Bloomsbury, 2020. ISBN: 9781526633095.
(Age: Adult / Senior secondary) Highly recommended. Clay and Amanda
and their two teenage children, Archie and Rose, head off for a much
needed family holiday staying in a luxurious Airbnb far off the
grid. It's just what they all need, comfortable, with an
entertaining area, French doors to the deck, a swimming pool, spa
bath, and forest scenery with turkeys and deer in the background.
Then the next evening, whilst relaxing after a day spent at the
beach, there is a knock at the door. A genteel black couple claim to
be the owners of the house, returning back to their home because of
a huge power outage across the east coast. Is what they say true?
From here, this highly original story spirals out beyond anything
you might expect. I was gripped, reading each short chapter after
the next. Not wanting to give away any plot surprises, I can only
say that Rumaan Alam draws readers into an overwhelming sense of
dread, in the beginning reminding me of the 2007 psychological
thriller Funny games. However Alam's novel isn't that kind
of sadistic horror; instead it cleverly shines a spotlight on
ourselves, our class divisions, prejudices, stereotypes, self
interest, dependence on technology, in fact the whole modern world;
and asks of us, if faced with the end of the world as you know it
how would you behave, what would you do?
Themes: Dystopia, Social commentary, Human condition, Ethics.
Helen Eddy
The unwilling twin by Freya Blackwood
Angus & Robertson, 2020. ISBN: 9781460757536.
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Jules does everything with her twin
brother, George. They are identical twins, right down to the
birthmark on each of their bottoms. They get up in the morning and
practise their yoga together, they don their identical jumpsuits and
eat breakfast together, then play together all day long. In summer
they go to the beach, wearing their identical swimsuits, sunglasses
and hats. They frolic on the sand, collect shells, look at the other
bathers and get into the water, although George is not too keen on
the waves.
Readers will by now be rolling about on the floor with helpless
laughter at George's antics, paralleling those of Jules, but
noticing that something is a little different. Kids of all ages will
love seeing the humour behind Jules' assumption that she and George
are identical, seeing George get up to the sort of things that pigs
do well, but also going along with Jules as his playmate. But at the
beach, George falls asleep, dreaming of lolling about in a bath of
mud, while Jules builds a sand castle.
She imagines the two of them living in the castle, but when she
calls out to George she cannot find him at all.
Pencil, watercolour and pastel were used by Freya Blackwood for her
distinctive illustrations. The title and publications pages showcase
framed photos of the pair from newborn, seeing Father Christmas,
donning tutus for a performance and blowing candles out on their
third birthday cake. Readers will get a thrill seeing Jules and
George doing the same sort of things they have done and recognise
stages in their lives that are similar. Blackwood's illustrations
fill the pages with beautiful images of family life, culminating in
the wonderful sweeping images of children at play at the beach. All
the fun of the beach is shown: the long hot drive there, setting up
a spot for the umbrella, chasing seagulls, collecting shells, eating
an icecream, and playing in the water.
A small disagreement occurs when George wakes and want to play, but
Jules is not too willing. But like all siblings, the disagreement is
soon resolved and an icecream settles the day.
This charming tale of siblings, of identity, of getting along with
others will find an instant audience, asking for it to be read out
loud over and over, reprising trips they have had to the beach with
their families, laughing at Blackwood's gentle humour.
Theme: Sibling rivalry, Twins, Identity, Beach, Family life, Humour.
Fran Knight
Grug and the Bushfire by Ted Prior
Simon & Schuster Australia, 2020. ISBN: 9781760858483.
(Age: 3+) Recommended. Grug, that strange little creature made from
the top of a Burrawang tree, is back in another exciting and
dangerous adventure. In his note at the beginning of the book, Ted
tells the reader that his home on a 200-acre rural property was
saved by the Rural Fire Service in a bushfire, but much of the
surrounding forest was burnt. Because Grug lives underground he
would have survived and in this story, Prior tells of that
adventure.
In simple, easy to read aloud sentences the reader is taken through
what happens when there is a bushfire and why it occurs. A
delightful little Grug, with his brown and yellow grass body with a
tuft on his head, sees that the grass around his home is very dry
and brown and leaves were falling from the trees. Cara the snake
tells him that the smoke he could see in the distance is a bushfire
and that he would be safe underground in his home. Soon it was full
of other creatures taking shelter, and they could hear a roar and
smoke started to come in. When the fire had passed, they went
outside to see the devastation that it had caused, animals' homes
burnt, and food lost. Grug shares what he had stored and is very
glad when the rain comes and begins to restore the earth.
Grug has been a favourite of children for many years, remembered
fondly by my son and this one is sure to be read aloud to my little
grandson. The important messages about looking after each other and
sharing in times of adversity, as well as caring for the land, are
ones for everyone. And beginning readers will enjoy the large black
print and illustrations that complement the text.
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated
to the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital.
Pat Pledger
Elizabella breaks a leg by Zoe Norton Lodge
Illus. by Georgia Norton Lodge. Walker Books, 2020. ISBN:
9781760652555.
(age: 9+) Recommended. The fourth in this new series by the Norton
Lodge sisters will delight fans of this zany Year Four student.
Elizabella goes to the theatre with her year four class and teacher,
Mr Gobblefrump. She is with her friend Huck and they have left their
parents home with Toddberry, Elizabella's brother. Huck and
Elizabella are a bit off about his mother and Elizabella's dad
dating, but Tod tells them to get over it. The play proves a turning
point for Elizabella. She adores it and cannot stop talking about
the magic she has witnessed on the stage. She approaches Mr
Gobblefrump the next day about staging a play of their own. He
consents but tells her it is very costly and unless it is free,
cannot go ahead. A challenge has been issued. Meanwhile,
Elizabella's best friend, Minnie keeps wanting her attention and
finally blurts out that she is off to New York where her mother has
secured a job. Elizabella's world comes crashing down.
Light hearted, fun from beginning to end, Elizabella is a bright
vivacious girl with lots on her mind. From working out how to grease
down her dreadlock so the people behind her can see the stage, to
making an undie flag to run up the school flagpole, to getting her
friend join her and not be sad about leaving, the situations are all
close to home, things younger readers can relate to, involving
family and friends, school life and family concerns. And all told
with a large dollop of humour inspiring readers to seek out the
other three stories and hope for number five.
Illustrations by younger sister, Georgia add another level of humour
to the tale.
Themes: School, Drama, Family, Friends, Relationships.
Fran Knight
The great realisation by Tomos Roberts
Illus. by Nomoco.HarperCollins, 2020. ISBN: 9781460759806.
(Age: 4+) Recommended. An optimistic look at the follow on from the
COVID-19 year that we have all had, is revealed as the author
strives to help children learn from the effects of the virus which
has swept the world. Some would love the world to go back to simpler
times, and revisit times past where things always seem to be so much
greener, and this author's attempts at encouraging children to see
an alternative path are commendable.
A spoken word poet, film maker and performer, New Zealand born
Roberts wrote his poem in response to the pandemic sweeping the
world, worried that children would be affected with the negative
avalanche surrounding us all.
His poem, viewed 60 million times on youTube, was an instant success
and snapped up by HarperCollins who enlisted Japanese artist, Nomoco
to apply her glorious watercolour images to the words. So the book
has been published, ready for children to read and think about life
after the pandemic. The book will encourage discussions around the
post pandemic world, and what children think can be done better.
Prior to COVID-19, the world's people had become too neglectful of
each other in their wasteful, instant lives, clicking on their
phones for goods, and despite the cities growing bigger and some
societies having access to all they could want, many people were
just alone. When the virus hit, people were told to stay at home.
And here, people reverted to the old ways: smiling, clapping for
thank you, talking to each other, going for runs, leaving the car
keys untouched.
A positive image is given of people keeping in touch, watering the
garden, growing vegetables, dancing, singing and baking. The
question at the end of the book 'so why did it take a virus to bring
the people back together?' will be one talked of in many
classrooms, as children dream of a better tomorrow.
Theme: Pandemic, COVID 19, 2020, Fear, Hindsight.
Fran Knight
Rain before rainbow by Smriti Halls
Illus. by David Litchfield. Walker Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781406382358.
(Age: 4+) Recommended. A girl and her dog sit rather pensively on
the front cover, looking forward, seeing a newly formed rainbow
peeping through the trees. Light shines around them urging the
reader to open the book to see how the story unfolds. The title is
repeated on page one, followed by 'clouds before storm' alerting the
reader to a rhyming pattern that will entreat them, encouraging them
to read on. The dog looks forward, the girl hesitatingly looks
behind, but over the page they have a light to guide them as the
words tell the reader the 'old day is done'. By now readers will be
in tune with the direction the book is taking, that of reminding all
readers that there is darkness before morning, and that they must
look forward to a brighter day rather than hesitate in the gloom.
With mental health such an issue for adults and children alike, more
books are being published which encourage a positive attitude
amongst younger readers. This one with its double pages of luminous
colours will intrigue readers as they follow the girl's journey from
darkness to light, night to morning. The words remind us that there
are mountains to cross and journeys to take, decisions to make, and
sometimes the dark will be upsetting, with dragons to fight and
worries to overcome, there are ways to get over these fears. They
can seek out friend and pathways, journeys, maps, ropes to hold on
to, and finally a new day will dawn that is full of light and
promise. And all of this is brightly reflected in the accompanying
colour filled illustrations.
The rhyming pattern will enthral readers as they predict what the
rhyming word might be, ready to call out a rhyming word at the end
of each page, learn some of the lines to call out when the book is
read again. Read out loud or in small groups, the whole will
encourage positive attitudes, allowing children to discuss some of
their fears, and give them pathways to help themselves maintain
hope. Teacher's
notes are available.
Themes: Courage, Hope, Mental health, Depression, Friendship.
Fran Knight
Pandemic by Jackie French and Bruce Whatley
Scholastic, 2020. ISBN: 9781760976088.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Reflecting the year we have had it is
fitting that a book be presented for younger readers to learn of a
pandemic that happened in the past. Children can read and learn of
the Spanish Flu which circled the world in much the same way as
COVID19 has, but with bitter consequences because of the paucity of
scientific knowledge and care.
Whatley's pen and wash illustrations show us a different time, with
men returning to Australia from The Great War, bringing home this
deadly virus. In quarantine himself Whatley resorted to a quick and
available medium for his images: a ball point pen. Overlaid with
sparse colour washes of mainly browns and greens, the images he
developed have an appealing freshness, with sepia tones
communicating times past.
Children will readily notice the similarities and differences in
government and public responses to the virus. Seeing families remain
behind closed doors, shutting their curtains to warn others not to
approach, noting the widespread use of masks, closed shops and homes
but equally noting the vastly different medical responses. They will
be intrigued with the ambulance, the transport used by the children
to ferry the food to their neighbours, the lack of plastic tubs and
containers, and equally delighted with images of how children looked
one hundred years ago. In French's story she draws on the efforts of
her great grandmother, galvanising the children to supply food to
those in need in their community. They picked the food from
neglected gardens and trees, fed the lambs, collected eggs from
chook houses, taking it back to her to cook into soups and food
parcels, ready to be cycled out and left on front porches for those
in quarantine.
Readers will marvel at the self sacrifice of these families one
hundred years ago and be equally impressed with communities'
responses to COVID 19, able to share stories of what happened in
their neighbourhoods.
This beautiful book, extolling the positive community acton which
happened during the Spanish Flu, will ignite readers' interest in
keeping alive the neighbourliness which occurs during COVID 19, so
reviving the feeling of friendliness needed when a whole country is
in quarantine.
To learn more of the Spanish Flu in Australia see the National
Museum
of Australia's site.
Themes: Pandemic, Virus, World War One, Community, Neighbours,
Sharing, COVID 19, Kindness.
Fran Knight
Fighting words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Text Publishing, 2020. ISBN: 9781922330628.
(Ages: 14+ / Young Adult). Highly recommended. "Sometimes you've got a
story you need to find the courage to tell." Based on author
Bradley's personal experience Fighting words deals with
child sexual abuse yet is so much more than that. It is about what
comes after, and about survival. By the time the story begins the
abuse is in the past and is mostly hinted at and not explicitly
spelled out, except for on one page (pg. 130). Two sisters, 12 year
old Della and 16 year old sister Suki are involved and must deal
with all the emotions and damage from what has occurred. It is about
getting help and making plans and being safe and finding people to
trust. And it is about consent, about love and about the unshakeable
bond between sisters.
The girls have fled their home and been taken into foster care.
Della, who tells the story, has a tough outer shell and doesn't
trust or need anyone but her sister. She also swears a lot (in the
book actual swear words are replaced with the word 'snow').
Suki has always been the strong one, but she suddenly starts
screaming in her sleep and becomes distant.
When Della starts at a new school she encounters a bully but also a
chance to make friends. Her therapist gives her the tools to handle
the bully by making a strong statement about consent and about
adults needing to believe children when they share problems. For
Della the hardest part of telling her story now is realising how
much of it she didn't know about at the time. And she bravely
decides it's her turn to be the strong one and to speak out about
the terrible things that Suki endured.
This is the first young adult novel for Kimberly Brubaker Bradley.
The story has some lows (including a suicide attempt) but maintains
a strong thread of hope, humour and positivity. There are 14
discussion points in the back of the book which are wonderful ways
to get teenagers talking about issues such as family, sacrifices,
problem solving, power imbalances, consent, decision making and
consequences. Teacher's
notes are available.
Themes: Sexual abuse, Sisters, Suicide, Relationships, Emotions,
Family.
Kylie Grant
Ernie's journey by David Woodland
Berbay Publishing, 2020. ISBN: 9780648785149.
(Age: 4+) Recommended. The spotlight falls on the power of
storytelling in this new book from Berbay which publishes 'clever
books for curious kids'. Woodland, a debut author uses his
considerable skills honed in the film and animation industries to
produce a story which highlights the way in which the telling of
stories can influence others. Eli loves listening to Uncle Ernie,
especially his stories about his travels and adventures. He has been
hang gliding over the Great Dismal Swamp, used a cactus mobile to
cross the Gobi Desert, skated across Antarctica and now home,
wearing his bed socks and glasses, tells his nephews and nieces
about his adventures. Eli asks him about one particular adventure,
that of helping the occyphants and so the story unfolds of how Uncle
Ernie helped them stop floating in the air with a simple change to
their diet. Eli then asks for a story he has not heard before, and
Uncle Ernie tells him about the chameleon mice. Eli then responds
telling his own story about his big adventure with a giant crab, and
when the cousins question the truthfulness of the story, Uncle Ernie
points out the two large crab claw scratches on Eli's shell.
Uncle Ernie then tells the children of the time he was in the cave
with the snakes and spiders, where all you could do was run away.
Each story focusses on a different type of adventure: helping
others, testing your endurance, being creative and knowing when to
retreat.
Uncle Ernie gives Eli his golden compass with which to go on his own
adventures, and so he does, following in Uncle Ernie's footsteps and
seeing the stories for himself.
Children will envisage a future where he now rests in his bed socks
and tells an appreciative audience of his adventures.
This delightful tale of the power of storytelling, of imagination
and creativity will be a hit read aloud to younger children. They
will delight in the unusual creatures and machines Uncle Ernie
meets, the adventures he has, the problems he solves.
The curiously understated illustrations with whiffs of Shaun Tan,
Steven Woolman and Paul O'Sullivan, are engrossing in their detail
and array of creatures which kids will love finding. I loved the
compass endpapers and the scary caves in which the snakes and
spiders lived and so will the readers.
Find out more about David Woodland and his work on the author's site.
Themes: Courage, Storytelling, Adventure, Family.
Fran Knight
Dreams they forgot by Emma Ashmere
Wakefield Press, 2020. ISBN: 9781743057063.
(Age: Adult) Highly recommended. This is an exquisite collection of
short stories. Many have a filmic quality as Ashmere introduces a
scene and moves like a camera would, resting on an object or a
person, and then revealing subtle nuances in gestures or words as we
are led further in. The language has the expressiveness of poetry,
creating pictures and interactions, leading into stories that leave
us pondering long afterwards.
Several stories explore a woman's attraction to a brilliant other,
the beautiful but troubled Aveline, or the confident Romaine, or the
fascinating Louisa; the admirer herself, an observer somehow less
worthy, a 'Lame Horse', or ill or poor and less gifted. There is a
suppressed longing to escape from the mundane, to rebel and run free
like Vevette and her wild friend Rae.
'Silent Partner' gives a voice to the women ignored in family trees
and the records of ancestors and descendants: the so-called spinster
Harriet has a loved partner Winifred, the disgraced divorcee still
has children, and the present day narrator has a 'great friend' or
'life partner', relationships that are authentic and enduring.
There are also stories of historical fiction, of men scarred by war,
drunken fathers, hardworn women and families struggling in poverty,
stories imagined from intriguing glimpses of women's voices buried
in the archives. The settings range from Australia to England,
France, and Borneo, all 'a mixture of memory, imagination and
experience' that draw us into scenes from people's lives.
There will be images and descriptions that will stay with you long
afterwards, just as the cover photograph suggests thoughts and
imaginings; the stories can be read and enjoyed time and again.
Themes: Women, Relationships, Longing, Outsiders, LGBQTI, Historical
fiction.
Helen Eddy
Macca and Al, super pals by Matt Cosgrove
Scholastic Australia, 2020. ISBN: 9781760970246.
(Age: 3+) Recommended. Macca and Al, super pals is the
latest Macca the Alpaca story in the series written for
younger children. Author Matt Cosgrove has cleverly combined rhyme
with bright and colourful illustrations to provide another amusing
and entertaining read. Macca and best friend Al play super heroes
all day and they have all the toys super heroes need. Macca though
dreams of becoming a real super hero and he and Al set about
creating costumes with a mask, cape and underwear. They give
themselves cool names, Mighty Mac and Sensation-Al, and try hard to
get super powers. They help their friends Slow Jo, Rhonda the
anaconda, the yaks and Harmer the Llama out of some tricky
situations in their super hero costumes. However they soon realise
that all the friends worked as a team and are all super heroes every
day. Macca and Al, super pals will be another enjoyable read aloud
for young children especially those who can relate to being super
heroes.
Themes: Alpacas, Super heroes, Dressing-up, Playing,
Friendship, Helping.
Kathryn Beilby
Healing lives by Sue Williams
Pan Macmillan Australia, 2020. ISBN: 9781760982034.
(Age: Adult) Highly recommended. This is the story of two truly
amazing women, Catherine Hamlin, a highly educated privileged woman
from Sydney, Australia, and Mamitu Gashe, a poor illiterate girl
from a remote village in Ethiopia, whose paths crossed when
Catherine and her husband Reg, both surgeons and committed
Christians, took up the challenge to establish a school for
midwifery in Addis Ababa. It was there that Catherine and Reg first
became aware of the shocking suffering of many young girls severely
damaged after prolonged and tortuous childbirth, left with fistulas,
holes worn in internal tissue leaving them uncontrollably leaking
urine or faeces or both. It is a problem rarely seen now in the
western world with its high levels of obstetric care, caesareans,
and antibiotics, but in Africa and Ethiopia, it is a huge problem;
the women, in constant pain, and ashamed, are outcasts from society.
The Hamlins became determined to help.
At 16 years of age, Mamitu was left with horrific fistula injuries
following a four day labour and a stillborn child. Her husband and
friends carried her on a stretcher over 100 kilometres across
mountains and gorges in the desperate search for help. It was the
worst case the Hamlins had yet encountered but they embraced her as
their daughter and determined to operate as many times as necessary
to achieve a cure.
Readers cannot fail to be moved, reading of the suffering of the
young Ethiopian women and of the care and love that the Hamlins
brought in their dedication to medical intervention. But perhaps
most inspiring of all is the story of Mamitu, reciprocating the love
she received, determined to also help, becoming a cleaner,
interpreter, nurse's aide and then assisting and ultimately
performing her own surgery, continuing Catherine's legacy, all
without ever having had any schooling.
The Catherine Hamlin Fistula
Foundation has restored the health and dignity of over 60,000
women. This book is a wonderful testament to the kindness,
determination and dedication of two outstanding women and the people
who continue their work.
Helen Eddy
The Tree by Graeme Base
Puffin, 2020. ISBN: 9781760897048.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Enticing illustrations will draw
readers into this latest offering by award winning Base (Animalia)
and they will linger over its message of sharing and working
together. A curly-haired cow with long horns and eyelashes and a
cute little duck linger under a beautiful big tree. Cow looks up and
sees mooberries while Duck looks amongst the roots and see
mushquacks. Both are happy with the tree, Cow building herself a
castle in its branches and pulling up the drawbridge, while Duck has
an underground hideout with a secret entrance. However, when a storm
bends the tree Cow and Duck notice each other and believe that their
mooberries and mushquacks are under threat. Then another storm blows
the tree over and Cow and Duck must cooperate to help a new tree
grow.
Base's illustrations are delightful. Both Cow and Duck come alive
with their individual characteristics. The tree is a character in
itself and the details of the castle in its branches and the
hideaway in its roots are amazing. The double page spread that shows
the tree against a beautiful dark blue night sky, with Cow perched
in his castle looking at the sunset, and Duck lounging in his
deckchair underground is beautifully drawn and memorable. Other
animals who live in the tree peep out through the leaves and scamper
around and readers will enjoy finding and naming them.
The narrative reads aloud well and finally shows the futility of
pulling up the drawbridge in Cow's case or hiding the entrance by
Duck. When they have to grow another tree, readers will be happy to
see that creatures can live along side each other, sharing and
helping each out.
Pat Pledger
Jumbo the most famous elephant who ever lived by Alexandra Stewart
Illus. by Emily Sutton. Bloomsbury, 2020. ISBN: 9781526608581.
Highly recommended. Many, many years ago, there was an elephant
named Jumbo. His story is one that has been told thousands of times
over the years, and has lead to major changes in the realm of animal
welfare. In this book Alexandra Stewart tells us the most amazing
story about Jumbo's life and trek from the Sahara all the way to
this his final resting place in America's National History Museum.
I was really enthralled by this book and read it from front to back
as soon as I got it. I have now read it to my children, family
members and other staff at my school!
We learn about how, in the 1860s, an elephant was shipped, trained
and shipped again across the world! How his life varied in the zoo
and the circus and eventually how modern science has allowed us to
learn many new things about the magnificent Jumbo. Alexandra Stewart
also tell us about the people involved in Jumbo's life, especially
Mr Scott an extra special keeper/handler in the elephant's life.
Woven in to the pages is also information about the London Zoo, the
difference between Asian and African elephants, and the lasting
effect of his legacy in today's animal welfare and conservation
efforts.
Overall, this book is one of my favourites! The story is engaging
and full of interest at every page turn. I loved learning about
Jumbo and how he was looked after over 100 years ago.
I cannot leave this review without talking about the illustrations.
Emily Sutton has really created something special. Every page is
beautiful. Her use of watercolours with pencil outlines shows the
animals' emotions and brings them to life! I particularly love the
pages depicting the London Zoo and the final page of the elephants
in the sanctuary.
5 out of 5 for this book, especially great for the animal lover in
your life.
Lauren Fountain
Fox: A circle of life story by Isabel Thomas
Illus. by Daniel Egneus. Bloomsbury, 2020. ISBN: 9781526600776.
(Age: 5+). Highly recommended. Fox is a thoughtfully written
factual picture book. The story begins and ends with the reader
being encouraged to look and listen closely. There is life stirring
in the shadows. The journey of the fox searching for food to feed
her young is written in short sharp sentences e.g. 'Rabbits nibble
fresh green shoots. Then freeze. Ears stiffen. Noses twitch. Fox
creeps, then leaps.' This simple text will appeal to younger readers
but also encourage the reader to look carefully at the clever
illustrations which further enhance the meaning of the story. It is
evident that the author has studied foxes and knows their traits as
she has described the movement of the adult fox and the way her cubs
play beautifully. She has cleverly introduced the reader to the
unfamiliar word of 'gekkering' which is to make a series of
stuttering throaty vocalizations in the manner of foxes when
encountering a rival. This story though is ultimately one about the
circle of life. The adult fox dies on the road, the cubs find their
way safely back to the den and the body of the fox decomposes in the
way nature intends it to. The death of the fox is sensitively
addressed and the author is quite honest in the description of what
happens to the body. At the completion of the story are important
facts about what happens when something dies. The illustrations by
Daniel Egneus seamlessly complement the text. Fox is perfect for reading aloud in the classroom or sharing
at home. A welcome addition to both public and school libraries.
Themes: Foxes, Life Cycle, Factual picture book
Kathryn Beilby
