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We’re Hopping Around Australia

Nov5
We're Hopping Around Australia

We’re Hopping Around Australia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’re Hopping Around Australia

Martha Mumford

Ag Jatkowska

Bloomsbury, 2024

24pp., hbk., RRP $A17.99

9781526675668

We’re hopping around Australia.
Come and join the fun!

The Bunnies are back in a new interactive adventure for our youngest readers, this time discovering some of Australia’s most well-known icons like kangaroos. koalas. crocodiles and fairy bread!  Little ones will adore lifting the flaps as they try to find all the things mentioned in the fast-paced rhyming text and hidden in the bright, engaging illustrations whether they are in the bush searching for some of our unique wildlife or donning scuba gear to explore the coral reefs.

But then, just as the adventure seems like it could last forever, there is something dangerous lurking in the coral and it’s time to get out of there.

Few things engage our little ones in stories as much as familiar characters doing and seeing familiar things, text that flows along because of its specially-chosen rhyme and rhythm and predictability,  illustrations that capture both the eye and the imagination,  and the opportunity to be actively engaged in the tale either through lifting flaps to find hidden treasures or mimicking movements – and this, like its predecessors, has all of those.  This is one that can be shared and talked about as familiar things are identified, and then read and read again independently because of all those features, as well encouraging suggestions for other things the Bunnies might see or do in the local neighbourhood.  Perhaps they could listen for kookaburras, wonder at the whales or try a taste of Vegemite!   

It’s ideal for the Christmas stocking of kids here as well as those who might like to be here one day. 

The Underhills: A Tooth Fairy Story

Oct24

The Underhills: A Tooth Fairy Story

The Underhills: A Tooth Fairy Story

Bob Graham

Walker Books, 2024

40pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

9781529523447

When their Tooth Fairy parents are called away on an urgent job  – a molar pickup on Main Street – April and Esme and their baby brother Vincent are left with their grandparents for a sleepover. in their little teapot house, nestled under the flight path of a large city airport.  The children love it there where they are doted on by their grandparents and do all sorts of special things like making fairy cakes and tasting leftover chocolate and using the punching bag to keep in shape. 

But when another urgent job comes in, it’s up to Grandma and April and Esme to try to find Akuba, a little girl in a red coat just arrived from Ghana. Will they find her amidst all the busyness and turmoil of the airport terminal? And will they be able to find the tooth and leave payment without her knowing they have been there?

A thoroughly modern interpretation of an age-old story, Bob Graham continues the tradition of the Tooth Fairy for today’s youngest readers. His distinctive illustrations reinforce the belief in all things magical, including cupids and angels, with references to mobile phones, and other modern conveniences.  But through it all, Grandad’s devotion to baby Vincent and Esme’s gift to her grandma, show that while some things change, the fundamentals stay the same.  A charming story that will reconnect children to past traditions. 

Like a Gannet

Oct16
Like a Gannet

Like a Gannet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like a Gannet

Kirsten Ealand

Deb Hudson

Windy Hollow, 2024

32pp., hbk., RRP %A29.95

9781922081094

Francie has learned to swim, and while at first she dabbled like a duck, now she can cut through the water like a cormorant, head held high like a swan. But, even though she is comfortable, confident and competent in the water,  can she dive like a gannet? Can she find her brave and go head first from the diving board like her cousins?

This is a joyful story about facing something new, exciting and terrifying for the first time, and it brought back so many memories of me being Francie. Even though it was so many, many years ago and I was a competitive swimmer, I can still remember the day I climbed the tower of the 1.8 metre board for the first time… A ne even though I became a competent scuba diver, I did exactly what Francie does but I  never ever went up there again!  

If I can recall my experience, then there are going to be many other children who will relate to Francie, and even more if you broaden the concept to facing anything for the first time… child or adult.  Even though it’s not mission accomplished for Francie the first time she climbs the ladder, nevertheless she has the resilience to try again, and this time, she makes a plan with her cousin Arthur.  And the sheer delight of achieving her goal puts a smile on the reader’s face, just as it does for anyone who reaches for the stars and discovers they can fly. 

Little ones often feel they have to get things right the first time, especially if there are older siblings who already can, so this is an excellent book for talking about having a go, practising, seeking support and reassurance, making a plan,  and not giving up – whether it’s diving like a gannet, riding a bike, learning to read or any of the other million first-times they are going to encounter as they grow.   It’s a story worthy of being shared over and over to reassure our little ones that they can touch the moon, whatever that looks like for them.

Mini and Milo: The Last Plum

Oct3
Mini and Milo: The Last Plum

Mini and Milo: The Last Plum

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mini and Milo: The Last Plum

Venita Dimos

Natasha Curtin

Walker Books, 2024

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

9781760656171

Mini the elephant is gathering together the ingredients for her plum pie, her entry into the Annual Delicious and Delightful Cooking Competition but, much to her dismay, she has only nine plums and the recipe requires ten. Having been the winner for the last three years, the only thing Mini likes better than plums is winning – and that won’t happen with a pie with only nine plums.  

But she knows that Milo has plums on his plum tree so she asks him for one, but Milo only has one left and he’s been waiting ages for it to ripen so there is no way he is giving it to Mini, even if she is his best friend and offers to make him a pavlova, pudding and pancakes.  Things get desperate when Mini discovers that even the fruit shop has no plums and so she hatches a cunning plan… But sometimes plan go astray and this one has disastrous consequences…. or does it???

The tag on this book is “Big Skills for Mini People” and it is a series written for our youngest readers to not only help them manage their own emotions but help them navigate their way through relationships as they venture into the world of friendships beyond family and have to learn about competitiveness, managing inner voices, learning to listen, and communicating effectively. Learning to negotiate, compromise and consider others as they emerge from that egocentric world of toddlerhood can be tricky and so books like these, read with sensitive adults who can ask questions like “What could Mini have done instead of doing what she did? ” can help develop skills and strategies that will provide well for the future. 

While using animals as the main characters to portray human behaviour, particularly that of young children, is a common trope in these sorts of stories, doing so enables a lot of humour and unexpectedness to be injected into the story so it doesn’t become didactic and overbearing, and that is the case with this one.  Imagine – an elephant wearing a mask as a disguise climbing a ladder under the cover of darkness versus a young child doing the same.  Which will have the greater impact and memorability?  So as well as being a story for little ones to help them be a better friend, this could also be one for budding young writers to consider as they start to develop their own characters. 

Teachers’ notes and storytime kits to help teachers and parents make the most of the book and the series are available.

 

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. 

 

 

Where is the Green Sheep?

May6
Where is the Green Sheep?

Where is the Green Sheep?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where is the Green Sheep? 20th Anniversary

Mem Fox

Judy Horacek

Puffin, 2024

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

9781761347832

Resplendent in a gold foil cover to celebrate its 20th birthday, is one of my favourite early childhood books of all time.  

Few children in Australia in the last 20 years would not be familiar with these words…

Here is the blue sheep, and here is the red sheep.
Here is the bath sheep, and here is the bed sheep.
But where is the green sheep?

And among them is my own granddaughter who gave me one of my most memorable grandma-moments when she sat up in bed at just-turned-2 and read it to her older sister. We had yet another reader in the family!!!

And now she is 13 and reads everything she can, (as does that sister) and all because of the fun, predictable, rhyming text of an Australian classic with its gorgeous illustrations that allowed her to predict what the words said even if she didn’t quite recognise them yet.

Could anyone ask any more of a book for little ones? My copy will be put aside for her to share with hers when she is older. But it will also be a must-get for a brand-new grandmother… 

Read about how it came to be here

Where is the Green Sheep? is 20 years old

 

 

 

Some Families Change

Apr24
Some Families Change

Some Families Change

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some Families Change

Jess Galatola

Jenni Barrand

EK Books, 2024

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

9781922539670

For most children, their family is their safe haven and they expect it to be the same format/structure. arrangement that they know for ever and ever.  And, in the past, that was usually the case with perhaps the addition of a baby or the death of an elderly relative the only changes to their world. In the 50s, the term “nuclear family” was coined and it commonly consisted of two adults, a male and female, who were married, had 2.4children of their own making with the adult male being the patriarch. And sadly, for many, this remains the “norm” embedded in their social, cultural or religious value systems meaning that those who choose or have to live outside of that model can be ostracised if not condemned and the casualties are many.

Today’s lifestyles mean that this is very different from even the time when I was a child and to some kids, change can be confusing and challenging, and if the change is not a positive one, they can shoulder the responsibility and begin the “If only I…” tail-chasing blame game.  And so this book which covers scenarios including single-parent families, blended families, and the loss of a loved one, can be a reassuring guide for children experiencing such transitions using gentle verse and illustrations that clearly show a photo of any family in the class will be different to the photo of any other.  As Ms Molly said, so wisely in Heather has Two Mummies, “It doesn’t matter who makes up a family, the most important thing is that all the people in it love one another very much.”

The core Foundation Year unit of the Humanities and Social Sciences strand of the Australian Curriculum calls for children to know and understand “the people in their family, where they were born and raised, and how they are related to each other” and thus this book is an essential part of that understanding as they learn that not only are families different but also that theirs might change. 

 

Where Is the Cat?

Apr8
Where Is the Cat?

Where Is the Cat?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where Is the Cat?

Eva Eland

Andersen Press, 2024

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

9781839131837

Whenever Suzy visits Auntie, all she wants to do is play with the cat.  But Cat is nowhere to be found, or is he?  No matter where Suzy looks, she can’t find Cat, but is she looking hard enough?

This is a joyous story for very young readers who will enjoy spotting Cat even though Suzy can’t.  They will love joining in to point him out, much like the audience in a pantomime, as well as learning and understanding prepositions like “behind”, “under” and so forth. There is also the opportunity to talk about how the cat, used to a quiet, good life, might feel when confronted by the boisterous, effervescent Suzy.

While it’s a familiar theme, nevertheless these sorts of stories are always enjoyable for our younger readers who like the feelings they have as they engage with the print and pictures, all helping them to enjoy the power of story believe that they can be readers themselves.

Elephants Can’t Jump

Apr4
Elephants Can't Jump

Elephants Can’t Jump

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Elephants Can’t Jump

Venita Dimos

Natasha Curtin

Walker Books, 2024

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

9781760656140

All the animals have had fun at Mini the elephant’s birthday and now it is time to open the presents.  She deliberately saved opening her best friend Mila’s present until last because Milo always gave the best presents and this one, wrapped in her favourite shade of pink was very big and bulky.  

But she was SO disappointed when she opened it because it was a trampoline  and while all the others could have fun, Milo should have known the elephants can’t jump!  So what use was the present to her?  And she was so angry with Milo she stopped talking to him.  And she got angrier and angrier as Milo suggested other games like hopscotch and hide-and-seek that were no fun for elephants, and so she decided to have nothing to do with Milo, even running away from him.  The final straw came when she went to Milo’s place on Friday afternoon (because Milo always had the most scrumptious food) and all her other friends were having fun on a jumping castle. Will the two ever resolve their differences and be friends again? 

The tag on this book is “Big Skills for Mini People” and it is a series written for our youngest readers to not only help them manage their emotions but help them navigate their way through relationships as they venture into the world of friendships beyond family and have to learn about competitiveness, managing inner voices, learning to listen, and communicating effectively. Learning to negotiate, compromise and consider others as they emerge from that egocentric world of toddlerhood can be tricky and so books like these, read with sensitive adults who can ask questions like “What could Mini have done instead of getting angry?” can help develop skills and strategies that will provide well for the future.  

One for the mindfulness collection that will help young people learning about the issues associated with assuming things.

One Little Dung Beetle

Mar28
One Little Dung Beetle

One Little Dung Beetle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One Little Dung Beetle

Rhiân Williams

Heather Potter & Mark Jackson

Wild Dog, 2024

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

9781742036656

Australia is rich with fascinating beetles that all have a job to do. Using counting rhymes, young readers are introduced to some of these unique species and identifying the roles that each type of beetle plays in the environment including the dung beetle, the once-iconic Christmas beetle and some with the most remarkable colouring.  

With stunning endpapers, and accurate anatomical illustrations throughout, this offers an insight into the prevalence of beetles in the landscape and the critical role they perform in keeping it healthy and vibrant.  Teachers notes  offer further resources and links to investigate further, including the world of entomology, while also guiding young readers through the process of distinguishing a non fiction title from a fictional one, and how to use the cues and clues to prepare themselves for getting the most from it.

But while its format might suggest an early childhood audience, there is also scope for older readers to springboard their own investigations – why was the dung beetle introduced to Australia and were all introduced species as successful? Why do some have such remarkable colouring?  Why have all the Christmas beetles disappeared to the extent there is now a national count?  

Even if the reader is a little young to appreciate all the information, much of it embedded in the illustrations, they will enjoy practising their counting skills as they try to find all the beetles as well as the number of holes nibbled in the title number.  The pictures also include other creatures so there is also the opportunity to investigate the concepts of “more” and “less” and other early maths basics. 

With its focus topic which will encourage little ones to look at their environment with fresh eyes as well as its format, this is one that offers so much more than first meets the eye.  Give it with the gift of a magnifying glass and see the joy and wonder explode.