Big Digger ABC

Big Digger ABC by Margaret Mayo Illus. by Alex Ayliffe (Orchard/Hachette)
HB RRP $24.99
ISBN:9781408332696

Reviewed by Hilary Smillie

Long-time acclaimed British author, Margaret Mayo has created an alphabet picture book using names of vehicles which will enthrall little people, especially boys. Her rhythmic text has as much action as Alex Ayliffe's lively and colourful illustrations.  For example:

Aa Ambulance Busy, busy ambulance

rush, rush, rushing.                                                                                                            Whee-ow! Whee-ow!
                                                                  Loud siren blaring.

The use of bold letters in wavy or oblique patterns emphasises, for example the speed of the ambulance, and this is repeated throughout - a bulldozer push, push, pushing; a crane hoist, hoist, hoisting; right through to Z which is represented by a Zooming Rocket. Mayo isn't afraid to use adjectives instead of the nouns common in most alphabets, or even a letter in a word rather than at the beginning, e.g., X is for EXtra Big Wheels.

Narrowboat and Icebreaker are two unusual modes of transport which may not be familiar to all young children but they certainly add a further educational element to their reading experience.

The vivid illustrations of each vehicle are cheerful and appealing and Alex Ayliffe's award winning style doesn't stop there - the backgrounds also hold a lot of interest for children to examine and enjoy. E.g., a bright yellow Helicopter is in the air, but a ladder is being lowered to someone stranded on a snowy mountain which faithfully supports the text:

Smart yellow helicopter whirr, whirr, whirring.
Hovering and swaying - look!
Someone needs rescuing.

Machine-mad little kids will love the whole concept of this exciting ABC picture book.

Rainbow Magic: Selena the Sleepover Fairy

Rainbow Magic: Selena the Sleepover Fairy by Daisy Meadows (Orchard Books/Hachette)
PB RRP $9.99
ISBN: 9781408330739
Reviewed by Hilary Smillie

This Early Reader edition has been especially designed for younger fans of Rainbow Magic books, with an easy vocabulary and full colour, beautiful illustrations to encourage independent reading. The book has been divided into three story chapters.

Rachel and Kirsty, who are friends of the fairies, are going with their school to have a sleepover in the National Museum. On the way, their coach stops at a service station and the children stretch their legs. The two friends notice a cloud of purple fairy dust and sure enough, a fairy appears. It is Selena the Sleepover Fairy who is very unhappy because Jack Frost’s servants, the goblins, have stolen three of her objects vital to ensure a happy sleepover. She needs to recover The Magical Sleeping Bag, The Enchanted Games Bag and The Sleepover Snack Box as quickly as possible and return them to Fairyland. The girls offer to help Selena find them.

Daisy Meadows has created an enchanting storyline which maintains interest to the end. There is plenty of action and excitement as the girls set out to recover the lost items. Kirsty and Rachel are used to being transformed into fairy-size by a wave of a wand, and they are very good at solving problems and dealing with nasty goblins. Jack Frost gets his comeuppance, too! With such fun characters, it is no wonder that the Rainbow Magic series holds small girls in thrall. I was impressed by the full colour illustrations which add a lot more oomph than black and white drawings. The large font text is also a plus.

With each of the original stories available as Early Readers, junior fans of the series will be delighted at the feast of reading in store for them.

Ella Bella Ballerina and The Nutcracker

Ella Bella Ballerina and The Nutcracker by James Mayhew (Orchard/Hachette)
PB RRP $14.99
ISBN: 9781408314081
Reviewed by Hilary Smillie

James Mayhew has created and beautifully illustrated a charming story inspired by the famous Christmas ballet, The Nutcracker. Ella Bella Ballerina is once again central to this third ballet-themed story which willl undoubtedly delight all small girls who love to dance. Previous picture books are Ella Bella Ballerina and The Sleeping Beauty and Ella Bella and Cinderella.

The snowy winter setting of the story features the old theatre where Ella Bella's classes are taught by Madame Rosa. The stage is dominated by a shimmering Christmas Tree and Madame Rosa's special music box has the dancers twirling around like snowflakes. The children become enthralled by the Christmas Eve story of Clara and the enchanted Nutcracker and the nasty Mouse King who has cast the spell.

While the other children are led into a room with tables groaning with delicious sweets, Ella Bella dances alone to the musical box and suddenly finds herself with Clara as her partner dancing in the Nutcracker story. When Clara defeats the Mouse King, the spell over the Nutcracker is broken to reveal a handsome young prince who whisks Clara and Ella Bella off to his kingdom on a magic sleigh. Dancing with snowflakes, meeting the Sugar Plum Fairy and attending an extraordinary party at the Marzipan Palace all happen before suddenly Ella Bella is once again alone on the stage.

Madame Rosa takes Ella Bella into the party room where great plates of sugary treats await her, including one very special item for readers to discover.

Facts about The Nutcracker ballet are told on the last page which complete this dazzling picture book text. The retro art-style is perfect for creating the atmosphere of a classic ballet theatre and its dancers, and will inspire and delight many a would-be prima ballerina.

This picture book may be themed around Christmas but it is perfect for any ballet enthusiast to begin the New Year.

May Produce Gas (World of Norm)

May Produce Gas (World of Norm) by Jonathan Meres (Orchard/Hachette)
PB RRP $12.99
ISBN 9781408323601
Reviewed by Hilary Smillie

Former comedian, Jonathan Meres has written a third funny book for nine-year-olds plus revolving around the character of Norm, who appears slightly dim and definitely bewildered by his small world.

His father worries about greenhouse gas and the story begins with Norm being blamed for global warming for not turning off his computer or putting too much water in the kettle to boil. Norm thinks it is more about saving money rather than energy as his dad is out of work. He's not too worried about his dad's punishment threats as he never follows through. Meanwhile, Mikey, his friend who is already thirteen, worries about getting hormones which leads Norm to having a chat with Grandpa. But he comes away more confused than ever.

Meres uses the ordinary concerns of family life and becoming a teenager to produce a clever and humorous story which will give young readers a glimpse into puberty e.g., needing deodorant and becoming aware of girls. He includes parental worry about Norm's younger sibling Dave, and Norm's reactions to discovering both Dave and Brian are victims of bullying. All the dilemmas are easy to relate to and young readers will thoroughly enjoy Norm's way of tackling them, or not. They will no doubt grab on to Norm's favourite word, 'flipping' and invent words similar to abso-flipping-lutely!

Complete with lots of black and white illustrations, this light-hearted novel is a pleasing length of 275 pages. Kids will be sorry when they reach the end. An excerpt from the first book will get them scurrying to the book store.

Big Yellow Digger

 Big Yellow Digger by Julia Jarman, illustrated by Adrian Reynolds (Orchard/Hachette)

PB RRP $16.99
ISBN 9781408309032
Reviewed by Hilary Smillie 

Julia Jarman is an award winning author of picture book texts which come together brilliantly with Adrian Reynolds' colourful, energetic illustrations. There is so much to look at in this latest offering: toddlers will find it captivating, and the rhyming words have the repetition and rhythm kids love.

Once again Ben and Bella are off on another adventure, this time on a big yellow digger which will dig them a tunnel to Australia. The most surprising mix of animals join the children but perhaps the most important is Little Roo who is longing to get back to his mum's pouch. The fossil they find deep inside the earth adds a surprise element and when the gang reach Australia, they enjoy a great Aussie beach party.

Julia chooses lively words to describe the digger's actions: brum, judder, and jigger. Along with the fun, there is a strong educational element woven throughout, and the imaginative concept of tunnelling through the Earth is exciting and a little bit scary - the tunnel is dark until Bella switches on the digger's lights on the way back home.

Big Yellow Digger is a book that makes you wish your grandchildren could stay small so they can continue to enjoy Julia and Adrian's rollicking picture books for a very long time. More of their picture books are listed on the inside and end covers – yellow, of course!

The Forsaken

The Forsaken by Lisa M Stasse (Orchard/Hachette)
PB RRP $16.99
ISBN 9781408318805
Reviewed by Hilary Smillie

As soon as I read the blurb on The Forsaken, the books, Lord of the Flies and George Orwell's 1984 sprang to mind. This is the first book of a planned thriller trilogy, set in the future where Aleena Shawcross is a victim of a police state after a global economic meltdown. Canada, the US and Mexico have been formed into the United Northern Alliance (UNA), and freedom is a thing of the past.

Aleena's parents were taken away when she was ten years old and she lives in Orphanage Forty-One. Minister Roland Harka controls this new nation and every high school student in their junior year takes the Government Personality Profile Test. Failing the test means banishment to Prison Island Alpha. The test predicts a propensity for criminal activity in advance. The orphans have been told psychopaths, murderers and other teenage ill-doers roam the island where there are no rules and no escape.

Now, in 2032, Alenna has turned sixteen and is about to take the test. She is confident she won't fail, but after being subject to the serum injections, she wakes up to find she is on the Island. Feeling ill and disoriented, Alenna is somewhat comforted to find another new arrival, although she is prepared to run in case he is a psychopath. David seems normal enough and he suggests they stick together for protection.

Almost immediately they are captured by a gang of masked teenage boys, or "drones". They belong to the Orange Sector headed by a person they called the Monk. But a girl from the Blue Sector, manages to free Alenna and take her to her village. David, who is hampered by an injured foot, can't outrun his captors and is taken away.

Life on Prison Island Alpha is dirty and dangerous. The average life span is 18 years. There are threats not only from the drones but from mechanical sky-born weapons and mysterious illness.

David reappears with information about Alenna's parents who have inscribed their names and hers on a rock at the entrance to the dangerous Grey Sector. It is somewhere in this Sector the teenager villagers believe their escape route lies to get off the Island. Alenna is determined to survive and discover what happened to her parents. When a plan is formed to go into the Gray Sector, she volunteers. Terrifying adventures lie ahead as more sci-fi elements kick in.

While much of the storyline is dark and depressing, the thriller aspects keep the reader turning the pages. To the author's credit she completes this first book in a very satisfying way and opens up a wider scenario for the second. With its mix of bleakness, endurance, death and hope, mid-range teenagers should find this book a powerful read.

Dark Lord: A Fiend in Need

 A Fiend in Need (Dark Lord) by Jamie Thomson, illustrated by Freya Hartas (Orchard/Hachette)
PB RRP $14.99
ISBN 9781408315125
Reviewed by Hilary Smillie

This is the second book in the Dark Lord series, perhaps a challenge at 436 pages, but once into the story it is hard to put down, and both boys and girls will find it captivating.

Jamie Thomson has combined a highly original fantasy with down-to-earth realities, resulting in a terrific, funny-scary read. The evil monster, Dark Lord, was cast out of his realm and now lives in the body of a thirteen-year old school boy from Surrey, England. He is known as Dirk Lloyd, and has become friends with Christopher, a normal enough boy, and Sooz, a Goth, who are also thirteen years old. Dirk is desperate to return to his own world but the spell he cast has sent Sooz there instead. She was wearing Dirk’s Ring of Power, and very soon she finds it indeed to be a mighty weapon against orcs and paladins.

Dirk modifies Christopher’s mobile phone to contact Sooz. The boys are worried she will be annihilated without Dirk’s help. But to Dirk’s dismay, Sooz is doing very well on her own for the present. He feels his authority and status are being undermined, and his return to the Darklands is now even more urgent.

Hasdruben the White Wizard, Dirk’s arch-enemy has sent the White Witch to Earth to snuff him out. She has mesmerized Christopher’s mother to allow her to stay and be nanny, Dumpsy Deary, to the boys. None of her tricks harm Dirk, and the boys use her boots to go to the Darklands to rescue Sooz. Sooz’s success as the Moon Queen was shortlived. She has been captured by Hasdruben.

The boys manage to infiltrate Hasdruben’s Tower and find Sooz but things deteriorate, including the loyalty of Dirk towards his young school friends. Suddenly living in the Darklands with the Dark Lord is very scary indeed.

Readers will not only enjoy the storyline but get a lot of kicks out of Dirk’s antics, e.g., the DarkPhone which has little arms to hold on to your ear so you can speak hands-free; his signature laugh: Mwah hah hah!, his ominous threats, e.g., TAKE HIM TO THE DUNGEONS, NOW, OR BY THE NINE HELLS I WILL EVISCERATE HIM WITH THE CLAW OF RIPPING DEATH! AND ANYONE ELSE IF THEY DON’T JUMP TO IT!

A Fiend in Need (Dark Lord) is packed with wildly imaginative potions, curses and inhabitants of the Darklands. The black and white drawings give extra insights, and there is also a map – a must for fantasy novels.

Will the Dark Lord’s evil nature be changed by his more peaceable companions? A third book in the series might reveal the answer, so hopefully it won’t be long before it arrives.

Whiffy Wilson, the wolf who wouldn’t wash

Whiffy Wilson, the wolf who wouldn’t wash by Caryl Hart,  illustrated by Leonie Lord (Orchard/Hachette)

HB RRP $24.99

ISBN 978 1 40830 918 6

Reviewed by Hilary Smillie

Caryl Hart’s rhyming story about a naughty wolf is witty and fun. Wilson refuses to take a bath and his fur and body is alive with creepy crawlies, ear wax and other unsavoury elements which contribute to his wiffiness. He has horrible habits of wiping his fingers on his clothes after eating and never changing his underwear.

Wilson’s mum roars at him to take a bath, but instead he runs away to the neighbour’s shed and spends the night, unwashed but happy, under a pile of coal sacks. His best friend, Dotty, comes in to the shed in the morning and shrieks at the smell. She thinks he is a monster, but when she discovers it is Wilson, she takes her smelly friend in hand. She drags him inside and drops him in a hot and soapy bath, then cleans him from head to foot.

They run out to play and become thoroughly grubby. Dotty explains there is a difference between good dirt which gets washed off in the tub each night, and bad dirt which is germy, smelly and can make you sick.

“That’s just perfect,” Wilson beamed.

“Being mucky is all right!

As long as I can have a bath

And wash it off at night!”

Caryl Hart has created a learning story all young children will relate to and enjoy. Leonie Lord has supported the amusing rhyming verse with crayon and wash illustrations which are simple but very effective. Whiffy Wilson is a great read for both parents and young children, and older brothers and sisters, too.