Ten minutes to bed: Little Unicorn's Birthday by Rhiannon Fielding and Chris Chatterton
Penguin, 2020. ISBN: 9780241453162. (Age: 3-10) Recommended. Little Unicorn's Birthday is a
gorgeous book that really captured my 6-year-old daughter. She has
previously loved other books in this series (Little
Unicorn and Little
Mermaid) and has requested that we find the other 3!
The book follows a count down sequence where each minute that Dad
counts down (to bedtime) something happens at Little Unicorn's
party. They play games, open gifts, eat delicious food and of course
eat cake. It all ends with Little Unicorn and her friends all fast
asleep under the night sky.
This book is easy to read and follows a reasonably simple rhyme. I
liked the count down aspect too which is always an important skill
to cement for younger children.
The illustrations are my favourite and I have truly loved them in
every book in this series we have read. The cover is textured with
sparkles which really draws your attention and the illustrations on
the pages really show the mood of the book. Lots of colour, and then
it slowly darkens to the night-time scenes. The characters have
wonderful facial expressions and are extremely cute.
The author/illustrator partnership between Rhiannon Fielding and
Chris Chatterton is very successful, and I feel that these books are
a testament to that. I think that any book in this series would be a
great gift or library addition for readers from 3 to 7 years old.
Lauren Fountain
The Windsor diaries 1940-45 by Alathea Fitzalan Howard
Hodder & Stoughton, 2020. ISBN: 9781529328097.
The author of the diaries (edited by her niece-in-law Isabella
Naylor-Leyland to whom they were bequeathed) was born in 1923 to an
aristocratic Catholic British family. She would have been the next
Duke of Norfolk had she been a male.
Alathea recorded her life in diary entries from January 1939 until
she died in January 2001, but only the 1940 to 1945 war years when
she lived with her grandfather in a grand house near the Princesses
Elizabeth and Margaret at Windsor are covered in the book.
Given her social status, mention of famous people of the time are
frequent. What stood out to me was Alathea's obsession with becoming
and remaining part of the 'royal circle' to the extent of acting and
dressing younger than her years to be closer in age to the
princesses.
As appropriate to her age at the time, the entries are often of a
shallow nature - what she and others wore and ate, visited,
liked/hated, marriage, etc. Some entries indicated a very troubled
(self harming) teenager, with an ambivalent relationship to her
parents.
The war and its effects are only incidentally touched upon. The
references to food, clothes, parties, etc are not indicative of
great war time hardships. Having to undertake mandatory war work
appears to be resented as an intrusion on Alathea's social life.
The diary entries reflect the class distinctions and prejudices of
the time and Alathea's main preoccupation besides continuing the
friendship of the royals is love and marriage to a suitable
aristocratic man (but not a 'second son'). She does appear to have
insight that the aristocratic way of life with servants, leisure,
etc is a thing of the past - which she greatly regrets.
Not a gripping book, but useful as an insight into the effect of
WWII on a small segment of upper class British people. The diaries
could be used as a primary source by History students to compare
WWII experiences of upper and other class teenagers. For those
interested in the British royal family, there are some insights into
the daily life of the royal family during the time spent at Windsor
during WWII.
Ann Griffin
A clock of stars: The shadow moth by Francesca Gibbons
Illus.by Chris Riddell. HarperCollins, 2020. ISBN: 9780008355036.
(Young Adult / Children). Highly recommended. A brilliant new fantasy
author has been found in Francesca Gibbons. Her debut novel A
clock of stars: The shadow moth, aimed at older children and
younger teens, is a fun and easy read. The story centres on sisters
Imogen and Marie who follow a moth through a hidden doorway in a
tree and end up in another world. Like Alice and her rabbit, Imogen
and Marie find fun, adventure and peril in this alternate universe.
In this world ruled by an evil king where conflict bubbles beneath
the surface, the sisters meet lonely Prince Milo who agrees to help
them find their way home if they will be his friends and help him
restore peace to the realm.
What a coup for Gibbons to have secured Chris Riddell as her
illustrator. A prolific and well-loved children's illustrator and
author himself, Riddell's work has appeared in many books, including
those by Neil Gaiman and J.K. Rowling. His signature style is
apparent upon opening the book, immediately drawing the reader into
Gibbons' fantasy world.
Although pitched at a juvenile audience, adults and older teens will
also find themselves enthralled by the world-building, magic and
wonderful illustrations. A little bit Alice in Wonderland, a
little bit Narnia and very much its own, A clock of stars
is highly recommended. Themes: Magic, Magical creatures, Royalty,
Sisters, Family, Friendship, Animals.
Rose Tabeni
The secret garden: the story of the movie by Frances Hodgson Burnett and Linda Chapman
HarperCollins, 2020. ISBN: 9780008340070. 224pp., pbk.
First published in 1911, The secret garden is the story of
Mary, a sickly, neglected, unloved and unwanted 10-year-old girl
whose care has been mostly left to the servants who care for her
English family in colonial India. After her parents die in a cholera
epidemic, she is sent back to England into the care of her unknown
uncle Archibald Craven at his isolated mansion Misselthwaite Manor
on the Yorkshire Moors. At first, Mary is rude and obnoxious,
disliking everything about her new circumstances but eventually she
warms to Martha Sowerby who tells her about her aunt, the late
Lilias Craven and how she would spend hours in a private walled
garden growing roses. After his wife died in an accident in the
garden, Mr Craven locked the garden and buried the key. Mary becomes
interested in finding the secret garden herself and once she
discovers the key, her life begins to change.
This version is based on the screenplay of the 2020 movie which
has finally been released and which many students will have seen.
Telling the core of the original story it evokes a magical world
that encourages self-discovery and change and perhaps an interest in
reading the original. A stunning way to introduce a new generation
to a classic. Watch the official trailer
on YouTube.
Barbara Braxton
Harrow Lake by Kat Ellis
Penguin, 2020. ISBN: 9780241397046.
(Age: 15+) Recommended. Ideal for Halloween, this thriller/horror
story is one that will keep readers glued to the page as they follow
the trials of Lola Nox, the daughter of a horror filmmaker. With her
father is founded with multiple stab wounds, she is sent off to stay
with the grandmother that she has never met. The rural town of
Harrow Lake was the setting for Nolan Nox's most famous horror film
and the place where her mother was brought up. The town has used
this setting as a tourist attraction and each year there are
unexplained disappearances which are never solved. Some bizarre
occurrences, a strange puppet like creature called Mister Jitters,
legends about cannibalism and weird tapping noises set the scene for
some very scary moments as Lola tries to find out what happened to
her mother Lorelei who abandoned her as a young child.
The pace is fast, and the book is hard to put down, indeed it is one
that many readers will want to finish in one or two sittings,
holding their breathes as they read. There are some truly memorable
scenes like a dead tree that has hundreds of teeth hanging from it,
and a frightening group of caves, housing a derelict church.
Lola is not a person who the reader will readily identify with in
the beginning but as the story unfolds, the reader will get to know
what her life has been like with a totally controlling father and
will begin to sympathise with her. It is hard to tell the truth from
what could be her wild imaginination. Is her friend Mary Ann really
appearing to her? What is the meaning of the secrets that are
written on bits of paper and hidden and why did Lorelei collect
strange bug like creatures? Is someone stalking her? Can she trust
Carter the young man who has befriended her? What is her grandmother
hiding and where has Lorelei disappeared to?
Fans of thrillers and horror stories will find Harrow Lake
difficult to put down and will have fun working out the truth in
Lola's unreliable narrative and enjoy the horror tropes of a scary
town with strange people, stalkers, dark woods and horrifying
puppets.
Pat Pledger
Watch over me by Nina LaCour
Text Publishing, 2020. ISBN: 9781922330604.
(Age: 15+) Highly recommended. After being in the foster system
since her mother abandoned her, 18-year-old Mila is looking forward
to her job, teaching a young, home-schooled child on a farm. She is
desperate for a home, a place where she can belong and hopes to find
it with Terry and Julia, who own the farm and with the other people
there, particularly Billy and Liz and her small charge, Lee. What
she does not know when she accepts the job is that something strange
is going on there and that it will bring back all the bad memories
of her past.
An eerie combination of ghosts and ordinary life on a farm, LaCour
manages to keep the suspense alive as Mila's story gradually
unfolds. What are the ghostly figures that danced at night and why
did everyone except for Lee and her wear gold bracelets and
pendants? And what happened to the girl who used to teach Lee? Where
has she gone? The story has a gothic feel and I almost felt that I
was reading a novel set in the 1800's, until there would be a
reference to driving to a market with flowers or using a phone.
In lyrical prose the author describes bit by bit the memories of the
trauma that Mila had undergone when young, and the struggle that she
is having with them resurfacing. Lee has also suffered trauma and
Mila tries her best to help him, even as he sees ghosts too.
This is a disturbing read, with undertones of domestic violence,
abandonment, guilt and grief, all part of Mila's struggle to accept
her past and find a new home. Add a mix of ghosts, fear and mystery,
and Watch over me will grip the reader until its powerful
conclusion. Teacher's
notes are available from the publisher.
Pat Pledger
The Tindims of Rubbish Island by Sally Gardner
Illus. by Lydia Corry. Zephyr, 2020. ISBN: 9781838935672.
The Tindim family of smaller than usual stature, live together on
Rubbish Island where they recycle all they find. Introducing the
family as the story unfolds gives Gardner plenty of scope for her
humorous telling and daughter Corry, a platform for her funny
illustrations, designed by both not only to entertain, but teach
some solid facts about conservation, recycling and waste.
The family is headed for the Brightsea Festival, but due to the
enormous mountain of plastic bottles on their island, they can no
longer see where they are going. In times past they were able to
recycle paper and wood rubbish, but since plastic came on the scene,
the rubbish from these items has grown beyond comprehension. So the
family searches for a solution. Always a secretive group, they must
now expose themselves to children to realise their aim of recycling
more rubbish and showing children how it is to be done.
The main characters, Captain Spoons, Mug, Jug, Brew, Skittle and
others live on the island in a warren of underwater rooms, including
a toothbrush library and a hospital for sick fish. Laugh out loud
with the names and scenes set by mother and daughter writer and
illustrator. I loved the names of the days of the week, and the
comments about some of the rubbish they find: a water bottle, who
would bottle water? Read about the Tindims on their first ocean
adventure as they show children how to help protect our planet for
the future.
The first of a series, three more books will be published in 2021,
all promoting recycling and conservation.
Themes: Conservation, Waste, Recycling, Plastic, Ecology, Oceans.
Fran Knight
The frangipani tree mystery by Ovidia Yu
Crown Colony, book 1. Constable, 2017. ISBN: 9781472125200.
(Age: 15+) Recommended. After reading The
paperbark tree mystery I immediately pursued the first
in the series and was not disappointed. The frangipani
tree mystery introduces SuLin, a young girl who suffered polio
in her youth. Educated at a mission and very intelligent, SuLin
wants to become a journalist and travel, escaping an arranged
marriage. When the opportunity comes to look after Dee-Dee, the
daughter of the Acting Governor of Singapore, she grabs it, even
though it looks as if Charity Byrne, the Irish governess has been
murdered in mysterious circumstances. When another murder happens at
the Governor's residence, SuLin's acute observation skills and
ability to gain the trust of the people around her, assist Chief
Inspector LeFoy in working out just what happened.
It is 1936 in Singapore and Ovidia Yu brings a fascinating
historical background to the mystery. She weaves the history of
colonialism and the belief of superiority that the white British
administrators have, as a backdrop to the mystery. It is always
subtly done, but by the end of the novel the reader has become well
acquainted with life in a governor's residence, the way servants are
treated and the hierarchy of Chinese residents, with SuLin's
grandmother organising money lending and owning shops.
Some of SuLin's Chinese family's superstitions are also explored.
They believe that because of her limp, she could bring bad luck, and
she is prepared to work for a living if she can. Dee-Dee has an
intellectual disability, and Yu's sympathetic portrayal of her makes
her a relatable character, as is her brother Harry who disappears on
strange assignations at night.
This is an easy to read mystery with fascinating historical detail
and big themes like racism, class, gender and family relations, all
brought in as subtle background to the murder. An article featuring
the author and her writing can be found here.
The frangipani tree mystery certainly sets up all the
atmosphere and plotting of a very good entertaining mystery, leaving
the reader wanting to see what happens next with SuLin and Chief
Inspector LeFoy.
Pat Pledger
Peppa's spooky Halloween by Neville Astley and Mark Baker
Penguin Random House, 2020. ISBN: 9780241412268.
(Age: 3+) Peppa Pig celebrates all things Halloween with her family
in this timely picture book released by Ladybird Books, part of
Penguin Random House. Peppa and George are with Granny and Grandpa
Pig at Halloween. Peppa asks to do Halloween things and Grandpa Pig
is very enthusiastic because he loves Halloween. They bake spooky
cakes, spookily decorate the house and try on numerous spooky
costumes that include a witch, a mummy, ghosts, a vampire, a
skeleton and Peppa's favourite - a magical Halloween unicorn. Peppa
and George put on a spooky show for Mummy and Daddy Pig, and all of
their friends who arrive in costume. They have a spooky dance to
spooky music and have a really spook-tacular time!
Young fans of Peppa Pig will enjoy listening to this story and the
added Halloween theme and colourful presentation will be very
popular. Themes: Peppa Pig, Halloween, Costumes.
Kathryn Beilby
Skunk and Badger by Amy Timberlake
Illus. by Jon Klassen. Allen and Unwin, 2020. ISBN: 9781760525484.
(Age: 7-10) Highly recommended for mature readers. Everything
about this book is delightful. The textured and beautifully
illustrated dust jacket compels you to touch and pick up the book,
while inside it is full of personable animal characters and
illustrations which immediately evoke comparisons to classics such
as Wind in the Willows and Winnie the Pooh.
This is book one of a planned trilogy and tells a charming version
of the well-worn 'odd couple' story.
Badger is a gruff rock scientist who leads a solitary life ruled by
routine. When his calendar is marked with an X he undertakes
Important Rock Work and is not to be disturbed. He has never met a
chicken and wouldn't know what to say if he did.
One day Skunk knocks on the door, barrelling into Badger's quiet
life, disturbing the Important Rock Work and bringing his
chicken-whistle with him. During their first conversation Skunk says
"Not everyone wants a skunk" and that is true.
But the new roommates start to settle in and enjoy getting to know
each other (along with a LOT of chickens). That is, until an
unfortunate event leads to harsh words, hurt feelings and a sudden
split.
The actions taken after the split are heart-warming to read as life,
neighbours and surroundings are all viewed in a new light.
Timberlake is an award-winning children's author and has created a
wonderful and complex story full of warmth and humour. Mature
readers will enjoy the morals about friendship and being open to new
opportunities. Younger readers would struggle with the storyline and
language if left to their own devices, but the use of onomatopoeia
makes this an ideal book to read alongside or aloud to them perhaps
a chapter at a time.
Klassen is a perfect illustrator for this work. The end pages at
front and back are covered in different rock types, all hand drawn
and labelled. There are simple as well as more detailed black and
white illustrations throughout the book as well as several coloured
plates that bring the story and characters to life.
Themes: Geology, animals, friends, feelings.
Kylie Grant
Bees and their keepers by Lotte Moller, translated by Frank Perry
MacLehose Press, 2020. ISBN: 9781529405262.
(Age: Senior secondary / Adult) Highly recommended. "Through the
seasons and centuries, from waggle-dancing to killer bees, from
Aristotle to Winnie-the-Pooh" - the subtitle gives an idea of what
the book is about. It is not a how-to guide but more a social and
cultural history of beekeeping. That said, Moller, the author, did
keep bees herself for many years, and she has included factual pages
on the life cycle and duties of the bees within the hive. There are
also chapters on enemies of bees, pests and diseases, all things
beginning beekeepers would be advised to learn about.
The first section of the book is full of historical references to
past beliefs about bees and beekeeping. It is the kind of book that
you can just pick up and read something interesting from any page
but the true enthusiast will be rewarded by reading from beginning
to end. Readers will learn about early hives, the surprising
discovery that the bee community is centred around a queen not a
king, remedies for stings, stories of swarms, the different
varieties of honey, and the development of the Buckfast bee. This
section of the book is ordered by months of the year, but southern
hemisphere readers need to remember that the author, being Swedish,
is referring to a northern hemisphere calendar.
The second, shorter, section of the book raises current issues in
beekeeping - questions about the best kind of hive, Langstroth,
Warre or top-bar hives, 'natural' beekeeping and arguments about
original or hybrid bees. However readers will find no mention of the
Australian invented Flow Hive - perhaps the uptake in Europe has not
been as high as in Australia, U.S. and Canada.
There is much people can learn from bees, yet as Moller says, we
have made things so difficult for them that their very survival is
now in doubt. Keeping bees has had a groundswell of interest from
urban beekeepers and hobbyists, but this does not solve the
pollination problem in our agricultural industries based on
monoculture cultivation and widespread insect sprays. Perhaps
reading about past discoveries and innovations will inspire future
problem solving and a renewed appreciation of the amazing
contribution bees make to our world.
Helen Eddy
The whales on the bus by Katrina Charman and Nick Sharratt
Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781526603432.
(Age: 2+) Highly recommended. Children will have lots of fun singing
along to this humorous version of the well-known song, The
wheels on the bus. The narrative starts off with The whales on the bus ride round the town, Round the town, round the town. The whales on the bus ride round the town, All day long!
Then with clever internal rhyming, the story continues with cranes
on the train, bees on their skis, ducks on the truck and the very
popular baboons in balloons. Children will delight in shouting out
the "Roar, roar ROAR!" of the dragon in the wagon and hissing with
the snakes on skates as they slip and slide. What a wonderful read
aloud!
Nick Sharratt's bright illustrations are brilliant and really add to
the story. Little details like a fish driving the whales' bus and a
crocodile driving the cranes' train will give children an
opportunity to look further at the pictures and find that one extra
zany detail on the page that stands out. The animals have cheeky
grins on their faces and the vivid colours and cheerful backgrounds,
and black outlines make for a memorable read. Beginning readers,
too, will enjoy having a go at reading for themselves, as the rhymes
are supported by the pictures, and the repetition and rhymes will
make it easy to predict the text.
I can see this becoming a favourite read aloud that will join the
popular Car,
car, truck, jeep by this talented duo.
Pat Pledger
Cinderella is dead by Kalynn Bayron
Bloomsbury, 2020. ISBN: 9781526621979. Cinderella is dead by Kalynn Bayron is a fairy-tale
rewriting with an evil Prince, beautiful descendants of ugly
stepsisters, and a protagonist that is as unlike Cinderella as you
can get. The story is based several hundred years after Cinderella's
death, in which Cinderella has become legend, and every girl in the
kingdom tries to recreate her fairy-tale - literally. Once of age,
every girl in the kingdom attends a ball to find a suitor. Upon
attending three balls without being chosen, girls are never seen
again. That is - if women are unable to live their lives to the
standard of a perfect princess, they are deemed unworthy. The
obsession surrounding a princess who died centuries ago is as
haunting as it is intriguing, and the Cinderella tale is told
multiple times throughout the novel, the focus and facts shifting
and changing. This doesn't just leave the reader with the question,
'what really happened to Cinderella?', but also, 'why does this
fairy-tale matter so much?'
This re-working of Cinderella throughout demonstrates the impact of
fairytales on collective conscience, particularly the impact of
those left out of fairytales, such as queer women, women of colour,
or both, as in the case of the protagonist. Bayron's passion on this
topic shines through the book.
While occasionally, characters fall into archetypes, more often,
these archetypes are broken. The Fairy Godmother, in particular, is
intriguing, and Sophia's passion in creating a better world is
perfect to fuel the story. The relationships within the story,
whether they be platonic, familial, or romantic, were another
driving force. Sophia's relationship with Candance is at times
hesitant, and at times ardent, perfectly encapsulating queer
relationships in a world in which this is not the norm. The
#OwnVoices element of Sophia's character makes her experiences
realistic and authentic, in the best ways possible.
Ultimately, Cinderella is dead is definitely one of the most
successful debuts of 2020 so far. While it's not perfect, it's
fast-paced, action packed, and passionate. Bayron creates a world
that is both horrific, and horrifically similar to our own. It is
the hope that the characters cling onto throughout the entirety of
the novel, the hope that things will change, because they must, that
makes this novel so powerful.
Sara Peak (Student)
The mysteries of the Universe: Discover the best-kept secrets of space by Will Gater
D.K. Publishing, 2020. ISBN: 9780241412473.
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. Stunning photographs and interesting,
easy to read information make this a must have for libraries and for
people who love astronomy. As with all DK publications, the lay-out
is beautiful and the information is excellent, and The mysteries
of the universe stands out with its sparkling cover and gold
edged pages.
The author, Will Gator, is an astronomer, author and science
presenter and his text is easy to read and understand. Most pages of
text are accompanied by a beautiful photograph or illustration and
are short enough to be read aloud with a class or a family member.
They are also short enough for an interested child to manage to read
alone. The well organised Table of Contents and Index will help
eager researchers to discover what they want to delve into and
people who like to flick through books will find themselves stopping
and reading sections. All the planets are beautifully illustrated
with excellent descriptions, most with two or more pages of
information accompanied by pages of photographs or illustrations.
The striking colours of the photographs of Nebula caught my eye and
I had to stop and read about them. This section on Nebula introduced
them and then there was a page about an emission nebula, with a
superb red and black photo of the Lagoon Nebula on the opposite
page. The next section gave information about Planetary
nebula, with equally gorgeous pictures, leading onto dark nebula and
reflection nebula. This format was followed in information about the
Night Sky, the Solar System, the Kuiper Belt, the Oort Cloud, Nebula
and Galaxies
This is a hard-covered volume that will become a family favourite in
those homes where people are fascinated with the night sky. It is
equally an excellent volume for the classroom or library.
Pat Pledger
Where the dragons live by Serena Geddes
Aladdin (Simon and Schuster) 2020. ISBN: 9781481498760.
(Age: 3+) Recommended. Writer and illustrator, Serena Geddes gained
much of her training at Walt Disney Studios in Sydney working on
well known animated films. Illustrating other people's work led her
to try her hand at both sides of the creative process and Rosie
and Rasmus was published in 2019. This delightful story is
followed by a new publication, Where the dragons live, as
the character Rasmus goes off in search of other dragons for
company. Flying to the nearby island he comes across a clutch of
fire breathing, rock kicking dragons who deride him because he is
small and has tiny wings and doesn't like the things they like to
do. Forlornly, he sits and watches them, deciding to at least try
some of the things they do, but without much success.
But his friend Rosie has decided to sail to the island. Here she
finds a dejected Rasmus who explains that the other dragons do not
like him. She tells him that he is a dragon; he has all the things
the other dragons have, but he is different because he has heart.
Buoyed up by her words he decides to fly his kite and is gladdened
when one of the dragons asks to play with his kite with him. He
finds a friend without having to change but simply by being himself.
The soft watercolour illustrations evoke the love and support at the
heart of the friendship between Rosie and Rasmus. The ferocious
looks on the faces of the other dragons will win readers as they
sympathise with the lonely Rasmus, trying hard to fit in. Readers of
all ages will recognise the feeling of being left out, of not
fitting in, of being expected to change to fit the image that others
want, but will equally recognise that being yourself is the issue at
heart.
For more information about Geddes see her fascinating website.
Themes: Friendship, Confidence, Fitting in, Being yourself, Self
esteem, Mental health.
Fran Knight
