Reviews

Peter Pan and Wendy by James Barrie

Ill. by Robert Ingpen. Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781760650254
Over a century ago James Barrie wrote a story about a boy who could fly and who never grew up; who had adventures on an island called Neverland and introduced us to characters like Wendy, Tinkerbell, Captain Hook and the croc with the clock!
Since then it has become a classic, republished many times, made into a stage play and movies and now it has been reworked into an abridged version superbly illustrated by Robert Ingpen so that another generation can delight in it.
With its modern language and stunning pictures, new life is breathed into Barrie's words making it the perfect bedtime read-aloud story to introduce young children to the original tale, or the be read alone by the newly independent reader, and is a must for both the library's collection and the Santa Sack. Given her grandfather is named Barrie after this author because of the impact of the story on his parents, I know just whose tree this will be under.
Barbara Braxton

Dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures by Matt Sewell

Pavilion, 2017. ISBN 9781843653509
If there is one section of the library that can never have too many items, it is 567.9 - the home of the dinosaurs. There seems to be an eternal fascination with these long-ago creatures that has been the door into reading for so many children, particularly young boys who like to get the biggest and thickest books and pore over them with their mates. So this new addition by Matt Sewell that introduces favourites and familiars and also some first-read-abouts will be welcome as it is targeted at those who want to know something but not so much that it is overwhelming. Who knew there were so many - but then they were on the planet for 170 million years! Each creature has a one or two page spread dominated by the illustration, an illustration that is somewhat different from the norm as they have been inspired by new ideas from palaeontologists that the creatures were not only colourful but some may have had feathers rather than the traditional scales and hide.
Each entry includes the length and weight which can always lead to some interesting maths activities and well as the time period (delve into history and create a chart) and their diet with 'proper' descriptors like 'carnivorous' to extend the vocabulary. There are other basic facts written in a conversational tone that makes the language accessible to those early readers. Given that not every dinosaur is included, perhaps they could produce an extra page exploring and explaining their favourite dinosaur as an initial information literacy exercise.
Produced in conjunction with the Natural History Museum in the UK, this is a worthwhile addition to that critical section of the collection.
Barbara Braxton

Healthy Kids Cookbook

Dorling Kindersley, 2017. ISBN 9781740331289
So many cooking shows get huge ratings on television and so much has been written about the 'obesity crisis' amongst our students that it is clear that food is a dominating force in our lives and the interest in it has never been higher. Gradually the tide is swinging towards the healthy end of the scale as we try to nourish our bodies but still cope with the hectic lifestyle we impose on ourselves and our kids. Even the famous 'Golden Arches" is now producing healthier fast foods that are getting a nod, if not the tick of approval, from nutritionists.
But if we are going to make and have sustainable change in our diets, we need to start from the beginning and get children knowing and appreciating what they are putting into their mouths. If they are actively involved in the growing and preparation of their food (A patch from scratch by Megan Forward) they are more likely to build habits of good nutrition that will last them a lifetime. Experience has shown me that those children who are subjected to a healthy food regime imposed on them by well-meaning parents are usually the first to grab the "naughties" at parties as they seek to taste the 'forbidden fruit'.
So to have a cookbook that is directed specifically at children cooking for themselves is very appealing and as usual with DK publications, both the content and the presentation are directed squarely at the child. Beginning with a brief explanation of why a balanced diet is critical and other things that all budding cooks need to know, it is set out with lots of photos, simple captions and just the right amount of information to inform but not bore. The recipes follow a similar sort of presentation with stunning full colour photos to help understanding but also to make the most ordinary food look good - we know we eat with our eyes first. Who knew a rainbow salad could be so tempting? Or how many good things could be packed into a pita pocket? Or even that so many vegetables could be included in yummy cakes? Parents will love this book!!!
With plans for the new school year already on the horizon, this could be the centrepiece of a display encouraging our students to nourish themselves throughout the year, and perhaps even encourage the establishment of a cooking group so they can learn and hone their skills and tastes in a community atmosphere.
Definitely one for the two budding chefs in my life . . .
Barbara Braxton

The Slime Book

Witchfairy by Brigitte Minne

Ill. by Carll Cneut. Book Island, 2017. ISBN 9781911496076
(Age: 6+) Highly recommended. Fairy stories. Fairies. Witches. Growing up. Born a fairy Rosemary must put up with the expectations of her family: she must remain neat and clean, tell stories with her honeyed voice, never spill crumbs upon her clothes, and wave her magic wand about. For her birthday that is precisely what she has been given, but she would have much preferred a pair of roller skates or a boat. In fact she would much prefer to be a witch, so she packs her bags and flies off to the witches' wood. Here she is accepted without hesitation and learns to fly a broom. In her treehouse, a little lonely she looks at the moon wondering what her mother is doing. Back at the castle, mum is also lonely without Rosemary and looks at the moon. She flies off to the witch's wood with her handbag and there the two affect a compromise and all is happy once again.
This delightful tale of growing up, of expectations, of finding out what you really want to be, is an absolute treat. Written with the ambience of a fairy tale by Flemish author, Brigitte Minne, and beautifully illustrate by Belgian illustrator, Carll Cneut, the book will be read and reread by teachers, parents, carers and kids drawing the listeners into talking about what they expect of the world in which they live, and of course, looking closely at the good and bad points of being a fairy or a witch.
The illustrations are simply stunning, with the fairies in their wonderful nineteenth century smocks and delightful tall hats reminding me of the Scandinavian Santa (nisse)and his wife found in people's homes at Christmas.
Each page demands closer inspection as Cneut uses an array of media to create his images: crayon, watercolour and pencil can be seen. Faces of the fairies and the witches dot the pages and the images of the castle and the woods demand closer inspection.
Fran Knight

Fold-up Halloween fortune tellers

Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408888629
(Age: Middle primary) To quote the blurb: "Dare to be scared with these ghoulishly gruesome fortune tellers. Can you avoid the wicked witch's spell? Can you outrun the speedy vampire with his toothy grin? Or will you get caught in the blast of the snozzle-nose snot monster's sneeze?
With colourful illustrations on every page, you can make creepy, crazy and completely hilarious Halloween fortunes for all your friends."
Despite my first glance making me wonder why this book would hold much appeal, closer investigation proved that it would be something which lots of children would enjoy. I suspect it would prompt them to create their own fortunes as some are only half written and others completely blank. There is room for plenty of creativity and imagination as children would be inclined to write the spookiest endings possible. As I looked through the pages, they brought back memories of my own childhood, creating 'chatter-boxes' to trick my friends. Given that ours were made on scraps of paper, carefully trimmed and folded, these have way more visual appeal with their colourful patterns and illustrations. The stories contained in these pages are more creative than our 'truth or dare' type fortune tellers. Linking them to the celebration of Halloween provides a certain appeal and there is a possibility that teachers could use these as a basis for story writing for any special celebration being recognised in the classroom. This publication should provide lots of fun for children in middle primary classes.
Jo Schenkel

Billy and the Minpins by Roald Dahl

Ill. by Quentin Blake. Puffin, 2017. ISBN 9780141377506
Billy's mum is always telling what to do and what not to do to be good, but all the things he was allowed to do were boring, and those he was forbidden were exciting. The one thing he was not allowed to do was to never ever go outside the gate all by himself and certainly to never go into the Forest of Sins which he could see from the loungeroom window. His mother painted a fearsome picture of the beasts that lived there - Whangdoodles, Hornswogglers, Snozzwanglers, Vernicious Knids and most terrifying of all, the Terrible Bloodsuckling Toothpluckling Stonechuckling Spittler- and told him that while many went in, none came out.
Billy figured this was just mother-talk to keep him from breaking the rules so when one day The Devil whispered in his ear, he could resist no longer and out the window he climbed, through the gate he went and into the forest he disappeared  . . .
Roald Dahl is master storyteller and he loved to write stories for children that made them not only the heroes but also in defiance of the adults in their lives, so this is Dahl at his best. While not as well-known as some of his other works, it is nevertheless just as gripping and intriguing and engaging as the others. This new edition is the first time that Quentin Blake has done the illustrations for it in his iconic style and as usual he has brought Dahl's imagination and words to life. They are liberally scattered throughout the text, breaking up both the words and the tension so that this is a perfect version for the newly-independent reader venturing into the world of "chapter books" while, at the same time, introducing fans to a not-so-familiar story.
To me, the perfect novel is one I can hear and see myself reading to my students and just as The BFG captured me from the get-go so did this. This needs to be on your read-aloud list.
Barbara Braxton

Sharkpedia

DK Publishing, 2017. ISBN 9781465463128
If there is one section of the library that is just as popular as 567.9, it is 597.3. And if there is one piece of music that still sends shivers up the spine of many it is this . . .
As the Australian summer and holiday season approaches, these creatures will be in the news as people venture into their territory and the debate about their continued existence will rage again.
So this safari with Professor John Bigelow Finnegan (aka Big Finn), a "round-the-globe expedition to study these mighty and mysterious creatures" visiting shark haunts and hideouts to study the habits and habitats of a variety of species will be a welcome addition to the collection. Using photos, diagrams, headings, accessible text and a clever variety of other devices this will appeal to all those who are fascinated by these creatures and who want to know more. As well as the usual facts and figures, it dispels myths, looks at current research and even introduces some of the stories, movies and television programs that feature sharks, painting a whole-well-rounded picture that demonstrates that these creatures not only have a right to their existence but play a critical part in the planet's ecology.
Done with the usual DK thoroughness and understanding of what young readers want and how they want it, this is perfect for both the experienced and novice shark-trackers.
Barbara Braxton

Professor Astro Cat's Solar System by Dr Dominic Walliman and Ben Newman

Flying Eye Books, 2017. ISBN 9781911171379
Professor Astro Cat is the smartest cat in the alley, in fact so much so, he's got a degree in just about any discipline under the sun. In this, the latest in a series to help younger readers understand science better, he takes young explorers on a journey around the solar system, visiting each planet and explaining its various features in simple to understand language and appealing illustrations that will answer the questions and pique the interest of those who want to know more.
From the time they are able to distinguish night and day, little ones want to know more and so this is an excellent beginning book that will help them understand how things work. In keeping with the demands of the young and the potential of the digital environment, there is also an app which has a four-star review from Common Sense Media With the heavy emphasis on STEM in the curriculum and the NSW government investing $80 000 000 in STEM over the next three years this would be a worthwhile investment for your collection for littlies.
Barbara Braxton

Little i by Michael Hall

Greenwillow Books, 2017. ISBN 9780062383006
The alphabet letters were quite happy being what they were until one day Little i's dot fell off. It rolled down a hill, tumbled over a cliff and splashed into the sea. Little i felt weird and the other letters felt confused because now Little i looked like a number and you can't make words with numbers.
So Little i decided to find his dot and starts off on an adventure that takes him to some interesting places. His question mark boat takes him across the seas until he finds an island that has a remarkable sea passage that passes a spectacular exclamation point waterfall, through the cold dark parenthesis tunnel (with asterisk gems), through the field of lovely comma sprouts, across the spine-chilling hyphen bridge to the very edge of the land where his dot completes his journey like a full stop at the end of a sentence. But when Little i puts his dot back on he feels strange, setting his quest and his story up for an imaginative and fun end.
With bold shapes and colours, this is one of those books that seems really simple on the surface but then you wonder what sort of mind could make such a story. But then he did write Red, a crayon's story. Not only is it clever it is brilliant, so rich in so much for the very young reader. Little i feels incomplete without his dot and that he doesn't really belong in the alphabet, just as some children feel adrift if they haven't got their mum, a special friend or a favourite toy by their side and so talking about Little i's story may help them realise that they can not only survive without that security blanket but be even better for being brave enough to leave it behind. Self-confidence in who we are is such a critical part of growing up.
It is also wonderful for those who are just beginning to understand that words are constructed from letters - Hall shows this by having the letters in the words do their talking; distinguishing between letters and numerals; and maybe starting to wonder what the other marks on the page are. There is a myriad of talking and teaching opportunities as the children demonstrate their knowledge of those initial concepts about print that are part of early kindergarten assessments. Yet, whatever level the child is at for looking at the technicalities and tools of language, overall and throughout there is an engaging story and a satisfying finish which have to be at the core of anything we share with little ones if they are to love stories and reading and all that they offer.
Barbara Braxton

Molly Mischief and the big pet by Adam Hargreaves

Pavilion, 2017. ISBN 9781843653424
Molly, aka Molly Mischief or MOLLY!!!, has lots of ideas, some of which are not as good as others. When her dad takes her and her brother to the zoo, she decides that she would really like a BIG pet, one much bigger than Polka her pet mouse. And so she tries a few - a hippopotamus, a polar bear, a giraffe, a tiger, a rhinoceros, even a walrus - but none of them is just right. Even the ostrich and the snake weren't suitable - her family is so hard to please. But then she discovers the elephant...
When his father Roger died after a series of strokes in 1988, Adam took over the successful Mr Men series and even though it took him "years of trial and error" to perfect his father's art style, he persevered and it is that same canvas that adds the charm to this new series that will resonate with many children who have good but out-there ideas, annoying brothers, and a twinkle in their eye.
When almost-independent Miss 6 spotted this on the review pile, she pounced on it and did not surface until it was complete, and even after reading it she had so much to tell us as she speculated on the sort of pet she could/would have! A better recommendation than any fancy words I might write!
Barbara Braxton

One Christmas wish by Katherine Rundell

Ill. by Emily Sutton. Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408885734
(Age: 7+) Highly recommended. Themes: Christmas, Loneliness, Sharing, Decorations, Friends, Family. A modern fable, this story tells of a young boy's wish at Christmas and how his wish is fulfilled when he sees a star falling across the night sky.
It is Christmas Eve and he has been left with a new babysitter who falls asleep over her mobile phone in the kitchen. He takes the decorations from the strongly sellotaped box to hang on the tree, and is dismayed all over again that his parents have not replaced the broken ones. He attaches the damaged baubles and finds four more decorations at the bottom of the box: a toy soldier with a rusty drum, a fairy with damaged wings, a wooden horse on worm eaten rockers and a a bedraggled robin.
After he wishes on the falling star, he hears voices behind him and is amazed to see the four decorations asking for help to come down from the tree. From there the excitement of Christmas Eve, making friends and sharing with others takes on a reality of heartfelt proportions as Theo finds ways of making his friends happy. The horse is unscrewed from its rockers, and the robin helped to find someone who will teach it to sing as the five make their way to Mrs Goodyere's house. The robin stays to help her celebrate Christmas, remembering her dead husband, Arthur while she helps the robin sing. They find feathers along the way to repair the fairy's wings, and the tin soldier asks for help in finding someone to love. Theo cleans up his drum, and they head to the doll shop where they find a princess waiting for him. He leaves them guarding the infant in the manger in the town square while the horse makes its way into the sky. When Theo returns home, some magic happens for him as well when his parents return sooner than everyone expected after seeing a horse flying through the night sky and making them feel that they should return home to be with their family.
The warmth of the story is reflected in the detailed illustrations, reminiscent of books from long ago, with lots of Christmasy customs and images to pour over. Readers of all ages will get a thrill reading this lovely witty story and stopping to soak up the marvelous illustrations.
Fran Knight

The Princess and the Christmas rescue by Caryl Hart

Ill. by Sarah Warburton. Nosy Crow, 2017. ISBN 9780857637079
Kept in her beautiful palace at the top of the world by parents who fear for her safety because of what lives in the surrounding forest, Princess Eliza is lonely But even though she is stuck inside all day with no one to play with, she is resourceful and she figures out how to make almost anything with a few bits of wood and some string - including her own toys! But her parents think that her mechanical inclinations aren't suited to a princess, and tell her she'd be better off devoting her time to searching for a friend.
But not being allowed to go out into the world makes that a tricky thing, and even drawing on her fairytales doesn't help - the gingerbread man skedaddles, the frog she kisses doesn't turn into a prince and even dangling her long hair out the window brings no visitors. But as she sits at the window she smells smoke drifting over the trees and is determined to find out who is making it and she slips out into the forest. As a huge shaggy shape looms up out of the snow she is frightened but it turns out to be a friendly deer who carries to his master's house where she finds elves who are overworked and despondent because Santa has the flu and they're unlikely to finish all the orders before Christmas Eve.
But Eliza knows just what to do - at last all that time spent with paper and paperclips, scissors and glue comes in very handy, but can she save Christmas?
Recommended by A Mighty Girl for being a story that empowers girls and encourages them to be "smart, confident and courageous" this certainly meets these criteria. From defying her parents and going into the forest, demonstrating her inventive intelligence in an elves-and-shoemaker kind of way to save Christmas and yet still keeping her feet on the ground (sort of), this is a story that will appeal to girls everywhere and help take the sting from the word 'princess' that it has acquired over the last decade or so. Being clever, imaginative and inventive is not restricted to boys! And it could well be the springboard for kickstarting some problem-solving as Makerspaces need new life breathed into them at the beginning of 2018. Students could brainstorm the other sorts of problems that Santa might encounter as he tries to meet everyone's requests and then they could invent something to solve them.
A joyful, fun story that will be a permanent part of my Christmas Countdown.
Barbara Braxton

Rudolph shines again by Robert L. May

Ill. by Antonio Javier Caparo. Little Simon, 2015. ISBN 9781442474987
It's a dark and snowy Christmas Eve so once again Santa wants Rudolph to lead the way for the sleigh as his nose shines bold and bright. But the other reindeer are jealous and not content with just laughing at Rudolph and calling him names, they are really mean and make him carry the heaviest loads, even using him as the ball when they played football!
Rudolph is so sad and whinges and whines so much that the light on his nose goes out! With no reason to stay to help and full of self-pity, he leaves the comparative safety of the North Pole for somewhere where he is unknown and unrecognised. And there he meets some rabbits whose babies are lost in the forest and at the mercy of foxes and wolves. Completely forgetting his own troubles, Rudolph promises to find them - but can he do it without his shiny nose to light the way? Of course he does and with the rescue comes a realisation that is brighter than any nose could be!
Written in 1954, this is the sequel to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer but unlike the original which May wrote to entertain children as part of a department store promotion, this one has a stronger message about there always being someone worse off than you, perhaps inspired by his family circumstances as his wife died from cancer as he worked on the original. While not necessarily the time for an in-depth discussion, nevertheless young children will feel Rudolph's pain at being bullied and might think about the feelings of others that they tease. They will also draw encouragement from Rudolph being able to get things in perspective and go back to face his tormentors knowing that he is strong and has a lot to offer.
This new release is stunning with its beautiful artwork bringing another dimension to the story, also told in rhyme, and making a special duo of books for the Christmas Countdown.
Barbara Braxton

Princess Snowbelle and the snowstorm by Libby Frost

Ill. by Lucy Fleming. Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408890011
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Princess Snowbelle and the snowstorm is a gorgeous picture book and is also a lovely story of friendship, courage and resilience. Princess Snowbelle is rather nervous as she will be singing at the Snow Ball. Thankfully, her friend Sparkleshine will be helping her. As Snowbelle waits for Sparkleshine, a huge snowstorm hits the forest. Snowbelle and her pony Icetail race into the forest to get Sparkleshine but find themselves lost. Can Snowbelle use the magic in her charm bracelet to find her way? will she make it to the Snow ball in time?
Princess Snowbelle and the snowstorm's detailed and colourful pictures are engaging and help tell the story. They show feelings in the character's faces and the scenery is breathtaking. The story is quick and easy to read and would be easy to retell in a classroom situation or when parents read it to their child. The story would also be great in Child Protection lessons as children learn about feelings and problem solving. Alternate endings could be written, characters could be changed and children could create their own version.
It is highly recommended for girls aged 3+ and more independent readers aged 7+ can read it on their own.
Kylie Kempster