NLA Publishing – Aussie Reviews

This is Captain Cook, by Tania McCartney & Christina Booth

James was a very good sailor.
He could steer by the stars, make maps and read charts.
In fact, he was so good he joined the Royal Navy.

Englishman Captain James Cook played a big role in charting Australian and New Zealand coastlines, as well as exploring and having adventures around the globe. In This is Captain Cook, his story is told via a class play presented by Miss Batts’ class.

As Cook’s story is told in a simple, accessible narrative, illustrations show it being acted by students on a stage, in front of an audience of family members. Extra interest is added through speech bubbles and through side-stories happening with in the illustrations, such as escaped chickens running amok on stage, and interactions between audience members and the cast. The aforementioned chickens also feature on the end papers.

Useful for classroom study but also suitable for private reading, This is Captain Cook provides an entertaining introduction to the life of James Cook.

This is Captain Cook, by Tania McCartney & Christina Booth
National Library of Australia Publishing, 2015
ISBN 9780642278692

Available from good bookstores and online.

The Fairy Who Wouldn’t Fly retold by Bronwyn Davies

The Fairy-who-wouldn’t-fly loved to lie about all day in her hammock amid the swaying blossoms.

She listened to the wind and watched the clouds sailing high overhead. She watched the bees gathering honey, and the birds sipping nectar from the flowers. When she folded her wings and closed her eyes, she looked just like a dried leaf, so no one could see her.

The other fairies, their bright, beautiful wings flashing in the sunlight, worked hard in the bush. They lifted up the heads of flowers after rain, helped lame beetles over bush tracks, and saved silly baby birds who fell out of their nests before they were ready to fly. They helped to keep the bushland and all its creatures healthy and strong.

The Fairy-who-wouldn’t-fly loved to lie about all day in her hammock amid the swaying blossoms.

The Fairy Who Wouldn’t Fly is a retelling of a 1945 Pixie O’Harris story, which incorporates her original illustrations and includes additional images from the National Library of Australia’s collection. This young fairy prefers to sit and think about her world. She wonders where the wind came from, how seeds knew what kind of flower to become, why she hadn’t seen the Leaf-cutter Bee for so long. But the Fairy Queen considers her lazy and sends her to the Woodn’t to be with other creatures who don’t do as they ought. There she meets an assortment of creatures, all banished. She finds herself becoming as grumpy as they are before discovering the talent of each in the rescue of a little lost boy. They want to return home but don’t want to be compelled to behave in ways that feel wrong to them. News of their adventure wins a reprieve from the Fairy Queen and they return home. Brave Fairy asks the Queen to accept their differences and allow them to be themselves, before asking for a final favour.

Bronwyn Davies says The Fairy Who Wouldn’t Fly was her favourite book when she was a child. Here she written her own version of the story and kept the original illustrations. In place of the original ending, where Fairy returns to Fairyland compliant, Davies offers a celebration of difference and acceptance of those who might sometimes be less easy to understand. The Fairy Who Wouldn’t Fly is a rich collection of art, both the original and extras, and a story sure to delight fairy-fans. Additional images are fully referenced in the final pages. It’s a fabulous way to share NLA art and entice young visitors and artists. This is a sumptuous hardcover sure to win many new fans to a well-loved story.

The Fairy Who Wouldn’t Fly, retold by Bronwyn Davies NLA Publishing 2014 ISBN: 9780642278517

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Midnight Burial by Pauline Deeves

Diary of Miss Florence Adelaide Williamson, 16 July 1868

This is the last page of my diary and after I have written this, I will hide it. I don’t want to remember this day ever again. My big sister Lizzie died tonight. They say it was from fever so my papa and some of the men ar burying her right now, even though it is dark and cold.

I heard Papa tell the men to dig the grave extra deep and tomorrow they will cover it with piles of rocks. They save fever is catching so we cannot even wait for a doctor to come, or have a minister to hold a proper funeral service. It was so quick. Lizzie was perfectly well this morning.

Diary of Miss Florence Adelaide Williamson, 16 July 1868

Florence’s sister Lizzie has died suddenly and is buried without ceremony and with haste. There is not time for a funeral apparently, no time for anything. Florence is not sure what is going on but she knows it’s bad. Susannah is Lizzie’s best friend hears of her death and is immediately sceptical that fever is the cause of her friend’s death. These alternate viewpoints tell the story of the ripples from this unexpected and tragic death. When Susannah takes on the role of governess to the precocious Florence, the pair work to unravel the mystery of Lizzie’s death. Photos of the main characters accompany their entries/letters.

Midnight Burial is told in diary entries letters by Florence and via letters from Susannah and other characters. Reading between the lines of the diary entries, the reader discovers some of the challenges for girls born in early Australia. These challenges are made perhaps more intense by the remoteness of their sheep station home, and the expectations that come with wealth and education. Notes at the end of ‘Midnight Burial’ tell how a factual story in the National Library inspired this fiction. Extra photos and notes provide information about sheep stations, convicts and more. They also reveal the real identities of the girls whose photos appear. History is a huge cumbersome and confusing beast. Stories like Midnight Burial offer a way in to history for young readers. They allow the reader to step inside, feel, smell and understand a life so different from their own. Recommended for mid-primary readers.

Midnight Burial, Pauline Deeves NLA 2014 ISBN: 9780642278500

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Have You Seen My Egg? by Penny Olsen ill Rhonda N. Garward

Oh no,

I’ve lost an egg!

Excuse me, Maggie and Matt,

have you seen my egg?

It’s big and green with

a very hard shell.

Oh no,

I’ve lost an egg!

Excuse me, Maggie and Matt,

have you seen my egg?

It’s big and green with

a very hard shell.

Emu has lost an egg and the search is on to find it. Emu asks the magpies, an echidna, a frill-neck lizard as well as beach and ocean-dwellers. Each responds that they’ve not seen the egg and describes their own eggs – larger, smaller, softer, etc. 1/4 size flaps on each page reveal their own babies hatching. Eventually, he finds his own first hatchling. Each opening shows adult animal, egg and hatchling of a different species. Final spreads show paintings and photos from the National Library as well as further information about the featured species. ‘Have You Seen My Egg’ is a sturdy paperback with strong life-flaps and end flaps.

On the face of it, this is a simple text about Australian animals and their eggs/hatchlings. And it works well on this level. But for young readers who like a little more, there is plenty of information and extra pictures (very useful for the parent/teacher sharing this book with children!) ‘Have You Seen My Egg’ is pitched at preschoolers but will also find fans in early schoolers.

Have You Seen My Egg?

Have You Seen My Egg Penny Olsen ill Rhonda N. Garward

NLA Publishing 2013 ISBN: 9789642277886

Eco Warriors to the Rescue! By Tania McCartney

This is Banjo, Ned and Matilda.

They are everyday curious kids …

but they are also eco warriors.

Grrr …

Grrrrrr …

Greeeen!

This is Banjo, Ned and Matilda.

They are everyday curious kids …

but they are also eco warriors.

Grrr …

Grrrrrr …

Greeeen!

Banjo, Ned and Matilda are mid-primary-age children interested in maintaining and improving their environment. They are able to enter their favourite book, ‘Australian Flora, Fauna & Other Curiosities’ to learn more about the needs of individual plants. The characters and other contemporary elements of each spread are photographed, but the images of the flora are taken from artworks in the National Library of Australia collection. Along their journey, the children identify challenges for the environment and provide the reader with tips for helping to maintain and improve the local environment. Final spreads include flower facts, national and state flower emblems, and native birth flowers.

Australia has a diverse range of native flora, from the showy to the very shy. From the earliest white settlement, our flora has fascinated scientists and artists. Indeed, in those first days of settlement, artists were necessary to record the details of these plants. And fortunately, many of these works of art exist today to be shared with new young Australians. It is important for children to understand their potential role in maintenance and improvement of our environment, and understanding includes being able to recognise plants and the conditions they need to thrive. It’s easy to see this book being used in the classroom as part of environmental conversations and in preparation for excursions into the bush. Recommended for early- to mid-primary readers.

Eco Warriors to the Rescue!

Eco Warriors to the Rescue! Tania McCartney NLA Publishing 2013 ISBN: 9780642277800

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Available from good bookstores and online.

Dance Like a Pirate by Stephanie Owen Reeder

Let’s dance like a pirate sailing the seas,

Bobbing about like a boat in a breeze.

So hands on your hips, then heel and toe,

Jig across the deck – here we go!

Raise your knees up very high

And slap your hands upon your thighs,

Then fold your arms across your chest.

You are the boldest and the best!

Yo, ho, ho! Let’s Dance!

Let’s dance like a pirate sailing the seas,

Bobbing about like a boat in a breeze.

So hands on your hips, then heel and toe,

Jig across the deck – here we go!

Raise your knees up very high

And slap your hands upon your thighs,

Then fold your arms across your chest.

You are the boldest and the best!

Yo, ho, ho! Let’s Dance!

Dance Like a Pirate offers rhymes which incorporate guidelines for dance moves. As well as the pirate dance of the title there are dances/poses for fairies, dancers, firefighters and superheroes. Each opening offers a rhyme, an illustration of a boy and a girl striking a pose or showing a dance move. A flap on each opening reveals a further dance position/move. The last two openings offer a reprise of the included rhymes and photo references to National Library of Australia photographs of performers dancing and posing as different characters. Colours are full page with most of the text set in white pages on the opening.

Dance Like a Pirate would be a welcome addition to classroom resources and home libraries. Each opening offers costumes and rhymes that can be used in a variety of ways. The dances etc could be used as a basis for movement activities or as a basis for exploration of different groups in history and society. Costumes are shown but for most, it is the body movements that demonstrate most. There is room for interpretation – eg the opening featuring royalty doesn’t specify which culture the royalty are part of, and could form the basis for discussion about leadership in different cultures. At its simplest, this is a book about dancing, but it has the potential to be much more. Recommended for classrooms and home libraries and young singers and dancers who would like some direction in their performance!

Dance Like a Pirate

Dance Like a Pirate, Stephanie Owen Reader NLA Publishing 2013 ISBN: 9780642277794

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Available from good bookstores or online.

What’s Dad Doing? by Susan Hall ill Cheryl Westenberg

Pat Possum and his friend Wesley Wombat are looking for Pat’s Dad.

‘Let’s go and find my Dad to see what he’s doing.

Pat Possum and his friend Wesley Wombat are looking for Pat’s Dad.

‘Let’s go and find my Dad to see what he’s doing.

So begins a search for Pat’s Dad. Each opening offers a potential Dad-find, and they do find him but he’s always busy. Lifting flaps on each opening reveal Dad making lunch, sweeping floors, feeding a younger sibling. Then when the jobs are done, Dad has time to play footy. Warm pencil/watercolour illustrations are set in white space. The illustrations have their own humour, revealing Dad’s particular way of doing the jobs. There are also insects to find and identify. Final openings feature images and photos and information about the ring-tail possum on which this story is based.

This new lift-the-flap title from NLA offers an introduction to one of our native animals. The story sets the native animals as young children in a suburban house, during the course of a typical day. The parents share the parenting and household tasks. Pat and his friend Wesley play independently quite happily but are also keen to play with Dad. The lift-the-flap story introduces the notion of fathers being involved in childrearing and the final openings offer factual information. This is a sturdy paperback, ideal for pre-schoolers.

What’s Dad Doing? Susan Hall Cheryl Westenberg NLA Publishing 2013 ISBN 97890642277916

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

The Little Fairy Sister, by Ida Rentoul Outhwaite and Grenbry Outhwaite

“Nancy!” said Bridget suddenly, and as she said she sat bolt upright. Her eyes had been closed the moment before, and when she had opened them she had seen a most exquisitely-dressed little girl standing by the hammock on tip-toe looking down upon her. It was extraordinary, but she was sure, perfectly certain, it must have been Nancy.

Once Bridget had a sister. But when they were very young, Nancy ailed, and, Bridget’s mother tells her, went back to live in the Country of Fairies. Bridget loves this story and longs to meet her sister and visit the land of fairies. One magical afternoon Nancy comes to visit and takes her on an adventure with the fairies.

The Little Fairy Sister is a classic children’s book, newly re-released by the National Library of Australia from an early edition of the book. Whilst the story may not be known to all readers, many will be visually familiar with Ida Rentoul Outhwaite’s fairy paintings which have been used in books, on murals, in advertising materials and on galleries since the 1920s.

Whilst the story may be a little dated – particularly the euphemistic handling of the death of a sibling – it is also both charming and enlightening as a sample of the literature of its time. Outhwaite’s illustrations are reproduced in a mixture of full colour and black and white, and the book is a sturdy hardcover with colour slip case. An enchanting offering for the lover of fairies, art and classic children’s books.

The Little Fairy Sister

The Little Fairy Sister, by Ida Rentoul Outhwaite and Grenbry Outhwaite
This edition NLA, 2013
ISBN 9780642277725

Available from good bookstores or online.

Aussie Animal Opposites by Elizabeth Lea ill Liz Faul

Young yabby

Old owl

Funny frog

Serious seal

Young yabby

Old owl

Funny frog

Serious seal

Aussie Animal Opposites presents Australian animals while demonstrating some alliteration and as the title suggests, opposites. Each opening offers a pair of opposite set in backgrounds which suggest their normal environments. Characters are presented in anthropomorphic and cartoony style, and contain plenty of humour. Later openings show paintings of each animal featured and the final opening attributes the original artist and where the image first appears. Each of these later images also offers information, asks questions of the reader and suggests activities for young children.

Aussie Animal Opposites offers different things to different readings and perhaps readers. Very young children will respond to the alliteration and the opposites and will be able to begin to recognise the animals depicted. As they engage further (slightly older?), they can learn more about the animals themselves – both through the images and the information provided. Further rereading offers opportunities for shared learning and activities. This is a sturdy larger-than-some board book and it is the cartoony characters who feature on the cover. Perhaps the factual information will engage an older sibling while the younger is learning about big and small, old and young. Recommended for very young readers.

Aussie Animal Opposites, Elizabeth Lea ill Liz Faul National Library of Australia Publishing 2013 ISBN: 9780642277664

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

Available from good bookstores or online.

My Father’s Islands by Christobel Mattingley

‘Hello! Call me Claesgen.

Do you like islands? Do you wish you could discover a treasure island? What kind of treasure would you like to find? Gold? Silver? Rubies? Sapphires?

My father is very good at discovering islands. Big ones as well as small ones. He has seen more islands than a fish has scales. What is your father good at?

‘Hello! Call me Claesgen.

Do you like islands? Do you wish you could discover a treasure island? What kind of treasure would you like to find? Gold? Silver? Rubies? Sapphires?

My father is very good at discovering islands. Big ones as well as small ones. He has seen more islands than a fish has scales. What is your father good at?

Do you have breakfast with your father? Every day? I wish I did. Does he come home every night? I wish mine did. Do you eat dinner with him?

My mother says I ask too many questions. Do people say that to you too?

Claesgen is the daughter of Dutch explorer Abel Tasman. Abel Tasman was employed by the Dutch East Indies Company, based in what we now know as Indonesia. He was away at sea for many months at a time. His family moved to Indonesia to be closer to him, but he could away at sea for almost a year, so they didn’t see him very often. But when he did return, he was full of stories. Some of these stories were detailed in his ship’s log/diary, but others were just for Claesgen and her mother. Claesgen tells her story and that of her father from her perspective. She also speaks directly to the reader, supposing a reader of her age, from 1642-4. The text is interspersed with paintings, maps, and writings taken from Tasman’s own records.

It’s hard to know where to place My Father’s Islands. It’s written for mid- to upper primary reader, but has resonance for a much wider age-group. Claesgen’s curiosity and unending questions intersperse her retelling of an adventure that is unimaginable to most of us. It is a part of history that many Australians are under- or unaware of. Readers will engage on different levels. Some will relate to the notion of fathers who are not always home. Others will respond to the details of life at sea, and/or to the interactions that Tasman and his crew have with inhabitants of the lands they visit and map. ‘My Father’s Islands’ is a fascinating insight into another time and way of life. Recommended for mid- upper primary and anyone wanting to learn more about Australia.

My Father’s Islands: Abel Tasman’s Heroic Voyages, Christobel Mattingley NLA Publishing 2012 ISBN: 9780642277367

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author