Month: April 2014

Darcy Moon and the Deep-Fried Forgs, by Catherine Carvell

‘The night you were born,’ he said, ignoring my question, ‘there was a rare lunar eclipse. The planets were aligned.’ He lifted a webbed foot and waved it in the air as if the planets were hovering in front of him. ‘When the eclipse passed,’ he continued, ‘the first ray of moonlight hit your newborn eyes and a cosmic does of planetary magic passed to you.’
Darcy Moon has a few problems – the biggest ones being her embarrassing parents, whose funny smells and hairy armpits are stopping her fitting in with the cool crowd.So when the animals at the local swamp start speaking to her, she doesn’t want to know. She can’t help them – and if anyone knows she talks to frogs, she’ll become a laughing stock. But Jumpy the frog and Wizen, the Western Swamp Tortoise, are pretty persistent, and when Darcy realises why the local frogs are disappearing she realises she has to help.

Darcy Moon and the Deep-fried Frogs is a fun adventure with an important message about ecology and the environment. Darcy is a gutsy girl who must use her nous to help the animals, and get out of some scrapes, which she does with aplomb.

Suitable for primary school aged children, Darcy Moon and the Deep-fried Frogs is a great début novel from West Aussie Catherine Carvell.

Darcy Moon and the Deep-fried Frogs, by Catherine Carvell
Fremantle Press, 2014
ISBN 9781922089717

Available from good bookstores and online.

Ash Rover: Keeper of the Phoenix, by Aleesah Darlison

Ash almost dropped the rock in surprise. Although it looked and felt smooth, like polished marble, the rock radiated warmth.
What sort of rock makes heat? he wondered.
Ash turned the rock over in his hands. It felt light and rather hollow and was the size and shape of a honeydew melon, with swirls of ebony and violet covering its smooth surface.
“Surely something so perfectly formed can’t be a rock?” he murmured.

Ash Rover is a poor cowherd, but he dreams of doing something important with his life. One day as he dreams, he is hit on the head by what he first thinks is a rock. When he realises the rock has something magical about it, he takes care of it – but doesn’t realise just what kind of adventures it will lead to. The rock is in cat a phoenix egg and when it hatches, Ash becomes the keeper of the phoenix.

Soon Ash and his friends are on a dangerous journey to protect the phoenix and also save his family, and their whole village. he must outwit wily griffins, an evil king who wants immortality and even rogue unicorns.

Ash Rover: Keeper of the Phoenix is the first in a new series featuring an intrepid and unlikely hero. A wonderful blend of action and humour, in a fantasy setting which young readers will enjoy, Ash Rover will appeal to middle and upper primary aged readers, who will look forward to further adventures in the series.

 

Ash Rover: Keeper of the Phoenix

Ash Rover: Keeper of the Phoenix, by Aleesah Darlison
Walker Books, 2014
ISBN 9781922179029

Available from good bookstores and online.

Toucan Can by Juliette MacIver ill Sarah Davis

Toucan can do lots of things!

Toucan dances!

Toucan sings!

Toucan bangs a frying pan!

Can YOU do what Toucan can?

Toucan can do lots of things!

Toucan dances!

Toucan sings!

Toucan bangs a frying pan!

Can YOU do what Toucan can?

Toucan can do lots of things and you  the reader is invited to do what Toucan can. Then, Toucan is invited to do what you can, and he can do most, though not all you can. The energy accelerates as other characters join the fun. Some can do most things, and others introduce new things that both Toucan and you can try. The party gets wilder and wilder, more energetic and colourful as the pages turn. The final page brings the focus back to the reader. Toucan is supported in early spreads by bright and colourful finch-like birds. Later spreads include an ever-extending cast of animals and birds, in keeping with the building rhythms of the text. Animal colours burst beyond the confines of their outlines.

Juliette MacIver is channelling her inner Seuss in this fantastical story about Toucan and friends! The rhythms are so strong that even if dancing wasn’t mentioned it would be challenging to complete it and remain still. There are lots of repeated sounds, some almost tongue-twisters to engage young listeners. ‘Toucan Can’ is sure to set feet tapping, full as it is with fun and colour.  Young readers will be able to identify a wide range of animals from all around the world. A picture book ideal for pre- and early- schoolers.

 

Toucan Can, Juliette MacIver ill Sarah Davis Gecko Press 2013 ISBN: 9781877467547

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Tank Boys by Stephen Dando-Collins

‘Where the heck are we?’ Frankie’s voice was muffled by the walls of earth on either side of them.

‘Flanders,’ answered Private Nash, the young soldier trudging along the narrow communication trench in front of Frankie, as the Australian troops moved in single fileup to the front line in darkness.

‘I know we’re in Flanders! Where in Flanders?’

‘Near Messines.’

‘Yeah, but where near Messines?’

‘How should I know? Do I look like an officer or something? Only officers know where they are in this war. Anyway, what’s it matter, Pickles?’

Frankie shrugged. ‘I was just curious, that’s all. I’d like to know where I’m about to die.’

‘Where the heck are we?’ Frankie’s voice was muffled by the walls of earth on either side of them.

‘Flanders,’ answered Private Nash, the young soldier trudging along the narrow communication trench in front of Frankie, as the Australian troops moved in single fileup to the front line in darkness.

‘I know we’re in Flanders! Where in Flanders?’

‘Near Messines.’

‘Yeah, but where near Messines?’

‘How should I know? Do I look like an officer or something? Only officers know where they are in this war. Anyway, what’s it matter, Pickles?’

Frankie shrugged. ‘I was just curious, that’s all. I’d like to know where I’m about to die.’

Frankie and Taz are both sixteen-years-old Australians who lie about their age to be accepted into the Australian Army. Their reasons for enlisting are different but the two are united by their youth. Richard is also sixteen-years-old and in the army, but he’s on the opposite side. War is nothing like the adventure the Australian boys imagined when they signed up and nothing has prepared Richard either. The three boys are destined to meet on the battlefields in France, around Villers-Bretoneux, amid the horror and destruction of war. Tank Boys is the story of one of the most well-known battles of WWII from the perspective of three youth and explores the personalities and the politics of both sides of the battle. Although fiction, Tank Boys is based on real tanks, and real battles.

Tank Boys explores the realities of war. It is not gratuitously graphic but neither does it shy away from the deaths and injuries suffered by soldiers of both sides. It offers a range of different personalities and explores the myriad reasons men fight wars. On one level ‘Tank Boys’ is a ‘Boys Own’-type adventure full of action and adventure, but it also provides many opportunities for discussion about war. There are enough details for readers to be able to ‘walk the trenches’ with the characters, and to learn about the different hardware each side used. As the centenary of the beginning of WWI draws closer, it’s not surprising that there are stories about war being published for young people. From our vantage point, stories that have long been locked up are finding their way into the public consciousness and providing perspectives that were not always evident in earlier times (for many reasons). These stories help us to understand our past and shape our future. Recommended for upper-primary readers.

Tank Boys, Stephen Dando-Collins Random House Australia 2014 ISBN:9780857981301

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

The Adventures of Scooterboy and Skatergirl by Andy Jones ill Doreen Marts

Cool can mean a lot of things.

Amazing, wicked, awesome, epic, radical, insane, ridiculously good and, of course – cold!

Jim Belicious was someone who lived on the not-so-cool side of cool, if you know what I mean. It wasn’t that Jim didn’t have cool T-shirts. And sneakers. And a semi-cool haircut. But being cool did not come naturally to him.

Today, Jim was about to meet someone who was naturally cool …

Cool can mean a lot of things.

Amazing, wicked, awesome, epic, radical, insane, ridiculously good and, of course – cold!

Jim Belicious was someone who lived on the not-so-cool side of cool, if you know what I mean. It wasn’t that Jim didn’t have cool T-shirts. And sneakers. And a semi-cool haircut. But being cool did not come naturally to him.

Today, Jim was about to meet someone who was naturally cool …

Jim isn’t quite cool. And it’s more to do with his take on the world and his interests than anything else. But a chance encounter of the potentially calamitous kind, evolves into a firm friendship with Skatergirl. Fortunately she always carries a scooter in her bag just in case her skateboard lets her down. She generously gives it to Jim and he is transformed into Scooterboy. And the adventures begin. There’s a race around the shopping mall and adventures with elevators, raps and rhymes. Skatergirl and Scooterboy are very different but their difference unite rather than divide them and their similarities cement their friendship. Black and white illustrations are scattered throughout, breaking up the text.

The Adventures of Scooterboy and Skatergirl is an action-stuffed, break-neck paced novel for newly independent readers. Skatergirl is an accomplished and successful skater and Scooterboy loves information almost as much as racing around the place with Skatergirl. Together they make a powerful team. Skatergirl has the confidence, Scooterboy the knowledge for the pair to succeed at almost everything they do. Each has an ‘Achilles heel’ fear and these add to their friendship and to the fun they can have with each other. Just when it seemed they are invincible, security guards deliver them to their parents who confiscate their wheels. These characters are at once ‘super’ and ‘everyday’ making it easy for readers to connect with them. Most chapters have almost complete stories, although there is also an over-arching narrative tying them together. There is plenty of absurdity and humour to keep reluctant readers engaged throughout. Recommended for lower- to mid-primary independent readers.

 

The Adventures of Scooterboy and Skatergirl, Andy Jones ill Doreen Marts ABC Books 2013 ISBN: 9780733331596

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Racing the Moon by Michelle Morgan

What a year! Don Bradman scored 334 runs in the Third Test against England, the half-arches of the Sydney Harbour Bridge finally met in the middle, Pharlap won the Melbourne Cup, and Harry and I went into the egg business together. Harry’s been my best friend for as long as I can remember. We catch the train every Friday after school to Uncle George’s chook farm to pick up two boxes of eggs – that’s twenty dozen or 240 eggs. We get them at cost price for a shilling a dozen and sell them for two shillings. Not bad for a couple of Glebe boys on the wrong side of thirteen. There are no overheads – even the train fare’s free. We’re not breaking the law because there’s never anyone to collect our tickets at Rooty Hill station.

What a year! Don Bradman scored 334 runs in the Third Test against England, the half-arches of the Sydney Harbour Bridge finally met in the middle, Pharlap won the Melbourne Cup, and Harry and I went into the egg business together. Harry’s been my best friend for as long as I can remember. We catch the train every Friday after school to Uncle George’s chook farm to pick up two boxes of eggs – that’s twenty dozen or 240 eggs. We get them at cost price for a shilling a dozen and sell them for two shillings. Not bad for a couple of Glebe boys on the wrong side of thirteen. There are no overheads – even the train fare’s free. We’re not breaking the law because there’s never anyone to collect our tickets at Rooty Hill station.

Joe Riley is an energetic, independent and resourceful 12-year-old boy living in Sydney in 1930. Despite the challenges of the depression, his family is doing alright. His father’s (illegal) bookie business is thriving and the same sense of entrepreneurial enthusiasm is keeping Joe buoyant. All in all, he’s fairly happy with his life. Then his parent’s throw a spanner in the works by sending him off to get an education at a posh boarding school. It’s not a place he fits well and although he does find some friends he is desperately homesick. He seems to attract the wrong kind of attention, particularly from prefects and from Brother Felix. Before he really knows what’s happening he’s expelled from St Bartholomew’s and packed off to The Farm, a reform school south of Sydney. It’s no easy ride, but Joe discovers that education comes in many forms, as does strength.

Racing the Moon tells the story of a initially confident boy who knows and revels in his world. Secondary school is full of challenges he couldn’t imagine and he realises that the world contains much that he doesn’t understand. There are myriad themes here of bullying, honesty and morality, family, secrets and endurance. Readers will revel in the freedom enjoyed by the young Joe, particularly as it is set in a time where jobs were scarce and survival was often a daily struggle. They will empathise with his struggle to make sense of the unfamiliar boarding school environment and then reform school, and rejoice as he finds his way. Recommended for upper primary readers.

 

Racing the Moon, Michelle Morgan Allen & Unwin 2014 ISBN: 9781743316351

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

My Dinosaur Dad by Ruth Paul

This dad is TALL,

this dad is SQUAT.

This dad is HUGE,

This dad is NOT.

This dad is TALL,

this dad is SQUAT.

This dad is HUGE,

This dad is NOT.

‘My Dinosaur Dad’ introduces a range of dinosaur dads, describing both their physical attributes and also their behaviours. The narrator’s dad is the final dad to appear and his arrival sends most of the others packing. But despite his reputation and apparent behaviour, to the young dinosaur, this is merely Dad. ‘My Dinosaur Dad’ is a large format, heavy paper, paper back, suitable for very young children. Images are simple and clear although there are also other animals flitting about each opening. Some of these other animals are there to provide scale and interest. Foliage is often stylised but provides an introduction to ancient flora. Dinosaurs appear in a wide range of gentle colours and patterns.

My Dinosaur Dad is a perfect introduction to dinosaurs, so beloved of young children. But rather than offer too much information, it presents them as loving and attentive fathers. There are dinosaur fathers of all shapes and sizes, likes and behaviours. Most readers will recognise aspects of their fathers in these pages. Ruth Paul has had fun with her patterning and colouring of the dinosaurs. In addition to introducing dinosaurs, ‘My Dinosaur Dad’ offers opposites (tall/squat, chunky/thinner) and words (spiky/prickly, knobbly/tickly) that are fun to say and explore. There are plenty of extra details for young readers to enjoy, including young dinosaurs mimicking their fathers with varying degrees of success. Ideal for pre-schoolers.

My Dinosaur Dad, Ruth Paul Scholastic NZ 2013 ISBN: 9781775431749

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Mrs Mo's Monster by Paul Beavis

One day

There was a knock at

The front door.

Mr. Mo was gardening,

So Mrs. Mo went to see who it might be …

One day

There was a knock at

The front door.

Mr. Mo was gardening,

So Mrs. Mo went to see who it might be …

Mrs. Mo is visited by a monster who knows how to CRUNCH, MUNCH, AND CHEW. Though she suggests other activities, the monster is not interested. A monster knows what a monster knows and that is how to CRUNCH, MUNCH, AND CHEW. Monster spins through Mrs. Mo’s house like a mini cyclone. Mrs Mo doesn’t try to reason with the monster, she just continues about her tasks for the day. She offers to include the monster, but the monster considers all are outside his/her skill set. Until finally monster discovers a task he/she CAN do, and the pair set about completing it together. A calm descends upon the house as they work together, until there is a knock on the door. The monster is blue, with a stocky body and thin arms and legs. Mrs. Mo is an elderly lady. Each spread features bright colours except for several central spreads which feature action in the attic where Monster’s actions intensify and then he reaches a turning point. The are depicted mostly in shadow colours, although Monster is still identifiable.

Monster is … a monster! Unbiddable and unstoppable. But Mrs. Mo shows endless patience, until Monster comes to her, in search of something to do. Monster feels unskilled for the first suggested activities but finally finds an activity to join in with. Young readers will enjoy the wildness and repetition and will giggle at the antics. The monster is shown as  unformed and energetic and many parents and siblings may recognise a toddler. The end has a nice twist with the monster able to recognise wildness in newcomers. Great fun. Recommended for preschoolers.

Mrs. Mo’s Monster, Paul Beavis Gecko Press 2014 ISBN: 9781927271018

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

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.

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.

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

Good Morning Possum by Coral Vass ill Sona Babajanyan

Early one morning,

Near Ironbark Creek,

Blossum the Possum

Had nothing to eat.

So high in a tree

And all on her own,

She picked a red plum

And took it back home.

Early one morning,

Near Ironbark Creek,

Blossum the Possum

Had nothing to eat.

 

So high in a tree

And all on her own,

She picked a red plum

And took it back home.

Blossum is hungry and fetches a plum to eat. But her friends are all hungry too and one by one they ask and she lets them nibble and munch on the plum. Dingo comes by too but Blossum isn’t fooled – she knows he’s not really after the plum. By the time Dingo is gone, all Blossum’s friends are feasting on the plum. And in no time there is none left for still-hungry Blossum. Fortunately Grandma comes to visit, bringing a basket of treats. Illustrations are full colour digital and show a softer side of the Australian bush.

Good Morning, Possum is a gentle tale of sharing for the very young. It provides the opportunity to explore the notion of sharing and to introduce some of Australia’s bush creatures. Most live in harmony, but there is a reminder that even while sharing, animals need to be wary of predators. There’s also the opportunity to talk about what animals eat. Animal characters are partly anthropomorphised and the rhyming text is full of the eating noises of the different animals. A rhyming text with strong rhythm and repetition, ‘Good Morning Possum’ will encourage young children to predict and contribute to the reading. Recommended for pre-schoolers.

 

Good Morning, Possum, Coral Vass ill Sona Babajanyan Koala Books 2013 ISBN: 9781742760506

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com