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Is It The Way You Giggle?

Jun19
Is It The Way You Giggle?

Is It The Way You Giggle?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is It The Way You Giggle?

Nicola Connelly

Annie White

New Frontier, 2018

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

9781925594102

What makes you special?

Is it the way you look or something that you can do?

Is it the way you giggle or the way you wiggle?

This is a new take on a perennial topic that will encourage little people to think about what it is that makes them special.  With the entire text being in question format as though the author is speaking directly to the reader, it provokes thought about those things that are unique to us that make us stand out, going beyond the obvious of the colour of the skin, eyes and hair and starting to look at the inner person-their personality, their expertise  and their mannerisms.  Even those with low self-esteem will be able to contribute something and perhaps get a little lift that there is something special about them.  

Annie White’s charming illustrations in watercolour and pencil show that even within one family of four kids from the same parents and exposed to the same sorts of things, there is huge diversity amongst them which is accepted, appreciated and celebrated within the family. 

Extensive teachers’ notes offer new ideas about using this book with early childhood children but as a parent-child read-along, it’s a great opportunity for a chat about how the child and other family members are special and even what makes the family itself unique.

Roald Dahl’s 1 2 3

Jun17
Roald Dahl's 1 2 3

Roald Dahl’s 1 2 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roald Dahl’s 1 2 3

Roald Dahl

Quentin Blake

Puffin, 2018

16pp., board book., RRP $A12.99

9780241330364

What happens when you mix the master storytelling of Roald Dahl, iconic bright illustrations by Quentin Blake and the time-proven format of a counting book?  You get a fantastic book for very young readers that introduces them to an author/illustrator combination that will delight them for years.

Using The Enormous Crocodile as its base, young children will delight in seeing all the other chiddlers gather to play in the park while at the same time, in true pantomime style, wanting to yell out at warn them about what they can see hiding in the bushes.  Counting books are plentiful, those that tell a story not-so, and those which build to a climax that is only resolved by a cunning lift-the-flap conclusion, rare.  This book ticks so many essential boxes in helping our youngest readers continue their reading journey with confidence and independence  knowing that the BEST books tell a story.  Miss 3 adored it and will be a Dahl/Blake fan for life, just like Miss Almost-12!

My Best Friend is a Goldfish

Jun16
My Best Friend is a Goldfish

My Best Friend is a Goldfish

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Best Friend is a Goldfish

Mark Lee

Chris Jevons

Carolrhoda Books, 2018 

24pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781512426014

“If you ask me, a best friend is the best thing in the world .  Best friends enjoy the same things. They play together all the time. and they always get along with each other.”

So it was never going to end well when one wanted to be the captain of the spaceship and the other, the captain of the pirate ship.  Harsh words are said, a friendship is split and a new best friend has to be found.  But dogs, cats, hamsters and even goldfish have their drawbacks as best friends and so…

This seamless combination of text and illustrations challenges the concept that many little people have that best friends are like peas in a pod, liking and doing the same things at the same time and never being different.  Is it possible to have different ideas and do different things and still be best friends? If someone disagrees with us, does that mean the friendship is doomed or does it offer an opportunity to explore and respect the differences, perhaps even learn something new?  Can we have more than one friend at a time? How is a best friend different from a regular friend? While in this book the friends look similar, is this a pre-requisite to being friends?  How do shared values and beliefs affect friendships? Is it OK to be angry with or disappointed in or surprised by your best friend?

“What is a friend?” is a perennial topic in early childhood education and this book can take the conversation a step further by having the children consider those sorts of questions. Having friends is about being a friend and there are many facets to that.

 

Jasper Juggles Jellyfish

Jun14
Jasper Juggles Jellyfish

Jasper Juggles Jellyfish

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jasper Juggles Jellyfish

Ben Long

David Cornish

Ford Street, 2018 

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

9781925736038

“By the corals of the ocean, where it’s quiet, calm and cool, 

an octopus named Jasper dragged his tentacles to school.

He felt that counting jellyfish was too much of a struggle.

“I just can’t do it,” Jasper said. “I’d rather learn to juggle.”

And so, with the help of some obliging jellyfish, he did.  First he tried throwing them all in the air but they splattered everywhere, so on the wise advice of freckle he started with just one, then two then three, then four.  But four proved a bit of a challenge so it was time for some more advice, this time from Curlywurly and soon Jasper discovered he could count way past the original five!

With its unique concept, rhyming text that is LOL funny, and bright bold pictures, this is a charming counting book that will engage the young reader because it has a real story to it.  It’s more than just pointing, matching and counting underscoring the book’s message that we can learn anything if we find a way that suits us.  And there is so much more in the story than just being able to count to 12, all of which would lend itself to some splendid artwork that could explain all that the children have learned while they’ve been having such fun.

Superb.

Scaredy Cat

Jun6
Scaredy Cat

Scaredy Cat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scaredy Cat

Heather Gallagher

Anil Tortop

New Frontier, 2018 

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

9781925594171

“Have you seen my Scaredy Cat?

He’s afraid of this and afraid of that…”

There are many things that put fear into her beloved pet like “noise and walking toys and  calling, sprawling, brawling boys”  but the little girl is very brave and protective and happy to keep him safe.

The repetitive text, rhyme and rhythm make this a catchy story to read and share and the clean, crisp illustrations provide lots to enjoy but don’t overwhelm the page so that the reader can still have fun trying to find Scaredy Cat in them.  He’s there in each one.  The ending is quite unexpected. 

One to make us think about how far we would go for our pets. 

 

I Got a Chicken for My Birthday

Jun4
I Got a Chicken for My Birthday

I Got a Chicken for My Birthday

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I Got a Chicken for My Birthday

Laura Gehl

Sarah Horne

Carolrhoda Books, 2018

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

9781512431308

Three times Ana asked Abuela Lola for tickets to the amusement park for her birthday but instead, she got a CHICKEN. Somewhat pragmatic Ana figures it’s better than socks or a sweater or underwear and she does like scrambled eggs, but this is not ordinary chicken.  Rather than laying eggs and doing other chicken things, this one has a long list of the most extraordinary things including straw, sticks and bricks, 100 steel girders, 10 000 screws, 60 000 nails, a host of familiar nursery characters, even a partridge in a pear tree!  

Then with the help of Ana’s other pets, the chicken sets to work digging, building, hammering… what on earth is happening?

This is a unique story that has the most outrageous but fun ending that will delight young readers.  Told by the bewildered Ana with the title being the repetitive pattern, and the chicken only communicating through placards, the sparse text is in direct contrast to the illustrations which are full of busyness, action and foreground detail. Little ones will be wondering just what it is the chicken is doing and even the adult reader will suspend their disbelief as the story rollicks along.

Fun for everyone especially if they are then challenged to design their own amusement park or work on Ana’s wish for her next birthday.

Let’s Visit the Olobobs

Jun3
Let's Visit the Olobobs

Let’s Visit the Olobobs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s Visit the Olobobs

Leigh Hodgkinson

Bloomsbury Children’s, 2018

12pp., board book, RRP $A12.99

9781408897621

Olobob Top is a children’s television series currently screening on ABC Kids in Australia. It follows a group of young creative creatures called the Olobobs. Tib, Lalloo and Bobble live in a big forest and have fun playing, exploring and solving everyday problems. In each episode, they work together combining shapes, colours and patterns to create a new character, who joins in with the Olobobs’ fun, while a friendly narrator encourages them to think for themselves to solve everyday problems using their imagination and creativity.

So this lift-the-flap book and its companion Make Your Own Olobob Home an activity book that demands their input will encourage very young readers to find their favourite characters in another medium.

Make Your Own Olobob Home

Make Your Own Olobob Home

Years ago I was somewhat sceptical about these sorts of books that were clearly spin-offs from movies and television but after seeing the joy of a little boy who suddenly discovered The Wiggles among the titles on the shelves of KMart and demanding that his mother buy it for him (if she didn’t, I would have) I realised their power and importance in discovering the joy of reading.  To discover favourite and familiar characters in books not only sets up expectations and anticipation but also encourages the child to bring what they already know to the text, to test what they expect and what happens against that prior knowledge and understand that books can be better because you can enjoy them at your own page, flick back and forth and return to them time and again is a critical step in the learning journey. 

Focusing on shapes, colours and patterns both of these titles (with several more to come over the next two years) encourage interaction and learning and demonstrate the rigorous quality required for books for even our earliest readers these days. 

 

What are Stars?

Jun2
What are Stars?

What are Stars?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What are Stars?

Katie Daynes

Marta Alvarez Miguens

Usborne, 2017

12pp., board book., RRP $A19.99

9781474924252

As soon as children are old enough to see the night sky and the stars, they have questions about them…

What are stars?

Can I visit a star?

How many stars are there?

Which star is the nearest?

Are all stars the same?

These, and others, are answered in this lift-the-flap book especially designed to answer the questions of  very young readers.  With several flaps on each page to lift, they can discover so much about the worlds that are revealed after the sun sets, the curtains are drawn and the lights turned off.

Driven by providing answers to questions, it is a great introduction to the inquiry process and information literacy as the child learns to seek answers, searching for them in different places and  discovering that often, answers lead to even more questions.

Young readers will delight in learning new things and sharing their developing knowledge. 

 

 

Along Came a Different

May31
Along Came a Different

Along Came a Different

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Along Came a Different

Tom McLaughlin

Bloomsbury, 2018

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

9781408888926

The Reds loved being red- to them being red was the most important thing and it was The. Best. Thing. Ever.  But when, unexpectedly, their space was intruded upon by Yellow, things changed.  The Yellows (who thought being yellow was The. Best. Thing. Ever) didn’t like the reds  and the conflict began.  And when along came a Blue (who also believed that being blue was The. Best. Thing. Ever.) things deteriorated even further.  There seemed to be no common ground at all – none of them liked each other and demarcation lines were drawn as the insults and grievances grew.  Eventually a set of rules was constructed and things settled down, but then unexpectedly…

Is there any way at all that each group can learn to live with and get along with each other?

Using colour, shape and whimsical illustration, McLaughlin explores the concept of judging others based on their appearance and how flimsy the arguments for discrimination really are.  While each colour has its unique features, there is common ground and much to be said for the symbiosis that occurs when there is co-operation, collaboration and even harmony.

Discrimination based on perceived differences is an adult concept that most young children do not even notice unless an adult points it out.  This book is the perfect conversation starter so that when they do encounter prejudice they have this experience to draw on so they can see the stupidity of it and reject it.  Life should be about friendship, inclusivity and acceptance and McLaughlin demonstrates this perfectly.

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

Crash! Boom! A Maths Tale

May30
Crash! Boom! A Maths Tale

Crash! Boom! A Maths Tale

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crash! Boom! A Maths Tale

Robie H. Harris

Chris Chatterton

Walker, 2018

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

 9781406380514

Elephant is building a tower with his blocks.  He wants it to be as tall as he is and while he just manages it on his first attempt with four blocks stacked on their edges, it’s very wobbly!  CRASH! BOOM! Down it tumbles.  

After throwing an elephant-sized tanty, using all sorts of maths-related words, he has another look and another try.  This time he tries the same blocks, but flat this time… 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8!  And is stands until he crash booms it himself.  And then he looks at the other blocks in his tub…

Far from being a stand-alone subject in the curriculum that brings out the moans and groans, we are surrounded by maths concepts and even our youngest readers will enjoy this story as the illustrations are so evocative, the text is just a bonus!  Exploring 3D shapes; which stack, which don’t; counting the blocks as they are added and thinking about why one tower took 4 and the other 8; using the language of comparison and building towers that are as tall as, taller  than, shorter than other objects; even the dexterity and eye-hand co-ordination involved in the stacking – there is a wealth of activity in this seemingly simple book.  

Perfect for keeping the preschooler occupied for hours without a screen and learning at the same time!