December 2012 – Page 3 – Aussie Reviews

The Twelve Days of Aussie Christmas, by Colin Buchanan & Glen Singleton

On the first day of Christmas, my best mate gave to me …
A platypus up a gum tree.

Whilst not the first Aussie version of the famous Twelve Days of Christmas song, The Twelve Days of Aussie Christmas is a delightfully Australian offering, with lots of images of the best of Australia, and Australian summer. The lyrics (and illustrations) are filled with cheeky chooks, snags (sausages), rusty utes, meat trays and more – and the refrain of a platypus up a gum tree.

The illustrations, by Glen Singleton bring all these to life plus more, with extra items hidden in the illustrations for readers to find – including giddy goannas, red-nosed boomers, Christmas crocodiles. Accompanied by a CD recording of singer/songwriter Colin Buchanan, this hard cover offering would make a great Christmas gift and would also be welcomed for classroom use.

The Twelve Days of Aussie Christmas, by Colin Buchanan & Glen Singleton
Scholastic, 2012
ISBN 9781742833675

Available from good bookstores or online from Fishpond.

The Gift, by Penny Matthews & Martin McKenna

One by one the toys were sold.
Nobody wanted Brown Bear.

It is nearly Christmas and a plain brown bear sits in the toy shop waiting to be bought. The other toys do clever things – singing carols or banging drums – but all Bear has is a big red bow. As the other toys are sold he finds himself sitting next to a big green crocodile, who doesn’t do anything special OR have a bow. As Crocodile frets about finding a home, Brown Bear does something very special – giving his bow to Crocodile. But, when Crocodile is sold, Bear wonders if he’ll ever be chosen.

The Gift is a gorgeous Christmas picture book story about giving and friendship. Brown Bear’s generous gesture helps his frined find a home and, eventually, he too finds a home, and even a new bow.

The text is lovely and the illustrations also simply beautiful. Rendered digitally, yet with a traditional toy shop feel, the toys have loads of character but are toy-like. not overly animated even when communicating. the people are represented chiefly by hands reaching and passing until the final lovely illustration of Brown Bear’s new young owner asleep, cuddling him.

The Gift would make a lovely Christmas present.

The Gift, by Penny Matthews & Martin McKenna
Omnibus Books, 2012
ISBN

Available from good bookstores or online.

Tell Me About Your Day Today, by Mem Fox & Lauren Stringer

Greedy Goose told him about her day
the who,
the what,
the why,
and the way…
the whole wild thing…
turned out okay.

Some children don’t like bedtime, but the boy in this beautiful offering loves bedtime. After the last kiss, the last story and the last goodnight, he is left in the company of friends – his soft toy animal friends. Each one tells him about their day and then he tells them about his, before he falls asleep with his arms full of toys.

A lovely bedtime story, the gentle text with its repetitive refrain is perfect for sharing and the illustrations reflect the peaceful colours of a semi-darkened bedroom.Youngsters will love Greedy Goose, Blue Horses and Fat Rabbit and discussing their adventures.

Lovely.

tellmeaboutyourdaytoday

Tell Me About Your Day Today, by Mem Fox and Lauren Stringer
Scholastic, 2012
ISBN 9781742835785

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

The Amber Amulet, by Craig Silvey

Dear Sir/Ma’am,
Please find enclosed this AMBER AMULET. That must sound unusual to a citizen, but you will have to trust me on this count because the science is too detailed for me to outline here. All you need to know is that the AMBER AMULET will eliminate your unhappiness by counter-acting it with POSITIVE ENERGY. This should see you straight. Fear not, you are in safe hands now.
Take care,
The Masked Avenger.

By day Liam McKenzie is an average twelve year old schoolboy. At night he patrols his neighbourhood as the Masked Avenger – a superhero with powers so potent not even he comprehends their extent. His sidekick is his dog, Richie the Power Beagle. Together they keep peace in the neighborhood. Squeaky gate? No problem for the Masked Avenger. Forgotten rubbish bins? Yep – he can fix that too. A flat tyre? He can’t fix it but he can alert the owner of the vehicle without compromising his identity. But the lady at the end of the street is a challenging case. She is, he senses, deeply sad. He will have to dig deep into his reserves of power to fix this one.

The Amber Amulet is a gem. In small format hard cover, with a delightful cover, it is a treasure just to hold and to look at. The story is short and simple, but very clever. Blending the feel of a comic book with the reality of a story about a kid who is a bit lonely himself, yet manages to tackle this with his generosity and his imagination. Internal illustrations by Sonia Martinez (who also illustrated Silvey’s picture book The World According to Warren) are a combination of collage and sketches, also reminiscent of classic comic book advertising and design.

Suitable for any age – from children through to adult – The Amber Amulet is a delight.

The Amber Amulet, by Craig Silvey
Allen & Uniwn, 2012
ISBN 9781742379982

Available in good bookstores or online.

Miss Understood, by James Roy

This is my story. (Not this bit, though – everything that comes after this.) But like I said, this is my story. Me, Lizzie Adams. It’s a story about some stuff that happened to me, and to some of the people I know, and it’s completely true. All of it. because I don’t lie, honest. And if I do ever happen tot ell a lie or do something ‘silly’, it’s always an accident. Never on purpose.

Lizzie is often in trouble at her school, Our Lady of the Sacred Wimple College, so when she almost sets the school on fire, it’s the last straw. She finds herself expelled, and condemned to being home schooled by her mum. Mum is a teacher, so she knows all about how to teach Lizzie, but Lizzie isn’t impressed. At home there’s no playground, no friends, not even a proper recess. What she wants to do is to prove that she is responsible enough to go back to school, but that isn’t going to be easy.

Miss Understood is a heart warming, gently funny tale of being good and being misunderstood. Lizzie wants to do the right thing, but it doesn’t always work out right, something most readers will relate to, and the story also deals with important issues including adult depression and family in a way accessible to young readers.

Roy has a gift for making stories both entertaining and thought-provoking.

Miss Understood, by James Roy
Woolshed Press, 2012
ISBN

Available from good bookstores and online.

My Home Broome, by Tamzyne Richardson & Bronwyn Houston

I live in a place where the sand is smooth and
turtles nest on Cable beach.
I live in a place where the sun sets over the Indian Ocean.
My home Broome.

When she was eight years old, Tamzyne Richardson wrote a poem about Broome and all the things that she loved about her home town. Local artist Bronwyn Houston took the poem and developed a community project whereby she worked with young local artists to illustrate Tamzyne’s poem. The result is a beautiful picture book which is alive with all the magic of Broome.

Each spread includes one stanza of the poem, brought to life by a scene made up of painted backgrounds and individual components contributed by various of the young artists to create a pleasing, eclectic whole. There are also facts about different aspects of Broome on every page. A really wonderful feature is the focus on the multicultural society in Broome and, particularly, the culture of the Yawuru Aboriginal people, the traditional owners of the area.

My Home Broome is both educational and entertaining.

My Home Broome, by Tamzyne Richardson & Bronwyn Houston, with Friends
Magabala Books, 2012
ISBN 9781921248467

Available in good bookstores and online.

Phyllis Wong and the Forgotten Secrets of Okyto, by Geoffrey McSkimming

Mrs Lowerblast took out her lilacious handkerchief and touched it to the corners of her lavender-lipsticked mouth. ‘Oh, Phylis, I’ve gone over it a hundred times in my head, maybe two hundred times. I’ve tried to remember every single thing that happened when he visited and looked at the bookends, every little detail. But I still can’t work out how he substituted this for the genuine article!’

Phyllis Wong loves conjuring, which is hardly surprising given that she is the great-granddaughter of one of the world’s most successful magicians. When her friend, Mrs Lowerblast, is the victim of a clever theft, Phyllis guesses there’s some sort of magic trick at work, but can’t figure out what’s been done. Then other robberies happen, and Phyllis is sure that they are all linked. Her friend Chief Inspector Inglis is on the case, but he’s baffled. Phyllis is determined to figure out who the thief is, and how he is achieving the seemingly impossible.

Phyllis Wong and the Forgotten Secrets of Mr Okyto is an exciting magical mystery which will intrigue young sleuths and would-be sleuths. The blend of mystery and the world of conjuring makes for an intriguing mix which will keep readers guessing and turning pages.

From the creator of the successful Cairo Jim Chronicles, Phyllis Wong and the Forgotten Secrets of Mr Okyto is sure to be well received by middle and upper primary aged readers.

Phyllis Wong and the Forgotten Secrets of Mr Okyto, by Geoffrey McSkimming
Allen & Unwin, 2012
ISBN 9781742378213

Available from good bookstores or online.