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Silver Linings

Dec1
Silver Linings

Silver Linings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Silver Linings

Katrina Nannestad

ABC Books, 2023

304pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

9780733342257

Rural New South Wales in 1952 – a new monarch is about to be crowned and for five-year-old Nettie Sweeney life is almost perfect.  She has a dad, three big sisters, a farm full of cows and a cat called Mittens, can read and write and even does spelling with Second Class because she is so clever.  But Nettie longs for a mother.  Her own passed away when she was born (leaving her with all sorts of misconceptions about babies and storks) and she would love to have one who has a gentle touch, sparkles in her eyes and lots of love and hugs to give.  But instead she has cranky Aunty Edith who is quick with her hands and even quicker with her tongue as she clings to the old ways.  

When Dad marries Alice, all Nettie’s dreams come true and the Sweeney home overflows with laughter, love and a new philosophy of looking for the silver linings in everything rather than the dark clouds.  When her baby brother. Billy, is born he becomes  the light of Nettie’s life and her world is perfect.  Until it isn’t…

Those who are familiar with five-year-olds, and even those who aren’t , will laugh out loud all through the beginning of this book as we see life through the unfiltered lens of Nettie and her doll Fancy Nancy.  And they will empathise with the unsophisticated five-year-old who has to handle the family tragedy in her own way because she just isn’t mature enough to know of any other. Her naivety endears her from the beginning and her resilience and courage as events play out inspire. While the big issues of PTSD, loss and depression that are confronted could be anywhere, anytime,  by placing them in the early 50s Nannestad distances them enough from the reader’s here and now for them to be acknowledged but not necessarily absorbed. And for those of us old enough to know better, how will we ever think of Queen Elizabeth II as anything but “the mongoose of the British Umpire” again? 

It’s a rare author who can write a story for young children in a way that has adult readers turning page after page because there has to be a solution, and Nannestad is one of those.  As with The Girl who brought Mischief, this one had me reading past my bedtime because I was so enamoured of Nettie and needed to know there was a happy ending.     

This is one for independent readers who like real-life stories (it is based on family happenings) and if you are preparing a list of books for Christmas stockings, this should be on it.         

Always Never Always

Nov20
Always Never Always

Always Never Always

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Always Never Always

Meg McKinlay

Leila Rudge

Walker Books, 2023

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

9781760655204

Always follow secret tracks –
the paths that wind and wend through cracks.
Never worry where they go.
When you get there, then you’ll know.

If ever there were an example of the symbiosis between the text of a picture book and its illustrations, then this would be it.  

While the words offer advice and guidance that encourage the young child to be open to exploring their world, using their imagination and seeing and appreciating its wonders, particularly those right in front of them, the pictures take a young girl on an adventure with her wind-up duck following what ever opens up before them.  

Always take time to look on every cranny, every nook

Never go so fast you miss important things like that and this…

Written in rhyme that carries the metaphor of moving forward on life’s journey as we must, it encourages the young child to take the next step but there is always a word of caution to temper what could become reckless… 

Always test a secret door. And keep that key! There could be more!)

Never close it at your back, but leave it open just a crack.

There is so much meaning that could be taken from lines like these beyond the illustration of the young girl opening a door in a vast, vine-entwined tree trunk opening opportunities for older readers to compare literal and figurative language. Added to this is the image of the key used on both the endpapers and throughout the book, suggesting that there is so much in life that can be unlocked so what appears on the surface to be a book for young readers itself unlocks a lot of lessons for those a bit older.

Mr Clownfish, Miss Anemone and the Hermit Crab

Nov17
Mr Clownfish, Miss Anemone and the Hermit Crab

Mr Clownfish, Miss Anemone and the Hermit Crab

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mr Clownfish, Miss Anemone and the Hermit Crab

Sean E. Avery

Walker, 2023

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

9781760654344

In the ocean there is no closer friendship than that between Mr Clownfish and Miss Anemone.  She protects him with her stinging tentacles if a big fish threatens him, and he protects her from other fish, cleans her tentacles twice a day and finds delicious small morsels of food they eat together, although Miss Anemone does get lonely when he swims off because she is tethered to the side of a large rock. They are each other’s heroes, 

On Miss Anemone’s birthday, Mr Clownfish gives her a hermit crab as a present and then goes in search of something special for their birthday tea. But when he returns, Miss Anemone has disappeared!  Convinced she has been kidnapped he follows the tracks in the sand and finds Miss Anemone riding on Hermit Crab’s back delighted in being able to explore the ocean at last. Mr Clownfish is devastated, convinced he is  no longer needed. But he has a very important lesson to learn about friendship… 

For those who have seen Finding Nemo (and this is a good reason to show it again),  the fun and friendships of the cheeky clownfish will be well-known as will the diversity of life on the ocean floor that is so beautifully depicted in Avery’s iconic, quirky illustrations, as Mr Clownfish delivers dinner in a scoop of seaweed rather like an underwater Uber Eats.  Apart from being a most engaging story of a special friendship that opens opportunities to explore the symbiotic relationships of creatures, not just in the ocean, and their interdependence so they can survive. it also puts the intricacies of human friendship into the spotlight.  Written for an age group that is just starting to build relationships beyond family ties, and often being very possessive of those, it raise questions about whether it is possible to have more than one special friend and how to respond if our special friend finds someone else.  While they might not need their friends to protect them in the way that Mr Clownfish and Miss Anemone interact, what are the unique attributes of their friends and how do they enrich each other’s lives? 

As with Frank’s Red Hat, shortlisted in the CBCA 2023 Book of the Year awards, Avery has offered our younger readers a most delightful read but with many more layers than meet the eye,  

Little Ash (series)

Oct30
Little Ash (series)

Little Ash (series)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Little Ash (series)

Sports Carnival

9781460764633

Puppy Playtime

9781460764640

Ash Barty

Jasmine McCaughey

Jade Goodwin

HarperCollins, 2023

64pp., pbk., RRP $A9.99

Hot on the heels of the successful launch of the junior version of her autobiography comes the latest two in this series for young, newly independent readers.  

As with the others, they feature themes that are likely to be familiar to the audience – getting a puppy, and having to put the greater good before your own desires – and encouraging the reader to consider what they would do in a similar circumstance. Part of learning to win is learning to lose, and it is refreshing to have plots where the main character, who in real life we all seem to expect to win all the time, actually faces difficulties and defeat and has to handle that.  It is also refreshing to read stories where, even for champions, success doesn’t come easily – there is a lot of trial and error and practice that has to be endured, and not just with sport.  So many children who find something like learning to read comes easy naturally expect things like maths or music will also require little effort and when faced with a challenge either turn away or label themselves as “no good at that”.    

As sports stars come and go, much in the same way as new waves of young readers discover they can read by themselves, series like this also come and go and are very popular and useful at their time.  Students discover that those they admire most face similar dilemmas and choices as they do, making them more real and, at the same time, showing them that they do have power to determine things for themselves. And with their subject matter and format carefully designed for those emerging readers, regardless of the celebrity on the masthead, they also show them that they can read independently, that reading is something they can master and enjoy and that it will open a whole variety of new worlds and pathways.  So this is another important addition to your Stepping Stone collection with application and attraction beyond just those who like tennis. 

These Little Feet

Oct29
These Little Feet

These Little Feet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These Little Feet

Hayley Rawsthorne

Briony Stewart

Albert Street, 2023

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

9781761069017

These little feet, so tiny and new.
The places they’ll go, the dances they’ll do.
The mountains they’ll climb, the dreams they’ll pursue.
These little feet, so tiny and new.
In the classic tradition of Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes, this is a story of a mother imagining the journeys ahead of her newborn, the adventures they will have and the love and joy they will know.  If you’re looking for a gift to celebrate the birth of a newborn for new parents, this is it. 

A Life Song

Oct27
A Life Song

A Life Song

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Life Song

Jane Godwin

Anna Walker

Puffin, 2023

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

9781761047640

When you are born, you make up a song
It doesn’t rhyme, and it isn’t long
A song of everything you hold dear
It’s your own tune, it’s loud and clear

And your whole world is in it…

One of the favourite units my Kindy kids loved to explore was one based on A. A. Milne’s poem, The End. They loved to discover how much they had grown and changed and learned since they had been born and feel the sense of empowerment and excitement of being in charge of what was to come next. 

The End

When I was One,
I had just begun.When I was Two,
I was nearly new.

When I was Three,
I was hardly me.

When I was Four,
I was not much more.

When I was Five,
I was just alive.

But now I am six,
I’m as clever as clever

So I think I’ll be six now
Forever and ever.

This new release is the perfect complement to that showing how the child has grown, building on the song of their life as they mature, learn and do more things, and meet more people, each of whom contributes something to the lyrics, loud or soft. Likened to a tiny stream at birth, it grows stronger and bigger as does the child, meandering this way and that as new people and experiences occur, until it becomes one with the river flowing ever onward.  The key difference between Milne’s poem and this, though, is that the poem focuses on the child exclusively while this has the suggestion that there is much more to the child’s song that their own melody – that it started before they were born, will gather momentum during their lifetime and rather than reaching a crescendo at the end, will continue on afterwards.  So it adds to that reflection and appreciation of where they have come from by speculating and anticipating what might come next.  

One for the collection and toolbox of any teacher working with little ones who need reassurance that they are unique, that there are brighter days coming and that they have much to offer and contribute not only to their song but to the orchestra playing it. 

I Try

Oct24
I Try

I Try

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I Try

Susie Brooks

Cally Johnson-Isaacs

Farshore, 2023

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

9780008648282

One of the common complaints from kindergarten teachers is that new-to-big-school children often demonstrate little resilience – the ability to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and try again, solving the problem through trial and error.  And they need to develop special lessons and programs to teach this  to compensate for the helicopter parenting where all the child’s potential problems have been eliminated in advance by over-zealous adults and thus the child hasn’t had the opportunity to learn to cope with setbacks and sadness.  So this book would seem to have been written especially for them to aid in those lessons.

Addressed directly to the child reader, it offers ways to encourage them to be adventurous and learn something new; be brave and do something tricky; be strong and don’t give up.  Using examples from the animal kingdom, this book motivates little ones to try new things, build their confidence and become resilient in all aspects of life.  If you’re too short to reach, ask someone to help; if something doesn’t go as you expected, try again; if you’re afraid, take the first step….  The cute and relatable cast of children work together and support each other, showing that there is always help around, especially when venturing into the unknown.

With anxiety levels apparently at an all0time high amongst our children, one of the kindest and most powerful things we can do is help them develop the belief in themselves and the strategies they need to face new situations so these simple suggestions provide an excellent starting point for that.  

Erin Hanson Poetry

Erin Hanson Poetry

 

All You Need to Know about Your Body by Age 7

Oct22
All You Need to Know about Your Body by Age 7

All You Need to Know about Your Body by Age 7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All You Need to Know about Your Body by Age 7

Alice James

Stefano Tognetti

Usborne, 2023

80pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

9781803701639

Children are not very old before they start asking questions about their bodies – what it can do, what makes it work, why it looks the way it does, how it grows and why it changes.

In this new release most of their questions are answered and with a cast of comical bugs to guide readers, activities to try at home, and links to further resources online so they can explore further, it is pitched at just the right level for those asking those initial questions. 

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

 

 

Covering topics such as the outside of the boy, the inside, breathing, blood circulation, as well as an emphasis on staying healthy – “Your body belongs to YOU.  It’s your job to look after it and be kind to it, throughout your life” – . it will satisfy the normal curiosity of young readers while enabling those with more questions to learn more if they choose.  As is usual with Usborne publications, this is another quality resource that has a place in any library – home or school.

Giant-Sized Butterflies On My First Day of School

Oct17
Giant-Sized Butterflies On My First Day of School

Giant-Sized Butterflies On My First Day of School

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Giant-Sized Butterflies On My First Day of School

Justin Roberts

Paola Escobar

Putnam, 2023

33pp., hbk., RRP $A34.99

9780525516439

When a little girl wakes up on the first day of school, the butterflies in her stomach feel positively giant-sized! She really wants her mom to stay with her, on this first day. As she and her mother make their way to school, her mother explains how the butterflies are a good thing. Everyone gets them (including parents) and they are a sign of something exciting happening—that we’re about to learn and grow from a new experience and they can help us through it.
So with the butterflies as her guide, the girl soars into her first day.

As little ones’ thoughts turn to the next big step in their lives – moving from preschool to big school – it is natural that there are going to be nerves and anxiety as the transition will be daunting for many. So this is another one to add to that collection to share to reassure them that their feelings are natural but they can be managed if they look through a positive lens.  Even though it is American, it carries the universal message that everyone shares a fear of the unknown to some degree and that, in itself, can bring peace and calm.  It also reassures them that they are old enough and brave enough to take this step, and it will only be a short time with new and familiar friends  before their butterflies have disappeared. 

 

 

 

Deep

Oct7
Deep

Deep

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deep

Stephen Hogtun

Bloomsbury, 2023

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

9781526610683

“Go my little one, swim free,” she whispered.
“I’ll always be waiting here . . .”

When a tiny whale calf is born, his mother raises him to the surface to take his first breath. She guides him as he grows, until he is strong enough to swim at her side, and they set off together on a great journey across the oceans.  One day, the time will come for the grown calf to set out on his own . . . but wherever he goes and whatever he does, his mother will be waiting for him and sending her song of love across the oceans.

With illustrations as evocative as the text, this is a story of a mother’s enduring love as she protects and guides her baby until her job is done and he is able to swim free and independently – much like that of a human mum. In fact much of the whale’s learning and adventures mirror that of  the human experience and young readers will recognise this and perhaps be surprised by it, opening up discussion of the parallels and differences between mothers and their children in the animal and human environments..

Despite, or perhaps because of, their size, little ones are always fascinated by stories of whales, particularly those lucky enough to see them often on the whale highway, so this is a beautiful, gentle must-have addition to the collection.