Little People, Big Dreams: Marie Curie

Little People, Big Dreams: Marie Curie written by Maria Isabella Sanchez Vegara and illustrated by Frau Isa (Quarto Group UK)

HB RRP $18.99   ISBN 9781847809612

Reviewed by Daniela Andrews

‘When Marie was a little girl, she made a vow to herself … she was going to be a scientist, not a princess.’

The ‘Little People, Big Dreams’ series showcases high-achieving women in history, all of whom acted on their childhood dreams. They are beautifully presented, hardcover, biographical picture books that target readers aged 5 – 8 years.

This title, about the gifted Marie Curie, explains how she was not allowed to study at university in her home country of Poland because she was a woman. Fortunately for the rest of the world (who would one day benefit from her scientific discoveries) she packed her bags and moved to France where she ‘soon became the best maths and science student in Paris’.

The book goes on to talk about her husband, Pierre, and their Nobel Prize winning discovery of radium and polonium. It also applauds her strength after Pierre’s sudden death, and the hard work that lead her to her second Nobel Prize. The text ends on an uplifting note, showing the many other girls whom she inspired, queuing up to study at the Radium Institute at the University of Paris.

Marie Curie’s story is conveyed in simple text, with only 1–3 sentences featuring across each double page. There is a longer biography included at the end of the book, featuring four black and white photographs.

Frau Isa’s illustrations are lightly textured, in a gentle watercolour palette. They offer deeper meaning to the text, both informatively and emotionally. For example, the text never mentions Marie’s connection to the development of x-rays, but the pictures show an injured soldier being x-rayed.  And when Marie accepts her second Nobel Prize award, the illustrations reflect her grief in both her facial expression and in a silhouetted empty chair in the first row.

The final picture, showing a full-colour Marie Curie sitting on a pile of books amongst a row of bemused (rather drab-looking) gentlemen, is a definite feminist celebration of Marie’s achievements in a male-dominated field.

Where’s The Ballerina?

Where’s The Ballerina? by Anna Claybourne, illustrated by Abigail Goh (Quarto Group UK)  HB RRP $19.9   ISBN 9781782404507

Reviewed by Daniela Andrews

Some of the greatest stories in the world are presented as ballets, but their meaning can be lost amongst young audiences. ‘Don Quixote’, ‘Swan Lake’ … even ‘The Nutcracker’ can seem confusing. When I first picked up this charming, full-colour picture book, I thought it would simply be a look-and-find, ‘Where’s Wally’ style of activity book.  I was glad to discover it was much more than that – it is also a kid-friendly reference guide to ten different ballet productions.

The ballets presented in the book are: ‘Swan Lake’, ‘Romeo and Juliet’, ‘Giselle’, ‘The Nutcracker’, ‘La Bayadère’, ‘Coppélia’, ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, ‘The Sleeping Beauty’, ‘Don Quixote’ and ‘Cinderella’. Two double-page spreads are devoted to each ballet. The first is an introduction. It features a plot synopsis, setting description and full-colour storyboard, accompanied with text, depicting seven main scenes from the ballet. The second double-page spread offers the look-and-find activity for that particular ballet. The illustration for the task is always a scene from that ballet, and readers need to find 5 - 7 hidden characters from that ballet. (For example, for ‘The Nutcracker’, they need to find Clara, The Nutcracker Prince, Dr Drosselmeyer, The Mouse King, The Snow Queen, The Sugar Plum Fairy and Mother Ginger.) As an added bonus, there is always a hidden peacock lurking amidst the scene, along with a ballerina in a white tutu. The answers have been included at the back, and are cleverly presented as darkened stage scenes with spotlights shining on the hidden characters.

This beautifully presented hardcover book is suitable for 5–8 year-olds, and would make a beautiful gift for a child about to start dance lessons or who is generally interested in ballet.

The Night Gardener

The Night Gardener by Eric Fan and Terry Fan (Quarto Group UK)

HB RRP $24.99  ISBN 9781847809391

Reviewed by Daniela Andrews

Something magical is happening at Grimloch Lane … trees are being shaped into astounding animals overnight, giving the residents a new surprise to wake up to each morning. William, a boy at the local orphanage, is filled with wonder. First, he wakes up to a huge owl. Then, a cat. One day, it’s an enormous dragon, fit for climbing on. Suddenly, the trees look alive … and so do the people. Neighbours unite to marvel. No longer do they walk alone, heads down. They speak to one another. They laugh together. The crowds grow.

One night, William spots the elusive ‘Night Gardener’ and follows him to Grimloch Park. The gentleman knowingly turns and smiles at him: ‘I could use a little help.’ He teaches William his craft and, together, they work all night to create a magical zoo wonderland. The Night Gardener is not there when William awakes, but it seems the entire town has congregated in the park, in awe.

The story closes with a heartwarming message – though the Night Gardener has gone, and the leaves have long fallen from the trees, the people of the town have changed. They find other reasons to come together. And William, who received the man’s garden shears as a parting gift, continues his legacy in topiary art.

This stunning book has been written and illustrated by two brothers, Eric and Terry Fan. The illustrations are breathtaking, imbued with the perfect colours to evoke the text’s emotions. They are black and white at first, but begin to come to life as the Night Gardener works his magic. The topiary trees appear in vivid green hues, showing life against an otherwise drab town. People start to come to life too, slowly receiving colour in their clothes and facial expressions. The seasons are portrayed in realistic hues, with autumn colours, especially, leaping off the page. The entire town finally appears in colour on a striking double page spread near the conclusion. The illustrations are a combination of ink and graphite mixed with digital colours. (The detailed linework reminded me a little of the work of Ron Brooks!)

This story is a beautiful salute to the magic of nature and its power to bring people together. It will suit readers aged 6 and older.

101 Books to Read Before You Grow Up

101 Books to Read Before You Grow Up by Bianca Schulze (Quarto Children’s Books) PB RRP $17.99

ISBN 9781633221697

Reviewed by Daniela Andrews

There’s no shortage of online lists of the ‘best children’s books’ to read -- but it is just so nice to see the titles celebrated in this full-colour, kid-friendly guide!

Founder of the successful website ‘The Children’s Book Review’ (https://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/), author Bianca Schulze has compiled a great collection of modern and classical children’s fiction from around the globe. There are stories like The Giving Tree, Where the Wild Things Are, Bridge to Terabithia, The Graveyard Book … about 101 stories, to be exact! (More if you count the books listed in the complementary ‘What to read next?’ list against each title.) I was also pleased to see some Australian fiction in there – Whoever You Are, Hating Alison Ashley, The Magic Pudding and The 13-Storey Treehouse.

The design of this book is sure to appeal to the age group (8–12 years). The layout is magazine-style, with full colour pages. There are breakout boxes with quotes from the books or with fun facts. The icons down the side of the page note basic info – target age, genre, publisher, publication date and page count. There is a brief description of each book, written in a friendly, non-condescending voice -- with just enough of the plot to pique one’s interest! Each book entry includes an empty journal space for readers to mark whether they’ve read the book, give it a rating, list their favourite character and write notes.

The colourful, cartoon-like illustrations by Shaw Nielsen are delightful and literary figures (such as Harry Potter, Pippi Longstocking and Peter Pan) are immediately recognisable. The book includes a double-sided, pull-out poster of most of the characters also. Kids will have fun matching up the Nielsen drawings in the poster against the book entries in the guide.

The books are presented by age (though there’s an author note explaining that they can be enjoyed by readers of any age). It is also possible to search for the books by genre, making this a great reference for kids and parents who aren’t sure what to read next.

Little Faces: Meet Happy Bear

Little Faces: Meet Happy Bear by Carles Ballesteros (Quarto Children’s Books) HB RRP $14.99 ISBN 9781784936259

Reviewed by Daniela Andrews

Oh dear … How can we make Happy Bear happy again?

Young readers will be fascinated with the Venetian movements in this little board book, allowing them to watch the bear’s frown change to a smile with a simple page turn. The story follows a simple, repetitive pattern while teaching basic emotions – the bear feels worried, angry and sad and the reader must turn the page to make him happy again.

The playful text encourages children to involve themselves in the story. How will they make the bear happy again before turning the page? My 5-year-old chimed in with some creative ways – ‘we could make him a vegemite sandwich!’ My giggly 3-year-old was making funny faces at the page. My 20-month-old was so fascinated with being able to control the facial expressions that he simply wanted to turn the pages back and forth, over and over. In the story, it’s actually Little Mouse who is responsible for cheering up the bear, which did confuse my older two kids at first. (After all their efforts, they’d rather the text congratulated them, not Little Mouse!) Regardless, it’s a fun little book that’s great for reading aloud to children.

The illustrations are bright and colourful. Circular page cut-outs cleverly frame the bear’s face on pages to the right, and Little Mouse to the left. My 20-month-old enjoys playing peek-a-boo through these cutouts too, thus adding another interactive element to the story. This book will mainly appeal to kids under the age of three and the Venetian movements so far seem quite sturdy in the hands of my page-turning toddler!