Ed Allen – Aussie Reviews

Hokey Pokey by Ed Allen ill Sarah Hardy

Okey dokey, let’s do the wombat hokey pokey!

Put your right paw in, put your right paw out,

Put your right paw in and shake it all about.

Do the hokey pokey and turn around,

That’s what it’s all about!

Okey dokey, let’s do the wombat hokey pokey!

Put your right paw in, put your right paw out,

Put your right paw in and shake it all about.

Do the hokey pokey and turn around,

That’s what it’s all about!

Hokey Pokey Aussie Edition features Australian animals doing the hokey pokey in their own distinctive style. The wombat puts a paw in and out, the kookaburra a wing, the platypus a fin. Illustrations are cumulative and each opening includes the featured animals, those that preceded, and also the animal that will feature on the following opening. Text curves across the pages, with lead words in larger, different colour fonts. Hokey Pokey is accompanied by a CD with music from Colin Buchanan, and includes an instrumental version in addition to the song.

Many children, and most of their families will be familiar with the Hokey-Pokey song and actions. This new Aussie version offers an opportunity to look at the similarities and differences of the native fauna. Readers can play the CD and read along. Pre- and early-school classrooms will be hopping and spinning as they join in the celebrations. The instrumental track on the CD also offers the chance for teachers/parents/family to improvise with their own words. Recommended for pre- and early-schoolers.

Hokey Pokey, Ed Allen ill Sarah Hardy Scholastic 2014 ISBN: 9781742836454

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

10 Hopping Bunnies by Ed Allen ill Simon Williams

Ten hopping bunnies with their egg and spoon

Ten hopping bunnies with their egg and spoon.

And if one hopping bunnies drops the egg too soon,

There’ll be nine hopping bunnies with their egg and spoon.

Ten hopping bunnies with their egg and spoon

Ten hopping bunnies with their egg and spoon.

And if one hopping bunnies drops the egg too soon,

There’ll be nine hopping bunnies with their egg and spoon.
10 Hopping Bunnies uses the familiar rhythm and rhyme of ’10 Green Bottles’ and introduces a family of bunnies. One by one, the numbers reduce until there is only one bunny remaining. That bunny flees a storm and takes refuge in a warm burrow, and then joins all the other bunnies in a pillow-fight before bedtime. Numbers are spelt out in each verse of the rhyme, but the illustrations feature the number symbol. Illustrations are comical and feature anthropomorphic bunnies of all sizes, shapes and colours.

10 Hopping Bunnies joins several other counting books from Scholastic which use familiar tunes/rhymes and feature animals. The animals are childlike and complete activities that will be familiar to many children. And there’s always a family/group reunion at the end. Young readers will soon be singing and counting along and become familiar with the number name and symbol. Recommended for pre- and early-schoolers.

10 Hopping Bunnies

10 Hopping Bunnies, Ed Allen ill Simon Williams Scholastic Aust 2014 ISBN: 9781742836362

10 Smiley Crocs by Ed Allen ill Simon Williams

Ten smiley crocs riding on a tandem bike.

And if one smiley croc suddenly hits a spike,

There’ll be nine smiley crocs riding on a tandem bike.

Ten smiley crocs riding on a tandem bike.

And if one smiley croc suddenly hits a spike,

There’ll be nine smiley crocs riding on a tandem bike.

Set to the rhythm of ‘Ten Green Bottles’, ‘10 Smiley Crocs’ follows the athletic and other antics of these crocs as one by one they meet with misadventure. But lest the reader fear they are lost forever, all crocs are reunited at bedtime, dressed in their pyjamas and getting ready for bed. Illustrations are comical and colourful.

10 Smiley Crocs is light and fun, full of wild antics for little readers to enjoy. It won’t take long before the familiarity of the tune will have them joining in the ‘reading’, and predicting what is going to happen next. These crocodiles are colourful and friendly-looking. For the most part their activities are exaggerated children’s antics although there are a couple of spreads where the action happens in a more natural environment ie ‘being sneaky logs’ and ‘swims back up the stream’. Recommended for pre-schoolers.

10 Smiley Crocs, Ed Allen ill Simon Williams Scholastic Australia 2014 ISBN:9781742836355

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

10 Funny Sheep by Ed Allen ill Andrea Edmonds

Ten funny sheep singing a silly song

And if one funny sheep should get the words all wrong,

There’ll be nine funny sheep singing a silly song.

Ten funny sheep singing a silly song

And if one funny sheep should get the words all wrong,

There’ll be nine funny sheep singing a silly song.

10 Funny Sheep is a new version of the classic rhyme/song ’10 Green Bottles’. In this version instead of bottles toppling there are sheep in all manner of scrapes. One gets tangled in the clothes line, another falls off a carousel. One by one, the chorus shrinks until there is only a single funny sheep. Try as the last sheep might, she can’t fly her kite. Fortunately it all ends well with the ten funny sheep reunited for a nap. Illustrations are watercolour and mostly full spread. Extra details on each spread, like the different fences in the maze, other farm animals and numbers, will keep young readers exploring as the text is read/sung.

Many teachers and parents will be familiar with this diminishing-number rhyme and the rhythm is strong enough to encourage young readers to join in. Numbers are displayed as words as well as symbols which will help support recognition with pre-readers. Readers can count the number of sheep on each page, trace the number and identify the word. They can also count other farm-things on each page. Illustrations are gentle and humourous and sure to appeal to young children. Recommended for pre-schoolers and adults who need a frame for their singing!

10 Funny Sheep, Ed Allen ill Andread Edmonds Scholastic 2013 ISBN: 9781742836379

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

10 Silly Wombats by Ed Allen ill Andrea Edmonds

Ten silly wombats getting on a bu.

Ten silly wombats getting on a bus.

And if one silly wombat should make a big fuss,

There’d be nine silly wombats getting on a bus.

Ten silly wombats getting on a bu.

Ten silly wombats getting on a bus.

And if one silly wombat should make a big fuss,

There’d be nine silly wombats getting on a bus.

10 Silly Wombats is a counting book based on ’10 Green Bottles’. It is full of the same sing-song rhythm as the original. The wombats begin by boarding a bus – well almost all of them – and continue through fun-filled activities, losing one of their number at each turn. One in a car race, one at hide’n’seek, all activities unusual in wombats but recognisable to children. The final spread reassures readers that there is life after a Silly Wombat adventure with all wombats safely tucked up in bed for a final story before sleep. Illustrations are full page and provide many other mini-stories for readers. Numbers are spelled out in the text, but the number symbol is hidden in the illustrations.

This series of sturdy paperbacks for young children are sure to do well. They offer rhythm, rhyme, repetition, number recognition and counting practice all wrapped up in a bit of nonsense. And there’s the silliness. Life is serious enough. There’s room for some nonsense and humour. Recommended for pre- and early-schoolers.

10 Silly Wombats, Ed Allen ill Andrea Edmonds Scholastic Australia 2013 ISBN: 9781742836386

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

10 Hooting Owls by Ed Allen ill Simon Williams

Ten hooting owls lounging in the sun

Ten hooting owls lounging in the sun.

And if one hooting owl should go off for a run,

there’d be nine hooting owls lounging in the sun.

Ten hooting owls lounging in the sun

Ten hooting owls lounging in the sun.

And if one hooting owl should go off for a run,

there’d be nine hooting owls lounging in the sun.

The hooting owls are taking a break from their nocturnal activities and experiencing all manner of leisure pursuits. Ten begin their adventure (modelled on a traditional rhyme) and page by page, the numbers decrease until there are no hooting owls. All ten return in the final spread to settle in for the night. All illustrations are full page and cartoony in style. In this counting book the numbers are spelled out throughout, although the relevant number (symbol) is secreted on the page. Text is informal, with the number spelled out in different colour, larger letters.

These are owls of a different colour indeed. They are doing their thing in the middle of the day, are of all shapes, sizes, hues and activity. This is a comical counting experience that begs to be shared. Out loud. Sung. Children will chuckle at the antics, enjoy finding the hidden numbers, and fix numbers in their order. Recommended for pre- and early-schoolers.

10 Hooting Owls, Ed Allen ill Simon Williams Scholastic Press 2013 ISBN: 9781742836980

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

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