Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel by Jeff Kinney - book review

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel is like a stream of consciousness coming out of a kid's mind and it is very, very funny.

If you haven't come across the books previously, Jeff Kinney's massively successful series is based around Greg Heffley and his life at home and at school.

In The Third Wheel there is a Valentine's Day dance at Greg's school and his efforts to find a girl to ask are painful and amusing all at the same time.

Written in the form of a diary (obviously) the reader is privy to all of Greg's ideas and plans, plus what actually happens. Part of the joy of this book is being able to see how Greg's carefully worked out plans will go terribly wrong before they do.

The books are so approachable in their appearance - the text font is in the style of very clear hand writing and there are multiple comic illustrations on each page.

The comics are particularly hilarious (in a painful, thank goodness I'm not a kid any more kind of way).

I can see why kids around the world love the series. It's close enough to home that they would relate to it and it definitely has the 'well at least I'm not that much of an idiot' factor.

Who'll love this: Boys aged eight to eleven who like their books funny and not too deep
Cost: $14.95
Publisher: Penguin Books Australia  


** I am sent review copies of books from publishers but don't get paid to write reviews. I only review the books I like and am under no pressure from publishers to write a positive review.**

Andy Roid and the Turbine Runaways by Felice Arena - book review

This is a fantastic book (and series for that matter) for boys who are in the early stages of being able to read chapter books on their own.

Andy Roid is exciting, fast paced and really sucks you in!

Andy Roid and the Turbine Runaways is the fifth book in series about a boy who is half boy and half machine.

Author Felice Arena also wrote the best-selling Specky Magee series and he clearly knows just what his audience want.

In this book Andy has been separated from his parents and is still on the run from the mysterious and alarming Dr Baffi who wants to use him as a human lab rat. Luckily he has 'teen agent' Judd and Agent Granny to protect him...

I was honestly taken aback at how much I enjoyed this book. The story is fun, thrilling and totally unbelievable, and I enjoyed every one of the 85 pages.

The book had big text, short chapters and an illustration at the start of each chapter so it wouldn't be too daunting for kids who are just getting in to chapter books.

Honestly, if you are looking for a Christmas present for a boy aged between about 6 (his parents would probably need to read it to him) and ten you aren't going to go wrong with Andy Roid!

Who'll love it: Boys aged 7-10
Cost: $9.95
Publisher: Penguin Books Australia   



** I am sent review copies of books from publishers but don't get paid to write reviews. I only review the books I like and am under no pressure from publishers to write a positive review.**

RSPCA Bumper Book of Pets by Lex Hirst - book review

We weren't a 'pet family' when I was growing up and even now that I'm the parent we still don't have any animals (mostly out of laziness).

But if we were going to get a pet the RSPCA Bumper Book of Pets would be a brilliant place to start our research because it is just so sensible.

The first section of the book is all about common pets and deals with everything from horses to ferrets. It has a check list of things to think about before you get a pet and then, animal by animal, talks about cost, size, accommodation and bedding, how long they live and so much more.

Further back in the book there is also a section on farmyard animals and wildlife which has lots of pictures and information.

The very back section is called Fun Stuff and has jokes and activities that animal mad kids would really enjoy.

Basically, if you have a child that is into animals this book would definitely be a winner.

Who'll love it: Animal mad, primary school aged kids, plus it would be a really good resource for any family trying to decide what kind of pet to get.
Cost: $19.95
Publisher: Random House Australia

Dinosaur Zoom by Penny Dale - book review

I nearly forgot to review this book. I try pretty hard to keep all my review copies in one place but Dinosaur Zoom! disappeared from my pile the day it arrived and has been living in Wild Man's room ever since!

When I first read Dinosaur Zoom! by Penny Dale I thought it was a little bit simple because it doesn't call the dinosaurs by name in the text of the book (although there are pictures and names of the dinosaurs on the front end papers, and pictures and names of the cars they drive on the back end papers) but I was wrong.

Wild Man loves this book. We have read it over and over and over again and he still loves it and requests it often.

The first half of the book is about different dinosaurs, driving different vehicles, racing to get somewhere.

There is a definitely sense of anticipation about where they are going and why they are racing, plus there are lots of cars and dinosaurs to look at ... little boy heaven.

Then the dinosaurs all arrive at a picnic place in the forest and it turns out they are organising a surprise birthday party.

We yell out 'surprise' at the appropriate moment and Wild Man reacts to this part as though the surprise party was for him.

It's all very exciting and we spend ages talking about the the detail of the pictures - what might be in the box on the back of the tractor, what party food we would eat first if we were there, which is the best present and so much more.

It is the illustrations that make this such a fantastic book for little people, particularly dinosaur and car mad little boys. They are bright, clear and friendly, filled with action, detail and excitement.

The story is also good - simple and clear - with lots of repetition of words which kids tend to love.

All in all, this one is a winner. I can't imagine that there is a little boy alive who wouldn't love it.

A board book edition will be published early next year, which would be a perfect present for any tiny little man. Very exciting!

Who'll love this: Boys aged two to four.
Cost: $24.99
Publisher: Allen and Unwin  

Azzi In Between by Sarah Garland - book review

This book moved me to tears and if you are looking for a way to start talking to your kids about refugees and how lucky they are to be growing up in a safe, peaceful country this is it.

Azzi in Between is about a young girl called Azzi. Her life is happy but she lives in a country that is at war and every day that war is getting closer and closer to her home.

One night Azzi and her parents receive news that they are in terrible danger and must flee their home immediately. Azzi’s Grandma has to stay behind.

Azzi and her parents eventually find their way on to a boat and come to a new country. They are safe but everything is confusing. They are lonely, poor and so worried about Grandma.

Gradually they learn to live in the new country and make their lives there.

Although it is the shape of a picture book Azzi In Between in actually more a coloured graphic novel in style and is definitely not for preschoolers. It is more for seven to 12 years olds.

It’s a great story, Azzi is so brave and hopeful, and Sarah Garland's pictures do a brilliant job of conveying the terror of Azzi’s situation, the family’s despair as they try to understand their new life and the gradual dawning of hope in their new country.

Perhaps there is no single right way of dealing with refugees coming to Australia but reading Azzi In Between does a lot to persuade you that, whatever they are running from, they certainly need our compassion.

The book is endorsed by Amnesty International.

Who’ll love it: Kids aged seven to 12 who want to learn about the world or who just love a really good adventure story. The older they are the more they’ll understand the bigger picture behind the story.

Cost: $29.95

Publisher: Walker Books Australia

On the Farm - Q&A with author and illustrator Roland Harvey

Author and illustrator Roland Harvey has released another hilarious book in his illustrated holiday adventure series.

For those who haven't seen the books they are quirky, funny and very Australian.

Previous titles include At the Beach, In the City and In the Bush, and you could easily spent hours just discovering all the little stories included in the illustrations.

Roland was kind enough to answer some of my questions about his new book and how he works.

1) Your "At the ..." series has a very Australian feel (and sense of humour). Is that something that is important to you?

THE most important thing. I dearly love the Australian landscape and hope that people learn to "see" it in all its' subtlety, from the smallest flower to the patterns of the vast inland; its' colours and textures and the amazing flora and fauna we have which is quite different to anywhere else. I want to see it understood, appreciated and preserved.

The humour is just me really, noticing ridiculous things and playing with words and shapes. I notice odd-shaped people and odd-shaped attitudes.

2) Do you sometimes find yourself laughing out loud when you are writing and illustrating your books?

When a good idea hits, maybe. Or a totally unplanned joke jumps out at me. Or a really nice double meaning or word- play.

Much of what I do is from the subconscious and quite unplanned. I like the twists and turns when they occur. It is rewarding when something come out and you really don't know where it came from. It just seems to write itself as you go. Like the little poem:

"A sheep is a sheep is a sheep,
Unless it's a goat, of course.
You can milk it, or shear it or count it to sleep,
But to ride it it should be a horse."

And I laugh when a new meaning for a word pops up:
"Coincidental:  When two people have exactly the same teeth."

3) Which comes first for you - the illustrations or the text? 

It can happen either way. Sometimes I'll be mucking up a picture, so I'll sit down and write a bit of text and then do a different picture. The result will be quite different. My brain surprises me all the time, but it is also capable of locking me down. Often ideas for other books come as I'm working on an illustration.

4) Many of your illustrations are very detailed. Do they take you a long time to draw? 

Not if I am familiar with the subject. I love inventing places. Often as the place takes shape, I discover things I didn't intend to do, and characters just come out of doorways and I watch them with great fascination. It is very easy to  disappear into an illustration and start re-writing the story without realising it. That's probably why you are likely to see things in a picture that make no sense at all.

It is a very different matter if I have to research a subject, as I think I am a bit obsessed with accuracy in a funny sort of way. Eg. the illustration for 'Thomas, World's Sickest Man" (Sick As, The history of Medicine; Dr. Gael Jennings) took less than an hour, but the research took six weeks. The river camping page in "In the Bush" is very detailed but I am familiar with the place and it only too a day or so to do the pic. Of course there is a lot of physical work in colouring, but once I get going I am pretty fast. Don't look too closely, though.

It also slows down when I have to draw a place from a different angle and it has to look like the same place. I have to draw a map. My worst nightmare is trying to draw something/somewhere that I haven't actually seen, like some of the illos in "All the Way to W.A.

5) Tell us about your Uncle Kev. 

Uncle Kev is a sort of amalgam of two of my dear friends, and me.

The real Kev is my brother-in-law, who is very capable and built his own mudbrick house and restored (beautifully) the Jaguar XK140 in the shed picture. He used to take adventure safaris through Africa in the '70s. He looks a bit like my Kev. He will be at the launch, and I will twist his arm to bring the Jag.

The other one is my mate 'Bucko', who grew up in Kenya as the son of a genuine old fashioned missionary, and has been trying to break out ever since. He is totally gung-ho, and as an Outdoor Ed teacher, imperilled the lives of half the kids in Victoria. He's a great bloke though. He got me interested in Great Adventures in the outdoors. And me... I'm the bit that invents things that don't work, and skis off cliffs and camps on ants nests.

Uncle Kev is absolutely fearless, incredibly well-meaning, and when it comes to ladies, very, very shy.

Who'll love this: Kids aged about five to ten, especially those who like to spent time pouring over pictures (there is so much to see in these ones)
Cost: $24.99
Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Unbored by Joshua Glenn and Elizabeth Foy Larsen - book review

On the whole, I don't like 'activity' books, especially ones that are designed to get kids away from the TV and computer.

Don't get me wrong, kids today spend way too much time in front of a screen (mine included) but the reason I don't like the books is that I think, on the whole, they are fairly patronising and don't actually appeal to the kids they are aimed at. 

They are more a collection of things that adults wish kids would do.

Seriously, how many 10 year old boys do you know who, on being told they need to turn the TV off, would grab a book, flick through it and decide have a paper aeroplane throwing competition?

Would they enjoy themselves if they did? Yes, almost definitely but in the real world I just don't think they are going to do it.

So, as you can imagine I was a bit sceptical about Unbored - The Essential Guide to Serious Fun but, to my surprise, I was really impressed with this book.

Here are just a few of the reasons I like it:

- It has things that kids will actually want to do, like the chapter on explosions or ways to decorate your sneakers. These aren't activities that adults want kids to do, these are things that kids find fun.

- It is not so deluded as to exclude computer and TV activities. Instead it encourages kids to diversify what they do on the computer and watch on TV. For example, it tells kids how to create a blog instead of just playing computer games. It also encourages kids to diversify the movies they watch and to help them do that it lists movies by genre - for example the page called 'Best Ever Sports Movies' includes The Freshman from 1925 and Real Steel from 2011.

- It is written in a really engaging way and you can tell from the first paragraph what each page is going to be about, so if it isn't your thing you can keep flicking.

- It has extracts from books and lots of interviews and interesting facts, so if you were to pick it up and flick through it you would almost definitely find a few things to read while you searched for an activity.

- The parlour style games it suggests actually do sound fun.

In fact, the thing that makes this book so fantastic is that it actually is a comprehensive collection of things that kids would like to do. 

The cover says Indoors/ Outdoors/ Online/ Offline and that really sums it up. From apps to hip hop songs, from geocaching (the world's biggest treasure hunt) to farting games there is something here for everyone.

To my surprise, Unbored actually IS a book that you could pick up when you are bored, flick through, and find something cool to do.

Who'll love it: Bored kids aged about nine and older.
Cost: $29.95
Published by: Bloomsbury

  

The Selfish Giant - Q&A with illustrator Ritva Voutila

'My own garden is my own garden,' said the Giant; 'anyone can understand that, and I will allow nobody to play in it but myself.' 

The Selfish Giant, Oscar Wilde's classic tale of forgiveness, melts my heart every time I read it.

This week illustrator Ritva Voutila releases a stunning new edition of the story. It is a truly moving story and Ritva's illustrations match it perfectly. 

Ritva was kind enough to answer some of my questions about her inspiration, her artwork and why she loves Wilde's story.

1. What made you choose to create this new edition of The Selfish Giant?

The suggestion came from the editor, Erica Wagner. The meeting was about trying to find a suitable book for me to illustrate. I had taken a number of my favourite beautifully illustrated children’s books with me. One of the books was a version of The Selfish Giant. Erica pointed to it saying: “Why not that?”, and I said: “Why not!”

2. This is obviously a story that you have loved. Do the illustrations reflect the way you picture the story in your mind when you read it?

I cannot remember. I first read the story when I was in my early teens and still living in my native Finland. I found it in my schoolbook called English Proficiency. It was the first piece of real literature that I read and translated from English to Finnish. I can only remember that I loved the beautiful style in which it was written. I became an Oscar Wilde fan immediately.

3. It is lovely to see such traditional illustrations. Can you tell me more about how you create them?

I work in oils on canvas. I build up the colour by using several transparent layers. It is a slow technique, but it allows me to achieve the depth and richness of colour the way I find most satisfying.

4. I love the illustrations of the giant. Is his appearance based on someone, or is he entirely from your imagination?

Whenever I read a fictional story my mind is immediately flooded with images. I seem to have very little control over them. This is how the general type of the giant was born. Next I needed to find a real life model who more or less would fit that type. I searched around and the result is a combination of a number of actors and other public figures, and above all my own husband.

5. Do you think that The Selfish Giant is a story for adults or children?

For both.

Who'll love this: Oscar Wilde fans, art fans and school aged kids.

Cost: $29.99

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Herman and Rosie by Gus Gordon - book review

Frankly, I'm a little bit in love with anyone who is called Gus Gordon. Surely this is the coolest name ever for an author (or the alter ego of some kind of funky super hero!).

I am also in love with the end papers of this book which are maps of New York and are just incredibly awesome.

But I'm assuming you don't buy kids books based on the author's name or the end papers (you should) so here is a little bit about the rest of Herman and Rosie.

Herman is a crocodile who plays the clarinet and likes watching films about the ocean.

Rosie is a goat (I think) who loves to sing and watch films about the ocean.

They live quite near each other is a big city that sometimes makes them feel like anything is possible, but often makes them feel lonely.

If I was writing a press release for this book I would say it is a story of New York, of music, of loneliness and of friendship.

For everyone else I would say that Herman and Rosie is a lovely book about being lonely and making a friend.

This would definitely be a useful tool in starting to talk to your kids about their emotions. The idea that you can feel lonely even while you are among lots of people and discussing the things that make Herman and Rosie happy would provide a great start to the conversation.

Th illustrations are lovely and convey the sense of isolation that a big city can bring perfectly.

There was a bidding war for the rights to Herman and Rosie and I can understand why. It is exactly the kind of book that would appeal to children's book publishers - whimsical and wistful with amazing emotion behind it especially, I would imagine, if you have ever been to New York.

It's interesting in that way - I sometimes wonder if kids get as much from these books as grown-ups who are still in touch with their sentimental inner child do. Maybe this is, in fact, a grown-ups book that kids will also enjoy.

It's hard to say. My kids certainly liked it and so did I.


Who'll love this: Older kids, perhaps 4-6 year olds, kids who struggle with feeling lonely, and anyone who loves New York!  
Cost: $24.95
Published by: Penguin Books Australia

Figaro and Rumba and the Crocodile Cafe by Anne Fienberg and Stephen Michael King - book review

I have been looking for a chapter book to read with Wild Man so I was pretty excited when Figaro and Rumba and the Crocodile Cafe arrived.

I have such great memories of my parents reading me "one more chapter and then it is lights out" and I am looking forward to sharing that with my kids too.

 Figaro and Rumba and the Crocodile Cafe is the story of two friends, one bold and one cautious, who have an adventure on a Very Fast Train, meet a crocodile with conga drums and stop a catnapper.

It is a sweet story and the interplay between adventurous Figaro and hesitant Rumba is really lovely.

There is lots of action in the book but it happens at a more leisurely pace, which is perfect for younger readers (by that I mean four, five and six year olds) and there are lots of great pictures to break up the text.

Stephen Michael King is one of my favourite illustrators. His pictures are scratchy and engaging and so full of character, and they are perfect for Anna Fienberg's quirky story which is full of friendship, excitement, being true to yourself and music.

Not every mystery is resolved at the end of the story, so hopefully there are more Figaro and Rumba books in the pipeline!

Who'll love this: Most kids will like this one, and it is brilliant to read aloud. 
Cost: $19.99
Published by: Allen & Unwin

Protecting my Dad's favourite poem - Night Noises by Joan Mellings

Some things about the foreverness of the Internet freak me out.

I hate the idea that some future employer of Wild Man's would be able to Google him and read what I wrote when he was three. But every cloud has a silver lining and in the case of the Internet I think that the lining of the silver cloud of foreverness is that things can be protected.

When I was little we had a book. I have no idea what it was called but there was a poem in it that my Dad loved and used to read to us when we were going to sleep.

All of us can quote parts of the poem even 30 plus years later.

My Dad has searched and searched for the poem online and finally found a version of it in some archived Canadian school reader. He swears that is the only copy in existence.

Whether or not there are others, an archived school reader doesn't fill me with faith that my Dad's favourite poem will be preserved, so I thought I would share it with you and hope that my blog's foreverness can help protect it.

Night Noises by Joan Mellings

After I’m in bed,
And there isn’t any light,
I like to lie and listen
To the noises of the night.

The tap, tap, tap of branches
Upon a window-pane,
The rustle of the leaves in wind
And gentle fall of rain.

Cars that pass each minute,
A lone plane in the sky,
The clock that plays a merry tune
An hourly lullaby.

Cats and dogs and roosters,
I listen to them all,
Every noisy, croaking frog
Upon the garden wall.

All day long I’m happy
In the sunny golden light,
But I like to lie and listen
To the noises of the night.

Joan Mellings, if you ever read this I'm not trying to steal your copyright. I just want to keep your lovely poem safe.

Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer (No.10) by Megan McDonald - book review

Judy Moody has been around for a while, after all she is up to her 10th book and has a movie out.

I hadn't ever read any of the previous books in the series but they are obviously a bit of a phenomenon so I was interested to see what all the fuss is about.

Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer is a cute little story about managing your expectations and having fun whatever the situation.

Judy is devastated when her friends are away for the summer holidays. How will she have fun without them?

I can see why this series is so popular with girls and their parents. This is a happy, harmless story about friendship and making your own fun, and it is totally appropriate for young girls.

There are great illustrations and nice big font so the books don't feel overwhelming to kids who are just starting to read longer books on their own.

The books all stand alone but I am imagine that little girls would love to collect the series.

Who'll love this: Little girls (these are definitely girls books) who are just starting to read chapter books for themselves. I'd say 8-10 year olds in particular.
Price: $15.95
Publisher: Walker Books Australia

Vanguard Prime: Goldrush by Steven Lochran - book review

I LOVED this book!

I literally couldn't put Goldrush down, which is pretty impressive because I am hardly the target audience.

It is fast paced and exciting and I stayed up until 11.30pm to find out what happened in the end (a pretty big thing when your kids sleep as badly as mine do).

So let me fill you in ... Sam Lee is a normal teenager until he discovers he has superpowers and is asked to join Vanguard Prime, a group of superheroes who keep the world safe. Perfect right? Well it turns out that being a superhero isn't always a great as you think it will be.

The best thing about this book is definitely the writing which creates such a clear image in your mind and keeps you on the edge of your seat, but I also really liked the way that Sam's life is far from perfect now he is a superhero - he's lonely, frightened and has to learn a whole PR spiel about his new identity.

The author, Steven Lochran, says he always wanted to be a superhero and he has really been able to imagine what would happen to a kid whose dream suddenly came true.

The action is pure superhero fantasy but the personality of the characters and Sam's struggles with his new life give the book an added depth.

Apparently 'superheroes are the new vampires' when it comes to books and I can only imagine that the Vanguard Prime series will be leading the charge.

Who'll love this: Boys aged 8-14 (and me)
Price: $14.99
Publisher: Penguin Books Australia    

The Rumpelgeist by Fiona McIntosh - book review

The Rumpelgiest is an adventure story about a Princess and a young nobleman who must protect the kingdom of Floris and all who live in it, especially a group of children who have been captured by an evil witch.

Although definitely fantasy The Rumpelgeist it isn't the Harry Potter style of fantasy where the characters use magic to fight (although there is a little of that). 

This is fantasy where magic is part of the world the characters inhabit but not absolutely central to it. There are magical characters like centaurs, and some of the characters can do magic, but it isn't the over-riding theme of the book.

The central theme is definitely adventure.  

For that reason I think this book will appeal to kids who don't normally love fantasy.

The central characters are imperfect but lovable and, like all great kids adventure stories, the adults are left behind while the kids go off to save the kingdom.

Fiona McIntosh has written a number of adult books and I think you can tell when you read The Rumpelgeist. The story and prose are appropriate for children but there is no lack of sophistication or depth in the story. If you are a fan of her adult books there is every chance you will really enjoy this one too!

  

Although The Rumpelgeist is the sequel to The Whisperer it definitely stands alone as a novel. I haven't read the first book, although having read The Rumpelgeist I really want to.

Who'll love this: Girls and boys aged about 10 plus, particularly those who love fantasy.

Price: $17.99

Publisher: Penguin

Heather Fell in the Water by Doug MacLeod & Craig Smith - book review

"Heather was a little girl ... 
who always fell in the water."

Heather Fell in the Water is a picture book about a little girl who falls in the water, any water, all the time.

And she hates it!

In fact she hates falling the water so much that she refuses to learn to swim. Her parents are worried in case she falls in some deep water one day, but what can they do to convince her to try ...

Heather Fell in the Water is a sweet, funny story that will definitely appeal to kids who hate swimming and putting their face in the water.

My favourite things are the illustrations by Craig Smith.

From end paper to end paper the pictures are incredibly bright, engaging and alive.

Little Heather has so much expression and character you can just feel her frustration and the pictures of her being forced to wear water wings (floaties) everywhere are really funny.

The story is just crazy enough to appeal to kids but real enough for parents to use it to encourage kids to try new things.

Who'll love this: Kids who hate the water or struggle with new experiences (and their parents)
Cost: $24.95 (hard cover)
Published by: Allen & Unwin

Phyllis Wong and the Forgotten Secrets of Mr Okyto by Geoffrey McSkimming - book review

It took me a while to get in to Phyllis Wong and the Forgotten Secrets of Mr Okyto. It's not a book that grabs you in the first few pages but it does grow on you and I was somewhat surprised to find how often Phyllis crossed my mind during the day.

Phyllis Wong and the Forgotten Secrets of Mr Okyto is about a young girl with a family history of magic helping her friends and the local Chief Inspector solve some unexplainable thefts.

There's lots of information about different magic tricks and some about the history of magic so it will really appeal to kids who are into magic, or who love a good mystery.

I hate book reviews that compare one book to another - it is completely useless if you haven't read the one being used for comparison and always feels a little patronising, as if the reviewer is thinking "Oh, you haven't read it ... goodness" - but I am going to break my own rule and say that this book really reminded me of Odo Hirsch's book Pincus Corbett's Strange Adventure.

Both have mysterious crimes and a dark, slightly sinister feel to them, plus really quirky characters. And neither of them assume that in order to interest children you have to immediately overwhelm them with action. Both authors give children's attention spans the benefit of the doubt and the books feel richer for it.

It is always interesting to read books that are intended for kids but where the main child characters behave, and are treated, like miniature adults. That is definitely the case here, and while it is totally unbelievable that Phyllis would be allowed to poke around the scene of a crime, it is a useful tool for the author and also would potentially be very appealing to kids reading it.

One of the things I loved best about Phyllis Wong and the Forgotten Secrets of Mr Okyto is the outstandingly cool cover. I especially loved the picture of Phyllis which was drawn by Peter Sheehan. She just looks so quirky and interesting, and it gives you a great sense of her character and the book.


Who'll love this: Thoughtful girls aged about nine to 13 - there's not a mention of boyfriends, music or clothes and for some girls that will be a massive relief! Plus anyone who is in to magic will definitely enjoy it.
Cost: $14.95
Published by Allen & Unwin

In the Lion by James Foley - book review

In the city there's a zoo.
In the zoo there's a lion
And in the lion there's ...

In The Lion is story about a lion who eats his dentist, hairdresser, chef and many more, until a brave little boy called Richard decides to put a stop to this very naughty behaviour!

With bright, fun pictures and a highly entertaining story this is a really lovely picture book that a wide range of kids will enjoy.

The text has wonderful repetition which gives it a really nice rhythm for reading out loud.

Little kids often like being able to repeat some of the words in a story with you and In The Lion really encourages that. If children are paying close attention to the pictures, or if you have read the book a few times, you might even find they are yelling out who is going to be eaten next.

The illustrations are fantastic, especially the expressions on the people (and lion's) faces, and there are lots of detail to discuss, especially if the children have been to a zoo themselves.

Adults reading the book will really enjoy the illustrations of Richard's parents and their naughty twins, although some of their experiences might feel painfully familiar.

In The Lion is an awesome book. It's bright, engaging and fast paced and I kept liking it, even when I had read it six times in a row (surely the sign of a well written book!).


Who'll love this: Little boys in particular, although all children will enjoy it.
Cost: $27.95
Published by Walker Books Australia

Too Cold for a Tutu by Mini Goss - book review

Too Cold for a Tutu is one of the cutest things I have seen for ages!

Stella and Barry are knitted toy dogs and the story, all about getting dressed, playing and using your imagination, is illustrated using photographs of them.

The production quality of the book is amazing and the pictures are so lovely that the story is almost irrelevant.

Completely computer generated illustrations can be incredible but the pictures in Too Cold for a Tutu have reminded me that sometimes computer illustration can lack something indescribable, perhaps warmth or personality.

The story starts with Barry and Stella getting dressed - Barry is practical and puts on his new 'Nana-knitted cardigan'. Stella puts on her tutu.

This section of the book is great. The text wraps around the pictures and points to each item of clothing so it would be fantastic for the stage where your children are learning names of clothes.

When Stella and Barry get out into the garden they can't find anything they want to play together (a painfully familiar problem for parents) but eventually they realise they can use their imaginations (and Barry's cardigan) and away they go.
 
This book is engaging, quirky and precocious and I just love it to bits.

My feeling is that it would appeal more to girls, although boys would enjoy it too. And it would be a beautiful gift, especially the hardcover edition.

In amongst the dedication and copyright information at the back Mini Goss describes the wool that made the Barry and Stella toys, and where all the scraps of material that made their clothes came from. It's a lovely touch and makes you appreciate how much work and love went into the book.
 
Too Cold for a Tutu is the start of a series about Stella and Barry, and they have a website with games and more stories.


Who'll love this book: Little girls who love tutus and all grandmas, plus pretty much everyone else (although boys might deny it).
Cost: $19.99
Published by Allen & Unwin