The Fishmonger and the Pastry Chef

The Fishmonger and the Pastry Chef by Sophie Masson and Cheryl Orsini (Little Hare) RRP: $24.99 ISBN 9781761211225

Reviewed by Rebecca Fung

This is a charming little matchmaking tale nestled inside the comforts of friendship, glorious memories and delicious food! This sumptuous picture book, dripping with sweet pink that reminds me of cake icing and macarons, starts with Lucas who introduces us to a seaside town in France where his two favourite people live. His Aunt Violette, a pastry chef, and the fishmonger, Cyprien.

Lucas loves Violette, and he's always happy to see Cyprien. There's a glow to the relationship between the young and old here. But the real stars of the book are the different kinds of French food. Both Masson and Orsini and pour their passion onto the page and Lucas is the embodiment of that.

Readers will look at the pastry shop with the "berets Basques with chocolate tops, tartes aux fraises, glossy with strawberries, and gateaux Russe, resplendent with hazelnut meringue and coffee cream" and lick their lips then turn the page and be bombarded with a buffet of "crusty bread and salty ham, wheels of cheese and spears of asparagus, and bright red peppers, tomatoes and cherries ... silvery shoals of fish, spiky squads of lobsters ..."

Masson doesn't hold back and doesn't simplify her food list. Some children may find certain foodie terms a little challenging, but it's a great chance for them to expand their vocabulary and immerse themselves in French foodie culture. The pictures explain those details are irresistible. Orsini has captured the joy of abundant food - she says that one of her favourite things to draw is charcuterie. This is evident here.

This book is reminiscent of Paul Gallico's Flowers for Mrs Harris where a woman with childish charm plays matchmaker against a French setting. Except instead of using French fashion as the backdrop, here it's French food. Like Gallico's book, this has a gentle charm to it that will leave a smile on your face as Violette and Cyprien discover happiness, and Lucas discovers the joy of bringing happiness to others.

The story is simple and predictable, but that works for a children's picture book. Celebrating this selfless joy is what makes this book so magical, as well as being immersed in the food culture of France.

Four up in Lights

Four up in Lights by Sophie Masson and Cheryl Orsini (Christmas Press) PB RRP $13.99 ISBN: 9780648815471

Reviewed by Kellie Nissen

Third in a series of delightful chapter books for younger readers, Four Up in Lights picks up where Four On The Run and Four All at Sea left off, except this time, instead of being captured or stranded at sea, the location is much more glamorous. A movie set. Surely nothing could go wrong again.

The ‘four’ are Maxie, Flash, Fergie, and Lady, best friends who also happen to be vintage vehicles – two cars, a motorbike and a tractor. They’ve already been through a lot together and are super excited to not only have the chance to become ‘heroes with horns and headlights’ in the movie but to also star alongside the famous Daredevil and her sidekick, Storm.

However, trouble and adventure always seem to follow the four friends, even to the movie set. First, Grey Nurse, a scary-looking submarine-car, emerges from the lake. Then, in the middle of the night, the four friends are woken up by a cry for help. Grey Nurse and Daredevil have both disappeared without a trace.

Award-winning author of over 70 books, Sophie Masson has clearly had a lot of fun creating these four endearing characters, putting them in all sorts of trouble and helping them find their way out with plenty of chuckles and adventure along the way.

Cheryl Orsini’s fun illustrations bring the characters to life and capture both the tension and celebration of the story as it unfolds.

Perfect for young readers, aged 5–8, Maxie, Flash, Fergie, and Lady once again demonstrate the importance of friendship and the joy of adventure. With a hot-wheeling pace, Four Up in Lights will keep readers engaged and wanting to read the story in one sitting. 

Dancing with Memories

Dancing with Memories by Sally Yule with Professor Ralph Martins and Maggie Beer, illustrated by Cheryl Orsini (HarperCollins Australia) HB RRP $16.99 ISBN 978176043994

Lucy, an old lady introduces herself, saying, ‘Sometimes I remember I forget. Sometimes I forget that I remember.’ She tells the reader that her home is full of memories, with the words, ‘Dancing with memories helps me remember.’ Today is special as her granddaughter is getting married. She puts a note about the wedding in her handbag and sets off to meet the four o’clock deadline. She catches a bus but forgets where she is headed. She meets friends who take her home where everyone is waiting. Although Lucy has dementia she can still dance at her granddaughter’s wedding.

This is a simple story that introduces young readers aged 5+ years to the concept of aging and dementia. It is colourfully illustrated with lots of white space. In a double-page spread at the end of the book, Professor Ralph answers questions about dementia, while on the last four pages, well-known cook, Maggie Beer, saying children should have a colourful and diverse diet, offers two double-page spreads of recipes, and healthy lunchboxes.

The ABC Kids' Guide to Loving the Planet

The ABC Kids' Guide to Loving the Planet by Jaclyn Crupi, illustrated by Cheryl Orsini (ABC Books) HB RRP $19.99 ISBN: 9780733341045

Reviewed by Dannielle Viera

‘Our planet is precious. It’s where we live, learn, work and play.’ With these simple words, the reader is sent on a fascinating journey through the wonders of nature. This thought-provoking non-fiction picture book highlights all the ways children can make a positive contribution to their world, from growing a garden and creating a native habitat to treading gently and cleaning up the environment.

Jaclyn Crupi’s bite-sized pieces of text are easy for school-aged kids to read and digest. She uses a light and friendly tone and ensures that the information is both interesting and relevant to her audience. To reinforce the knowledge, every spread includes an enjoyable hands-on activity that is suitable for youngsters.

Cheryl Orsini’s colourful and dynamic images draw little eyes across the wide pages and bring to life the concepts discussed in the text. There is a subtle nod to multiculturalism in the range of characters, with plenty of smiles on the young protagonists’ faces as they eagerly engage in the wealth of planet-loving projects.

Ideal for youngsters who are starting to appreciate the world around them, The ABC Kids Guide to Loving the Planet is brimming with accessible information and enthralling things to try. It reveals that even the smallest person can make a difference when they care about the Earth.

Four on the Run

Four on the Run by Sophie Masson, illustrated by Cheryl Orsini (Christmas Press) PB RRP $13.99 ISBN 9780648194576

Reviewed by Kylie Buckley

Four on the Run is an imaginative chapter book full of fast-paced fun. The narrative centres around four personified vehicles (Maxie, Fergie, Flash and Lady) which live in Mrs Brown’s farmyard shed.

The four retired friends decide to run away when they hear that Mrs Brown is worried about her finances and intends to sell them to the scrap yard. The foursome flees in hope of getting a job in town, but they find that life on the run is not easy!

Four on the Run is an engaging tale with plenty of action to keep the young readers’ attention. The simple monochrome illustrations scattered throughout the book help the audience to visualise the story and characters. This book is suitable for children aged 6+ years to read independently or it’s an equally enjoyable read aloud.

The ABC Kids Book of Places to Go

The ABC Kids Book of Places to Go by Helen Martin, Judith Simpson & Cheryl Orsini (Harper Collins Children’s Books) PB RRP $24.99  

ISBN 9780733334283

Reviewed by Karen Hendriks

The creators of The ABC Book of Cars, Trains, Boats and Planes and The ABC Book of Seasons have come up with a book that introduces its young readers to Places to Go. This latest book allows for reader interaction and discussion in a fun simple way by sharing places that the child goes to. Then it broadens a young reader’s knowledge by introducing places that are afar.  The concept that the world is full of fun and exciting places to explore is a wonderful introduction to a world beyond our own backyard. 

This book would suit 2-6 year olds and it also fits in nicely with the school curriculum so teachers will find the book a handy resource.

The fun, simple language in the book uses questioning to bring out the enquiring mind of the child.  This interacts well with the illustrations that delightfully show places and allow the child to share what they know and find.  The illustrations are detailed and the colour palette draws the eye without being too busy or hard. The more you look, the more you can explore.

I like the way the text shows but doesn’t tell the place. Here’s an example: ‘There are many different places to visit at the shopping centre. Scissors snip – click, clack –cutting hair front and back! Up and down between the shops, the escalator never stops. Hooray! Hooray! New shoes today! Stepping out to walk and play.’ 

This book is a worthwhile tool to create bonding as the child and parent can really spend time discussing and exploring.  It can also allow for talk about places to visit and explore as a family.  Or perhaps it can allow talk about where grandparents or relatives live or maybe travel to. The world globe can be looked at and a child may choose a faraway distinction or a local one that is unknown to learn more about and explore.

So many places… 

Special things to do…

FB: www.facebook.com/Karen-Hendriks-Childrens-Author

                    


The Tales of Mrs Mancini

The Tales of Mrs Mancini by Natalie Jane Prior, and illustrated by Cheryl Orsini (ABC Books) HB RRP $19.99  ISBN 978-0-733335-65-5

Reviewed by Karen Hendriks

The Tales of Mrs Mancini’s Cat tells the story of a cat which runs a gorgeous cake shop full of yummy treats, with her friend Filippina. Alongside her passion for creating cakes, Mrs Mancini loves her customers and knows them well.  She can sense when something is wrong and her watchful eyes don’t miss a thing.  With some tail magic Mrs Mancini helps her friends in some unexpected ways.

This little book is a collection of three fully illustrated short stories that intertwine through Mrs Mancini and the cake shop.   The stories would suit the ages 4+ years.  They are based around the themes of friendship and loneliness.  A younger child will enjoy being read the stories that have names that roll off the tongue, like Mrs Mancini, Filippina and Claudette. 

Mrs Mancini is a wise and clever cat that uses just a little magic to help solve friendship problems. You just feel like giving Mrs Mancini a big cuddle.

Older children will love the support of the illustrations and the fact that the tales are three stories in one book that connect. The illustrations are delightful, with soft colours that feel safe and friendly, and have an innocent appeal. The pictures support the text beautifully, just like best friends.  The pastel colours remind me of delicious cake treats and Europe.

Children need to know that their problems can be solved and that they are not alone.  This little book shows simple solutions to friendship problems, loneliness and bullying.  It is recommended for its educational value, too. 

The ABC Book of Food

The ABC Book of Food  written by Helen Martn, Judith Simpson and Cheryl Orsini  (ABC Books) HBK RRP $24.99 ISBN 9780733334269

Reviewed by Sharon McGuinness

This is another useful non-fiction title in the series by this trio, which takes children on a journey to show them from a young age, the origin of the food they eat.

The book not only highlights food origins but introduces children to facts that some foods make people ill, thereby ‘normalising’ food intolerance issues and helping children to understand.

Mentioning farmer’s markets and kitchen gardens also shows adults’ interest in knowing and understanding where their food comes from and how it is produced.

Cheryl Orsini’s retro style illustrations are the perfect accompaniment to the text, enabling so much more to be said without the weight of words.

The book is great to share at home and in the classroom, and would suit children aged 3 years and older.

Come On, Let's Play!

Come On, Let's Play! illustrated by Cheryl Orsini (Lothian/Hachette)
PB RRP $14.99
ISBN: 9780734415509
Reviewed by Hilary Smillie

This delightful in-house picture book shows the fun a family can have while staying at home. Cheryl Orsini's colourful and merry illustrations in water colour and gouache support the sparce but meaningful text as mum and dad and the kids play games together.

Mum and Dad's bed is transformed into a fort with all the pillows and blankets, and pancake-making for breakfast using eggs from the back-yard hens is presided over by Dad and the kids. Mum happily sips on tea to await the treat, then its hide and seek, picture painting and dressing up for a show to make the day extra fun.  All children will relate to these activities which have been tested for generations.  I liked the illustration of Dad pretending to be a hatstand and the two older children counting to a hundred before hunting for their parents.

After dinner, there's just time to play rocket-ships and have stories read with the whole family sitting on the couch before its bedtime. The children are soon asleep after their busy family day.

This picture book is warm and comforting for kids and parents alike. In a busy world how often parents would like to be able to spend a whole day having fun with their precious offspring! Maybe this book will be the inspiration they need. 

Big Red Tractor Saves the Day

Big Red Tractor Saves the Day by Melissa Firth, illustrated by Cheryl Orsini (Scholastic Press)
PB RRP $14.99
ISBN 978-1-7428-125-1
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Big red tractor is busy at work on the farm, ploughing the fields, planting seeds and watering the plants when suddenly a nest with a baby bird appears in the field in front of him. Can the tractor save the day?

Big Red Tractor Saves the Day is a sweet tale about a hard day’s work and a valiant rescue. Filled with colour, movement and sound, young children will enjoy this story. The rhyme is smooth and anticipation is built up as the tractor gets closer to the nest:

 The tractor’s getting closer, wheels spinning round,
 Churning the earth with a crunching sound.
 Chugga chugga chugga brmm brmm brmm.

The illustrations are bright and cheerful. The farmer has a smile on his face as he steers his tractor around, pulling different attachments for the different jobs in the field.

This simple, happy story is great for children from 2 years. Boys especially, who love tractors and trucks, will enjoy having this read to them.

This is the third book that Melissa Firth and Cheryl Orsini have written and illustrated together. The first two are Fredrik goes Bananas and Red Plane to the Rescue.