Koalas, Kites and Kangaroos

Koalas, Kites and Kangaroos by David Ridyard, illustrations by Doreen Gristwood (Scholastic Australia)
PB RRP $15.99
ISBN 978-1-74283-872-4
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Koalas, Kites and Kangaroos is a beautifully simple alphabet book for the very young. With only a few words on each page, children can find pictures to match in the softly painted pages, filled with Australian animals having fun.

The illustrations are beautiful. Their gentle nature encourages slow contemplation. Each illustration is a complete scene which highlights two letters of the alphabet. Parts of these pictures spill out over the constructed borders which hold the words - they cannot be contained - bringing the animals to life. There are a few extra pictures to be spotted on some pages (there is a list at the end of the story), but these are kept to a minimum and the book is not overwhelming for young children.

The words chosen to illustrate each letter are ones which can be easily understood and visualised by young children, moon, vegemite, footprint, quilt, and are printed in large clear writing.

Subtitled An Australian Alphabet Book, Koalas, Kites and Kangaroos is thoughtfully and attractively laid out. There is a verse filled with really fun alliteration at the start, enticing the reader to begin the alphabet journey. Then another to close the book which creates a sense of completion (even though it invites the reader to look at the pages again) which alphabet books rarely do.

Koalas, Kites and Kangaroos is a very enjoyable alphabet book.

Smooch and Rose

Smooch and Rose by Samantha Wheeler (University of Queensland Press)
PB RRP $14.95
ISBN 9780 7022 4986 0
Reviewed by Jo Antareau

Who can resist a story about a baby koala? Orphan Smooch is rescued from dogs by Rose and her grandmother. But Rose is denied every girl’s dream of keeping a cuddly koala as a pet because he needs to be looked after by a trained carer. Despite her resentment, Rose forges a friendship with his carer and follows Smooch’s progress as he thrives and is eventually released. Rose is delighted when he makes his home on some trees in her family farm.

But Rose’s world is far from rosy. She too is an orphan, still grieving her parents, and struggling to fit-in with the snooty girls at her school.  Her grandmother cannot afford to keep the family farm going and it is soon sold to developers.

Rose will have to move away from the only home she has ever known and live in the city. But even worse, Smooch lives in the very trees that are slated for clearing by the developers.  And the developers do not seem to care about a small girl and her beloved koala.

This book is about having the courage to stand up for what is right. Although hardly able to deal with the bullies at school, Rose needs to find a voice to speak up for Smooch.

This is Wheeler’s first book, and she has written a lovely tale for anybody who cares about the welfare of our native fauna – and whose heart melts at the thought of cuddling a koala.

The Koala Bounces Back

The Koala Bounces Back by Jimmy Thomson and illustrated by Eric Lobbecke (Random House)

HB RRP $19.95

ISBN 978-1-7427-5007-1

Reviewed by Oliver Phommavanh

The Koala Bounces Back is the cheerful sequel to The Koala Who Bounced. Karri the bouncing koala is settling into his new home when he’s disturbed by a gang of moggies. They’re dumped domestic cats creating havoc with the native wildlife. Karri tries to convince them to go but the cats challenge him and his bush friends to a soccer match. If the cats win, they stay.

Karri stars in another funny story with a distinct Australian favour. Karri finds the cats a new home and it’s ripe for discussion about feral and stray cats in the wild. Lobbecke nails each animal, giving them human features that make them stand out. His experience as a cartoonist shines throughout. The gang of moggies look like bikies and the bush animals in their soccer gear is a hoot. But Karri’s expressions steal the book. Readers will love this crazy koala.

The narrative is playful and the pictures capture the quirky tone of the book. The Koala Bounces Back is a delight to read aloud, again and again. Bring on the next Karri adventure! Recommended for ages 5 and up.    

Riley and the Curious Koala

Riley and the Curious Koala: a journey around Sydney by Tania McCartney, illustrations by Kieron Pratt (Tania McCartney Press)
PB RRP $16.99
ISBN 9780980475036
Reviewed by Vicki Stanton
www.buzzwordsmagazine.com

One rainy day Riley stares out the window and watches the clouds roll across the sky making all sorts of shapes. Granny says it looks like the city of Sydney but Riley spies a koala among the "gaggle of buildings". Fascinated, he flies off to Sydney in his fabulous red bi-plane to search out the koala.

McCartney's imaginative text complements her exceptional black-and-white photography of Sydney at its finest. Riley flies past many iconic Sydney landmarks including  the harbour, the beaches, The Rocks, Circular Quay with its ferries, Luna Park, Strand Arcade, Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge as he searches for the elusive koala. Finally he finds the koala sound asleep nestled in a tree at Taronga Zoo. And it is no wonder the koala is exhausted. Children will find it hilarious that throughout Riley's journey, the koala is climbing and snorkelling and getting into all kinds of adventures but Riley fails to spot him.

Pratt's brightly coloured illustrations inject movement and draw the eye across the page. Panda, Lion and Dragon, Riley's friends from the previous two titles, add humour and that touch of companionship to make Riley's journey a shared journey.

From the embossed cover to the illustrated endpapers, Riley and the Curious Koala is beautifully presented and would make a wonderful gift. A percentage of the proceeds of sales will also be donated to the Australian Koala Foundation