Etta and the Octopus

Etta and the Octopus written by Zana Fraillon, illustrated by Andrew Joyner (Hachette Australia: Lothian Books) PB RRP $14.99 ISBN 9780734421685

Reviewed by Sarah Tegerdine

Etta and the Octopus is the latest release from both award-winning children’s author & Illustrator, Zana Fraillon and Andrew Joyner.

It all begins with Etta discovering an unlikely visitor in her bathroom. Submerged beneath the bubbles is Oswald the Octopus and Etta immediately realises she does not know much about Octopi, so she sets out and writes a list of what she does know.

Oswald turns out to be a particularly challenging house guest and Etta finds it a bit overwhelming. She decides he must belong to someone, so her next mission is finding Oswald’s home.

Just as she reaches her limits by Oswald’s relentless antics and difficult behaviour, he is suddenly claimed by a woman called Marina Prinkle Esquire, Aquarium Manager Extraordinaire. However, something isn’t right: in an instant Oswald is nowhere to be seen. On the floor by her feet is an ink drawing of an incredibly sad looking octopus.

Etta thinks thoughtfully and her mind drifts off to her list about Oswald, and despite his shortfalls, he possesses many good qualities too.

Etta and the Octopus is a frenzy of humour, hilarity and heart and every page will delight.

Recommended for newly independent readers.

The Christmas Bum Book

The Christmas Bum Book written by Kate Mayes, Illustrated by Andrew Joyner (HarperCollins) HB RRP $19.99 ISBN 9780733340000

Reviewed by Sarah Tegerdine

The Christmas Bum Book is a picture book you didn’t think you needed until it landed in your lap. It’s a culmination of festive spirit with a generous dose of humour (and bottoms) that’s sure to keep young and old giggling with every passing year.

Each page celebrates a treasured element of all things Christmassy with their respective jolly derrieres.  From turkey bums to twinkle bums there’s something for every bum.

This Christmas, children will delight in its pages making it the ideal addition to any toddler’s festive collection.

All the Words I Need to Know

All the Words I Need to Know by Jane Godwin, illustrated by Andrew Joyner (Puffin Books) HB RRP $24.99 ISBN 9781760897277

Reviewed by Dianne Bates

Here is a first dictionary picture book for toddlers (or super-bright babies!) The fly pages, front and back, list all the letters of the alphabet, sketched by two owls -- a child and an adult --who appear on all the following pages as guides. The text is for the most part written in rhyming verse, such as ‘All the words you need to know/Will help you as you learn and grow. /From ant and ball to yak and zoo, /Here’s a word book/JUST FOR YOU!’

The pages of the book are filled with lots of humorous action as the two unnamed owls get involved. For example, with the letter ‘A’, they collect apples, eat avocado, and examine an ant. On the ‘B’ page, they engage with a bouncing baby in the bath, in bed, and playing with a ball. All the ‘A’ and ‘B’ words -- and throughout the book -- appear in large black font, and a single, larger red letter. 

The illustrations are so zany, one can imagine a small child laughing at pictures such as the giant elephant using its eye to peer into the end of a periscope, the owls climbing a ladder to reach the giraffe’s head, and the horse licking an ice-cream, also the octopus building a tower of bricks. When the owls are in a boat on water, there is a question about the fish (How many fish are in this pond?) so the adult reader will guide the child as they count together.

There is so much to investigate on each page that there’s no doubt many hours will be spent with adult reader and child (or children) reading and re-reading and laughing at the numerous pictures. The last pages finish with a rhyming summary of what’s been seen and heard in the book, with the final double spread showing mum and dad and small son accompanying the owls into a silly zoo (where the octopus plays a fiddle, the yak balances on a watermelon, the snake plays a xylophone and more.)

This book comes highly recommended.

Dr Seuss’s Horse Museum

Dr Seuss’s Horse Museum, illustrated by Andrew Joyner (PenguinRandom House) HB RRP $27.99 ISBN 9780241425725

Reviewed by Dianne Bates

This beautifully presented and designed book with the sub-title A Canter Through Horse History, is based on a manuscript and sketches by the beloved Dr Seuss (aka Ted Geisel). Australian illustrator Andrew Joyner studied the sketches and created illustrations that pay homage to Seuss’s line, characters and artistic energy, while being uniquely his own.

The book is uniquely about horses in art and explores how different artists have depicted them. The initial pages show, in cartoon style, the interior of an art gallery where members of the public are surveying artworks – in two and three dimensions – of horses. The artworks are labelled (for example, ‘Harnessed Horse’ from the northern Wei dynasty) so there is an educational aspect to the book. Cleverly hidden in the illustrations are cartoony characters invented by Seuss.

As children (and their adult companion) look at artworks, the book tells how the works were created (for example using line, colour, shape). Other aspects the artists studied about horses we are told were speed and strength. The book talks about specific artists in history, such as Velazquez who ‘painted horses by the dozen’, Picasso, Meissonier and Raphael. Art styles, such as Impressionism, Abstract, Surrealism and Expressionism are also shown along with reproduction of famous paintings, such as ‘Blue Horse 1’ by Franz Marc.

Also included in this jacketed book are excellent endnotes on the artists and artworks featured, as well as how the book came to be. This book is highly recommended for readers aged 7 to 12 years.

One Little Goat

One Little Goat written by Ursula Dubosarsky, illustrated by Andrew Joyner (Little Hare Books) HB RRP $24.99  ISBN 9781742976921

Reviewed by Liz Ledden

‘My daddy bought a little baby goat, a little baby goat my daddy bought’ begins this cumulative tale with echoes of There was an old lady who swallowed a fly. A cat eats the goat, who is bitten by a dog, who is hit by a stick and so and so on, as the tale becomes increasingly more mayhem-filled. The repetition as the story builds has a musical quality, and would have children repeating along in no time.

The ridiculous antics of the characters are humorously depicted via Joyner’s cartoon-like illustrations, full of action and with very expressive faces throughout. Even the suggestions of violence (think chopping and burning!) are reduced to nothing more than frivolity with Joyner’s clever touch. After a fun turn of events where a tall, dark stranger is revealed for who it really is, the chaos subsides until the story comes to a satisfying, full-circle conclusion.

There is a real old-fashioned, nursery rhyme feel to this story, as it is based on a traditional Hebrew song dating back to the 17^th century. The words retain a timeless feel, while the illustrations bring a contemporary sensibility.

Bear Make Den

Bear Make Den by Jane Godwin, Michael Wagner and Andrew Joyner (Allen & Unwin 2016)
HB RRP $24.99
ISBN: 9781760110017

Reviewed by Jade Harmer

Meet Bear, a lovable, can-do kind of a guy sporting a broad smile and a pair of blue overalls. Bear has a simple plan to build himself a den. He has a reference book that tells him how to go about it, but he also has a problem. No matter what he does, his den just never feels done.

Something’s missing from Bear’s new home, but it takes him a while to figure out exactly what…

Bear Make Den – a new picture book from Jane Godwin, Michael Wagner and Andrew Joyner – will delight readers and listeners alike as Bear leaves no stone unturned in trying to solve his problem.

He crafts bespoke furniture, bakes swoon-worthy cakes and paints his walls with fine works of art before he finally realises exactly what his den needs.

He yells into the seemingly lonely woods: “DEN NEED BEARS!”, and when his new-found bear friends arrive in droves to share his hospitality, Bear finally feels satisfied that his den is done.

I’m always blown away by the deceptive simplicity of a good picture book and this creation is no exception. The language provided by Godwin and Wagner plus Joyner’s vibrant and playful illustrations enhance Bear’s journey and the happiness and warmth he finds in companionship.

When read aloud, I have little doubt that Bear Make Den will be a hit with pre-schoolers as they guess what Bear might try next and simple, rhythmic language and effortless appeal make this a terrific choice for encouraging new and reluctant readers.

Australian Kids through the Years

Australian Kids through the Years by Tania McCartney, illustrated by Andrew Joyner (National Library of Australia)

HC RRP $24.99

ISBN 9780642278593

Reviewed By Anastasia Gonis

This impeccably constructed book by Tania McCartney and Andrew Joyner celebrates the cultural diversity of Australia. It focuses on Australian children through the years as it educates and informs readers about the shifting and evolving periods of Australian history. It starts from the 1800s and ends at 2000 and beyond.

The layout of the book follows a pattern. Two children are introduced in each era. They then appear in a double spread that reveals them in their daily environment. We progressively learn about the children’s life and living conditions, the food they eat, the way they dress, what they play, their educational opportunities and later what they are reading.

Indigenous Australians are first in the book.  Their relationship to the land, and the reverence they hold for it is of paramount importance to their life.

Mid 1800s and brings the convict era. Children work hard and schooling is rare. It is followed by the Gold Rush which brings the Chinese to the Goldfields. Tents house the gold diggers and their families. The dress code has changed slightly and Hotels begin to appear. Thousands of Irish immigrants make Australia their home.  Most children are now getting an education and living conditions have improved significantly.

Pre and post War life is addressed. An increase in migration and decimal currency are stamped on Australia’s history. Big hair and bright clothes, Ninja turtles and Atari herald great changes and shifts in the life of children. This prepares them for the electronic age. And the rest is history.

This book for the 5-8 years age range is a valuable asset for schools, libraries, and tourist facilities as are most of Tania McCartney’s recent books. Andrew Joyner’s fantastic illustrations complement the text perfectly, bringing to life the past and how children’s lives changed significantly for the better with the passing of time. The excellent end papers reflect the contents as do the magnificent covers in vibrant colour.

As usual, the NLA has played a large part in this beautiful production. Black and white photos from the archives enhance the List of Illustrations from the National Library that appear with details of their origins and other significant information. 

The old is blended with the new as modern coloured illustrations sit beside the old photos.

Yobbos Do Yoga

Yobbos Do Yoga by Phillip Gwynne and Andrew Joyner (Little Hare Books)

HB RRP $24.95

ISBN 9781921714832

Reviewed by Nean McKenzie

With a catchy title and lively cover illustrations, Yobbos do Yoga immediately draws the reader in. The narrator of the story is a small, dark-haired girl whose neighbours have moved out (with their noisy cat, Sir Reginald the Third). The girl's dad is at peace to do his favourite yoga poses — the fish, the lightning rod and the salute to the sun. Then, with their cars in the front yard and their dogs in the backyard, yobbos move in next door.   

       

The newcomers have a party where there is yobbo music, yobbo dancing and yobbos singing yobbo songs. Dad gets so angry he can't do his yoga any more. But when the little girl goes over the fence to get her ball and actually meets Tubby, Ferret and King Wally Kahuna, they call her Princess and give her cordial. Even their dogs let her pat them. She knows if she can just get her father to talk to these nice people, he might begin to get along with them.

       

This is a humorous story about tolerance and the importance of not judging people by appearances. The very Australian prose, use of repetition and the colourful illustrations work together to allow the readers to come to their own conclusions, way before the dad does. The friendly-looking yobbos have flannelette shirts, ACDC t-shirts and one has a great mullet. The skinny dad with his bald patch and spectacles is a nice contrast.

       

Suitable for children over the age of three (and quite a good read for adults as well) Yobbos Do Yoga ends on a positive note with everyone joining in for a yoga session.

       

Phillip Gwynne's picture books include Ruby Learns to Swim and The Queen with the Wobbly Bottom. Among the books illustrated by Andrew Joyner are The Terrible Plop and Too Many Elephants in this House.