Who has the biggest mouth? by Judy Cannon and Verena Heirich
Little Steps, 2023. ISBN: 9781922678096.
On a trip to the zoo with Grandma and Grandpa the children are looking for the creature with the biggest mouth. While they discover lots of interesting and unique information about a number of individual species, do they find the one with the biggest mouth?
Young readers will have fun predicting who they think is the winning candidate as they share this book and they may be surprised by their discoveries. If the reserve list for the latest Guinness Book of Records is any indication, little ones are fascinated by these sorts of extremes and so this could be the start of an individual or group display of investigating who, in the animal kingdom, has the biggest, longest, heaviest, smallest whatever encouraging young naturalists to delve deeply into the 500s collection to read and interpret with purpose while learning about measurement, comparison and adaptation.
Long ago, the men hunted kangaroo while the women ground the seeds from the grasses where the nymphs lived, and nearby the ibis worked the swamps. Things were balanced, not too many people, nor grasshoppers or ibis to eat them. But two hundred years ago, settlers came, cutting down the trees, clearing the swamps, planting vast crops. And so it was that the grasshopper numbers increased, the ibis had moved, and those vast farmlands were eaten away, even the green hoses and washing on the line were food for theses plagues of locusts. Poison was sprayed from above, the locusts killed, but enough lay low for the next season. In the meantime, the land was poisoned, the animals and birds died.
The locusts can hear those from the past laughing at the attempts to kill them, and sometimes they hear sobbing. Those gone can see what an impact the poisons have had on the land and cry.
A hymn for the country, for people to think about how we use the land and the ramifications of our attempts to impose ourselves on the land, the story is one we see repeated over and over again, in the abuse of the rainforests, of the sea, of the rivers, each a black mark against human intervention. French wears her heart on her sleeve as she cries out for the land and its animals and birds, looking at the devastation from the grasshopper’s perspective.
Coupled with Wheatley’s magnificent watercolours, each page is an image that will live with the reader long after the book is closed.
I loved the grasses on the endpapers, and the study of the hands holding the dead hoppers, and the image of the little plane about to cause so much destruction, the wonderful detail of city life, complete with the raiding ibis … each page has a story in itself, giving many layers to French’s powerfully sparse words, which plead with us to listen to the land.
The destruction caused by colonisation meant not only were we giving plentiful food to allow the hoppers to breed, the draining of the swamps meant the ibis had to look for somewhere new to live, causing the plague of bin chickens seen in towns and cities around Australia.
A beautiful book to present to younger readers to encourage thinking about the land they live on.
See Jackie French reading the book and talking about the reasons behind the book here.
Themes Environment, Grasshoppers, Colonisation, Ibis, Australian history.
Fran Knight
When the world was soft: Yindjibarndi creation stories by Juluwarlu Group Aboriginal Corporation
This impressive book by Juluwarlu Group Aboriginal Corporation tells the Creation stories of the Yindjibarndi people. In the Wanthiwa (Greetings) Lorraine Coppin CEO Juluwarlu Group Aboriginal Corporation talks about storytelling and the way it influenced and guided past generations and still does today. These are stories from the Pilbara, ready to be shared with the Yindjibarndi people and respectfully heard by others all over the world.
The striking cover, in its tones of black, white, grey and blues depicts the Wirrangga (River Red Gum) whose name in the story of Bunggaliyarra (Fallen) is Mandirrinha (Tree of the Moon), will immediately draw the reader’s eye. Inside the book are glorious photographs of important Country connected to the stories as well as stunning traditional paintings by members of the Juluwarlu Art Group. The contents page clearly sets out the stories beginning with Ngurra Nyujunggamu (Creation) ‘where the world was as soft as clay and the sky very low. The Creator, Minkala sang the songs and from which all life and Ngurra evolved’. This story is followed by a number of significant and sacred stories about animals and people ending with the Barrimirindi (Water Serpent) story.
In the final pages there is further valuable information about the Juluwarlu Group Aboriginal Corporation followed by detailed information about the paintings and the artists as well as the illustrator Alex Mankiewicz. There is a dual language glossary and index included as well as a QR code to hear the story and source educational materials.
The unique and dramatic presentation of these wonderful stories in a graphic novel-style illustrative format will appeal to and create a wider audience. These stories have so much depth and meaning and to have them visually enhanced allows greater understanding for all readers.
Allen & Unwin, 2024. ISBN: 9781761069505. (Age:4+) Highly recommended.
A stunning look at a tree, from its roots to the upper branches, its bark and leaves, the animals that live on and in it and depend upon it for their survival.
The opening pages are stunning, welcoming the reader to peer through the mists of the morning to spy the tree, older than us, younger than the earth it springs from. As each page is turned new information is given about the tree: the tree breathes in the air we breathe out, its roots share food, birds, like a lyrebird, thrush, wren etc scratch the litter beneath for their meal, lizards and echidnas use its undergrowth for their survival. Rain feeds the trees, pools attracting birds and animals: the treecreeper, rosellas and possums all call it home, and at night possums come out from their hollow, a glider surveys the night sky, while down on the ground, a wombat tears at the grass, wallabies thump by, a bush rat digs and a boo-boo owl swoops.
Water is taken up by the tree so it grows, but quietly the night is over. Eventually the tree will die and fall over, its form giving shelter again to small animals, insects and birds as the cycle begins anew.
The most beautiful of illustrations adorn each page, using a multiplicity of techniques, including water colour and pencil, to give the reader an intimate knowledge of the image presented in the text. The eye-catching cover will draw in the readers, then opening they will find wonderful endpapers, enough to encourage the readers to go out and collect leaves to try and draw them themselves. The mist on the first double page covers most of the mountain and eager eyes will try and find the one tree, the mountain ash, that the book is about. Pages following show different aspects of the tree, an underground look at its roots and the activity there, a close look at the leaf litter at the base of the tree, visions of the sky as a range of birds fly overhead, and stunning images of the forest at night. Readers will love checking out the detail, finding the animals mentioned in the text, seeking out other animals, while a fold out page at the end of the book has a poster sized image of the tree sure to be wondered at. A vision to behold, this book impels kids to get outside and look at those in their neighbourhood with a clearer understanding of how indebted we are to these magnificent trees.
Extreme Planet: Journey to the Earth's core by Emily Bone. Illus. by Rodrigo Cordeiro
Usborne, 2023. ISBN: 9781474998710. (Age:6+)
From crust to core, dig down and uncover the amazing things deep inside the Earth.
This book takes you on a fascinating journey deep inside the Earth. From the rocky, moving plates that make up the surface, to the core hotter than the Sun, lift the flaps to discover what explodes out of volcanoes, how nearly everything we use each day comes from under the ground, how digging down can take you back in time, and even where the water we drink comes from.
Using a lift-the=flap format and a first-person narrative , this is an intriguing book for both the young reader who just wants to know what's underneath their feet as well as the one who wants some new avenues to explore. Used in conjunction with the Usborne Quicklinks which accompany it, readers can develop a sound awareness of the structure of the planet, and its changing landscapes and land shapes. More mature readers might like to venture onto the Jules Verne classic Journey to the Centre of the Earth while others might like to explore the companion volumes, The Deep or the upcoming Journey Across the Arctic.
Whichever direction they choose, this book has the potential to open up new horizons.
Those Girls, written by well-known author Pamela Rushby, is Australian historical fiction giving an engaging account of the role the Australian Women’s Land Army (AWLA) played during World War Two. Land Army girls often dealt with prejudice, petty jealousies from local communities, unwanted advances from males, some dire living conditions yet quietly set about making an invaluable contribution to Australia’s war effort on the home front.
Set in Queensland between 1942 to 1945, this entertaining story is about young sixteen-year-old Hilly who has just finished school and longs to do her part for the war effort. Her brother Graham is missing-in-action in Singapore and her fractured relationship with her parents is a source of constant bewilderment for Hilly.
Hilly is accepted in to the AWLA and with her close friend Liz is sent to the Lockyer Valley to harvest potatoes. There they meet other land girls and while it does not work out for Liz, Hilly forms a strong bond with Aileen and Glad. The three travel together to farms across Queensland where they experience tough conditions, some difficult farmers, backbreaking work but always manage to find a sense of purpose and fulfilment in their role. The three girls also deal with personal and family issues and support each other with humour and wisdom. When Hilly decides to head off on her own to a farm to assist with shearing, she is surprised at how strong, tough and resilient she has become.
Throughout the book, it is heartening to see how Hilly matures and grows into her own person. With an American fiancé pressing her to join him at his family farm in the USA, indifferent parents with a long-held secret and an uncertain future, it is reaffirming to see Hilly choose her own path.
In the final pages of the novel Pamela Rushby gives further valuable information about the AWLA and the struggles they had for recognition. Those Girls is fascinating read that is important for learning about the AWLA and looking at the changing roles of women in Australia during and after World War Two. An excellent resource for Australian Curriculum Year 10 History – World War Two studies.
Themes World War Two, Historical Fiction, Women’s Land Army, Social Expectations, Friendships, Loyalty, Romance, Adventure.
Kathryn Beilby
The Ultimate Book of Reptiles by Ruchira Somaweera
National Geographic Kids, 2023. ISBN: 9781426373732. (Age:8+)
Snakes, tortoises, chameleons, crocodiles, lizards, even dinosaurs - reptiles are found all over this planet and have been for about 300 million years when insects (including centipedes as large as alligators) ruled and a new predator Hylonomous evolved to eat them.
And regardless of how scary they might look, how creepy they might feel and how dangerous to humans they might be, there is a certain section of the population that is fascinated by them. Thus this book with its full colour photographs, accessible text and attractive layout is going to appeal to them as well as any others who have an interest in finding out more.
Arranged in sections such as deadly hunters, amazing adaptations and super creatures (featuring the extremes of each type) their stories are told by a leading herpetologist and includes suggestions on ways we can help these creatures survive the threats of habitat destruction, climate change, being a food source and even being smuggled to be someone's exotic pet. Even though we might not become one of the conservation heroes featured, nevertheless the school playground and the backyard garden can become a haven for lizards and other little creatures. Skinks, geckos and blue tongue lizards (if not the unique tuatara of New Zealand) will thank you.
On a clear day, when the sea and the horizon stretch endlessly around, the flock of puffins takes flight from their rocky island home - except for one, who is a little tentative and anxious. But, when he has the courage to follow his mates, the fog rolls in and things become murkier and murkier until it is so thick, he stumbles and can't find his way forward. Perhaps it would be safer to stay just where he is, but when a walrus looms in front of him, he realises that that can be dangerous. And so, he summons his brave that let him leave his home in the first place, and goes forward learning that "the closer you get, the more you see. And the more you see, the clearer the path becomes." And eventually, the fog lifts and the world and the horizons spread in front of you again.
On the surface this is a story about a little puffin separated from his flock, lost, afraid and bewildered until he finds them again, but it has been deliberately written as an allegory for helping young ones navigate uncertainty, open their minds and finding their way back to a place of safety and certainty. It helps them understand that, at times, we all face feeling lost and unsure, having to make decisions and having faith that what we decide will lead us to clarity.
While there are lots of stories that celebrate being happy and positive, and others that deal with anger and sadness, there are few that confront confusion and uneasiness in such a way that makes it easy to start conversations and explore those emotions so that the child not only understands that there can be a pathway through without becoming too anxious, but others feel the same way at times.
An exceptional addition to your mindfulness collection for little ones, while useful for teaching older students about allegories and learning to read between and beyond the lines to what the author is really saying - an essential skill in being a critical reader.
Despite the wild weather that has plagued Australia's east coast recently, many will have enjoyed a beachside holiday and some will have wondered about what actually lives in that deeper water out beyond the breaking waves.
So they will enjoy this exploration and explanation told in a mixture of regular text and cartoon illustrations as Brownbeard the pirate, his first mate Alan the parrot and a knowledgeable scientist take them on a journey that spans the development of the discovery of the deep from those who first dived to find food to the development of modern sonar and submersibles, the things they found and saw and the legends that they sparked. There is an introduction to some of those mysterious creatures that can survive the incredible pressure of being kilometres below the surface, as well as the cold and the permanent darkness. But as well as the humour there is also a serious side as it is revealed that on a recent trip to the Challenger Deep, the deepest known part of the ocean on the planet, a plastic bag was discovered floating in the depths and the darkness, raising awareness that despite its size and still being relatively unexplored, the ocean is in danger.
This is a unique way of piquing the interest of curious readers, all of which is factually accurate, and sparking a desire to learn more through more conventional presentations.
Barbara Braxton
My dream for you by Ash Barty with Jasmin McGaughey and Jade Goodwin
Gentle verses tell the story of the love between a mother and her baby, as the author tells of the sorts of things the mother wishes for the baby and its future. These dreams begin before the child is born, as the expectant mother sits and ponders. She dreams of the child in her arms walking through the trees, listening to birds singing while she shares her stories. She dreams of hugs and kisses, teaching the baby to take every shot, as she may climb mountains, swim oceans and see the world. They will meet new people, cook together, make art together. The baby will be encouraged to be whatever it wants to be, the mother’s dream is that it finds its own way, flying freely to make its own decisions about life, based on the love and support it gets from home. And home and the heart will be where it always resides.
This is a loving book to share, encompassing all the hopes a mother has for her new baby.
Soft, gentle illustration complete this lovely picture book, adding to the image of a loving family, already shown in the text.
Younger readers will be encouraged to predict the rhyming words and learn a stanza or two to share.
Seven days is all it takes for grieving Noori and run-away Aamir to realise that despite false starts and misunderstandings, they have enough in common to make a lasting relationship.
In modern day Bristol, 16-year-old Noori is grieving the death of her best friend and cousin Munazzah. She is preparing to spend a year in Lahore, where Munazzah died, in an attempt to deal with her loss. Not far away, 17 year-old Aamir has fled Cardiff after a fight with his traditional Punjabi father and is hoping that he can stay with his older brother while he sorts out his priorities and responsibilities.
Both are struggling to develop their own identity; Noori with progressive professional British/Pakistani parents and Aamir living in the shadow of his brother’s success and his beloved mother’s death.
The dual narrative encompasses seven days of Noori and Aamir getting to know each other, with each day a new section, and chapters alternating between both their points of view.
Over the seven days Noori resorts to various amusing ruses to overcome her best friend’s and family’s objections to her seeing Aamir again. They reflect on their feelings of sadness, and bond over their common experiences of death of a loved relative and being the subject of pernicious lies. As their feelings develop, they talk philosophically about running away from trouble, and seeking solace in poetry.
Growing up as a ‘third-culture’ child herself, Rebeka Shaid has written a heart-warming story of young people navigating through grief, cultural identity and parental expectations.
At a level appropriate in a YA novel there are interesting references to the Sufi poet Rumi, the fallout from the Indian Partition, and reactions of others to a young woman wearing a traditional headscarf.
This is a highly recommended story of finding yourself with the help of friends and family, with the added dimension of a cross-cultural context.
The devout Jewish Rosenthal family implodes following the death of Yosef, a Holocaust survivor. Each of the three Rosenthal children, Gideon, Elsie and Tovyah, has a last moment with their grandfather; and the impact on each of their lives is profound. Gideon becomes cynical and detached, Tovyah confronts the horror of human beings judging each other, and Elsie, the highly intelligent girl who learned at Yosef’s elbow and eavesdropped his conversation on the stairs, is overcome by the sense that her grandfather’s spirit is not at rest because his family do not honour his wish to be cremated, rather than have the traditional burial.
Yosef declares that he did not survive the Holocaust, he got out. It is later in the book that we discover the reason he is haunted by the ghost of a little boy, Ariel, and the terrible secret that lies behind his desire for his body to be destroyed by flames. The young Elsie takes on his burden, and her obsession with dark stories leads her family to believe her to be mentally disturbed. The family trauma is compounded by formidable family matriarch, Hannah’s drive to expose their life stories in print, first the life of Yosef, and then that of her daughter Elsie. The fallout for Elsie of having her famous journalist mother publish her story is horrendous.
It is a complex story of a dysfunctional family mainly told by narrator Kate, a student friend of Tovyah, and it interweaves themes of religion, politics, spiritualism, and mental health. There is a lot that the reader could go back to reread, and plenty to generate a book group discussion. Its appeal would be for the more mature reader interested in family dynamics and questions of religion and spiritual beliefs. It makes for an impressive debut novel.
Themes Holocaust, Jewish religion, Tanakh, Family dysfunction, Mental health, Trauma.
Helen Eddy
Science Factopia! by Rose Davidson. Illus. by Andy Smith
Britannica Books, 2024. ISBN: 9781804660256. (Age:7+) Highly recommended.
Science FACTtopia! is the sixth book in the FACTopia! series. This latest book follows the same format of the earlier books and this time allows the reader to follow the trail of 400 explosive STEM-tastic facts. These facts are all linked in some way and once again this latest handy-sized hardcover book is full of surprising and engaging information.
Filled with full colour striking graphic images, illustrations and photographs, the book begins with a contents page explaining how to use the connecting dots to each new and engaging topic. The first image presented in Science FACTtopia! is that of a young girl, Mary Anning, chipping away at the first ever discovery of a marine fossil, the Ichthyosaurus. This leads onto other discoveries including the interesting fact that palaeontologists will lick a rock if they are unsure if it is a fossil or rock. If their tongue sticks to it, it is a fossil.
Throughout the book, readers are encouraged to move away from the broken lines to turn to page numbers about other interconnected and related topics. At the end is a Sound Like a Scientist Quiz, a detailed index, plus information about the FACTtopians, as well as a sources page and picture credits.
This highly engaging series is a treasure trove of information that will excite readers of all ages. A wonderful factual book for home, school or public libraries.
Rhianna King’s debut novel opens with Beth’s voice telling how she always felt the odd one out in her family – but this is not the familiar trope of the artistic one stifled by a conservative family – but the complete opposite: Beth is the sane and sensible one in a family that is bohemian and unrestrained. She is the one that works hard and saves, whilst her sister Jarrah just trusts to her lucky stars. Beth’s feelings of frustration and resentment are so well described, they are sure to resonate with many readers.
Beth’s soulmate is her grandmother Elise, sharing a love of nature and environmental conservation. So when Beth does something uncharacteristic for her and buys a Lotto ticket, and actually wins a large sum of money, she wants to do something special for her grandmother. That becomes the challenge of tracing the whereabouts of Elise’s lost first love, from before her marriage to Beth’s grandfather. However that first relationship was complicated, and not acceptable in society at the time.
King’s novel lays bare old attitudes towards homosexuality, juxtaposing the secrecy and taboo nature of Elise and Gerry’s relationship in the past with the current day where Beth shares an office with Alannah, clearly of non-specified gender. It’s an interesting story that exposes past prejudices towards same-sex couples, perhaps providing a historical perspective that modern day LGQBTI+ readers might be hazy about.
Beth’s journey with her grandmother leads to a relaxing of her own attitudes to romance and fate, and helps her gain a better understanding and acceptance of her family. There may even be a romantic possibility for her as she spends more time with Gerry’s nephew Nick.
Both romantic threads are underwritten by themes of environmental conservation and female pioneers in nature science, with many references to the work of ornithological illustrator Elizabeth Gould, whose husband John produced ‘The Birds of Australia’. So while ‘Birds of a feather’ may be regarded as a feel-good story of love rediscovered, there are historical details that enrich the themes of female empowerment, trust and acceptance. That, combined with the gentle humour that pervades the novel, makes for a thoroughly enjoyable read.
Themes LGBQTI+, Romance, Acceptance, Women scientists, Humour.
Snowballs, written and illustrated by Matt Stanton is the thirteenth book in the Funny Kid series, and delivers a snowstorm of laughter and heart in this hilarious adventure. Readers will not be disappointed, as they are taken on a wild escapade in the snow-capped mountains, blending humour with valuable life lessons.
The story follows Max, aka the Funny Kid, on a winter getaway with his family and friends. He is fixated with finding happiness, which he believes is achieved through having money, and then when he falls madly in love with Kirby, a ski lift operator who is four years older than him, further chaos ensues.
Max is supposed to be looking after his friend Hugo, but when Hugo embarks on his own quest for happiness, their friendship pathways divide. Max is left fixating over money and pursuing his ‘true love’. Without Duck and Hugo to talk to, Max is left being assisted with the unlikely help of Abby. Will Max discover the true meaning of happiness and rectify his friendship, or will everything snowball out of control?
Snowballs is filled with awesome black and white cartoon illustrations; each perfectly complementing the story's zany tone. These illustrations add depth to the audience’s engagement level and enhance the comedic elements to immerse readers in Max's wacky world.
The presentation of the novel, with clear font and extra wide line spacing enables an easy read and should appeal to everyone, even those reluctant readers. This is a highly engaging, well planned layout and will hit the mark for anyone who loves lots of laugh out loud moments and a fast-paced storyline. Stanton strikes the perfect balance between humour and heart, creating a story that is as touching as it is hilarious.
Funny Kid is an awesome series that is filled with entertainment and regular side-splitting moments. Snowballs will have everyone laughing and enjoying another one of the Funny Kid's escapades!
