Archives

Our Planet: The One Place We All Call Home

Feb2
Our Planet: The One Place We All Call Home

Our Planet: The One Place We All Call Home

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Planet: The One Place We All Call Home

Matt Whyman

Richard Jones

HarperCollins, 2019

96pp., hbk., RRP $A29.99

9780008180317

This is the official children’s book version of the Netflix documentary series Our Planet. Endorsed by the World Wildlife Foundation and with a foreword by Sir David Attenborough , it is an authoritative exploration of our planet’s natural world using both illustrations and  photographs from the series itself. 

While each habitat is treated separately, nevertheless this is a story of interconnection and hope, so much so that Sir David Attenborough suggests that the children who read it will be “among the next characters who can, if they wish, tell the most extraordinary story of all – how human beings in the twenty-first century came to their senses and started to protect Planet Earth'”

So many of our students have access to services like Netflix now  and may well have seen the documentaries so this is a great opportunity to explore how film and print can work together. 

Peppa’s Christmas Jumper Day

Dec4
Peppa's Christmas Jumper Day

Peppa’s Christmas Jumper Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peppa’s Christmas Jumper Day

Ladybird, 2019

16pp., board book, RRP $A9.99

9780241371589

Christmas is coming and Peppa and George’s playgroup are celebrating with a special Christmas jumper day.  But when Daddy Pig gets the jumpers out, neither Peppa’s nor George’s still fits.  George is sorted though because he can wear Peppa’s old one but how will Daddy solve Peppa’s problem in time for the big day?

This is another Christmas story that will appeal to our youngest readers as they recognise a favourite character but wearing a woolly jumper at Christmas may have them baffled.  Perhaps it is the opportunity to talk about the differences in seasons and time zones and how others celebrate Christmas. They might even like to design their own Christmas jumper with their favourite Christmas images and materials, either for themselves or for Peppa for next year.

Bluey (series)

Nov9
Bluey (series)

Bluey (series)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bluey (series)

The Beach

9781760894054

Fruit Bat

9781760894047

Time to Play

9781760894030

Puffin, 2019

24pp., board book., RRP $A14.99

Bluey is a six-year-old blue heeler pup who loves to play. Along with her friends and family, Bluey enjoys exploring the world and using her imagination to turn everyday life into an amazing adventure. Based on the Australian children’s television program that is so popular on ABC Kids , the adventures continue in print format enabling our youngest readers to extend their fun while appreciating the joy of stories. They can also get creative with the activities from the ABC. 

Young readers are now expecting their heroes to be in multimedia format, giving them a more holistic experience, so adding print to the collection so familiar and favourite characters are seamlessly interwoven is a critical part of their literacy development.

Peppa’s Australian Underwater Adventure

Oct31
Peppa's Australian Underwater Adventure

Peppa’s Australian Underwater Adventure

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peppa’s Australian Underwater Adventure

Peppa Pig

Ladybird, 2019

32pp., pbk., RRP $A14.99

9780241405024

When Peppa wins a colouring competition, nobody can believe the prize is a trip to the Great Barrier Reef! Peppa and her family head to Australia to explore the wonders of the reef with Kylie Kangaroo and marine biologist Mummy Kangaroo. There are so many incredible creatures to find in their underwater adventure.

With its usual mix of entertainment and education, this is another brilliantly coloured addition to the Peppa Pig series that is so appealing to our youngest readers. Years ago I was somewhat sceptical about these sorts of books that were clearly spin-offs from movies and television but after seeing the joy of a little boy who suddenly discovered The Wiggles among the titles on the shelves of Kmart and demanding that his mother buy it for him (if she didn’t, I would have) I realised their power and importance in discovering the joy of reading. 

To discover favourite and familiar characters in books not only sets up expectations and anticipation but also encourages the child to bring what they already know to the text, to test what they expect and what happens against that prior knowledge and understand that books can be better because you can enjoy them at your own pace, flick back and forth and return to them time and again is a critical step in the learning journey.

Creators and publishers have also realised this and the quality of the stories has increased exponentially so it’s worth capitalising on the appeal and giving our little ones a headstart.  Being a successful reader is as much about having a positive attitude as it is about the skills involved. 

WWE SmackDown 20 Years and Counting

May10
WWE SmackDown 20 Years and Counting

WWE SmackDown 20 Years and Counting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WWE SmackDown 20 Years and Counting

DK. 2019

200pp., hbk., RRP $A34.99

9780241363775

In April 1999, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) launched Smackdown on television and it became an instant success, and 20 years on, not only is it still being screened but many of the participants are now household names.

To celebrate its 20th anniversary, this is a collection of the most notable highlights of the series, both in the ring and behind-the-scenes, accompanied by spectacular full-colour photographs from WWE’s own archive.

Whatever one’s personal views might be on the show in particular and wrestling in general, this is one of those books that young boys will pore over, sharing their discoveries and thoughts together and building their literacy skills in that communal way that seems to be a critical part of their development. For that reason alone it should be in your collection, but being a definitive history of this popular show, it will also be sought after by the fans of both the show and the sport.

Meet the Fingerlings

Nov3
Meet the Fingerlings

Meet the Fingerlings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meet the Fingerlings

Rosie Peet

DK, 2018

24pp., hbk., RRP $A12.99

9780241370803

The Fingerlings are a lively gang of monkey, sloth, and unicorn friends who love to hang out together and this book introduces very young readers to Boris the energetic monkey who loves to play the drums, Marge the brainy sloth and Gigi the bubbly unicorn who is always the life and soul of the party as well as  Bella the monkey who loves to jump and climbs and  Kingsley the sloth whose favourite sport is surfing!

At first glance, this is just another book that is a tie-in to a set of popular commercial characters, and to some extent it is, but with the expected DK twist of educating as well as entertaining, it is more than that.  Each character has their own page with basic information about them in easily accessible language but the book also has a quiz at the end to test the children’s knowledge of what they have read and an index so they can find the answers quickly if they are unsure.  While not a fan of quizzing kids on what they’ve read as though they somehow have to prove they have read and understood things, nevertheless this is a fun format to introduce the concept that books can contain information and that it can be found by using specific cues and clues, thus laying down the foundations of information literacy.  

Even if it is viewed as a clever marketing tool to popularise characters soon to hit Australian preschoolers, books that tie screen to print are always popular as young would-be readers recognise familiar things and with the bonus of some simple guidelines to help them with those first research skills, this deserves a place in the early childhood collection- just as we provide books about Star Wars and superheroes for our older readers. 

Let’s Visit the Olobobs

Jun3
Let's Visit the Olobobs

Let’s Visit the Olobobs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s Visit the Olobobs

Leigh Hodgkinson

Bloomsbury Children’s, 2018

12pp., board book, RRP $A12.99

9781408897621

Olobob Top is a children’s television series currently screening on ABC Kids in Australia. It follows a group of young creative creatures called the Olobobs. Tib, Lalloo and Bobble live in a big forest and have fun playing, exploring and solving everyday problems. In each episode, they work together combining shapes, colours and patterns to create a new character, who joins in with the Olobobs’ fun, while a friendly narrator encourages them to think for themselves to solve everyday problems using their imagination and creativity.

So this lift-the-flap book and its companion Make Your Own Olobob Home an activity book that demands their input will encourage very young readers to find their favourite characters in another medium.

Make Your Own Olobob Home

Make Your Own Olobob Home

Years ago I was somewhat sceptical about these sorts of books that were clearly spin-offs from movies and television but after seeing the joy of a little boy who suddenly discovered The Wiggles among the titles on the shelves of KMart and demanding that his mother buy it for him (if she didn’t, I would have) I realised their power and importance in discovering the joy of reading.  To discover favourite and familiar characters in books not only sets up expectations and anticipation but also encourages the child to bring what they already know to the text, to test what they expect and what happens against that prior knowledge and understand that books can be better because you can enjoy them at your own page, flick back and forth and return to them time and again is a critical step in the learning journey. 

Focusing on shapes, colours and patterns both of these titles (with several more to come over the next two years) encourage interaction and learning and demonstrate the rigorous quality required for books for even our earliest readers these days. 

 

Big Bash League (series)

Nov21
Big Bash League

Big Bash League

 

 

 

 

 

Big Bash League

Michael Panckridge

Random House Australia, 2017

144pp., pbk., RRP $A14.99

Academy Smash

9780143782278

Championship Dash

9780143782292

Representative Clash

9780143782315

Carnival Clash

9780143782339

Just in time for the new cricket season come four additions to this popular series which focuses on the Big Bash League. the professional  Twenty20 domestic cricket competition in Australia. With the Australian women’s team retaining The Ashes  this will be a competition eagerly followed by both boys and girls and, so, to have new episodes in print will be eagerly sought.  

In Academy Smash Billy loves to bowl – fast! He’s also a massive Melbourne Stars fan and when his friend Wen-Lee lets him know about a cricket academy camp, run by none other than the Stars, Billy is desperate to go! So is Wen-Lee, even if she does barrack for the Brisbane Heat. Trouble is, the applications are about to close and Billy needs to find a way to raise money for the entry fee. Perhaps a speed-bowling competition is in order!

Championship Dash  features The Kangaroo Flat Galahs who are preparing for their annual match against the Edenhope Eagles. The stakes are high with the winner qualifying for the State T20 Championships in Perth. They’ll also receive tickets to the Perth Scorchers versus Melbourne Renegades double-header! The Galahs haven’t beaten the Eagles in 30 years, but that was before they had the mysterious and brilliant Allunga on their team. Can they finally turn the tables?

Representative Clash , the 7th in the series focuses on Tommy who is a huge hitter and loves nothing more than smashing balls out of the park with his impressive handmade bat. He’s a diehard Hobart Hurricanes fan and has his fingers crossed that he will be selected for the Hobart representative team that will take on Adelaide in the upcoming Adelbart Clash. But when Tommy’s bat goes missing he can feel his chances slipping away. It’s up to his friends to help him find his bat so he can chase his place on the rep team!

The final story in this collection Carnival Clash culminates in the first T20 Crickomania Carnival and two teams of kids have been selected to represent the Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder. Maddie, Chase and Jye are a few of the lucky ones and they can’t wait to test out their cricket skills and meet some BBL and WBBL players. The event begins with lots of excitement but also some strange occurrences. There’s a mix up with the coaches, unexplained rules and an opposing team who really wants to win. Can everyone pull together to make the carnival a success?

Definitely a series for the cricket lovers and one to recommend to parents to keep reading going over the long summer holidays!

Big Bash League (series)

Nov22
Big Bash League

Big Bash League

 

 

 

 

 

Big Bash League

Michael Panckridge

Random House Australia, 2016

156pp., pbk., RRP $A14.99

Switch Hit Showdown
9780143782193

Captain’s Clash
9780143782216

Double Delivery
9780143782230

Bowling Blitz
9780143782254

With the cricket season well under way and the very popular Big Bash League looming, this is a series that will appeal to all fans of the format, both boys and girls.  Each book is a separate entity focusing on fans of two of the teams in the league – Switch Hit Showdown features the Melbourne Stars and the Melbourne Renegades; Captains’ Clash is Sydney Sixes and Sydney Thunder; Double Delivery is Hobart Hurricanes and Brisbane Heat and Bowling Blitz, the Perth Scorchers and Adelaide Strikers. Each has passionate cricketers involved in a local competition and having to find a way to work together to overcome obstacles.

Panckridge, well known for his sports adventure books, has cleverly included players of both genders in the stories acknowledging that cricket is not a male-only sport and the WBBL and our national women’s cricket team the Southern Stars are gaining a much higher profile and respect as their success grows.

Written for independent readers, each book includes tips about the focus skill – batting, all-rounder, fielding and bowling as well as a profile of the two teams.  Double Delivery even has instructions for Dice Cricket that can be played when you can’t get outdoors.

A great series for those who love their sport and demand to read about it. 

 

 

 

Tashi and the Wicked Magician

Aug5
Tashi and the Wicked Magician

Tashi and the Wicked Magician

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tashi and the Wicked Magician

Anna Fienberg & Barbara Fienberg

Geoff Kelly & Kim Gamble

Allen & Unwin, 2016

96pp., pbk., RRP $A14.99

9781760290504

The only thing that spreads faster than a cold through a primary school is the news that there is a new Tashi book out and the library has a copy!

In this new paperback addition to the series, Tashi – that magical little chap who has big adventures – features in five new stories and confronts fearsome opponents set on destroying his village and his peace.  This time there’s a  magician with a greedy plan, a haunted house about to go up in flames, ruthless ruffians after a rare orchid, and a quest for the bravest person in the land to face the fire-breathing Red Whiskered Dragon.

Originally published in hardback format in 2014, this is a timeless series that continually appeals to those newly independent readers who are stepping out into the world of fantasy.  The stories are short, the illustrations colourful and the characters are clearly good or evil.

Back in the days when I was co-ordinating Read Around Australia I ran a book rap based on all the Tashi novels published at the time. Small groups of students selected one story and had to write a synopsis and then pose a series of questions that would challenge the thinking of other students around Australia who had to answer them.  What they discovered was that each story threw up a number of ethical questions that could be discussed and debated and so they became so much more than an introduction to fantasy and an easy read.  These new stories are similar – is saving the greedy Baron’s treasure a worthy cause worth risking your life for? 

If you want to capitalise on the fascination for Tashi,  then check out A Flight of Fantasy, a unit of work based on the series and available for free through the National Digital Learning Resources Network.  Log into your Scootle account and search for R11582.  It’s written for Years 5/6 but can easily be adapted for younger students.

Many will be familiar with Tashi through the series screened on the ABC – they will be delighted to know they can meet him again and share his adventures in the world of print.  He even has his own website.