Robert Munsch (text) and Michael Martchenko (illustrator), The Paper Bag Princess (40th Anniversary Edition), Scholastic Books Australia, December 2020, 32 pp., RRP $17.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781760974602 Canadian author (formerly American) Robert Munsch has been writing for over forty years and is well known for his stories and poems. This is the handsome 40th anniversary edition of a book that became an instant classic. Princess Elizabeth rescues her fiancé, Prince Ronald from a dragon through her bravery and cleverness while wearing only a paper bag as the dragon has devastated the countryside and burned her clothes. Prince Ronald instead of being…
Author: Admin
Abi Elphinstone, Jungledrop (The Unmapped Chronicles, #3), Simon & Schuster, October 2020, 288 pp., RRP $14.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781471173684 Fox and Fibber are twins, but their parents make it ever clear that they are first and foremost rivals. Only one of them will inherit the family fortune and love of their parents. But when they are suddenly whisked away to Jungledrop, an Unmapped Kingdom in charge of our world’s weather, they must learn to work together if they hope to track down the long-lost Forever Fern. But they aren’t the only ones after this powerful plant. Morg, an evil harpy,…
Congratulations to the following authors, illustrators and publishers on being recognised on this year’s lists. Shortlists will be announced on March 30. Check local branch websites and social media for events discussing these lists, and join us to celebrate the diversity of books written for children and young adults. Links on titles are to reviews on Reading Time. At the National CBCA website, there are links to PDFs of all books and categories. Book of the Year: Older Readers Entries in this category may be fiction, drama or poetry and should be appropriate in style and content for readers in…
Craig Smith (text) and Katz Cowley (illustrator), The Grinny Granny Donkey, Scholastic Australia, January 2020, 32 pp., RRP $17.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781775435976 ‘There was a sweet donkey who lived on the heath. She was so funny with her false teeth…’ Craig Smith, Katz Cowley and their loveable donkey characters are back in the third comical picture book featuring the world-famous Wonky Donkey family. This time in The Grinny Granny Donkey, we meet Granny Donkey; a fuzzy, sweet false-toothed and perpetually sleepy grandmother donkey. The cumulative tale unfolds quickly and rhythmically as readers who are familiar with the Wonky Donkey family…
Shirley Purdie, Shirley Purdie: My Story: Ngaginybe Jarragbe, Magabala Books, October 2020, 32 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781925936131 Shirley Purdie is a senior Gija artist, and this book, My Story, is her life story, her autobiography in essence. Aimed at a young audience, this picture book is in English and Gija, and is accompanied by Shirley’s traditional Warmun art. This book is part of the Kimberly Art Centre Series that is dedicated to telling local stories and highlighting the art of Aboriginal artists. This is a story filled with stories of Dreamtime, of Shirley’s culture and her life. She…
Philip Bunting, Give me some space!, Omnibus Books, December 2020, 24 pp., RRP $19.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781760972356 Did you know that Philip Bunting’s Give me some space! has been announced as the official story chosen for ALIA’s National Simultaneous Storytime in 2021, to be celebrated across Australia and New Zealand on Wednesday 19 May 2021 at 11:00am? The Australian Library and Information Association, along with Scholastic Australia, the Australian Space Agency and the Office of the Chief Scientist, has arranged for the book to be read by the astronauts from the International Space Station. It is a story about Una,…
Rosalyn Albert (text) and Natalia Moore (illustrator), Let’s Go! On a Digger, Catch a Star, December 2020, 16pp., RRP $12.99 (boardbook), ISBN 9781921928710 Rosalyn Albert (text) and Natalia Moore (illustrator), Let’s Go! On a Plane, Catch a Star, December 2020, 16pp., RRP $12.99 (boardbook), ISBN 9781921928802 Catch A Star is a new imprint from New Frontier Publishing, specifically for books for babies, toddlers and early learners. These two titles are part of a board book series about transport. They are both written in rhyme, with two lines per page and show a varied range of characters. For example, the pilot…
Carly Taylor (text) and Vaughan Duck (illustrator), Big Beach BBQ, Larrikan House, October 2020, 36pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9780648804949 This fun Aussie picture book has a joyously irreverent tone that children will love. The rhyming text pulls the reader through a fast-paced beach barbeque, featuring a gang of Australian animal friends dressed for summer, and pictured with every possible piece of equipment you could hope to need at such a festivity. “G’day mates! Let’s grab some plates. It’s time to start the party.” There follow tongs and thongs, esky and pesky, strums and drums, as the party moves on.…
Penny Harris (text) and Winnie Zhou (illustrator), Movie Mayhem – A Story About Saying Sorry, Big Sky Publishing Australia. September 2020, 32 pp., RRP $16.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781922265777 Tao Tiger likes peace and quiet so, as he is settling into a relaxing movie night at home, he is less than impressed with the unexpected arrival of his noisy friends. Unfortunately, Tao does not know how to express his irritation to his friends and subsequently, it is Tao’s caring friend Ginny Giraffe who will be hurt by Tao’s angry response. Movie Mayhem is part of an award-winning series promoting emotional development…
Michelle Worthington (text) and Veronica Montoya (illustrator), Dino Love, New Frontier Publishing, December 2020, 32 pp., RRP $16.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781922326119 Here is a picture book where the text is not a literal telling of the actions that are taking place in the illustrations. The text describes what love is – goodbye hugs, saying I’ll miss you, being brave. Love isn’t about outward appearances but how you feel inside. The illustrations show a small child (an anthropomorphised dinosaur) being dropped at school by their mother and younger sibling. What follows is a typical day – schoolwork, eating lunch, playing, being…