board books – Aussie Reviews

The Little Giraffe Who Lost Her Spots, by Jedda Robaard

Little Giraffe loved all things spotty…
but nothing could replace her missing spots.

When Little Giraffe wakes up, she is panicked to realise she has lost her spots. She looks everywhere for them, and even tries to find ways to replace them, unsuccessfully. It is only when she starts to cry and pulls a handkerchief from her pocket that she realises she hasn’t lost her spots after all – they are just covered by her yellow pyjamas.

The Little Giraffe Who Lost Her Spots is a gently humorous board book offering for littlies. Young readers will enjoy the apparent mystery, and the outcome, as well as the flaps to lift and the watercolour and pencil illustrations, featuring a whimsical giraffe and her companion, a grey animal which may be a tiny piglet.

A sturdy, delightful board book.

The Little Giraffe Who Lost Her Spots, by Jedda Robaard
Five Mile Press, 2016
ISBN 9781760400392

Cheeky Monkey Manners: Excuse Me and Sorry, by Lisa Kerr

Cheeky Monkey wanted to ask if he could go to the park, but couldn’t get his mother’s attention.
‘Try using your manners, Cheeky Monkey,’ suggested Mr Owl. ‘Just say, “Excuse me”.’

When cheeky Monkey goes to the park, he has lots of fun – but he forgets his manners. When he bumps his friends, sneezes on them, and interrupts them he needs to be reminded to say ‘Excuse me.’ But, by the end of the day, he remembers what he needs to do.

At a birthday party, Cheeky Monkey again has fun – unwrapping presents, pushing to the front of the line, blowing out candles, but he has upset Georgina Giraffe – because it’s her birthday, not Cheeky Monkey’s. Monkey needs to say sorry.

Excuse Me and Sorry are two in the Manners series of four designed to introduce manners to the very young. In board book format with bright, humour-filled pictures, they will certainly appeal to toddlers, and to their parents. Creator Lisa Kerr avoids being preachy, instead demonstrating each of the manners through Cheeky Monkey’s adventures. Cheeky Monkey Manners Sorry

Sorry (ISBN 9781760069773)
Excuse Me (ISBN 9781760069780)
Both by Lisa Kerr
Five Mile Press, 2016

Cows Say Moo, by Graeme Base

Cows say moo. But what sounds do other animals make?

Children and adults alike have long been delighted by the amazing detail of Graeme Base’s artwork, along with his stories in books such as Sign of the Seahorse and Animalia. Now, though, the very young are being offered a series of fold-out flap books, the Little Bug Books.

Cows Say Moo , one of the four titles, focuses on the sounds made by animals including cows, ducks, tigers and more. Each spread includes minimal text. For example, the cows spread features the words ‘Cows say’, and when the flap is folded out, a speech bubble shows one of the cows ‘saying’ Moo!. The illustrations use white space, with realistic looking animals against rural backgrounds, simpler than the complex illustrations of Base’s longer works. Hidden in each illustration is a little bug, providing a challenge for slightly older readers.

This sturdy offering, and the remainder of the series, will be loved by young readers.

Cows Say Moo (Little Bug Books)

Cows Say Moo , by Graeme Base
Viking, 2014
ISBN 9780670077618

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

May Gibbs 1 2 3, May Gibbs Colours, Scholastic

Inspired by the work of May Gibbs, 1 2 3 and Coloursintroduce numbers and colours to young children. In 1 2 3, Australian flora and fauna feature in mostly pastel colours as they play host to gumnut babies, sleepy babies and wattle babies. There are butterflies, kookaburras and other Australian animals to identify. In Colours, the gumnut babies float through a world of gentle colour encountering Australian insects, plants and animals.

May Gibbs’ Gumnut Babies are part of Australian heritage and 1 2 3 and Colours introduce her work to a new generation. Books are sturdy Colours are pastel on white and provide an alternative to primary colour offerings in the same market. A perfect gift for overseas visitors or other new arrivals!

Snugglepot and Cuddlepie Present 1 2 3, Scholastic Aust 2011 ISBN: 9781742830230

Snugglepot and Cuddlepie Present Colours, Scholastic Aust 2011 ISBN: 9781742830421

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

Baby Gets Dressed, by Katrina Germein & Sascha Hutchinson

It’s time to get dressed.
But what will Baby wear?

This cute little board book is a simple rhyming story of baby getting dressed for the day, and a seek and find book rolled into one. On each spread the text indicates the next item which baby will wear, while the left hand illustration shows happy baby dressed in previous items and playing. The right hand page shows five of the new item, in different patterns and colours, with the young reader invited to find the correct item for baby to wear.

The rhyming text scans well, making it easy to read and to predict text, whilst the illustrations, using bright collage materials, will engage young viewers.

Baby gest Dressed is suitable for birth to preschool aged children.

Baby gest Dressed, by Katrina Germein & Sascha Hutchinson
Working Title, 2009

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

Puppy and the Tall, Tall Tower, by Odette Ross

Puppy is building a castle. The castle has a tall, tall tower.
Kitty is a princess in the tower.
Elephant doesn’t know what he will be.

While Puppy, Kitty, Bunny and Ducky all find roles for themselves in their game, Elephant doesn’t know what he should be, until Puppy needs help rescuing Princess kitty from the tall tower. Only Elephant can reach that high.

Puppy and the tall, tall tower is a gentle tale for very young readers, with a simple message about friendship and belonging and a playtime situation kids will be able to relate with.

Featuring simple text and illustrations, and published in board book format, this title is suitable for babies and toddlers.

Cute.

Puppy and the tall, tall tower, by Odette Ross
ABC Books, 2006

The Little Book of Possum Magic

This little board book offers a taste of the beautiful illustrations from Possum Magic and is a delightful offering for babies. This is not a condensed version of the original picture book, but uses some of the illustrations, coupled with single word text on each page – possum, kangaroo, emu and so on, with the final page showing Hush and Grandma Poss curled together, with the text Good night!

Possum Magic has found a place in the homes and hearts of many, many Australian children for more than twenty years, and the brilliant illustrations by Julie Vivas are perfect for little readers. Coupled with the sturdy board book format, this makes an ideal gift offering for a new baby.

The Little Book of Possum Magic
Omnibus Books, 2006

Dorothy the Dinosaur Let's Party and Goes Camping

Every child loves the Wiggles, and these two newly released board book editions are sure to please every Wiggles fan.

In Dorothy the Dinosaur Let’s party, Dorothy and her friends Wags the Dog, Henry the Octopus and Captain Feathersword are busily preparing for a party to celebrate the tenth birthday of Wiggles Bay. Just like every year, there will be a surprise guest, but none of the friends can guess who it will be, until toot, toot, toot – could the surprise guest be the Wiggles?

In Dorothy the Dinosaur Goes Camping Dorothy invites her friends to camp for the night in her back garden. But when bedtime comes, the friends have trouble sleeping – they seem to be having one another’s dreams.

With illustrations by Jonathan Bentley and in durable board back format, this duo is ideal as first books for babies and toddlers.

Dorothy the Dinosaur Goes Camping and Dorothy the Dinosaur Let’s Party, illustrated by Jonathan Bentley
This edition ABC Books, 2006

Slinky Malinki Catflaps & Schnitzel von Krumm's Basketwork, by Lynley Dodd

He liked all the tatters
he liked every tear,
the broken down edges,
the holes and the hair.
the smell was so friendly
and as for the fit –
if he needed to squeeze,
did he mind?
Not a bit.

Little kids love the stories of Hairy Maclary and his friends Scnitzel von Krumm and Slinky Malinki, and what better way to enjoy those stories than in a sturdy board book format just right for reading over and over again?

ABC Books have just released two board book editions of the lively works of Lynley Dodd – Schnitzel von Krumm’s Basketwork and Slinky Malinki Catflaps. Each story in rhyme features the gorgeous artwork and fun stories for which Dodd is famous. In Basketwork, Schnitzel is devastated when his family throw out his old basket. Nothing is as comfortable as that basket, and Schnitzel pines for it, as he searches desperately for a replacement. In Catflaps Slinky sneaks out for a late night get together with his feline friends, but when their get together is interrupted, Slinky takes his friends home for a nap by the fire.

Nobody combines rhyme with gorgeous animal illustration in quite the same way Lynley Dodd does, and it is wonderful to see these two favourites repackaged in boardbook editions.

Superb.

Schnitzel von Krumm’s Basketwork and Slinky Malinki Catflaps, both by Lynley Dodd
These editions, 2006

One-o-saur, Two-o-saur and In-o-saur, Out-o-saur, by David Bedford & Leonie Worthington

These two colourful books each deal with a basic learning concept using bright dinosaur pictures and simple text.

One-o-saur, Two-o-saur is a simple counting text, from one to twelve. Simple rhyming text and the bright illustrations of Leonie Worthington show the dinosaurs doing simple things, some more dinosaurly than others. For example one-o-saur is seen hopping on one leg, whilst on the next page two-o-saurs are hatching from their eggs.

In-o-saur, Out-o-saur is a book of opposites with even simpler text (one word a page) and, again, the bright, humorous illustrations of Leonie Worthington. Each double page spread presents a pair of opposites – in-o-suar and out-o-saur; awake-o-suar and asleep-o-saur.

This is a cute pair which will appeal to the very young. First released in picturebook format in 2005, they have now been repackaged as sturdy boardbooks, suitable for toddler enjoyment.

In-o-saur, Out-o-saur and One-o-saur, Two-osaur, both by David Bedford & Leonie Worthington
Little Hare, First published 2005, this edition 2006