A brand new band a story about inclusiveness by Penny Harris and Winnie Zhou
Big Sky Publishing, 2021. ISBN: 9781922265753. (Age:4-7)
A Brand New Band is one of eight stories written by an award-winning writer and animator in consultation with experts in education, psychology and linguistics. Each story has a social and emotional theme that is perfect for sharing with younger readers. The books are brightly illustrated and the text is simple to read and follow. In this story Lulu does not bring an instrument to the band practice and offers to sing and dance but is left out. The band does not play all that well together and the audience is fast losing interest. Eventually Lulu makes her own music, and the band asks her to re-join them which she decides to do and the event is a success.
This book touches on the themes of friendship, accepting that we should be inclusive and kindness. For classroom teachers, this book series has been designed to support the Early Learning Framework and the Australian School Curriculum.
Themes Inclusiveness, Concert, Friends, Social skills, Kindness, Wellbeing, Emotional development and intelligence.
Kathryn Beilby
Pollination: the enduring relationship between plant and pollinator by Timothy Walker
Full of close-up photographs of plants, bees and other insects, this beautiful book provides a highly informative description of the interrelationship between plants and animals in the process of pollination. As the introduction tells us, pollination is an essential component of the world’s ecosystems. Without it, there would not be successful plant reproduction, and probably not human life either.
The first chapter provides detailed diagrams of flower anatomy, sexual and asexual reproduction in plants, and pollen grain structure, with images of the stages of pollination. Subsequent chapters explain agents of pollination: wind and water, animals and insects; and the communication of plants to attract and control their pollinators.
Later chapters explore the biological significance of pollination, our critical dependence on the effects of pollination, and the urgent need for pollinator conservation as species become threatened and extinguished. The chapters are clearly set out and well-illustrated with summaries of the main points provided in the end pages of each chapter.
Published by Princeton University Press, I was concerned lest the information might not be so relevant to places outside of the United States, however the book makes a very extensive study of plant and insect / animal interactions around the world. The index can be referred to for specific pages on Australia, South Africa or the United Kingdom, but there are also many incidental references to the plants and wildlife of Australia and other countries. Overall, the book is an authoritative reference for students of botany or biology, or for people interested in the interrelationship between bee pollinators and plants, and deserves a place on school and public library shelves.
Themes Pollination, Bees, Ecology.
Helen Eddy
Flight of the kite a story about persistence by Penny Harris & Winnie Zhou
Big Sky Publishing, 2021. ISBN: 9781922265760. (Age:4-7)
The authors from this award-winning children’s series promoting emotional development and wellbeing have written an uncomplicated story about persistence. These easy to read and share stories begin with an introduction to each of the characters and their personalities. In this story it is a windy day, and the animal friends decide to make kites. Each of them has their own individual way of constructing a kite and they all eventually achieve their goal. However, along the way Pinney ‘Potamus rushes through his kite making and things do not go quite according to plan. His friends try to teach him to be patient and take care and in the end they all co-operate to build one giant kite.
Younger readings will identify with the main characters and for parents and educators there is a valuable lesson to be learnt and shared with children.
Themes Persistence, Kite making, Friends, Windy Weather, Social skills, Wellbeing, Emotional development and intelligence.
Kathryn Beilby
How to be a hero by Cat Weldon. Illus. by Katie Kear
Pan Macmillan, 2021. ISBN: 9781529045031. (Age:9-12) Recommended.
In picking up this book it is obvious the text is small and there is sometimes only one illustration per chapter. This may be daunting for readers under 9 years old.
The book starts a new trilogy from a new author. If you know nothing about Norse mythology (like me) it could have been confusing. But the first two pages include illustrations to help – one of Yggdrasil (an immense tree whose branches hold various worlds) and one map of Midgard (one of those worlds).
Chapter 2 adds ‘A Guide to the Nine Worlds’ describing all the worlds, how they interact and “who’s who in Asgard” – this is excellent and easy to flip back to during reading.
The story is about diverse young misfits who each fear failing: Whetstone is a pale, scruffy orphan boy - an aspiring Viking thief from Midgard. Lotta is a dark-skinned girl with a mass of unruly black curls – she is a struggling trainee Valkyrie from Asgard. Their paths cross in a comedy of errors and they must work together to survive. They both learn they can be brave, as well as learning how to be a good friend and what it takes to be a hero.
The story is complex but is also fast-paced and funny. Silly touches include comical rhymes, songs and names (such as Awfulrick the Viking, and a cranky horse called Thighbiter). The illustrations are cartoony and keep the mood light – they are full of over-emphasised facial expressions and amusing details such as graffiti on a wall of Asgard that says, ‘Loki smells of poOo’.
The story ends with Whetstone and Lotta having proved themselves and Whetstone learning about his parents. He is shown some clues to learn more. Chapter one of the next book is included in a sneak peek in the back along with activities including a Viking name generator – I am Kari the Horse Tickler!
Book two (The land of lost things) has just been released on 13 July 2021 and promises to continue the fast-paced fun.
This wonderful tangle of books, libraries and dinosaurs will win hearts as Leilong tries to go to the library with the children.
An image of the brontosaurus fills each page as he falls into strange and fanciful situations.
On the way to the library he stops to refuel, then in his hurry he is stopped by the police and told to slow down. But how can he be slow when the excitement of going to the library for story time is the lure.
Arriving at the library, the librarian points out that Leilong has no library card and so is sent outside after trying vainly to fit his huge frame through the door. When he hears the children’s voices above him, he reaches up to listen to the story but his size makes the library tremble and shake, books falling to the floor. The librarian tells Leilong to go, but the children then go with him, leaving the library empty. A solution needs to be found.
This lovely story, showcasing the excitement of reading, of sharing stories, of going to the library will be eagerly sought after by readers, especially when the hero is a brontosaurus.
The author taps into kids’ love of anything dinosaurs for this curiously good tale.
Gecko Press in New Zealand publishes books from across the globe, selecting those with an edge, attracted by their quirkiness. And this book reflects their aim at bringing curiously good books to children, having a problem to solve at its heart. The illustrations are full of humour, reflecting the idea of a dinosaur tramping through the streets with a bunch of children on his back, wanting to get into the library but not accounting for his size, while upsetting the librarian who struggles to articulate a reason for Leilong staying outside. The pencil and crayon drawings are filled with colour giving the impression of a lino print, and the array of books over the floor, on the balcony, the shelves and then Leilong’s back, impresses the idea of reading to the audience (as if that is needed!).
Themes Dinosaurs, Libraries, reading, Story time, Problem solving.
Fran Knight
Pear of Hope by Wenda Shurety and Deb Hudson
EK Books, 2021. ISBN: 9781925820867. (Age:6+)
At the bottom of Anna's garden is an old pear tree that is her favourite place and secret hideout. She loves being up in its branches, where it gives life and shelter to all sorts of creatures and allows her imagination to wander. But as autumn and then winter roll in, it loses its magic and wonder, just as Anna does as she succumbs to a deadly illness. The tree stands bare and alone until one day Anna returns and gives it a soft hug. And together they start the journey back to wellness and fullness...
Using the pear as a symbol of hope, as it is in many parts of the world, this is a delicate story of a young girl's battle with cancer and chemotherapy tracing Anna's journey in its illustrations more than its words so the reader really focuses on the parallels between tree and child. Just as the tree loses it leaves in winter but returns to its full glory as the warmer weather returns, so does Anna's hope and resilience build until she is back able to celebrate her 10th birthday with her friends and family, under the shelter of the pear tree.
While some of our students may be in Anna's particular situation, there are many more who are facing other challenges and who need the reassurance that time will pass, and like the pear tree, they will prevail. So this is one to share and talk about so each can take what they need from it.
Themes Hope, Cancer.
Barbara Braxton
Who fed Zed? by Amelia McInerney. Illus. by Adam Nickel
Allen & Unwin, 2021. ISBN: 9781760524432. (Age:4+)
Who Fed Zed? is a humorous rhyming story focusing on the ‘ed’ and ‘ead’ sounds. The story begins with friends Ted, Fred and Ned wanting to play with Jed who has fleas so they watch goldfish Zed instead. They learn from Fred not to feed the goldfish bread as he had to be taken to the vet. They find out the flea powder used on Jed has not yet worked but unfortunately Fred has poured it into Zed’s fish tank and he is nearly half-dead.
The story all works out happily in the end and there is a clever twist. The characters are large and appear clearly on the page which will appeal to young children sitting listening. The repetitive rhyming is clever and will encourage listeners to predict different parts of the text.
An enjoyable read aloud for younger students.
Themes Rhyme, Goldfish, Friends, Fleas, Caring for Pets, Humour.
Kathryn Beilby
Charlie Chaplin : The Usual Suspect by Phoebe McArthur
Sometimes life heads in strange directions. 12 year-old Charlotte Chaplin (aka Charlie, or occasionally Lottie) used to live in the city near Kirribilli, but since her parents’ sudden separation her life is on a freefall. She is moving to the country with her mother and leaving her best friend, who also happens to be the Prime Minister’s daughter. Instead she will have to adjust to the quiet and slow life in Gulgong in Central NSW. On arrival she almost immediately becomes involved in a crime mystery and discovers unlikely friends and realises that country life may not be so bad after all.
This book has been written in the style of a Trixie Belden mystery – a young girl who can solve problems and crimes with only the help of other kids. It will appeal to young readers who love a mystery story. Although there are moments that seem a little contrived and improbable, younger readers will be able to take the leaps over the unbelievable moments. Recommended for readers aged 10-14.
Themes Mystery, Theft, Friendship, Family break-up.
Fans of the Philip K. Dick Award–winning Bannerless will be pleased to see Investigator Enid once again, this time trying to solve a mystery in a remote community. Set in a dystopian future where society has collapsed, small towns have sprung up along the Coast Road. Resources are strictly rationed and birth control tightly managed. Enid of Haven sets out with trainee Teeg, to mediate a dispute about the preservation of an old building in a distant settlement. When they arrive, they are confronted not just with the case they were sent to fix, but the body of a young woman has been found on the shore. She is an outsider, living in the wild, and has been murdered. Enid is determined to discover the truth even though Teeg argues that it is not their business.
In many ways discovering who murdered the young woman is secondary to the philosophical questions of ensuring that the truth be told, and that people are treated with kindness. Enid is not a woman who takes the easy way out. Her conscience demands that she is utterly sure of what has happened. She is not prepared to pin the murder on the most obvious suspect and travels inland through dangerous country seeking the murdered woman’s tribe. This leads to dissension between her and her partner Teeg.
The issue of ensuring that societies can provide for themselves by minimising population growth is also explored. A family unit must prove themselves capable of contributing to the greater of their community good as well as look after a child before being given a banner that allows them to have a baby. Enid finds that in the settlement where the young woman has been murdered, old hurts about birth control must be investigated, while in the wild she finds a society with no birth control just managing to hold itself together.
This is thoughtful dystopian fiction that will be enjoyed by readers who enjoy thinking about what society would look like if everything had broken down. The wild dead could be read as a standalone, but readers will enjoy the growth of Enid as a mentor and leader if they have followed her coming of age in Bannerless. I look forward to another novel in this series.
The quirky smelling lunch box by Renee Peters. Illus. by Andrew McIntosh
Little Steps, 2021. ISBN: 9781925839968. (Age:3-8) Recommended.
Lunch time in the school yard is often the time for examining what each other has been packed by their parents or carers. While children are not meant to share their food, often they will swap if someone has something not liked or more interesting. It is also the time when children may not be very complimentary to those children who have strong-smelling or unusual food selections. In The Quirky Smelling Lunch Box Dylan has the most amazing strong-smelling lunches that his classmates have seen and smelt made by his mother. These lunches include lemongrass broccoli and king prawn spaghetti, green eggs and smoked ham, snails, soybean paste, blue cheese and duck egg curry. His classmates make the usual unkind comments, but one day his friend Tiana is wondering what he has and he offers her a taste. She enjoys the new taste sensation as she is only ever packed butter sandwiches every single day. Dylan dares Tiana to bring a lunch stranger than the one he has the following day and she certainly does. It is a real surprise that readers will love.
The clever digital illustrations by Andrew McIntosh are bright and visually appealing. An enjoyable story to share with younger readers.
Themes School, Friends, Lunches.
Kathryn Beilby
When days tilt by Karen Ginnane
Penguin, 2021. ISBN: 9781760895037. (Age:Older Children, Young Adult) Recommended.
When Days Tilt is a young adult fantasy novel from Australian children’s author, Karen Ginnane. The book is split between two worlds, two characters and two realities. In 1850s London, Ava is an apprentice to her watchmaker father. Bored and unfulfilled by the future set out for her, she dreams of adventure but is shocked when she finds it.
Meanwhile, in the mirror version city of Donlon, Jack is an orphan learning to be a blacksmith. What begins as a normal day ends in horror when one good deed catapults him into unexpected danger. When Ava and Jack meet they feel an instant connection; as if they have known each other all their lives. As they endeavour to untangle the secrets of their pasts and families, they must race against time to stop a mysterious villain who threatens the people of both of their worlds.
When Days Tilt is a unique story. The novel revolves around the themes of time and space with both historical and futuristic elements used, due to its dual settings. Ava and Jack are sympathetic and believable characters. Their clear motivations explain the choices they make throughout the book.
Unfortunately however, the last act of the novel feels rushed and confused, as Ginnane introduces new characters, events and plot lines with far too little of the story left to play out. When Days Tilt is intended to be the first in a series so while the author can be excused for laying the groundwork for the next installation, it is clumsily done.
Nevertheless, When Days Tilt is an engaging historical fantasy that will be enjoyed by children and young adults.
Themes Family, Time, Adventure, Fantasy, Historical, London.
Rose Tabeni
My first book of Aussie animals by Gordon Winch. Illus. by Stephen Pym
Catch a Star, 2021. ISBN: 9781922326232. (Age:1+) Recommended.
Very young children will be fascinated by this lift-the-flap book that features well known Australian animals, the kangaroo, koala, platypus, echidna, and possum. The refrain 'Look at me. What do you see?' will be one that children will want to repeat with the reader and then they will have fun lifting the flap to discover what is underneath. The text describing each animal is simple – four lines of information that is easy to understand but which points out the main features of each animal. Emerging readers will also have fun repeating the refrain and reading the details about each animal, all of which is printed in clear print.
The illustrations are ones that children will like. The kangaroo and its joey have smiles on their faces, while the night sky and dark trees that form a background for the ring-tailed possum, clinging to a fence, are gorgeous. Children will be fascinated by the little details that are on each double page spread. There are pictures of butterflies, flowers, birds and lizards on every page, and these will provide lots of opportunity for young children to learn about the environment where the animals live. And the last page features all the animals for the child to find and has a bonus mirror which will provide lots of fun.
Not only will young children learn about five iconic Australian animals but will learn about plants, birds and other animals from the cute illustrations in this sturdy board book.
Themes Australian animals.
Pat Pledger
I am angry by Michael Rosen. Illus. by Robert Starling
Anyone seeing a child stomp around a room, classroom or play area will immediately sympathise with the character in this book. The kitten is angry. So angry they jump up and down, roll around and around, make a din and throw the mouse into the bin. So angry that they tear down trees and bully the bees, scare tigers, even quietening a tree full of birds.
In rhyming lines inviting the reader to predict the rhyming word, even offering some of their own, the reader will see just how angry the kitten is, seeing all in its path disposed of in some way.
Games are destroyed, words boiled, balloons busted, even things in space are not immune. The moon is squashed, the kitten terrifies the sun and after scaring off the giant paints the whole sky red and all that effort makes the kitten so tired, there is only one place to be.
A very funny, laugh out loud look at anger and its various guises, readers will recognise many of the antics, seen both in themselves and displayed by those around them.
Rosen developed the idea after seeing one of his children develop a rage, anger at being small. Readers will compare their mood with those seen on the page, laugh at the way the kitten resolves its anger and consequently laugh at themselves. The resolution of the story will bring sighs of recognition and empathy, especially so with the wonderful illustrations, showing a ferocious cat with the angriest look on its face, shown on the wonderful first endpapers with just the eyes, mouth and eyebrows, then the last endpapers showing a kitten at rest. Readers will enjoy looking closely at the illustrations, seeing how so much is told through a few well placed strokes, and how the anger is displayed so well, while the background is detailed and funny.
Themes Anger, Verse, Family, Kitten.
Fran Knight
Jeremy's changing family by Simone Collier. Illus. by Naya Lazareva
Little Steps, 2021. ISBN: 9781922358790. (Age:5-10) Recommended.
The idea of family is continually evolving and foster families are more complex than most. Jeremy and Riley’s parents have become foster carers and it is a new experience for everyone. Jeremy is feeling unsure and uncertain about whether he wants to have other unknown children in his home sharing his room and toys. The children who are brought to his home are unable to be cared for safely by their own families and stay for short breaks. With some of the children Jeremy forms an instant connection but others are troubled and unsettled and Jeremy struggles with his feelings. While the fostering and caring situation is initially disruptive for Jeremy, his parents and grandparents handle each new experience with care and patience. The bright and colourful illustrations depict the emotions of each of the characters clearly. This is a very sensitively written story that has a place in all libraries: home, school and public.
The end of the world is bigger than love by Davina Bell
Text Publishing, 2020. ISBN: 9781922268822. (Age:16+) Recommended.
An ‘enchanting, surreal tale’ is how The Australian’s literary critic Joy Lawn described this foray into YA fiction for Davina Bell. Bell is well-known for her picture books and children’s series fiction; apparently working on this novel for the past 12 years and unsure of its worth for publication. Disregarding Bell’s hesitancy, the tale has definitely found an audience.
It has been shortlisted for the Older Readers’ category in The Children’s Book Council of Australia Awards for 2021, has won the Ethel Turner Prize for Young Adult’s Literature in the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards and been shortlisted for The Readings Young Adult Book Prize.
The author sets her story in a dystopian world branching into magic realism and including a coming of age romance. Alternate narrations of twin sisters, Summer and Winter, reveal that the girls have lost their mother to a frightening death, subsequently travelling to many countries with their father, a scientist who has destroyed the internet and is being pursued for his role in a pandemic, The Greying, which has become a global weapon. Their stories, at first convincing, become increasingly more unreliable, to the point where the emotional reality becomes upended in the challenging times of technological progress and climate catastrophe. Bell creates a landscape of uncertainty, fear and instability with the two girls learning that love can be lost, changed or just waiting to be discovered.
Reading the book is rather like a roller coaster ride, but it is clever and imaginative, with hidden meanings, digressions, humour and poignant moments. What is it all about? Each reader will explore something different.
Tracking the two stories must have been a demanding exercise for the author but the consistency and fluidity of both seem to work well.
I particularly enjoyed Davina Bell’s love song to how much she loved books and how they shaped her life, with the two sisters sharing their memories of books they read and re-read together.
