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The Humongous Humdingle Family and the Tiny House

Mar9
The Humongous Humdingle Family and the Tiny House

The Humongous Humdingle Family and the Tiny House

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Humongous Humdingle Family and the Tiny House

Michelle Wilson

P. J. Reece

EK Books, 2025

32pp., hbk., RRP $A27.99

9781922539922

With three generations – Grandma and Grandad, Mum and Dad, the four children – and a host of pets living in the same small house, things can get a bit frantic for the Humdingle family, particularly as there is only one couch, one television, on bicycle, one car, table, one toilet and only ONE bedroom.  But even though it is squishy and noisy, it is never lonely boring. 

While the adults might be okay with the situation, each of the children wish it were different – being able to choose their own television shows, not having to listen to Grandad’s snoring, not finding the toilet occupied every time you need to use it… Until the day Mum wishes that “humongous houses dropped from the sky.”

This is definitely a book based on the old adage of “Be careful what you wish for” because even though the family suddenly has all the space they need and want, things are not quite as perfect as they hoped.  With teachers’ notes offering lots of ideas  to explore the story further, this is an engaging story for readers to think about appreciating what they already have rather than always wishing for and wanting bigger, better and newer – sadly, a trait in this consumeristic, throw-away, keep-up-with-the Joneses society.  With their lives being bombarded by advertising through every medium possible, our children seem unable to escape the message that they are only worthwhile if they have the latest and greatest, so this is an opportunity to step back and through the Humdingles’ experience, reflect on those things that really matter for happiness. after all, how enduring is the buzz of opening something new?  Perhaps they might even be encouraged to do an audit and a cull of their “stuff” and rehome it . Imagine the learning involved in their organising a class garage sale that raised funds for a chosen charity.

This is an ideal companion to The All New Must Have Orange 430 and an important addition to any unit that focuses on consumerism and humans’ impact on the planet, including loss of animals habitats because of urban sprawl.  

 

Tatty Mouse Birthday

Jan22
Tatty Mouse Birthday

Tatty Mouse Birthday

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tatty Mouse Birthday

Hilary Robinson

Mandy Stanley

Catch A Star, 2024

12pp., board book, RRP $A14.99

9781922326980

Tatty Mouse’s birthday is almost here and she is getting ready to celebrate with her friends.  She’s making cards and cakes, treats and decorations.   But she is not known as the ‘make-it-mend-it mouse’ without reason so with everything she does she uses her precious toolkit to reuse, recycle and repurpose discarded items.  So as little ones share her preparations for a surprise for her friends, they get to lift flaps and search for hidden objects so they become as engrossed with the story as Tatty.

This is another in this new series from this publisher who understands the value of our youngest readers having quality stories that not only engage them but also empower them as they are actively involved in revealing the plot as well as being able to retell it to themselves independently.  And because Tatty’s tools are common and she uses readily-available equipment so they can start to think about how they could do the same for their own celebration.  Imagine the fun in creating your own cards and table decorations and the sense of satisfaction that knowing you have done it yourself. Even just making a list of what needs to be done and then figuring out how it can be is great learning. 

A great series for encouraging our little ones  to be creative and individual and that the best fun does not have to be bought. 

Tatty Mouse Christmas

Dec22

 

 

 

Tatty Mouse Christmas

Tatty Mouse Christmas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tatty Mouse Christmas

Hilary Robinson

Mandy Stanley

Catch-a-Star, 2024

16pp, board book., RRP $A14.99

9781922326898

Christmas is coming and Tatty Mouse is getting ready – making gifts, baking, decorating the tree…  But she is not known as the ‘make-it-mend-it mouse’ without reason so with everything she does she uses her precious toolkit to reuse, recycle and repurpose discarded items.  So as little ones share her preparations for a surprise for her friends, they get to lift flaps and search for hidden objects so they become as engrossed with the story as Tatty.

This is another new series from this publisher who understands the value of our youngest readers having quality stories that not only engage them but also empower them as they are actively involved in revealing the plot as well as being able to retell it to themselves independently.  And because Tatty’s tools are common and she uses readily-available equipment such as using food tins as baking dishes, they can start to think about how they could do the same.  Imagine the fun in creating a real cake mixture and then baking it so it is in little-person sized proportions.  

I wonder what she will do for her birthday! 

Millie Mak the Mender

Nov15
Millie Mak the Mender

Millie Mak the Mender

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Millie Mak the Mender

Alice Pung

Sher Rill Ng

HarperCollins, 2024

256pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781460763797

Millie Mak is back!  The little girl who loves to recycle, repurpose and upcycle things rather than buy new, returns in the second in this series for younger independent readers  in two more stories that will resonate with so many.

At last her friends at her new school have accepted her and Millie has a group of four close friends who enjoy both her company and her passion, including the snooty Shanelle whose little sister Safire was the recipient of the dolls house that Millie and her Scottish grandma rescued in the first story.  Things are a little better at home because while her mum still works at the aged care home, her dad’s leg has mended and he is now studying to follow his dreams.  Little sister Rosie is still making toddler mischief but because her Chinese grandmother Ahma who lives with them always seems to blame Millie for Rosie’s antics, Millie is convinced that she is not loved as much, and prefers to spend her time at her Scottish grandma’s house.  Ahma also seems to be more concerned with what other people’s opinions and perceptions are about the family which is also troubling, as Millie often feels shy and awkward, particularly in public and they have been invited to a wedding that is very important to Ahma,

But the main focus of this story is Millie’s relationships with the residents at the aged-care facility because, like many young children,  she sees only their age, illnesses and disabilities, rather than their personalities until she starts making them individualised hats and realises that there is still someone young and fun-loving, even adventurous inside the physical appearance.  However, when bully  Geri takes over the hat-making turning it into a public project for her own glory, the relationships between her friends becomes strained and Millie is caught between a rock and a hard place. 

Similarly, in the second story, when Millie’s abilities attract the attention of a television presenter and the Fru-Gals are invited to appear on a national television show. While Millie wants the girls to wear the things they have made, they have other ideas for their own reasons, and there is tension which comes to a head when the show’s producer has different ideas entirely, preferring to stereotype Rita and Veesa based on their cultural identity.

Once again, Alice Pung nails the issues of young girls straddling being the “little girl” and the one finding her identity as independence and the double-digit years loom, complicated by the physical differences and expectations as puberty kicks in.  Millie expresses a lot of those inner thoughts and concerns that most have while trying to negotiate the ups and downs of relationships that involve others with similar insecurities.  But,  as Fru-Gals becomes Ahem Creations with Rita as marketing designer, Veesa as fashion designer and product producer,  Shanelle as publicist and Millie as maker and mender,  above all, there is the belief that each will find their own path, and with that, inner calm and hope for the future.  

This is a series that will appeal widely to those in that Year 3-6 age bracket who are finding their own interests and paths to follow, and need encouragement to keep going despite the nay-sayers. There are detailed instructions for some of the things that Millie makes, including the little dancing toy she makes for Mr Feik’s project, that not only inspire readers to get started but also show that creativity can come in many forms.  So if sewing doesn’t appeal, something else will. 

The Worm Book

Feb9
The Worm Book

The Worm Book

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Worm Book – Nature’s Recycler

Karen Tayleur

Guy Holt

Wild Dog, 2024

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

9781742036694

It begins with a riddle…

What animal has no bones but can move, has no lungs but can breathe and has no eyes but can see?

And it continues with a fascinating exploration and explanation of the humble worm,  creature so familiar that we pay it little attention but one which is vital to the health of the planet because it is Nature’s recycler.  Yet, while we are probably most familiar with the garden worm that inhabits healthy soil, compost heaps and worm farms, there are, in fact, about 20 000 species of worms (1 000 of them native to Australia)  ranging from a roundworm smaller than a pinhead to the giant earthworms of Gippsland, Victoria.

With its accessible text and stunning photographs, this is a companion to The Frog Book introducing young independent readers to some of the less exotic creatures around us but which have such a vital role to play in establishing and maintaining a robust and sustainable environment. Old as I am now, I can still recall my primary school investigation into these creatures and learning two words which my 6-year-old self would insert into adult conversations with glee – ‘hermaphodrite’ and ‘invertebrate’. And jaws would drop when I could explain their meaning – read the book to find out if you don’t know.  

With its strong emphasis on the worm’s role as nature’s recycling machine, it offers instructions about both composting and building a worm farm, both projects that can easily be done at school actively involving students in protecting and promoting these little wonders. 

Ruby’s Repair Cafe

Nov24
Ruby's Repair Cafe

Ruby’s Repair Café

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ruby’s Repair Café

Michelle Worthington

Zoe Bennett

New Frontier, 2023

32[[., hbk., RRP $A26.99

9781922326805

If you broke something, tore something or just needed something to go again, then you (and everyone else in town) went to The Repair Café and Ruby would mend it for you.  It was the busiest shop in town, long before the phrase “reduce, reuse and recycle” was mentioned.  That was until the new department store opened next door and suddenly everyone wanted new and shiny and, instead of going to Ruby’s, the local tip filled with ditched and discarded stuff.  Sadly Ruby’s Repair Café  had to close down even though the stink from the tip wafted over the town and the piles pf garbage threatened to bury it! 

But one night a huge storm sweeps through the town causing immense damage – even though it destroys so much, can it be the thing that saves it?

This is a captivating and original  story that not only focuses on the environmental message but also has a touch of David and Goliath about it as the big chain store swallows up small business. a story playing out in rural towns like mine almost every week.  (We’ve just seen our beloved pet shop close its doors because of one of the arrival of one of the chains.)  So, as well as consolidating the message about our impact on the planet through our incessant demands for new and shiny, it has the potential to introduce students to that old biblical story and start them thinking about shopping locally and supporting all those mum-and-dad businesses in their neighbourhood. Just as they are aware of their environmental choices, can they also be more-informed consumers?  Is price necessarily the most important factor? 

Young children will appreciate the solution of how both Mr Bigg and Ruby resolve their dilemma but they might also start to look at their own habits, particularly as Christmas draws near and there is going to be another wave of stuff to swamp them.  

I Spy Treasure!

Aug16
I Spy Treasure!

I Spy Treasure!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I Spy Treasure!

Vikki Marmaras

Binny Talib

New Frontier, 2023

32pp., hbk., RRP $A26.99

9781922326744

Every week, Captain Snarkle Tooth sailed into the harbour of Shimmertown and because of his villainous reputation, the people hid while he stole anything that sparkled.  But Billy was a little braver than most and as he watched the pirate from the safety of a tree, he noticed something strange.  Captain Snarkle Tooth didn’t find many jewels to take but he did delight in finding shimmering cans, sparkling glass and shiny plastic.  Things like broken bikes, old shopping trolleys and rusty pots and pans seemed to bring him joy. And as he rowed his treasure back to his ship, Billy noticed that the ship itself was getting grander and grander…

This is a most original story that is more to do with ‘reduce, reuse. recycle” than nasty pirates, and young readers will start to develop there awareness of the amount of rubbish we generate and what happens to it.  As Billy discovers how the captain upcycles his finds, they, too, might like to think of innovative and imaginative ways of repurposing their rubbish – or, at the very least, ensuring it doesn’t end up in the ocean or in landfill.

Primarily written to be shared with younger readers, nevertheless, it could also kickstart a broader investigation of the problem of plastics and so forth being dumped in the seas, the impact of that on the creatures that live there including the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. And for those who still believe that picture books are for little children, they could investigate the purpose and effectiveness of an author sharing their message in this format. 

 

Ella and the Useless Day

Sep2
Ella and the Useless Day

Ella and the Useless Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ella and the Useless Day

Meg McKinlay

Karen Blair

Walker Books, 2022

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

9781760653095

When Dad takes a tumble in Ella’s room because it is so full, just like the rest of the house, it is clearly time for a clean-out.  And so, together, they search, scramble, sort, poke, pick and pile all the useless stuff they find into the trailer to take it to the tip, where useless things go.

But is it really useless?  Or is their truth in the old adage that “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”? Because by the time they get to the tip, all that is left in the trailer is  a bag of fabric scraps and they even find the most delightful use for that.

Meg McKinlay can always be relied on to tell an entertaining story, always unique, and this is no different.  With its subtle message of sustainability at a time when spring cleaning and all sorts of sort-out, clean-out resolutions seem to grip us, this is a timely release to encourage us to think about what can be reused, repurposed or recycled instead of going to the growing mountains of landfill.  But really, what can be done with a rusty tricycle, a blanket full of holes, an ugly suit or a cracked fish bowl?  Or any of the other items community members claim as Ella and her dad make their way to the tip?  Young readers could have lots of fun predicting the new life each object might have, and then enjoy Karen Blair’s final vignettes of just what their new owners did with them.

Perhaps this is the perfect book, the perfect time and the perfect opportunity for children to clean out their bedrooms and have a community swap-and-save sale to build awareness of the need to be less of a throwaway society, to offer their things a new life in a new home and to be an example to the grown-ups in their lives.  

 

 

Song of the White Ibis

Jun22
Song of the White Ibis

Song of the White Ibis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Song of the White Ibis

Phillip Gwynne

Liz Anelli

Puffin. 2022

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

9781760897949

The ‘chorus” of this song would seem to sum up this bird’s reputation…

Call me Bin Chicken
Call me Tip Turkey
Call me Picnic Pirate

But, in fact, the white ibis – Threskiornis molucca – has  a more dignified tale to tell. That of being related to the Sacred Ibis of Egypt and to Thoth, the god of science, writing, magic and the moon; that of being the farmers’ friend as their long beaks aerate the soil as they dig for troublesome insects like locusts; that of once living in the wetlands but driven to being of scavenger of the cities because of human habitation overtaking theirs. 

There was much derision when Queensland Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe suggested the white ibis to be the mascot for the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane but this intriguing book by Phillip Gwynne with its detailed illustrations from Liz Anelli  shows the bird in a completely different light, offering a different side to its common image. Certainly, the final message of “reduce, reuse, recycle’ or we might all become bin chickens is confronting but is a definite heads up to make us think about why there is just so much waste to enable these birds to thrive in the urban environment. 

According to the  National Food Waste Strategy Feasibility Study …

  • Food waste costs the economy around $36.6 billion each year.
  • Each year we waste around 7.6 million tonnes of food across the supply and consumption chain – this wastage equals about 312kg per person, equivalent to around one in five bags of groceries or $2,000 to $2,500 per household per year.
  • Food waste accounts for approximately 3% of Australia’s annual greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Australia uses around 2600 gigalitres of water to grow food that is wasted – this equates to the volume of water in five Sydney Harbours.
  • The amount of land used to grow wasted food covers in excess of 25 million hectares, a landmass larger than the state of Victoria.

(Source: Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, 2022)

Thus, this book could be the springboard to students  investigating food waste and its management in both our schools and our homes making it so much more that a plea from a bird for some dignity and respectability. Even young readers can create visual representations of what 312kg  or one in five bags of groceries look like. And that notion of it being the Olympic mascot could be more beneficial than first considered… 

Toy Mountain

Nov12
Toy Mountain

Toy Mountain

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Toy Mountain

Stef Gemmill

Katharine Hall

EK Books, 2021

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

9781925820966

Sam is getting bored with playing with the same toys every day – toys that had been played with by his Grandma and while sturdy and reliable, they didn’t have the whizbangery of the toys made in the Tiny Hands toy factory towering over the town, high in the clouds at the end of the rainbow.

So when his mum arranges for him to become a toy tester for the factory he is very excited and day after day boxes and boxes of toys arrive at his house for him to play with and give his opinion about. He immediately discards his old favourites for the new ones but are they all that they are cracked up to be?  Why do all the bells and whistles quickly turn to a sad plonk, plonk, plonk as the toys break and become an ever-increasing mountain of broken plastic junk?

While being a toy-tester might seem like the dream, this is an important story to share about appreciating what we have and taking care of it because shiny and new isn’t always the best choice. There is also a broader message about the amount of plastic that is produced each year, the 79% of that which ends up in the oceans or in landfill. and thus, being aware of and responsible for the amount of waste we create as individuals.

So while children marched in protest at COP26, here, in one story especially written for the young is a direct way that they themselves can make a difference and show the way for others around them.