Koala Koala

Koala Koala by John Williamson, illustrated by Jonathan Bentley (PenguinRandom House) HB RRP $19.99 ISBN9781761344244

Based on the popular family song by an iconic Australian entertainer, this picture book celebrates our beloved but endangered koala. It is also a call by Williamson to protect eucalyptus trees, which koalas rely on for food, water, and shelter. The singer/songwriter says, ‘We need to keep their homes safe from bushfires, cars and motorbikes, dogs, and land clearing for new houses, roads and farming. We can all contribute by planting more eucalyptus trees wherever possible in areas where koalas reside, and by joining the effort to protect the remaining unique forests.

Williamson’s text in the book follows these sentiments. For example, on a beautifully illustrated double page, there is a picture on the left-hand side of a koala perched up a roadside sign, looking at four children who are planting trees. The text reads, ‘We’ve gotta learn how to help you survive. I’ll grow a gum tree today.’ Another page reads, ‘Put a water bowl on the ground’, with a picture of a koala drinking from the bowl.

The last few pages read, ‘Koalas, you used to be everywhere; what a wonderful place it could be…A walk in the bush could be heaven. Please bring back the forest for me.’

This book is the latest instalment in the bestselling series of picture books inspired by Williamson’s songs.

When the Lights Went Out

When the Lights Went Out by Lian Tanner, illustrated by Jonathan Bentley (Allen & Unwin) HB RRP $24.99 ISBN: 9781761180019

Reviewed by Dannielle Viera

There is a power outage one frosty evening, and the lights disappear from every house on the street. A little boy is scared, but his fear fades as he accompanies his parents on an entertaining exploration of the ‘night country’ in search of candles. Then music starts playing outside. They rug up and run to the road, only to discover that the whole neighbourhood has shown up to listen. The cold, black night becomes a balmy, bright party brimming with wide smiles and happy spirits.

Lian Tanner’s evocative story is aimed at youngsters aged four to six with an anxiety about darkness. When shadows loom and slant, kids can ‘sing brave songs’ and draw courage from connections with friends and family – reassured that they are never alone. Kindness and community come together to banish the bad and to illuminate the good, and the feeling is as comforting as a piggyback from Dad. 

Dynamic lines crisscross Jonathan Bentley’s beautifully coloured images, drawing small eyes deeper and deeper into the spreads. Cool blues and greens wash over the night-time world, but the illustrations remain tethered to warmth through golden candle flames, rich red roofs and vibrant winter clothes.

Blackouts are a common experience – and often frightening for children – but When the Lights Went Out reveals just how much fun they can be. By igniting the spark of curiosity, a brilliant adventure into the ‘night country’ can begin …

Bad Bunny the Pirate

Bad Bunny the Pirate by Jonathan Bentley (Scholastic) HB RRP $18.99 ISBN 9781761299698

Reviewed by Nikki M Heath

What should you expect from your Bad Bunny pirate captain when you’re set upon by a greedy croc? If you said, ‘the pirate will run off with the treasure’, you wouldn’t be far off, but not before dispatching the croc with a cunning trick.

This is one of a series of Bad Bunny books, which are plainly angling for the Pig the Pug market. While Bad Bunny doesn’t quite have the irresistible charisma of Pig, there’s plenty here to tickle the funny bones of a young audience. The slightly forced rhythm and rhyme, and absence of extra layers of meaning, mean it is unlikely to grab adult readers as much.

The illustrations are textured and bold, and although the characters’ expressions feel flat, there’s also an image of the insides of a crocodile’s stomach that is impossible to unsee and will hugely fascinate kids in the farts-and-poo stage of humour development.

A fun time - but probably not a long time - for little kids who enjoy a little naughtiness. Best for ages 3 to 6 years.

Where Will the Sleepy Sheep Sleep?

Where Will the Sleepy Sheep Sleep? by David Metzenthen & Jonathan Bentley (Allen & Unwin) PB HB RRP $19.99 9781761066160

Reviewed by Karen Hendriks

David Metzenthen and Jonathan Bentley are award-winning creators of this charming bedtime tongue twister.

Sleepy Sheep needs somewhere to sleep. Each place that Sleepy Sheep finds seems good until Sleepy Sheep tries to sleep. Baah! Noooo! Oh where, oh where, will this poor tired sheep finally sleep?

Author David Metzenthen is masterful at word play. His words have such an ease about them that they joyfully flow across every page. His use of questioning beautifully encourages each page-turn to seek the answer. Do you think the sleepy sheep will sleep on top of this wild and windy hill? His alliteration and repetitive patterning pop and young children respond so well to this. The answers for each question are hilarious. Baah! No-o-o, this windy hill is far too high and wild for a sleepy sheepy to sleep on! The funny reasons given create smiles.  Each word adds to the joy of the story and earns its place. Metzenthen has picture book speak down pat and his word efficiency ensures that the illustrations have plenty of room to dance across each spread. The ending is satisfying and gives the reader one of those aha moments. 

Jonathan Bentley is a talented illustrator who is the second part of this picture book team. His bold colour palette of bright blue sky and green grass captures attention and has child-appeal. The Sleepy Sheep character certainly does look tired and in need of a good sleep. Much like a parent of a young child who can at times feel sleep deprived. The use of a wide blue sky gives space for the other visuals to create movement. I love the double page spread of the foxes hunting and the dingos howling. The simplicity of the illustrations really allows the characters to speak to the reader. You feel as though you are inside the story. Each place the sheep seeks is depicted vibrantly and the detailed line work helps create the world of the Sleepy Sheep simply and cleverly.

Where Will the Sleepy Sheep Sleep? is a picture book for children 3-8 years that brings together fun and bedtime. This book is a delicious read aloud for young children and it also is a great tool for a young child’s language development. It has broad appeal to young children, parents, educators, and libraries.

We Are All Kind

We Are All Kind by P. Crumble, illustrated by Jonathan Bentley (Omnibus Books) HB RRP $19.99 ISBN 9781760972363

Reviewed by Nikki M Heath

This follow-up to 2018’s We Are All Equal shows its young audience the many ways to be kind, using rhyming couplets illustrated by charming animal scenes. Kindness is approached in a creative and expansive way, inviting the reader to broaden their own sense of what it means to be kind. Alongside friendliness, helpfulness and sharing, for example, We Are All Kind covers inclusion, forgiveness, and hospitality.

For those most familiar with P Crumble’s work through Kevin the custard-obsessed cat, this book will probably be a surprise. We Are All Kind is sweet and sincere, with none of the sarcastic humour and thematic subtlety of the Cat books. That said, one spread packs a punch, starkly criticising humanity’s destruction of the environment in pursuit of wealth and influence. 

The illustrations are captivating and carry the book through some spreads where the text feels forced to achieve the rhyme. From heart-warming expressions of pure love and joy to a heartbreaking portrayal of a hungry donkey, the drawings by themselves are enough to keep a reader returning to the pages.

Toddlers, pre-schoolers, and children in the early school years will adore this reassuring, calm and gorgeous book. Parents and teachers will find a wealth of ideas to explore using the text as a springboard. Be prepared to read aloud on repeat.

Blue Sky, Yellow Kite

Blue Sky, Yellow Kite written by Janet A. Holmes, illustrated by Jonathan Bentley (Little Hare Books) HB RRP $24.99

ISBN 9781760124229

Reviewed by Liz Ledden

Daisy spots a yellow kite dancing in the sky. She ventures over a hill to discover it belongs to a boy called William. The two meet, and William teaches Daisy how to fly his kite. Daisy runs and runs with it, and ‘She does not look back once’.

This beautifully illustrated picture book contains an intriguing premise of taking something that’s not yours, and the emotional fallout. The reader is taken on a journey from the depths of Daisy’s despair to joy in the final scene. Friendship, forgiveness and owning up to your mistakes are all cleverly conveyed. Scenes portraying Daisy’s guilty feelings are suitably darker in colour, and then brighten as she attempts to convey her remorse to William.

The story has quite a unique feel – taking something that’s not yours (whether accidental or not) is a childhood experience I’ve not often seen touched upon in picture books.

As a bonus, Blue Sky, Yellow Kite contains a colour print of one of Bentley’s beautiful scenes of Daisy and the kite, wild in the wind.