The Everywhere Bear

The Everywhere Bear by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Rebecca Cobb (Pan Macmillan) HC RRP $ 24.99  ISBN 9781447280736

Reviewed by Ramona Davey

As an aspiring writer, Julia Donaldson’s new book The Everywhere Bear is my new favourite picture book.  As a trained primary teacher the subject is obvious and I can only wonder how this hadn’t been done before. Every preschool or kindy class has a bear that gets shared around week by week by each child and this is the tale in Everywhere Bear.

As the cleverly written rhyming text explains:

          The Everywhere Bear has a home on a shelf

          But he doesn’t spend very much time by himself.

          For each boy and girl in the class is a friend

          And he goes home with one of them every weekend.

Despite this, Everywhere Bear gets lost and goes to more places than he expected. The reader will follow his journey wondering if the bear will ever make it back to class.

Rebecca Cobb’s child-like watercolour and pencil crayon style illustrations make the perfect match for Julia Donaldson’s text. Rebecca and Julia have teamed up before with their book Paper Dolls if you wish to see more of their collaborations.

As a mentor text for rhyming writers, this picture book reads with ease and is worth studying.

The Everywhere Bear is perfect for the 3-6 year old that has looked forward to taking home the class bear. It covers the themes of loss, sharing and caring for a much loved toy.

Ottoline and the Purple Fox by Chris Riddell (Pan Macmillan Australia)

RRP $19.95 ISBN 978-1-4472-7792-7

Reviewed by Ramona Davey

The moment I saw this book I could not help myself but to touch its beautiful hardback cover and turn it over to study the ornately gold decorated spine. It is a beautiful book to look at and hold.

Ottoline and the Purple Fox is the fourth book in the series about a young girl Ottoline and her companion, the strange hairy Mr Munroe. Together they have adventures as Ottoline’s parents travel the world seeking to find interesting objects to add to their ever-growing collection.

In this book Ottoline organises a dinner party. Guests get an unusual invitation that tells them what to wear. The reader gets one, too. This is a great idea. The book is full of ways to encourage the reader to interact with the story. Labels are scattered throughout the pages.  And the games played at the party are the type that the reader could try out with his or her own friends, for example:

Truth or Stair: Tell a true story or climb the stairs

Or

Pillow Island Hopping: Jump from pillow to pillow without touching the floor.

The book is heavily illustrated and there is so much to see, so many tiny details to stop and look at in Chris Riddells’s intricate drawings. The illustrations are in very thin black pen with the odd splash of purple. There are menus to browse, lists to check, poems to ponder and Ottoline’s notes to read.

There are lots of references to Chris Riddell’s other books within the illustrations so the reader can check out his other stories.

The book is a great fast read and can be read in one sitting. It is ideal for 8-10 year olds.

The Detective Dog

The Detective Dog by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Sara Ogilvie (Pan Macmillan)

HC RRP $ 24.99

ISBN 9781509801596

Reviewed by Ramona Davey

What can I say? Julia Donaldson does it again. The Detective Dog is a fun read aloud rhyming picture book about a dog that always has his nose on the job, even if it is wondering, “Who did the poo on the new gravel path?” or “How did the spider get into the bath?”

Detective dog Nell also likes to listen to children read stories to him at his owner 6-year-old Pete’s school. Until all the books go missing one day. Detective dog could smell something was up.

All is solved in the end when they discover the book thief just loved reading books and only meant to borrow them and it seems he had no idea about libraries. This part of the story felt a bit odd for me as an adult but kids may think this is strange.

Children will love following the dog that is following his nose throughout the book in the colourful watercolour and pencil crayon illustrations by Sara Ogilvie. The classroom scene and the double page library scene are my favourites as is the chase through the town. There is so much to see on each page.

As a mentor text for rhyming writers this reads with ease and is worth studying.

Detective Dog is perfect for the 3-6 year old detectives.

Grover McBane: rescue Dog – Book 1 Grover finds a home

Grover McBane: rescue Dog – Book 1 Grover finds a home By Claire Garth (Piccolo Nero)

RRP $12.99

ISBN 978-1-86395-813-4

Reviewed by Ramona Davey

I don’t have a dog but I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Grover is a very lovable character. His owner mistreats him. You don’t read about the mistreatment but you get a very good sense that Grover has had a tough time. He is a bag of nerves and very hungry. When he escapes, he gets picked up and taken to an animal shelter, which we know as readers, is a good thing. But Grover doesn’t know that. All he sees is unfamiliar territory and the possibility of being sent back to his horrible owner.

I love the way the author Claire Garth has let us in to Grover’s mind in her writing. We feel his fears and ultimately joy.

This book is the first in a series. I am not sure if they have to be read in order but this one is definitely a great place to start.

Throughout the book there are realistic black and white sketches by Johannes Leak, which are a perfect choice for this story.

An enjoyable chapter book with a heart-warming story for 7-9 year olds or anyone who likes to read about rescued animals.

It’s a little baby

It’s a little baby by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Rebecca Cob (Pan Macmillan)

HC RRP $ 14.99

ISBN 9781447251811

Reviewed by Ramona Davey

A while back I reviewed What The Ladybird Heard Next by Julia Donaldson and loved it. So I jumped at the chance to review another book by this super author.

Julia Donaldson is a master at rhyme and It’s a little baby is another example of her talent. Each page of this board book starts with the words, “Somebody’s hiding. I wonder who.” The repeated phrase will fill the reader with anticipation and encourage them to make their own predictions.

They will have great fun lifting the flap to find a baby behind a pile of washing or hidden in the grass and see what they are doing. They may be waving, peeping or dancing for you. The rhyming text longs to be acted out.

Rebecca Cobb has illustrated the book in a wonderful child-like fashion with a soft and gentle colour palette using watercolour paints and pencil crayons. Apart from trying to find the baby, there are also lots of animals to spot and other little details typical of a toddler’s life.

This is the perfect book for toddlers who love to sing and dance.

If you want to find out how the tune goes for the song you can follow the directions on the back of the book.

Midnight colouring – Anti-stress Art Therapy For Sleepless Nights

Midnight Colouring – Anti-stress Art Therapy For Sleepless Nights illustrated by Kate Larsen (Pan Macmillan)

RRP $19.99

ISBN 9780752265926

Reviewed by Ramona Davey

The moment I saw this book available for review I jumped at the chance. My insomnia comes and goes with no rhyme or reason. There is no knowing how long each new bout will last -- one bad night or a couple of sleeplessness nights or four nights with as little as three consecutive hours of sleep. I have tried getting up, walking around the house, herbal teas, meditation but I had not tried a colouring book before.

Anyone who has walked into a book shop or even a newsagency recently will see how popular this kind of book is at the moment. And it is no wonder why: they are therapeutic.

One night when it was getting late and the family had all fallen asleep, I was still wide awake. I could feel the familiar sensation of anxiety rising in my chest at the possibility of another night with no sleep. So I got out the family box of textas and began to colour in. I chose a page with a row of cute little houses, bushes and trees. I stopped thinking about the outside world and began to concentrate on the colour scheme I wanted to use for the buildings. Yawn.  Then I wondered, did I want the trees to be autumn colours or summer? Yawn.  And were they brown dirt tracks or grey roads curving across the page? Yawn. My mind had relaxed. My eyelids were getting heavy. It had worked!

The second time I coloured in a wonderful under-the-water scene while I listened to a writers’ podcast. Then one night I caught my 10 year old daughter colouring in a page. So it suits all ages. The biggest surprise of all was its size. It fits perfectly into a handbag.

This great little book is filled with hand-drawn illustrations that long to be coloured in. Some are single page and others are double page spreads.

I had as much fun colouring them in as illustrator Kate Larson must have had designing and drawing each page.

I look forward to colouring in the whale page next. J

Laugh Your Head Off

Laugh Your Head Off – Funny stories for all kinds of kids by Andy Griffiths, Andrew Daddo, Frances Watts, Sam Bowring, Randa Abdel-Fattah, James O’Loghlin, Judith Rossell, Tristan Banks and Lollie Barr (Pan Macmillan Australia)

RRP$19.99

ISBN 978-1-74353-787-9

Reviewed by Ramona Davey

Imagine a book full of stories from all of your favourite funny Australian authors. That is what this anthology, Laugh Your Head Of, offers.

Here are nine funny stories that include a robot programmed to put his sister’s head in the toilet, a grandpa who keeps getting one-up on his grandson, a talking rock that manages rock stars, a café owner who likes his café dirty to keep the customers away, a boy whose silly face got stuck in the wind (well his mum did warn him), a boy who wants revenge on his teacher, an over-enthusiastic fairy, a plan to nit infest the whole school and a space mission with five kids, a monkey and some strange visitors.

The comic-styled three colour illustrations by Andrea Innocent are scattered throughout the book breaking up the text for those readers who might find too many words daunting.

The bonus about one book with many short stories is that you can read one in a night. This is a fun-filled chapter book for primary aged children aged six years and above.

My big fat Zombie Goldfish – Jurassic Carp

My big fat Zombie Goldfish – Jurassic Carp By Mo O’Hara (Pan Macmillan)

RRP $9.99

ISBN 9781447263838

Reviewed by Ramona Davey

What is there not to love about two boys and their zombie goldfish having to attend a medieval day? Throw in two evil older brothers with a suspicious plan and an evil kitten, a rogue knight and a scientist with the name Dr McDoom!

Each chapter, filled with mystery, disaster and hope ends with an intriguing question or cliff hanger urging the reader to turn the page.

This is number six of a series based on Frankie the big fat zombie goldfish who loves to eat green things, and his owner Tom who could tell you five reasons why it is good to dress up as a peasant. To find out how Frankie became a big fat Zombie goldfish read one of the previous titles.

There is a surprising twist at the end and this highlights how you must not judge a doctor by her name or a Jurassic fish by its grumpy face!

The digital comic style illustrations, in black and white throughout the text are great for those readers that enjoy visual aspects to reading or find too much text confronting and off putting.

A humorous chapter book for 6-9 year olds or anyone who likes to read about zombie or Jurassic animals.

What the Ladybird Heard Next

What the Ladybird Heard Next by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Lydia Monks (Pan Macmillan)

HC RRP $ 24.99

ISBN 9781447275954

Reviewed by Ramona Davey

The bright colours of the front cover will catch your eyes and on closer inspection the glitter, spread throughout the book, will make it hard not to touch, especially by little ones as they follow the ladybird’s journey throughout the book.

This is a fun rhyming sequel to ‘What the ladybird heard,’ where Hefty Hugh and Lanky Len have been let out of jail and are up to no good again.

‘Each morning all the eggs had gone.

And the animals asked, “What’s going on?”

“I’ll find out,” said the ladybird.

So she flew and she flew, and she saw and she heard.

Children will love trying to spot the little ladybird on each page as she helps all the farm animals outwit Hefty Hugh and Lanky Len.

Jammed packed with rhyming words, adjectives and onomatopoeia, this is a great text that teachers will want to use in class.

As a mentor text for writers this is word-heavy and in rhyme but Julia Donaldson is a master at this craft. It reads with ease and is worth studying.

The story, with its lyrical text, speaks of teamwork and creative thinking. Lydia Monk’s skill in creating an eye-catching picture book with its fun illustrations in a mixture of collage and paint means there is so much to see and discuss on each page. It’s perfect for the 3-6 year age groups.