Month: February 2014

Dance Like a Pirate by Stephanie Owen Reeder

Let’s dance like a pirate sailing the seas,

Bobbing about like a boat in a breeze.

So hands on your hips, then heel and toe,

Jig across the deck – here we go!

Raise your knees up very high

And slap your hands upon your thighs,

Then fold your arms across your chest.

You are the boldest and the best!

Yo, ho, ho! Let’s Dance!

Let’s dance like a pirate sailing the seas,

Bobbing about like a boat in a breeze.

So hands on your hips, then heel and toe,

Jig across the deck – here we go!

 

Raise your knees up very high

And slap your hands upon your thighs,

Then fold your arms across your chest.

You are the boldest and the best!

 

Yo, ho, ho! Let’s Dance!

 

Dance Like a Pirate offers rhymes which incorporate guidelines for dance moves. As well as the pirate dance of the title there are dances/poses for fairies, dancers, firefighters and superheroes. Each opening offers a rhyme, an illustration of a boy and a girl striking a pose or showing a dance move. A flap on each opening reveals a further dance position/move. The last two openings offer a reprise of the included rhymes and photo references to National Library of Australia photographs of performers dancing and posing as different characters. Colours are full page with most of the text set in white pages on the opening.

Dance Like a Pirate would be a welcome addition to classroom resources and home libraries. Each opening offers costumes and rhymes that can be used in a variety of ways. The dances etc could be used as a basis for movement activities or as a basis for exploration of different groups in history and society. Costumes are shown but for most, it is the body movements that demonstrate most. There is room for interpretation – eg the opening featuring royalty doesn’t specify which culture the royalty are part of, and could form the basis for discussion about leadership in different cultures. At its simplest, this is a book about dancing, but it has the potential to be much more. Recommended for classrooms and home libraries and young singers and dancers who would like some direction in their performance!

Dance Like a Pirate

Dance Like a Pirate, Stephanie Owen Reader NLA Publishing 2013 ISBN: 9780642277794

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Available from good bookstores or online.

Clumsy Duck by Britta Teckentrup

Clumsy Duck was very clumsy.

She had just fallen over … again!

Not a day went by without her

Stumbling, tripping or falling.

It was very frustrating!

Clumsy Duck was very clumsy.

She had just fallen over … again!

Not a day went by without her

Stumbling, tripping or falling.

It was very frustrating!

Clumsy Duck is … well … clumsy. She falls down constantly. Despite the reassurances of her friend Chick, it’s starting to get her down. She’s not sure she will ever be anything but clumsy. When she gets muddy, Chick encourages Duck to clean off in the pond. On the way, Chick realises that Duck has very big feet. The pair speculate there must be something that Duck is good at. But it isn’t running and it isn’t perching. But when Duck trips again, and falls into the pond, they discover just what it is that Duck does well. Illustrations appear to be a mix of sponge paint and digital and are full of extras, including insects and a range of leaves and flowers in simple shapes – even Duck’s feathers seem to be stencilled or printed on.

Clumsy Duck is a take on the ‘Ugly Duckling’ tale but adapted for the very young. Young children will empathise with Duck as she trips her way through the pages and they’ll cheer for her as she finds her place. There is much to be celebrated too in the friendship with Chick, who despite being less comfortable on the water, joins her friend as Duck explores her extended world. Images are uncluttered and often set in white space for maximum impact, and the styles of illustration used could easily be adapted for use in art activities. Recommended for pre- and early-schoolers.

 

Clumsy Duck, Britta Teckentrup Koala Books 2013 ISBN: 9781742760353

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Available from good bookstores or online.

The Grace Stories, by Sofie Laguna

Pegasus looked so thin and hungry. If he had food in his belly, perhaps he would have the strength to pull the cart. That way the cab driver wouldn’t take him to be butchered.
She crossed the road, dodging carts and carriages and men pushing barrows, back to the man selling fruit. Without waiting to make sure his back was turned, or his attention elsewhere, she grabbed three apples, tossed them into her kettle and dived back into the traffic.

It is 1808 and Grace’s life is hard. She spends her days as a mudlark, sifting through the muddy bottom of the Thames in search of anything her cruel uncle can sell. Her only pleasure in life is a horse called Pegasus who she visits when she can. But when Pegaus’s life is in danger, Grace takes a terrible risk, and soon is sentenced to transportation to Australia.

Previously published as four separate books in the Our Australian Girl series, The Grace Stories traces Grace’s adventures in London, on the journey to Australia, and as she makes a new life in the colony.

Bound in hardcover with a magnetic clasp, this is a sturdy collectable edition which will delight history-loving readers.

 

Book Cover: Our Australian Girl: The Grace Stories

The Grace Stories , by Sofie Laguna
Viking Penguin, 2013
ISBN 9780670077540

Available in good bookstores and online.

Caesar The War Dog: Operation Blue Dragon by Stephen Dando-Collins

In the golden glow of dawn, an Australian Army Black Hawk helicopter swept in low over Sydney Harbour. Below, ferries, water taxis, speedboats and yachts were already out on the water, leaving foaming white trails behind them. Inside the helicopter’s passenger compartment, Sergeant Ben Fulton of the Special Operations Engineer Regiment (SOER) sat in full combat rig of bulletproof vest, camouflage jacket and trousers. A holstered Browning Hi Power 9 mm automatic pistol was strapped low on his right thigh, and a rappelling harness covered his torso. Leather combat gloves moulded to his hands so precisely they were like a second skin. On the belt around his waist were a full water canteen, a sheathed combat knife, spare Browning magazines and two pouches – the larger one empty, the smaller one containing dog biscuits.

In the golden glow of dawn, an Australian Army Black Hawk helicopter swept in low over Sydney Harbour. Below, ferries, water taxis, speedboats and yachts were already out on the water, leaving foaming white trails behind them. Inside the helicopter’s passenger compartment, Sergeant Ben Fulton of the Special Operations Engineer Regiment (SOER) sat in full combat rig of bulletproof vest, camouflage jacket and trousers. A holstered Browning Hi Power 9 mm automatic pistol was strapped low on his right thigh, and a rappelling harness covered his torso. Leather combat gloves moulded to his hands so precisely they were like a second skin. On the belt around his waist were a full water canteen, a sheathed combat knife, spare Browning magazines and two pouches – the larger one empty, the smaller one containing dog biscuits.

Ben Fulton and his EDD (explosives detection dog) Caesar are back in a new adventure. Operation Blue Dragon opens with a sweep of the Sydney Opera House in preparation for the arrival of the United Nations (UN) Secretary General. Ben and Caesar discover a bomb and afterwards enjoy an event at Government House. There they meet the UN Secretary General who two weeks later is taken hostage by the Taliban. Ben and Caesar are part of a team assembled to rescue the UN Secretary General and his staff. Time is of the essence as is secrecy. Back in Sydney Ben’s son Josh is experiencing challenges of his own at school, where a bully seems to have fixed on him. Josh doesn’t want to worry his father at his work, but he’s at a loss to know just what to do.

Operation Blue Dragon: 2 combines the action and high drama of elite forces in Afghanistan with the real life dramas faced by families of soldiers. There are multiple storylines for readers to follow. There’s Josh’s bully dramas; Sergeant Ben Fulton’s work; friend Charlie’s recuperation from double amputation and return to the job he loves and the family’s adjustment to the loss of Josh’s mother to cancer. There are detailed explanations of equipment, manoeuvres and acronyms. Dog-lovers will appreciate the intelligence and judgement displayed by Caesar. Along the way, readers discover both the people and the landscape of Afghanistan and about the ongoing challenges of that war. There are also explanations of the role of the UN and the structure of some of the organisations that link with the UN. Violence is acknowledged but the details are not dwelt on. This is an ideal story for action-loving boys who want to know all about the army and special forces.

 

Caesar the War Dog: Operation Blue Dragon, Stephen Dando-Collins

Random House Australia 2013 ISBN: 9780857980533

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Available from good bookshops or online.

The Bear Went Over the Mountain, ill Louis Shea

The bear went over the mountain

To see what he could see.

What do you think he saw?

A forest of squirrels singing,

Setting ears a-ringing.

Golly gosh! Oh my! Oh me!

It was a sight to see.

The bear went over the mountain

To see what he could see.

What do you think he saw?

A forest of squirrels singing,

Setting ears a-ringing.

Golly gosh! Oh my! Oh me!

It was a sight to see.

The bear might start this story by going over the mountain but the action travels from mountain to the seaside and beyond before it finally returns to the beginning. The bear sees squirrels in the forest. Then a fox sets off to see what he can see and so on all the way around the world, through hills and flat lands, beach and undersea. Illustrations provide clues as to which animal will ‘take the baton’ and take the action into a new spread. Illustrations are full page colour and provide their own narrative separate to the words. The Bear Went Over the Mountain comes with a CD for singalong. The CD has the more traditional song structure where the book features an abridged version.

Young readers will enjoy the cadences of this story and with growing familiarity the song on which it is based. Illustrations are full of detail, and re-readings will reveal new secrets. There are opportunities to open discussions about animals and their differing environments or even to introduce actions to the song. Suited for pre- and early schoolers.

 

The Bear Went Over the Mountain ill Louis Shea Scholastic Australia 2013 ISBN: 9781742833712

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Available from good bookstores or online.

Jonathan by Peter Carnavas ill Amanda Francey

Jonathan’s father was sweeping the floor

When all of a sudden …

ROAR!

‘Not scary, Jonathan.’

Jonathan’s father was sweeping the floor

When all of a sudden …

ROAR!

‘Not scary, Jonathan.’

Jonathan loves to dress up. He loves to jump out and surprise people. He has some great costumes. But one after another the members of his family declare that he is ‘not scary’. Jonathan feels like giving up, but as he walks away in defeat, he encounters a dinosaur. Together they plan the best ‘scare’ of all. And it works a treat! Illustrations are pencil and soft watercolour and depict a suburban neighbourhood. Images are set in white paper, keeping the focus on the characters. Endpapers with soft green stripes also show Jonathan first in disappointment then in renewed good humour.

‘Jonathan’ is a very spare rhyming text, and the story would be familiar one to many families. As the family go about their daily tasks and activities, Jonathan appears to mostly entertain himself. Occasionally he appears in his new costume (made from items easily found in most homes) to try to scare them (to start a game?). The illustrations convey Jonathan’s emotions clearly, his growing disappointment at his lack of ability to engage his mother, father or sister. When all seems lost, and things seem to be out of his control, he is able to rally and plan the best trick of all. Recommended for pre- and early-schoolers.

 

Jonathan, Peter Carnavas ill Amanda Francey New Frontier Publishing 2014 ISBN: 9781921928611

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

The Power of One, by Bryce Courtenay (Australian Children’s Classics Edition)

He had given me

the Power of One,

one idea, one heart,

one mind, one plan,

one determination.

Since it was first published in 1989, The Power of One has been loved by readers young and old. Telling the tale of Peekay, growing up in South Africa during the years of the second world war, in a time of political and social turmoil for the country, and more personal trauma for Peekay. Abandoned in boarding school at the age of five, and much-hated by the older children because he is English rather than Afrikaans, Peekay has to learn to be true to himself. Whilst his childhood is difficult, he makes a series of diverse friends who, together with Peekay’s own courage, set him on a path to success.

Part of the new Australian Children’s Classics series, this edition is abridged so that it covers the first half of Peekay’s story. Older readers will want to seek out the unabridged version, but this version is self-contained and finishes at a naturally satisfying point, providing an excellent introduction to Courtenay’s work for younger readers.

Book Cover: The Power of One: Australian Children’s Classics

The Power of One (Australian Children’s Classics edition), by Bryce Courtenay
Viking, 2013
ISBN 9780670077564

Available from good bookstores and online .

Meet My Book: The Gobbling Tree, by Mark Carthew

I’m happy to welcome Mark Carthew to the blog today. Mark is here to introduce us to his latest book, The Gobbling Tree, which has just been rereleased.

Welcome Mark.

1.       Give us the details – title, publisher, illustrator, release date.

The Gobbling Tree

New Frontier Publishing

By Mark Carthew, illustrated by Susy Boyer

Release Feb 1 2014

2.       Why did you write the book?

The idea came from a real life experience as a primary teacher, seeing a student kick a football up into a tree and the efforts of everyone around (including me) try to get it back down!  It was very funny.

3.       How long from idea to publication?

About 4 … or 40 years; depending how you define the ‘idea’ germ – as I suspect the idea  really started in my childhood when lots of the toys and objects  my brother and I played  with such as kites, Frisbees and balls sometimes got caught up in trees.

4.       What was the hardest thing about writing it?

Making sure the rhyming text rolled off the tongue with both logic and energy, while still allowing the text and visual narrative some space. It was also important to me to build up some tension to the resolution – along with the ‘teasers’ of predicted outcomes in each stanza.

5.       Coolest thing about your book?

Winning the Speech Pathology Australia Book of Year Award. (… and Susy’s great illustrations. I love her use of shadows and the fun element of the little dog in every picture)

6.       Something you learnt through writing the book?

That working with illustrators is one of the greatest things about being a children’s author. I loved working with Susy and the way she enjoyed all discussions about text and illustration placement.

7.       What did you do celebrate the release?

We had an exhibition and book launch event at the wonderful Mark’s and Gardner Galley & café in  Tamborine Mountain, Qld. They placed full sized objects from the story in a grand old oak tree in their beautiful open garden. The locals still call it The Gobbling Tree!

8.       And how will you promote the book?

I present at lots of festivals, libraries, events and schools and provide bookmarks, posters and activity sheets and notes for teachers and children.

9.       What are you working on next?

Like most authors I normally have lots of projects and ideas bubbling away!  I have written a sequel to my latest book The Moose is Loose! and I have also written a follow up title to Five Little Owls (Six Little Ducks) which will also have a matching CD / song.  I’m also working on a graphic novel for older children and a number of other picture books.

10.   Where we can find out more about you and your book?

My website www.markcarthew.com.au  is a good place. I put lots of fun free songs, activities, book links, interviews and resources up there for parents, teachers and students … and I’m adding things all the time!

 

Thanks heaps for visiting Mark. You can see a review of The Gobbling Tree here

Ava Anne Appleton: Accidental Adventurer, by Wendy Harmer

Every now and then Ava thought about taking Angus away on a great adventure. Maybe to cross the vast, roasting African deserts in a camel train; travel the frigid Arctic Circle in a sled; or to see the wide prairies of America where the buffalo roam.
But it would be just too dangerous, she decided.

Ava Anne Appleton lives with her parents Anne and Alan, and her dog Angus, in Australia Avenue. Everything in her life is A_OK and that suits her just fine. She likes everything to be neat, orderly and predictable. Then her father surprises her by turning up in a motorhome and announcing that the family will spend a whole year living in it and travelling wherever fancy takes them. Ava is horrified. What will happen to her orderly way of doing things?

Accidental Adventurer is the first in a new series from author and comedian Wendy Harmer. Easy to read, but with plenty happening, the book will suit junior primary readers who are becoming acquainted with the novel format. Each chapter is complemented by one or two grey scale illustrations and the design of the book is visually appealing. Most importantly, though, the story is fun and engaging, leaving readers eager to see where Ava’s adventures will take her in future instalments.

 

Accidental Adventurer, by Wendy Harmer
Scholastic, 2013
ISBN 9781742838755

Available from good bookstores or online.

Getting Warmer, by Alan Carter

Cato stepped back with the rest as the shovels came ut and two men began to dig.
A stench rose. The body was crawling with maggots and other insects. Flies descended on the uncovered feast. It was a metre and a half long and it had four legs.

Cato Kwong isn’t convinced that taking a convicted criminal out on the search for a missing girl is a good idea, especially when the victim’s mother is also present. But when the search uncovers nothing more than a decomposing pig carcass, he’s sure that the killer is leading them a wild goose chase. As he works to find out where Bree Petkovic is really buried, another murder happens on his patch. This time it’s a man with his throat slashed in a night club toilet. With organised crime gangs implicated, suspect cops joining in on the investigation, and a growing number of injuries and killings happening, Cato’s desire for some quiet summer nights seems to be slipping away.

Getting Warmer is the second detective story featuring Kato Kwong, a cop who likes to do things mostly by the book, but is also determined to get results and set things to right, goals which sometimes don’t mesh. Newly returned from exile down south, he is now based in Fremantle, and the setting is highlighted with a detail which will delight readers familiar with the port city even while the level and type of crime uncovered may surprise.

With suspense, twists aplenty and intriguing character development, Getting Warmer will appeal to lovers of crime fiction, who will be keen to see more of Cato.

 

Getting Warmer, by Alan Carter
Fremantle Press, 2013
ISBN 978192208920

Available from good bookstores or online.