Ill. by Melissa Sweet. Candlewick Press, 2017. ISBN 9780763660741
(Age: Junior primary) Highly recommended. As you can guess by their
clever names, this is a book about sheep. Baabwaa loves to knit and
Wooliam loves to read. "It sounds boring but they like it".
They decide to have an adventure and while walking about the field,
come across a wolf in disguise. At first the wolf chases them, while
the sheep make a dash for safety deciding that being adventurous is
not as wonderful as they first thought.
The wolf stops his pursuit as he is distracted by Wooliam's comment
"It's that Wolf in sheep's clothing I've read about". The sheep show
him the book but discover that he cannot read. They begin reading
instruction for the wolf who still sporadically chases them, which
they decide is good for their fitness and health.
This is a delightfully comical picture book as David Elliot makes
humorous comments throughout the story, that children will love. I
love the forgiving nature of the sheep and that they put up with the
wolf chasing them as he is "just following his nature".
I enjoyed the end of the story where the wolf is engrossed in a
book, wearing knitted garments made by Baabwaa.
The illustrations by Melissa Sweet are perfect for the story and the
strands of wool on the endpapers are a great touch.
I highly recommend this picture book for junior primary aged
children.
Jane Moore
What makes me a me? by Ben Faulks and David Tazzyman
Bloomsbury, 2017 ISBN 9781408867259
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Self perception. What makes me a a me? is the
question posed on the front cover and all through the book as the
boy with the beanie and glasses on the front ponders an age old
question. The funny rhyming stanzas will have readers laugh out loud
as they recognise the question they all ask, and are offered varying
things that he is not. He may go as slow as a snail at times,
invoking mum's wrath but he is not a slimy snail with eyes on
stalks. He may sometimes be like his pup, but certainly not when he
eats bones and of course he has no tail. Each page is resplendent in
rhyming stanzas asking readers to predict the rhyming word and join
in the fun of reading the pages out loud. Sometimes he is like a
sports car, loud and lightning fast, sometimes a super guy, brave
and bold, or a tree with branches that stick out like his arms, or a
volcano when he blows his stack. But whatever he is like, he is
simply himself, and he may be like a lot of other things, but still
only a person that makes up me.
The funny illustrations will grab the readers' attention as they
scan the pages looking at the different things the boy is like: a
snail, a sports car, a tree, a super hero, a dog, a dinosaur, the
boy next door, a volcano, and a computer. He looks at his parents
wondering if he is like them, inviting readers to also compare
themselves with their parents and siblings.
Children will get a kick out of the thought provoking look at what
makes them the way they are.
Fran Knight
Forest dark by Nicole Krauss
Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408871799
(Age: Adult) Have you ever felt there is another one of you,
unknown, living somewhere in the world, or thought that the life you
are living you have lived before, or lived simultaneously with some
other existence? Could there be a multiverse, another form of the
universe? The two separate protagonists in Forest dark are
each contemplating their own existence - Epstein has recently lost
his parents and his life has changed from driven achievement to
gradually dispossessing himself of all the valuables he has
acquired. He wants to create a memorial that stays as a reminder of
his parents, and also contribute something enduring for the country
of Israel - after all, he may be a descendant of David, or so the
rabbi Klausner tries to convince him. And at the same time, a
novelist from Brooklyn, leaves her family, and returns to the
holiday hotel of her childhood - the Brutalist construction of the
Tel Aviv Hilton, intrigued by the mystery of the man who threw
himself to his death from the 15th floor. She encounters Friedman,
literary professor, possible Mossad agent, with a strange story of
another life lived by the novelist Kafka, in Palestine, after his
assumed death.
Each of them, the lawyer Epstein, and the novelist, enter a realm of
dream-like detachment and contemplation, trying to gain perspective
on their own lives, and understand what their newly discovered
guides are telling them. Each tries to fit stories from their past
with their new discovery of the present. They ponder 'the forest
dark' having wandered from the straightforward pathway, into a new
understanding of the present.
Krauss's novel is a perplexing but thoughtful novel, and invites
more than one reading.
Helen Eddy
The story of Tutankhamun by Patricia Cleveland-Peck
Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408876787
(Age 8+) The discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun is one of the most
celebrated events in the history of archaeology. It has intrigued
Egyptologists and enthusiasts alike since 1922, when Howard Carter
unearthed the young pharaoh's burial chamber and revealed its
extraordinary treasures.
Patricia Cleveland-Peck has told the story of that discovery in
three parts. Firstly, she has explained the family, beliefs, life
and death of Tutankhamun. Secondly, she has focused on the moment
when Carter entered the tomb, then described how the artefacts were
documented before their relocation to Cairo. The author has also
demystified the so-called curse. In the final section, Patricia
Cleveland-Peck has explained how technologies unknown to Carter have
thrown new light on the cause of the pharaoh's death, but failed to
solve all the mysteries which surround him. Instead of reproducing
photographs, Isabel Greenberg has illustrated the entire book with
stylised drawings. The inclusion of speech bubbles and the
occasional use of a handwriting font enable readers to experience
the text as a combination of graphic nonfiction and conventional,
information book. The narrative is readable but, in places, lacks
fluency. Younger readers may find the font small but will delight in
the colourful illustrations on every page. Although the book can be
used as a source of information, it lacks an index and a reference
list. The picture book format suggests that this is a book to be
shared and enjoyed.
The story of Tutankhamun will attract readers who are fascinated by
Ancient Egypt and its youngest pharaoh. It will also provide
insights into the quest by archaeologists to find evidence that
helps to explain the lives of those who lived in the past.
Elizabeth Bor
Sour heart by Jenny Zhang
ISBN: 9781408892404.
(Age: Adult) This story consists of interweaving chapters about
Chinese refugees and migrants struggling to make a new life in the
U.S. It begins with a chapter about 'Sour girl' and the places her
parents are forced to live - including a shared room with five
mattresses on the floor with various other families on the other
mattresses, and a blocked toilet that they use chopsticks to force
the contents down the pipe. They are at the mercy of unscrupulous
landlords and street gangs that steal their possessions. Life is so
hard that eventually Sour girl's parents have to send her back to
Shanghai to live with her grandmother until they can afford to care
for her again. Family members are frequently separated, with people
sent to different places around the world. And that breaking,
reconnecting and breaking up of relationships again and again takes
its toll on them all. Parents sacrifice and suffer, and children
harden their hearts. This is set within the historical context of
the Cultural Revolution in China where people were turned against
each other. Some of the childhood cruelty and heartlessness of that
time becomes hard to read at times.
The language of the book captures the continuous thought processes
of children, often telling the story in one long rambling sentence
as another thought adds another clause, twisting on and on;
sentences can be a page long. We are drawn into the experience of
each narrator, seeing things from each perspective, gradually
working out how people connect together.
The families endure the hardships and do survive, and people manage
to make a new life; thanks to their own determination and
perseverance - qualities we read about again and again in refugee
and migrant stories. The values of caring for family, working hard,
and protecting memories, continue to hold strong despite the
hardships and challenges.
Helen Eddy
Big box little box by Caryl Hart and Edward Underwood
Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408872772
'Big box, little box...
My box, YOUR box!'
Cat loves boxes - all sorts of boxes - big, small, fat, thin, huge
tiny... and in this romp in rhyme so many boxes are explored. But it
is not just a collection of rhyming words or opposites, there is a
story told in the clever choice of words and their accompanying
pictures that early readers will be able to tell for themselves,
delighting in their ability to read.
This is a great story to share with little ones because there is so
much to share and talk about. If a fat cat sits on a little box,
what will be the outcome? And if a box has a corner nibbled out of
it, what might be inside?
And given the obvious answer, is this story about to end badly? Two
word phrases, rhyme, bold pictures, humour, predictability that
engages the reader - a perfect combination to take our youngest
readers further into their love with reading.
Barbara Braxton
Alfie in the woods by Debi Gliori
Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408872048
Alfie, the little rabbit with the big imagination, is back in a new
adventure, this time walking through the woods. As he gathers
woodland treasures and plays hide-and-seek he notices many of the
little creatures and his mind morphs him into becoming each of them.
Such a busy day - luckily Daddy is there to carry him and his
treasures home.
Deb Gliori's distinctive illustrations bring the woods to life but
with soft lines, textures and palettes, it does not become a place
that is too scary for the littlest reader. It will encourage lots of
imaginative and active play and then be perfect for drawing the
curtains on the day as a bedtime story.
Barbara Braxton
Secrets in death by J.D. Robb
In death series, book 45. Little, Brown, 2017. ISBN
9780349415789
(Age: Adult) Recommended. Mystery. It is amazing how J.D. Robb
manages to come up with new plots and twists even after 44 previous
books. Secrets in death is just as compulsive as the
previous books and leaves the reader wanting more of the fabulous
couple, Eve Dallas and Roarke.
This time, the plot centres on the murder of Larinda Mars, who bled
out in front of Dallas while she was in a fashionable bar. As the
investigation gets underway, it becomes apparent that Mars not only
traded in gossip for her show, but traded in blackmail on the side.
With so many suspects to choose from, Dallas and her team have a
busy time trying to uncover the secrets that Mars carried with her,
not just about the people on her list but about the reasons that her
face had been virtually reconstructed. And for readers, there is a
secret close to home that is finally revealed.
The success of this series is a tribute to J.D.Robb's ability to
write a tight, interesting murder story, this time concentrating on
how the team do the investigation. I was left wishing that the story
hadn't finished. Fans will not be disappointed.
Pat Pledger
Duck, Duck, Porcupine! by Salina Yoon
Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781619637245
(Age: 4-8) Beginning readers.This new series is similar to the
Elephant and Piggie books. It is comprised of crisp, simple,
full-page illustrations with bold outlining and page borders. It
contains no narration, mostly speech bubbles and some sounds and
environmental text. The small amount of large, bold text on each
page makes it perfect for beginning readers. There are some visual
clues to help young readers and it uses mostly high frequency and
phonetic words. Duck, Duck, Porcupine! includes three short
stories, each featuring Big Duck, Little Duck and Porcupine. Big
Duck is organised, bossy and knows just about everything. Porcupine
is a great friend who will go along with just about anything. Little
Duck cannot talk yet but he thinks outside the box and is very
clever. The three characters are all incredibly lovable. In the
first story the friends go out for a picnic but it starts raining.
Big Duck and Porcupine are disappointed that their picnic is ruined
but Little Duck shows them how to have fun in spite of the wet
weather. In the second story Big Duck knows she has forgotten
something and Little Duck is trying ever so hard to tell her what it
is. In the last story the friends decide to go camping. While Big
Duck and Porcupine are still busy gathering the 100 necessary
camping items Little Duck is already having fun camping! This is an
engaging text for young children with pictures that help tell the
story and beautifully illustrate the nuances of the three friends.
Simple illustrations, a restrained colour palette and minimal
background detail will help to keep young readers focused on the
text and the expressions and actions of the characters. The
characters are endearing and both children and adults will enjoy
their humourous adventures.
Nicole Nelson
Jigsaw of fire and stars by Yaba Badoe
Zephyr, 2017. ISBN 9781786697981
When a boatload of African refugees is rammed and sunk by people
smugglers, Sante's family set her adrift on the sea in a chest
containing all their wealth, in the hope that she will survive.
Discovered by Mama Rose and raised as her own alongside two other
foundlings Cat and Cobra, Sante grows up in a small Gypsy community,
travelling throughout Europe and performing circus tricks for a
living.
The youths possess unusual talents. Sante sees the terrible demise
of her family in dreams, can sometimes read the thoughts of people
and communicates with Triss, an eagle which protects her and does
her bidding. Cobra has an affinity with snakes and can charm them to
behave as he pleases whilst Cat is an unerring knife thrower.
Sante's family and friends are used to constantly moving to escape
the attention of authorities who often chase and harass them. When
they realise that the appearance of suspicious men is somehow
connected to Sante's dead relatives, their instinct is to remove
themselves and disappear, rather than engaging the help of police
whom they naturally distrust.
The arrival of the mysterious Scarlett, a young girl of similar age
who is clearly traumatised, prompts Sante, Cat and Cobra to remain
and assist her against the wishes of their elders. The trio
discovers a sinister people smuggling network where adolescents are
sold into sexual slavery and they become embroiled in a dangerous
and nasty situation.
In order to survive and to attempt to bring the criminals to
justice, Sante, Cat and Cobra summon all of their powers, both
physical and magical as they navigate a confusing maelstrom of
events.
The theme of sex trafficking seems out of place in a story which
appears to be written for early teens, however nothing explicit is
depicted. The writing style, language and plot developments may not
appeal to older readers and the topic seems worthy of a more
sophisticated presentation in my view.
Rob Welsh
Piglettes by Clementine Beauvais
Pushkin Press, 2017. ISBN 9781782691204
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. This superb YA novel deals with some
pretty gritty issues like bullying (cyber and real life), self
image, identity and family relationships and is one of the most
wickedly funny books you'll read all year.
Mireille, Astrid and Hakima are three girls at the same school and
recently voted as the first three place-winners in a Facebook 'Pig
Pageant' for the ugliest girls by their schoolmates. This event was
initiated by Mireille's erstwhile childhood friend Malo, who is one
of the most odious youths ever. Since they both started high school
Malo has made it his mission in life to humiliate Mireille at every
turn.
While the girls are all pretty crushed by this horrible bullying,
they are not going to let it get the better of them and form a
friendship that will fly them forever. Each has a particular reason
for their proposed plan to cycle to Paris for the huge Bastille Day
celebrations; Mireille, wants to confront her biological father, now
married to the President, Astrid wants to meet her idols Indochine
and Hakima wants to berate the commanding officer about to be awarded
the Legion of Honour for the debacle that resulted in her brother
Kader losing both his legs in battle.
Overcoming the opposition of parents, the girls set off on what must
be the craziest road trip ever with Kader in his super wheel chair
as their chaperone. Along the way they garner the respect and
adulation of thousands via newspapers and social media and in real
life.
Told through Mireille's witty and philosophical voice, the reader is
alongside the girls for the entire trip which is joyful, uplifting
and totally hilarious.
Proving themselves as true Mighty Girls the trio triumph over the
online bullies and even horrid Malo shows some indications of
redemption, especially when the reason for his nastiness is
revealed. Each girl learns valuable lessons about herself
particularly when they finally attain their goals and find that
something has changed about their motivations.
Definitely worthy of its achievement of winning France's biggest
award for YA/teen fiction I highly recommend this to you for your
girls from around 14 years upwards.
Sue Warren
The book of me! by Adam Frost
Ill. by Sarah Ray. Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408876817
(Age: 7-10) Recommended as a 'gift book'. Themes: Identity; Facts;
Humour; Interactive Book. The Book of Me is an example of an
interactive book - where the reader gets to fill in details about
themselves, draw their own cartoons, find out some interesting and
quirky facts, laugh at Dad jokes and answer questions and
consequently make their own book. It is illustrated in a style that
lovers of Diary of a Wimpy Kid would be familiar with - a
humourous naive cartoon style. This is not really a book for a
library collection, but it would make a wonderful gift for a 7-10
year old about to embark on a holiday where they might need an
activity pack or to give to child recuperating after an operation.
Written for a UK audience, there are the occasional pages that might
miss the mark for an Australian child. However the Australian facts
on the upside-down page for the 'Land Down under' will cause a
smile.
Give this book with a pencil or coloured pens and it would make a
quirky humourous gift.
Carolyn Hull
Busy cafe by Louise Forshaw
Busy series. Pan Macmillan, 2017. ISBN 9781509828739
(Age: 0-4) Recommended. Busy cafe is one of nine board books
in the Busy series by Campbell Books, and in my opinion is
fantastic! This little book captured the imagination of my 3 year
old and was the starting point of lots of interesting conversations
about our daily life and how the cafe world works. The book has push
and pull tabs and a spin mechanism that shows the changes in the
cafe; whole food to cut up or eaten foods, full to empty cups; and
were a hit!
The illustrations by Louise Forshaw are bright and enticing, and the
speech bubbles have great questions that also allowed us to do some
counting, searching of the page and discussing favourite foods. The
words follow a simple rhyme which was mastered by the 3rd reading
and also assist to teach children the process of ordering, paying
for and collecting food in this scenario.
The other books in the series include Busy bookshop, Busy
farm and Busy vet and I feel that they would be good
resources to help teach children learn about places and people in
our community while enjoying a fun interactive story. Target
audience: Up to 4 years.
Lauren Fountain
Herobrine goes to school by Zack Zombie
The adventures of Herobrine book 1. Scholastic, 2017. ISBN
9781742765907
(Age: 8-9) The Adventures of Herobrine book 1: Herobrine goes to
school is another series by Zack Zombie, aimed at children who
both love the game Minecraft and possibly his previous series The
Diary of a Minecraft Zombie. This book is written from the
perspective of Herobrine who has entered the human world as part of
a collaborative experiment, but is the only Minecraft character in
the town. The overarching topic of the book is of how Herobrine does
not fit in and all that comes with that scenario in a middle school
setting.
It does have a lot of relatable experiences for children, including
a school bully, liking a girl and having to learn new things (like
dancing to fit in at the school dance). I can see how this story and
Herobrine's attitude of getting on with it, and not taking too much
to heart could be of benefit to lots of children, but I felt like I
was consistently comparing it to Zack Zombie's last series and in my
opinion it is nowhere near as good. It is easy to read but lacks the
humour of Diary of a Minecraft Zombie, and my 7 year old
reader did not find it as engaging. Fluent readers from around 8-9
years old would probably like this story, and enjoy reading about
the softer side of Herobrine, who in the game is not really a
character but more of a superstition who many say they have seen
appear in the game and claim to be quite creepy! Although we may not
have enjoyed this book I am sure that die-hard Minecraft fans around
8 years and up would like it as an easy read with some relatable
settings.
Lauren Fountain
Sir Scaly Pants and the dragon thief by John Kelly
Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408856062
(Age: 4-7) Recommended. This is the second story about Sir
Scaly Pants the Dragon Knight and is just as
entertaining as the first. This time the king is kidnapped by an
evil dragon and Sir Scaly and his clever horse Guinevere, go to the
rescue. After traipsing past a cyclops, a warty witch and a
long-haired lady, Sir Scaly discovers the king tied up to a flagpole
on the top of a very tall dragon tower.
Then he and Guinevere have to use all their wits to work out a way
to rescue him.
The reader is introduced to 'The story so far' in an explanatory one
page rhyme which describes how a knight raised him, how he went to
Knight School, beat a smelly giant and became the King's champion.
Then the story continues in humorous rhymes which are a joy to read
aloud. The allusions to myths and fairy tales, like Rapunzel, will
also appeal to astute readers, who will also appreciate the twisty
ending.
John Kelly has been shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal and his
illustrations, bold and very colourful, will certainly appeal to his
young audience. The evil dragon is a joy to behold, gripping the
king in its forelegs and the looks on all the faces of both people
and animals will have young readers giggling aloud.
This is an uplifting and very humorous story that will have instant
appeal to young readers and listeners.
Pat Pledger
