same, but when you examine them more closely, each one is different.  

Lucas has come from another colony on the other side of the island and looks a little different; Ida is a little confused about just who she is yet but she would dearly love to soar like an albatross; Timmy hides his anxiety and depression by being the colony clown; Felix is loving and friendly despite his wings being shorter than those of the others; Lena loves Ida rather than one of the boy penguins and Sofia lives in a very special world of her senses … 

No matter their physical, emotional, cultural or mental differences, they are all penguins and they all get along together as a colony and a community.  In fact, the colony is richer for its diversification as each contributes something unique and accepts what is offered by the others.

By the creator of The Rainbow Fish, this is a delightful story for young readers that not only demonstrates that each of us is an individual with our own stories, talents, dreams, likes and concerns but celebrates those differences for what they add to the bigger picture.  While the theme of accepting and celebrating diversity is not new in stories for young children. it is a message that our little ones need to hear over and over in many guises as they venture beyond the confines of family and encounter children whose lives are very different to theirs.  Pfister’s artwork which captures each penguin’s personality is sublime, adding touches of humour while inviting the reader to examine it closely to see if they can detect each penguin’s personal profile before it is revealed in the text. 

Respectful relationships education is now a mandated part of the Australian curriculum and  right from Kindergarten/Foundation children are learning to develop their social, emotional and thinking skills, forming new friendships, encountering unaccustomed situations, identifying and describing emotions as they learn to express their feelings appropriately and building the capacity to deal with these unfamiliar and unknown circumstances respectfully, so this book with its emphasis on the acceptance of difference regardless of what that might be, is a valuable resource to share and explore. The children could discuss which penguin they are most like, or if they were joining the colony what unique thing they would bring to it.  

Masterful.

 

Pablo and Splash

Jan30
Pablo and Splash

Pablo and Splash

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pablo and Splash

Sheena Dempsey

Bloomsbury, 2024

240pp., graphic novel, RRP $A17.99

9781526662606

Pablo and Splash are two penguins, and even though they are very different in that Pablo loves his icy home and Splash is sick of the cold, they both agree that a holiday would be a good thing.  But it’s tricky when you live at the bottom of the planet in Antarctica and warm places are too far to swim and without wings, you can’t fly.

But Antarctica means there are scientists nearby and surely they have a solution… However on their way to visit them, they fall down a hole in the ice into the clutches of Professor O’Brain and her Timebender machine and before they know it they are on the beach they were dreaming of, but they are sharing it with dinosaurs.   Can these accidental explorers find their way home?  Or will they be stuck in the past, avoiding becoming the next meal for the locals?

With its classic theme of “be careful what you wish for” as well as the familiar time-travelling theme that takes readers to times past and future,  this is a full-colour graphic novel that will delight fans of this genre. Stories about penguins and dinosaurs individually are always favourites so combining the two into a story that engages while it educates will have broad appeal, and its undertones of the enduring friendship between two characters despite their differences will resonate with many. 

This is the first in this series that has the potential to not only appeal to its intended audience of young independent readers but also introduce them to times past that might spark an interest in further investigation.  I wonder where they will go next… Where would the reader like them to go? If they came to Australia at a particular time in our history, such as the gold rush, what hazards might they encounter? Perhaps an interesting story starter that could show you what the students know…

Einstein: The Case of the Fishy Detective

Jan23
The Case of the Fishy Detective

The Case of the Fishy Detective

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Einstein: The Case of the Fishy Detective

Iona Rangeley

David Tazzyman

HarperCollins, 2023

240pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

9780008476038

Younger, independent readers first met Einstein the penguin in his first adventure in London , when after a visit to the zoo he turns up at the home of six-year-old Arthur and nine-year-old Imogen Stewart and their parents let him stay a while. But a fairy penguin from Sydney really has no place in London “where the days end early and forget to start on time” and so he is off home to Australia.

Imogen and Arthur miss him terribly and even though they still have regular video contact, it just isn’t the same. In an unusual twist, Imogen teams up with the disgraced Detective Bill Hunter who has now set up an agency for animals to appear in advertisements, to bring Einstein and his friend Isaac back to London.  But can he be trusted? Especially when Einstein is kidnapped?  The siblings learn a lot about their own relationship when they once again pull on their detective hats to discover what has happened to Einstein and who did it.

This is a worthy sequel to the original, introducing younger readers to the mystery/crime genre that may spark their interest in others in a similar vein.  Generally, children search for topic, author and series so this might be an opportunity to demonstrate that there are stories that follow a certain pattern, have similar types of plot development, themes and conclusions and if they enjoyed this one, then genre is a way to broaden their reading horizons while they wait for any sequels.  

 

 

The Littlest Penguin

Oct5
The Littlest Penguin

The Littlest Penguin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Littlest Penguin and the Phillip Island Penguin Parade

Jedda Robaard

Penguin Foundation

Puffin, 2023

144pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781761341830

Before the Europeans came to Millowl (Phillip Island) there were at least ten little penguin colonies there, but these days there is only one.  Protected by law now, it is the largest colony in the world, and, at the end of each day, hundreds of tourists come to watch some of those 40 000 adults gather together in “rafts” before they surf into the beach, waddle across it and head up the familiar tracks to their burrows, each looking for landmarks or listening for their partner’s voice to find their way.  

And, just maybe in that daily trek there will be Little Penguin, Scruffy, Cheeky and Big Chick who are the stars of this absorbing, beautifully illustrated novel for younger readers as they begin their lives as downy chicks and grow into adults ready to have chicks themselves. Just 33cm tall and less than a kilo as adults, there are many dangers facing the little penguins, particularly as they can be at sea for up to a year on that first journey, and Little Penguin, Scruffy, Cheeky and Big Chick are exposed to all of them making for an engaging read as we hope for a happy ending for all of them.

As well as their story, there is also an extensive information section to tell the reader more including the usual facts and figures that add the background as well as what happens when they are affected by oil slicks, itself an intriguing, heart-warming story, as is the story of another colony at St Kilda.. 

Produced by the Penguin Foundation which “raises funds to enhance Phillip Island’s natural environment and protect native wildlife through research, conservation and education programs”, and published by Penguin random House (who else? and who provide funding for the organisation), this is the ideal read-aloud or read-together to inspire interest in and awareness of these little birds as well as giving all those who are likely to make the trip to Phillip Island over the upcoming Christmas  break the knowledge and understanding of just what they are seeing. Maybe, as they learn more from both the Penguin Foundation and the Penguin Parade websites, they might even want to adopt a penguin for themselves. 

I adored it.

 

Penguin chick born in Eden for the first time in 30 years holds hopes in re-establishing colony 

Flipper and Finnegan – The True Story of How Tiny Jumpers Saved Little Penguins

Aug17
Flipper and Finnegan - The True Story of How Tiny Jumpers Saved Little Penguins

Flipper and Finnegan – The True Story of How Tiny Jumpers Saved Little Penguins

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flipper and Finnegan – The True Story of How Tiny Jumpers Saved Little Penguins

Sophie Cunningham

Anil Tortop

Albert Street, 2022

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

9781761180071

Flipper and Finnegan are two of the Little Penguins that live on a Phillip Island, fishing in the surrounding ocean by day and bringing delight and joy to the thousands of visitors who travel to see their evening parade as they waddle up to their burrows.

But one day, when Flipper comes up for air she gets covered in something that is black and smelly and sticky – and Finnegan is nowhere to be seen…

And, if you’re a rescuer how can you keep so many penguins warm and safe so they don’t die of hypothermia or ingesting the oil on their feathers, while you painstakingly clean them one by one?

Based on the true story of a 2001 oil spill in Port Phillip Bay that affected the Little Penguins, this is a heart-warming story of how a nation pulled together to save the colony by knitting little sweaters to protect them while they waited their turn.  In all, 438 Little Penguins were affected by that oil spill and of those, 96% were successfully saved with the help of penguin jumpers, rehabilitated at the Wildlife Clinic and released back into the wild.

From the team who created Tippy and Jellybean – The True Story of a Brave Koala who Saved her Baby from a Bushfire, young readers can again learn of the perils – natural and manmade – that threaten our precious wildlife and while the disasters might be unavoidable, there is something that can be done to mitigate their impact.  By focusing on just two penguins and telling their story as an example of the other 436 penguins affected, their plight becomes more real and immediate and the reader connects with it more readily.  

While the penguin jumper project has been running for over 20 years, there are many that aren’t really suitable for putting on the penguins and so these are sold on penguin toys to raise funds for wildlife conservation on Phillip Island. Since 2012 the sale of these jumpers has raised $287,700 , going towards the  protection and preservation of the colony.  

A charming story that will help raise awareness of the impact of humans on the landscape and to encourage our young readers to take only photographs and leave only (carefully placed) footprints.