Archives

Ten Little Owls

Aug25
Ten Little Owls

Ten Little Owls

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ten Little Owls

Renée Treml

Random House, 2016

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

9780143782537

 

The little wombat from One Very Tired Wombat is back in a new counting book adventure!  But this time, instead of being kept awake by all the daytime creatures, it is his nighttime friends who are coming out to play.  Hopping mice, quolls, Tasmanian devils, sugar gliders and fruit bats are all there in their nocturnal romp from dusk till dawn until the ten little owls hoot a goodnight tune and signal that the sun is rising and it’s bedtime.

So many baby animals exploring their nighttime surrounds under the cover and care of darkness show the very young reader that this is not a time of rest for everyone and that for many creatures once the sun goes down is a time of safety and security.  They can speculate about why some animals feel safer at night and learn new words like ‘nocturnal’ and ‘diurnal’, perhaps even seeking to find out more about the creature that most appeals to them.  Anticipating how many creatures might feature on the next page is always fun as counting skills are consolidated and confirmed is a bonus.

Slightly older children might even do a compare and contrast with One Very Tired Wombat or use this as a model for a class book as they explore what other creatures prefer night to day, where they live and what they find on their nocturnal wanderings.

Renée’s exquisite scratchboard illustrations bring each creature to life in great detail and the rhyming texts provides a rhythm that’s going to ensure the little listener will be joining in enthusiastically.

For those of you in Melbourne, the book will be launched at The Little Bookroom at 759 Nicholson Street at 3.00pm, this Saturday August 27.  More details here. 

Christmas at Grandma’s Beach House & Christmas at Grandad’s Farm

Dec14
Christmas at Grandma's Beach House

Christmas at Grandma’s Beach House

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas at Grandad's Farm

Christmas at Grandad’s Farm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas at Grandma’s Beach House
9781760065140

Christmas at Grandad’s Farm
9781743463789

Clare Saxby
Janine Dawson
Five Mile Press, 2015
24pp., hbk., RRP $A16.99

A double dose of fun with these two titles that bring back memories of fabulous family get-togethers at Christmas. No one does Christmas quite like grandparents and in Christmas at Grandad’s Farm the family arrives at the farm all ready for the iconic Australian bush holiday complete with dust and flies and the fun of the favourite swimming hole in the creek. Set to the tune of Jingle Bells, it rollicks along through the day and into the night where it’s hard to go to sleep because of all the excitement.

In the sequel Christmas at Grandma’s Beach House more fun and memories abound as the whole family gathers at the beach to the tune of Twelve Days of Christmas. Uniquely Australian, it celebrates all the wonderful things that a beach holiday brings and instantly connects to so many in its audience.

The bright cartoon-style illustrations are just perfect, evoking a sense of freedom and fun and friendship, and while the theme of both books is iconic images of a Down-Under Christmas, nevertheless the colours and little details give a nod to the more traditional elements that set this time of the year apart from other holiday times.

There are many Australianised versions of Christmas, often set to the tune of those traditional songs, but these two with their connections to activities and memories that so many are familiar with will really be enjoyed again and again as part of the festive season.

Ten Blue Wrens and what a lot of wattle

Nov9
Ten Blue Wrens and what a lot of wattle

Ten Blue Wrens and what a lot of wattle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ten Blue Wrens and what a lot of wattle

Elizabeth Honey

Allen & Unwin, 2015

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

9781760290511

 

There have been boundless counting books based on Australiana over the years, but Ten Blue Wrens has to be one of my favourites.  Full of iconic but different images, it is a celebration of this nation in pictures and rhymes that will capture the imagination of any little person.  Who could resist

One little nipper dipping in the pools

Two straight fingers for a goal in Aussie rules

Each page brings something that the reader will relate to and want to talk about as they discover the detail in the enchanting illustrations. “Six fat strawberries on a passionfruit pavlova. There were six lamingtons…none left over.”  Unlike most counting books that end at 10 or 12, this one gives opportunities to count up to some of those ginormous numbers that little ones like.  The endpapers are gorgeous but my favourite is the final page and the clever use of words that sums up everything.

Shared bedtime stories can be as much about the learning as the bonding and there is research to show that chatting to children about maths concepts as they read can improve their understanding  so there are riches and rewards in one that is so full of fun.

Putting on my teacher librarian hat, I love stories like this – not just for the joy and energy they bring to our littlest listeners but also for the model they provide for older students to create their own.  What better way to investigate what it is to be Australian than to use this as a kickstart for thinking beyond the obvious and drawing on personal passions to say who you are.  Honey created the images using acrylics sponged onto stencils adding another element to explore as students create their own interpretations.

The hardback edition of this book was a CBCA Notable Book for Early Childhood in 2012.  Its release in paperback in 2015 means not only has it endured but also a new generation of young readers can enjoy it. A classic in the making.

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

 

Abigail

Oct25
Abigail

Abigail

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Abigail

Catherine Rayner

Little Tiger Press, 2015

32pp., pbk., RRP $A14.95

9781848956469

Abigail the giraffe loves to count but each time she does, she encounters a problem.  Ladybird disappears under a leaf, the leaves, get eaten, Zebra’s stripes keep moving and Cheetah’s spots are way too fast!  Even when she finds something that seems okay and her friends help her, there are problems.  Her animal friends can’t count.  So Abigail teaches them but just as they are getting things sorted the sun goes down.  How will they practise in the dark?

This is a charming counting book for young readers written and illustrated by Kate Greenaway medallist Catherine Rayner who has given us a number of beautiful animal stories including Augustus and his Smile  Little people will love to join in with the counting as they practise theirs and will share her good-natured frustration as she has to keep starting again.

Like many others, I’m a fan of Rayner’s emerging menagerie as each creature comes to life with its own personality with a few strokes of her watercolour brush and its accompanying text. She spends hours studying her subjects so they are just right.  In fact she shares her instructions for drawing Abigail at and the story is read online here.

 Perfect for preschool.

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

The Hueys in None the Number

Apr20
The Hueys in None the Number

The Hueys in None the Number

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Hueys in None the Number

Oliver Jeffers

HarperCollins 2014

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

9780007420698

How do you explain the concept of none, nothing, zero?  That something that isn’t even there is something?  This is one of the most difficult mathematical concepts for very young children to understand, given that they are still very much in the concrete stage of development, yet given its importance in maths it is one of the most critical. And in this charming counting book Oliver Jeffers manages it perfectly. 

Using his quirky characters The Hueys, he builds up the idea by adding one to none to get a blue telephone and then two beds until the big day building up to a crescendo of items that are suddenly taken away leaving …none.  Jeffers doesn’t confine himself to the usual objects found in counting books – each collection is a story in itself like the seven oranges being balanced on things.  Why would you try to balance an orange on something?  Or the teddy-shaped parcel that becomes everything from a tennis racquet to a train set. And the nine seagulls that steal Frank’s chips just invite the young listeners to share their own stories.

Oliver Jeffers has a knack and a reputation for making the ordinary extraordinary and this third adventure of these lovable characters is no exception.

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

The 12 Days of Christmas

Dec23
The 12 Days of Christmas

The 12 Days of Christmas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 12 Days of Christmas

Robert Sabuda

Little Simon, 2006

9781416927921

 

“On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…”

There’s really nothing new about the words of this familiar Christmas song, first published in England in 1780.  There are countless print versions of it and versions for various countries “straight” and parody alike.  But what sets this interpretation apart is its incredible illustrations for they are remarkably crafted pop-ups.  Meticulously cut and folded so they pop up perfectly as the page is opened, they reveal the magic of the song in a way like no other.  “Paper engineering” is a more accurate descriptor of Sabuda’s skills and from the partridge with the pears through to the magnificent Christmas tree at the end, complete with lights that work, you enter a world of magic and marvel.  Crafted mainly in white card with the occasional addition of silver they are just extraordinary and his imaginative way of getting all the characters into the illustration is amazing. Just look at “eleven ladies dancing”!

A peek inside..

A peek inside..

Even though this is an expensive purchase in relation to other Christmas books, it’s an investment as revealing each page could become part of an annual Christmas tradition and part of your Christmas Countdown of reading Christmas stories.

Sabuda continues to enchant with a range of other books and Christmas cards and he reflects the spirit of this time of giving by offering instructions for some designs as well as answering questions about the construction of the books.  In fact his website is a treasure trove that could well come in handy when the thrill of Christmas has passed and the long summer break seems endless.

Spectacular!

12_days_sabuda3

Ten Terrible Dinosaurs

Nov29
Ten Terrible Dinosaurs

Ten Terrible Dinosaurs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ten Terrible Dinosaurs

Paul Stickland

Random House, 2014

pbk, 32pp., RRP $A14.99

9780552572514

What do you do if you have ten terrible dinosaurs standing in a line?  Well you count them down until there is just one and then…you bring the others back again.  This is another of the traditional rhyming counting-backwards book that have appealed to young children for generations but it is so beautifully illustrated that it will become a firm favourite.  Firstly, using dinosaurs is a masterstroke because 40+ years of experience has shown me that this is a perennially favourite topic of the very young.  Secondly the colour and detail of each dinosaur will appeal and make it really easy to help young children with their visual discrimination.  Who’s missing this time?  And thirdly, it help with prediction skills as the reader thinks about who will go next and who might be the last dinosaur standing – or sleeping in this case. 

The rhythm and rhyme of the text not only help children appreciate the nuances of the language they hear each day but also help them join in as they predict the next number based on the rhyming pattern.  Is there much that is better than hearing young children shout out with the delight as they join in knowing they are right?  Such a feeling of empowerment over those squiggles on the page as they realise they can make them make sense.

Miss 3–and-almost-time-for-preschool loved this book as did Miss 8 who loves to play school and was very busy showing Miss 3 how to write the number sentence for each page.  Not sure that Miss 3 got that part but she certainly got a lot of enjoyment out of reading this with her sister and to herself.

Timeless

Uno’s Garden

Feb4
Uno's Garden

Uno’s Garden

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Uno’s Garden

Graeme Base

Viking Penguin, 2006

9780670041916

Uno arrives in the forest on a beautiful day at the very beginning of spring and is greeted by a myriad of beautiful, lush plants and the most fantastic creatures he has ever seen. He likes it so much that he decides to stay there.But Uno’s decision spells doom for the plants and the creatures of the forest, including the only completely ordinary Snortlepig.

The animals go one by one

A hundred plants, then there were none

And all the while the buildings double…

This numbers game adds up to trouble.

But Uno is wise and sees the future of his children and their children if someone does not act to stem the consequences of civilisation. So he starts a special garden that does not have the vegetables and flowers of other gardens, but allows his children and grandchildren to have hope for their future.

But if you count with utmost care

(And trust me that they are all there)

You’ll go from ten to nothing, then

The whole way back to ten again!

Uno’s Garden is a rich story that delivers a powerful message through both its words and pictures. On a simple level, it is a counting book that shows how when one thing increases another decreases. However, the diversity and detail of the illustrations tells a more complex story that provides an excellent starting point for children to start considering their impact on their environment and how this can be positive.

There is a full unit of work  with a sustainablity focus (written by me) available from Reading Enriches Learning  and Graeme Base’s imagination and work is so rich that he deserves to be the focus of an auhtor/illustrator study.

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

 

10 Little Circus Mice

Jan25
10 Little Circus Mice

10 Little Circus Mice

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10 Little Circus Mice

Caroline Stills

Judith Rossell

Little Hare, 2013

hbk., RRP $A24.95

9781921894176

This is a delightful counting book with a difference because each page focuses on the antics of all ten mice, but they are grouped differently on each page.  So while nine mice tidy their beds, one somersaults; while eight cook, two juggle; while seven wash the cups, three spin the saucers. Circus acts are much more fun than housework!  Little readers will delight in looking at the pictures and concocting the story to go with them as well as finding and following the antics of their favourites as they turn daily chores into fun and games. 

While it could be used as a book to support early addition, it is also very useful for helping early mathematicians develop the concept of the conservation of number – that 10 is 10 is 10 no matter how it is grouped – in an engaging and intriguing way. 

There is a lot of research which suggests that stories have more impact when they are supported by targeted, explicit activities and this book lends itself very well to these.  Having the children make and decorate their own mice and then working with their peers to create number stories, record these and then add text to describe what they are doing is just one.  Even though this might appear on the surface to be just another in a long line of counting books, it is, in fact, much more than that and is rich in possibilities to help both literacy and numeracy development.  Share it with your Kindergarten teachers – they will thank you for it.

Puppy Playtime 1, 2, 3

Jan5
Puppy Playtime 1, 2, 3

Puppy Playtime 1,2,3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Puppy Playtime 1, 2, 3

Celeste Walters

Adele Jaunn

Little Hare , 2013

pbk.,

9781742977164

Billy the Bitzer heads to the park to look for his bone that he has hidden.  But suddenly he finds himself in the company of a lot of other dogs and he gets itchy and twitchy in case someone finds it first.  One is a beagle racing and chasing, 2 is a bulldog romping and stomping… and each time Billy the Bitzer gets more and more concerned.

Written in rhyme and repetitive text which exploits the rhythm and patterns of our language, this is a beautifully illustrated story of ten puppies on a mission – until Billy the Bitzer starts grunting and growling and one little puppy runs home to her mum, then hooting and howling, sending another one off and then another. Miss 2 loved being Billy the Bitzer shaking and quaking, yapping and snapping and joining in the refrain.

As well as the perennial appeal of puppies, this book is perfect for helping the very young child develop numeracy skills. A step on from the more traditional counting book, it is an introduction to addition as each puppy joins the search for the bone, and then subtraction as each goes home, warned off by the indomitable Billy the Bitzer.  This book appeals on so many levels, it deserves its place on your shelves.