Death of a Princess, by Susan Geason

Meryet-Neith was pleased with herself. The frankincense and myrrh she had brought from the merchant were fresh and aromatic, and, after a great deal of haggling, she had obtained them at a fair price. She re-entered the harem through the front gates, passing the massive Nubian doormen, and set off through the central courtyard garden towards her workroom.

Meryet – the beautician to Pharaoh’s wives and concubines – may be feeling good about her plans to make a new perfume, but this good feeling soon passes when she learns of the illness of her friend Isis, Pharaoh’s daughter. Isis is ailing fast and neither Meryet, nor Isis’ servants, know what is wrong with her. When Isis dies, Meryet knows that suspicion may fall on her.

What follows is a tense few days as Meryet and her friends try to piece together the mystery of Isis’ death. Could someone have poisoned her or did she die of natural causes? And who would hate Isis enough to kill her?

Death of a Princess is an intriguing historical mystery, set in Ancient Egypt, during the reign of Ramses II. Author Susan Geason weaves a web of mystery and intrigue, with enough clues for young readers to unravel the mystery.

Suitable for readers aged 10 to 14.

Death of a Princess, by Susan Geason
Little Hare, 2005


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.

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

How Many Peas in a Pod? by Margaret Allum and Judy Watson

Reviewed by Magdalena Ball

Counting is an integral part of our lives. And most young children learn about counting and numbers quite naturally before starting school. Counting books which encourage children to work out and augment numbers not only increases children’s capabilities in maths, but also help with numeric confidence, and are lots of fun. How Many Peas in a Pod is a cute counting book which features lovely ink and watercolour illustrations full of humorous detail, and nice big flaps for children to lift. The book asks children to count familiar and alliterative scenes like cows in a cornfield, socks in a suitcase, or bugs in a box, lifting the flap to find the answer. The numbers move from one to twelve, and finish with a kind of funny “too many to count,” that will get children laughing every time.

The repetition of sounds will also help with reading and general linguistic skills, and there lots of funny things for young children to point out. The ladybugs ballet looks rather less graceful than one might expect, the dancing jellybeans have big smiles on their face, the pumpkins have silly faces, and the lazy lizards are true loungers. If your children are anything like mine, they may well try to count the flowers in the field. The soft but rich pastel shades used by illustrator Judy Watson also allow for colour games (“what colour is the duckie?”), and will spark young children’s imagination.

This hardcover book is nicely presented enough to make a good gift. The fold over flaps are large enough so they won’t get broken off the way pasted-on ones will, and will encourage young children to participate in the story telling process. There are many counting, lift-the-flap book son the market, but this one is particularly funny, and with its linguistic alliteration, its big flaps, and its surprise ending.

How Many Peas in a Pod? by Margaret Allum and Judy Watson Little Hare
Hardcover, 16 pages
ISBN: 1877003794, Price (Aust RRP): $14.95
May 2005

This review first appeared at Preschool Entertainment. It appears here with permission.

Knock, Knock, by David Bedford and Bridget Strevens-Mazro

Reviewed by Magdalena Ball

Most children are familiar with knock knock jokes. Mine will go on for hours coming up with their own variations, most not at all funny to adults, but leaving them screaming with delight as the jokes get raunchier and sillier by the minute. Even my two year old knows exactly what to say when you say knock knock. This new book by author/illustration team David Bedford and Bridget Strevens-Marzo is suitably visual, and builds on children’s delight in the knock knock joke. Even the youngest children will cotton on quickly to the repetition in the guessing game, and will join in the reading from page 1. Little mouse is cute and attentive to the door, and children will also enjoy following the visual sequence of his dressing, from naked towel wrapped, through boxer shorts, to full black tie tails.

Other educational sequences that children will probably notice before the adults include the build up of musical instruments on the stool and outer gear on the hanger by the door. The birds outside the window also change in each scene, and the monkey knocks the down the curios and flower on the little shelf. All of these images will be noted by children, who will also enjoy opening the sturdy flaps, and talking about the animals and the sounds each one makes. The finale will have all children involved making their own music “all together now.” The animals make great music sounds which are onomotopoetic enough to get the most reticent child involved, banging a drum, blowing a trumpet, or dinging on the triangle.

The bright colours and animal characters will provide visual appeal to children of all ages, and the combination of visual puzzles, and musical sounds make this a lovely interactive book great for reading one on one or in a group situation.

Knock Knock, by David Bedford and Bridget Strevens-Marzo
Little Hare
$14.95, ISBN 1877003808, Hardcover
31-May-2005, Pages 16

This book first appeared at Preschoolentertainment.com. It is used here with permission.

The Royal Flea, by Rolf Heimann

What a conundrum! When the King is bitten by a flea, nobody is sure what to do. On the one hand the flea should be killed for harming His Majesty. On the other, the flea now has royal blood inside it, so it would not be right to injure it.

Author/illustrator Rolf Heimann is known for his fun puzzles, and the quandry of the king’s flea is just one of the funny plot ideas explored in this collection of ten short stories. Each is both humorous and unique, with a smattering of Heimann’s cartoon-style illustrations.

As well as plenty of laughs, the stories also gently explore some serious themes – including that of sibling rivalry, as presented in the story Otter Tails where five young otters compete for their mother’s attention. The main focus, though, is not on morals, but on fun, which is the essence of Heimann’s work.

This offering will appeal to kids aged 8 to 12.

The Royal Flea, by Rolf Heimann
Little Hare, 2005

Two Interactive Puzzle Books

Kids love books with an interactive element and these two new offerings from Little Hare publishers offer plenty of interactivity in the form of puzzles and mazes.

Amazeing Ruins offers a series of mazes for children to find their way through. Each maze is a path through a lost civilisation – from the Colosseum in Rome, to the Great Wall of China and Babylon in Iraq. Hamill uses various art mediums to create each double page spread, with the paths of the mazes being woven into the detailed illustration. In Ancient Egypt, for example, the path is etched in hieorglyphics, whilst in Bayon, Cambodia, the path is made of vines.

As well as a page showing soltions, Amazeing Ruins also includes a brief note about the history of each site depicted in the mazes, so that the book is not only fun, but also educational.

Puzzlemazia by Rolf Heimann also includes mazes, as well as puzzles of various types. Many youngsters will already be familiar with Heimann’s work and this offering includes Heimann’s trademark bright illustrations, with a range of challenges from relatively easy to mind-bogglingly confusing.

At a rrp of $10.95, this pair make affordable and entertaining gifts and would be great for long car or plane trips.

Amazeing Ruins, by Dion Hamill
Puzzlemania, by Rolf Heimann
Both from Little Hare , 2004

Little Lucie's Diary, by Louise Pfanner

Reviewed by Magdalena Ball

Little Lucie decides to keep a diary so that she’ll remember all the interesting things that happen. And interesting things do happen. She makes up a new song, shares apple pancakes with her best friend Pip, makes a book, goes for a nature walk, makes Pip a very useful felt hat, makes three cakes, has a garden party, reads three books, makes a spider’s web to play in, makes, and floats boats, goes to the beach, walks on stilts, and counts the stars. Lucie and Pip are mice, redolent of Pfanner’s lovely version of The Country Mouse and the Town Mouse, and this charming story will stimulate children in a number of ways. It is a story of friendship first and foremost, and Lucie and Pip’s support and care for one another is touching. It is also a story of resourcefulness, and the many activities using readily available materials will have children making their own felt hats (the book ends with a guide to making a felt hat for a mouse), building boats, making up songs, climbing web ropes, writing stories with their friends, and starting their own diaries.

Pfanner seems to have a wonderful sense of whimsy, and her stories and illustrations are full of lovely little details which children will enjoy pointing out in longer reading sessions. For shorter sessions, the text is fairly simple, and easy to read, and younger children can easily describe what the mice are doing. The colours are bright with delightful mid shades like watermelon pink, periwinkle blue, pale mint green, and soft golds. The mice are adorable, and the the whole story has a very pretty feel which will particularly appeal to young girls, though my 2 sons also loved it and tried to make their own mouse hats. The diary entries are written in script, which gives older readers the sense of really reading someone’s diary, and the illustrations and description is fleshed out by dialogue between the two mice. Existing fans of Pfanner’s extensive body of work will recognise her unique style which always seems to incorporate a bit of craft, unique and beautiful items, and lots of warmth and caring. For those who haven’t read books like The City Mouse and The Country Mouse, Louise Builds a Boat, or The ABC Book of Gifts for Kids to Make, this is an excellent introduction, which will appeal to a very wide range of ages, from the very young, who will love the pictures, the gentle story and the cute characters, to older children who will enjoy the slightly longer story, the crafts/activities, and the subtle themes. The attractive presentation also make this a lovely gift, ideally for a 3-6 year old girl.

Little Lucie’s Diary by Louise Pfanner
Little Hare
October 2004, hardcover, iSBN 1877003689, RRP $aud19.95

This review first appeared at Preschool Entertainment. It reappears here with permission.

Lizzie Nonsense, by Jan Ormerod

When Papa takes the sandalwood he has cut into town, it is fifty miles along sand tracks, and he will be away a long time.
Then Lizzie and Mama and baby are all alone in the little house in the bush.

Alone in the bush with her mother and baby brother for months on end, Lizzie must entertain herself – and she does. With her imagination she creates weddings and parties, oceans and churches. Her mother fondly calls it ‘nonsense’ but Lizzie knows her mother likes nonsense too.

Lizzie Nonsense is a charming look at the experience of pioneering families in the Australian bush. Lizzie’s carefree nature makes light of the hardhips that she and her mother face, with hard work, low rations, snakes and isolation all there for contemporary readers to see.

Jan Ormerod’s illustrations, using a combination of crayon, watercolour and gouache, complement the historical nature of the story and are simply delightful. The cover illustration, showing Lizzie sitting on the limb of a gum tree and looking into the distance, yet directly at the reader, provides a nice link between past and present, as if Lizzie is waiting to share her story with the reader.

Lizzie Nonsense is perfect for sharing at home, but would also make an excellent classroom tool, especially for themes relating to history.

Lizzie Nonsense, by Jan Ormerod
Little Hare, 2004

This Dog Bruce, by Frances Watts and Bridget Strevens-Marzo

One brown rabbit was sitting on a hill, sitting very still and enjoying the sun, when…
This dog Bruce comes sniffing along, wagging his tail and looking for FUN! With a hippity-hop, the rabbit was gone.

Bruce is a delightfully bouncy pup who just wants his friends to play with him. Unfortunately, his friends don’t seem to want to play . Bruce is baffled until they explain that he is just too rough. Fortunately, Bruce is able to think of a game that they all can play.

This Dog Bruce is a lively read-aloud title that young prereaders will adore. Perfect for sharing, youngsters will soon pick up the repetitive tagline and will also catch on to the inbuilt counting lesson. With lovely rhyme and rhythm, adult readers will enjoy sharing this one too and will overlook the slight awkwardness of the shifting tense (from past to present and back again).

The animal illustrations of Bridget Srtevens-Marzo (who most recently illustrated Margaret Wild’s Kiss Kiss) are perfect for the tone of the story, with lots of colour and cute expressions. The four fluffy ducklings are especially appealing.

This Dog Bruce is a delight.

This Dog Bruce, by Frances Watts and Bridget Strevens-Marzo
Little Hare Books, 2004

An Australian ABC of Animals, by Bronwyn Bancroft

An Australian ABC of Animals has little text – with each page bearing a letter and the name of an animal – A ant, B bandicoot, C cockatoo – and so on. But what makes this one delightful and very Australian is more than just the choice of Australian animals, but the illustrative style of Bronwyn Bancroft.

Bancroft combines elements of traditional Aborignal art with her own inspirations and talents. She describes the art (in a back of book profile page) as “an exploration in line and colour”. These colours are vibrant and the patterns used by Bancroft rich and exciting.

Children will love seeing animal shapes – both familiar and less familiar – decorated with this use of patterning and colour. Each illustration has intricate detailing which children (and adults) will love to explore.

This is a unique production which will enhance any home, school or public library.

An Australian ABC of Animals, by Bronwyn Bancroft
Little Hare, 2004