My Mum is a Magician

My Mum is a Magician by Damon Young, illustrated by Peter Carnavas (UQP)

HB RRP $24.95  ISBN 9780702259944

Reviewed by Brook Tayla

This book is filled with fun and frivolity from beginning to end and is sure to delight pre-school children. It is full of amazing Mums in diverse and unusual roles who get up to all sorts of antics both in the workplace and at home. The main Mum is a magician and will keep children wondering how mothers just seem to know what’s going on – even when you think they’re not looking!

The rhyming text is well written, making the flow an easy out-loud read. The illustrations are funny and will have children laughing.  There are a lot of animal characters to discover on each page and they are placed in very comedic situations.

This is a light-hearted, fun book that is the latest release in the family series: My Sister is a Superhero, My Pop is a Pirate, My Brother is a Beast and My Nanna is a Ninja. I predict that Dad will be next and wonder what he will get up to !

This would be a great book to share with young children. I can imagine teachers using this for Mothers Day prompts or discussions about mothers.

Brook Tayla writes a picture book review blog at telltalestome@wordpress.com and would love you to drop by, read some reviews, leave a comment and subscribe.  Brook also offers editing services for beginning and emerging writers.

Rock Pool Secrets

Rock Pool Secrets by Narelle Oliver (Walker Books) HB RRP $24.99 ISBN 9781922179357

Reviewed by Ashling Kwok

Lift the flaps and discover the amazing hidden treasures hiding in the rock pools. At first glance there is nothing much to see but rock pools are full of secrets that only the most observant eyes will uncover.

These gorgeous creatures can hide away in crevices and seaweed, and often go unnoticed camouflaged against the rocks. Take a peak under the flaps and see how many marvels of the sea you can find. 

Readers will be introduced to a selection of creatures which live in rock pools. Get acquainted with the colourful crabs, tiny shrimp, sea slugs, goby fish and turban snails showcased in this lovely book.

Rock Pool Secrets features beautiful linocut artwork by award-winning author/illustrator Narelle Oliver. The colour palette is bright and will appeal to young readers while the big, easy-to-use flaps will ensure that even the youngest of readers will be able to get involved.

Play peak-a-boo with the sea creatures or have fun counting the number of creatures you can find on each page. This book offers hours of endless fun for parents and children to share.

The text is clear and simple to read, making it suitable for children aged 4 years and over. There is also a glossary with information about the different creatures found in rock pools which makes this book a wonderful educational resource for both school and home use.

Rock Pool Secrets is an engaging and entertaining book and is highly recommended.

Bear Wants to Know

Bear Wants to Know by Donna Gibbs and illustrated by Janet Trotta (CREMORNE1.COM) PB RRP $14.99

ISBN: 978-0-945628-2-1

Reviewed by Dianne Bates

This picture book, for 2 to 5 year olds, tells the simple story of curious Harriet and her Bear who asks lots of questions. Harriet invents a game to play with her family so she and Bear can find answers together. The text and illustrations work happily together, so when Harriet says, ‘Bear wants to know what’s far away, Dad,’ her father takes the three of them into the night sky. In a double-page spread Harriet and Bear are in space-suits floating among stars while Dad watches from a rocket ship.

Most of the pages use lots of white space such as when Harriet by Gran to see something that’s tiny and she and Bear are wheeled in a barrow to see some ladybirds. Harriet also investigates concepts such as ‘deep’, ‘huge’ and ‘tall’ with loving relatives showing her. However, when Harriet changes the rules, she finds she is the one with an important question to answer.

Small children will enjoy reading and re-reading this book with their loved ones. The illustrations, in ink line and watercolour wash, are charming and the text’s print size is just right. Both author and illustrator are Australian. The book is available for $14.99 post free from donnagibbsbooks.com

Brave

Brave by Lynn Jenkins, illustrated by Kirrili Lonergan (Little Steps Publishing) PB RRP $16.95

ISBN: 9781925117844

Reviewed by Anne Hamilton

Vibrant red and white loops of colour straddle the pages of this bright, cheerful book which encourages children to use their imagination to find their BRAVE. Loppy and Curly are two zany characters with a dilemma: Loppy is scared just thinking about going to school while Curly has his work cut out for him getting Loppy to put on his BRAVE suit and face his fears.

The principles in this book are aimed at helping parents who have anxious children, especially those in the 3–6 year old category. Going to bed in the dark, weathering a storm, speaking in class, making new friends, fronting up at school… all these can be nerve-wracking events for children. Loppy and Curly are here to show how to find the BRAVE hidden inside.

Granny, Wait for Me!

Granny, Wait for Me! by Sarah Owens, illustrated by Anil Tortop (Little Steps Publishing)

PB RRP $16.95

ISBN: 9781925117400

Reviewed by Anne Hamilton

The exuberant, lively illustrations spring off the page in vibrant, crisp colour.

This story of an energetic granny is so spirited and enthusiastic that I feel exhausted just looking at the small boy valiantly trying to keep up as his granny displays her cycling prowess!

It’s a rhyming story but, unlike many offerings for this age group, the rhyme stays workably simple. This gives the story a deceptively effortless and easy pace.

A boy is visited by his grandmother who takes him out for the day. This is not a granny who stays home and sips tea: she does wheelies, tricks and spins on her bike, loops-the-loop on the playground swing and sizzles down the slide.

This fun book for preschoolers is fabulously enhanced by the gorgeous and dynamic illustrations. 

My Dad is a Giraffe

My Dad is a Giraffe by Stephen Michael King (Scholastic Press)

HB RRP $16.99

ISBN 978-1-74362-594-1

Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

All Dads are different. Maybe your Dad is tall, and gentle, and fun. Maybe your Dad is a giraffe.

My Dad is a Giraffe, an imaginative and whimsical story about a boy and his Dad, is a new picture book from well loved Australian author Stephen Michael King.  His illustrations, some simple, some more detailed, have small surprises for those who look closely. They are colourful, but not bright, giving the book a gentle feel. Full of quiet humour, the pictures clearly show the bond between child and parent and the joy they have in each other’s company.

The text is simple and varied. Some pages have a few sentences on them, some have only a few words, but all roll off the tongue beautifully. My Dad protects me, listens to my fears and helps me feel brave.

This is a picture book where words and pictures make perfect sense together. Or you could look just at the pictures, or listen to the words only.

This is a lovely tribute to Dads. Most children – and parents – will relate to the concepts within the story and the imagination through which they are delivered. Wonderful to read out loud, it is a book which should stand the test of many bedtime repetitions.

Zoo Train

Zoo Train by Sally Sutton, illustrated by Daron Parton (Walker Books)

HC RRP $ 24.95

ISBN 9781922179876

Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

This is a humorous rhyming and rhythmic sing-song tale of a trip through the zoo on a train. The family has brought a picnic lunch with popcorn, juice, and cake. It’s a cold day but that doesn’t matter. Everyone is rugged up.

It’s all so exciting passing through the different areas, seeing all the big animals in their environment. The train goes past a monkey’s cage being cleaned out by the keepers. Have they shut the cage door properly?

Water falls on the boy’s head. His ears are cold. It seems to be snowing but only on him.  Why if he’s wearing a hat?  They have reached their destination and everyone gets out. His pants seem too big. They won’t stay up. What’s going on?

It’s time for a snack. The lunch bag is empty! The food is not the only thing missing. They go back the way they came in search of the missing items. The animals are enjoying the picnic lunch, wearing the boy’s hat, scarf and belt. Who and where is the culprit?

This simply has to be read aloud. The sounds and rhythm move to a musical beat. The illustrations in mixed media are striking and the characters’ expressions speak for themselves. Young readers will love listening to this, while following the pictures and guessing who the guilty animal is. There is so much to see on every page. It’s a visual feast ideal for readers 3+ years.

 

I Don't Like Koala

I Don't Like Koala by Sean Ferrell, Illustrated by Charles Santoso (Scholastic Australia)

HB RRP $24.99

ISBN 978-1-74276-149-7

Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Adam has a problem. He does not like Koala. But no-one will listen to him so Adam has to solve this problem all by himself. How can he get rid of Koala?

''Adam puts Koala away.

Away is a lot of different places.'

I Don’t like Koala addresses a universal childhood problem - an unwanted gift, the stuffed toy that will not stop staring. It is the language of the text, the illustrations and the subtle humour which transforms this seemingly straight forward tale into a highly entertaining and fun story.

The illustrations are fabulous. They are soft and matte which keeps the tone light. Even the dark is blues and purples rather than black. Koala is not made to look menacing. He has the same expression all the way through the story. It is Adam's face which reveals the terribleness of Koala. And Adam is a very expressive boy, his face tells the story.

This story is fun to read with an unexpected twist at the end to make every parent smile.