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A Friend for Ruby

Aug6
A Friend for Ruby

A Friend for Ruby

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Friend for Ruby

Sofie Laguna

Marc McBride

A & U Children’s, 2023

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

9781761067648

Ruby was unhappy – she was being ignored by the others girls at school and seemed to have no friends.  So as she mooched along the shoreline on her way home to Granma’s.  she was surprised and delighted to see a most unusual creature washed up on the sand, looking as lost as she felt.  Desperate for a friend she invites it to go home with her and hides it in her cubby. That night she keeps it company while it sleeps and in the morning, she feeds it leftover buns from the local bakery.  While she doesn’t want to share her discovery with her Granma, she does share it with Sonya, the baker’s daughter.

But is  her cubby the best place for a creature from the deep? Are buns its natural diet?  It is literally a fish out of water and her secret is discovered when it wrecks Granma’s garden…

Amidst McBride’s breath-taking pictures, here is a story about loneliness being so overwhelming that sometimes we will reach out to anything for company, no matter how unsuitable,  We forget that what we think we need is not necessarily the best thing for the other person/creature and so while one might be happy the other is miserable.  Friendship is best when both of you are happy in the partnership and so this is a story that can open up discussions about what it means to be a friend as well as making and maintaining friendships.  There is much to learn from both the creature and Ruby being happy when they are back amongst their own kind.  

But as well as that aspect for younger readers, this is also an opportunity for older readers to study the incredible artworks of Marc McBride to consider how an illustrator contributes to a picture book. What is the role of the illustrator and the illustrations in this format? Why, even for older readers, if this format often the best for sharing the author’s message and intent?   This is another collaboration between the husband and wife team which includes The House on Pleasant Street  and The Song of Lewis Carmichael , but he is also the illustrator of Deltora Quest as well as many others so there is a wealth of material available to investigate, as well as further suggestions from the NCACL’s Picture Books for Older Readers database..  

 

 

Dads and Dogs

Jul30
Dads and Dogs

Dads and Dogs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dads and Dogs

Mick Elliot

Walker Books, 2023

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

9781760655044

For every dog there is a dad and for every dad there is a dog and together they romp through this hilarious celebration of the companionship they offer each other.  

With its clear illustrations and simple text this is an excellent book for empowering young people to believe that they can not only read, but they can write. 

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

By looking at the pictures the child can work out what is happening and predict the text. But the final page shows the child, his dad and his dog so why not ask the child to add their own picture and caption.  But wait – there is a challenge.  Take a closer look at the author’s caption and look for the alliteration (as well as the upper and lower case versions of each letter) and see if they can follow that same pattern making the adjectives align.  An opportunity to not only write but to extend their skills and vocabulary. 

My page would be easy – Snoozy dad with a sooky dog.  What would yours be? 

The Lucky Shack

Jul22
The Lucky Shack

The Lucky Shack

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Lucky Shack

Apsana Baldovino

Jennifer Falkner

Working Title, 2023

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

9781922033154

Having grown up in a harbour town at the very south of the South Island of New Zealand, where the next stop is literally Antarctica, and my childhood days were bordered by either daylight fading or the tide turning, it is neither secret nor surprise that my favourite place to be is by the sea.  Or that I escape there whenever I can, particularly to the more remote places. But remoteness is becoming a luxury as grand McMansions swallow all those little beach shacks that used to be the escape for city-dwellers, although every now and then you see one tucked in amongst its imposing neighbours.  Yet even though the land value puts it out of reach of the bank balance of mere teachers and teacher librarians, nevertheless, we can dream and think about the stories it must have to tell as generations have passed through it, usually since the time at the end of World War II when many were constructed as safe havens for returning soldiers.

In this beautifully illustrated debut title for both author and illustrator, one little shack tells its story. Perched on the shore it watches the boats on the water and the colours of the landscape shine and blur throughout the days and seasons, lovingly cared for by the old fisherman. But dark, monochromatic times come as it slips into loneliness and abandonment as he no longer visits, until one day there is a new glimmer of hope…

As well as being a completely original concept, this a story of  the timelessness of the sea and the seasons, of the cycle and circle of life and of enduring hope for a better future.  Because even at its darkest moments, when it is starting to crumble and fall into the sea,  the little shack believes that all is not lost and indeed, the ending shows that not only can it be restored but its future is assured.  A bit like a person, really.

By telling the story from the perspective of the shack itself, rather than an observant narrator, the reader becomes invested in its tale, feeling its joy when the fisherman brings it to life with warm fires and music, its desolation as it is battered by the elements,  its happiness when a new owner comes and then its delight when children come too.  So even though, on the surface, this would seem like a story for young readers, older readers can explore the concepts of perspective and personification and the impact of those on both the writing and the reading experience.  Teaching notes explore these concepts really well, and readers might even like to try their hand at telling their own story of a tree passing through the seasons from the tree’s perspective, with groups of four each taking a particular season.  As this winter seems endless with its fog and frosts (at least here in the mountains) it is the new buds appearing that offer hope that the world will turn – but, then, is that the same in tropical regions?  Perhaps there is the opportunity for a whole integrated STEM unit! 

One Little Duck

Jul21
One Little Duck

One Little Duck

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One Little Duck

Katrina Germein

Danny Snell

HarperCollins, 2023

32pp., hbk., RRP $A22.99

 9781460761649

Five little ducks went out one day… and came home when they were called by their mother, “Quack Quack Quack Quack”.

But now there is only one little duck left at home and even though Mother Duck is happy for her last one to go over the hills and far away, she strikes trouble when it is time to call him home and she can’t remember how to quack!  So she tries Moo Moo Moo Moo instead -with s surprising result. Little Duck comes back for tea but with a friend in tow.  And so the pattern continues. Each evening , as she tries to find her quack, the roll at the tea table grows in length and diversity but she remains unflappable, just getting out a bigger cooking pot and more dishes and cutlery each time.  Until one night…

Young readers can have heaps of fun with this one, not only appreciating the rhyme and rhythm and building vocabulary and spelling patterns,  but also predicting and suggesting which friend might come home with Little Duck this time. And what might Mother Duck be cooking that they would all enjoy? They could even examine the camping picture and identify who is not there, focusing their suggestions on animals likely to be found on a farm. and how that creature might feel about being left out. Perhaps they could use the established pattern to add some more verses. Counting and sequencing activities as well as learning the ordinal numbers and positional words add extra possibilities but this would also work well with English as an Additional Language learners particularly if it were used in conjunction with similar stories like Old MacDonald had a Farm.  What a wonderful opportunity to create a mural to label all the creatures with words from lots of languages!!!

Parcel For Koala

Jul17
Parcel For Koala

Parcel For Koala

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Parcel For Koala

Shelley Knoll-Miller

Puffin, 2023

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

 9781761046636

Koala and his other friends who like to sleep through the day are stuck in a tree full of squawking cockatoos who are keeping them awake.  They are tired and frazzled and just want to sleep. But then, on the back of a bouncing kangaroo, Postman arrives with a parcel.  Both Gorilla and Penguin have received parcels, so what could be in this one from Turtle? 

Knowing that in this adventure in this fabulous series for little ones, all the creatures want to do is get some sleep, young readers can have fun predicting what it might be that will help them do that.  Could it be a harp to play lullabies or a hammock to curl up in?  Perhaps some earmuffs to blot out those raucous cockies! Or is it something completely unexpected but which can be used to solve the problem anyway?

As with its predecessors, the thread of the story is presented on the endpapers helping the child to focus their thoughts on what is to come and predict what might happen, essential skills in becoming a reader.  As one who has taught littlies to read for over 50 years, to me this series is an absolute winner and should be in the hands of all those who want their children to become successful, independent readers.  It just works in building those early skills on so many levels and in so many ways. 

Peter Rabbit: The Bedtime Bunny Hunt

Jul15
Peter Rabbit: The Bedtime Bunny Hunt

Peter Rabbit: The Bedtime Bunny Hunt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peter Rabbit: The Bedtime Bunny Hunt

Beatrix Potter

Puffin, 2023

24pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

9780241613108

Peter Rabbit and his sisters have had a fun day playing outside, and now it’s time to go to sleep. But as everyone gets ready to say goodnight, Peter realises he’s missing something very important – his snuggly toy bunny has disappeared!

Will he be able to find it in time before bed?

For more than 120 years, the adventures of Peter Rabbit have been delighting generations of young readers, and now this is a new story in an interactive lift-the-flap format for another new batch of readers to enjoy.  Ever since Eric Hill invented the lift-the-flap format with Where’s Spot? over 40 years ago, it has become a go-to way of having young children actively engage with the text showing them the delights that both stories and print can offer.  So this charming adventure that has Peter searching for a number of things is sure to please, as well as introducing them to this timeless character. They will enjoy predicting whether what he is searching for is behind the flap, using their knowledge of what is likely to be there to confirm their suggestions.  What is most likely to be in the cake tin or in the bathroom drawer?

Finding the fun in the story, sharing it with someone who loves them, using the cues and clues to predict what is going to happen – these are all those essential early reading behaviours that are going to set our youngest ones up for success as readers and so the more of these sorts of books and experiences they can have, the better.  Another must-have character that every child needs to meet, and see on their bookshelves.  

The Secret Boat

May25
The Secret Boat

The Secret Boat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Secret Boat

Mark Macleod

Hélène Magisson

Dirt Lane Press, 2023

40pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

 9780648899679

 

The child’s literacy development and mastery is underpinned by a rich, imaginative and informed vocabulary and the poems in this beautifully illustrated book certainly contribute to this.  Using a variety of familiar situations which “take the reader from beachside to countryside, from revolting to delicious, from realism to fantasy, and end with a suite of bedtime meditations” the clever, creative use of words paints pictures that little ones will love to here and visualise over and over again. 

Who doesn’t have a smile as they picture this…

It’s soft inside

my mother’s pouch.

I can hardly feel her hopping.

But on the way

back home again,

I’m squashed in with the shopping. OUCH. 

And who is not taken back to the beach when they hear this…

The bubbles giggle

up the sand, 

tickle our toes

on the shore.

They take a breath,

they run away

and then come back for more. 

Just listening to the rhythm and rhyme of language teaches children so much about how they, themselves, can and will express themselves, but taking a few moments to explore what is being said in these short, often whimsical, poems empowers them to be more observant of their world and try to describe it for themselves.  Next time they let the waves just tickle their toes they will think of the bubbles giggling as they make those toes curl up and jump.

While the Australian Curriculum has a strong strand that includes a focus on vocabulary, the NSW syllabus is more explicit requiring students from Kindergarten to use  “Tier 2 vocabulary to extend and elaborate ideas” with Tier 2 words being defined as “high utility for mature language users and are found across a variety of domains” which “add power and precision to written and spoken language” and this collection has all that is necessary to support that outcome.  Even if it is not used in the classroom formally, the images that are built as the words roll so naturally off the tongue to make the ordinary extraordinary make this just the best introduction to the poetry genre for young people and while the illustrations are exquisite, the words themselves are enough to just shut your eyes, listen and imagine.  

Tap! Tap! Tap!

May10
Tap! Tap! Tap!

Tap! Tap! Tap!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tap! Tap! Tap!

Hervé Tullet

A & U Children, 2023

64pp., hbk., RRP $A27.99

9781761180231

When you see Hervé Tullet’s name on a book cover, you know the littlest readers in your life are about to have an interactive, imaginary treat!  The author of Press Here,  Mix it Up ,  Let’s Play,  and Play This Book   is back with another invitation for little hands to follow the instructions and delight in the movements they can make as it weaves in and out and around and over coloured dots, circles and lines..

“Ready? Place your hand here. Close your eyes. Concentrate. Hit it! Three times: Tap! Tap! Tap!”

As with the others, Tullet speaks directly to the reader encouraging them to  follow instructions and talk about what happens when they do  They are in charge of their fingers so they are empowered to follow (or not) consolidating that vital message that reading is fun and can be done by anyone, while developing those essential fine motor skills and instilling the left-to-right nature of reading as a natural direction.  

Full of whimsy and fun, this is one that should be in any preschooler’s realm.  They will be reading it for themselves in no time at all, strengthening their belief that they, too, can be readers. 

Billy and the Giant Adventure

Apr8
Billy and the Giant Adventure

Billy and the Giant Adventure

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Billy and the Giant Adventure

Jamie Oliver

Puffin, 2023

352pp., pbk., RRP $A14.99

9780241637807

Billy and his friends know that Waterfall Woods is out of bounds; strange things are rumoured to have happened there and no one in their village has ventured past its walls for decades…

But when they discover a secret way in, Billy and his best friends, Anna, Jimmy and Andy, can’t resist the temptation to explore! Only to quickly discover that the woods are brimming with magic and inhabited by all sorts of unusual creatures, including a whole community of sprites who need the children’s help! But the woods themselves are in trouble.  Everything is connected by the Rhythm, the beat that keeps nature in harmony and now it’s going wrong.  But are Billy and his mates the ones to help?

Apart from having a celebrity’s name on the cover, even though this is first book for young readers, what makes this stand out from the myriad of others with a similar theme that have been released over the last few years, is that Oliver has drawn on his own experience of being dyslexic and thus accessibility has been a critical focus for both the print and audio editions have key design elements for ease of access.  The print edition is in a sans serif font while the audio version has state-of-the-art sound effects, multiple voices including narration by the author so that the characters and situations are brought to life in “a fully immersive experience”.

It’s tough developing a love for reading when your brain can’t process written words efficiently, and particularly when there is such an emphasis on phonological strategies in early reading instruction, so to consciously support those with this issue so they can enjoy the sorts of stories their peers are reading is not just a breakthrough but the acknowledgement of the condition itself will give those with it a boost.  Reading is something they can enjoy. 

Amazing Mum

Mar31
Amazing Mum

Amazing Mum

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amazing Mum

Alison Brown

Farshore, 2023

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

9780008555467

Mums are amazing people and they do wondrous things, many of which are captured in this clever text-and-illustration picture book for our youngest readers. 

From being “magic lost-and-found mums” to “never-let-you-down mums” mums of all shapes, sizes and species frolic through the pages of this delightful book celebrating these precious people in our lives.

But as well as requiring the young reader to really connect text to picture and articulate what is happening so they understand the story, the final line opens up the opportunity for children to build on the book by thinking of something special their own mum does and then encapsulating that in a picture and the briefest caption to build a book about the class’s amazing mums.  Great for upcoming Mothers Day.