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Father Christmas and the Three Bears

Dec16

 

 

 

 

Father Christmas and the Three Bears

Father Christmas and the Three Bears

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Father Christmas and the Three Bears

Lou Peacock

Margarita Kukhtina

Nosy Crow, 2022

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

9781839945694

It’s Christmas Eve and Father Christmas has just the last village of the Back of Beyond to visit but he is really tired.  Seeing The Three Bear’s cottage far below he stops for a rest and soon falls asleep in front of the fire.  But when the bears come home they discover  NOTHING will wake him.  Not Baby Bear setting off the alarm clocks;  not Mummy Bear playing Jingle Bells very loudly on the piano; not even Daddy Bear blowing his alpenhorn!  How will the children of Back of Beyond get their presents?

Baby Bear has an idea and very soon the Fairy-Tale Rescue Rangers are there  to deliver the last presents so no one misses out.  But how will they cross the Roaring Rushing River, navigate the Deepest Darkest Wood and get past the Most Monstrous Mountain . . . all before the children wake up on Christmas morning?

This is one of those simple-good-fun stories that young children delight in at this time of the year, even moreso because they will recognise the members of the Fairy-Tale Rescue Rangers and be able to use what they know about them to predict how they might overcome the obstacles that confront them, enabling them to become involved in the story rather than just passively listening.  They might even like to predict how Baby Bear might be able to help the Fairy-Tale Rescue Rangers in the future. 

An interesting storyline, bright pictures, familiar characters, problems to solve – this has all the elements of an engaging story for young readers. 

 

The Twelve Days of Christmas Island

Dec15

 

 

 

 

The Twelve Days of Christmas Island

The Twelve Days of Christmas Island

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Twelve Days of Christmas Island

Teresa Lagrange

A & U Children’s, 2022

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

9781761068041

Over 2600km north-west of Perth, Christmas Island is a tiny dot in the Indian Ocean, just 135 square km and most of that, national park.  This geographical isolation and its dense rainforests mean it is a sanctuary for plants, animals and birds with hundreds of species calling the tiny island home. There is so much more than the red crabs we usually associate with the island.  

In this unique book which draws on the format of the traditional Christmas song, young readers are introduced to just a handful of those birds species, so very different to those they usually see on mainland Australia. From the bright-red plumage of the Frigatebird to the iridescent green of the Emerald Dove, these rare and special birds are depicted with brief notes about each species, the lilly pilly tree in which they gather and the island itself complete the pages making the complete package. 

If you’re looking for a Christmas book that is not the cardinals and robin redbreasts of the northern hemisphere, or even those in the song, this one is special. 

 

The Twelve Dinosaurs of Christmas

Dec13

 

 

 

 

The Twelve Dinosaurs of Christmas

The Twelve Dinosaurs of Christmas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Twelve Dinosaurs of Christmas

Evie Day

Liam Darcy

Orchard Books, 2022

32pp., pbk., RRP $A15.99

9781408367919

On the first day of Christmas, my grandpa gave to me . . .
A Santasaurus and her dino baby!

Can there be anything better than a grandpa who understands your love of dinosaurs and instead of drummers drumming, lords a-leaping, golden rings and a partridge in a pear tree,  gives you dinosaurs for the Christmas countdown? 

Young dinosaur lovers will delight in this hilarious, colourful, action-packed twist on the traditional song as more and more dinosaurs – some familiar, some not-so, are added to the little girl’s collection.  And with this week’s news that Queensland Museum Network palaeontologists have excavated Australia’s first head and associated body of a 100-million-year-old long-necked marine reptile in what has been described as the Rosetta Stone of marine reptile palaeontology, the continuing fascination with these ancient creatures is going to peak again, making this book such a fun read for the enthusiasts – perhaps even offering them some new species to investigate or imagining the problems such gifts might cause…  It’s amazing what something that starts as just a bit of light entertainment can lead to.  

The Christmas Pig

Dec12

 

 

 

 

The Christmas Pig

The Christmas Pig

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Christmas Pig

J. K. Rowling

Jim Field

Little, Brown 2021

312pp., hbk., RRP $A39.99

9781444964912

Jack loves his childhood toy, Dur Pig. DP has always been there for him, through good and bad – starting school, the break-up of his parents’ marriage, moving house, starting a new school, his mother’s remarriage, a new step-sister who is mean… Whenever there is change to be faced, DP is there for him and it doesn’t matter that he’s getting a bit grey and worn and has had surgery on his eyes because he has his own special smell and always knows exactly what is troubling Jack without even having to be told.

Until one Christmas Eve, something terrible happens – DP is lost. Fed up with step-sister Holly’s nastiness (but too young to understand she is fighting her own demons too), he responds by calling her a loser.  To a gymnastics champ who has just lost an important competition, that is a red rag to a bull and Holly throws his precious DP out the car window onto the motorway. Jack is devastated – even though Grandpa searches, DP is not found and all Jack can imagine is DP lost and alone in the dark, cold and wet.  He trashes his room in anger, and doesn’t want anything to do with the replacement Christmas Pig that Holly buys, throwing it into the corner. 

But Christmas Eve is a night for miracles and lost causes, a night when all things can come to life… even toys. And when strange voices waken Jack he discovers that despite his treatment of it, the Christmas Pig has a daring plan: together they’ll embark on a magical journey to seek something lost, and to save the best friend Jack has ever known…

J. K. Rowling’s name will forever be associated with the world of Hogwarts and Harry Potter, and this story has all the charm and originality of those but for a younger audience.  It is a much simpler narrative style and many young readers will relate to the upheavals in Jack’s short life and his attachment to DP, the one constant in a turmoil of change.  I could hear myself reading it as either a bedtime story or as a class read-aloud, and that, to me, is the hallmark of something quite special.  Of the thousands of books I’ve read to children over the 50+ years I’ve been doing that, only a handful reach those heights.  So, definitely one to put in your teacher toolbox or on the parent’s shelf to become part of your Christmas Countdown. 

Virtually Christmas

Dec9

 

 

 

 

Virtually Christmas

Virtually Christmas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Virtually Christmas

David Baddiel

HarperCollins, 2022

256pp., pbk., RRP $A14.99

9780008334321

It used to be the most WONDERFUL time of the year, but for years Christmas has been taken over by Winterzone.

All the things that made Christmas special are gone: the human connection, the baubles passed down through generations, even the rubbish cracker jokes.

Instead, Christmas is run by robots, while 3D holograms of Santa Claus called Santavatars check if you’ve been naughty or nice – and on Christmas Eve, all of the presents are delivered by ZoneDrones instead of Santa’s reindeer!

But when they stumble on a curious clue, eleven-year-old Etta and her friend Monty find themselves thrown into a fight to bring back Christmas. Racing against time and against the might of Winterzone, they must find the real Santa – before the true meaning of the festive season is lost forever . . .

In some ways, our children are used to Christmas being virtual with travel restrictions meaning a lot of family get-togethers are being done online, and as a consequence, a lot of the long-held traditions and rituals have been let go.  So as well as being an engaging read for young independent readers with a unique-till-now theme, it is also an opportunity for them to reflect on the things that they would miss most about Christmas if they were taken away.  What are the things that their family does that make it a personalised experience, the things they will continue to do with their own children in years to come?  What have they taken for granted? What do they want to reinstate?

For many, Christmas is about family and making memories and there is a lot of effort put into making it a magical time but what do our children actually take on board?  And perpetuate? This is an entertaining story in itself, but with the capacity to encourage some great what-if thinking…

The Christmas Bum Book

Dec8

 

 

 

 

The Christmas Bum Book

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Christmas Bum Book

Kate Mayes

Andrew Joyner

ABC Books, 2022

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

When I was a kid, just after the days of the dinosaurs, we felt very risqué chanting “yum, yum, pig’s bum, makes good chewing gum” just out of the earshot of adults.  To be heard meant mouths washed out with soap, or a smacked bum.

Now, there are whole books written about bums and bottoms – a healthy way to make this anatomical feature as natural as it is for everyone.

So in this hilarious book “for anyone who has a bum” author and illustrator have taken a host of the concepts we associate with Christmas and applied them to posteriors amplifying that bums come in all sizes, shapes and colours. From the big, red-covered plumpness we associate with Santa to Dad’s glittery underpants, there are derrieres galore, each celebrating the fun and joy of Christmas – most welcome in this year of gloom and doom after years of gloom and doom and when adults seem hard-pressed to work up the enthusiasm for their kids’ celebrations. 

Bright and colourful and just good fun – this is one to put a smile on any… face!!!

 

We’re Going on a Sleigh Ride

Dec7

 

 

 

 

We're Going on a Sleigh Ride

We’re Going on a Sleigh Ride

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’re Going on a Sleigh Ride

Martha Mumford

Cherie Zamazing

Bloomsbury, 2022

24pp., pbk., RRP $A14.99

9781526632210

We’re going on a sleigh ride,
HO! HO! HO!
Can you find the hidden gifts?
Whoosh! Off we go!

This is one for the little ones who like lift-the-flap adventures as they are invited to climb aboard Santa’s sleigh and join the fun as four bunnies set off on a thrilling festive adventure. As they fly through the sky there are ten presents to find hidden under the flaps making it an action-packed treasure hunt in rhyme because they will need to watch out for the obstacles along the way – snowy clouds, church spires, flocks of flying geese – while still helping the sleigh back to the North Pole in time for Christmas!

It’s a companion to We’re Going on a Treasure Hunt, We’re Going on an Elf Chase and We’re Going on an Egg Hunt  so little ones will be delighted to see the familiar characters again and help them out. 

Meerkat Christmas

Dec6

 

 

 

 

Meerkat Christmas

Meerkat Christmas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meerkat Christmas

Aura Parker

Puffin, 2022

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

9780143777229

Hip Hooray! It’s Christmas Day!
Come on, Meerkats, let’s all play!
Jumping, leaping, up, up, up.
Meerkat pup on pup on pup!

The meerkats are back just in time for a crazy Christmas romp that has them building a meerkat Christmas tree – which is fine until someone sneezes.

As with its predecessor , this one is a fast-paced story in rhyme that will appeal to young readers as they explore the meerkat present factory on the endpages  – who needs elves? – and cheer them on as one by one they join the fun, consolidating number and counting skills on the way. 

Aura Parker is fast gaining a reputation among early childhood educator for her stories that are really appealing to our youngest readers, drawing on familiar, ordinary circumstances but adding a twist that take them  to the realm of entertainment (and a little bit of education) and this is no exception.  One for the little ones in your life. 

Zola and the Christmas Lights

Dec5

 

 

 

 

Zola and the Christmas Lights

Zola and the Christmas Lights

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zola and the Christmas Lights

Melina Marchetta

Deb Hudson

Puffin, 2022

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

 9780143777649

Zola loves living on Boomerang Street with her mum and her nonna and next door to her cousin Alessandro in a little house in a little street in a little suburb in a big city. Every day of the week is an adventure and now,  it’s Zola’s last day in 2B and having learned that not everyone in the class celebrates the Christian festival, she wonders what it is that all the festivals, stories and traditions have in common.

This year, though, Christmas will be different because Nonno is no longer with them and he was the one who transformed their house into a wonderland.  The box of Christmas lights has even disappeared.  And as Zola searches for them because the street hasn’t had lights for two years and she and Alessandro want to light it up once again, she learns what is at the core of the celebrations, regardless of their different ways and times of marking them. 

For two years during 2020 and 2021, young readers followed Zola’s adventures as her curiosity got her into all sorts of strife but at the same time drawing her diverse neighbourhood into a community.  For many, during the long days of COVID restrictions and lockdowns she became another friend who took her fans beyond their own rooms and houses for a brief time.  Thus, for many, Melina Marchetta, author of Looking for Alibrandi (a classic for older readers which has just been re-released) gave them a gift as precious as Nonno’s lights and shows that this time of the year is so much more than expensive toys and shiny gift wrap. This is the perfect wrap for a delightful series. 

 

A Very Play School Christmas

Dec4

 

 

 

 

A Very Play School Christmas

A Very Play School Christmas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Very Play School Christmas

Jan Stradling

Jedda Robaard

ABC Books, 2022

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

9780733342363

Since it first aired on Australian television on 18 July 1966, the toys of Play School have shared so many adventures with young children and now they are back to spend Christmas together at Jemima’s caravan park.  

Young children will delight in seeing the familiar friends share the joys and fun of an Australian Christmas as they take part in the Christmas present hunt and lucky dip.

And given that is more than 55 years since we first met them, this is one to add to the favourites collection to be shared and shared again, perhaps even 55 from years from now!