abc books – Page 5 – Aussie Reviews

Captain Wetbeard, by Bruno Bouchet

‘It looks like lots of fun,’ Dad was trying to get Daniel and Emily excited about their adventure holiday.
‘It sounds lame,’ Emily yawned and looked out of the car window.
‘Don’t use that word, dear, it’s not nice,’ said their mother.
‘W’ever!’ Emily said.

Emily and Daniel are to spend a week at a holiday camp on a ship – the ‘Jolly Roger Pirate Adventure’. They are less thrilled than their parents who will spend the week at a luxury hotel. They arrive at the collection point on a beach and wait. They are collected by a pirate and his crew, but that’s about the only predictable part of their journey. The pirate has bad breath and a dripping wet beard, the parrot is called ‘Duckie’ and has no feathers. Even the crew don’t seem quite right. But Emily (confident and sophisticated) and Daniel (younger and a worrier) do have an adventure, even if it’s not quite the one the brochure led them to expect.

Captain Wetbeard, pirate, has a dicky back and likes to call his crew ‘scurvy brats’. Apart from being a recognisable pirate saying, it means he doesn’t really have to remember any names. He arrives at the beach when Emily and Daniel are due to be collected by Captain Funbeard for their week on ‘Jolly Roger’ and takes them to his ship instead. What follows rocks and rolls much like the ship at sea as Emily and Daniel find themselves in and out of trouble. The main characters in Captain Wetbeard are eleven and nine years old, but this story is likely to appeal to younger readers with its on- and off-board escapades. There’s also a hint in here that fun can sometimes be found in unexpected places. Recommended for mid-primary readers.

Captain Wetbeard, by Bruno Bouchet ill David Cox
ABC Kids 2008
ISBN: 9780733320705

This book can be purchased from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussireviews.

The Flying Machine of Lombardy, by Bruce Whatley & Rosie Smith

Danny’s Uncle Leo was an artist, an inventor and a scientist. An adventurer. He had been playing around with the idea of flying for years.
‘We could build a flying machine,’ said Danny.
Uncle Leo had a BIG grin on his face. He liked a challenge.

When the Duke of Milan announces that he wants to fly, local inventors set to work to make it happen. Danny da Vinci’s Uncle Leo is busy, so Danny and his friend Mick Angelo and his little sister Lisa set to work to figure out the best way to create a flying machine.

The Flying Machine of Lombardy is the second title in the Danny da Vinci series, which bring history to life with a twist. Whilst the story and characters are humorously fictionalised, the storyline and illustrations draw on the work of Leonardo da Vinci (Danny’s Uncle Leo), with a back of book spread exploring the factual elements of the story.

The use of the graphic novel format allows the story to use illustrations based on Leonardo da Vinci’s own sketches and artworks as an integral part of the story, and young readers will find the text accessible, and enjoy the use of colour illustrations throughout.

A collaboration between husband-wife duo Bruce Whatley and Rosie Smith, The Flying Machine of Lombardy is an excellent offering.

Danny da Vinci: The Flying Machine of Lombardy, by Bruce Whatley & Rosie Smith
ABC Books, 2008

This book can be purchased online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Moo, Purr and Roar, by Alison Lester

I see a tawny lion
A prickle in his paw
What do you say, tawny lion?
Roar Roar Roar

I see a spotty dog
Who always makes me laugh
What do you say, spotty dog?
Arf Arf Arf

These three delightful small format hardcover offerings will delight babies and toddlers. Each title includes verses about animals, each animal given a double page spread – one page with a verse about the animal, the second with an illustration of the animal, and the sound that it makes.

The three books each focus on a different group of animals – Roar is about wild animals, Purr is about pet animals and Moo is about farm animals. With cute pastel illustrations, fun but gentle verses and animal noises which youngsters can join in with, these little offerings will be loved by young children and make story time interactive.

Very cute.

Roar: Talk to the Wild Animals
Purr: Talk to the Pet Animals and
Moo: Talk to the Farm Animals
All by Alison Lester
ABC Books, 2007

The True Story of Stuff, by James Valentine

Stuff. It’s everywhere. In your bedroom, in the kitchen, in the lounge room, everywhere is full of stuff. I’m talking about the ordinary stuff like chairs and carpet and dishwashing liquid and toast. You know what, it all has a story.

Whilst the title of this one, The True History of Stuff might suggest otherwise, this is a hilarious, most definitely fictional but nonetheless entertaining version of the invention of things we take for granted. With so much stuff originating from the long-forgotten nation of Trapezia, author James Valentine feels it only right to share the stories of the creation of different stuff, and share his passion for this forgotten land.

In this, Volume One, we learn how shampoo, peanut butter and the days of the week were invented, as well as following the narrator’s journey as he unearths more information about, and stories from, Trapezia.

The humorous stories are well complemented by the black and white drawings of Reg Mombassa and the novelty of a small-sized hard cover format.

Sure to be popular with 8 to 10 year olds.

The True History of Stuff, Volume One, by James Valentine
ABC Books, 2008

This book can be purchased online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

The Evil Overlord, by Rowena Cory Daniells

Sam quickly hauled Lincoln to his feet and then they were running after the girl as she plunged into the shadows of a narrow lane. It was like an obstacle race. Sam and his brother jumped crates, avoided squawking chickens and dodged around surprised locals as they sprinted behind the girl.
They emerged into a busy market square, where the girl stopped so suddenly they both collided with her.

Sam and Lincoln have only just arrived in the town of Amethyst when they find themselves summoned to another world to rescue the stranded Wizard Shimmaron. They find themselves in the parallel world and being chased by guards, because they are old enough to fight for the evil Overlord who has seized control of the land. They must work together and with their new friend Essy to find the Wizard and free him – and they have only 24 hours to do so.

The Evil Overlord is the third in the Lost Shimmaron set in the town of Amethyst and in the different worlds to which the town’s youngsters find themselves transported. With each title written by a different author – each a notable Australian fantasy creator – the stories stand alone, though fans will find themselves intrigued enough to seek out the others in the series.

Great fantasy reading for ages 10 and over.

The Evil Overlord, by Rowena Cory Daniells
ABC Books, 2008

Stories from Country, by Bob Randall, as told to Susan Haworth

Stories from Countryis a beautiful and important collection of stories. Uncle Bob Randall is a well-known, well-loved and well-respected Aboriginal song-writer and story-teller. Here he shares his stories, as told to Susan Haworth. Some of the stories of events from his childhood and youth, others are fictional stories based on real events or cultural events and the final story is fictional story of a cultural process about which the real events cannot be spoken. Also included are some of Uncle Bob’s songs.

The stories are a real mixture. There are moments of laughter, of excitement and of great sadness. Some stories leave readers pondering, while others bring a smile. What is common is the feeling of walking with Uncle Bob, or sitting with him as he tells of his life. Reading the book feels like a privilege.

Badged as children’s fiction, this is a book which is equally suitable for readers young and old. It should find a place in classrooms and school libraries, but should also be enjoyed for private reading.

Stories from Country: My Pony Hooky and Other Tales, Bob Randall as told to Susan Haworth
ABC Books, 2007

the no-minute noodler, by Richard Glover

Bumboozle
(bum’boozel)verb
To confuse the issue of who it was that farted by blaming it all on the dog.
Neigh-sayer
(nay sayuh)noun
Any parent who refuses to buy you a horse for your birthday

The real dictionary is full of words, but, Richard Glover claims, it is heavily biased towards adults. Where, he asks, are the words for the situations kids find themselves in. What do you call the kid who farts and then blames the dog? Or the parents who refuse to buy a horse for their child?

the no-minute noodler, subtitled the dags dictionary for kids provides words (and their meanings) for those situations – and along the way gives plenty of laughs. Some of the words are clever, others are just plain funny, but there’s plenty there for kids to enjoy. This is the sort of book that will be read out bit-by-bit, or passed around by a group of boys in the school library. There is also a section at the back for kids to make up their own words (definitions provided) and their own definitions (words provided), which could be a fun classroom activity.

the no-minute noodler: the dag’s dictionary for kids, by Richard Glover
ABC Books, 2007

This book can be purchased online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Dorothy's Rosy Tea Party, by Bruno Bouchet

Dorothy the Dinosaur wakes up full of excitement. Today, Henry the Octopus is coming around for a Rosy Tea party, and she can’t wait. First, though, there’s cake to bake and lots of cleaning to do. When the fairies – Clare, Larissa, Lucia and little Maria – arrive to help, Dorothy is delighted, but in all the fuss, Dorothy forgets to watch the cake, and it burns. Luckily, when Henry arrives, he comes with a gift for Dorothy – a delicious cake.

Dorothy’s Rosy Tea Party is a pretty pink book sure to appeal to little girls, especially fans or Dorothy and her friends, the Wiggles. Timed to coincide with the new Dorothy the Dinosaur television series, the story is beautifully presented with candy striped cover and endpapers, and chains of roses bordering every illustration.

Dorothy’s Tea Party, by Bruno Bouchet and Karen Carter
ABC Books, 2007

Letters to a Princess, by Libby Hathorn

Dear Princess Diana,
I know you are very important, a princess and all, and I’m just a random girl in a country on the other side of the world but I just looked at one of the many pictures of you that are stuck up above my desk and thought, why not give it a go?

Diana Moore is, in her own words, average, except that she seems to land in trouble more times than other girls. Her mother died a year ago, and since then she’s lost weight, prompting her stepfather to think she has an eating disorder. Of course, Diana is sure there is no problem – she just watches what she eats so she won’t end up fat again.

When her friend Babs, the family’s housekeeper, suggests that Diana write to the other Diana – Princess Diana – she figures she may as well give it a go. Her letters are honest and chatty, telling the Princess about life in Australia. But Diana’s life is not getting better. Her stepbrother Marcus is giving her a really hard time, everyone is pressuring her about eating, and then she and her best friend Zoe land themselves in trouble when they go to see Princess Diana for real.

Letters to a Princess is an uplifting novel. Whilst it deals with very serious subjects of self-identity, eating disorders, grief and family disharmony, it does so in a form and tone that is relaxed and avoids becoming over heavy. This is not to say that it trivialises the issues. Rather, by using a combination of letter form and the first person narration of fifteen year old Diana, it allows Diana’s teen voice to explore events as they happen to her, with the reader allowed to recognise undercurrents not directly expressed.

Set in the year of Princess Diana’s death, the ten year time difference should not be a problem for teen readers.

A positive book on important topics.

Letters to a Princess, by Libby Hathorn
ABC Books, 2007

This book is available online at Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Harry Highpants and the Salivating Beast, by John Larkin

To most people Harry Highfield was just an ordinary boy. Okay he might have worn his pants a little higher than you would expect, but otherwise he seemed perfectly normal.
During the school holidays, however, Harry would put away his homework, get out his cape and become a superhero.

When Harry’s brother Wayne the Pain loses his favourite cricket ball over the fence, Harry has a chance to use all of his (non-existent) superhero powers to retrieve it. The first problem is how to get over the fence. Wayne solves this. He can make Harry fly, with a little help from a spinning clothesline. Then all Harry has to do is get the ball away from the salivating beast which is guarding it.

Harry Highpants and the Salivating Beast is a fast paced and humorous junior novel which is also easy to read. Harry’s adventures are silly and the illustrations, by the talented Heath McKenzie, are filled with comic detail and sure to bring a smile to a young reader’s face.

Part of the new ABC Kids fiction series, Harry Highpants is lots of fun.

Harry Highpants and the Salivating Beast, by John Larkin, illustrated by Heath McKenzie
ABC Books, 2007

This book can be purchased from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.