margaret wild – Page 2 – Aussie Reviews

Piglet and Granny, by Margaret Wild & Stephen Michael King

Although Granny was soft and squishy, she was a lively as a family of leaping frogs. And she had such good ideas for things to do.
One morning Piglet waited and waited by the gate for Granny to arrive.
She waited and waited.
But Granny didn’t come.

Piglet loves Granny, and the things they do, but waiting for Granny to come and play is hard. Luckily she has her friends – Cow, Horse, Sheep and Duck – to reassure her and keep her company until Granny finally arrives. And with Granny’s arrival, the fun can begin!

Piglet and Granny is the third picture book featuring the delightful Piglet and various of her family members, as well as the other farm animals. Whilst each features Piglet and her farm animal friends, the three tales do manage to be different so that readers find them familiar but not repetitive. Stephen Michael King’s adorable illustrations bring the story to life with deceptively simple watercolour and ink outlines.

Piglet and Granny is an adorable offering, suitable for bedtime reading – or any time reading! First released in 2009, and now rereleased in paperback.

Piglet and Granny, by Margaret Wild & Stephen Michael King
Working Title, 2011
ISBN 9781921504204

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

The Dream of the Thylacine, by Margaret Wild & Ron Brooks

Some books are so exquisitely perfect that it seems almost impossible to review them. The Dream of the Thylacineis one such book – sending shivers of delight up this reviewer’s spine.

With minimal text and a combination of photographic stills and full spread acrylic art, the tale of the last thylacine – and the tragedy of its caged existence – is brought to life in a dramatic blend of beauty and pathos.

Text spreads combine still shots of the last known thylacine trapped in a cage in the Hobart Zoo in 1937 with poetic text in the thylacine’s voice telling of his feelings of being trapped and his memories or dreams of his previous life. The three spreads which follow each of these bear no text, instead showing the thylacine in its natural environment living those dreams – running through forests, standing on cliff tops and more. The final spreads show the thylacine finally sleeping, curled up as part of the landscape. A back of book note tells readers that the thylacine is now extinct, in spite of a slim hope that there are surviving creatures somewhere in the Tasmanian wilderness.

Truly a thing of beauty, The Dream of the Thylacine is a book to be savoured, examined, shared and treasured both at home and in the classroom. What more can I say?

The Dream of the Thylacine, by Margaret Wild and Ron Brooks
Allen & Unwin, 2011
ISBN 9781742373836

This book can be purchased in good bookstores, or online from Fishpond.

No more Kisses! by Margaret Wild & Nina Rycroft

With a squeak and a squeal, Baby ran off and away.
“No more kisses!”

Baby has had enough of a game of kisses and cuddles, so he runs away, pursued by his laughing friends, until he turns the game back on them.

With rhythm and repetition, the lively text of this gorgeous offering will delight youngsters, who will join in the repetition and love to experiment with words like roly-poly and wriggle-squiggle. With text by queen of the picture book format, Margaret Wild, complemented by the lively watercolour illustrations by Nina Rycroft, this hard covering offering will appeal to toddlers and the adults who read to them.

Delightful.

No More Kisses! by Margaret Wild & Nina Rycroft
Little Hare, 2010
ISBN 9781921541520

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

The Miracle of the Little Wooden Duck, by Margaret Wild & Dee Huxley

Once upon a time, there was a little wooden duck that sat on the windowsill of Annie’s bedroom. Every day Annie picked up the little duck and stroked it, wishing it could speak to her. But the little wooden duck continued to sit silently on the window sill – until, one day, something miraculous happened.

Annie loves her little wooden duck, but she really wishes it could see and hear and feel. When a storm sweeps the duck off Annie’s windowsill something magical happens and, far away from Annie’s home, the duck finds itself waking up real. Remembering the love Annie has for it, it flies home to her.

The Miracle of the Little Wooden Duck is a gorgeous fairytale offering about love and magic. Richly illustrated in oil paintings by Dee Huxley, the duck is especially beautiful in rich dark greens with a golden beak and beady eye.

This a joyful story which young readers will adore.

The Miracle of the Little Wooden Duck, by Margaret Wild and Dee Huxley
Working Title Press, 2010

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

Itsy-Bitsy Babies, by Margaret Wild & Jan Ormerod

This itsy-bitsy baby sucks her thumb.
That itsy-bitsy baby bangs on a drum.

Itsy Bitsy Babies is a delightful read aloud offering perfect for the very young. With a simple rhyme and repetitive, patterned text, this is a quick, gentle read ideal for cuddle time or bedtime reading.

The illustrations feature babies of different ages from new born to toddler, and from differing ethnic groups, romping, resting, eating, playing their way through the pages.

From the talented, award winning pairing of Margaret Wild and Jan Ormerod

Itsy Bitsy Babies, by Margaret Wild & Jan Ormerod
Little Hare, 2010

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

Hush, Hush! by Margaret Wild & Bridget Strevens-Marzo

Baby Hippo couldn’t fall asleep.
He rolled and wriggled.
He stood on his head. He waggled his legs.
He grunted and groaned. “Oh, ah, oh!”
“Hush, hush!” said his mum softly and sleepily.

Baby Hippo can’t sleep, so he goes for a walk. Wherever he goes through the jungle he hears mothers telling their babies to ‘hush, hush.’ Eventually, feeling tired, he trudges back home where – eventually – he manages to fall asleep beside his own mum.

Hush, Hush! is a delightful sequel, or companion, to Kiss, Kiss! by the same wonderful pairing of author Margaret Wild and illustrator Bridget Strevens-Marzo and has a similar patterning to the text, whilst being different enough to be able to enjoy both. Strevens-Marzo’s art, with the purples of the dusky sky and the deep greens and browns of the jungle, along with the jungle animals, is beautiful.

This would make an excellent bed time sharing story and is sure to be as well received as Kiss, Kiss! which has sold over 200, 000 copies worldwide.

Hush, Hush! by Margaret Wild & Bridget Strevens-Marzo
Little Hare, 2009

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

Piglet and Granny, by Margaret Wild & Stephen Michael King

Piglet and Granny is an adorable offering, suitable for bedtime reading – or any time reading!

Piglet and Granny, by Margaret Wild & Stephen Michael King
Working Title, 2009

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

Old Pig, by Margaret Wild & Ron Brooks

‘Keep it safe,’ Old Pig said, ‘and use it wisely.’
‘I will,’ said Granddaughter. She tried to smile but her mouth wobbled, and Old Pig said, ‘There, there, no tears.’
‘I promise,’ said Granddaughter, but it was the hardest promise she’d ever had to make.

In this classic picture book, Old Pig knows she is going to die, and sets about putting her affairs in order and saying goodbye to her much loved Granddaughter.

Old Pig was first published in 1995 and has been loved by parents, teachers and children since then. It is wonderful to see it rereleased in hardcover format so that it remains available to new readers.

With gentle text by Margaret Wild and rich illustrations by Ron Brooks, the mixture of sadness and love, and the sense of closure, makes this a perfect delivery on a difficult topic.

Perfect.

Old Pig, by Margaret Wild & Ron Brooks
Allen & Unwin, 2009

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

A Bit of Company, by Margaret Wild & Wayne Harris

No one rang the doorbell. No one came to play.
Sometimes Christopher felt so lonely he wanted to scream…
and scream…
and SCREAM.

Christopher is lonely. His mother is busy with baby triplets, and Christopher is left to his own devices. Sometimes he peeps through the fence at his neighbour Molly MacNamara and wants to say hello. Little does he know that Molly is also so lonely she could scream – until the day that she does just that. Her scream brings Christopher running and soon the pair has become firm friends.

A Bit of Company is a wonderful story of friendship, capturing the feeling of being left out that many older siblings feel when new babies arrive. Fist published in 1991, this classic has been rereleased by Walker Books, making it available for a new group of youngsters.

With gentle text by maestro Margaret Wild, and gorgeous illustrations by Wayne Harris, this is a book that kids will ask for over and over, and adults will enjoy reading aloud.

Beautiful

A Bit of Company, by Margaret Wild and Wayne Harris
This edition Walker Books, 2009

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

he Pocket Dogs Go On Holiday, by Margaret Wild & Stephen Michael King

“Home time,” said Mr Pockets, so they went back down the beach to collect Mr Pocket’s coat.
But while they’d been on the rocks, the tide had come in. The kennel castle was gone – and so was Mr Pocket’s very big coat!

Biff and Buff have always loved being Mr Pockets’ very own pocket dogs. When Mr Pockets takes them on a holiday by the sea, they love travelling in his pockets. But when Mr Pockets takes the coat off to play on the beach, something dreadful happens and the coat disappears. Mr Pockets says they will buy a new coat – but there isn’t a coat with the right style and pockets. Biff and Buff wonder if they’ll ever be pocket dogs again – until they remember that sometimes things washed out to sea can be washed back in again.

The Pocket Dogs Go on Holiday marks the delightful return of the much loved little dogs to the picture book scene. Just as in The Pocket Dogs there is whimsy, adventure and a gentle story line. Stephen Michael King’s beautiful water colour with black ink outlined illustrations are gorgeous and bring to life the adventures and imaginings of the little dog, capturing the gentle tone of the story perfectly.

A perfect picture book.

The Pocket Dogs Go On Holiday, by Margaret Wild and Stephen Michael King
Omnibus, 2008

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