Illus. by Emily Gravatt. Bloomsbury, 2020. ISBN: 9781526608123.
(Age: 9+) Recommended. Lovers of the Harry Potter series
will grab this companion book, first published in 2001. The 2020
volume has Emily Gravatt's fabulous illustrations and gives a
tour through the game of Quidditch. J.K. Rowling, using the
pseudonym of Kennilworthy Whisp, uses her amazing imagination to go
deep into the game and history in this book which graced the library
at Hogwarts. Avid readers will find chapters on the evolution of the
flying broomstick, ancient broom games, the arrival of the golden
snitch, changes in quidditch, teams of Britain and Ireland and
Quidditch today.
Emily Gravatt, twice winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal, has brought
to life this wizard sport. Starting with a portrait of Professor
Dumbledore with Fawkes his pet phoenix, she goes on to make fabulous
illustrations of flying broomsticks, teams, referees, and even an
ancient manuscript depicting the Quijudge carry the four balls into
the centre during a game. Small black and white illustrations grace
virtually every page and add to the fun of reading the book.
This is a handsome volume with a sturdy hardcover and bookmark
ribbon. And with proceeds going to Lumos, an international
children's charity founded in 2005 by J.K. Rowling, and Comic
Relief, it would make an ideal gift for any fan.
Pat Pledger
The Restless Girls by Jessie Burton
Illus. by Angela Barrett. Bloomsbury, 2020. ISBN: 9781526618474.
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Themes: Fantasy; Princesses. Twelve
excellent Princesses, all with talents unique and exceptional, are
plunged into a virtual prison by their father, the King, after the
unfortunate death of their mother. The grief over the Queen's death
unsettles the King and makes him irrational in his attempts to
protect his daughters. The girls are unable to find consolation from
within their imposed locked room existence . . . until they find a
hidden mysterious fantasy palace where they can again know joy. This
fantasy experience gives them opportunities to live life abundantly
(with talking animals and food of every description) and to dance
again. But the secret life they are enjoying must be kept hidden.
The King though becomes suspicious! Will they be released or will
the escape into their fantasy palace come to an unhappy end?
Written in the lyrical style of a classic fairy-tale, Burton has
written a wonderful story that esteems the intelligence of girls and
reveals their capacity to solve problems and to express their
loyalty to one another. The illustrations by Barrett are delightful
and reveal princesses that do not have Anglo-Saxon heritage.
Published as a hard cover 'fairy-tale' book, this would make a
lovely gift or also a good read-aloud book. Highly recommended for
ages 8+.
Carolyn Hull
Editor: This review was originally for the hardback version, ISBN:
9781408886915.
Counting Creatures by Julia Donaldson
Illus. by Sharon King-Chai. TwoHoots, 2020. ISBN: 9781529040517.
(Age: 3-5) Highly recommended. Children will be immediately drawn to
the wonderful owl with her babies in a cut-out on the front cover
and will beg for the book to be opened to see more of the beautiful
illustrations inside. This is a counting book, but what a lovely
one. Starting with a mother bat, coloured in black against a deep
blue background, after lifting the flap the child will learn that
she has 1 baby. On the opposite page, is the question "Who has more
babies than that?" Turning the page, the reader will see a sheep and
turning over the page will see 2 lambs, "One of them eating, The
other bleating." It is fun to call out this refrain and guess how
many babies the leopard, the wild dog, the owl, the fox, Artic hare,
mouse, duck, potbelly pig, all counting up to 10. Children will
learn the scientific names of the baby animals as they go along and
then they will find out that a turkey has 15 poults, a butterfly has
20 caterpillars, the frog has 25 tadpoles and to top everything off
the spider has lots of spiderlings. Then children have the
opportunity to go back and count the spiders that appear all over
the book.
The language is great to read aloud, with rhythm, rhyme and
alliteration: This wild dog has 4 pups Nosing and nestling. Writhing and wrestling
The illustrations are gorgeous, with vivid colours and lovely leaves
and flowers in the background. Little children will love the
slanting eyes of the birds and animals and will want to count each
baby. The book is exceptionally well produced with a sturdy hard
back cover and the pages are well stitched to allow for heavy use,
as it is sure to become a popular re-read with pre-schoolers. Flaps
and cut-outs too are in heavy paper, so with careful handling should
remain intact.
This is a keeper, sure to be a favourite that is handed down to the
next generation. You can see the book here.
Pat Pledger
Pirate stew by Neil Gaiman
Illus. by Chris Riddell. Bloomsbury, 2020. ISBN: 9781526614728.
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. The glorious front cover has instant
appeal for every reader, as their eyes glance over the array of
characters on the dust jacket. Two startled children at the bottom
of the cover, complete with a stuffed toy, are on either side of a
jolly pirate holding aloft a giant pot. Filling the cover pages are
wonderfully piratical images, which will entrance all readers.
Opening the book, children will see a situation not unfamiliar, that
of Mum and Dad going out and leaving them with a baby sitter. But
what a baby sitter! Long John McRon arrives complete with a rag bag
of cohorts, splendidly attired, all ready to help, but when they
open the fridge to cook tea for the children, find there is nothing
there. So Long John calls out that he will make Pirate Stew, to the
delight of all his friends. Into the pot goes everything piratical
and a bit more besides until they all sit down to eat, the children
careful not to even taste theirs, then the ship develops wings and
off they fly for an adventure. Landing at Sally's Donut Shop sees
lots of cakes consumed and when they return home, Mum and Dad return
as well. Then a twist in the tale makes everyone laugh at the end of
a very funny pirate poem.
Wonderful rhymes, fun to read out loud (practise first) complete
with glorious illustrations will have children reading bits again ad
again, poring over the images, looking out for all things to do with
pirates, and then seeking out other books, and waiting for Talk Like
Pirate Day (19 September) to come around.
This is a wonderful collaboration by award winning author and
illustrator, ensuring kids will have a great deal of fun as they
turn each page.
Themes: Pirates, Family, Cooking, Humour, Verse, Imagination.
Fran Knight
Whose bones? by Chihiro Takeuchi
Berbay Publishing, 2020. ISBN: 9780648785163.
(Ages: 2-5) Recommended. This book comprises an interactive guessing
game that asks readers to guess the animal from its bones. The
challenge is made harder because the bones are not presented in
skeletal form but scattered in random across the page. A picture
clue, in the form of what the animal eats is given for each. The
vertebrate animals presented include a flamingo, an elephant and a
crocodile. There is also another page towards the end of the book
where we see six different animals and their complete skeleton.
Children will find it easier to guess these animals than the jumbled
up skeletons. Also included are some fun, boney facts about some of
the animals featured within the book (i.e., an elephant's trunk has
no bones, the blue whale has the largest bones of any living animal,
sharks don't have any bones). It also tells us that adult humans
typically have 206 bones.
Young ones will also enjoy looking at the simplified human skeleton
on the endpapers (and will giggle at the robot and alien skeletons).
This is a beautifully designed interactive book that children will
love reading time and time again. Takeuchi's paper cut illustrations
are simple but eye-catching and the skeletal details are
scientifically accurate. It is perfect for developing a curiosity
about science and the natural world and for encouraging questions
and discussions around different lifeforms. Its short text and
simple design make it perfect for even the youngest readers but it
will also be thoroughly engaging for the older end of the target
market.
Themes: Animal skeletons, Vertebrate animals.
Nicole Nelson
Willow Moss and the forgotten tale by Dominique Valente
Illus. by Sarah Warburton. Starfell book 2. HarperCollins
Children's Books, 2020. ISBN: 9780008308445. 297pp.
(Ages: 8-12) Recommended. Willow Moss and the forgotten tale
is the second in the Starfell series. Willow is a young
witch who has the ability to make things appear but when things
start to disappear her mother and sisters really don't help and she
loses her confidence. Willow has also been extremely sad since
Granny Flossy died on her last mission to find a lost day. However
the disappearance of her friend Nolin Sometimes impels her to leave
home and go on a new quest to find him. On her journey she is helped
by a wizard called Hollaway, a raven/boy called Sprig, Feathering
the dragon and Essential a young witch friend, amongst many others.
Oswin is her constantly grumbling cat-like companion she carts
around in a carpetbag. He doesn't really provide much help but
offers much light relief, especially in his efforts to inform people
he isn't a cat but a Kobald. They all have some pretty serious
challenges to combat as they travel via Wisperia, Library, the Mists
of Mitlaire and ultimately the dangers of Netherfell.
This tale is jam-packed with fantastic characters, places and
events. At times it is a bit grim and scary but Oswin's humorous
asides and the many terrific illustrations help lighten the feel of
the story. It will help readers to have read Willow
Moss and the lost day to understand places and
characters. Willow is a strong girl character who becomes more sure
of her magical powers especially when so many put their faith in
her. There are themes of choosing to belong to those doing good
versus evil and being true to yourself and your beliefs but
ultimately this is non-stop adventure. This book has set the
situation up for further major battles as evil protagonists seek to
have control over all the magic in Starfell and Netherfell. It may
appeal to those who liked The
legends of Eerie-on-Sea series or Nevermoor
series.
Jo Marshall
The book of mythical beasts and magical creatures by Stephen Krensky
Illus. by Pham Quang Phuc. D.K. Publishing, 2020. ISBN:
9780241423950.
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. The information on the back cover
informs readers that they will "meet favourite monsters, fairies,
heroes, and tricksters from all around the world" and they certainly
will. This excellent, well produced book will delight fans of myths
and legends and inform those who are looking to find information
about the mythical world.
The book is split into 8 chapters: Our Mysterious World, Good and
Evil, Tricksters, Shape-Shifters, Almost Human, Creatures of the
Deep, Winged Wonders, and Beasts of the World, each one subdivided
with the names of the creatures featured. At the back of the book is
an A-Z of the creatures with the meaning of their name and a short
paragraph about their origin. There is also a glossary and Index as
well as Acknowledgements, all ensuring that this is a reference book
that is easily accessible to a person who wants to research one of
the mythical creatures, while those who like to flick through will
also find themselves stopping and reading constantly.
After the Introduction, the first creature featured is Ymir, in
Norse mythology the first frost giant. There is a beautiful
illustration on half of the double page spread and then a page
describing their importance for Norse mythology. This format is
followed throughout the book which features creatures from all over
the world in each section. There is the Dirawong, "a protective
lizard-like creature of Australian Aboriginal Dreamtime", Taniwha,
mythical being of Maori legend, and Garuda, "noble winged creature
from Hindu mythology", to mention just a few. To make the book even
more helpful, the reader is lead to other similar myths from a See
also section at the bottom of the page.
Readers are going to be able to quickly research individual
creatures and read up on ones that they may have heard about but did
not know much about. For example, the information about the Wendigo,
"legendary evil spirit with a taste for human flesh" answered all my
questions about this creature.
The illustrations are fabulous. I particularly loved the red Kraken
that terrorises sailors, and Tengu, a bird-like creature from
Japanese folklore, jumped out of the page with his scary long nose
and handful of fire.
This is a must have for fans of myths and legends, with its well
laid out, easy to read and understand information and would be a
very useful reference book in the classroom and library.
Pat Pledger
Fairy tales gone bad: Zombierella by Joseph Coelho
Illus. by Freya Hartas. Walker Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781406389661.
(Age: 9+). Recommended for readers who appreciate dark humour.
Warning though that this book may upset sensitive children.
In time for Halloween, this is the first of a planned series of
three dark fairy tales. A librarian discovers an unloved collection
of books that are deteriorated, cracked and swollen. The question is
whether foul changes on the outside of a book mean the story inside
is changed too?
Starting with the story of Cinderella, we see the answer is yes. The
overall tale is somewhat familiar yet has become twisted and rotten.
Cinderella lives with her 'fake' mother and sisters who treat her
badly and are deliberately disgusting. A prince announces a series
of balls to find a wife, and the 'fakes' all swan off to the first
ball.
A freak accident creates Zombierella. She makes it to the ball too
and meets the prince. She endures more ill treatment before we find
out whether she lives 'happily ever after'.
Joseph Coelho (poet, playwright and younger children's author) has
created a darkly funny story as his first book for middle-grade
readers.
He uses a range of devices to maintain interest: the story is
written entirely in verse, switching between rhyming and free verse.
The text flows easily and is simple to read while still including
delightfully descriptive language (for example the family never
'say' anything - they phlegm, drone, flap and more).
For sensitive children, warning that there are multiple deaths (of
people and animals), amputations, digging up graves, bones sticking
out and innards on the outside of a body. The family treat each
other badly and the mother inflicts a terrible injury without a
second thought.
There are dark illustrations on every page that bring the story to
life (so to speak!) - these are detailed and moody but are also
cartoon-like which ensures they are not too realistic or graphic.
Themes: Death, Relationships, Fairy tale (fractured), Verse, Family.
Kylie Grant
A Tale of Magic by Chris Colfer
Hodder & Stoughton 2019. ISBN: 9781510202122.
(Age: Young Adult) Highly recommended. Actor and musician Chris
Colfer continues his second career as a bestselling children's
author with A Tale of Magic. This is Colfer's first offering
outside of his immensely popular Land of Stories series.
While set in the same universe and acting as a quasi-prequel,
readers do not need to be familiar with the Land of Stories
series to enjoy A Tale of Magic.
The narrative centres on Brystal Evergreen, a bookish and
intelligent teenager living in a patriarchal and oppressive society.
In the Southern Kingdom, ruled over by King Champion XIII and a
cadre of crotchety and sexist High Justices, Brystal's life is a
never-ending cycle of domestic duties and preparation for her future
role as wife and mother.
Until one day Brystal, who loves to read but is forbidden from doing
so due to draconian laws outlawing female literacy, applies for a
cleaning job at a library. So begins an adventure involving secrets,
magic, trials and servitude, culminating in Brystal's enrolment at
the newly opened Madame Weatherberry's Academy of Magic. For the
first time in her life Brystal begins to form friendships and become
comfortable is expressing who she is. However, when Madame
Weatherberry disappears, Brystal and her magical classmates must
find a way to save their teacher and, while they're at it, the rest
of the world. A Tale of Magic is a vivid, fun and exceedingly enjoyable
novel. Colfer excels at world-building and readers will be enchanted
by the colourful characters and scenes he brings to life. This book
is highly recommended, particularly for fans of magical school
narratives, such as Harry Potter and Nevermore.
Themes: Magic, Magical Creatures, Witches, Family, Friendship,
Adventure.
Rose Tabeni
Bad Mermaids: Meet the Sushi Sisters by Sibeal Pounder
Illus. by Jason Cockcroft. Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2020. ISBN:
9781526616883.
(Age: 7-9) Recommended. The fourth book in this amusing series
introduces Meri Pebble (the best spy mermaid in the Fortress Bay spy
school, according to Meri anyway!). Meri pesters her supervisor into
giving her a new mission and she is tasked with uncovering what is
behind a crabogram that says the Famous Sushi Sisters are going to
destroy all the humans. She and her friends - Beattie, Mimi and
Zelda, (aka the Bad Mermaids) go undercover as a personal assistant
and the GLAM squad to show that there is no truth to the idea that
the Sushi sisters would even consider harming any humans. Meri is
sure she can prove them to be the famous and seriously spoiled
mermaids who just do pranks for their TV show and nothing more. But
the mermaids soon realise the Sushi sisters are up to something and
wonder how the sisters got their hands on some very strange pets
like their mercats (half mermaid half cat) and hamstars (half
seastars half hamsters).
Meanwhile their human friend Paris is moving from California to a
castle in Scotland which boasts a loch haunted by a mermaid. Paris'
mother has given up making socks and taken up selling mermaid
make-up to humans under the brand name Flubiere. She has even
brought a tankful of Puffer fish to promote her brand to the
fish-loving people of Scotland. Paris befriends the mysterious
mermaid in the loch and helps her Bad mermaid friends in the
process.
The books all have delightful references to all things fishy that
young readers will enjoy. The lessons about being a good friend and
not getting taken in by the glamour and glitz of famous people are
carefully woven into the story as Beattie learns the hard way that
being the cool girl with the Sushi sisters is not all it promised.
Themes: Espionage, mermaids, seahorses, magic, friendship.
Gabrielle Anderson
Blood and honey by Shelby Mahurin
Serpent and dove series, book 2. Harper Teen 2020, ISBN:
9780063041172
(Age: 15+) As the sequel to Serpent and dove (Blood and
honey is the second in the series), this review may contain
spoilers for the first book for those who have not read it. A
descriptive and action packed fantasy, Blood and honey picks
up right after the cliff-hanger end of Serpent and dove,
with Lou, Reid and their companions on the run and in hiding. With
Lou's coven in pursuit of Lou, the church in pursuit of all of them
and the kingdom not having a place for them, their little band of
fugitives are in constant danger. With the threat of Morgane hanging
over them, the group seek allies in unlikely places - with their
enemies. Fearing this won't be enough to protect the ones she loves,
Lou turns to a darker side of her magic that may cost more than it's
worth.
Having enjoyed the first book of this series, I found the second
book just as compelling with relatable characters, interesting plot
development and well paced, detailed writing. There is also romance,
both hot and heavy and unrequited. Having been introduced to Lou,
Reid, Ansel and Coco in book 1, readers learn more about them while
their relationships develop. While Lou struggles to keep a grip on
herself, Reid struggles to accept himself. This well written novel
will appeal to many readers. It would suit fans of Sarah J. Maas' Court
of thorns and roses series.
Themes: Magic, Good and evil, Fantasy, Self-perception,
Forgiveness.
Mel Phillips
The great realisation by Tomos Roberts
Illus. by Nomoco. Harper Collins Australia, 2020. ISBN:
9781460759806.
(Ages: 7+) Recommended. First performed in response to the Covid-19
pandemic, this poem has been viewed over 60 million times and
translated into over 20 languages. The young author, UK spoken-word
poet freelance filmmaker Tomos Roberts, struggled financially when
the pandemic hit and set himself a challenge to find a hopeful
message within the hardship and isolation faced by many. He
describes the book as 'a bedtime story for a time of change' and a
'reminder that we need not aim for a return just to normal when
there is a tangible prospect of progress and the potential for so
much more'. Nomoco's vibrant watercolour illustrations are minimal
but poignant, adding to the wonderfully serene, yet hopeful nature
of the poem itself.
The story starts with two children asking for a bedtime story: 'Tell
me the one about the virus again, then I'll go to bed'. The story
the children are asking for begins before the pandemic and tells
what the world was like before: big companies, instant gratification
of material needs, busy people without time to talk to each other,
isolation and environmental destruction. It tells of how while
everyone was busy hiding from the virus, wonderful things started to
happen: we started to talk more, rush around less and enjoy simple
activities and the environment started to breathe again. Then it
talks of what we hope will happen: 'we all preferred the world we
found, to the one we'd left behind'.
This is a beautifully optimistic book that wants to separate history
into pre-covid and post-covid, with the hope that the two eras will
look drastically different. While it remains to be seen if this will
come to fruition, it's a realisation worth sharing with people of
all ages. A
teacher's guide is available. Themes: Modern life, Hope, 2020
Covid-19 pandemic, Poetry.
Nicole Nelson
Troubled blood by Robert Galbraith
Cormoran Strike, book 5. Little Brown, 2020. ISBN:
9780751579949. 944 pp.
(Age: Adult - Senior secondary) Highly recommended. Although a massive 944 pages, fans
of the series will be rivetted by the complex plotting and
relationships in Galbraith's latest offering. Strike and Robin are
back again, this time investigating a cold case involving a young
doctor, Margot Bamborough, who mysteriously disappeared forty years
earlier. Strike had been approached by her daughter to see if he
could find the truth about her and give her some solace. As Strike
and Robin start investigating, they discover that there had been a
serial killer on the loose nearby, and the detective in charge of
the case had been convinced that he was the killer. However, he had
become increasingly obsessed with tarot cards which he was using to
solve the case and eventually was forced to leave it. Strike and
Robin must delve through copious strange notes, interview any
surviving witnesses all the while researching the many cases their
agency was actively pursuing. Not to mention Strike having to cope
with the fact that his aunt, who had brought him up, has cancer,
while Robin is struggling with a difficult divorce.
There are many plot threads to follow in Troubled blood, and
the author keeps the reader puzzling not only over what happened to
Margot Bamborough, but also what happened to other young women that
the serial killer was supposed to kill. Even the other cases the
agency is investigating are interesting and contain more puzzles for
the reader to try and solve. And readers who have been following the
growing rapport between Robin and Strike will enjoy the way
Galbraith has given an in-depth understanding of how their
backgrounds and past relationships have affected their emotional
growth.
Fans of the Cormoran Strike series will not want to miss
this one, and lovers of the mystery genre will appreciate the
intricate plotting and may, like me, be surprised by the final
denouements.
Pat Pledger
Peppa loves the Great Barrier Reef by Peppa Pig
Penguin, 2020. ISBN: 9780241457542. Peppa loves the Great Barrier Reef is a story based on the
popular children's TV show Peppa Pig, and seems to be part
of a new range of Peppa Pig books aimed at Australian fans.
In this title, Peppa and her family visit their friend Kylie
Kangaroo (who has been on other episodes) and spend time with her at
her mother's work in a submarine on the Great Barrier Reef. The Pig
family are amazed at how beautiful the coral is on the reef and make
links to the fish tank at Kylie Kangaroo's house. They love the
different sea life and rainbow coral, all that is missing is a chest
full of treasure . . . or is it?
I think that this book missed a really good opportunity to talk a
bit more about the Great Barrier Reef and how to protect it. All
they said was not to take anything away, and then a treasure chest
full of gold coins is discovered and taken away . . . Young readers
would most likely not understand that a treasure chest and coral are
different things (living and not) and may be confused by this part
of the story.
Overall, the general storyline is okay and fits in very well with
the other Peppa Pig books I have read before. The
illustrations are bright and colourful and represent all the
characters that fans of this show will recognise. The addition of
the textural sparkles/glitter on the cover is also nice and helps
the book stand out, which will inevitably draw in young fans of the
show and possibly even those that have not seen it yet.
Lauren Fountain
Older by Pamela Redmond
Hachette, 2020. ISBN: 9780733645372
This story is written as a sequel to Redmond's earlier novel,Younger,
the book that was the foundation of a highly popular television
series in the USA. Redmond's follow-up novel takes us into her adult
life, the choices she makes and the challenges that she faces, after
the huge following that was elicited by the TV series. This book
would be suitable for adolescent and adult reading.
In Older, Redmond describes the issues that a new mother
faces, from the lack of sleep, the demands of a child, when life
before motherhood seemed so full, vital and energizing. Now we read
of the exhaustion, the need for patience when a baby is unsettled,
and the pressing need to have a break from the seemingly
never-ending demands of motherhood. We are able to see the pressing
need for help with the child, and how new mothers particularly seek
a solution to this issue. Redmond addresses the issue of the role of
grandparents in this modern world, and their challenges in this
role.
Vital, interesting and very much a description of the modern world
of the clash of jobs, children, work and relationships, this novel
bares all. We are also taken into the world of television, where and
how programs are generated, written, performed and received by
audiences. This book provides a view of that world and it is indeed
a fascinating but incredibly demanding world.
Elizabeth Bondar
