Noisy Nights, by Fleur McDonald & Annie White

The animals on Farmer Hayden’s farm talked a lot at night.
The crickets chirped.
The dogs barked.
The cow moo-ed
and the sheep maa-ed.

With all the animals on the farm making so much noise every night, Farmer Hayden is struggling to get any sleep. He calls out to the animals to be quiet – but it’s no good, because they are making so much noise they can’t hear him. Finally, on the verge of giving up, Farmer Hayden goes outside to sit on his verandah. As he looks out across the farm., he sees his sheep jumping a fence. he starts to count them. Soon, Farmer Hayden and all the animals are fast asleep.

Noisy Nights is a humorous picture book title featuring lots of farm favourites, and noises which youngsters will enjoy echoing. The solution, too, will bring smiles, with its play on the old idea of counting sheep to get to sleep.

The illustrations, using water colour with pencil outlines are also filled with gentle humour.

Lots of fun.

Noisy Nights, by Fleur McDonald & Annie White
New Frontier, 2016
ISBN 9781925059663

Happily Ever After: The Ugly Duckling illustrated by Annie White

A long time ago a duck sat on her nest, waiting for her eggs to hatch. The sun was shining and all the other ducks were swimming in the water.

Mother Duck wanted her eggs to hatch so she could enjoy the sunshine. She didn’t have to wait for long. One by one, the eggs hatched.

Everyone admired Mother Duck’s four little ducklings.

They ran around in circles. ‘Quack quack quack!’ they said.

A long time ago a duck sat on her nest, waiting for her eggs to hatch. The sun was shining and all the other ducks were swimming in the water.

Mother Duck wanted her eggs to hatch so she could enjoy the sunshine. She didn’t have to wait for long. One by one, the eggs hatched.

Everyone admired Mother Duck’s four little ducklings.

They ran around in circles. ‘Quack quack quack!’ they said.

When Mother Duck’s eggs hatch, four of her babies are beautiful yellow and quack just like her. When her final egg hatches, long after the others, she discovers ‘quite the ugliest duckling she’s ever seen’. Instead of ‘quack’, this ‘duckling’ honks. None of the other animals know quite what to make of this newcomer. The rabbits are scared, the hens laugh and the cows chase him around the paddocks. Even his nest mates shun him. When Mother Duck takes her babies for a swim, Ugly Duckling walks away. He tries without success to find a new home, until he happens upon some baby swans. They welcome him, as does their mother. Illustrations are pencil and watercolour, in soft colours. Endpapers feature Ugly Duckling and ducklings.

The Ugly Duckling is part of a new series from New Frontier Publishing called Happily Ever After. The story is simplified for a young audience and presented as hardcover picture book, with large text and only a few words on each opening. Illustrations are gentle even when Ugly Duckling is outcast. After a few readings, preschoolers will be able to ‘read’ it for themselves.

Happily Ever After: the Ugly Duckling Annie White
New Frontier Publishing 2016 ISBN: 9781925059526

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

 

Clementine’s Walk by Annie White

Clementine was very bored,

with nothing left to do.

Then looking up she saw her lead,

and that gave her a clue.

Clementine was very bored,

with nothing left to do.

Then looking up she saw her lead,

and that gave her a clue.

Clementine has a loving family but when she wants a walk, she discovers that no one is willing or able to come with her. More than that, they don’t really seem too interested in her asking the question. Clementine encounters Mum, Dad, Nana and more but they all have reasons to stay just where they are. Clementine gives up. Gradually the family finish what they’ve been doing and begin to look for Clementine but she seems to have vanished. Illustrations are pencil and watercolours in soft shades set in white space. The text is gently rhyming. Front endpapers reflect the interests of all Clementine’s family and the end endpapers suggest the route the walkers finally take.

‘Clementine’s Walk’ will resonate with many dog-owning families. Dogs just want to be part of the family and although they might not have speech, they have ways of communicating. Hardcover, set in soft orange/apricot with white titles, Clementine is immediately introduced as playful and enthusiastic. She appears friendly and approachable. ‘Clementine’s Walk’ would be a good introduction for children not quite sure about the exuberance of dogs. Current dog-owners will recognise their own dog’s antics in Clementine’s. ‘Clementine’s Walk’ is a good starting place for generating discussions about the joys and responsibilities of pet ownership.  In addition, it may well stimulate writing activities about individual dog stories. Recommended for preschool and early-schoolers.

 



Clementine’s Walk
, Annie White New Frontier Publishing 2013 ISBN: 9781921928475

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

 

Isla Lu, Where Are You? By Catriona Hoy ill Annie White

Isla Lu, where are you!

Isla Lu and Mum are playing a game of Hide’n’Seek. Mum makes her way around the house and even into the garden, finding many things, but not Isla Lu. Other family members appear and ‘help’ in the search. Thus they join with the reader in knowing something that Mum apparently doesn’t. The growing family cavalcade explore the indoors and the out-of-doors in their wish to be part of the finding of little Isla Lu. The sparse and rhymic text sits in pencil and water colour illustrations that are at once descriptive and gentle. Colours are pastel and range from pale backgrounds to more intense shades for the depictions of Isla Lu, Mum and other characters.

‘One, Two, Three,

Run away and hide!

‘Four, Five, Six,

Make sure I can’t hear you.

‘Seven, Eight, Nine,

Nearly there.

‘Nine and a half,

Nine and three quarters … Ten!

‘Here I come, ready or not.

Isla Lu, where are you!

Isla Lu and Mum are playing a game of Hide’n’Seek. Mum makes her way around the house and even into the garden, finding many things, but not Isla Lu. Other family members appear and ‘help’ in the search. Thus they join with the reader in knowing something that Mum apparently doesn’t. The growing family cavalcade explore the indoors and the out-of-doors in their wish to be part of the finding of little Isla Lu. The sparse and rhythmic text sits in pencil and water colour illustrations that are at once descriptive and gentle. Colours are pastel and range from pale backgrounds to more intense shades for the depictions of Isla Lu, Mum and other characters.

Hide’n’Seek is a perennial favourite of small children and is depicted here beautifully. With only a few well-chosen words, the text brings the reader/child right into the story, into the world of a young child, where the child is ‘tricking’ the parent. Mum finds many things, but not that which she seeks, as she loudly proclaims. Each spread increases the tension and the number of people who are in on the secret (even poor Jamie now out of the shower!) The Illustrations are full-spread but also use white space to allow the reader to bring their own interpretations. This is a delightful story for pre-schoolers which will be read as often as the game should be played.

 

IslaLu Cov medium paint

Isla Lu, Where are You? Catriona Hoy ill Annie White
Windy Hollow Books 2012
ISBN:9781922081063

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, by Tom Skinner & Annie White

Rizwan is apprentice to the sorcerer owner of ‘Wizard Car and Camel Wash’. His job is to do the tidying and other menial tasks, while the sorcerer gets to cast spells and make dirty cars and camels sparkle. When Isabella, daughter to the Mayor comes in to have her car washed, Rizwan is envious. Next day, left to wash the Mayor’s race camels, he decides to cast a little spell of his own. Flush with his success, he tries another spell on the Mayor’s car. Of course this time, things do not go smoothly. In fact they go very bubbly, very bubbly indeed. Illustrations are bright and colourful with multi-hued bubbles floating throughout and in the endpapers. Included is an audio CD with the story read by Antonia Kidman and featuring the music ‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’.

The Sorcerers Apprentice is the third title in the Music Box series from New Frontier Publishing. Goethe’s original poem inspired Paul Dukas’ piece of music of the same name. Tom Skinner moves the action to a magical car and camel wash, but the story is the same. An inexperienced sorcerer’s apprentice decides he can complete his chores more quickly with the use of magic. Rizwan also thinks he can attract the attention of a pretty girl. The story and the piece of music are included with the book, and give small children a chance to experience the magic that is music. Recommended for early primary readers.

The Sorcerers Apprentice

The Sorcerers Apprentice Tom Skinner Annie White
New Frontier Publishing 2010
ISBN: 9781921042096

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author
www.clairesaxby.com
This book can be purchased online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Mummies are Amazing, by Catriona Hoy & Annie White

Mummies are for amazing things.

Daddy thinks Mummy is for doing the shopping, and Grandad thinks Mummy is for finding glasses, but the young narrator of this story knows that mummies are for much more important things – mummies are for doing amazing things. From making snakes out of stockings and buses out of boxes, to kissing sore knees better and organising prefect parties, Mummies are amazing – but sometimes they need to FEEL amazing – and then it is up to the people around them to do amazing things for them.

Mummies are Amazing is a delightful book about the wonderful things that mummies do, filled with humour and the joy of families. The mummy in the story and illustrations is lively, lovely and filled with enthusiasm. It seems nothing is too hard for her – from making chicken costumes, to removing splinters and scaring away monsters. The illustrations have lots of cute touches that don’t just bring the text to life, but also provide plenty for children to find and explore.

This gorgeous book is perfect for reading aloud, and would make a lovely gift for Mothers Day.

Mummies are Amazing, by Catriona Hoy & Annie White
Lothian, 2009