Illus. by Nathaniel Eckstrom. Walker Books Australia, 2020. ISBN:
9781921977312.
(Ages: 2-6) Recommended. Ten Little Figs is by newcomer
author Rhian Williams and established illustrator Nathaniel Eckstrom
(The Dress-Up Box and Duck!). '10 little figs are
on my tree. I love figs and they're all for me. A flying fox
dives, fast and low. Where, oh where, did that fig go?'. And
so, the countdown begins as each of the ten figs are taken from the
tree by a parade of Australian insects and animals (leaf-curling
spiders, finches, green ants, rainbow lorikeets, wombats, Hercules
moths, echidnas, spotted-tailed quoll). Before long there is only
one fig left on the tree, but the little boy can't reach it. 'Why,
oh why, is there no fig for me? But who is this climbing out of
the tree? It's my daddy . . . and what do I see? The last little
fig! And we will share it- just him and me.'
It is nice to see some unusual inclusions in the animal line-up and
the information on the last page explains that 'the juicy figs in
this story grow on the sandpaper fig tree. It has leaves as rough as
sandpaper and, just like all the animals in this book, it is native
to Australia'. Dreamy, soft illustrations depict a rambling
Australian background with a commanding fig tree at its centre.
Complete with a dog, a jacaranda tree, a rickety wooden fence and a
tree swing, this will feel like home for many of those reading it.
The tree itself is so immense that we never see it in its entirety,
instead being treated to tantalising glimpses of it from various
perspectives and heights around the garden. There are also some
hidden illustrative features that children might spot on repeat
readings (a clue to the next creature is visible on the preceding
pages, for example) and a visual number chart at the end for
reference and recall.
This is a beautifully-imagined book about noticing and finding joy
in our natural world and will particularly resonate with anyone who
has a beloved fig tree in their backyard (or any bountiful fruit
tree for that matter). Themes: Counting book, Native Australian
animals, Rhyming story.
Nicole Nelson
Embrace your body by Taryn Brumfit
Illus. by Sinead Hanley. Penguin Random House Australia, 2020. ISBN:
9781760895983.
(Ages: 3-6) Recommended. Adelaide woman Taryn Brumfitt is the leader
of the worldwide Body Image Movement. This picture book for young
learners is the latest project in her widespread crusade to end the
body dissatisfaction epidemic. Her previous efforts include the Embrace
yourself book and Embrace documentary for adults, as well as
international keynote speaking and an education study guide for Year
9 and 10 Health and Physical Education students. There is also a
documentary in the works for 8-12 year olds which will be given to
schools as a free resource.
Based on the iTunes no. 1 hit children's song Embrace, the
book and the song together comprise a fantastic resource for Early
Childhood settings. Its message is to love your body, inside and
out, with the aim of building a foundation for positive body image
from an early age. The song is super catchy, easy to sing and dance
to and follows the book word for word. The lyrics touch on not
having to change the way we look to please anyone, that all bodies
are unique and capable, how grateful we should be for what our
bodies can do (arms for hugging, eyes for seeing the world, etc.)
and how beauty is inside ('my beauty is my kindness').
'My body is my home, and what it does is magic. My body keeps me
strong, a vehicle to my dreams'. It encourages us to love and
embrace our body 'cause nobody's got a body like you.'
The text is short, every word is well thought out and the
illustrations are bright and inclusive. Themes: Body image,
Self-confidence.
Nicole Nelson
The half sister by Sandie Jones
Macmillan, 2020. ISBN: 9781529033045.
(Age: Adolescent - Adult) Sandie Jones plunges us into a world of
strained family relationships and suppressed anger in this vibrant
narrative. As we learn of the discomfort of characters who fear that
all does not seem to be well, so we are intrigued by this family
with its slowly revealed secrets. Tension permeates the whole novel
as we read, chapter by chapter, of the individual stories of two
sisters, one realising that she is living under the iron rule of an
extremely repressive, angry husband, while the tension of the other
sister lies in the shared desperation of herself and her husband to
successfully conceive a child.
Early in the narrative we are positioned to see that what lies at
the heart of this narrative is the response of their mother, in the
apparently unexpected arrival of a young woman who turns up at a
Sunday afternoon family gathering shortly after their father's
death. Seemingly uninvited, her shocking revelation is that she is
their sister. The girls are shocked and distressed, the mother
apparently calmly accepting this claim.
Each chapter is told from the viewpoint of one of the two sisters,
thus presenting an individual perspective, both of each one's life
and of their grief for their mother and themselves, as well as their
puzzlement over the unsettling new 'sister'.
In this powerful narrative, there is little release from tension, be
it between the sisters, with their mother, or with their partners,
thus compelling the reader to consider the actions of each
character. By juggling the time frames and details, Jones places us
in the same position, as it were, of the characters, who all know
only part of the whole story.
This novel is suitable for adolescent and adult reading.
Elizabeth Bondar
Bluey : All about Bingo by Bluey
Penguin, 2020. ISBN: 9781760898298.
(Age: Preschool - 5) Recommended. Fans of the very popular Bluey
TV series have another treat in this thick sturdy board book with
lots of information about Bingo. With readers being so familiar with
the TV characters, they will readily relate to details about Bingo
who is a red heeler and 4 years old.
The illustrations are bright and colourful and the warmth of the
family is evident not only in the text but in the drawings of the
household. The scenes described in the book are ones that will
resonate with young children as they are familiar not only from the
TV show but from their own lives. The siblings are seen in their
shared bedroom, with a large ball topped by a purple hat on Bluey's
bed and Bingo can be seen playing with stickers while Bluey reads a
book. They play outside and dance. Bingo loves to make up songs and
her little song about poor little bug will be fun for children to
sing. Curiosity and being adventurous are part of Bingo's
personality but she knows that her mother will understand when she
is sad.
The board book is shaped like Bingo, which adds to the fun for the
reader. This is a great book that could be used to drag kids away
from the screen and would be a perfect discussion starter about
family life. Craft and colour activities
are available.
Pat Pledger
The lactic acid in the calves of your despair by Ali Whitelock
Wakefield Press, 2020. ISBN: 9781743057049.
(Age: Adult) Highly recommended. With a dedication to 'all our
mistakes, regrets and broken hearts and the words we can't quite
find' Ali Whitelock's latest book of poems explores themes around
ageing, death, grief and reflection on the past. I eagerly grabbed
this book, remembering her blunt and confrontational poems in And my
heart crumples like a coke can (2018). There is less of
the sharp humour of that previous book, more of the regretful
contemplation of the past, an empathy with the exhausted woman in
'do not speak to me of pain'; but the words are as powerful as ever,
the language and imagery is rich and complex and such an enjoyment
to read, with phrases such as 'the lactic acid in the calves of your
despair', 'the dandruff in the dry scalp of your longing', 'an
arsenal of lidless tupperware in the parched prairie of your
existence'. Whitelock gives expression to the thoughts and
experiences of someone looking back on their life, particularly
those times of grief on losing the much loved dog or the not so
loved parent.
I especially enjoyed (it's not the right word) Whitelock's comments
on modern life in 'Who shot jr?' - the couple not wanting to guess
incorrectly or insultingly the country of origin of the waiter, and
the barista's words of hesitant welcome to the poet from Scotland,
resident in Australia for 24 years; people no longer knowing the
right words to say, amidst the barrage of issues of cruelty and
devastation. For readers who would like an easy introduction to this
poet, Ali Whitelock's site
has some video readings of her poems, most especially her reading of
'This is coal don't be afraid' which she describes as a found poem,
like the treatment of found objects in art, a poem that strikingly
brings together statements from Scott Morrison, the Rural Fire
Service and others in the midst of the bushfire crisis of 2019-2020.
It is a poem that went viral on YouTube.
Pick up a copy of this book, and I am sure that you will find
something that you recognise, and it will draw you in.
Themes: Grief, Loss, Love, Writing, Life.
Helen Eddy
Dogography : the amazing world of letter art dogs by Maree Coote
Melbournestyle Books, 2020. ISBN: 9780648568414.
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. Drawings of every kind of dog
imaginable made from letters, upended or sideways, right side up or
back to front, will intrigue and amuse younger readers, as they seek
out how the letters are used to create each animal. The front cover
invites the reader to further explore the delights of the pages
inside as it shows a dog's face; ears made from the letter A, eyes
from U, nose from a K, a J making its jaw line and the letter L its
collar with an E for the buckle.
Some readers will work out what sort of dog is pictured, using the
letters shown, and see that the whole book is made up this way: each
dog's name is writ large using the fonts also used in the image,
encouraging readers not only to check out spelling and letters but
also fonts.
What person could resist working out how each letter is used, or
searching for all the letters on each face, playing a game with
friends to make one up themselves, or having a competition to find
out how many letters are used for one face. Ideas flow looking at
each page, endless possibilities crowd in, as each page prompts a
laugh and a chuckle. The images created reveal each dog's
characteristics encouraging further interest and discussion. And on
each page too, is a pair of rhyming lines introducing the animal,
making sure that the readers predict what the rhyming word will be.
Kids will have a great time with this funny book which lures the
reader into using their imaginations to work out how the animal is
drawn and how the letters are used. Kids will want to try it out for
themselves, so have plenty of dog books on hand for them to try out
the technique. While having fun, the book promotes the skills of
spelling, letter and word recognition, design and art appreciation
and a heightening of the imagination. Subtitled, The Amazing
World of Letter Art Dogs, no one will be able to resist
picking it up from the display shelf.
Maree Coote is an award winning designer/author/illustrator who runs
Melbournestyle Gallery in South Melbourne, is a founder of
Melbournestyle Books, and promotes Melbourne in much of her work.
Themes: Dogs, Letters, Animals, Humour, Imagination, Graphic design,
Alphabet art.
Fran Knight
Grandmas are lovely by Meredith Costain
Illus. by Nicolette Hegyes. Scholastic, 2020. ISBN: 9781743832769.
(Age: 3+) Recommended. Children will thrill looking at the
beautifully illustrated images of animals and their young. From
pandas to lemurs, koalas and kookaburras, dingos and bettongs,
parrots and polar bears, each double page sings with love and
safety. Each adult animal is nurturing her young, the offspring of
her offspring, emulating the grandmother in human society. The older
animal shelters, protects, plays with, safeguards and teaches the
younger animal, warmly wrapping them in their arms.
Through the four line stanzas, we hear of the joys grandmothers
bring to their grandchildren, the skills and abilities and talents
shared and passed on. Grandmothers are joyful and sweet, patient and
kind, chirpy and bright, the best of playmates, funny, fearless and
smart, protective and cuddly. Each rhyming line urges the audience
to call out the word that ends each line, predicting the rhyme
before it is said. Many of the class will learn the lines and read
them with the reader after only a few readings, and have fun
deciding which animal they love the best. The endearing
illustrations will melt the hearts of the reader as each page is
turned. Most of the animals are placed against a little background,
encouraging students to think about the area that animal lives in.
So the book may lead classes into linking the animals to their
environments. But the whole book is fun, serving to heighten the
role of grandmothers in their lives. Themes: Grandparents, Love,
Animals.
Fran Knight
What Zola did on Monday by Melina Marchetta
Illus. by Deb Hudson. Puffin, 2020. ISBN: 9781760895150.
(Age: 6+) Highly recommended. A series of stories for the newly
capable reader will captivate its audience as they read of a girl
just like them: one who gets into trouble without trying to, who
seemingly does the wrong thing without meaning to, but is loved and
cherished despite her shortcomings.
Zola lives with her mother and her widowed Nonna. Nonna is a keen
gardener and one day she tells Zola to get the special seeds from
the shed. Without meaning to, Zola drops the container and spreads
them over the floor having to hastily pick them up again. Nonna
tells her that they were bought for her by her husband years ago at
the St Odo's fete and she would know when to plant them.
At school, Zola's teacher has displayed some photos of St Odo's fete
and there is one of Zola's Nonna and Nonno Nino. Zola is surprised
at how happy her Nonna looks.
That evening she and her friend trampoline in the garden. The gate
is left open and her dog rushes into Nonna's vegetable garden and
pulls down many of the plants, particularly the ones from the seeds
in the shed.
Nonna is devastated and Zola feels the weight of her mistake but has
an idea to restore the situation.
What she does brings smiles all round and encourages the class and
the community to restore St Odo's garden to what it was.
Well supported with charming, family friendly illustrations,
this lovely rounded story is told with a sensitivity for the
generations that have preceded us. The tale will delight younger
readers, eager to find out how Zola resolves the situation she has
made. This is the first in a series which covers the days of one
week, starring Zola and her family, and readers will know from the
back page that Tuesday involves a cat. Themes: Family, Vegetables,
Gardening, Days of the week.
Fran Knight
Alice-Miranda in the outback by Jacqueline Harvey
Alice-Miranda book 19. Penguin, 2020. ISBN: 9781760891039.
(Ages: 8+). Recommended. Alice-Miranda in the outback is the
nineteenth book in the popular middle grade series. Author
Jacqueline Harvey has once again delivered an entertaining and
exciting read full of mystery and dangerous situations. She also
provides an Acknowledge to Country out of respect for the Indigenous
characters in her story as well as recognising the land the story
takes place.
In this newest adventure Alice-Miranda, her family and best friends
travel to the Australian outback in their school holidays to help
support a family friend of Alice-Miranda's father. The story begins
with a prologue where the reader is introduced to Barnaby Lewis the
owner of the outback station who is struggling with the demands of a
failing bore and family concerns. He is needing support and help is
on the way with the gang from the city. On the journey to Hope
Springs, the family and friends meet some interesting and colourful
characters although astute Alice-Miranda already has her radar up
about the owners of the General Store where they stop for lunch.
They run into one of the owners later in Coober Pedy and all is not
what it seems. An old mate of Hugh's, Sprocket McGinty, lives in a
local dug out and shows the group around but later turns up at Hope
Springs with a somewhat cagey explanation. Added to this mix is a
partly torn map, a hidden diary, a snake bite, a missing child, an
opal miner named Taipan Dan who has not been seen for many months,
cattle mustering, limited water and mysterious strangers camping on
the station.
Jacqueline Harvey has set the scene for another enjoyable read where
Alice-Miranda and her friends use their clever problem solving
skills to help Barnaby and his family solve the issues with the
bores and the unwelcome strangers. Alice-Miranda is also
instrumental in solving a sensitive family issue with her wise and
caring manner. Themes: Family, Friendship, Adventure, Australian
outback, Opals, Mystery, School holidays.
Kathryn Beilby
Worse things by Sally Murphy
Illus. by Sarah Davis. Walker Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781760651657.
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. Three stories evolve in this heart
thrilling book told in short snappy page long verses, wrapping the
reader easily into its rhythm. Blake the football player, bent on a
long career in the game he loves, is first and the opening line
'Crack', brings us abruptly to the pain of his broken arm, and
moreover the realisation that he is out of the team for a long time.
Jolene comes next. A hockey player with a pushy mum wanting the girl
to pursue the career she always wanted. And finally refugee Amed, at
a loss in his new school, friendless and with only his aunt to live
with after his family were all killed, he landing in a refugee camp.
The trio of kids about to go to high school each has problems with
isolation. Blake is isolated from his friends through his injury,
realising that his life is football; Jolene has come to understand
that her hockey team does not like her, she feels isolated from her
pushy mum, her father works overseas and her mother is threatening
to send her to boarding school a long way from the town of Cowan
while Amed is isolated through his lack of English and it is because
a teacher suggests Jolene have conversations with Amed to improve
his English,that change occurs in all their lives. There are some
heart warming sequences in this story which will melt hearts and
help readers see the threads which bind us all.
Amed has lost all his family to war, but in realising that his aunt
is now his family, has a photo of the two of them framed and placed
next to the only photo he has of his dead family. His aunt gives him
a soccer ball and he is able to tell Blake about it initiating Blake
to show him that others in the town play soccer, but the pitch is
almost hidden behind the sports field. And Jolene finally tells her
mother that she does not want to play hockey, but when disaster
strikes, it is hockey and the girls she thought didn't care, that
enfolds her.
This is a wonderful story of finding your place, of belonging, of
working out who your friends are, of reaching out.
Readers who love Sally Murphy's work (remember Pearl
verses the world, Toppling
and Roses
are blue) will eagerly pick this up. Others, like me,
looking past the cover that seems to offer a fantasy story, will on
opening the book, and reading the first page be convinced that this
is a story well worth reading. Teacher
notes are available. Themes: Football, Soccer, Hockey,
Friendship, Verse novel, Family.
Fran Knight
Yellow truck road train by Mandy Tootall
Allen & Unwin, 2020. ISBN: 9781760525811.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. The multi media approach with pen,
ink, gouache and collage, creates a landscape instantly identifiable
as outback northern Australia. Along the dusty Buntine Highway (Daly
Waters in the NT to Nicholson in Western Australia) we see the ever
present gangs grading the roads with their machinery, the constant
threat of kangaroos jumping in front of the truck, the side tracks
where cattle are collected, loads of feral donkeys and the danger of
wandering buffalo.
In this wonderful celebration of the road train and its work,
ferrying animals across Australia, younger readers will thrill with
the young boy as he rides the roads with his father, Matches, the
long haul driver of the yellow road train.
They pass pandanas, cycads and termite mounds, a horse and rider,
other trucks, calling to each other by name. They stop for truck
steak cooked on an open camp fire, and sleep behind the driver's
wheel in a bunk. When it begins to rain Dad knows this will be the
last cattle haul till next year, and getting bogged, needs Kelly and
the loader to pull him out of trouble.
The wonderful full page images of the road train will delight
younger readers, and the lift out pages which make a four page view
of the road train and all of its innards will keep readers
intrigued, poring over the splendid detail. Kids will learn a great
deal from this lovely book: about the road trains and what they do,
about the families behind the drivers, of living along the route and
those they meet along the highways of Australia.
Alert eyes will pick out the detail of the truck and its travel, the
background of each page filled in with maps of the route, the
changing sky scape, the detail within the truck's cabin, comparing
it all with the photo on the last page of Matches and his family,
complete with the poddy calf. A handy glossary covers some words
used in the story which may be new to those not living in the
outback. Themes: Road train, Trucking, Northern Territory, Outback.
Fran Knight
Bluey : All About Bluey by Bluey
Penguin, 2020. ISBN: 9781760898304.
(Age: Preschool -5) Recommended. A large board book shaped just like
the very popular TV character, All about Bluey is sure to be
a hit with young children who love the award winning TV series.
Bluey is a 6 year old blue heeler who lives with her mum, a red
heeler, and dad, a blue heeler, and little sister Bingo, a red
heeler.
Bluey's antics and family have made her a beloved character and All
about Bluey will give children the chance to enjoy her
imagination and games between the pages of a book, rather than on
the screen. This makes it a perfect book for bedtime stories, or for
a newly independent reader to read things that they will be
instantly familiar with.
Right from the first page when Bluey says she has an idea, her
imagination is portrayed as she makes up games with Bingo and her
friends. Readers will recognise how difficult it can be to make the
rules for games and will identify with Bluey's classroom where
everyone has different skills and likes to make up different games.
Bluey also has lots of silly fun at home with her father, and the
illustrations are very enjoyable as the pair wrestle and dance
together. Bright colours, beautiful backgrounds and warm expressions
on the faces of the family members make this a lovely book to have
in the home or classroom.
Pat Pledger
Rocky and Louie by Phil Walleystack and Raewyn Paisley
Illus. by Dub Leffler. Penguin Random House Australia, 2020. ISBN:
9780143786528.
(Ages: 5-10) Highly Recommended. This is a superb collaboration
between three accomplished Australian storytellers. It tells the
tale of two Indigenous brothers, their special bond and their
connection to country. Younger brother Louie simply adores his big
brother Rocky, who teaches him to play footy as well as about their
country. Thanks to Rocky, Louie knows not to step on the new shoots
coming up through the dirt, how to take care of the land through
lighting little, cool fires and how to respect the country's
animals. But one day, Rocky tells Louie he is leaving; he has big
dreams and wants to pursue them. It's difficult for Louie to say
goodbye to his brother, so he crafts a boomerang for Rocky, to
remind him that he will always return to the place where he belongs.
The illustrations are soft, sparse and dreamlike, perfectly
capturing the immenseness of remote communities. However, they also
capture the joy and love of the people living there and their
respect for their place in space. There is a beautiful message here
about belonging and living with traditions co-existing with dreaming
big. This is reinforced with a heartening show of community and
family support for Rocky and his decision to leave for the city and
a final page showing Rocky returning to his country and his little
brother. It also seems fitting that specifics about Rocky's dreams
are omitted, leaving it open for the reader to put themselves in
Rocky's shoes (although the final page gives some clues with school
certificates and sports medals). This will be a meaningful book for
young Indigenous children but also important for all Australian
children as they develop an understanding of Indigenous connection
to country. Themes: Australian rules football, ATSI perspectives,
Connection to country, Family.
Nicole Nelson
Boxed by Richard Anderson
Scribe Publications, 2019. ISBN: 9781925713657. 288pp.
(Age: Adult - Senior secondary) Recommended for lovers of Australian
rural noir. Dave Martin is depressed; his wife has left him and his
farm is failing. When he isn't drinking too much he buys cheap tools
on the internet, passing the time collecting the parcels from his
roadside mail box. When boxes turn up that he hasn't ordered he
tries to find out who is sending them and finds himself drawn into a
world of violence and danger.
Anderson who is a second generation farmer in northern New South
Wales, brings his in-depth knowledge of farm life with its problems,
describing what it is like to live in country Australia and this
background gives a feeling of real authenticity to Boxed.
The suspense builds as Dave tries to find out where the boxes are
coming from, each new box and the people who turn up asking about
them, adding to the puzzles surrounding them and putting Dave in
danger of his life, not knowing who to trust and where to turn. Add
in the secondary story of his thoughts of suicide, his failed
marriage and what happened to his son James, and the reader is kept
in a state of suspense for the whole story.
This was an easy to read, thoroughly engrossing, and quite different
crime novel and one what will appeal to readers who enjoy a good
mystery. I am certainly tempted to pick up Anderson's first rural
crime novel, Retribution (2018).
Pat Pledger
Evie and Pog: Party Perfect! by Tania McCartney
Harper Collins Children's Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781460757956.
(Ages: 6-10) Recommended. This is the latest addition to prolific
Australian author and illustrator Tania McCartney's (Australian
Kids Through the Years, Fauna: Australia's Most
Curious Creatures) Evie and Pog series. Previously
published titles include Take
Off and
Puppy
Playtime. This instalment features three short chapter
stories with action-packed, expressive black and white illustrations
on nearly every page. The stories are perfect for newly independent
readers or as shared reading books. The two main characters are Evie
(a girl) and Pog (a dog), who live in an open-plan treehouse next to
Granny's big old house. Evie is six years old and enthusiastic about
life, especially knitting, reading and daisies. She also loves
making noise and uses her cymbals to get people's attention. Pog is
two years old and loves drinking tea, making plans and vegetables.
Other important characters are just as interesting. Granny, for
example, is generally accepting of Evie and Pog and the chaos that
seems to follow them but she can't stand noise or mess so is
continually following them with a dust buster.
These three stories see Evie and Pog preparing dress-ups for the
book parade, making creative pieces for the art show and preparing a
birthday surprise for Granny. Children will delight in these three
humorous and full-filled adventures. While the book is over 100
pages long it is separated into short chapters, making it easy to
read in smaller chunks. It will be perfect for readers who like
series such as Ivy and Bean, Billie B Brown and Ella
and Olivia. Aside from Pog, pets feature heavily in each story
so will also have special appeal for animal lovers. Themes:
Beginning reader, Friendship.
Nicole Nelson
