To Get to Me by Eleanor Kerr, illustrated by Judith Rossell - book review

To Get to Me comes from a very, very simple idea but it is so cleverly executed that the end result is brilliant.

Everyone who has friends or family who travel or live overseas knows how hard it can be to explain to small children about the world, all the people and places in it, and the different ways of travelling around it. Well, it isn't hard any more!

From buses to camels, from a ferry to a chairlift, To Get to Me is a story about getting from one side of the world to the other, and all the things you would see along the way. It is very simple, with bright and engaging pictures that young kids will love.

This is the kind of book that, when you read it, makes you go "Oh, that's such an obvious idea, I could have thought of that' but the more you read it the cleverer the idea and execution become, and anyway you didn't think of it... Eleanor Kerr did!

Who'll love it: 2 year olds, and preschoolers who have family overseas.
Cost: $19.95 ((hc)
Publisher: Random House Australia

Seadog by Claire Saxbuy, illustrated by Tom Jellett - book review

Seadog is a lovely story about a crazy, joyous mutt who loves the beach.

The illustrations are scratchy but so full of life, colour and exuberance that you will find yourself smiling as you look at them.

If you children love the beach, they'll really enjoy watching Seadog jump in the waves and chase the seagulls - it really makes you realise that what dogs want to do at the beach and what kids want to do at the beach are really very similar.

I also really love the way the narrator (presumably Seadog's young owner) accepts all the things that Seadog isn't and relishes what his dog is!

The rhyming text has lots of repetition and it is definitely the kind of book that kids will love and want to be read over and over again until they can recite the story with you.

Who'll love it: Kids aged about 3 to 5, perhaps slightly more boys than girls.
Cost: $19.95
Publisher: Random House Australia

The Saddle Club by Bonnie Bryant - book review

When I was at school The Saddle Club series was BIG!

I was a little bit old for them but my younger sister embraced them with all the enthusiasm that a 9-year-old, horse obsessed girl can muster (pardon the pun).

Years later, when I was a book publicist, I had the absolute delight of ringing my sister and telling her that I was looking after The Saddle Club author, Bonnie Bryant, at the Brisbane Writer's Festival. Brilliant.

So I think it is great that Random House have re-released The Saddle Club books with bright, modern new covers. After all, horse crazy little girls haven't changed that much in the last 15, oh fine, 20 years have they?

And I'm sure that a whole generation of young girls will fall in love with Stevie, Carole, Lisa and all the folk at Pine Hollow Stables!

The new editions have two of the original stories in each book and they only cost $12.95 so they are really good value.

Who'll love them: Horse crazy girls who are in primary school.
Cost: $12.95
Publisher: Random House Australia 

Stories for Five, Six, Seven and Eight Year Olds, edited by Linsay Knight - book review

Let me start by clarifying - this isn't a review of one book, it is a review of four books all called Stories for Five, Six, Seven or Eight Year Olds and all edited by long time children's book publisher Linsay Knight.

I personally don't really like short stories - I find them frustrating and want to know the rest. Except there isn't any 'rest'.

Books of short stories are however brilliant for kids because they are manageable, satisfying and if the child likes one story in the book it encourages them to sample the others.

And these books are particularly good examples of short stories for kids.

Carefully selected, the stories are written by some of Australians best-loved children's authors including Paul Jennings, Andy Griffith and Morris Gleitzman.

Some of the stories are funny and some are thoughtful, some are written in first person and some are written in third but the best thing about them is that, because each book is specifically written for a certain age group, they are age appropriate in content, font size and reading ability so they are an easy and safe choice for parents.

The illustrations are by Tom Jellett, and the number of them varies with the reading age group, for example Stories for Five Year Olds has lots of pictures but Stories for Eight Year Olds only has one or two per story.

Aiming a book at a single year in a child's life is a risk for publishers, by being so specific they limit the readership. BUT it does mean that the book can be tailored to the needs and interests of that age, rather than trying to be all things to all people.

Who'll love this: Kids struggle to get through a 'whole book', and parents who are trying to introduce new genres to their children.
Cost: $14.95
Publisher: Random House Australia

Troggle the Troll by Nick Falk and Tony Lowe - book review

What would you do if you were a small troll who wanted to eat vegetables, not people? Find a friend and come up with a cunning plan, of course.

Troggle the Troll is too, too cute!

From the opening page;
'Under a bridge
in a hole in the ground
lived a troll.
A small troll.
Called Troggle.'
(complete with pictures, a dotted path and arrows) to the lessons about being true to yourself, Troggle the Troll is a gorgeous little book.

Toddlers and preschools will love the alliteration (Policeman Porridge anyone?), the repetition (Yuck, yuck, uck!) and the incredibly bright and friendly colours. Parents will love the positive messages about eating vegetables. And everyone, kids and parents alike, will be entertained by the story.

There's pretty much nothing wrong with the book. The illustrations are bright and engaging, and the story is funny and has a good lesson. Win!

Who'll love it: Preschool aged boys (girls will like it too)
Cost: $12.95
Publisher: Random House Australia

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