The Whole Caboodle, by Lisa Shanahan & Leila Rudge

Wakey-wakey peachy pear,
my fuzzy-wuzzy grizzly bear,
my tootsy-wootsy fizzyjig,
my hurdie-gurdie whirligig!

It’s walk time. A cute ginger and white dog wakes, eager for his morning walk. He wakes his bearded owner, excited at who they might meet in the park today. Will it be one itzy-bitzy Poodle, or two lovey-dovey Bolonoodles?

The Whole Caboodle is a gorgeous rhyming counting book, featuring not just the narrating dog, but a whole feast of dogs big and small, real and recreated. As the little dog and his owner prepare for their walk, each new dog is mimicked by something in the illustration. So, when one poodle is mentioned, there is a poodle teapot cosy as the owner eats breakfast, and the two Bolnoodles are represented by a pair of dog slippers. On the final spread, in the park, when they meet ‘the whole caboodle’, the real dogs are present, and readers will have fun spotting and counting them.

Youngsters will enjoy the rhyming text, with its creative use of words created for tongue-twisting fun, and the  illustrations with matching whimsical detail. This one will demand repeated rereadings.

The Whole Caboodle, by Lisa Shanahan & Leila Rudge
Scholastic, 2016
ISBN 9781743629321

Count My Christmas Kisses, by Ruthie May & Tamsin Ainslie

One kiss for baby, under mistletoe.
Two kisses for baby, catching falling snow.

Playing under mistletoe, singing with the choir or jingling Christmas bells, Christmas kisses abound in this gentle rhyming offering. Counting from one to ten, and finishing with the children (and their animal friends) asleep on Christmas Eve, the text would make a perfect bedtime wind down in the lead up to Christmas.

The pastel toned illustrations are adorable, with the numbers hanging in large baubles, the kisses snowflake adorned love hearts and the characters – two older children, baby and a rabbit and a fox – happily preparing for Christmas.

This would make a perfect gift for a baby or toddler.

 

Count My Christmas Kisses, by Ruthie May & Tamsin Ainslie
ABC Books/Harper Collins, 2014
ISBN 9780733332203

Available from good bookstores and online.

10 Hopping Bunnies by Ed Allen ill Simon Williams

Ten hopping bunnies with their egg and spoon

Ten hopping bunnies with their egg and spoon.

And if one hopping bunnies drops the egg too soon,

There’ll be nine hopping bunnies with their egg and spoon.

Ten hopping bunnies with their egg and spoon

Ten hopping bunnies with their egg and spoon.

And if one hopping bunnies drops the egg too soon,

There’ll be nine hopping bunnies with their egg and spoon.
10 Hopping Bunnies uses the familiar rhythm and rhyme of ’10 Green Bottles’ and introduces a family of bunnies. One by one, the numbers reduce until there is only one bunny remaining. That bunny flees a storm and takes refuge in a warm burrow, and then joins all the other bunnies in a pillow-fight before bedtime. Numbers are spelt out in each verse of the rhyme, but the illustrations feature the number symbol. Illustrations are comical and feature anthropomorphic bunnies of all sizes, shapes and colours.

10 Hopping Bunnies joins several other counting books from Scholastic which use familiar tunes/rhymes and feature animals. The animals are childlike and complete activities that will be familiar to many children. And there’s always a family/group reunion at the end. Young readers will soon be singing and counting along and become familiar with the number name and symbol. Recommended for pre- and early-schoolers.

 

10 Hopping Bunnies

10 Hopping Bunnies, Ed Allen ill Simon Williams Scholastic Aust 2014 ISBN: 9781742836362

10 Smiley Crocs by Ed Allen ill Simon Williams

Ten smiley crocs riding on a tandem bike.

Ten smiley crocs riding on a tandem bike.

And if one smiley croc suddenly hits a spike,

There’ll be nine smiley crocs riding on a tandem bike.

Ten smiley crocs riding on a tandem bike.

Ten smiley crocs riding on a tandem bike.

And if one smiley croc suddenly hits a spike,

There’ll be nine smiley crocs riding on a tandem bike.

Set to the rhythm of ‘Ten Green Bottles’, ‘10 Smiley Crocs’ follows the athletic and other antics of these crocs as one by one they meet with misadventure. But lest the reader fear they are lost forever, all crocs are reunited at bedtime, dressed in their pyjamas and getting ready for bed. Illustrations are comical and colourful.

10 Smiley Crocs is light and fun, full of wild antics for little readers to enjoy. It won’t take long before the familiarity of the tune will have them joining in the ‘reading’, and predicting what is going to happen next. These crocodiles are colourful and friendly-looking. For the most part their activities are exaggerated children’s antics although there are a couple of spreads where the action happens in a more natural environment  ie ‘being sneaky logs’ and ‘swims back up the stream’. Recommended for pre-schoolers.

 

10 Smiley Crocs, Ed Allen ill Simon Williams Scholastic Australia 2014 ISBN:9781742836355

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

10 Funny Sheep by Ed Allen ill Andrea Edmonds

Ten funny sheep singing a silly song

Ten funny sheep singing a silly song

And if one funny sheep should get the words all wrong,

There’ll be nine funny sheep singing a silly song.

Ten funny sheep singing a silly song

Ten funny sheep singing a silly song

And if one funny sheep should get the words all wrong,

There’ll be nine funny sheep singing a silly song.

10 Funny Sheep is a new version of the classic rhyme/song ’10 Green Bottles’. In this version instead of bottles toppling there are sheep in all manner of scrapes. One gets tangled in the clothes line, another falls off a carousel. One by one, the chorus shrinks until there is only a single funny sheep. Try as the last sheep might, she can’t fly her kite. Fortunately it all ends well with the ten funny sheep reunited for a nap. Illustrations are watercolour and mostly full spread. Extra details on each spread, like the different fences in the maze, other farm animals and numbers, will keep young readers exploring as the text is read/sung.

Many teachers and parents will be familiar with this diminishing-number rhyme and the rhythm is strong enough to encourage young readers to join in. Numbers are displayed as words as well as symbols which will help support recognition with pre-readers. Readers can count the number of sheep on each page, trace the number and identify the word. They can also count other farm-things on each page. Illustrations are gentle and humourous and sure to appeal to young children. Recommended for pre-schoolers and adults who need a frame for their singing!

 

10 Funny Sheep, Ed Allen ill Andread Edmonds Scholastic 2013 ISBN: 9781742836379

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

10 Bush Babies, By Susan Hall & Naomi Zouwer (ill)

10 bush babies
went out one day,
into the sun to jump and play.
Mrs Roo rang ding-ding-ding-ding…
…but only 9 bush babies ran in.

Mrs Roo is trying to round her young students up after playtime, but one by one they all disappear. Finally, when none remain, she tries again, and all ten return. Giving an Australian twist to the well-known rhyme ‘Five Little Ducks’, this board book will delight young Aussies, as well as making a cute gift for overseas friends or relatives.

The illustrations are inspired by the work of naturalist John Gould, and each new spread features an almost identical illustration, apart from the gradual disappearance of each animal baby, helping youngsters to guess which animal has gone.There is also a hint as to where the baby has gone and, at the end of the book, a double page spread explains where each animal went.

Very sweet.

 

10 Bush Babies

Ten Bush Babies , by Susan Hall, illustrated by Naomi Zouwer
NLA Publishing, 2013
ISBN 9780642277695

Available from good bookstores or online .

10 Hooting Owls by Ed Allen ill Simon Williams

Ten hooting owls lounging in the sun

Ten hooting owls lounging in the sun.

And if one hooting owl should go off for a run,

there’d be nine hooting owls lounging in the sun.

Ten hooting owls lounging in the sun

Ten hooting owls lounging in the sun.

And if one hooting owl should go off for a run,

there’d be nine hooting owls lounging in the sun.

The hooting owls are taking a break from their nocturnal activities and experiencing all manner of leisure pursuits. Ten begin their adventure (modelled on a traditional rhyme) and page by page, the numbers decrease until there are no hooting owls. All ten return in the final spread to settle in for the night. All illustrations are full page and cartoony in style. In this counting book the numbers are spelled out throughout, although the relevant number (symbol) is secreted on the page. Text is informal, with the number spelled out in different colour, larger letters.

These are owls of a different colour indeed. They are doing their thing in the middle of the day, are of all shapes, sizes, hues and activity. This is a comical counting experience that begs to be shared. Out loud. Sung. Children will chuckle at the antics, enjoy finding the hidden numbers, and fix numbers in their order. Recommended for pre- and early-schoolers.

10 Hooting Owls

10 Hooting Owls, Ed Allen ill Simon Williams Scholastic Press 2013 ISBN: 9781742836980

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

Available from good bookstores and online. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Ten Scared Fish by Ros Moriarty ill Balarinji

‘Ten Scared Fish’ is a counting book, 1 to 10, but it’s also an introduction to some fish and some animals the fish might encounter in their travels. The text follows the journey of fish from the waterhole to the sea.

Ten Scared Fish is a counting book, 1 to 10, but it’s also an introduction to some fish and some animals the fish might encounter in their travels. The text follows the journey of fish from the waterhole to the sea. Along the way, there are hazards, but the fish keep on swimming. Illustrations are bold colours and simple shapes, combining traditional dot painting with more representational-style images. The cover hints at the final opening, but it would be interesting to see how many readers work it out on first reading. The final opening has the story translated into Yanyuwa language.

Part of the income from sales of Ten Scared Fish will support indigenous preschool literacy programs. It’s a lovely counting book with a simple story. It’s easy to imagine it being used with very young children to open discussion about many things. First there’s the counting, then there’s the landscape and some of its occupants. And there’s also the opportunity to begin the story of this land’s oldest inhabitants and their storytelling. Recommended for preschoolers.

Ten Scared Fish

Ten Scared Fish, Ros Moriarty ill Balarinji
Allen & Unwin 2012
ISBN: 9781742379128

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

One Dragon's Dream, by Peter Pavey

One Dragon’s Dreamis a counting book written and illustrated by Peter Pavey. On the surface it illustrates the numbers one to ten, but there is a strong visual narrative that works far beyond the deceptively simple text. The story is bookended by a page with the numbers one to ten arranged in a grid. Each opening then features a sentence and a number. The central story may refer to eg ‘three tigers…’ but there are myriad examples of that number to be found in the detailed illustrations. Illustrations are pen and ink with colour washes.

One Dragon’s Dream was originally published in 1978, and is released in 2009 as part of Walker Book’s Classic Series. The illustration style is reminiscent of Ron Brook’s ‘John Brown, Rose and the Midnight Cat’ but there is a delightful whimsy in Peter Pavey’s depiction of the dragon and his dream. There is safety for the timid reader in the scenes of dragon going to bed and then at the end of his dream, waking up in that same bed. There is a delightful mix of fantasy and realism in each opening. Readers will enjoy searching out all the collections that relate to the featured number. This is a lovely book, perfect for reading over and over. It’s easy to understand how it was awarded the Children’s Picture Book of the Year in 1980. Highly recommended for 3-5 year olds.

One Dragon's Dream

One Dragon’s Dream, Peter Pavey
Walker Books 2009
ISBN: 9781921150746

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author
www.clairesaxby.com

This book can be purchased online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

An Australian 1, 2, 3 of Animals, by Bronwyn Bancroft

Companion to An Australian a b c of Animals, this hardback counting book introduces numbers and animals to new readers. The early numbers fit on a single page, but rather than decrease the size of the animals, from ‘4’ to the final ‘15’ each subsequent number has been given a double page spread. Each number has its own page colour, setting off the distinctive illustrations. An action eg ‘Seven turtles plodding’ introduces the behaviour of each counted animal.

An Australian 1, 2, 3 of Animals is a simply beautiful book. From the platypus on the cover (and first page) to the 15 bull ants on the final opening, the animals are lovingly drawn and the colours are rich and luscious. The animals invite close inspection, offering similarities and differences in their rendering. Sharp-eyed readers may even find some pairs. Bronwyn Bancroft says her work is not traditional, but its Aboriginal history is immediately recognisable. The animals are sometimes stylised but lose none of their uniqueness. Highly recommended for 2-6 year olds and beyond.

An Australian 1, 2, 3 of Animals, by Bronwyn Bancroft
Little Hare 2007
9781921049828