scholastic australia – Page 2

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

What do Werewolves do when it’s not Halloween? By Heath McKenzie

November the 1st is kinda the worst

For everything SPOOKY and CREEPY,

In fact, truth be told, you’ll find that it makes

Most HALLOWEEN GHOULS rather weepy!

For there isn’t a day that’s further away

From next HALLOWEEN, it’s true,

So every last thing that goes BUMP in the night

Has to find something DIFFERENT to do!

November the 1^st is kinda the worst

For everything SPOOKY and CREEPY,

In fact, truth be told, you’ll find that it makes

Most HALLOWEEN GHOULS rather weepy!

For there isn’t a day that’s further away

From next HALLOWEEN, it’s true,

So every last thing that goes BUMP in the night

Has to find something DIFFERENT to do!

What Do Werewolves Do When it’s Not Halloween? offers an explanation for the 364 days between Halloweens. It speculates that vampires do some catching-up, mummies try some alternative costumes, skeletons just hang around – in fact everyone seems to find a way to fill in time. But werewolves – what do they do? Do they hide away with other werewolves and wait for Halloween? Well, you’ll just have to read and find out. Illustrations depict all manner of spooky and creepy creatures doing their thing through night and day.

Halloween is a big night for those who like to be or to experience spooky or creepy things, but for the rest of the year, creeping and spooking are less visible. Perhaps it’s odd that no one has previously offered an answer to this question! Young readers can experience the inventiveness of Frankensteins and the wildness of witches in this funny, fiend-filled rhyming stories, which ends with a ghoulish answer to its own question.

What Do Werewolves Do When it’s Not Halloween?, Heath McKenzie Scholastic Australia 2013 ISBN: 9781742838793

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Available from good bookstores or online.

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Meerkat by P. Crumble ill Louis Shea

There was an old lady who swallowed a meerkat

I don’t know why she swallowed the meerkat

Fancy that!

There was an old lady who swallowed a meerkat

I don’t know why she swallowed the meerkat

Fancy that!

The old lady of the title has quite an appetite. Not content with swallowing a meerkat, she consumes an owl, a hyena, a lion and more. This take on the well-known traditional rhyme is set in the zoo, where she has access to animals from all around the world. Other zoo visitors look on in surprise as she continues her swallowing. Things get more and more out of hand until the old lady swallows a hippo. Full colour illustrations take on an escalating psychedelic feel with bright colours and wild internal scenes.

Many readers will be familiar with the original ‘There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly’, and this version continues the nonsense at the zoo. Young readers will giggle at the antics of the old lady, the victims and the observers. As with the original, the action is sufficiently absurd, as to be comical rather than believable. The text is rhythmic, rhyming and cumulative and young children will soon be able to join in the ‘reading’. The text for the animals is presented in different and larger fonts, ideal for young pre-readers to start identifying word shapes. Good fun, with plenty of extra story to be found in the illustrations. Recommended for pre- and early-schoolers.

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Meerkat;, P. Crumble ill Louis Scholastic Australia 2013 ISBN: 9781742836461

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Available from good bookstores or online.

Jacko and the Beanstalk by Kel Richards ill Rob Ainsworth

Bad news, wolf at the door –

Jacko and Mum were very poor.

Mum sent Jacko (who’s not too shrewd).

Down to the shops to buy some food.

Never thinks, no thanks –

Jacko’s thick as three short planks.

Jacko spent all Mum’s money,

On magic seeds … that’s not funny!

Bad news, wolf at the door –

Jacko and Mum were very poor.

Mum sent Jacko (who’s not too shrewd).

Down to the shops to buy some food.

Never thinks, no thanks –

Jacko’s thick as three short planks.

Jacko spent all Mum’s money,

On magic seeds … that’s not funny!

Jacko and the Beanstalk transports a familiar tale to an Australian setting. Jacko is a kangaroo, the giant is a crocodile, the trickster is a dingo. Add in some Aussie language, a few variations on fee-fi-fo-fum, a few helpful geckos and cameos from other Australian animals and you have an adventure in the outback. Jack’s trip up the beanstalk is brief and his retreat swift. After Jacko has ensured that the giant is no longer a threat, Mum finds another way to secure their future. Illustrations are pencil and watercolour and offer plenty of humour. Follow the antics of the three small geckos.

Jacko is none too bright, and it’s a wonder really that Mum thought he could be trusted to spend her last cash wisely. But she does, and as any fan of this fairy tale will recognise, he is tricked into parting with his cash for some magic beans. Mum is cross, the beans are tossed then grow overnight and Jacko decides that he should travel where the beanstalk takes him. The action proceeds with ‘ticko, tacko, blicko, blacko’, ‘wham, blam, splat, blood’ and ‘fig, peach, pear, grape’ until the foe is vanquished, and life can resume it’s normal pace. Pre-schoolers will play with the rhymes, develop versions of their own as they play with sounds of words and watch the antics of both Jacko and the other characters.

Jacko and the Beanstalk

Jacko and the Beanstalk, Kel Richards ill Rob Ainsworth Scholastic Australia 2013 ISBN: 9781742835389

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Available from good bookstores or online.

The Bear Went Over the Mountain, ill Louis Shea

The bear went over the mountain

To see what he could see.

What do you think he saw?

A forest of squirrels singing,

Setting ears a-ringing.

Golly gosh! Oh my! Oh me!

It was a sight to see.

The bear went over the mountain

To see what he could see.

What do you think he saw?

A forest of squirrels singing,

Setting ears a-ringing.

Golly gosh! Oh my! Oh me!

It was a sight to see.

The bear might start this story by going over the mountain but the action travels from mountain to the seaside and beyond before it finally returns to the beginning. The bear sees squirrels in the forest. Then a fox sets off to see what he can see and so on all the way around the world, through hills and flat lands, beach and undersea. Illustrations provide clues as to which animal will ‘take the baton’ and take the action into a new spread. Illustrations are full page colour and provide their own narrative separate to the words. The Bear Went Over the Mountain comes with a CD for singalong. The CD has the more traditional song structure where the book features an abridged version.

Young readers will enjoy the cadences of this story and with growing familiarity the song on which it is based. Illustrations are full of detail, and re-readings will reveal new secrets. There are opportunities to open discussions about animals and their differing environments or even to introduce actions to the song. Suited for pre- and early schoolers.

The Bear Went Over the Mountain ill Louis Shea Scholastic Australia 2013 ISBN: 9781742833712

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Available from good bookstores or online.

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

There Was an Old Bloke who Swallowed a Bunny! By P. Crumble ill Louis Shea

There was an old bloke who swallowed a bunny.

I don’t know why he swallowed that bunny …

Crikey, that’s funny!

There was an old bloke who swallowed a bunny.

I don’t know why he swallowed that bunny …

Crikey, that’s funny!

Based on There Was an Old Bloke Who Swallowed a Bunny! and part of a series of similarly based stories, ‘There Was an Old Bloke …’ is a comically absurd romp through the countryside. He has an explanation for the consumption of all animals except for the bunny – that’s just funny. Illustrations are full page and full of detail. The refrain curves on the page, and each about-to-be-consumed animal word is in bold. All of the animals on the Old Bloke’s menu are farm animals except for the bunny, which would probably be most farmers’ first nibble.

The world needs some nonsense, some silliness, and this series of books modelled on an old folk rhyme is perfect in delivering it. And much learning can be slipped in underneath the silliness. The rhyme, rhythm and repetition in these titles are perfect for pre-reading skills. Children learning to read can predict what’s coming next and before long will be able to ‘read’ it themselves. Recommended for pre- and early-schoolers.

There Was an Old Bloke Who Swallowed a Bunny! P. Crumble ill Louis Shea Scholastic Australia 2013 ISBN: 9781742831602

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

Chicken Big by Keith Graves

‘Chicken Big’ is a delightful piece of nonsense.

Chicken Big hatches from the largest egg anyone in the henhouse has ever seen. It’s so big that they’re sure Chicken Big cannot possibly be a chicken. Chicken Little is sure Chicken Big must be an elephant. So poor young Chicken Big is banished from the hen house. But Chicken Little also thinks that the sky is falling, the sky is leaking and other calamities are imminent, so perhaps he’s not an authority on anything. But the other chickens listen. Each time, it’s Chicken Big who saves them from terrible fate. Eventually they decide that he must be a chicken after all and readmit him to the henhouse. Now everything will get back to normal…won’t it?

Chicken Big is a delightful piece of nonsense. Chicken Little is there, and scaremongering as per the falling sky, but he/she’s not alone. The other ‘normal’ sized chickens/hens are quite foolish and easily led, with only Chicken Big showing a modicum of sense. And he’s the youngest! There is plenty to giggle about, but it’s also a good way to introduce the notion of difference and belonging and sense and nonsense. There are lots of speech bubbles to add to the hilarity. The illustrations are full of colour and life, with all the chickens having very expressive faces. Recommended for pre and early primary children.

Chicken Big, Keith Graves Scholastic Australia 2012 ISBN: 9781741699777

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

Sydney Harbour Bridge by Vashti Farrer

Billy Thompson and Alice Carson are children in 1931. Billy is part of a struggling working class family living in The Rocks. Alice lives on the north side, in a family more financially secure.

The Rocks, Wednesday, August 20, 1930

Bluey Waters,

c/o Happy Valley Camp, La Perouse

Dear Bluey,

I wish you could have been there. It was terrific! A bonza night, with enough noise for you to hear over your way. And all because the spans have joined! Me and Davo like to pretend the Bridge is a monster, a giant stick insect made of steel, with these big arms that are reaching out, ready to grab something. But one arm is a bit longer than the other and we think it might end up missing, only the engineers must know what they are doing. They’ve been building bridges for years and the Sydney Harbour Bridge for four at least, every day except Sundays and public holidays or when it’s too dangerous, like during heavy rain or high winds. The steel can get awfully slippery then, and there’s nothing to hang on to, no steps or handrails or anything.

Billy Thompson and Alice Carson are children in 1931. Billy is part of a struggling working class family living in The Rocks. Alice lives on the north side, in a family more financially secure. Both their lives and the lives of their families are bound up in the construction of the most famous bridge in Australia. In their alternating diary entries, the reader is presented with a number of differing perspectives of both the bridge and its construction and life in Sydney during the Depression era. Billy’s father is a donkeyman, riding the wire ropes that dangle down from the cranes. Alice’s father is an engineer. He ‘has to work out all the sizes and how the steel will fit together’. Bluey, Billy’s friend, and his family are moved to the euphemistically-named Happy Valley Camp when their rented home is ‘resumed’ to provide the land for the south-side bridge foundations.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge is an iconic structure recognised by most within and many beyond Australia. Although it may seem to Australians today as though the bridge has always been there, of course it hasn’t. Few people in Sydney can have been unaffected by the bridge construction. For some it was a curiosity, for others it meant losing their homes, and for yet others it provided much needed work. ‘Sydney Harbour Bridge’, a ‘My Australian Story’ series title, is a fictional account of life in 1931-1932, based on real events. In addition to the descriptions of the bridge construction, it is a dual social history of two different classes, neither with much awareness of the other. Readers will discover some of the joys and challenges of being an almost-teenager in another time. Recommended for upper primary and anyone interested in social history and how an icon was built.

Sydney Harbour Bridge, Vashti Farrer
Scholastic 2012
ISBN: 9781741699530

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

If You're Happy and You Know It!, by P. Crumble & Chris Kennett

An Aussie addition

If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.

If you’re happy and you know it,

then you really should just show it …

If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands!

The first lines of this traditional rhyme are true to the original, but from there on, there’s a distinctly Australian flavour. Firstly, if you’re a possum, climb a tree. The openings that follow provide activities for a whole range of Australian animals to ‘do their thing’. The final opening has the gang of Aussie animals being koalas and going to sleep. Illustrations are full page and stylised and mildly anthropomorphised, eg the wombat has a mining helmet and the koala is wearing pajamas. At the end each ‘verse’ is offered in full.

Traditional rhymes have remained popular in part because they are easy to learn and they provide opportunities in classrooms to get up and move about. ‘If You’re Happy and You Know It!’ will have children up, singing and dancing as they try to be cockatoos, bandicoots and crocodiles. Along the way, they’re discovering a little about Aussie animals and how they live. Young children will soon become familiar with the language patterns on the page and with the aid of the illustrations will soon be ‘reading’ this story for themselves. Recommended for pre-school and early school years and for use in the classroom.

If You’re Happy and You Know It! P.Crumble & Chris Kennett
Scholastic Australia 2011
ISBN: 9781741698916