Spiro

Jul7
Spiro

Spiro

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spiro

Anna McGregor

Scribble, 2024

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

9781761381010

Spiro is hungry and he’s not fussy whether it is a juicy fly, a scrumptious moth or a crunchy stink bug that he has for dinner.  But whatever it is, he has to spin a web to catch it.  Although Spiro is good at spinning webs, he is not so good at choosing things to anchor it to, and so time and time again, he sees his snack trapped but then escaping!  But Spiro is nothing if not persistent, and just tweaks his plans and tries again.  Will he get his much-needed meal or will  he himself in danger of becoming something else’s lunch?

At the beginning of this book is a message- “Perseverance weaves the web that catches the lucky break” – offering an indication of the author’s intention to demonstrate that determination and persistence are critical for success because not everything works on the first attempt, and young readers will certainly have plenty of stories to share about times when their plans have gone awry and they have either given up or tried again.  They will spot the faults in Spiro’s design, all of which add to the humour,  and will be not only hoping that he gets something to eat soon, but that he escapes the beady eye of Mrs Bird.

But it is also a useful springboard into an investigation of these creatures, and a quick scan of SCIS shows that apart from Jeannie Baker’s classic One Hungry Spider, Eric Carle’s The Very Busy Spider or the traditional tale of Little Miss Muffet, there are few picture books with spiders as the main protagonist that serve the purpose as well.  Because for all that these creatures might send shivers down the spine of some, they are one of Mother Nature’s marvels and there is much to learn about them.  Teachers’ notes offer some suggestions, and there could also be a lively discussion about why Anna McGregor has chosen to make Spiro hot pink! There are also a number of videos online that show spiders spinning their webs, an exercise in maths and precision that always fascinates.

As with Anemone is Not the Enemy, on the surface this seems like a picture book with much of the action in the stunning illustrations that will entertain for the length of time it takes to read it, but with some astute questions it can provide an insight into spiders, food chains, food-gathering techniques, and so  much more, spanning the entire curriculum.

 

Good Hair

Jul6
Good Hair

Good Hair

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good Hair

Yvonne Sewankambo

Freda Chiu

Walker Books, 2024

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

9781760655709

When Birungi wakes up with a particularly bad case of “bad hair day” , it puts her in a bad mood and she doesn’t want to eat breakfast or go to school.  But then her dad takes her on a walk through the town and shows her that hair is a remarkable thing, it is different for everyone and it is the one thing that can make us truly individual.  So whether long, short, coloured, natural, curly, straight or something else entirely it is unique to the person – just as hers is.

Back in the days, not long after the dinosaurs disappeared, we were subjected to really strict school regulations about the length and style of our hair – it couldn’t touch the collar without being tied up (with regulation ribbons) and it had to be your natural colour – and any attempt to be different or to express who we were was quickly pounced on by pretentious prefects or cranky teachers.  And styles of the stars were copied religiously – how well I remember going to bed with a stocking on my head to tame my unruly red curls, while my mum tried to sleep with hard, plastic rollers in hers!!!  My dad and brother just slept LOL. 

So while the likes of Wayne Bennett  might decry some of the hairstyles that our young people sport these days, nevertheless it is but one way that our young can stand out from the crowd, and it’s not as though it’s permanent.  When Ms Now-18 first showed her grandfather her tangerine and mint shaved/long do, he had to bite his tongue – thank goodness I had warned him!!!  

Birungi’s dad is very wise – instead of commiserating with Birungi and thus validating her misery, he teaches her to celebrate it as an integral part of what makes her her.  A lesson many could learn. 

 

Astrochimp

Jul5
Astrochimp

Astrochimp

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Astrochimp

David Walliams

Adam Stower

HarperCollins GB., 2024

224pp., graphic novel., RRP $A22.99

9780008649555

Chump the chimpanzee from Central Park Zoo, New York was always being silly. He would make rude noises from both ends, pick his nose with his little toe, eat the skins of bananas, hurling out the tasty part inside…  NASA’s scientists thought he’d be the PERFECT chimp to send into space. Little did Chump know that he had been selected for a deadly-dangerous mission. If a chimp could orbit Earth, then chances were a human could too.

With Chump the chimp at the controls of a spacecraft, what could possibly go wrong? Just about everything, it would seem, because when he has a celebratory banana after the launch,  he is catapulted 50 years into the future and confronted by Dmitri, a dog who claims to be a Hellhound of Space,  a notorious space pirate feared across the galaxies. Blasted into space many years before by humankind, but with no plans to bring him home, Dmitri rebelled and stalked the galaxy attacking and taking ships to add to his own. Chump is his latest conquest, and soon to be one of his worst. 

And so begins a series of adventures, with dog and chimp at loggerheads to begin with but realising that they are going to have to work together to survive that will appeal to those who enjoy David Walliams’ brand of humour, this time in colourful graphic novel format.  Yet, underlying the crazy plotline is the more serious issue of how all sorts of creatures, including fruit flies, a gerbil, dogs, cats and others, have been launched into space to determine whether it is a viable environment for humans – all with no plans to return them to Earth.  Walliams has taken those journeys a step further to explore what might have happened next…

For many, this will be a light-hearted read that continues Walliams’ intention of providing stories that kids want to read so they actually do so, but if some want to find out more about those early experimental flights then Laika the Astronaut could be a good start although there are a number of authoritative summaries available online.  

 

It’s Boba Time For Pearl Li!

Jul4
It's Boba Time For Pearl Li!

It’s Boba Time For Pearl Li!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s Boba Time For Pearl Li!

Nicole Chen

HarperCollins US, 2024

368pp., pbk., RRP $A19..99

9780063228627

School’s out for the summer and Pearl Li is planning to spend the time hanging out with her best friends, Cindy and Priya, and going to her favourite boba café to visit the wise Auntie Cha who Pearl believes is the only adult who understands her and her need to create her traditional Taiwanese amigurumi dolls,  Both her parents and big sister are immersed in the world of technology, computing and coding and at a recent science fair her mother openly scoffed at her model while praising one made by rival Kendall on a 3D printer.  Pearl fells like an outsider in her own family, and all she really wants is for her mother, particularly, to understand and value physical things made by hand as much as she values those made by machines and mechanics.

So when Pearl discovers that Boba Time is facing closure because Auntie Cha doesn’t have the money to fix its fridge, she decides she will raise the money by selling her dolls.  But the business world can be a tricky place for a 12-year-old to navigate especially when you have to lie about your age and keep things secret and even with the best intentions, secrecy can have all sorts of unforeseen consequences including risking your relationships with those you love most.

This is an original story that has all sorts of real-life twists and turns that will make the reader think about their own family dynamics and friendships.  With characters of Taiwanese, Chinese, Indian and American descent each bringing their personal perspectives to the narrative and each of them having that perspective challenged as events unfold, it has a depth and complexity that can be appreciated at the adult level but is also an absorbing read for younger independent readers who not only enjoy a good story but also understand the simple joy of creating something from virtually nothing, and the joy that the something can give to others. Whether it’s considering how we might unwittingly leave someone feeling isolated because they don’t have the same language or experiences that we take for granted, or discovering that our classmates have talents we have not discovered, or navigating the tricky path of being a tweenager, this book has something for so many.  Maybe it’s even time to plan a Kids’ Creativity Fair of your own!

Fluff: Mess Up!

Jul3
Fluff: Mess Up!

Fluff: Mess Up!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fluff: Mess Up!

Matt Stanton

ABC Books, 2024

208pp., pbk., RRP $A15.99

9780733342110

When Gilbert’s father left – this time it’s because he was eaten by a sea monster –  Gilbert’s mum gave him a big fluffy bunny toy.  But this is no ordinary squishy soft toy – Fluff can talk and he has attitude.  

When their caravan is a pigsty after a food fight, Gilbert’s mum insists they clean up their own mess, but that’s not an idea that appeals to them. And so Fluff suggests they call in the professional cleaners…

Written for young readers who are transitioning to longer stories, with its minimal text on each page, madcap characters and an outrageous plot laced with young-lad humour, this will appeal to those who don’t want their reading to be a complex, time-consuming task but still want to enjoy a good story. Stanton knows how and what to write to reach those who are still looking for a reason to read and this series, likes his others which include The Odds,  Funny Kid  and Bored  nails that brief.  And when they look for what’s next, then there’s always Paul Jennings and Andy Griffiths!

Mr McGee and his Hat

Jul2
Mr McGee and his Hat

Mr McGee and his Hat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mr McGee and his Hat

Pamela Allen

Puffin, 2024

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

9781761345050

Morning, and it’s time to get out of bed and get dressed.  So Mr McGee did just that- pulled on his trousers. his socks and his shoes, and lastly, his hat.  But suddenly, along came the strongest gust of wind and blew Mr McGee, his hat and his cat, even his bed and table and chairs high in the sky!  And while they landed safely when the wind stopped, Mr McGee couldn’t find his hat.  Where could it be?

It’s over 35 years since we first met Mr McGee who lives under a tree, and 25 years since his adventure with the biting flea that exposed his genitals and sent teachers, teacher librarians and parents racing for the whiteout so such “disgraceful” images had no place in a picture book for our youngest readers. 

But rather than corrupting young minds, it showed a generation of young readers that stories could be fun and energetic and real, and sent them looking for more books by this prodigious author who has been entertaining us for decades with more than 50 books, eight of them with Mr McGee as the key character.  Now in her 90s, Kiwi Pamela Allen says that she wrote this latest adventure to to escape the ‘prison of death’ following the passing of her husband last year, aged 100.“I had to re-establish my mental health among the living … And the way in which I could do that was to write a book. And I consciously put myself as a first priority, after his death, to re-establish my sense of worth. Because you lose all contact with the living drive that exists. But if death is forever a prison, you’ve got to climb out of it. So that’s why Mr McGee was a natural resource for me.”

And she hasn’t lost any of her touch since she first explained Archimedes principle in her first book in 1980, and still in print. With its rhyming text, and iconic illustrative style, little ones will delight in helping Mr McGee look for his hat while those who know will delight in telling him where to look because they know.  And while our youngest readers will delight in listening to the rhythm and the rhyme, their parents will be happily revisiting their own reading childhood, perhaps even seeking out some of Mr McGee’s earlier adventures to share.  

Through her stories with their sheer fun embedded in the plot, the words and the pictures, Pamela is up there with Mem Fox and Joy Cowley in contributing so much to the development of literacy and reading skills over the generations  She is one whose works I have used time and again over the decades of working with little ones both in New Zealand and Australia  and to revitalise her works and introduce them to a new generation of budding readers through the review of a new story is such a privilege.  

Discover and share all Mr McGee;s adventures...

Discover and share all Mr McGee;s adventures…

 

Step Inside Science: The Solar System

Jul1
Step Inside Science: The Solar System

Step Inside Science: The Solar System

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step Inside Science: The Solar System

Rob Lloyd Jones

Teresa Bellon

Usborne, 2024

14pp., board book, RRP $A19.99

9781805318699

With night falling so early these days, and winter skies being clear and crisp it is the perfect time to introduce our youngest readers to the wonders of the night sky as stars and planets are so clearly visible.  But with such beauty so readily available, especially of you live where there is little light pollution comes lots of questions so it is also time to invest in some books especially written for this age group so those questions can have answers while they are fresh in the mind.

Enter yet another wondrous publication from Usborne which uses its iconic lift the flap format to explain the solar system to the budding young astronomers and whet their appetite for new explorations and new discoveries.  Beginning with the sun, we take a journey past the four rock and metal  planets of Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars, then through the asteroid belt and out to the gas giants of Jupiter, Neptune and Uranus, and beyond.  All in full colour, all with flaps to lift and peepholes to peer through making an interactive experience that engages and explains, while for those who want to know more there are the specially selected Quicklinks  to accompany the book, as well as other equally intriguing publications (each with their own links) to continue the curiosity.

 

 

Bea’s Bad Day

Jun30
Bea's Bad Day

Bea’s Bad Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bea’s Bad Day

Tom Percival

Bloomsbury, 2024

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

9781526651358

Bea is really looking forward to her birthday and all the fun she will have with her Grandma, Bampi and all her cousins.  It was going to be perfect.  Until it wasn’t.  Snow started falling and before long it was too thick on the ground for anyone to travel safely.  This was not how she had imagined and planned her special day to be. Until…

Many modern parents turn themselves inside out trying to protect their children from being disappointed, yet learning to manage when things don’t go the way you expect them too is such an important life skill to learn.  There are always going to be times when things go awry and learning how to not only deal with them but bounce back and find the silver lining is part of learning to manage emotions and be resilient.

This is another in this series for young readers to learn to cope with big feelings that includes  Ruby’s Worry, Perfectly Norman, Ravi’s Roar, Meesha Makes Friends, Tilda Tries Again, Milo’s Monster and Finn’s Little Fibs, each of which deals with everyday situations that our children face and are better off learning to navigate than being shielded from them.

Finding Bear

Jun29
Finding Bear

Finding Bear

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finding Bear

Hannah Gold

Levi Pinfold

HarperCollins GB., 2024

352pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

9780008582012

When her mother is killed in a car crash, April’s scientist father retreats onto himself as he tries to deal with his grief and becomes the epitome of the absent-minded professor, leaving11-year-pld April to pretty much fend for herself.  So when he tells her he has applied to man the weather station on remote Bear Island in the Arctic Circle and they will be there alone for six months over the northern summer, April sees it as a chance to reconnect with her dad and start to build a new relationship with him.

However, things don’t work out that way with her dad becoming more and more withdrawn, leaving April to explore the island and entertain herself all day and all night as the sun does not set at this time of the year. Although she has been told that once polar bears roamed the island freely, because of climate change and the melting of the sea ice, there are now no bears left,  one evening, on the horizon, silhouetted against the sun , something moves. Something big and loping and gone in the blink of an eye but a polar bear, nonetheless. He is starving, lonely and a long way from home. Determined to save him, April begins the most important journey of her life…

Now, in this sequel to that compelling story of The Last Bear, April , who is not having an easy time trying to fit into school and all that that entails, returns to Svalbard after hearing that a polar bear has been shot and injured and she is convinced it is her special friend. As they begin an unforgettable journey across frozen tundra and icy glaciers. they discover a tiny polar bear cub, desperately in need of April’s  help. In freezing temperatures, she must navigate the dangerous Arctic terrain and face her deepest fears if she’s to save him, particularly as it means dealing with someone who is willing to shoot every polar bear on sight.

As with the first one, as well as bringing environmental issues to the fore, it also deals with some bigger issues as April has to learn to navigate and cope with her new relationship with her father as well as his new relationship with her principal.  There are echoes of this in the relationship between Bear and his cub and so, again, April is able to learn much about herself as she does about wild life and humanity’s impact on it, but there are also echoes of the relationship for the reader who may also be watching their own family dynamics transition, not only in terms of new partners coming in but also their own developing maturity and independence.

The Last Bear was such a compelling read that those who enjoyed it will want to follow up what happened next for April, her dad and the bear; while for those who haven’t read the first, this is a wonderful duo that will absorb them for days.  

 

 

Who’s Who: Greek Mythology

Jun28
Who's Who: Greek Mythology

Who’s Who: Greek Mythology

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who’s Who: Greek Mythology

Hannah Sheldon-Dean

Thomas Nelson US, 2024

192pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781646434565

Long, long ago, at least 1200 years before Jesus Christ was born and the modern calendar began to have some sort of starting point, the Ancient Greeks ruled the lands around the Mediterranean Sea in a series of city-states, each with its own government, often a king. Despite being separate entities, nevertheless their cultures had much in common including the worshipping of many gods and goddesses, often used to explain those things that seemed to be without explanation.  

Yet, despite being such a long time ago, those deities which were so important and which featured in so many stories, poems, artworks, buildings and traditions still spill into the modern world – the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris being a prime example – as well as references to them in the many modern superhero and fantasy stories that have captivated young readers in recent years.  And so, it is not surprising that there remains an interest in who’s who, how they connect, what their influences were, and all the other elements that mean their stories are repeated over and over the generations and millennia. 

Brave Heracles, mighty Zeus, wise Athena, beautiful Helen, and more come to life in this new collection of easily-accessible information that explains what young readers need to know if they are to understand what powers the stories they enjoy including 

  • A brief history of ancient Greece as well as the Olympian family tree (which will be a focus in the coming weeks)
  • In-depth profiles for each of the major gods, goddesses, heroes, and demigods and the myths surrounding them
  • Awesome and terrifying mythological creatures, including Medusa and the Minotaur

There are stories of  heroism, jealousy, vengeance, love, fate, honour, and hubris that will rival modern novels, each accompanied by vibrant illustrations that will inspire the imagination.

For independent readers, this one reaches far beyond that initial primary school audience, offering something for anyone with an interest in the tales that continue to underpin life in the 21st century.