koala books – Aussie Reviews

Blue & Bertie by Kristyna Litten

Every day Bertie and the giraffes did the same thing at the same time.

Crunchity-crunch – they nibbled sweet leaves from the top of the trees.

Every day Bertie and the giraffes did the same thing at the same time.

Crunchity-crunch – they nibbled sweet leaves from the top of the trees.

Bertie is happy with his life. There’s plenty of giraffes and plenty of food and water and company. Then one day, he sleeps in. When he wakes he discovers a whole different world. Without the others to be with and to copy, he doesn’t know what to do, or where to find them. When he is thoroughly lost, he encounters Blue. Blue leads Bertie on a wonderful day of new things and adventure. But at the end, Bertie is happy to rejoin his herd. Now it is Blue’s turn to feel lost and different. Blue and Bertie are friends and together they enrich the lives of the entire herd. Illustrations are stylised, in gentle and welcoming.

Blue & Bertie encounter each other by accident but are happy to play together despite their self-perceptions of being different. Each accepts the other happily into their differing worlds, and in doing so expands and enriches the world of each. Blue and Bertie is a delightful story of friendship and acceptance. Recommended for pre- and early schoolers.

Blue and Bertie, Kristyna Litten
Koala Books 2016 ISBN: 9781742761800

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Two Birds on a Wire by Coral Vass ill Heidi Cooper Smith

Little Bird Blue

Was out for the day

She perched on a wire

And decided to stay

‘What a fine place

To settle,’ said Blue

Ruffling her feathers

Enjoying the view

Little Bird Blue

Was out for the day

She perched on a wire

And decided to stay

‘What a fine place

To settle,’ said Blue

Ruffling her feathers

Enjoying the view

Little Bird Blue finds a fine wire to settle on and decides it’s a good place to stop. Little Bird Black also thinks the wire is the perfect spot to rest. But Little Bird Blue wants the whole view and Little Bird Black is blocking her view. So begins a battle, first of words then more as each asserts their greater claim to sole occupation of the wire. It’s not until the escalation of tensions has exhausted them both that they decide to compromise and share the perch. Illustrations are watercolour and pencil and depict an idyllic country scene, which is disturbed by the duelling birds!

Two Birds on a Wire is a rhyming story about compromise and sharing. Any parent will be familiar with the escalation that can happen with siblings or friends when they feel they ‘own’ something, be it place or thing. The rhyming text keep the tone light, and young readers will be on the side of reasonableness as they watch the two birds compete. Final pages show the pair becoming friends and sharing the wire, more than big enough for them both. Recommended for pre- and early-schoolers.

Two Birds on a Wire, Coral Vass ill Heidi Cooper Smith
Koala Books Scholastic 2015
ISBN: 9781742761619

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

I Don’t Like Koala by Sean Ferrell ill Charles Santoso

Adam does not like Koala.

Koala is the most terrible terrible.

He has terrible eyes that follow Adam everywhere he goes.

Adam does not like Koala.

Koala is the most terrible terrible.

He has terrible eyes that follow Adam everywhere he goes.

Adam takes a very active dislike to Koala from the moment he receives the gift. First Adam tries to tell his parents, but they don’t understand. Every night, they tuck Koala into bed with him before they turn off his light. Adam tries to ‘lose’ Koala, in all sorts of creative ways, but somehow Koala is always found before bedtime. Always. Illustrations are pencil and mostly in very neutral browns and greys, with only a few elements picked out in colour. White space (or almost white) is used to increase tension and night scenes are shown with dark greeny-blacks that keep the focus tight on Adam and Koala.

I Don’t Like Koala is a striking picture book, full of dark humour. It is sophisticated and simple, allowing the reader plenty of room to bring their own ideas and experience. It is beautifully spare in both text and illustration and invites slow page-turning as the details reveal themselves. It’s just a little bit spooky, in the most delicious way. Is Koala really playing an active role, or is it all in Adam’s imagination? Recommended for early schoolers.

I Don’t Like Koala, Sean Ferrell ill Charles Santoso
Koala Books for Scholastic 2015

ISBN: 9781742761497

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Wimpy Shrimpy by Matt Buckingham

Down at the bottom of the sea

lived a little shrimp. And this

little shrimp was a bit of a wimp.

Down at the bottom of the sea

lived a little shrimp. And this

little shrimp was a bit of a wimp.

Shrimpy is scared of just about everything. It’s crippling. He’s so scared that something might go wrong that he won’t play with his friends. They suggest a wide variety of games, but Shrimpy is too worried about potential problems to try anything. Eventually his friends give up asking him to play. And that was something Shrimpy hadn’t imagined. But once it happened, the loneliness is worse than any potential consequences games may have been. Once he realises that his playing friends are having fun, and are not experiencing any of the consequences he was scared of, Shrimpy makes a decision. He takes a big breath and joins in with the playing. And it is great fun. Illustrations are full page colour and feature a variety of sea-friends.

Children have individual safety thresholds, and Shrimpy’s is set to uber-high. Despite the invitations of his friends, and their attempts to find something he can join in, he is paralysed by his worries. But worries won’t go away just because someone else suggests they should. A child has to make their own decisions. And Shrimpy, discovering unexpected consequences of his reticence, does just that. He decides to take a chance. Illustrations offer other sea creatures to identify and games to recognise. Recommended for pre-schoolers and early schoolers and any child who is overwhelmed by new experiences.

Wimpy Shrimpy, Matt Buckingham Koala Books 2014 ISBN: 9781742761022

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

I Spy Pets by Edward Gibbs

I spy with my little eye …

Something with silky feathers.

I like to peck seeds.

I spy with my little eye …

Something with silky feathers.

I like to peck seeds.

I Spy Pets features a puppy on the cover. That puppy is peeking through an ‘I spy’ window on ‘something with silky feathers.’ The ‘something’ is partly revealed through the peep hole and offers the reader a clue so they can guess the pet before they turn the page. There is also some hint in the images about what pet they will find once the page is turned. Once guessed, that pet offers ‘I spy …’ to another pet. And so on, each opening reveals a new pet. The final opening returns to the first pet, and then another of the pets invites the reader to look through the peep hole and ‘spy’ something else.

‘I Spy …’ has been a perennial favourite game of many generations and is often one of the early games played on car journeys. Teamed with (mostly) common household pets, young children will soon have answers to these ‘I spy …’ questions. The final opening shows all the pets in silhouette for a young reader to identify. The images are uncrowded and have just enough information to engage and encourage page-turning. Recommended for babies and pre-schoolers.

I Spy Pets, Edward Gibbs Koala Books 2013 ISBN: 9781742760704

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Available from good bookstores and online.

Clumsy Duck by Britta Teckentrup

Clumsy Duck was very clumsy.

She had just fallen over … again!

Not a day went by without her

Stumbling, tripping or falling.

It was very frustrating!

Clumsy Duck was very clumsy.

She had just fallen over … again!

Not a day went by without her

Stumbling, tripping or falling.

It was very frustrating!

Clumsy Duck is … well … clumsy. She falls down constantly. Despite the reassurances of her friend Chick, it’s starting to get her down. She’s not sure she will ever be anything but clumsy. When she gets muddy, Chick encourages Duck to clean off in the pond. On the way, Chick realises that Duck has very big feet. The pair speculate there must be something that Duck is good at. But it isn’t running and it isn’t perching. But when Duck trips again, and falls into the pond, they discover just what it is that Duck does well. Illustrations appear to be a mix of sponge paint and digital and are full of extras, including insects and a range of leaves and flowers in simple shapes – even Duck’s feathers seem to be stencilled or printed on.

Clumsy Duck is a take on the ‘Ugly Duckling’ tale but adapted for the very young. Young children will empathise with Duck as she trips her way through the pages and they’ll cheer for her as she finds her place. There is much to be celebrated too in the friendship with Chick, who despite being less comfortable on the water, joins her friend as Duck explores her extended world. Images are uncluttered and often set in white space for maximum impact, and the styles of illustration used could easily be adapted for use in art activities. Recommended for pre- and early-schoolers.

Clumsy Duck, Britta Teckentrup Koala Books 2013 ISBN: 9781742760353

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Available from good bookstores or online.

Don't Wake the Troll, by Ben Kitchin & Ben Redlich

They hadn’t gone down far into the dripping gloom when
kerlunk, kerlunk, kerlunk…
“Everybody stop!” whispered Gobo.
“Our shields! Our shields are bumping and kerlunking into our armour!
We must take them off and leave them. We don’t want to wake the troll!”

Deep inside the mountain, a giant troll sleeps with a pile of stolen treasure. The dwarves want their treasure back, but they have to be careful not to wake the troll. This isn’t easy when you’re carrying kerlunking shields and tinging swords, wearing creaky armour and your way is lit by sputtering torches. Will they get the treasure back without waking the troll?

Don’t Wake the Troll is a humorous picture book adventure, perfect for reading aloud to preschool aged children, who will love the sounds, the humour of the plot and the amazing illustrations. The latter manage to have plenty of colour even though the majority of the story takes place in an underground tunnel, and the dwarves and troll are delightfully comic in their expressions.

Lots of fun.

Don’t Wake the Troll, by Ben Kitchin & Ben Redlich
Koala Books, 2013
ISBN 9781742760605

Available from good bookstores or online.

Puff the Magic Dragon, by Peter Yarrow & Lenny Lipton

Known and loved around the world since it was sung by folk-supergroup Peter Paul and Mary in the 1960s, the song Puff the Magic Dragoncontinues to be loved by children and adults alike. Now it has been brought to life in a beautiful hard cover picture book with illustrations by Eric Puybaret.

The original lyrics are brought to life in vivid detail using acrylic on linen in soft hues and with a three dimensional feel. For those who remember the sad ending to the song, where Jackie Paper grows up and leaves Puff alone, the ending is a pleasant surprise, with Puybaret’s illustrations showing a new playmate coming to Honalee to play with Puff, showing the cycle of life and also, perhaps, representing the several generations who have enjoyed the song.

At the back of the book there are notes from the song’s authors, Peter Yarrow and Lenny Lipton, explaining how they came to write the song, and an accompanying CD features a recording of the song sung by Yarrow, his daughter Bethany and Rufus Cappadocia. There is also an instrumental version of the song, and two extra tracks, Froggie Went A-Courtin’ and The Blue Tail Fly.

This sturdy offering is a true treasure for children and adults of all ages.

Puff, the Magic Dragon, by Peter Yarrow and Lenny Lipton, illustrated by Eric Puybaret
Koala Books, 2007

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

Elephant Dance, by Sue Whiting

Nervously, Hugo’s trunk began to sway.
His middle jiggled.
Then he bobbed…
and bounced…
and sang out loud!
Boom-boompa-chee-boom-boompa-chee

Hugo and Millie, two young elephants, are the best of friends. They do everything together, and when they first hear music, they dance together. But Millie gets sick of dancing, and Hugo wants to do nothing else. They argue and separate. But when Hugo finds himself in trouble, Millie uses music to help him out.

Elephant Dance is a beautiful picture book about friendship and compromise. The repeated refrain of ‘boom-boompa-chee’ will delight youngsters who will echo it during and after the story – when I read it to a class of year one students they wanted to boom-boompa-chee around the school for the rest of the day.

The illustrations, by Nina Rycroft, are in beautiful pastels with the browns and greys of the elephants offset by rich orange and blue skies and green grasses. The music weaves through the illustrations on coloured ribbons, symbolising the way it drifts through the air and carrying the tune from page to page and across spreads.

This is a beautiful picture book offering.

Elephant Dance, by Sue Whiting and Nina Rycroft
Koala Books, 2007