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Alight: A Story of Fire and Nature

Jun7
Alight: A Story of Fire and Nature

Alight: A Story of Fire and Nature

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alight: A Story of Fire and Nature

Sam Lloyd

Samantha Metcalfe

CSIRO Publishing, 2023

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

9781486315444

Any of our students who experienced the devastation of the fire dragon that swallowed so much of this country during the summer of 2019-2020 is unlikely to want to pick up this book at first, because they don’t need the memories and they certainly do not believe that any good can come of such destruction.

But, perhaps this is the very book they need to help their healing process because it will help them understand that from what appears to be the death of the countryside, new life is being generated- in some cases, in species that have waited many years for just such an event. 

Fire is a natural part of the Australian bush – a recurring phenomenon of the landscape.  Since its creation lightning strikes have started fires, and for thousands and thousands of years, First Nations people have managed the environment through its judicious use, and the result is an eco-system that has adapted to cope either through developing survival strategies or recovery strategies. While this is all explained for mature, independent readers in the final pages of this new book from CSIRO Publishing,  it is the gentle story that forms the bulk of the book that is just perfect for helping younger readers understand the dependence of fire to maintain a healthy, diverse landscape that nurtures and supports a wide variety of flora and fauna.

In this case, the fire is deliberately lit by experts in a planned burn, and its impact on plants like the Old Eucalypt, the Wallum Banksia, and the beautiful Christmas Bells as well as the Wallum Sedge Frog and the teeny antechinus is followed over the year as they shelter, survive and then thrive for having the flames go through, albeit at a more gentle, cooler pace than a raging fire dragon..  As usual, the text is perfectly pitched for the age group, the sensitive, positive approach is spot on and the illustrations not only life like but also in a soft palette and medium that will be unlikely to stir memories and anxiety.

As well as the explanation of the need for fire in the landscape there is also a comprehensive glossary that will extend the reader’s vocabulary as well as their understanding.  As they look at the environment that is emerging as it recovers like the gum trees with their woolly leggings (technically known as epicormic sprouting) they will know that life will go on and Mother Nature is always in control. 

Our Mob

Jun5
Our Mob

Our Mob

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Mob

Jacinta Daniher & Taylor Hampton

Seantelle Walsh

Ford Street, 2023

32pp., pbk., RRP $A17.95

9781922696236

If you look at the AIATSIS  indigenous map of Australia it is obvious that the Australia of our First Nations people ” is made up of many different and distinct groups, each with their own culture, customs, language and laws” and thus it is clearly rich in diversity and difference.  Or is it?

In this beautifully illustrated book for younger readers, each double-page spread is devoted to a proud Aboriginal kid from a number of countries, each sharing the word for ‘hello’ or ‘welcome’ in their own language as well as something that they really like to do.  But what struck me was that although the words might be different, the sentiments were the same – the connection to and concern for Country, the sharing of favourite activities with family members and the similarities among the activities themselves.  From watching the stars at night to collecting the treasures of the sea; from the collection of food and preparing and sharing it – all are based on meeting everyday human needs and all offer the connection with family and friends that humans need.  The words might be different, the stories that accompany them varied, and the actual activity unique to the circumstance but there is a common thread of childhood joys and human needs that weaves everyone together, regardless of their origin and ancestry.

So while the richness and diversity of indigenous culture is celebrated, IMO its power lies in the realisation of the  similarities that connect us all regardless of race. religion, location, timeframe or any of the other constraints that might appear to be impediments .  Targeted at those “aged 3 to 8 years”, it could form part of a bigger investigation into identifying what are our basic needs as humans –  to love and belong, to be powerful, to be free, to have fun and to survive – and then compare and contrast these to how they are met by the children in the class and the children in the book.  The teachers’ notes offer some ideas for exploring  this, such as Lylah’s aunty making bush bread, but there is scope in every page for students to connect the text to themselves and the world. For example, Eli is a proud Aboriginal kid from Gamilaraay Country and he likes to look at the stars with his uncle and hear the stories associated with them, such as the emu in the sky.  But other students might see the Southern Cross or other star patterns of the southern sky, while some may have been more familiar with the northern hemisphere, opening up scope for investigations on many levels.

The potential of this book to permeate so much of the curriculum beyond its initial Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures makes it an essential part the collection.

 

The Frog Book – Nature’s Alarm

Jun4
The Frog Book – Nature’s Alarm

The Frog Book – Nature’s Alarm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Frog Book – Nature’s Alarm

Sue Lawson

Guy Holt

Wild Dog, 2023

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

9781742036571

Sometimes on a clear, still night if you’re lucky you can hear the local frogs – even luckier if it is the sound of the pobblebonk that you will hear. But rather than curse them for keeping you awake, you should bless them because they are a sign that the local environment is healthy.  For frogs are often the first to show that things in their habitat are not well, and, in this book that teaches young readers all they need to know about frogs generally, they also learn that it is the frog’s thin permeable skin  that is the barometer for change.  Because as well as allowing life-giving air and water, it also absorbs pollutants and chemicals, and is sensitive to salinity and temperature changes. thus when frogs get sick, scientists know that there is something more concerning happening.

Most young readers are familiar with frogs because even if they haven’t heard them, they are usually one of the focal points of any studies about life cycles that children undertake, and this is a comprehensive book perfectly pitched at young independent readers so they learn not only about the crucial role of the creatures but why and how they, themselves, can help them through their own actions as well as how to build a frog-friendly habitat. Accessible text, large colour photos combined with detailed illustrations and comprehensive teachers’ notes linked to the Australian Curriculum make this an essential part of any collection of resources about these special creatures. 

For a creature that has survived on the planet since the days of the dinosaurs, it is a sad indictment that now, in Australia alone, there are more than 40 species listed as endangered or vulnerable. So when the pobblebonks and the other species that live in our dam start their nightly chorus it is time to celebrate that all is well in their patch of the planet – and just pull a pillow over my ears. 

Crookhaven: The School for Thieves

Jun2
Crookhaven: The School for Thieves

Crookhaven: The School for Thieves

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crookhaven: The School for Thieves (series)

J. J. Arcanjo

Hodder Children’s, 2023

324pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

9781444965735

“So this is really a school for criminals.” It was meant as a question, though it came out more as an accusation. “We are so much more than that,” Caspian said, sitting in a plush leather chair and gesturing for Gabriel to sit in a similar one across the table. “We are a home for the forgotten, a sanctuary for the lost and … yes, a training ground for the greatest crooks of the future.”

13-year-old Gabriel is a brilliant pickpocket, a skill which he uses to keep his often empty belly not quite so empty. And then one day, he’s caught.

But instead of being arrested, he is invited by the mysterious Caspian Crook to attend Crookhaven – a school for thieves. At Crookhaven, students are trained in lock-picking, forgery and ‘crim-nastics’, all with the intention of doing good out in the world, by conning the bad and giving back to the innocent.

But … can you ever really trust a thief?

With a school wide competition to be crowned Top Crook and many mysteries to uncover, Gabriel’s first year at Crookhaven will be one to remember…

While this series (the second due is in August) is more for the independent older reader, its basic premise of robbing the rich to help the poor sounded so much like the legend of Robin Hood of Sherwood Forest, a story that I grew up with in the 50s and so familiar that I can still recall the book’s cover, that it seemed worthy of inclusion because of the dilemma it poses and the discussion it should evoke.  Somewhat like Tristan Bancks’ Cop and Robber readers can be put in the position of Gabriel and debate what they would do in the same circumstances., while remaining at arm’s length from reality.

Because although such situations are in the realm of literature, given the current youth crime wave reported daily in the media, this is a debate that needs to be had – being  caught between knowing what’s right and wrong and the pressure of the acceptance of peers and social media. There is a growing body of evidence that such literature plays an important part in the young teen’s development as they can vicariously live through the story’s characters while they read as they connect with them, relate to the situation and start to develop strategies that they might use in a similar situation.

Thus, reason enough in itself to introduce this to students, perhaps even as a class read-aloud so the issues can be spotlighted.  

Poo Face

May31
Poo Face

Poo Face

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poo Face

Andrew Daddo

Jonathan Bentley

Puffin, 2023

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

9781761045776

We’ve all got one because we all do one. Every day.
Somedays twice a day. Somedays more.
Everyone has a poo face!

Whether it’s a dog or cat, a lion, an elephant, wombat, fish, giraffe or frog, they’ve all got a poo face – even you! 

Written to encourage little ones who are being toilet trained, this book with hilarious illustrations from Jonathan Bentley also has an important job of showing the little person that this is a normal and necessary bodily function for every creature on earth. It shows that going to the toilet is an everyday occurrence for everybody and everything and is a necessary part of being healthy, sparking conversations about the digestive system and how it works. It also shows that even though the little one may have been met with cries and faces of shock and horror when they produce a dirty nappy, that is not condemnation (as some seem to think and thus feel ashamed) but just something that is essential for our health and well-being.   By normalising it in this way, the stigma that has been attached to getting rid of body waste for centuries as though it is something nasty and naughty may be diminished so that if there is a change in the habit or the product, it can be addressed without embarrassment. 

Often what seems to be a simple picture book can have a far-reaching impact – and this is one of those.  

Desert Jungle

May27
Desert Jungle

Desert Jungle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Desert Jungle

Jeannie Baker

Walker Books, 2023

40pp., hbk., RRP $A27.99

9781406387872

Despite being surrounded by mountains of rock and cacti, the boy prefers to sit inside and experience the world through the screen of his tablet.  He fears going far from his home because he has heard the coyotes howling at night and the village dogs barking.

But then he goes to stay with his grandpa in a place far away, much more isolated than even his tiny village,  but it still has internet coverage and so his tablet remains his friend.  Until the night a coyote steals the bag with it inside, and in his search for it Chico’s life changes in ways he will never imagine…

Set in the Valle de los Sirios in the Sonoran Desert in Baja California, Mexico, Jeannie Baker’s magnificent and magical collage artwork brings to life an environment that shows that the desert is not necessarily the barren, desolate, lifeless place we envisage but one which is rich in flora and fauna and history.  While the landscape she portrays is a specific part of the Mexican  desert, nevertheless she raises the possibility that this could be a desert anywhere, just as rich in biodiversity if only we took the time to look and appreciate.

In her notes, she refers to “nature-deficit disorder,” where children are indifferent to their natural surroundings because they are isolated from it and ignorant about it, and  thus they are likely to fear what they don’t know, and what they fear, they will destroy. so this book has a much wider application than just introducing the reader to the wonders of a particular piece of this planet.  Even the juxtaposition of the words in the title is significant as it evokes two totally different images in the mind at the same time, neither necessarily as compatible as the title suggests, and those who are familiar with the author’s work know that there will be many layers to explore in both text and illustration.  For while it is the story of the boy’s individual growth as he learns to love the environment and those feelings of wonder and protectiveness follow him home – the lizard unseen on the rock at the beginning becomes a thing of fascination at the end – it could also be the stories of many who are given the chance to experience Nature at her best in the raw and in the wild first-hand.  How many city kids have never seen a dark sky glistening with stars because the city lights keep them in permanent twilight?  How many country kids have never felt the sea foam tickle their toes or been in awe of the power of the waves crashing on the rocks?

There are so many books for young readers that focus on sustainability and the need to protect the environment, but this is a masterpiece that shows them just what it is they are protecting.  And if not here, then where? 

It is nearly seven years since we were gifted Circle, and the wonder and beauty of Desert Jungle has been worth the wait. 

 

Shadow Catchers

May21
Shadow Catchers

Shadow Catchers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shadow Catchers

Kirsty Murray

Karen Blair

A & U Children’s, 2023

32pp., hbk., $A24.99

9781760526955

In the early morning they make shadows on the bedroom wall that are tall enough to touch the ceiling.

At lunchtime their shadows disappear altogether!

And in the evening, they can look scary and fearsome!

As with its predecessor Puddle Hunters, it is the everyday, take-for-granted things that give two children the greatest delight.  This time they chase their shadows across a day having so much fun with something that needs only a sunny day, some imagination and awareness.

Apart from just the sheer enjoyment of the story which exudes from each page, this is ideal for starting all sorts of scientific investigations about the light, the sun and its movement and direction,  as well as measurement if you map your shadow at different times of the day. 

Picture books that celebrate the joy of being a child, that take something as simple as a game of shadow catching that everyone can do and turn them into a magical experience, that make the ordinary extraordinary are among the best, in my opinion, because the young reader can instantly relate to them and join in the fun. Who wouldn’t be wanting to head outside on the next sunny day and have the same sort of fun? So whether it’s catching your shadow or jumping in puddles, share a memory-making moment that cost nothing!  

 

 

 

The Truth Detective

May18
The Truth Detective

The Truth Detective

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Truth Detective: How to make sense of a world that doesn’t add up

Tim Harford

Ollie Mann

Wren & Rook, 2023

192pp., pbk., RRP $A22.99

9781526364579

In this evolving digital world where global connections are instantaneous and your money, even your identity, can be stolen with a few clicks of a mouse in any corner of it, more and more we need to teach our students to be critical thinkers and the Australian Curriculum strand of Critical and Creative Thinking has never been more important.  

But with Australians alone losing more than $3 100 000 000 to scammers in one year, it seems it hard enough to teach the adults let alone young ones who are only just emerging from childhood and its acceptance of all that is told to them, who are only just being mature enough to view things from another’s perspective or put themselves in another’s shoes, who are just learning to think logically and analyse according to what they already know and believe.  Young people who are perhaps experiencing the freedom of fewer restrictions on their digital footprint and for whom the timeless message of “stranger danger” is relegated to not talking to people they don’t know in the park and seem to be okay with posting personal information and photos on unknown, unmonitored platforms for the brief gratification of some likes from strangers.

So this is a timely book that needs to be in school and home libraries and shared and discussed.  Not because it teaches about being safe online, although that would be a desirable outcome, but because it gives the reader the tools and tips, strategies and skills to be critical thinkers. To not necessarily take everything at face value but to ask the core questions such as 

  • Does this idea make sense?
  • Does this story conflict with something I already know to be true?
  • Does this fact come from a trust worthy source?
  • Does the person telling me this seem friendly and confident?
  • Do I want this idea to be true?
  • Does this story make me feel something like fear or joy?
  • Is this a cool story?
  • What evidence supports this?
  • What evidence is missing?
  • What does the evidence teach us?

Using real life examples, the author shows the reader how to analyse the situation using the data and asking the right questions using an entertaining formula and format that is very readable. For example, he demonstrates how a magician’s trick of tossing a regular coin and getting ten heads in a row is more about the missing evidence rather than a lucky streak; how the famous “fairies at the bottom of the garden” photographs that fooled even the experts of the time were clearly fake; even how Florence Nightingale who started a revolution with a pie chart.

So, even though as teachers and teacher librarians we can teach our students to be sceptical, to ask certain questions and test websites and so forth for accuracy, authority, currency, objectivity and relevance, such concepts and skills are often taught in isolation and the power of this book is that actual events are put under the microscope and through logical analysis the truth is revealed. If “information is the best weapon” then we must give students the tools to test the information – and this book does this so well by encouraging the collection, analysis and comparison of data  giving context to all those maths lessons about statistics and probability and so forth, such as determining if there is actually a connection between playing a “violent video game” and “violent behaviour”. so the examples are right in the student’s world. 

The publisher’s blurb asks questions such as  Did you know that a toy spaceship can teach you about inflation and that a pooping cow can show you how to invest your pocket money? but, wearing my educator’s hat, there are much more important lessons to be learned from this book and that’s why, IMO, it’s a must in the teacher’s toolbox .

A Friend For George

May14
A Friend For George

A Friend For George

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Friend For George

Gabriel Evans

Puffin, 2023

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

 9781761046506

George likes living by the sea, but he often feels lonely. He’d like to have a friend – someone to talk to, someone to share stories with and someone to laugh with. As that’s what friends do!  When he meets Claude the fish, George finally discovers the joys of having a special friend, as well as learning what it means to be a good friend to someone . . . especially when there is a conflict between what you want and what your friend needs.

Despite George being a dog and Claude being  fish in this anthropomorphic story, young children will relate to the characters as they, too, navigate  the making and keeping of friends which can be tricky at times.  It opens up the opportunities for discussions about what it is friends do – a phrase repeated often throughout the story – and how we need to learn to be unselfish and put the needs of others before ourselves.  

Often the greatest concern for those starting big school is the fear of having no friends and having no one to play with, so these sorts of books serve a need to help them learn how to make and keep friends so that by the time they step into the Kindergarten classroom, they have knowledge and strategies to draw on. To consolidate what they know they can create a class mural pf photos of being a good friend in action, not only repeating the phrase in the book but making them consciously aware of their interactions and relationships.

One to purchase and have on hand as transitions to new situations loom.

Harriet’s Hungry Worms

Apr27
Harriet’s Hungry Worms

Harriet’s Hungry Worms

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Harriet’s Hungry Worms

Samantha Smith

Melissa Johns

EK Books, 2023

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

9781922539472|

At Harriet’s place it’s her brother Fred’s job to walk Walter the dog, and her sister Sa;;y’s job to look after the chooks.  Harriet’s job was to take care of the nine-hundred-and-eighty-three worms that live in in the big green box in a shady corner of the garden.  Each day she fed them different scraps and waste that the family generated but after a whole week it seemed that they did nothing but eat and wriggle.  And then Harriet spotted the tap at the back of the big green box and discovered something quite magical…

There have been some outstanding books helping our young readers understand how they, themselves, can contribute to looking after the environment released recently, and this is one of them.  Back in the days of the dinosaurs when I was at school the only thing we learned about worms was that they were hermaphrodites  (something I can still recall all these years on) but nothing about how essential they are to keeping the planet healthy and balanced, even helping to reduce methane gas production which is such a contributor to climate change.  By writing an engaging story that will appeal to young readers as it takes the reader through worms’ menu through the days of the week (a much healthier version of The Very Hungry Caterpillar) with a nod to alliteration as well as some essential worm facts and their foodie likes and dislikes, this is narrative non fiction that will inspire our children to investigate having their own worm farm either at home or at school, as well as understanding the concept of composting and generally giving Mother Nature a helping hand. 

Ready-made farms are readily available and many councils offer rebates on their initial cost, although it is easy enough to build one, while there is plenty of advice and information available to ensure the farm is healthy and active. Teachers’ notes linked to the Australian Curriculum also offer insight and information to help not only appreciate the story but also inspire the students to be more pro-active about being involved so they too, can feel they are contributing,