Bloomsbury have done well with this delightful collection of approximately 70 poems chosen by Paul Cookson for children on the theme of magic. It is orange and black, hardback, A5 size, available as a clothbound edition if you like and easy to hold in your hand. Its pumpkin orange and the illustrations within, in black and white, are delightful and appropriate and drawn by Eilidh Muldoon. There is even a delightful little flowery pattern that dances from page to page as you flip through. This book is a physical delight to hold in your hands. Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble. Magical poems is an example of how pleasurable the sheer physicality of a book can be.
It is about time that Paul Cookson, well known as a poet and performer in the UK, is introduced to Australian children. Poetry is without a doubt, a genre that needs to be revived. Poems are in fact, compacted messages, concepts, stories and ideas where every word is selected with discernment. The reader, even one who is a disenchanted child with a short attention span, can, with poetry, enjoy in a short read, big pictures, feelings and ideas.
In this collection, Cookson has found poems which appeal to all interests and tastes ranging from the 16th Century with extracts from Shakespeare's Midsummer's Night Dream and Macbeth, through the 19th century with Tennyson's The Kraken and Lewis Carroll's Dreamland through to the dub poetry of Afro-Carribbean poet Benjamin Zepaniah and the poetry of Brian Moses who is a current well-known British children's poet. A smorgasboard of poems, even one from our South Australian author Janeen Brian, are included. Together these poems are silly, spooky and sinister - so much fun! Cookson has included a few of his own.
Fire Burn, Cauldron Bubble. Magical Poems is a lovely collection. Please introduce it to your children. It's a treasure. I'm a teacher/ Librarian. My only question is - why do teachers have to take a such a bad rap in these poems? Is it because we are actually secretly loved by children?
Themes Magic.
Wendy Jeffrey
Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman
Walker Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781406396119.
(Age: 15+) Highly recommended. It begins with the back cover of the
book that invites the reader into two worlds.
Challenger Deep is located in the Mariana Trench and is said to be
the deepest point in the world's oceans. Caden Bosch is on a ship
headed to that place. Caden Bosch is a high school student whose
days are consumed by walking and the thoughts in his head.
The author skilfully and compassionately draws the reader into
Caden's reality, a confusing world where ordinary objects take on
extraordinary properties. Caden's world is sculpted by
schizoaffective disorder. Neal Shusterman presents a world that
doesn't make sense and crafts a story that gently reveals to the
reader that Caden is unwell. Shusterman's characters are richly
drawn and urge the reader to consider the pain and loneliness of the
individuals and their families as they grapple with the consequences
of mental illness.
We learn by reading the author's note that the artwork for the book
was provided by the author's son and that, though this is a work of
fiction, the author has firsthand experience in supporting his son
through a journey with mental illness. This goes some way to
explaining the complexity of the detail in the story, the deep
understanding extended and the intensely moving description of the
road to healing in the hospital.
This is a powerful book that is profoundly affecting. It is
compelling and very difficult to put down. If ever there was further
encouragement needed for us to ask "Are you okay?" - this book is
it. A must-read for teachers and parents it comes with a trigger
warning for mental illness and suicide. A discussion
guide is available.
Linda Guthrie
The space between worlds by Michaiah Johnson
Hodder & Stoughton, 2020. ISBN: 9781529387100.
(Ages: 13+) Highly recommended. In a world where traversing through
the multiverse is possible due to the scientific genius of Adam
Bosch, only those whose counterparts on the parallel Earths have
passed away can travel to that particular Earth. And it's a job, not
a holiday, of which Cara is all too aware. Originally from the
wastelands, Cara finds herself in the position of traverser,
primarily because while there are 380 parallel Earths, her
counterpart is dead on all but 8. This makes her a highly valued
commodity for Eldridge Institute as she can travel to most of the
parallel Earths. As an outsider in the walled-off Wiley City, Cara
is willing to do what it takes to stay, including the dangerous job
of a traverser. When one of her doppelgangers is murdered though,
Cara finds herself in a plot that endangers all the Earths in the
multiverse.
Covering a diverse range of themes including identity, privilege,
abuse, poverty, sexuality and more, all woven into an extremely well
crafted story, this science fiction is sure to delight YA readers.
The protagonist of the story, Cara, is tough and vulnerable, a
relatable character who presents to others as having confidence but
is looking for her place in the world. She works closely with Dell,
her watcher, and Jean, her mentor, in the Eldridge Institute. The
entire storyline is well thought out, with plenty of intrigue,
action and twists. Fans of the Starbound series by Amie
Kaufman and Meagan Spooner will enjoy this Sci-fi adventure.
Themes: Science fiction, Identity, Self perception, Self worth,
LGBTQI+ people, Belonging.
Melanie Phillips
LEGO Harry Potter magical treasury by Elizabeth Dowsett
D.K. Publishing, 2020. ISBN: 9780241409459.
(Age: 9+) Recommended for fans of Harry Potter and LEGO. Subtitled A
visual guide to the wizarding world (with exclusive Tom Riddle
minifigure) readers will have fun following the wizard's world
as well as finding out what LEGO sets are available to build. The
cover with its little figure and the end papers with Hogwarts Castle
will entice readers in to see what comes next. The extensive
Contents page is illustrated with the Hogwarts Castle train, giving
a good introduction to the wizardry world. Chapters include Magical
Students, Hogwarts and Staff, Wizarding World, Fantastic Beasts and
Behind the Scenes, each subdivided with easy to read information.
The Introduction tells the reader to "Delve into the pages of this
book . . . to discover how this spellbinding world has been
recreated in LEGO sets since 2018." On the opposite page, the use of
Data files is explained, giving an example with the Set name, Year,
Set number, Pieces and Minifigures. As the reader browses through
the book they get an excellent idea of the scope and size of the
sets that make up this Harry Potter LEGO world. First, comes Harry
Potter, and shows the figures change as he progresses from first
year on Hogwarts to his fourth year. Then key moments are covered:
Privet Drive, Harry at Hogwarts, Ron Weasley and the Burrow,
Hermione Granger and so on. There are illustrations of Hogwarts
castle (6,000 pieces), Hogwarts Great Hall (878 pieces) Hogwarts'
grounds (253 pieces) and Grindelwald's carriage (132 pieces).
The behind the scenes section shows the Harry Potter team at work
and gives a fascinating insight into how they came up with the
creation of the world, winning two Toy of the Year Awards in 2019.
They are interviewed and give their inspiration and favourite
characters and show how the figures are made. The character gallery
shows all the different figures for each of the characters and there
is an extensive index.
Owners of the book will have fun deciding what sets they would like
and will get a good overview of Harry Potter's world. This would
make a great gift for LEGO fans and a fun look at Harry Potter for
fans of the books and movies.
Pat Pledger
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
Bloomsbury, 2020. ISBN: 9781526622426.
(Age: Adult/Young Adult). Highly recommended. Piranesi knows many
things. He knows that he is a man of thirty five, that is one of
just 15 people to have lived throughout history and that his home is
the House, a labyrinthine complex of stone halls peopled by statues
and regularly visited by fierce tides from the surrounding ocean.
Piranesi has one friend, the Other, who he meets with twice a week
for an hour. Piranesi knows that he is helping the Other discover
the Great and Secret Knowledge of the world, even if he does not
understand what that knowledge is. Piranesi is content with his life
writing journals and surviving in his harsh environment until one
day the Other confirms something Piranesi has long suspected: that
there is a sixteenth person in the world and that this person wishes
to do them harm. Suddenly Piranesi's carefully regulated life is
plunged into chaos and intrigue as he begins to question everything
he knows about the House, the Other and himself.
What an extraordinary and unexpected book. Piranesi is
everything fans of Susanna Clark have been waiting for since she
last published a full-length novel in 2004. Sixteen years ago,
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell was hailed as a revolutionary and
exemplary example of historical fantasy. Readers who have waited for
almost two decades for another offering will not be disappointed by
Piranesi. Clarke's characteristic dreamy and almost hypnotic writing
style is again present but is honed to perfection. While Jonathan
Strange & Mr Norrell was a fantasy epic of over one
thousand pages, Piranesi is less than a quarter of the
length. Readers are introduced to this new world, guided through the
novel's core mystery and released almost before realising that the
book has come to an end. Piranesi is a novel so unique it is difficult to make
comparisons with other works. Clarke has proven once again that she
is a master of her craft and unafraid to push the boundaries of
modern fantasy writing. This book is highly recommended.
Themes: Identity, Isolation, Friendship, Labyrinths, Secrets,
Mystery.
Rose Tabeni
What we'll build by Oliver Jeffers
HarperCollins, 2020. ISBN: 9780008382209.
(Age: 4+) A father and his daughter build a life together, using the
things in the tool box to construct the foundations of many years
together. They build a house, one which will keep people out, making
them feel safe, but equally they can open the door, to let people
in. Time will pass, and over those years, many things will happen,
things that they will explore and share together. They will build
bridges to other places, seek out other spheres, knowing that they
have built a love which is stable and unassailable. In times of
duress they will have resources to fall back upon: things they have
kept aside, love that is still there kept in times when needs are
greater.
Jeffers offers his promises to his daughter, Mari and the life he is
laying before her in this highly personal poem of the special
relationship between a father and his daughter.
At times the poem feels overwhelming in what he is offering his
child: peace, warmth, comfort and safety, but equally he is aware
that there will be times of loss and hardship, but promises he will
be there to encircle her and keep her safe. Any adult reading this
cannot help but be moved by the responsibility Jeffers feels towards
his daughter, and equally children reading it will be in awe of what
a parent does for them.
Against the backdrop of Jeffers' stylish illustrative technique,
younger readers will be entranced with the detail he includes on his
pages and follow the path of his toolbox through the pages,
representing the detail and substance of their life ahead.
Themes: Future, Fathers, Daughters, Lifestyle.
Fran Knight
Quidditch through the ages by J.K. Rowling
Illus. by Emily Gravatt. Bloomsbury, 2020. ISBN: 9781526608123.
(Age: 9+) Recommended. Lovers of the Harry Potter series
will grab this companion book, first published in 2001. The 2020
volume has Emily Gravatt's fabulous illustrations and gives a
tour through the game of Quidditch. J.K. Rowling, using the
pseudonym of Kennilworthy Whisp, uses her amazing imagination to go
deep into the game and history in this book which graced the library
at Hogwarts. Avid readers will find chapters on the evolution of the
flying broomstick, ancient broom games, the arrival of the golden
snitch, changes in quidditch, teams of Britain and Ireland and
Quidditch today.
Emily Gravatt, twice winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal, has brought
to life this wizard sport. Starting with a portrait of Professor
Dumbledore with Fawkes his pet phoenix, she goes on to make fabulous
illustrations of flying broomsticks, teams, referees, and even an
ancient manuscript depicting the Quijudge carry the four balls into
the centre during a game. Small black and white illustrations grace
virtually every page and add to the fun of reading the book.
This is a handsome volume with a sturdy hardcover and bookmark
ribbon. And with proceeds going to Lumos, an international
children's charity founded in 2005 by J.K. Rowling, and Comic
Relief, it would make an ideal gift for any fan.
Pat Pledger
The Restless Girls by Jessie Burton
Illus. by Angela Barrett. Bloomsbury, 2020. ISBN: 9781526618474.
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Themes: Fantasy; Princesses. Twelve
excellent Princesses, all with talents unique and exceptional, are
plunged into a virtual prison by their father, the King, after the
unfortunate death of their mother. The grief over the Queen's death
unsettles the King and makes him irrational in his attempts to
protect his daughters. The girls are unable to find consolation from
within their imposed locked room existence . . . until they find a
hidden mysterious fantasy palace where they can again know joy. This
fantasy experience gives them opportunities to live life abundantly
(with talking animals and food of every description) and to dance
again. But the secret life they are enjoying must be kept hidden.
The King though becomes suspicious! Will they be released or will
the escape into their fantasy palace come to an unhappy end?
Written in the lyrical style of a classic fairy-tale, Burton has
written a wonderful story that esteems the intelligence of girls and
reveals their capacity to solve problems and to express their
loyalty to one another. The illustrations by Barrett are delightful
and reveal princesses that do not have Anglo-Saxon heritage.
Published as a hard cover 'fairy-tale' book, this would make a
lovely gift or also a good read-aloud book. Highly recommended for
ages 8+.
Carolyn Hull
Editor: This review was originally for the hardback version, ISBN:
9781408886915.
Counting Creatures by Julia Donaldson
Illus. by Sharon King-Chai. TwoHoots, 2020. ISBN: 9781529040517.
(Age: 3-5) Highly recommended. Children will be immediately drawn to
the wonderful owl with her babies in a cut-out on the front cover
and will beg for the book to be opened to see more of the beautiful
illustrations inside. This is a counting book, but what a lovely
one. Starting with a mother bat, coloured in black against a deep
blue background, after lifting the flap the child will learn that
she has 1 baby. On the opposite page, is the question "Who has more
babies than that?" Turning the page, the reader will see a sheep and
turning over the page will see 2 lambs, "One of them eating, The
other bleating." It is fun to call out this refrain and guess how
many babies the leopard, the wild dog, the owl, the fox, Artic hare,
mouse, duck, potbelly pig, all counting up to 10. Children will
learn the scientific names of the baby animals as they go along and
then they will find out that a turkey has 15 poults, a butterfly has
20 caterpillars, the frog has 25 tadpoles and to top everything off
the spider has lots of spiderlings. Then children have the
opportunity to go back and count the spiders that appear all over
the book.
The language is great to read aloud, with rhythm, rhyme and
alliteration: This wild dog has 4 pups Nosing and nestling. Writhing and wrestling
The illustrations are gorgeous, with vivid colours and lovely leaves
and flowers in the background. Little children will love the
slanting eyes of the birds and animals and will want to count each
baby. The book is exceptionally well produced with a sturdy hard
back cover and the pages are well stitched to allow for heavy use,
as it is sure to become a popular re-read with pre-schoolers. Flaps
and cut-outs too are in heavy paper, so with careful handling should
remain intact.
This is a keeper, sure to be a favourite that is handed down to the
next generation. You can see the book here.
Pat Pledger
Pirate stew by Neil Gaiman
Illus. by Chris Riddell. Bloomsbury, 2020. ISBN: 9781526614728.
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. The glorious front cover has instant
appeal for every reader, as their eyes glance over the array of
characters on the dust jacket. Two startled children at the bottom
of the cover, complete with a stuffed toy, are on either side of a
jolly pirate holding aloft a giant pot. Filling the cover pages are
wonderfully piratical images, which will entrance all readers.
Opening the book, children will see a situation not unfamiliar, that
of Mum and Dad going out and leaving them with a baby sitter. But
what a baby sitter! Long John McRon arrives complete with a rag bag
of cohorts, splendidly attired, all ready to help, but when they
open the fridge to cook tea for the children, find there is nothing
there. So Long John calls out that he will make Pirate Stew, to the
delight of all his friends. Into the pot goes everything piratical
and a bit more besides until they all sit down to eat, the children
careful not to even taste theirs, then the ship develops wings and
off they fly for an adventure. Landing at Sally's Donut Shop sees
lots of cakes consumed and when they return home, Mum and Dad return
as well. Then a twist in the tale makes everyone laugh at the end of
a very funny pirate poem.
Wonderful rhymes, fun to read out loud (practise first) complete
with glorious illustrations will have children reading bits again ad
again, poring over the images, looking out for all things to do with
pirates, and then seeking out other books, and waiting for Talk Like
Pirate Day (19 September) to come around.
This is a wonderful collaboration by award winning author and
illustrator, ensuring kids will have a great deal of fun as they
turn each page.
Themes: Pirates, Family, Cooking, Humour, Verse, Imagination.
Fran Knight
Whose bones? by Chihiro Takeuchi
Berbay Publishing, 2020. ISBN: 9780648785163.
(Ages: 2-5) Recommended. This book comprises an interactive guessing
game that asks readers to guess the animal from its bones. The
challenge is made harder because the bones are not presented in
skeletal form but scattered in random across the page. A picture
clue, in the form of what the animal eats is given for each. The
vertebrate animals presented include a flamingo, an elephant and a
crocodile. There is also another page towards the end of the book
where we see six different animals and their complete skeleton.
Children will find it easier to guess these animals than the jumbled
up skeletons. Also included are some fun, boney facts about some of
the animals featured within the book (i.e., an elephant's trunk has
no bones, the blue whale has the largest bones of any living animal,
sharks don't have any bones). It also tells us that adult humans
typically have 206 bones.
Young ones will also enjoy looking at the simplified human skeleton
on the endpapers (and will giggle at the robot and alien skeletons).
This is a beautifully designed interactive book that children will
love reading time and time again. Takeuchi's paper cut illustrations
are simple but eye-catching and the skeletal details are
scientifically accurate. It is perfect for developing a curiosity
about science and the natural world and for encouraging questions
and discussions around different lifeforms. Its short text and
simple design make it perfect for even the youngest readers but it
will also be thoroughly engaging for the older end of the target
market.
Themes: Animal skeletons, Vertebrate animals.
Nicole Nelson
Willow Moss and the forgotten tale by Dominique Valente
Illus. by Sarah Warburton. Starfell book 2. HarperCollins
Children's Books, 2020. ISBN: 9780008308445. 297pp.
(Ages: 8-12) Recommended. Willow Moss and the forgotten tale
is the second in the Starfell series. Willow is a young
witch who has the ability to make things appear but when things
start to disappear her mother and sisters really don't help and she
loses her confidence. Willow has also been extremely sad since
Granny Flossy died on her last mission to find a lost day. However
the disappearance of her friend Nolin Sometimes impels her to leave
home and go on a new quest to find him. On her journey she is helped
by a wizard called Hollaway, a raven/boy called Sprig, Feathering
the dragon and Essential a young witch friend, amongst many others.
Oswin is her constantly grumbling cat-like companion she carts
around in a carpetbag. He doesn't really provide much help but
offers much light relief, especially in his efforts to inform people
he isn't a cat but a Kobald. They all have some pretty serious
challenges to combat as they travel via Wisperia, Library, the Mists
of Mitlaire and ultimately the dangers of Netherfell.
This tale is jam-packed with fantastic characters, places and
events. At times it is a bit grim and scary but Oswin's humorous
asides and the many terrific illustrations help lighten the feel of
the story. It will help readers to have read Willow
Moss and the lost day to understand places and
characters. Willow is a strong girl character who becomes more sure
of her magical powers especially when so many put their faith in
her. There are themes of choosing to belong to those doing good
versus evil and being true to yourself and your beliefs but
ultimately this is non-stop adventure. This book has set the
situation up for further major battles as evil protagonists seek to
have control over all the magic in Starfell and Netherfell. It may
appeal to those who liked The
legends of Eerie-on-Sea series or Nevermoor
series.
Jo Marshall
The book of mythical beasts and magical creatures by Stephen Krensky
Illus. by Pham Quang Phuc. D.K. Publishing, 2020. ISBN:
9780241423950.
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. The information on the back cover
informs readers that they will "meet favourite monsters, fairies,
heroes, and tricksters from all around the world" and they certainly
will. This excellent, well produced book will delight fans of myths
and legends and inform those who are looking to find information
about the mythical world.
The book is split into 8 chapters: Our Mysterious World, Good and
Evil, Tricksters, Shape-Shifters, Almost Human, Creatures of the
Deep, Winged Wonders, and Beasts of the World, each one subdivided
with the names of the creatures featured. At the back of the book is
an A-Z of the creatures with the meaning of their name and a short
paragraph about their origin. There is also a glossary and Index as
well as Acknowledgements, all ensuring that this is a reference book
that is easily accessible to a person who wants to research one of
the mythical creatures, while those who like to flick through will
also find themselves stopping and reading constantly.
After the Introduction, the first creature featured is Ymir, in
Norse mythology the first frost giant. There is a beautiful
illustration on half of the double page spread and then a page
describing their importance for Norse mythology. This format is
followed throughout the book which features creatures from all over
the world in each section. There is the Dirawong, "a protective
lizard-like creature of Australian Aboriginal Dreamtime", Taniwha,
mythical being of Maori legend, and Garuda, "noble winged creature
from Hindu mythology", to mention just a few. To make the book even
more helpful, the reader is lead to other similar myths from a See
also section at the bottom of the page.
Readers are going to be able to quickly research individual
creatures and read up on ones that they may have heard about but did
not know much about. For example, the information about the Wendigo,
"legendary evil spirit with a taste for human flesh" answered all my
questions about this creature.
The illustrations are fabulous. I particularly loved the red Kraken
that terrorises sailors, and Tengu, a bird-like creature from
Japanese folklore, jumped out of the page with his scary long nose
and handful of fire.
This is a must have for fans of myths and legends, with its well
laid out, easy to read and understand information and would be a
very useful reference book in the classroom and library.
Pat Pledger
Fairy tales gone bad: Zombierella by Joseph Coelho
Illus. by Freya Hartas. Walker Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781406389661.
(Age: 9+). Recommended for readers who appreciate dark humour.
Warning though that this book may upset sensitive children.
In time for Halloween, this is the first of a planned series of
three dark fairy tales. A librarian discovers an unloved collection
of books that are deteriorated, cracked and swollen. The question is
whether foul changes on the outside of a book mean the story inside
is changed too?
Starting with the story of Cinderella, we see the answer is yes. The
overall tale is somewhat familiar yet has become twisted and rotten.
Cinderella lives with her 'fake' mother and sisters who treat her
badly and are deliberately disgusting. A prince announces a series
of balls to find a wife, and the 'fakes' all swan off to the first
ball.
A freak accident creates Zombierella. She makes it to the ball too
and meets the prince. She endures more ill treatment before we find
out whether she lives 'happily ever after'.
Joseph Coelho (poet, playwright and younger children's author) has
created a darkly funny story as his first book for middle-grade
readers.
He uses a range of devices to maintain interest: the story is
written entirely in verse, switching between rhyming and free verse.
The text flows easily and is simple to read while still including
delightfully descriptive language (for example the family never
'say' anything - they phlegm, drone, flap and more).
For sensitive children, warning that there are multiple deaths (of
people and animals), amputations, digging up graves, bones sticking
out and innards on the outside of a body. The family treat each
other badly and the mother inflicts a terrible injury without a
second thought.
There are dark illustrations on every page that bring the story to
life (so to speak!) - these are detailed and moody but are also
cartoon-like which ensures they are not too realistic or graphic.
Themes: Death, Relationships, Fairy tale (fractured), Verse, Family.
Kylie Grant
A Tale of Magic by Chris Colfer
Hodder & Stoughton 2019. ISBN: 9781510202122.
(Age: Young Adult) Highly recommended. Actor and musician Chris
Colfer continues his second career as a bestselling children's
author with A Tale of Magic. This is Colfer's first offering
outside of his immensely popular Land of Stories series.
While set in the same universe and acting as a quasi-prequel,
readers do not need to be familiar with the Land of Stories
series to enjoy A Tale of Magic.
The narrative centres on Brystal Evergreen, a bookish and
intelligent teenager living in a patriarchal and oppressive society.
In the Southern Kingdom, ruled over by King Champion XIII and a
cadre of crotchety and sexist High Justices, Brystal's life is a
never-ending cycle of domestic duties and preparation for her future
role as wife and mother.
Until one day Brystal, who loves to read but is forbidden from doing
so due to draconian laws outlawing female literacy, applies for a
cleaning job at a library. So begins an adventure involving secrets,
magic, trials and servitude, culminating in Brystal's enrolment at
the newly opened Madame Weatherberry's Academy of Magic. For the
first time in her life Brystal begins to form friendships and become
comfortable is expressing who she is. However, when Madame
Weatherberry disappears, Brystal and her magical classmates must
find a way to save their teacher and, while they're at it, the rest
of the world. A Tale of Magic is a vivid, fun and exceedingly enjoyable
novel. Colfer excels at world-building and readers will be enchanted
by the colourful characters and scenes he brings to life. This book
is highly recommended, particularly for fans of magical school
narratives, such as Harry Potter and Nevermore.
Themes: Magic, Magical Creatures, Witches, Family, Friendship,
Adventure.
Rose Tabeni
