June 2007 – Aussie Reviews

I Want to be a Footballer, by Sally Carbon

Dream the dream,
live the life,
play the game.

From the day that he plays his first Auskick game Dane loves footy and dreams of one day playing in the AFL. But as he grows up, Danes discovers that becoming a champion will take more than dreaming – there’s a lot of hard word and dedication needed, too.

I Want to be a Footballer follows Dane from that first Auskick Game through to the Under 16s National Schoolboy Championships, as his dream burgeons and gets closer to becoming reality. Alongside the story there are loads of AFL facts, a short history of AFL and plenty more.

Author Sally Carbon has plenty of experience with top level sport. She represented Australia in women’s hockey at Olympic level. Through this book she aims to inspire children to participate in sport .

Suitable for young footy players I Want to Be a Footballer bears the official AFL logo, showing their endorsement of this fine book.

I Want to be a Footballer, by Sally Carbon
FACP, 2007

HOP, Little Hare, by Margaret Wild & Peter Shaw

Little Hare is the sweetest little hare ever. He loves his Grandpa and they go everywhere together. Little Hare hasn’t learnt to hop yet – so he goes bump, bump, bump on his bottom – and Grandpa has a lot of aches and pains in his joints, so he goes hibble-hobble, hibble-hobble. Little Hare’s parents try to teach him to hop, but Grandpa tells them he’ll hop when he’s good and ready. It isn’t until Little Hare sees a sheep about to eat the one bush that can help cure Grandpa’s aches and pains, that he takes an almighty hop to save it. Soon Grandpa can go hibble-hobble-HOP and Little Hare can hop can hop along beside him. But sometimes, just for fun, he still likes to go bump, bump, bump.

HOP, Little Hare is a gorgeous new picture book from Margaret Wild, arguably Australia’s finest picture book author. The delightful watercolour illustrations by Peter Shaw are a perfect complement to the gentle humour and warm fuzzy feelings of the text.

A delight for adult readers and young listeners to share over and over.

First released in hardcover, this book has now been released in paperback.

HOP, Little Hare, by Margaret Wild & Peter Shaw
This Edition Little Hare, 2007

Why Do I Have to Eat Off the Floor? by Chris Hornsey

Why can’t I drive the car?
Why can’t I dig in the garden?
Why can’t I sleep in your bed?

The questions posed in this quirky offering may sound like those every parent hears from their youngsters, but the twist is that they are actually a dog’s questions to its young owner. Murphy is a little dog with some big ambitions – digging with a back hoe, riding on an elephant, swinging a hula hoop – which are illustrated on the left hand page of each spread. The right hand page presents a more accurate picture of what is happening – when Murphy imagines himself excavating with a back hoe, he is really digging a hole in the flower bed, for example.

The question and answer format presents Murphy’s questions, which are asked with a beseeching look, rather than dialogue, coupled with patient (though frustrated) answers of the young owner.

The silliness of this book will appeal to preschoolers and the familiarity of the multitude of ‘whys’ will appeal to parents. The simple illustrations, watercolour with ink outlines, are an excellent complement.

First released in hardcover, the book has now been rereleased in paperback format.

Why Do I Have To Eat Off the Floor? by Chris Hornsey and Gwyn Perkins
This edition Little Hare, 2006

Sixth Grade Style Queen (Not!), by Sherryl Clark

every day at the school gates Melissa Banner (Style Queen)
is surrounded by girls
like a fan club

every day she brings
something new to show off –
a hair clip
a magazine
lip gloss

All the girls in Dawn’s class want to be style queens – except Dawn. She suspects she’s really an alien and sometimes she wishes the ship would come back and pick her up. But as her life starts to change, being (or not being) a style queen is the least of her worries.

Sixth Grade Style Queen (not) is an outstanding verse novel for upper primary aged readers which explores peer pressure and friendship, as well as family dynamics and marriage breakdowns. Dawn shares her story through a progression of free verse poems, a form which allows both intimate insight and humour. The reader is transported into the thought-processes of the narrator in a believable way. The text is accessible, and the form allows for brevity which will be attractive to reluctant readers.

Sherryl Clark knows what makes kids tick.

Sixth Grade Style Queen (not!), by Sherryl Clark
Puffin, 2007

Success With Asian Names, by Fiona Swee-Lin Price

In Australia’s multicultural society, not all names have English origins or even the English structure of first name/surname. Asian names especially seem to cause problems for English speakers, who are unsure as to how names are pronounced, and which form of the name they should use – is the first name the name by which the person is commonly called, or is it the last one? Getting it right is important.

Success With Asian Names is a comprehensive guide by an expert in the field which explores the pronunciation and usage of Asian names as well as how to deal with situations such as entering names into databases or forms. With chapters devoted to the specifics of different languages and lots of examples, this would be a useful guide for anyone who works regularly with people from Asian backgrounds, such as teachers, administrators and health workers.

Author Dr Fiona Swee-Lin Price is well qualified to write such an offering. She is a specialist in managing cultural diversity and runs training courses in the correct use of Asian names.

Success With Asian Names, by Fiona Swee-Lin Price
Allen and Unwin, 2007

Pig Out, by Sascha Hutchinson

Every day, five little pigs eat their fill of a new food. On Monday it’s porridge, on Tuesday it’s parsnips and so on. But whilst four of the pigs eat well and grow bigger, one little pig seems not to be eating. He isn’t growing at all. Why isn’t he eating? All is revealed, when after five days of eating healthy foods, on Saturday the little pig gets his turn and eats pizza.

This is a funny, cute title for the very young with minimal text and unique collage illustrations. It took this adult reader a couple of reads to pick up that the little pig wasn’t growing, but when I read it to my youngster he picked it up straight away!

Popular since its first release in 1999, Pig Out has been re-released in paperback format.

Pig Out, by Sascha Hutchinson
This edition Working Title Press, 2006

The Way I Love You, by David Bedford and Ann James

I love…
the way you always care,
the way you’re always there…
That’s the way I love you.

This is a picture book which parents, grandparents and other gift-givers will buy for its beauty. From an adorable cover, with a simple cream background and heartwarming illustration of a girl hugging her dog, right through to the back cover, with a view of the same pair from behind, with the girl’s arm around the dog and their heads leaning conspiratorially towards each other, all about this book is adorable.

The text is simple – with the first person child sharing the ways that she loves her dog, and the illustrations showing the simple joy the pair share in being together. Of course, the book is much more than a tale of a girl and a dog – the words remind us of the many ways of sharing love, in simple, every day moments.

Adult readers will be touched by this message and be reminded to cherish each small moment with their young loved ones, while children will love the simple rhythm of the story and the delightful illustrations of Ann James.

The Way I Love You will make a lovely going to sleep book and won’t suffer from being read over and over. It would also be an ideal gift for a newborn, to be treasured by both parent and child.

Initially published in hard cover format, The Way I Love You has now been released in a box set including small a format book and a cute cattle dog push.

Delightful

The Way I Love You, by David Bedford and Ann James
Little Hare, This edition 2007

You can buy this book online from Fishpond

Could You? Would you? by Trudy White

Would you eat a meal that a cat had cooked?
How many different ways could you send a message?

What a cute offering! Whilst hard to categorise, Could You? Would You? is not hard to read, to enjoy or to be inspired by. This collection of questions, possibilities and explorations is marketed as a children’s book, but will also get adults thinking about important and not-so-important questions.

From drawing a map of their house, to considering things like how they will change as they grow up, readers are taken on a journey of possibilities and reflections. Whilst it could be read cover to cover or used as a workbook for self-reflection, readers could also open at random pages and reflect just on that page.

A wonderful offering for children (and adults) of all ages.

Could You? Would You? by Trudy White
Allen & Unwin, 2006

Snow Play, by Claire Saxby

‘It’s like nothing else…Even the air sounds different, because the snow crunches when you move. Sometimes it’s like being on ice-cream, all smooth. It’s like there’s a blanket on the air, making everything sound softer. And other times it’s like being on an ice-skating rink, only on a slope. And if it’s early and it’s been snowing…then it’s like floating on bubbles.’

Jamie has never been to the snow before, but when she’s finally invited to go and see it, she isn’t so sure. The person inviting her is Gemma Watten. Gemma is the quietest girl in her class, and Jamie doesn’t know her at all. What will they talk about? What if they don’t get along?

Snow Play is a delightful tale of friendship and fitting in, set against the backdrop of a day in the snow. Author Claire Saxby has worked hard to recreate the wonder and novelty of the snowfields for readers who may not have had the experience. At the same time, the story line is strong and avoids being predictable or preachy which could easily happen in a story of this length and with these themes.

Part of the Go Girl series, the sparkly cover is sure to attract young readers, but it is the story which will really draw them in.

Good stuff.

Snow Play, by Claire Saxby
Hardie Grant Egmont, 2007

Mr McGreevy's Absolute Howlers, by Norman McGreevy

Some of the patients were plastered, and some were hanging from the ceiling.
Henry V111 by his own efforts increased the population of England by 40 000.
The end of the World will mark a turning point in everyone’s life.

Norman McGreevy hates to see the English language corrupted – hates it so much that he’s collected dozens of examples of misuse of words and put them together in this little volume. These are slips from students’ essays, assignments and exams, and range from the plain silly to side splittingly funny.

Guaranteed to have you laughing out loud and reading bits out to anyone who’ll listen, the howlers are categorized by subject, though the subject matter is often an unintentional by-product of a misused word. Humorous line illustrations add to the fun.

Would make a great gift.

Mr McGreevy’s Absolute Howlers, by Norman McGreevy
Allen & Unwin, 2006