Jan Ormerod, Sunshine (40th Anniversary edition), HarperCollins Children’s Publishers, February 2022, 32 pp., RRP $19.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781460761588 Jan Ormerod, Moonlight (40th Anniversary edition), HarperCollins Children’s Publishers, February 2022, 32 pp., RRP $19.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781460761601 I am a child of 1980s Australia, so it’s slightly unbelievable that Jan Ormerod’s precious picture books, Sunshine and Moonlight, have never been put into my hands before now (though my memory is not razor-sharp). Especially considering that Sunshine was the winner for the CBCA Picture Book of the Year 1982, and Moonlight was also shortlisted. They have been re-released as 40th-anniversary editions with forwards by…
Author: Admin
Candy James, Look What We Can Do!, HarperCollins Children’s Books, February 2022, 80 pp., RRP $16.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781460760826 With its bold, solid colours, thick black line borders and comic strip panels, this illustrated story is a delight for early readers. Created by husband-and-wife team, Candy and James, the Archie and Reddie series was inspired by two fox plushies they made for their daughter to help her overcome challenges and gain confidence. This is the third book in the series, where our two loveable friends try to come up with a winning piece for a talent show. They jumble all…
Riz Reyes (text) and Sara Boccaccini Meadows (illustrator), Grow, Walker Books, March 2022, 64 pp., RRP $42.95 (hbk), ISBN 9781419756658 We often think of superheroes as humans with extraordinary abilities and powers, but can we say the same about plants and flowers? Often we overlook just how remarkable and resilient they can be: doing things we never could and saving our lives by simply just existing on this earth. Grow is a fascinating and enlightening introduction to the science – and art – of tending a garden and giving life to a variety of different plants, from fruits, vegetables, and…
Caz Godwin (text) and Shaney Hyde (illustrator), Little Matilda, Marshall Cavendish, March 2022, 32 pp., RRP $22.25 (hbk), ISBN 9789814974639 Little Matilda is a picture book story about a lonely little cat whose several approaches to potential playmates are shunned. Just when Matilda is about to give up hope of finding a friend, she wakes with a new idea. Will it work? The story is told in rhyming couplets with a lovely bouncy rhythm. For the most part, the rhyming words are well chosen for the story meaning but at times words seem added only to make the rhyme. Each…
Anna McGregor, A Pair of Pears and an Orange, Scribble, June 2021, 32 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781922310750 A little while ago a friend was talking to me about some challenges her daughter was having with two friends. She was remarking that she didn’t think that in grade 4 she would have to be dealing with friendship issues that would be causing tears. This wise mum pointed out to me that when you have a group of three, someone is always on the outs, and it can be difficult for those in the midst of a friendship triangle to…
Andy Sagar, Yesterday Crumb and the Storm in a Teacup, Hachette, February 2022, 384 pp., RRP $16.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781510109483 This is a great fantasy novel, combining unexpected magic, interesting characters, and twists and turns in the narrative. Yesterday Crumb is a fox-eared strangeling who has spent most of her life in a cage at a circus until rescued by Madrigal, the white-feathered raven. And there begins her transformation into a proficient tea-brewing witch. Some of my favourite things are Miss Dumpling’s wonderful sayings; Dwimmerly End as a construct; a mobile teashop perched on flamingo legs; Jack as a creative…
Jane Godwin (text) and Gabriel Evans (illustrator), Little One, Affirm Press, July 2021, 32 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781922400826 Jane Godwin is so prolific that one might think she has told all her stories by now. But still, she comes up with heart-warming and gut-wrenching tales for children. Little One is a story many children will relate to, but especially the quiet, sensitive, tender-hearted souls who imagine and feel. Little One is Pippi’s most treasured toy. Other children have blankets or teddies, but Little One is a worn-out, falling apart doll in a blue dress who is always there…
Dom Conlon (text) and Anastasia Izlesou (illustrator), Swim, Shark, Swim!, CSIRO Publishing, March 2022, 32 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781486316045 With black tips on his fins and the space between stars in his eyes… Part poem, part story Swim, Shark, Swim! is a scientific dedication to the one of the worlds most feared, but revered ocean dwellers. Readers join Shark as he navigates the world’s oceans on his journey home, swimming through tunnels of bubbles and light. As well, readers also learn about the many shark species in their vast marine habitats. Themes such as conservation, climate change and biodiversity make this…
Adrian Beck (text) and James Hart (illustrator), The Unfunny Bunny, Penguin Random House Australia, March 2022, 24 pp., RRP $17.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781761043093 This is another addition to the Easter library. A wet Easter at the beach house and a young girl decides to help the Easter bunny distribute the eggs to the family. The style used is similar to ‘Twas the Night before Christmas and we learn that Easter jokes are the best! Plus, the fam says I’m funny … “I’ll make their egg-hunt a LAUGH as your Helper Bunny!” And from here there are puns and laughs as…
Peppa Pig, My Peppa Adventure, Penguin Random House, February 2022, 32 pp., RRP $14.99 (pbk), ISBN 9780241543498 This is a book that just keeps on giving. Every time it is read is a new story and adventure, with each page asking children to make choices for their adventure with Peppa. Where will you go? How will you get there? Who will come along? What will you wear? What will you eat? What will you do? Look at the pictures on each page, and choose your favourite ones to tell your own stories! This style of book is a fantastic conversation…