Flying Eye Books, 2017. ISBN 9781911171164
(Age: Primary school) Highly recommended. As the title suggests this
book gives you information about cats, mainly concentrating on the
wild cat species. Did you know there are 38 different types of cats
in the world? This book has large amounts of beautiful illustrations
and infographics surrounded by bite sized amounts of information.
The 34 chapters (which are double page spreads) include the
different cat species, hunting for food as well as weird and
wonderful facts. There are some fascinating references to cats and
mythology as well. Crazy About Cats has a perfect balance of information and
visuals for primary school aged children. The setting out of the
facts using infographics make the book both informative and easy to
read. I particularly like the diagram showing the comparison of
different cat sizes with a human.
The colour palette for this book is stunning, with the author/
illustrator using warm colours with muted greens. This makes the
book a visual treat. The illustrations themselves are slightly
stylised and are more like works of art. The end papers are just as
attractive as the rest of the book.
The author has also produced two other books in this series, using
alliteration for their titles as well. They are Mad About
Monkeys and Smart About Sharks.
This is a book you can go to for information but also read just for
the compelling way it has been created. A visual joy from the
beginning to the end.
I highly recommend this book for primary school students and suggest
it should be in every school library collection.
Jane Moore
DK Children's Encyclopedia
DK, 2017. ISBN 9780241283868
(Age: 6+) Highly recommended. Encyclopedias. DK has produced another
excellent non fiction reference book, this time for younger children
who will really appreciate the excellent illustrations and
relatively easy to read text that DK Children's Encyclopedia
has to offer. There are over 250 topics in the book including
ancient civilisations, Astronomy, Climate change, Clocks, Galaxies,
Insects, Milky Way, Continents, Vikings, Weather and Zoos. The
Reference section contains lists of artists and writers, alphabets
and writing systems, scientists and mathematical information.
The book contains a table of contents with the topics organised in
alphabetical order. There are instructions on how to use the book
giving details about how the topics are colour coded into nine
different key subject areas, Art, People, History, Earth, Nature,
Science, Technology, Space and the Human Body. At the back there is
a comprehensive index as well as a glossary. The "Story of..." pages
are double-page spreads about interesting topics like colour,
storytelling, clothing, energy, water and inventions all of which
contain useful information for research and class work.
Each page deals with a different topic and is illustrated with
wonderful pictures that will help the child's understanding of the
topic. See also boxes will send the reader off to associated topics
giving the reader the opportunity to further their knowledge. The
information given is interesting and informative and is sure to keep
the inquiring child occupied for hours.
This would be an ideal gift for the young child. It is sturdy and
beautifully produced. It would also be an excellent reference book
in the library and classroom.
Pat Pledger
Prisoner of ice and snow by Ruth Lauren
Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781681191317
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. Who would have thought one would set
out to be arrested? But that is exactly what Valor intends to do.
Tyur'ma is a prison for criminal children and no one has escaped
from this frozen facility in over 300 years. But Sasha, Valor's
sister finds herself sent there accused of a crime she did not
commit - or did she? When Valor is arrested, and sent to Tyur'ma,
she begins plotting an escape route from the inside. She used all
resources that she can find and outsmarted both the guards and other
nosey fellow prisoners. In order for the plan to be successful,
alliances must be formed between unlikely allies.
This is a fast-paced fantasy novel that hooked me in from the
beginning to end. Although it is a fiction book I did find myself
thinking at times that parts of it could have been true. Valor was a
strong leading protagonist who grew and rose to all the challenges
that were presented to her. Themes such as bravery, friendship,
perseverance and determination are running strongly throughout the
book. Interestingly all the main characters in the book are strong
female characters whether they be good or bad!
I would recommend this book for children over 10 years as some of
the action in the book can be a little confronting. I would strongly
recommend this book to be added to a library collection.
Kathryn Schumacher
First day at Skeleton school by Sam Lloyd
Bloomsbury 2017. ISBN 9781408868829
(Age: 5+) Recommended. Monsters, School, Rhyming story. At night
time Skeleton school opens its doors for the mini monsters, needing
tuition with their newly found skills. Welcomed by Mr Bones the
teacher, readers must cross over the moat into the ghostly castle
and attend morning assembly where the singing is other worldly. In
the library the witch flies up on her broom only to have the cat
fall to the ground after attempting a loop de loop. Next dance class
is a bit jangly with the skeletons all dancing together, while the
ghosts move up and down the staircase learning to float and at
lunchtime the zombies cook up a meal to be savoured.
In rhyming stanzas the story moves along, taking the reader through
a familiar scenario, a school, but with ghostly apparitions popping
out of all doors and windows, sitting in rows for assembly, drifting
down the stairs, working in the science laboratory or playing in the
garden.
Kids will love the range of things depicted, at assembly the whole
range is lined up in rows for eager readers to pick out. They will
laugh out loud at each page, littered with ghostly imaginings, a
three headed librarian, a dancing skeleton reading a book called Rattling
Rhymes, the beetle burgers being offered by the zombies,
Frankenstein's head being used as a ball at playtime.
Bright illustrations fill each page with a mine of things to delve
into, small drawings will catch the eyes of eager readers as they
learn of the range of monsters that exist in our imaginations and
literature. All good fun for Halloween.
Fran Knight
Scary hairy party by Claire Freedman
Ill. by Sue Hendra. Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408867174
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Halloween, Monsters, Party, Rhyming story. In
four line stanzas, the story unfolds of a group of animals invited
to Monster's house at 3 pm. They must all dress up to go to the
party, and go to Raymond's hair salon to make themselves perfect.
But here they run into problems, Raymond makes their hair look
fabulous, but accidents happen that mess up their hairstyles. Bella
the sheep looks lovely until Raymond uses so much hair spray that
her hair becomes very frizzy. Leo the lion is up next and his mane
is fabulous until Raymond unscrews a pot of gloop and it goes
everywhere, including over Leo's new hairdo. The others sit there
wondering what will happen, and sure enough Raymond mixes up the
dyes and the last three get technicolour hair. All is in chaos, but
when the group gets to the party a neat twist sees them fit in very
well.
Bright and breezy, colourful illustrations accompany this rhyming
story, with lots on each page to intrigue and delight younger
readers. They will have fun predicting the rhyming words and
noticing all the things used by a hairdresser. And with Halloween
coming along, a mildly scary story to share with younger readers.
Fran Knight
Snowdrift and other stories by Georgette Heyer
Sourcebooks Casablanca, 2017. ISBN 9781492650461
(Age: 13+) Recommended. Regency romance. Short stories. Originally
published as Pistols for two, Snowdrift and other
stories contains three brand new stories that previously
haven't been in a collection. These three stories, Pursuit,
Runaway match and Incident on the Bath Road, make a
delightful addition for readers who love the work of Georgette
Heyer.
All the stories felt very familiar to me and indeed many could be
described as precursors to the full length novels. I have been a fan
of the author since the very first time I read a book by her when I
was a teen. She is an author that I come back to repeatedly whenever
I need a feel-good read because her witty dialogue, sparkling
characters and charming atmosphere always lift my spirits.
In this collection, I was happy to be re-united with Pistols for
two as Heyer is so able to convey the jealousies and strong
friendship of the youths who had suddenly found that the annoying
little playmate from their childhood had grown into a beauty. Pursuit,
one of the new stories, also was a hit with me, as I enjoyed the
romance between the older couple, the Earl of Shane and Mary
Fairfax, the governess and have always had a soft spot for the young
woman who falls in love with a military man.
I particularly enjoyed the foreword by Heyer's official biographer,
Jennifer Kloester, as she describes the importance of the women's
magazines as places for authors to be published.
Heyer brings to life all the romance of a bygone era and her
wonderful characters will linger in the memory. She is truly the
queen of the Regency romance.
Pat Pledger
The snow angel by Lauren St John
Zephyr, 2017. ISBN 9781786695895
(Age: 12+) Recommended. Orphans. Poverty. Family. Miracles.
Friendship. Overcoming difficulty. Resilience. The snow angel;
is a wonderful, magical mix of African culture, sadness, dreams,
grief, resilience and the awful sobering realities of poverty and
homelessness - but despite this sad litany of ideas, it is filled
with bright moments of love and optimism. This is both a fantasy
tale with a light dusting of imagined mystery and a sobering expose
of the reality of modern Africa. The central character, Makena,
experiences the highs of living out her dreams within a loving
family and then the horrors that no child should ever have to
experience, after tragic circumstances swamp her life. Woven into
this tragedy is the vision of the 'snow angel' - a magical illusion
that appears and silently offers hope. Makena also meets an amazing
friend and a rescuer that are just what she needs. Even though there
are incredibly bleak and heart-breaking aspects to this story, it is
ultimately a story of hope for Makena. (But a mature reader will
also realise that there are many unnamed characters in the story
that will not experience this same hopeful ending.)
Lauren St John has written this book with understanding of the
Kenyan setting that comes from her own experience of life in Africa
as a child. She also peppers lightly the telling of this dramatic
tale with some profound quotes and pearls of wisdom, as well as a
glimpse of how those in poverty can retain joy in their lives,
despite the hardships they face. There are some chronology leaps as
the story unfolds that may confuse some young readers initially, but
the story is compelling and worth promoting.
Carolyn Hull
La la la by Kate DiCamillo
Ill. by Jaime Kim. Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781406378009
(Age: 4+) Voice. Singing. Loneliness. The young girl on the front
cover loves to sing, but wants to share her singing with someone
else. She is hesitant, looking longingly at her front door, and
eventually moves through the door into the world outside. Here it is
golden and light filled, and she moves through this environment,
singing, trying to attract someone else. She goes back inside, but
the swirling leaves call her again and she moves outside into the
darker space. She sings again, to no avail, but sees the large white
circle of the moon shining. She tries to climb to the moon, singing
all the while, but still there is no one there.
Disappointed yet again, she retreats to her house, her small voice
singing the words to herself, but this time she hears them come back
to her as someone responds.
Author Kate DiCamillo is well known for her stories of children not
usually seen in children's books. Because of Winn-Dixie is a
superb story of one girl's school year as she is forced to go to an
integrated school after a law change. Raymie
Nightingale looks at a child for whom winning a
competition is the epitome. In these books, favourites of mine, I
can see hints of the child in La la la: all children are
hesitant, unsure of what to make of their situation, trying to find
a friend in a world that seems hostile.
In La la la, the world eventually becomes less hostile, and
she finds a friend.
Children will love filling in the story, adding words to this almost
wordless picture book, as they see the child striving to take charge
of her situation. Many will recognise themselves in this story, the
hesitation at meeting new people, the loneliness of not making an
effort to go outside, striving to be part of someone else's life, of
finding a friend. Kim's illustrations reflect her feelings of being
alone as a child, being hesitant and timid. The pictured girl is a
small figure on a large white page, emphasising her aloneness for
most of the story. A story of hope.
Fran Knight
I want to be in a scary story by Sean Taylor
Ill. by Jean Jullien. Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781406363463
(Age: 3-7) Recommended. Little Monster wants to be in a scary story.
He asks the author to help him but as the story is constructed from
Little Monster's requests, he gets too scared and wants changes to
the plot.
Eventually the monster wants a funny story but the author has his
own fun by putting in a few surprises. In the end, the big
revelation for the reader is made by Little Monster himself.
This is an entertaining book and younger children love the stories
that seem to be written in front of them. Press
here by Herve Tullet and The
book with no pictures by B J Novak both have that
interactive feel and are hugely popular in my school library.
I think children will relate to monster's fear of being scared and
laugh at the tricks that are played on both the monster and the
narrator or reader.
The pictures are bold and brightly coloured and the font is coloured
purple when the (purple) monster speaks, making it easier for
children to understand who is talking. The monster is cute and looks
young and his facial expressions in the illustrations make it clear
when he is scared or anxious about what is coming up next.
I enjoyed this humorous picture book and I am sure younger children
will be delighted with it too.
I recommend this book for 3 to 7 year olds.
Jane Moore
Baabwaa and Wooliam by David Elliot
Ill. by Melissa Sweet. Candlewick Press, 2017. ISBN 9780763660741
(Age: Junior primary) Highly recommended. As you can guess by their
clever names, this is a book about sheep. Baabwaa loves to knit and
Wooliam loves to read. "It sounds boring but they like it".
They decide to have an adventure and while walking about the field,
come across a wolf in disguise. At first the wolf chases them, while
the sheep make a dash for safety deciding that being adventurous is
not as wonderful as they first thought.
The wolf stops his pursuit as he is distracted by Wooliam's comment
"It's that Wolf in sheep's clothing I've read about". The sheep show
him the book but discover that he cannot read. They begin reading
instruction for the wolf who still sporadically chases them, which
they decide is good for their fitness and health.
This is a delightfully comical picture book as David Elliot makes
humorous comments throughout the story, that children will love. I
love the forgiving nature of the sheep and that they put up with the
wolf chasing them as he is "just following his nature".
I enjoyed the end of the story where the wolf is engrossed in a
book, wearing knitted garments made by Baabwaa.
The illustrations by Melissa Sweet are perfect for the story and the
strands of wool on the endpapers are a great touch.
I highly recommend this picture book for junior primary aged
children.
Jane Moore
What makes me a me? by Ben Faulks and David Tazzyman
Bloomsbury, 2017 ISBN 9781408867259
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Self perception. What makes me a a me? is the
question posed on the front cover and all through the book as the
boy with the beanie and glasses on the front ponders an age old
question. The funny rhyming stanzas will have readers laugh out loud
as they recognise the question they all ask, and are offered varying
things that he is not. He may go as slow as a snail at times,
invoking mum's wrath but he is not a slimy snail with eyes on
stalks. He may sometimes be like his pup, but certainly not when he
eats bones and of course he has no tail. Each page is resplendent in
rhyming stanzas asking readers to predict the rhyming word and join
in the fun of reading the pages out loud. Sometimes he is like a
sports car, loud and lightning fast, sometimes a super guy, brave
and bold, or a tree with branches that stick out like his arms, or a
volcano when he blows his stack. But whatever he is like, he is
simply himself, and he may be like a lot of other things, but still
only a person that makes up me.
The funny illustrations will grab the readers' attention as they
scan the pages looking at the different things the boy is like: a
snail, a sports car, a tree, a super hero, a dog, a dinosaur, the
boy next door, a volcano, and a computer. He looks at his parents
wondering if he is like them, inviting readers to also compare
themselves with their parents and siblings.
Children will get a kick out of the thought provoking look at what
makes them the way they are.
Fran Knight
Forest dark by Nicole Krauss
Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408871799
(Age: Adult) Have you ever felt there is another one of you,
unknown, living somewhere in the world, or thought that the life you
are living you have lived before, or lived simultaneously with some
other existence? Could there be a multiverse, another form of the
universe? The two separate protagonists in Forest dark are
each contemplating their own existence - Epstein has recently lost
his parents and his life has changed from driven achievement to
gradually dispossessing himself of all the valuables he has
acquired. He wants to create a memorial that stays as a reminder of
his parents, and also contribute something enduring for the country
of Israel - after all, he may be a descendant of David, or so the
rabbi Klausner tries to convince him. And at the same time, a
novelist from Brooklyn, leaves her family, and returns to the
holiday hotel of her childhood - the Brutalist construction of the
Tel Aviv Hilton, intrigued by the mystery of the man who threw
himself to his death from the 15th floor. She encounters Friedman,
literary professor, possible Mossad agent, with a strange story of
another life lived by the novelist Kafka, in Palestine, after his
assumed death.
Each of them, the lawyer Epstein, and the novelist, enter a realm of
dream-like detachment and contemplation, trying to gain perspective
on their own lives, and understand what their newly discovered
guides are telling them. Each tries to fit stories from their past
with their new discovery of the present. They ponder 'the forest
dark' having wandered from the straightforward pathway, into a new
understanding of the present.
Krauss's novel is a perplexing but thoughtful novel, and invites
more than one reading.
Helen Eddy
The story of Tutankhamun by Patricia Cleveland-Peck
Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408876787
(Age 8+) The discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun is one of the most
celebrated events in the history of archaeology. It has intrigued
Egyptologists and enthusiasts alike since 1922, when Howard Carter
unearthed the young pharaoh's burial chamber and revealed its
extraordinary treasures.
Patricia Cleveland-Peck has told the story of that discovery in
three parts. Firstly, she has explained the family, beliefs, life
and death of Tutankhamun. Secondly, she has focused on the moment
when Carter entered the tomb, then described how the artefacts were
documented before their relocation to Cairo. The author has also
demystified the so-called curse. In the final section, Patricia
Cleveland-Peck has explained how technologies unknown to Carter have
thrown new light on the cause of the pharaoh's death, but failed to
solve all the mysteries which surround him. Instead of reproducing
photographs, Isabel Greenberg has illustrated the entire book with
stylised drawings. The inclusion of speech bubbles and the
occasional use of a handwriting font enable readers to experience
the text as a combination of graphic nonfiction and conventional,
information book. The narrative is readable but, in places, lacks
fluency. Younger readers may find the font small but will delight in
the colourful illustrations on every page. Although the book can be
used as a source of information, it lacks an index and a reference
list. The picture book format suggests that this is a book to be
shared and enjoyed.
The story of Tutankhamun will attract readers who are fascinated by
Ancient Egypt and its youngest pharaoh. It will also provide
insights into the quest by archaeologists to find evidence that
helps to explain the lives of those who lived in the past.
Elizabeth Bor
Sour heart by Jenny Zhang
ISBN: 9781408892404.
(Age: Adult) This story consists of interweaving chapters about
Chinese refugees and migrants struggling to make a new life in the
U.S. It begins with a chapter about 'Sour girl' and the places her
parents are forced to live - including a shared room with five
mattresses on the floor with various other families on the other
mattresses, and a blocked toilet that they use chopsticks to force
the contents down the pipe. They are at the mercy of unscrupulous
landlords and street gangs that steal their possessions. Life is so
hard that eventually Sour girl's parents have to send her back to
Shanghai to live with her grandmother until they can afford to care
for her again. Family members are frequently separated, with people
sent to different places around the world. And that breaking,
reconnecting and breaking up of relationships again and again takes
its toll on them all. Parents sacrifice and suffer, and children
harden their hearts. This is set within the historical context of
the Cultural Revolution in China where people were turned against
each other. Some of the childhood cruelty and heartlessness of that
time becomes hard to read at times.
The language of the book captures the continuous thought processes
of children, often telling the story in one long rambling sentence
as another thought adds another clause, twisting on and on;
sentences can be a page long. We are drawn into the experience of
each narrator, seeing things from each perspective, gradually
working out how people connect together.
The families endure the hardships and do survive, and people manage
to make a new life; thanks to their own determination and
perseverance - qualities we read about again and again in refugee
and migrant stories. The values of caring for family, working hard,
and protecting memories, continue to hold strong despite the
hardships and challenges.
Helen Eddy
Big box little box by Caryl Hart and Edward Underwood
Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408872772
'Big box, little box...
My box, YOUR box!'
Cat loves boxes - all sorts of boxes - big, small, fat, thin, huge
tiny... and in this romp in rhyme so many boxes are explored. But it
is not just a collection of rhyming words or opposites, there is a
story told in the clever choice of words and their accompanying
pictures that early readers will be able to tell for themselves,
delighting in their ability to read.
This is a great story to share with little ones because there is so
much to share and talk about. If a fat cat sits on a little box,
what will be the outcome? And if a box has a corner nibbled out of
it, what might be inside?
And given the obvious answer, is this story about to end badly? Two
word phrases, rhyme, bold pictures, humour, predictability that
engages the reader - a perfect combination to take our youngest
readers further into their love with reading.
Barbara Braxton
