Nellie Belle

Nellie Belle by Mem Fox (Scholastic Australia)

HB RRP $19.99

ISBN 978-1-76027-410-8

Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Nellie Belle is an adventurous dog who likes to have fun in the yard, on the street and at the beach. She loves to meet people and other animals. But maybe not all animals...

Children will happily follow the wanderings of such a cute puppy dog and relate to the places and actions.

A lovely rhythmical tale, full of repetition, this story is perfect for the very young and reading aloud.

Is it fun in the street,

Nellie Belle, Nellie Belle?

Is it fun in the street,

Nellie Belle?

The illustrations are playful and full of bright colours and happy faces. Although there is variety in the sizes of the pictures, the layout too follows a repetitive pattern, with a clue as to what is coming up next. This helps to build anticipation.

I especially love that after the climax the story unwinds, going back on itself until Nellie Belle is back where she started -- at home. This helps to make it just right for reading at bedtime.

Nellie Belle is a new book by Mem Fox, a highly respected and award- winning picture book author and is based on a beloved pet Fox once had.

Dinosaur Disco

Dinosaur Disco by Deborah Kelly, illustrated by Daron Parton (Random House)

HB RRP $24.99

ISBN 978-0-85798-136-3

Reviewed by Jaquelyn Muller

I can easily see a run of dinosaur onesies flying off the shelves, as kindergartens and foundation classes stage their own dinosaur discos, thanks to this fun, rhythmic story by Deborah Kelly and Daron Parton.

I can’t imagine trying to work tricky dinosaur names into a flowing, engaging rhyme, but Kelly has created an entertaining and educational text that will delight younger readers.

The fully bled pages of illustrations by Parton beautifully represent each dinosaur character. The bright textural pages delightfully place them in a social scene that assists with understanding dinosaur characteristics like size, diet and physical attributes. 

Kelly has understood this age group’s love of music and movement by creating a disco setting, allowing for humorous images involving flared pants, gold chains and polyester shirts, now thankfully as extinct as the animals wearing them. The facts at the end of the book will make this a great addition to classrooms and give plenty of opportunities for further learning and discovery.

Clear, large text makes the rhyme easy to read among the rich bright palette of aubergine, orange, green and red and the sprinkling of light across each page keeps us under the ‘mirror ball’ throughout the book.

Deborah Kelly’s previous titles include The Bouncing Ball, Jam for Nana and Haiku Journey. She will be releasing Ruby Wishfingers in 2016 with Wombat Books. Daron Parton’s alphabet book Alligator in an Anorak was released in October 2014.