Tag: walker books

Come On Everybody, Time to Play, by Nigel Grey

The sun is up and so is the main character in Come on Everybody, Time to Play. A small girl is revelling in the weekend and not having to get ready for school. She wanders through the house but it seems that everyone is hiding from her. It doesn’t seem to occur to her that everyone is still asleep! Openings alternate between her searching, then finding the other occupants of the house. When she has found all but two, it’s time for a group assault on the final two sleeping bods! Bob Graham’s gentle yet strong character sketches speak loud as the little girl searches her house for company. Backgrounds are minimal allowing the characters to shine. Text is large and round and like hand printing.

Come on Everybody, Time to Play is written in gentle rhyme. The reader (listener) can hear the sound of the words and predict what is to be found under each flap. Of course nothing – no one – is where they should be! The fish is in the cat’s water bowl and socks are all over the place. Come on Everybody, Time to Play is a largish, hardcover, sturdy-paged lift-the-flap book, designed for multiple re-readings. Recommended for pre-schoolers.

Come on Everybody, Time to Play! Nigel Gray Ill Bob Graham
Walker Books 2009
ISBN: 9781921150500

Come on Everybody, Time to Play!

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author
www.clairesaxby.com

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

One Dragon's Dream, by Peter Pavey

One Dragon’s Dreamis a counting book written and illustrated by Peter Pavey. On the surface it illustrates the numbers one to ten, but there is a strong visual narrative that works far beyond the deceptively simple text. The story is bookended by a page with the numbers one to ten arranged in a grid. Each opening then features a sentence and a number. The central story may refer to eg ‘three tigers…’ but there are myriad examples of that number to be found in the detailed illustrations. Illustrations are pen and ink with colour washes.

One Dragon’s Dream was originally published in 1978, and is released in 2009 as part of Walker Book’s Classic Series. The illustration style is reminiscent of Ron Brook’s ‘John Brown, Rose and the Midnight Cat’ but there is a delightful whimsy in Peter Pavey’s depiction of the dragon and his dream. There is safety for the timid reader in the scenes of dragon going to bed and then at the end of his dream, waking up in that same bed. There is a delightful mix of fantasy and realism in each opening. Readers will enjoy searching out all the collections that relate to the featured number. This is a lovely book, perfect for reading over and over. It’s easy to understand how it was awarded the Children’s Picture Book of the Year in 1980. Highly recommended for 3-5 year olds.

One Dragon's Dream

One Dragon’s Dream, Peter Pavey
Walker Books 2009
ISBN: 9781921150746

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author
www.clairesaxby.com

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

Sting, by Raymond Huber

“Come to your question, Ziggy,” Zenova said.
I swallowed hard and tried not to sound so nervous. “Why do they call me Oddbee?”
The Queen paused for a moment, then said, “There are thousands of different bees in the world. It’s time you met some of them.”

Ziggy is different from the other bees. He likes to explore and to try different things, rather than sticking to one job like the others. But Ziggy doesn’t understand why his hivemates are so mean to him. They don’t like him at all. He really is the Oddbee out. When he leaves the hive to find out why he is different, he discovers that differences can sometimes be an advantage.

Sting is an action packed bee’s-eye view of the world, told from Ziggy’s first person (first bee?) perspective. As well as exploring life inside a bee hive, it also explores the issues of using bees for sniffing explosives and of the worldwide disappearance of bees. Mostly, though, it is an absorbing tale of mystery and action, as Ziggy has adventures, makes new friends, and finds a family.

Sting

Sting, by Raymond Huber
Walker Books, 2009

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

Letters to Leonardo, by Dee White

Dear Leonardo
Talk about serendipity. Just found out it would have been your birthday today too.
And that’s not all we have in common.
Your dad took you away from your mum. How weird is that?
How did you deal with the missing bits in your life?
Matt

On his fifteenth birthday, Matt gets a book from his dad, and a card from his mother. The only problem with that is that he has long believed his mother is dead. Now he needs to find out why his dad has lied to him for the past ten years and why his mother hasn’t contacted him before now.

At the same time, Matt has been given a school assignment involving writing a series of letters to a historical character. Because of his love of art, he has chosen Leonardo da Vinci, but as he learns more about the artist he discovers they have more in common than a love of art. Writing letters to Leonardo gives him a chance to lay bare his feelings as he searches for sense and truth.

Letters to Leonardo is a stunning debut novel from Victorian author Dee White. The blend of first person narrative with letters gives the reader a wonderful insight into Matt’s thought processes and emotions. Matt’s journey is full of action, emotion and twists and turns which keep the reader riveted from chapter to chapter, wanting everything to turn out okay. In a story dealing with the effects of mental illness on a family, it is soon obvious that it won’t be all happy endings, but White manages to offer hope and understanding, as well as a wonderful dose of realism.

Aimed at teen readers, this is powerful tale.

Letters to Leonardo

Letters to Leonardo, by Dee White
Walker Books, 2009

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

The Big Dig, by Meg McKinlay

Ronnie’s head shakes. “You can’t be serious,” he says.
But I am.
So serious I’m already heading to the shed for the shovels.
With Weasel right behind me.
While we pull the shovels down from their hooks, Ronnie hangs around near the door.
“This is stupid,” he says. “Maybe the stupidest idea ever. Seriously, Nath. You can’t just dig a pool.”

When the Newton Community Pool is closed until further notice, Nathan and his mates are unimpressed. The alternative, the BayView Leisure Centre, might be modern and flashy, but it is steamy, crowded and no fun. But Nathan has an idea – an idea brilliant in its simplicity. They can dig themselves a pool in the backyard. What could possibly go wrong with their great plan?

The Big Dig is a funny tale of mateship and enterprise, with a tinge of daftness. Nathan and Weasel’s plan – Dig. Dig some more. Put water in. Swim. – seems to the reader to be doomed to fail, but it is hilarious to watch them try – and the resolution is fun.

With silliness, action and a little tension, The Big Dig will keep primary aged readers turning pages. Part of the wonderful Lightning Strikes series from Walker Books and featuring the same trio of characters from McKinley’s earlier title in the same series, Going for Broke, The Big Dig is an entertaining offering.

The Big Dig, by Meg McKinlay
Walker Books, 2009

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

Polar Boy, by Sandy Fussell

“The ancient ones whisper to me, Iluak,” Nana says. “They talk about you. They say a bear is waiting.”

Life isn’t easy in the land of snow and ice and for Iluak, a Too-lee boy travelling with his tribe, there are daily challenges. Now, though, a new challenge is coming. His grandmother, the Shaman, tells him a bear is coming – and it will be Iluak who will save his people from the bear. But Iluak is afraid of bears, and doesn’t want to face one.

Polar Boy is an absorbing historical adventure, set in a 13th century polar community and offering an intriguing insight into the daily life of Iluak’s people. When Iluak rescues a Viking girl from a polar bear there is also a meeting of cultures and Iluak comes to realise that strength comes in different forms – as do bears.

The time and setting of this wonderful tale offer young readers a glimpse at something far removed from both their own life experience and from other books. Fussell manages to create a believable world, with readers being invited to feel the cold and the fear which are at the core of Iluak’s daily life. At the same time, readers will be able to relate to Iluak’s self doubt, his search to find a place in his family, and his rivalry with Tuaq, another boy from his tribe.

Polar Boy is wonderfully written and well deserving of its inclusion in this year’s shortlist for the Children’s Book of the year Awards.

Polar Boy

Polar Boy, by Sandy Fussell
Walker Books, 2008

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

Also by Sandy Fussell

White Crane (2008)
Owl Ninja (2008)
Shaolin Tiger (2009)

Bad News for Milk Bay, by Moya Simons

‘Hey, I run a detective agency. I can be left alone,’ I said.
We were eating breakfast. Mum sprinkled sugar over her cornflakes. ‘Yes,’ she said, ‘you run a detective agency; and yes, you’ve been alone before; and no, you’re not staying home this time’ and yes, you’re going with Dad to the protest rally at the council chambers; and no, don’t look at me that way. It will be a very educational experience.’
‘I get enough education at school. I have plans. I want to update my detective notebook tonight.’
‘Well, bring your notebook along with you. As a detective I think you’ll be very interested,’ Dad said.
I felt a slight prickle of interest, like a flea was drawing blood from my brain.

Milk Bay is a small town where a lot seems to happen. Thank goodness it is home to the Walk Right In Detective Agency where David and his partner Bernice solve mysteries big and small. Sometimes the mysteries find them, sometimes they see mystery others miss. In this fourth instalment of the series, David and Bernice are experiencing a bit of a slump. Business is slow and supplies are low. Little does David expect that being forced to go to a protest rally will not only see he and Bernice on opposite sides as the Mayor talks about the most exciting potential development Milk Bay has ever seen. Half the town seem to be for the development, half against. David’s infallible nose senses ‘there’s mischief afoot’. He’s keen to investigate, but first there’s the matter of Flick’s grandmother’s ring. And paying jobs should come first.

Bad News for Milk Bay is told in mostly in first person, with main character, David’s, detective observations dispersed through the text. It’s almost as if he’s channelling some long-gone gumshoe. His observations are funny, and follow the edict that no detail is too small or trivial to be overlooked. Bad News for Milk Bay opens with pages from David’s note book which detail the highs and lows of the detective business. But although the style is humourous and some of their cases are easily solved, others are more serious. As with previous titles in this series, the main plot explores a big issue. This time it’s development, specifically the plan to turn Horatio Brown’s lovely and loved farm into a whiz-bang, you-beaut tourist precinct. Milk Bay is lucky to have David and Bernice, and dodgy sorts everywhere ought be on alert.

Recommended for middle primary.

Bad News for Milk Bay (Walk Right in Detective Agency)

WRIDA 4 Bad News for Milk Bay, Moya Simons Walker Books 2009
ISBN: 9781921150760

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

Star Jumps, by Lorraine Marwood

There is something we don’t understand,
as if the magic has gone out of spring,
as if we were just kids,
grubby in old clothes,
playing in weeds,
with a dog that doesn’t scare strangers
and cows that want to die
instead
of making milk.

For Ruby and her siblings, a shower of rain means the emergence of the marshmallow weed, lush and green and a wonderful place for building tunnels and playing games. But the rain isn’t enough to stave off the drought, which is slowly but surely sapping the life from the family farm. As the marshmallow grows and calves are born, the family struggle to keep the farm going, but soon it becomes obvious that the herd must be reduced to make ends meet.

As the family battle to see a way forward, Ruby’s spirit keeps her searching for a solution. She will make a difference.

Star Jumps is a poignant verse novel about the impact of rural drought, but it is also something more – a story of family togetherness and of bonds which are strengthened by hardship. Whilst the family struggle, they are also able to support each other and to recognise how hardship impacts on each family member. The children look for ways to ease pressure on their parents, and on each other, and the parents, in spite of stress are patient and honest with their children.

Marwood’s verse is perfect for such a tale, with the first person voice of Ruby, the youngest of the family, a choice which enables young readers to experience first hand the impact of drought on rural families.

Exquisite.

 

Star Jumps, by Lorraine Marwood
Walker Books, 2009

Victor's Challenge, by Pamela Freeman

“I challenge you, sir,” the professor declared. “If you wish to win the hand of my daughter, you must complete the three challenges.”

Prince Victor is determined to marry Valerian, but both his mother, the Queen, and Valerian’s father, a professor who doesn’t believe in royalty, are against the idea. So the professor decides that, if Victor wishes to marry his daughter, first he must meet three challenges –of bravery, endurance and cleverness.

Poor Victor. He isn’t worried about the bravery or endurance tests, but he isn’t very bright – so the cleverness test is enough to make his keens wobble. But he loves Valerian, so off he goes to face the Dragon of Nevermore, on the first of the three challenges.

Victor’s Challenge is a delightful sequel to Victor’s Quest, presenting a whimsical tale of bravery and love, with a colourful cast of characters and plenty of adventures. Pamela Freeman’s enchanting text is coupled with the quirky artwork of Kim Gamble, to create a gem of a book for young readers.

Victor's Challenge

Victor’s Challenge, by Pamela Freeman
Walker Books, 2009

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

The Land of Kur, by Sally Morgan and Ambelin, Blaze & Ezekiel Kwaymullina

My whole body feels like one giant bruise. I lie there, eyes closed, willing the dizziness to go away. I feel for the stopwatch, but it’s gone. Grandpa will never forgive me. Then I realise that my fingers aren’t pulling at the carpet of Grandpa’s bedroom floor, but at thick, springy grass. Where am I? I force my eyes open.
“Aaaarrrrggghhh!” I scream again.

Tom has been desperate to try out his Grandpa’s stopwatch, ever since Tom realised it had the power to make people invisible. But, when he finally gets the chance to sneak into Grandpa’s room, Tom discovers the stopwatch does more than make him disappear – it transports him to another world. Finding himself in the Land of Kur, Tom is befriended by monsters, and unwillingly helps them to defeat the neighbouring giants, before meeting a huge Spider Queen who makes him wonder whether he’ll ever see his home again.

Stopwatch: The Land of Kur is the first tile in a new series from Western Australian authors Sally Morgan and Ambelin, Blaze and Ezekiel Kwaymullina. With a range of fantastical beings, an intriguing fantasy land, and lots of action therein, this is ideal for fantasy loving youngsters, as well as a great introduction to the genre.

An absorbing and action-packed read for readers aged 8 to 12.

Stopwatch: the Land of Kur, by Sally Morgan, and Ambelin, Blaze & Ezekiel Kwaymullina
Walker Books, 2009