pets – Page 2 – Aussie Reviews

Remarkably Rexy, by Craig Smith

He’s been the most dazzling cat on Serengeti Street for years and years. He’s majestic, proud, maybe brave as well.

Rex is a very handsome cat, and everybody loves him. Every morning he grooms himself, and warms up ready for the kids on their way to school to stop and admire him. All is well with the world – until Pretty Pamela, the perfect siamese from down the street, prances into view just as the kids arrive, and steals the attention. As Rex pretends he doesn’t care, pandemominum breaks loose, when Towser the dog escapes, a magpie family gets cranky, and Rex ends up in a muddy puddle. Will the kids love him anyway?

Remarkably Rexy is a humorous tale of cats and their self-obsession. Rexy is likeable, though very vain, and his misadventures will delight young readers, as will the other animal characters – Pamela, Towser the dog, and the Magpie family.

Illustrator Craig Smith is well known for his warm, rich and often humorous illustrations, but in Remarkably Rexy he makes his debut as author, too.

Remarkably Rexy will be loved, just as he deserves.

Remarkably Rexy, by Craig Smith
Allen & Unwin, 2015
ISBN 9781760113940

Poppy Cat by Sara Acton

Poppy Cat is a copy cat.

She follows me wherever I go.

She does whatever I do.

A small girl shares stories of life with her loved cat, Poppy Cat. Poppy Cat follows her around and shares many of her daily activities. But each of them likes to do things by themselves too, with varying levels of success. Poppy Cat begins with early morning happiness and ends with bedtime happiness, shared with a pet. Illustrations are loose watercolours with black outline. Images sit in white space.

Poppy Cat is a gentle story of a child and her pet, the two of them learning and sharing throughout an ordinary day. The mischief Poppy Cat gets to is seen as humourous rather than troublesome and there appears to be an understanding that everyone needs time on their own. The white space in which the simple text and images are set allows the reader to make this story their own. It’s a slow-down-and-live-in-the-moment story, revelling in the simplicity of everyday. Recommended for pre- and early schoolers.

Poppy Cat, Sara Acton Scholastic Press 2014 ISBN: 9781743620168

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Here in the Garden, by Briony Stewart

The wind is raking through the falling leaves
and I wish that you were here.

The gently lyrical opening lines of this picture book perfectly capture its essence. The narrator – illustrated as a young boy – is missing his pet rabbit. Text and illustrations follow the seasons and show the boy missing his friend with each new season, reflecting on the things they did together at that time of the year – watching clouds, sitting in the shade, listening to crickets and more. The final pages have the narrator conclude that whenever he misses his friend, he can go outside and find him – in his memories, ‘in the garden, in my heart.’

Whilst this a book about grief, it is also a celebration of friendship and of life, with the boy’s memories having a gentle poignancy. Whilst the illustrations show a boy and a rabbit, this is made clear only in the illustrations, meaning readers and adults could equally relate the text to another loss.

The muted watercolour and gouache illustrations are perfect for the mood of the text – not sombre, but gentle, and with a contrast in detail between the illustrations showing the boy alone and those showing him sharing the seasons with his rabbit. In the former, reminders of the rabbit are there in little ways that viewers will enjoy noticing – such as a rabbit shaped shadow under the boy on a swing, and rabbit motifs on a curtain.

This is a treasure of a picture book which touches the heart.

Here in the Garden

Here in the Garden, by Briony Stewart
UQP, 2014
ISBN 9780702250101

Available from good bookstores and online.

Annie's Snails, by Dianne Wolfer

Annie giggles. Her pets shiver and slip back into their shells. She lines them up on her legs, sits very still and waits. The snails peep out. They stretch, then race each other to Annie’s ankles. It’s a very slow race.

Annie loves snails, so after it rains she collects six of them and keeps them as pets. She races them, she plays with them, she even gives them names. She is very happy with her pet snails. The problem is, it seems they might not be happy with her.

Annie’s Snails is a delightful story of pets, family and care for the natural world. Part of Walker Books’ ‘Walker Stories’ imprint, the book is broken into three stories, though together they make up one longer story that traces Annie’s adventures in first capturing then caring for the snails before finally deciding to release them.

Suitable for newly independent readers making the transition to books with chapters, there is illustrative support on every page in the form of gray-scale pictures by talented new-comer Gabriel Evans.

A fun offering.

Annie’s Snails , by Dianne Wolfer, illustrated by Gabriel Evans
Walker Books, 2014
ISBN 9781921720635

Available from good bookstores and online .

Kitten Kaboodle Mission One: The Catier Diamond by Eileen O’Hely ill Heath McKenzie

With white fur, blue eyes, and a diamond-studded, pink velvet collar, Misty wasn’t your typical alley cat. Dingy Litter Alley in the backstreets of Felcanham was the last place you’d expect to find a cat like Misty.

She padded along between the rows of rubbish bins, taking great care to keep her paws well away from the dirty puddles on the ground. And with every step she took, the feeling that she was being watched grew stronger.

A sudden noise behind Misty made her stumble. Her front paw slid into a puddle, splashing muddy droplets all over her fur.

She looked at the browny-black spots in horrow, then saw something even more frightening. From the shadows between the rubbish bins, ten yellow eyes were staring at her.

A sudden noise behind Misty made her stumble. Her front paw slid into a puddle, splashing muddy droplets all over her fur.

She looked at the browny-black spots in horrow, then saw something even more frightening. From the shadows between the rubbish bins, ten yellow eyes were staring at her.

Kitten Kaboodle is a secret agent, not content with a normal cat life. He’s the go-to cat when there are mysterious disappearances. This time, it’s pedigree kittens that are vanishing and it’s up to Kitten Kaboodle, No 1 agent for CAT (Clandestine Activity Taskforce) to sort out what’s going on. He goes undercover as a pedigree kitten and allows himself to be kidnapped (kit-napped?) by DOG (Disaster Organisation Group). He discovers their dastardly plan despite nearly giving himself away with his awesomeness. There are black and white illustrations throughout giving ‘face’ to the myriad characters and breaking up the text.

‘Kitten Kaboodle Mission One: The Catier Emerald )’ shows just what your pet animals get up to when they vanish in the night. Cats work alone, mostly, and dogs act in groups. Cats are bright, dogs have grand plans but are not as smart as they think they are. Non-pedigreed and non-pampered animals are likely to be more resilient than pampered pedigrees. Lots of fun and puns wrapped up in an over-the-top mystery about a famous diamond. Young independent readers will enjoy this exploration of the secret lives of animals, which references the style of many classic whodunits. Heath McKenzie’s illustrations combine the cute and the clever in each cat, and the comic brutishness of the enthusiastic but not-so-bright dogs. Recommended for lower- to mid-primary independent readers.

Kitten Kaboodle Mission One: The Catier Emerald ), Eileen O’Hely ill Heath McKenzie

Walker Books Australia 2014 ISBN: 9781921529931

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

I Spy Pets by Edward Gibbs

I spy with my little eye …

Something with silky feathers.

I like to peck seeds.

I spy with my little eye …

Something with silky feathers.

I like to peck seeds.

I Spy Pets features a puppy on the cover. That puppy is peeking through an ‘I spy’ window on ‘something with silky feathers.’ The ‘something’ is partly revealed through the peep hole and offers the reader a clue so they can guess the pet before they turn the page. There is also some hint in the images about what pet they will find once the page is turned. Once guessed, that pet offers ‘I spy …’ to another pet. And so on, each opening reveals a new pet. The final opening returns to the first pet, and then another of the pets invites the reader to look through the peep hole and ‘spy’ something else.

‘I Spy …’ has been a perennial favourite game of many generations and is often one of the early games played on car journeys. Teamed with (mostly) common household pets, young children will soon have answers to these ‘I spy …’ questions. The final opening shows all the pets in silhouette for a young reader to identify. The images are uncrowded and have just enough information to engage and encourage page-turning. Recommended for babies and pre-schoolers.

I Spy Pets, Edward Gibbs Koala Books 2013 ISBN: 9781742760704

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Available from good bookstores and online.

Davy and the Duckling, by Margaret Wild & Julie Vivas

When the baby duck hatched, the first thing it saw was Davy.
It fluffed its feathers – and started following Davy everywhere.
Around the farmyard,
under the apple trees
and all the way home.

When Dad tells Davy that the duckling thinks he’s its mother, Davy decides that’s just what he’ll be. He makes a nest for it, takes it for its first swim and cares for it. Davy and the duck are together throughout their lives.

Davy and the Duckling is a gentle, moving tale about the love between a child and his unlikely pet. As Davy grows, so too does the duck, there for all the highs and lows of Davy’s life, from losing a friend, to finishing highschool, and even to marrying . The duck ages and becomes fragile, but their friendship remains strong, and the bond is strengthened when Davy becomes a father, and the duck appears to think it is Molly’s mother.

A beautiful cycle of life story, Davy and the Duckling is brought to life with the gentle but lively illustrative work of Julie Vivas.

Delightful.

Book Cover: Davy and the Duckling

Davy and the Duckling, by Margaret Wild & Julie Vivas
Penguin, 2013
ISBN 9780670075614

Available from good bookstores and online.

Ted, by Leila Rudge

Ted had been at the pet shop for as long as he could remember.
He was a smart dog with his own jumper,
and he did his best to make a good impression.
But there were so many other dogs that nobody noticed Ted.

Ted is a little dog with a big problem. he doesn’t belong – and belonging is what he most wants. So he sets off to find the perfect place. He tries the circus, but everybody cheers the circus dogs and nobody notices Ted. Similarly, Ted doesn’t succeed as a pageant dog or a guard dog. Dejected, he is about to head back to the pet store when he comes across Dot, who is looking for a furry friend who enjoys long walks and ball games. Ted does his best to get noticed by Dot – and succeeds.

Ted is an adorable picture book story about an adorable dog. He may not be suitable for any of the roles he tries, but he is a dog who will win the hearts of young, and not-so-young readers. The illustrations, using pencil and ink with touches of paper collage, have a gentle whimsy to them, with lots of detail for readers to explore and discover.

Perfect for young animal lovers.

Ted, by Leila Rudge
Walker Books, 2013
ISBN 9781921977503

Available from good booksellers or online.

Meet My Book: Sea Dog, by Claire Saxby, illustrated by Tom Jellett

I’m loving having Aussie authors drop in to tell us all about their latest book. Today I’m especially pleased to welcome my friend, and wonderful children’s author Claire Saxby.Claire is here to tell us all about her beautiful new book, Sea Dog. Over to you, Claire.

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

Seadog, illustrated by Tom Jellett, Random House. Release date was 1 May.

2. Why did you write the book?

I’ve always wanted to write a book about a dog, but even though we’ve had one for the past 6 years, it has taken until recently to find a way to do it. I wanted to capture the boundless joy that dogs seem to have for life. They don’t always do what we might like them to do, but there’s something about they way they are at the beach that is so free. I think children are the same, particularly at the beach. The beach is calming, energising, fun, messy, and hot/cold. And joyful.

3. How long from idea to publication?

This was a short one by picture book standards. I think it was less than two years from concept (in this form) to release. Although I confess to multiple previous attempts that fizzled before even becoming complete horrible first drafts.

4. What was the hardest thing about writing it?

Trusting myself. Letting go and just having fun with it. Getting close in, getting far enough away from the facts to find the fiction.

5. Coolest thing about your book?

To share the joy that a dog can bring. Tom’s illustrations are amazing. Seadog is so expressive.

6. Something you learnt through writing the book?

Not so much learnt but reinforced how much fun there is in playing with words.

7. What did you do celebrate the release?

I’ve had a ‘coastal launch’ for Seadog, but the official launch is yet to come. That’s 2 June at the 10th Williamstown Literary Festival. 2 pm. All welcome. 🙂

8. And how will you promote the book?

I’ve a few school visits planned, I’ll visit bookshops and libraries for story time. I’m also doing some promotion online via my blog.

9. What are you working on next?

I can’t quite decide. I have several projects I’d like to tackle, just can’t decide which one …

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

At my website www.clairesaxby.com, or my blog www.letshavewords.blogspot.com. Seadog can be seen in bookshops EVERYWHERE!

Thanks for dropping in, Claire. It’s always a pleasure to chat with you.

RSPCA Bumper Book of Pets and other Animals by Alexandra Hirst

There are no prizes for guessing what this book is about – it’s all in the title. ‘Bumper Book of Pets and other Animals’ has chapters on Pets, Farmyard Animals and Wildlife. Two thirds of the book is dedicated to pets, and covers the responsibilities of pet ownership as well as tips on different breeds and their particular requirements and behaviours. From the popular dogs and cats, to fish, reptiles, ferrets and more, there is something for every pet lover. Fun Stuff offers jokes and other activities all designed to increase knowledge of animals and their lives. Photos provide illustration throughout.

If you love animals, this is the book for you!

From pets to farmyard animals and Australian wildlife, this BUMPER book is crammed full of all the cool facts and pictures you need to become an animal expert. There are even jokes and some fun activities to get you thinking!

There are no prizes for guessing what this book is about – it’s all in the title. Bumper Book of Pets and Other Animals has chapters on Pets, Farmyard Animals and Wildlife. Two thirds of the book is dedicated to pets, and covers the responsibilities of pet ownership as well as tips on different breeds and their particular requirements and behaviours. From the popular dogs and cats, to fish, reptiles, ferrets and more, there is something for every pet lover. Fun Stuff offers jokes and other activities all designed to increase knowledge of animals and their lives. Photos provide illustration throughout.

Children and animals – a natural combination. The benefits of pet ownership are well-documented. But which animal? How do you choose? Do you go for the animal you had a child? Or the one that has captivated your child/children? When is the right time? Bumper Book of Pets and Other Animals is a perfect primer. Young children will flick through recognising animals. Young school children will learn about their favourites, and other animals, and discover the needs and wants of potential pets. There’s information about the longevity of different animals, and different breeds of the same animal eg some birds live for seven years, others may live as long as a human. All the information is presented in small bites, perfect for young readers. Recommended for all families considering pets. Ideal for children pre- and primary-aged.

R.S.P.C.A. Bumper Book of Pets and Other Animals by Alexandra Hirst,
Random House 2012
ISBN: 9781742757117

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

Available from good bookstores or here.