All of Us, A History of Southeast Asia

All of Us, A History of Southeast Asia by Jackie French and Virginia Hooker, illustrated by Mark Wilson (Angus & Robertson, an imprint of Harper Collins Children’s Books) HB RRP $29.99 ISBN 9781460750025 October, 2019

Reviewed by Karen Hendriks

All of Us, A History of Southeast Asia is a non-fiction picture book that covers the history of the land masses of Southeast Asia. It is a very detailed and informative picture book that has been carefully and meticulously compiled about our mysterious Asian lands. I particularly like the fact that the book covers our part of the world from an Australian perspective, not a European one and that it celebrates the diversity of the different lands in Southeast Asia and their cultures and history. Australia is an interwoven part of southeast Asia and we are all connected.

The text is easy to follow, and the illustrations are simply stunning with the use of lots of lush greens and blues and browns of the lands. Each spread incorporates a striking illustration with a timeline and poetry that sings. Mark Wilson’s illustrations showcase and capture each land by bringing to life the lands, people, customs and the weather. They encourage the reader to explore the history and interconnection of us all. Wilson also brings in a geographical aspect to each land and its people. This picture book could easily be a coffee table book with its stunning illustrations by an award-winning illustrator. The paintwork and detail are second to none and the human face is captured so well.

The book’s 48 pages are appealing to both adults and children alike and will be a valuable resource for teachers as it can be used in a classroom to great effect. The book starts at 200,000,000 BC when Gondwanaland is one huge landmass in the southern hemisphere and then in sections it goes through one land at a time, with an era of its history and how it’s linked to all of us in Southeast Asia. We are all connected by the winds and tides that create our weather.

This picture book has much to offer any reader aged 8 years and over.

The Great Lizard Trek

The Great Lizard Trek by Felicity Bradshaw and illustrated by Norma MacDonald. Non-Fiction Picture Book. RRP $24.99   ISBN: 9781486308828

Reviewed by Vanessa Ryan-Rendall 

Written by Felicity Bradshaw and illustrated by Norma MacDonald, an Aboriginal Yamatji artist, The Great Lizard Trek is an excellent addition to the science, geography and sustainability curriculum in classrooms. It is also a wonderful book for family homes where nature lovers will delight in looking at the detailed illustrations, the maps and the reasons why we need to care more for the world we live in.

The Great Lizard Trek takes us on a journey from the north to the south coast of Western Australia. Along this journey we meet the different types of lizards who live in this part of the world and learn their indigenous name and the indigenous country they come from. Not only do we learn about these lizards we also learn that they are having to move from the places they have always lived because of climate change. Many lizards cannot cope well with extreme heat, lack of water, too much water or lack of shelter. And we often forget that reptiles play just as an important role in the ecosystem as mammals and marsupials do – not as cute and cuddly so they just don’t get the attention.

We learnt a lot about different lizards and were especially surprised by goannas and how important temperature was for the development of their eggs. If the eggs get too hot all the babies will be girls, and this is a big problem for the future.

The Great Lizard Trek is a book you can read in one sitting or one you can take your time with, drawing on information, flipping to the maps included at the back and the front of the books and doing a bit of your own extra research. The story is engaging, as are the lizard characters we meet. The dialogue between the characters adds lots of fun to these reptiles that often get ignored!

Norma MacDonald’s illustrations are highly detailed and the background for each lizard is a reminder of where they live and the conditions in which they live.

Reptiles are amazing creatures that live in Australia – and we have so many of them. This book is a great wake up call for all readers to see how human actions are having huge ramifications on the animal world.

Luckily for these lizards the outcome seems to be good – but will it always stay this way? Will there be a part two? I’m not sure if the part two will be as positive.

The Great Lizard Trek is an excellent book to discuss climate change from a different angle, various reptiles and to learn more about indigenous language, culture and country.

Review can also be found online here: https://educateempower.blog/2018/07/16/the-great-lizard-trek-by-felicity-bradshaw-and-norma-macdonald/

Vanessa Ryan-Rendall is a teacher-librarian (St Mark’s, Drummoyne) and a gifted educator (Sydney CEO Gifted Education) 

Book reviews, links to literacy and ideas to create globally conscious children can be found on http://www.educateempower.com.au 

Australia Illustrated

Australia Illustrated written and illustrated by Tania McCartney (EK Books)

HB RRP $29.99   ISBN 979-1-925335-21-7

Reviewed by Elizabeth Vercoe

A gorgeous textured hardcover book, Australia Illustrated is ‘the ultimate visual reference guide to all things Aussie,’ from award-winning author Tania McCartney.

My review copy has been thumbed through and appreciated by teens and toddlers alike. It’s clever, funny and terribly engaging. Special mention must be made of the list of Aussie slang words which beg to be spoken aloud.  

This non-fiction picture book will appeal to the child in everyone. It’s a glorious mish-mash of facts, figures and curiosities beautifully wrapped with the ribbon of McCartney’s distinctive, colourful and endlessly fascinating illustration style. We are told that the pictures are made using watercolour, gouache, ink, mono-printing, digital art and filters. The overall design is colourful and dynamic, cheerfully whisking the reader from one idea to the next. 

There is so much in this book to love. And to ponder. It’s playful and whimsical – with the author’s enjoyment eminently apparent in textural images and visual stories. The pictures cleverly accentuate the text in some places and work as stand-alone observations in others.

I particularly enjoy being made to work a little. The ideas, images, fonts, layout, cultural icons, maps and events are laid out with charming appeal and quirky connections. Although there are predictable ‘patterns’ of structure, within these the surprises are endless. It’s delightful for instance, to discover (because readers of this book will make discoveries) that the icons which open each chapter, are cobbled together from an array of Australiana. The opera house has been constructed from chook feathers, for instance. The Harbour Bridge from coat hangers. And I’ll leave the big merino as a special surprise.

A picture-book that transcends traditional notions of age, gender and reading ability, I suspect that like the icons represented in its pages, Australia Illustrated will be celebrated for a long time to come.

Recently I made the bold claim that McCartney is well on the way to being a goddess of Australian children’s literature. This offering just about clinches the deal.  

A Texas Year

A Texas Year by Tania McCartney and Tina Snerling (EK Books)

RRP $19.99

ISBN 978-1-925335-06-4

Reviewed by Elizabeth Vercoe

Another in the wonderful series by Tania McCartney and Tina Snerling, A Texas Year takes young readers on a month-by-month journey through the festivals, events, games, sports, flora & fauna, quirky traditions and famous sights of Texas. Did you know that the armor-plated armadillo comes from Texas - and that Americans spell armor differently to the Australian ‘armour’? You do now.

Inside, richly populated double spreads take us into the lives of five diverse young characters. Here’s one:

Hola! I’m Luis and I’m 10. I was born in Mexico and came to Texas when I was 3. I grew up with horses and one day I want to ride in rodeos and play baseball for the Texas Rangers.

With endearing and distinctive illustrations, along with a smattering of fun facts and interesting anecdotes, this book will definitely have you smiling. Those who don’t reach for their ancient World Book Encyclopaedia volumes will no doubt visit Dr Google after reading A Texas Year.

A natural fit for boys and girls, the beauty of this series lies in the capacity of these books to incite wonder and pique curiosity. Reluctant readers too, will definitely find something here to interest and entertain.

A New York Year

A New York Year by Tania McCartney and Tina Snerling (EK Books)

RRP $19.99

ISBN 978-1-925335-07-1

Reviewed by Elizabeth Vercoe

Tania McCartney is something of a goddess when it comes to picture books and this latest offering confirms that she is still worthy of the title. Her crown is firmly wedged on.

We are Madison, Alexander, Fabian, Sofia, and Jayla – and we’re ready to take you on a journey through twelve months in the life of New York’s kids.

So begins A New York Year. To open this book is to be greeted by dozens of tiny vignettes in Snerling’s distinctive, colourful illustration style. These endpapers alone will have children (and adults) meandering happily for several minutes.

Set out as a month by month prospect, the reader is introduced to the characters and invited to follow individual children through their New York lives and seasons. It is dynamic and varied – with no actual ‘narrative’ as such, but rather a clever and current design which allows the reader to wander in their own direction, through a whole new and exciting world.

A New York Year is a book for poring over by alone or for sharing with a cuddle. It’s a book for throwing down on the couch while you run to Dad’s old DVD collection to return triumphantly clasping ‘Groundhog Day’. Or it’s a book that will elicit dinner time discussion about snowmen in our summer, and inspire wider conversations around the delights of challah or the meaning of the Statue of Liberty.

Geography, history, festivals, cultural difference, acceptance, inclusion, facts and figures – all are covered in this very entertaining and educational offering.