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Dragon Folding

Sep12
Dragon Folding

Dragon Folding

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dragon Folding

Christopher Cheng

Lucia Masciullo

Puffin, 2024

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

9781761340949

In a fractured old house with a wiggly sign lived a bent old man, alone. He was grumpy. He was crochety. He never smiled …  and he was always talking to himself. He ate the same lunch. He wore the same clothes, and he hadn’t shaved for a very long time.  He even had hairs growing out his nose. 

But it wasn’t always this way…

Not so long ago, before Mrs Singer went away, the old man baked delicious cakes, had an outstanding collection of dragons that sparkled in the sun and had a magnificent dragon tree in his front yard.  All the locals called his house Dragon Hall and they loved to visit – but now no one came because nothing they did helped and he shunned them with his crankiness.  That is, until one day, Evan knocked on his door.  

As much as this is a story about “the magic that can come from the innocence of a child”, it is also a story about the path we travel when our lives are touched by unimaginable grief as nothing has any meaning or relevance any more, despite the best intentions and endeavours of those who love us and surround us.  It is a journey we travel alone and at our own pace, but ,as novelist Victor Hugo said, “Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise”.  For Mr Singer, the first glimmer of dawn is a little boy wanting help to fold a paper dragon, something Mr Singer was an expert at, but for each person it is different and the power of this book, which I suspect reflects the author’s own recent devastating loss, is two-fold.  Not only does it teach the young reader that if someone they love is grumpy and crochety and stuck in their ways, it is not something that they have said or done, but just the impact of the loss on the person themselves.  And that if they, themselves, are impacted by such loss, as sadly so many are, then all those grumpy, crochety, stay-in-bed feelings are natural and part of the process of grieving.  But just as the illustrations of Mr Singer move from shades of grey to colour as he gradually finds his purpose again, so too will their lives.  One day, they too, will find the joy in folding dragons again.

There are often requests to teacher librarian forums for books to help little ones deal with death and grieving, and for my money, this one that is so personal for the author, and whose timing was so personal for me, is one of the best.  A must-have in the collection to share when the time is right.  

 

Djinang Bonar: Seeing Seasons

Sep11
Djinang Bonar: Seeing Seasons

Djinang Bonar: Seeing Seasons

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Djinang Bonar: Seeing Seasons

Ebony Froome

Leanne Zilm

Fremantle Press, 2024

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

9781760994211

In some parts of Australia, the yellow of wattles and daffodils, fierce winds and can’t-make-up-their-mind temperatures are heralding Spring, one of four distinct seasons that our littlies learn about.  In other parts, the heat and humidity are starting to build as the monotonous dry season ends and the Wet comes in with its tumultuous times: and in others First Nations peoples are seeing other signs as they move through their traditional cycles.  For the Noongar in south-west region of Western Australia, this is the time of Djilba, the season of conception when the “koolbardi is swooping to protect his nest, when the dark emu is high in the kedalak sky, when the balgga stems emerge tall and strong, when the yonga and the koomool carry their babies.”

For generations, so many children have been taught that during this planet’s annual journey around the sun, we experience just four seasons – Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter – but now perspectives are widening and beautiful books like this show that different peoples in different places have entirely different timeframes and different names for the patterns of Nature and its phenomena.  For those on Noongar boodja there are six seasons, each with its own distinct signs and times…

  • Birak—season of the young. First summer: December-January. …
  • Bunuru—season of adolescence. Second summer: February-March. …
  • Djeran—season of adulthood. Autumn: April-May. …
  • Makuru—season of fertility. Winter: June-July. …
  • Djilba—season of conception. First spring: August-September. …
  • Kambarang—season of birth.

Written in a mix of English and Noongar but with indigenous words easily distinguishable by looking at the beautiful illustrations (with a glossary for clarification), the reader is taken on a journey through the calendar that, unlike the “English” version which has changes in weather at its heart. focuses on the subtle but significant changes that happen in the life of the local flora and fauna and form the patterns and cycles of life.

But even children on the East Coast, or those for whom Noongar is not their first language can appreciate the beauty and value of this book because it encourages them to look beyond those most obvious signs of change (many of which involve introduced species anyway) and examine the changes in the original, natural environment, and, indeed, their connections and interdependence.  “On Noongar boodja, we know the season is Kambarang when… the kaaril [blue swimmer crab]  is spawning and it’s best not take them.”  It could also inspire an investigation into the indigenous weather knowledge of their own country  as they not only learn to appreciate the knowledge that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have developed over thousands and thousands of years, but also better understand that connection to Country that is at the heart of their culture.

Purinina

Sep10
Purinina

Purinina

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Purinina

Christina Booth

CSIRO Publishing, 2024

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

9781486317264

“At the bottom of the world, on the edge of an island, through a deep valley lined with pine trees that point to the sky, deep in the darkest corner of a warm , dry cave…” So begins the story and the life of one of Australia’s most iconic creatures – Purinina, the Tasmanian Devil.

Nurtured by her mother as she grows from being a jelly-bean sized baby attached to a nipple in her mother’ pouch, to being a mother herself, young readers can follow this new, revamped version of the 2007 classic that captivated so many.  Life is not easy for Purinina ( the official indigenous name for the species) particularly as her mother dies before she and her brothers are independent, and there are strange things to learn as she grows up such as the nature of the “tree that walks, with a light for an eye” who lifts her dead mother and carries her away.

As iconic and integral to the story of Tasmania as the Tasmanian Tiger, the misnamed Devil sits in an elite group of creatures unique to this continent, sadly on the IUCN Redlist  of endangered species because as well as the usual threats of loss of habitat and other human impacts, it is plagued by Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD) and so this beautifully told story with its informative back matter is an important addition to the small but growing collection that raises awareness of this species and its vulnerability. Teamed with titles like Tasmanian Devil by Claire Saxby from the Nature Storybooks series, and Devils in Danger, a novel by Samantha Wheeler, it could form the basis of any investigation into some of our not-so-prominent fauna as well as demonstrating how humans are now actively seeking to undo the harm that has been inflicted on our wildlife over time, which, in itself, can offer students hope that the planet is not doomed as they are consistently told.  Teachers’ notes are available to assist a deeper study.

When this was first released in 2007, it became a CBCA Notable and given the increase in awareness and activity in environmental preservation,  it has the potential to do so again.

Shadow Play

Sep9
Shadow Play

Shadow Play

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shadow Play

Kate Forsyth

Rosalie Street

Wombat Books, 2024

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

9781925563740

Minnie May is afraid of everything, even her own shadow.  No matter where she goes outdoors it follows her as though it is tied to her heel.  It mimics her every movement  swirls in the water, crouches under her bed, reaches with black claws from the trees and looms large and terrifying in the tall buildings around, and, as the day goes on and it gets larger and linger, it grows more menacing Minnie’s fear and anxiety grow and she believes the only way of escape is to hide, crouching low under a large umbrella until the shadow shrinks away.

But then one day while Minnie is hiding, she spies another shadow-one that is larger than her own. But rather than being threatening, she discovers it belongs to Ziggy. And he is not afraid of it. In fact he celebrates it showing  Minnie many things that can be done with shadows, such as telling the time and casting shadow puppets on the wall., even making it be in front of them as they swing higher and higher. At last,  Minnie isn’t afraid of her shadow any more, in fact, she likes her shadow.

Lots of our littlies are afraid of things they don’t understand and can’t articulate, especially shadows, and that one that occurs every 24 hours – night time.  Even though Rosalie Street has painted Minnie’s shadow as a benevolent fairy-butterfly, the unknown and unexplained still frightens Minnie until she learns the truth from Ziggy.  So, while these fears are common and will resonate with our young ones, there is much we can do as their carers to help alleviate them by taking them outside and making shadows fun and fearless.  Games like trying to jump on each other’s shadow, marking your shadow in chalk on the pavement at different times of the day; making shadow shapes on the wall – the list is endless and as well as having fun and facing their fears, there is also some valuable science and maths occurring as well.  

An ideal introduction to so many areas – emotional connections and recognising our fears and investigating them so their reality is put in perspective through new-found knowledge, not to mention all the maths and science, language and art that permeates the curriculum. Imagine the learning if you put your students in Ziggy’s shoes to devise their own explanation about shadows for a younger child! 

 

Herd

Sep8
Herd

Herd

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Herd

Stephen Hogtun

Bloomsbury, 2024

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

9781526610737

As Little Elephant wanders through the long grass of the savannah, treading in the footsteps of the rest of the herd, he begins to wonder why they are always on the move.  Why isn’t there one place that feels like home where they can stay and be settled?  It’s not in the shade of the trees – he’s too little to reach their fruit, although his mother leans against the tree so it bends for him to reach .  It’s not near the waterhole because he’s too little to play in the deep water, although his sister shows him where it is shallow enough for him. It’s not the open plains – they feel too big and empty especially at night, although his grandmother promises to protect him.  It seems that wherever he is, it just doesn’t feel right, so as dusk falls and the herd sleeps, he wanders off to find the right place for him…

Set against stunning artwork that captures both the landscape and the changing day as the elephants travel through it, this is a warm-hearted story about what it means to discover the true meaning of the saying “home is where the heart is”, and understand that it is the little things that those who care for us do for us that change a house from a home, wherever that may be and what it might look like.  

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

Apart from being a charming story in itself, it also offers an opportunity to talk about the things that others do for us, or we do for them, that shows we belong, we fit in and we care about each other.  It’s not about fancy houses and expensive gifts – there is more to family than those.  

An ideal addition to the mindfulness program to help little ones understand the things that really matter. 

Digger Digs Down

Sep6
Digger Digs Down

Digger Digs Down

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Digger Digs Down

Johanna Bell

Huni Melissa Bolliger

UQP, 2024

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

9780702268656

Digger the dog loves to dig. So when he is bored when his little friend goes off to school, he follows his nose until he finds just the right patch of dirt.  Down, down, down he digs, only changing direction when he meets something he can’t dig through.  He digs down so deeply that he comes across something quite unexpected – something to explore.  But then he hears a little voice calling him…

Inspired by the author’s  daughter (then three years old)  telling her a story about a dog called Digger, which was quickly scribbled on the back of a receipt, this is perfect for our youngest readers to read to themselves as the illustrations tell the story almost without needing the simple repetitive text. And they will enjoy predicting what Digger might find when he starts his next hole… just what does lie below the surface that we can’t see? And what adventures might he have while he is there? 

Teachers’ notes help develop the story encouraging older readers to pay greater attention to the language and  illustrations, such as the significance of the rainbow shining in the hole, while the fossils he uncovers and his final discovery could spark an interest in the layers of the landscape and how it has been built over time, all demonstrating that picture books, and this one in particular, are not just for younger readers.  

South With the Seabirds

Sep5
South With the Seabirds

South With the Seabirds

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

South With the Seabirds

Jess McGeachin

A & U Children’s, 2024

40pp., hbk., RRP $A29.99

9781761068645

Far to the southeast of Tasmania, halfway to Antarctica, where the Indo-Australian tectonic plate meets the Pacific plate, a tiny island pokes its head above the windswept Southern Ocean, pounded by waves on their relentless westward journey.  Two hundred years ago, it was discovered and named by a sealer to impress the Governor of New South Wales and for another century it was known only to the sealers and whalers who prowled the southern seas in search of prey rich in the blubber that kept them warm and made oil for humans; one hundred years ago Sir Douglas Mawson established the first scientific station to study its unique flora and fauna; and fifty years ago it was added to the World Heritage List. 

Just  34 kilometres long and 5.5 kilometres wide at its broadest point, nestled amongst its peaks, unique in themselves because  it is only place on earth where rocks from the earth’s mantle are being actively exposed above sea level are four lakes – Gillham, Bennett, Macpherson and Ingham – each commemorating the women who are the subject of this new book from Jess McGeachin.

Just a generation ago, just being a female scientist was cause for comment if not concern,  but being one who wanted to break the “petticoat ban” imposed on the sub-Antarctic and Antarctic by the male-dominated thinking of the time was unheard of and so it took many letters and much patience for Mary Gillham, Isobel Bennett, Hope Macpherson and Susan Ingham  to independently campaign and then collectively be successful in getting permission to join the 1959 Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (ANARE) – now the Australian Antarctic Program -expedition south on the MV Thala Dan, one of four ships especially built for the program to navigate and survive the conditions but offering little creature comforts.  (My mum also broke the petticoat ban going south to the Antarctic mainland itself in 1968 in the  MV Magga Dan.)

MV Thala Dan (left) and MV Magga Dan, ships specially built for ANARE to withstand the Antarctic conditions.

MV Thala Dan (left) and MV Magga Dan, ships specially built for ANARE to withstand the Antarctic conditions.

Each with a common but specialised interest in the wildlife that abounds on the island, they explored the cliffs, beaches and rockpools as they studied the seals, seabirds and other creatures, particularly the hundreds of thousands of penguins, that sought refuge there. Yet, even though they would contribute significantly to the knowledge of the wildlife, including the eradication of introduced rabbits that were creating so much destruction (a project that took another 50 years to get started), their return to Australia was more about their being women in a man’s world.

However, they paved the way for other women to follow, and in this book, McGeachin has not only introduced the reader to four remarkable women whose stories need to be known, but also laid the groundwork to inspire today’s young girls to aspire to similar heights starting by being curious, having a keen eye, and simple tools.  Even more importantly though, it reinforces that gender should not be a barrier to following your dreams, wherever they may take you.  

Perfect for the 2025 CBCA Book Week theme of Book An Adventure! 

For those wanting to know more about Macquarie Island itself, seek out the award- winning One Small Island by Alison Lester and for those wanting to know more about my mum’s own ground-breaking trip you might be able to find a copy of her book The Abominable Snow-Women.

Find out more...

Find out more…

Backyard Tennis

Sep4
Backyard Tennis

Backyard Tennis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Backyard Tennis

Carl Merrison

Samantha Campbell

Lothian, 2024

32pp., hbk., RRP $a19.99

9780734421548

Another big-blue day in the endless red dirt of WA’s Kimberley region, and Mum drags out her old tennis racquets, and sets off a chain of events that soon has all the kids in the neighbourhood involved as they learn to master the art of getting the ball over the net. – or the clothesline in this case.

As with Backyard Footy, this is another celebration of the fun and friendship that can be had when kids come together and share something as simple as a spur-of-the-moment game.  You don’t need fancy clothing, specialist coaches, or an elaborate playing field – the basic equipment, a willingness to try something new and have fun are all that is required.  Which is perfect because there will many who have been inspired by the feats of our Olympic and Paralympic athletes and who want to have a go but believe that it involves access and money that they don’t have.  While Merrison says that he hopes this series will help “to raise awareness of the untapped talent in rural and remote Australia and encourage sports codes to provide workshops and training to outback kids… and then think about real tangible pathways to support rural and remote kids to get into elite sports.”, it also teaches those in other areas that they can have fun with just the basics and a bit of space.  Even those in apartments have access to green space somewhere.  Ans it is very much a case of “build it and they will come.” 

So while the author might be wanting to inspire First Nations kids, the key message is that regardless of race, religion and all that other stuff,  all children need to have fun and friends and to play and  belong.  And the real thing is so much better than anything they will see or do using a screen.  

I Wonder: A Book of Questions with No Answers

Sep3
I Wonder: A Book of Questions with No Answers

I Wonder: A Book of Questions with No Answers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I Wonder: A Book of Questions with No Answers

Philip Bunting

Walker Books, 2024

40pp., hbk., RRP $A25.99

9781760657802

I wonder what love is?

There are infinite ways to describe love, and it seems to be the answer to so many of our questions  But what is love, exactly? We know it when we feel it. Maybe love is why we’re here? It might be that our finite hearts and minds will never be able to quite understand it. Perhaps there are some things that don’t need to be understood. 

Since the dawn of humankind, people have wondered about all sorts of things. And while some mysteries have been answered, often the answers themselves throw up even more questions…

This is a beautifully illustrated book that explores some of those big questions – the ones that little ones ask and which leave you searching for an answer that satisfies their curious minds.

I wonder what happened before the Big Bang…

I wonder how we wonder…

I wonder why I go for mint choc-chip…

Many classrooms start their year by developing a Wonder Wall where children pose the questions about things they want to know and providing the driving force for their investigations as they learn to pose questions and then engage in the processes that might reveal the answers and this approach is confirmed when Bunting tells us that “the very act of wondering is what drives us towards knowledge”. So as well as validating that Wonder Wall, it can also set up the teacher librarian’s information literacy program for the year as students not only follow their own interests, thus keeping them engaged, but allows for the individualised development of skills based on their current knowledge and abilities.  While the teachers notes address each of the questions that Bunting raises offering avenues to explore as a starter, because the big questions are more abstract so probably more suited for exploration by older students, little ones can still start their researching lives with something more concrete, more here-and-now and more personal.

This is an intriguing book, as most of those with Philip Bunting’s name on them are, and it would not surprise me to see it in the nominees for the Eve Pownall Award for Information Books in the 2025 CBCA Awards lists.

 

Helping Little Star

Sep2
Helping Little Star

Helping Little Star

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Helping Little Star

Blaze Kwaymullina & Sally Morgan

Sally Morgan

Walker Books, 2024

32pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

9781760658700

Moon warned Little Star not to go near the edge of the Night Sky but Little Star didn’t listen.  Down he fell, right into a creek!  Now how is he going to get back into the sky again?  Luckily, Python, Dingo and Kangaroo are there to help but neither can do it on their own.

This is a wonderful story for our youngest readers who are probably already aware of what can happen if you don’t listen to the wiser, more experienced grown-ups around them as they begin to push the boundaries to explore the wider world around them.  But it is also one of working together to solve a problem as Mother Kangaroo comes up with a solution that involves the help of Python and Dingo. 

Well-known Aboriginal writer and  illustrator Sally Morgan, a Palyku woman from the eastern Pilbara region of Western Australia, has teamed up with her son to create this story, and indeed, it is the vibrant illustrations in her iconic style that bring it to life,  deserving its reprint after 11 years since its first publication.  Littlies will enjoy this, perhaps even going outside to see it they can spot Little Star in the night sky, while parents can use it as a reminder if their little one goes too close to the edge.