Meet Maia Blog Tour

Buzz Words is thrilled to be involved in the Meet Maia Blog Tour to celebrate Kiwi publisher Book Island's release of the amazingly gorgeous picture book Maia and What Matters by Tine Mortier and Kaatje Vermeire.



Buzz Words will feature an interview with Book Island's founder and publisher Greet Pauwelijn on November 15 and there will be the chance to WIN a copy of Maia and What Matters.

Click to read the Meet Maia full blog tour schedule and discover where to find reviews, interviews and giveaways. You can also follow Book Island on Facebook and sign up for their free newsletter.

Piglet and Granny

Piglet and Granny by Margaret Wild & Stephen Michael King (Working Title Press)

PB RRP $14.95

ISBN 9781921504204

Reviewed by Jenny Mounfield

First released a couple of years ago in hardback, this companion to CBC Notable Award winners: Piglet and Mamma and Piglet and Papa is now available in the more affordable full colour paperback.

Piglet loves nothing more than hanging out with Granny. Whenever Granny visits they have the best fun. But one day Piglet waits and waits and there’s no sign of Granny. While Piglet performs a number of feats Granny taught her, such as wobbling along walls and rolling down hills, a number of curious friends pass by and ask Piglet what she is doing.  ‘I’m waiting for her to visit,’ is Piglet’s stock response. After much waiting, and playing, Granny does, of course, come, and when she does she has a surprise in store for Piglet.

It’s easy to see why Wild has won numerous awards for her books. With such linguistic treats as this she is set to win many more:

‘Although Granny was soft and squishy, she was as lively as a family of leaping frogs. And she had such good ideas for things to do.’

King is no stranger to awards either. Most recently, Pocket Dogs Go On Holiday (Margaret Wild), Perry Angel’s Suitcase and Applesauce and the Christmas Miracle (both by Glenda Millard) have all attracted attention. In Piglet and Granny his illustrations are as always a perfect accompaniment to Wild’s narrative. His use of muted colours and a gentle style lend a wonderful innocence to the text. And as in all good picture books, the illustrations add an extra layer to the tale: As Piglet rolls and wobbles and leaps about, a succession of other small animals mimic her in the background.

Piglet and Granny is a timeless story that explores the special bond between children and their grandparents. A true delight, its success lies in its simplicity. Already a favourite of many children and grandparents, Piglet and Granny is set to win over many more fans with its second release. Highly recommended. In 2009 Margaret Hamilton awarded Piglet and Granny five stars in Bookseller & Publisher.

Jenny Mounfield is the author of three novels for kids: Storm Born (Koala Books), The Black Bandit (Lothian) and the recently released, The Ice-cream Man (Ford Street Publishing). She lives in north Brisbane with her husband and three children.

Adventures with Grandpa

Adventures with Grandpa by Rosemary Mastnak (hardie grant Egmont)

HB RRP $24.95

ISBN 9781921690761

Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

This poignant story is about relationships. It details the special bond formed between the old and the very young; between grandparent and grand child. Told in a simple but deep and meaningful way, it expresses the joys shared by older people and youngsters, and the valuable contribution each one can make to the other’s life.

For the boy, the destination is grandpa’s shed; that sacred, cluttered and complex shelter in which many youngsters learn, discover, and play; that mysterious dwelling full of ’forgotten things, things he wants to save’.

The boy accompanied by his dog, goes in search of grandpa to this private place. ‘It is like a magic cave!’ Each visit is a tactile and sensory journey of discovery, a new adventure. Some smells he recognizes; others are new. Amongst the rubber tyres, empty buckets, old cupboards, plant pots, watering cans, mowers and catchers, and planks of wood, something valuable is hiding.

The tree isn’t just a tree. Tie a rope and add a rubber tyre and a swing for young and old appears. The boy dreams of the next great creation as he looks at the tool box. An old steering wheel and some metal sheeting equals a racing car. The old bath tub can become a sailing craft. An old tin plus umbrella and old iron roofing become a rocket to the moon for ‘the dog, the chook, grandpa and me’. They can battle dragons together, or convert an old basket into a floating balloon. Nothing is impossible for the two mates. Or they can keep swinging until dinner time.

Illustrated in soft, warm watercolours, the full-page pictures are detailed and alive. The text is minimal and large and the grey instead of black print blends well with the fading shades of background colour, but also stands well alone against the white page. You can almost touch the articles on the shelves, pat the dog, or wind the string that hangs from the boy’s arm.

Pictures from inside the book have been reproduced on both front and back covers. They reveal the joy that the two characters share as they revel in each other’s company. Well thought-out and perfectly executed, the illustration are in perfect union with the text and this is one picture book that will be enjoyed over and over again. It comes highly recommended by the reviewer.