April 2012 – Aussie Reviews

Kick it to Me, by Neridah McMullin & Peter Hudson

When cricket season ends, Tom is desolate. What will he do with himself with no cricket to play? Luckily, his friend Jirra, from the Djab Wurrung tribe, has an idea.

It shoots off to the right and racing after it, they’re jostling and laughing and pushing each other trying to be the first to pick up the ball.

When cricket season ends, Tom is desolate. What will he do with himself with no cricket to play? Luckily, his friend Jirra, from the Djab Wurrung tribe, has an idea. Jirra will teach him to play a fun game that he and his friends love to play – Marn-grook. Soon, Tom is happy again as he plays the game of kicking and catching with Jirra and his friends.

Kick it to Me offers the story of the origins of Australian Rules football. Tom Wills, the boy in the story, was a key figure in the development of the sport now known as Australian Rules football, drawing on the game he learned from his Aboriginal friends as a child. The fictionalised story of Tom’s childhood is complemented by back of book notes, as well as a foreword by Collingwood President and television personality Eddie McGuire.

In hard cover picture book format with illustrations by Peter Hudson, this story of the origins of our national sport has been released just in time for the new footy season.

Kick it to Me, by Neridah McMullin & Peter Hudson
One Day Hill, 2011
ISBN 9780980794861

This book is available in good bookstores, or online from Fishpond.

How I Got My Wiggle Back, by Anthony Field

He’s spent more than 20 years Wiggling, singing and smiling his way around the world. But that happy face, which has in turn brought happiness to so many youngsters (and adults, too) has often hidden a lot.

Illness and ailment used to define me. I was addled by theories and advice on what I needed to do to get back on track and my life-light was dimming. I had a litany of health challenges and they were defeating me, until through luck, desperation, and determination I found answers.

Anthony Field is an international superstar – the founder and co-star of mega-successful chidlren’s band, The Wiggles (he’s the blue one). He’s spent more than 20 years Wiggling, singing and smiling his way around the world. But that happy face, which has in turn brought happiness to so many youngsters (and adults, too) has often hidden a lot. For years, Field battled with depression, illness and chronic illness, at times so bad that he struggled to take the stage. He had seen numerous doctors and tried different treatment regimes.At times he despaired of ever finding a cure.

Field’s life was changed forever when he met two revolutionary chiropractors, who helped him to get his health – indeed, his whole life – back. In How I Got My Wiggle Back, he details the health and fitness regime which he used, and continues to use to stay healthy. Readers are offered a step by step guide to follow the same process to improve their own health.

This is an inspiring story. Field offers an honest, intimate look at his personal journey, The Wiggles’ journey, and the story of his health struggles, which is both entertaining and moving. The practical guide to getting and staying healthy will also inspire readers to work towards better health.

How I Got My Wiggle Back, by Anthony Field
ABC Books, 2012
ISBN 9780733329685

This book is available in good bookstores or online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

When Louise discovers the wild brumbies roaming the mountain parklands are regularly mustered for the sales yards and many turned into pet food, she is keen to save them.

Reviewed by Hilary Smillie

Paula Boer’s first book in the Brumbies series is a gem. Her two young protagonists, Louise, recently moved to the Snowy Mountains area from town, and Ben, a local farm boy, have struck up a friendship with their common love of horses. When Louise discovers the wild brumbies roaming the mountain parklands are regularly mustered for the sales yards and many turned into pet food, she is keen to save them. The teenagers come across part of a herd and two particularly attractive brumbies capture their hearts. Louise who borrows Ben’s horses to ride, loves a buckskin mare, and dreams of owning her. Ben has his eye on a colt. They decide to hold their own muster.

Thus begins a remarkable adventure for the pair and any horselover will be enthralled by the storyline. What elevates Brumbies above the usual pony read is that not only is it set in wild mountain country with all its tough challenges, but Paula has described every detail of what riding, mustering and wild horse-taming is all about. Her experience as a horsewoman, mustering on remote cattle stations and capturing and breaking in brumbies to name a few of her talents, shines through with gripping authenticity.

Readers with little knowledge of horses will be delightfully educated and this story is bound to be a hit in schools as well as in the wider readership. Paula describes the birdlife and fauna of the Australian bush with great enthusiasm. A Glossary is included for added information.

Rowena Evans’ engaging black and white illustrations throughout the book complement the story. The cover, with its pen and wash depiction of a herd of brumbies on a background of vivid green, is very attractive. Brumbies is a tremendous story for all ages and may even become an Aussie icon.

Brumbies by Paula Boer Illus by Rowena Evans
(IFWG Publishing) ISBN -978-0-646-56641-2 RRP $16.99
Published 2011

Allsorts: Poetry Tricks and Treats, by Andrew Lansdown

This book is aptly named as it contains all sorts of sweet delights. If you are a teacher feeling a bit lost about teaching poetry in class, or just someone who wants to learn more about the craft of poetry, you will find this book an invaluable tool.

Reviewed by Dale Harcombe

Not only is Andrew Lansdown one of Australia’s best imagist poets, but included in the book are some personal observations about poetry, the best way to write a limerick, where ideas come from and ideas for writing poems as well as outlining different ways of writing e.g. quatrain, haiku, rhymed poem, sonnet or tanka.

Andrew explains techniques such as assonant rhyme, couplets, and alternating rhyme just to name a few and talks about ways of creating sound effects in poems using devices like onomatopoeia or rhyming tercets, and examples of using assonance, imagery or metaphor. To make it even easier for teachers and students of poetry, he has included an index which highlights each poem’s form and poetic techniques. So if you are looking for a ballad, a syllabic poem, a rhyming quatrain, sestet, or a villanelle, it points you in the right direction of examples. The index also highlights specific topics e.g. poems concerning animals, home, imagination, ocean or birds, which Andrew Lansdown is particularly fond of writing about.

Poems are arranged according to colour- the colours of liquorice allsorts. Colours are red, yellow, white, green, orange and black. Some of the poems in this collection are humorous and whimsical, like The Snaffle and There was an African Lion or The Elephant who Lost His Tail. Others are delicate snapshots. Among my favourites are Fuchsia Wrens, Summer, The Japanese Gardener, Dressed to Kill, Genesis, Christmas Tree and Ball of Gold.

Andrew Lansdown has the knack of showing us that a poem can be about any subject even pesky mosquitoes. He provides plenty of examples to make you think differently about things or to make you laugh or smile. Wombat Books and Studio Journal are to be congratulated for collaborating to produce such a great collection of poems for children and adults to enjoy.

Allsorts: Poetry Tricks and Treats, by Andrew Lansdown

Wombat Books

RRP $24.95
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A Day to Remember, by Jackie French, illustrated by Mark WIlson

From that first Anzac Day to commemorations in the years that followed, and through to the ceremonies of today, and even beyond, this book traces the growth of the Anzac legend and the development of the day

Each year on 25 April, the nation stops to remember.
This is the history of that day.

On April 25 1915 8000 Australian and New Zealand soldiers waded ashore on a Turkish beach, beginning a campaign which was ultimately unsuccessful in terms of the war, but which began a legend which has united Australians for almost 100 years. From that first Anzac Day to commemorations in the years that followed, and through to the ceremonies of today, and even beyond, this book traces the growth of the Anzac legend and the development of the day which now serves to remember not just the men who fought at Gallipoli, but all the men and women who have served the country in war, and all who have been affected by war.

French handles the topic with a mix of straight fact, useful reminders about the importance of the day and raising of issues along the way. Because the book spans almost 100 years of history, it touches on many issues, including the contribution of Aboriginal soldiers, Vietnam War protests, conscription, and more. Some of these are issues which young readers may be unfamiliar, which offers opportunity both for education and for discussion.

Illustrations, by Mark Wilson, use a variety of techniques, including pencil, ink and acrylic on canvas and on paper, and using in places images of historical documents, to reflect the varying time periods. Wilson includes scenes of war and battle, as well as of civilian faces and places, to give a broad image of Australia’s varied engagement in war. In doing so he gives an honest insight into a wide spectrum of issues and considerations, again giving food for thought and discussion.

This is a useful teaching tool, but also deserves a place in home libraries, helping children to understand the significance of Anzac Day.

A Day to Remember, by Jac kie French, illustrated by Mark Wilson
Angus & Robertson, 2012

ISBN 9780732293604&

This book is available in good bookstores or online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Lone Pine, by Susie Brown & Margaret Warner

The soldier slips the pine cone into his pocket. It is a reminder of this sad day.
Then he keeps searching for his brother.

As he searches for his brother on the battlefield after the Battle of Lone Pine, a soldier finds a pine cone. He pockets it, and later sends it home to his mother. Bereft at the loss of one of her boys, the mother plants seeds from the cone, two of which grow into saplings. Determined to help people remember the Battle and the soldiers who died, she sends one tree to Inverell, where her sons grew up, and the other to Canberra. Nearly 100 years later one of those trees still survives in Canberra. In Inverell, a tree planted from the seeds of the first grows.

Lone Pine is a touching reminder of the events of Lone Pine, and of the true story of how a mother commemorated her lost son, and all who fell in that battle. It is also a reminder of the personal and national impact of war. The story manages a gentle balance between the horror of war, the sorrow of those left behind and the importance of remembering, and the illustrations, in chiefly sombre tones mirror the serious nature of the topic, with lovely touches of light offering hope, especially in th beautiful final spread showing the tree which has weathered many storms to survive. This spread is also used as a lovely contrast to the opening spread which shows the tree against a black stormy sky being thrashed by a storm. Back of book notes offer information about the battle, the trees and the family on which the story is based.

A beautiful story, suitable for classroom or private reading.

Lone Pine, by Susie Brown & Margaret Warner, illustrated by Sebastian Ciaffaglione
Little Hare 2012
ISBN 9781921541346

This book is available in good bookstores or online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Ruffy and Me, by Dave Trumbull & Adam Carruthers

We flew to China, Ruffy and me,
And look, there were Pandas – one, two, three!

A boy and his toy dog, at home with nothing to do, decide to travel the world. Soon they are flying to China, rolling through England and chugging through India, seeing each country’s unique animals – and lots of other sights – as they go. Back in the bedroom, the two come back to reality, surrounded by a mess of toy animals and other reminder (or perhaps they were triggers?) of their adventures.

Ruffy and Me is a fantastical picture book which will delight preschool aged youngsters. The simple poetic team uses repetition,which will encourage kids to join in, and the illustrations are filled with rich colours which change to reflect the diverse environments the pair visit. the pages are also filled with detail, including lots of animals and the landmarks for which each country is known.

Suitable for the very young, the book could also be sued in the early childhood classroom to complements studies of animals or introduce geography and travel topics.

Very cute.

Ruffy and Me, by Dave Trumbull & Adam Caruthers
Omnibus, 2012
ISBN 9781862918757

This book is available in good bookstores, or online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Queen Kat, Carmel and St Jude Get a Life, by Maureen McCarthy

They might have grown up in the same country town, bu Katerina, Carmel and Jude, are three very different girls.

Katerina took one slim, finely manicured hand out from under the vase she’d been about to fill…and deliberately let it slide from her grip. The vase, an antique, made of opaque Waterford crystal which had originally belonged to her grandmother, smashed onto the parquetry floor and sprayed dramatically into a thousand tiny pieces of blue. There was a restrained gasp from her mother and an angry snort from her father. Shocked, the three of them stared mutely at the blue-speckled floor.

They might have grown up in the same country town, but Katerina, Carmel and Jude, are three very different girls. Sharing a house in the city isn’t their idea – it just kind of happens, with Kat needing people to share her house, and the others needing a place to live for their first year at university. But sharing a house with two strangers isn’t going to be easy for any of the girls. As they navigate their way through a tumultuous year, the three find their friendships tested as each tries to get a life of her own.

Queen Kat, Carmel and St Jude Get a Life is brilliant, classic young adult novel, first published in 1995 and newly re-released. It is still as real, as heart wrenching and as ultimately satisfying as it was when first published. The use of the three girls as viewpoint characters – each telling about a third of the book,with the next taking over where the former left off, adding her own insight and experiences – provides a unique structure, with the reader taken on a journey where they get to know each girl gradually.

It is wonderful to see this book offered to a new generation of teen readers, and adult readers will also enjoy the opportunity to be reacquainted with the trio.

Queen Kat, Carmel and St Jude Get a Life, by Maureen McCarthy
Allen & Unwin, 2012
ISBN 9781742379517

This book can be purchased in good bookstores or online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Stella Makes Good, by Lisa Heidke

Stella Makes Good is a sometimes funny, sometimes gripping and ultimately moving exploration of relationships and friendship.

‘So,’ Carly was saying as I sat down, ‘what’s everyone’s mantra for the year?’
She’d asked the same question for the past three years and I couldn’t for the life of me remember what I’d said twelve months ago. I poured the wine instead of answering.
Jesse groaned. ‘I’m not playing this game.’
‘Why not?’ Carly snapped. ‘What else are you doing?’

In spite of being newly separated, Stella is happy. She and Terry, her ex-husband, have stayed on good terms, and there’s the possibility of a new relationship with a handsome man she’s met. But at her annual New Year’s catch up with her friends Carly and Jesse, Stella wonders if the pair are as happy as she is. Carly thinks her husband might be having an unfair, and doesn’t know how to fix it. Jese’s husband, Steve, is a control freak who never has a kind word for his beautiful wife. Then her night out with the girls takes a curious twist. Jesse heads home, but Stella and Carly had off for more fun – little expecting to run into someone they shouldn’t in a very compromising situation. Will what they learn destroy their friendships?

Stella Makes Good is a sometimes funny, sometimes gripping and ultimately moving exploration of relationships and friendship. Told chiefly from the first person perspective of Stella, along with chapters devoted to the third person perspectives of both Carly and Jesse, so that the reader is privy to the motivations and insecurities of each of the characters, in an intimate and absorbing way.

This is Heidke’s fourth novel and once again, she cleverly blends romance, friendship and personal growth into a satisfying whole.

Stella Makes Good, by Lisa Heidke
Allen & Unwin, 2012
ISBN 9781742378671

This book is available in good bookstores, or online from Fispond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Lightning Jack, by Glenda Millard & Patricia Mullins

Sam Tully eyed the brumbies at the muster in the park
and among them as they galloped he saw one that stood apart…
a stallion, black as midnight, on his brow a jagged blaze.
A giant horse, a midnight horse,
A horse called Lightning Jack.

When Sam sees the wild black brumby he is determined to ride him – and he does, donning oilskin and boots before rounding up stampeding cattle, flying him, Pegasus-like, through thunder clouds, evading bushrangers, and even winning the Melbourne Cup against Phar Lap. Through these fanciful adventures we see Sam riding triumphantly, joy on his face. But, at last a gentle voice brings him back to the present – and we see Sam slip from a carousel horse and return to his real life, until in bed that night he once again hears Lightning Jack coming close.

Lightning Jack is a wonderful new picture book offering from one of Australia’s most loved chidlren’s authors, Glenda Millard. The ballad-style text sweeps the reader along on Sam’s adventures, and makes a perfect read aloud offering. The illustrations are an added delight – carefully crafted in collage using layers of tissue and papers. Readers will be fascinated with an examination of the individual elements and the fabulous whole they create.

Text and illustration together create a sumptuous offering which will please adult and child reader alike.

Lightning Jack, by Glenda Millard & Patricia Mullins
Scholastic, 2012
ISBN 9781741693911

This book is available in good bookstores or online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.