Borderlands – Riding the Slipstream

Borderlands – Riding the Slipstream, edited by Paul Collins and illustrated by Anne Ryan (Ford Street Publishing) PB RRP $29.95 ISBN 9781922696403

Reviewed by Dianne Bates

Borderlands – Riding the Slipstream is an anthology for readers aged 14+ years. It features over forty short stories and poems by some of Australia’s best-loved authors, including Ursula Dubosarsky, Bill Condon, Justin D’Arth, David Metzenthen, Dianne Wolfer, Juliet Marillier, Sophie Masson, and Sue Bursztynski.

Illustrated with black and white pictures by a quirky artist, this unique collection spans a kaleidoscope of genres and themes. Stories are listed under genres, from science fiction (writers such as John Larkin and Ian Irvine), fantasy (Shaun Tan, Pamela Freeman), horror (Sophie Masson and Trinity Ryan), and historical (Gary Crew and Pamela Rushby), and more. Poets include Sherryl Clark and Harry Laing), but it is Steven Herrick’s poignant poem, ‘A Tattoo’ about an elderly woman in a cream-coloured cardigan with a tattoo of a swallow in mid-flight on her forearm and underneath it the name DAVID, which I most enjoyed.

It is difficult to comment on all the stories in this hefty 560-page anthology, but here is a smattering of stories: In a spiritual acceptance about the nature of life, Susanne Gervay writes in ‘Faith and the Elephant God’ about two friends surfing, one of whom luckily escapes from an attack by a great white shark. Bill Condon’s touching story ‘A Dog of His Own’ is of a boy who takes his skittish dog for a run: the dog vanishes, and he feels he will never see it again. In the humour stories (including Elizabeth Fensham and Victor Kelleher), Barry Jonsberg’s amusing story, ‘Mr Postlewaite’s Class of Exceptionally Gifted Children’, is of a of a Year One teacher of ‘the brightest, the cleverest, the most amazing children in the entire city, possibly the whole country’: his students are filled with curious, difficult-to-answer questions which makes reading a story to them prolonged, an agony.

This is a book which rewards one who dips into stories and poems and enjoys the wide breadth of subject matter. Its compiler, Paul Collins, is to be commended for not only finding the many stories but by publishing it.

Follow the Rainbow

Follow the Rainbow by Juliet M. Sampson & Anne Ryan (Ford Street Publishing) PB HB RRP $26.95 9781922696335

Reviewed by Karen Hendriks

Juliet M Sampson is an award-winning author. Her debut picture book Grace’s Mystery Seed was a finalist in the international book awards in 2019.

Ruby really wants to know what’s at the end of the rainbow on the family farm. So along with her best friend Tavish the dog, she explores the great outdoors and makes all sorts of discoveries, with the last discovery being the most important one of all.

Sampson’s strong opening page captures reader attention. Ruby leaned back and gazed up at the sky. ‘Look, Tavish, there’s a fairy with a wand!’ This is something a child would say. Dialogue is used in just the right places. Sampson shows that rainbows appear after rain and young children do like to learn things from books. Her use of questioning with no responses means that Ruby and Tavish venture further to seek answers themselves. ‘What’s at the end of the rainbow, Scarecrow?’ she asked. Scarecrow didn’t say a word. This lets a child know that they too can keep on seeking answers even when there is no response.

Sampson’s words have captured that divine innocence of childhood - how a child thinks and acts. Ruby splashed through puddles as she ran across the paddock. Soon the rainbow was right overhead. The story building is delightful and once at the end of the rainbow there is no surprise. So just like that Ruby and Tavish decide to try the other end. This shows how a child will seek to know something until satisfied.

What is a winner with this story is when Ruby makes the greatest discovery of all by herself - family. This message is clear and important.  Sampson’s Ruby and Tavish are warm and engaging characters that will capture young hearts.

 Anne Ryan is the second part of this picture book team. She grew up in Ballarat Victoria. This makes her a wonderful choice because the book is set on a farm. You can tell she knows how a farm looks and feels. She has creatively played with the storyline and used collage and bright primary colours to great effect. I absolutely love Ruby’s red gumboots which are a clever inspiration from The Wizard of Oz. Ruby and Tavish are shown as determined and curious characters by their movements and body language. Ryan’s illustrations really show the innocence and joy of a child given freedom to be able to explore and play. I particularly love the collaged rainbow on the cover with Ruby and Tavish marching determinedly across the top. It draws immediate attention to the book.

Follow the Rainbow is a picture book for children 3-8 years that magically brings play, imagination, and discovery together. The book has a strong storyline and children are curious about what’s at the end of a rainbow. This book is sure to resonate with children, parents, teachers, and librarians.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rapper Bee: Poems to Give You a Buzz

Rapper Bee: Poems to Give You a Buzz by Harry Laing, illustrated by Anne Ryan (Ford Street Publishing) PB RRP $14.95 ISBN 9781925804775

Reviewed by Dianne Bates

Having read Laing’s first two books of poetry and seen him as a (hugely entertaining) performer, I must admit I am already a converted fan. Here in his third collection is a collection of over 60 poems to suit readers aged 6 years and over.

Laing experiments with a huge variety of forms and poetry shapes: rhymes, raps, songs, limericks, riddles, and much more. ‘Rapper Bee’, named for the book’s title is indeed a rap poem with lots of energy and speed: ‘I’m faster than the flies/and I’m speeding through the skies/I am the RapperBee/why don’t you rap with me.’ The poem is illustrated on its double page spread with a rapping, cartoonish bee making all the right dance moves. The poem makes itself so clear and energetic that you will, like me, want to keep on repeating the rap, and dancing at the same time.

Some of the poems – such as ‘Mushrooms’, ‘Giant Kelp’, ‘Jimmy Hendrix and His Guitar’, ‘Moon Fish Chant’ – are written in the shape of their subject. Most poems are missing punctuation, but this doesn’t matter as the poems flow and the rhythms allow the readers to pause when necessary and move on, too.

Laing takes all kinds of subjects to write about, many of which are surprising: some examples are cheese, stingrays, big black bulls, sausages, noses, yawns, trucks, turbo fans, and much more. Like any good creator, Laing presents a unique viewpoint of the poem’s subject. Here’s an example of one amusing poem – ‘Dreams of a School Carpet’ -- written in couplets: I am the lowest of the low/there is no lower you could go/just look at me, I’m flat-out bored/trampled, battered and ignored.’ As with most poems in the collection, this poem has a strong rhythm and rhyme.

Another poem (‘Song of a Thumb’) is about a thumb whose ‘hand is gone’ and is hopping down the street alone as it grows tiny feet. The poem ‘The Strangest Pet’ is about a boy whose pet is a house: (the illustration shows him hugging its side wall.) ‘Onelineforthewind’ is written as a continuous line of sounds…

In this fun collection there is evidence of an extraordinary imagination and a love of words. ‘Abcracadoodling’, for instance, starts with ‘When’s a woodle not a poodle? Woodles woo and poodles bark/when a woodle eats a foodie/he leaves a doodle in the park.’ What child would not be giggling by the end of this poem?

The illustrations in this collection need their own moment of glory, too. Like the poems, they are worth pouring over and enjoying. They’re quirky and original and just right for the mood of the poems. I particularly enjoyed looking at ‘Shoctopus, the Underwater Boss’: there’s a deep-sea octopus with a central eye and its limbs stretching out of the water and around the poem. Another amusing illustration accompanies, ‘I Wish I Had a Really Scottish Name’ with an eccentric loch monster wearing a scarf and a tam-o-shanter.

There is so much more to say about this wonderful collection. I strongly urge you to purchase your own copy and share it with as many children as you can find. Highly recommended.

Salih

Salih by Inda Ahmed Zahri, illustrated by Anne Ryan (Ford Street Publishing) ISBN 9781025804645 PB RRP. $16.95

Reviewed by Claire Saxby

Salih is a refugee child escaping toward the sea with his home on his back (which is expressed in the figure of a turtle shell). Joining many others on the long journey, Salih reflects on the happy moments of his life, then wishes to forget the disturbing sounds and images of war. During a period in a camp Salih and many others join an old man painting scraps of paper. This activity brings a brief reprieve to children and adults who paint positive memories together. The turtle shell lies beside him on the ground. Continuing their journey now, Salih carries the artworks rolled and stored in bottles. The sea crossing is dangerous with high waves causing much alarm. The bottles containing the memories are strewn into the sea for others to find and share. Safe on shore the family gathers in a different land with hope in their hearts.

This is a simple story told in sparse text with concepts that children can relate to like Salih likes ice cream, and the joy of painting. Most of the images place the child in the centre of the story in a book illustrated using a muted palette. The book is short enough that discussion on the turtle metaphor and the kites signifying freedom and flight at the conclusion would be simple for teachers and parents to share. This title joins a growing list of Australian titles on refugees, war and displacement that are accessible for everyone.  Age guide 6 plus.