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Ollie’s Treasure

Ollie's Treasure

Ollie’s Treasure

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ollie’s Treasure

Lynn Jenkins

Kirrili Lonergan

EK Books, 2017

32pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781925335422

When Ollie receives a letter from his grandmother in the form of a treasure map, he is very excited.  What could his treasure be?  Could it  be a new truck? Or walkie-talkies? Or maybe that game he had been wanting forever?  Full of excitement and anticipation he sets out on the trail – looking for the tree with the biggest leaves and gazing at the sky; smelling the brightest yellow rose that reminds him of Gran; wiggling his toes in the grass by the fountain then listening to the tinkle of the water as it splashes; and tasting a plump, red, ripe strawberry in the bowl on the picnic blanket.  Finally, he has to lie down and look upwards – and there is in treasure.  But it is not what he thought it would be and he is angry and disappointed until he notices the note that Gran has written…

This is a wonderful story about finding joy in the simple things that are all around us just by using our senses and taking notice of what it always there. Beautifully illustrated in a gentle palette that accentuates the text, young readers could have fun talking about what they would consider to be treasure and whether it has to take the form of a physical object and discuss whether Ollie was right to be disappointed and angry when his was not what he expected. They could talk about their own favourite sights, sounds, smells and surfaces and perhaps, as a class, identify a sensory treasure trail around the school, map and travel it, taking photos and writing about their discoveries.  On a more personal note, some might even get their own treasure map from their own grandmothers!

An original story with a wonderful message.

Caterpillar Dreams

Caterpillar Dreams

Caterpillar Dreams

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Caterpillar Dreams

Clive McFarland

Harper, 2017

32pp., hbk., RRP $A29.99

9780062386366

Henri is a little caterpillar with a big ambition.  He wants to fly and go on an amazing, incredible, impossible-seeming adventure to see the world outside his garden.  But how can such a little caterpillar make such a huge dream come true?

His friends want him to stay where he is – safely in the garden with them.  But Toad tells if if he doesn’t chase his dreams, they will get away.  And so with the help of other friends like Bird, Mole, and Fish he is on his way.  But it is not until he sees a tethered hot air balloon that he believes his amazing, incredible, impossible-seeming adventure will begin.  If he can get to the top he is sure he will be able to see the whole wide world.  But as he begins to crawl up the ropes, something happens to him and he finds himself shackled and sleepy.  And then when he wakes…

This is a charming story that will appeal to young readers, especially those who know the life cycle of butterflies and can predict what will happen to Henri.  But it is also an inspiring story about believing in yourself, having a dream and making it happen, even if it means stepping w-a-y outside your comfort zone.  It’s ending is comforting – knowing that there is nearly always a safe haven we can return to.  It is a soft, gentle story cleverly echoed in the soft gentle palette and is a perfect bedtime read as children snuggle down to their own dreams.

I Can Only Draw Worms

I Can Only Draw Worms

I Can Only Draw Worms

I Can Only Draw Worms

Will Mabbitt

Puffin, 2017

32pp., pbk., RRP $A14.99

9780141375182

 “This book is about worms. (I can only draw worms.) “

And so that’s just what we are presented with.  Bright hot-pink worms (except for one yellow one because he lost his pen) that mix and mingle and get to know each other and have adventures, all of which the reader has to imagine because the author can only draw worms.  Set on white page juxtaposed with some really bright backgrounds the reader is drawn in, but while the blurb suggests that the book is “hilarious” and guaranteed to have children howling with laughter” I think there is a gap between the age of the reader that it visually appeals to and that able to grasp the humour.

It’s different, it’s quirky, it’s definitely bright and young readers will love to join in the counting aspect as Mabbitt brings this most humble creature to life., encouraging them to use their imagination to fill in all the missing illustrations because he can only draw worms.  

Playtime with Ted

Playtime with Ted

Playtime with Ted

 

 

 

 

 

 

Playtime with Ted

9781408880807

Bedtime with Ted

9781408880791

Sophy Henn

Bloomsbury, 2017

10pp., board, RRP $aA12.99

For the reading delight of toddlers comes a new series of lift-the-flap books featuring Ted who has an amazing imagination and makes fun from the most mundane things- things that the little readers will recognise and relate to. 

In Playtime with Ted he has extraordinary adventures in what, to the adult eye, is an ordinary cardboard box but which to Ted is a racing car, a digger, a submarine – even a rocketship!

In Bedtime with Ted the nightly routine of bathing, teeth-cleaning, having a final class of milk are made all the more fun when you share them with some unusual friends.

Perfect for teaching our newest readers that not only is there fun in books and stories but they have the power to manipulate the story as they guess what might be under the flap and then lift it to find out.  And even if their predictions don’t match the pictures, that’s okay because they’ve had fun bringing what they know to the words.  Good stuff!

 

Millie Loves Ants

Millie Loves Ants

Millie Loves Ants

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Millie Loves Ants

Jackie French

Sue deGennaro

Angus $ Robertson, 2017

32pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781460751787

Ants are the most numerous insect in the world -scientists estimate there are more than 10 000 species and maybe 100 000 trillion individuals – which is a good thing because Millie the echidna loves them.  No matter where they are – on the path, beneath the bath, in the kitchen, in the shed, on a picnic, in the bed – Millie is on an endless quest to eat as many as she can.  Whether it’s a hunter ant, a soldier ant or even a queen flying before rain, she is on their trail because she is on a special mission…

Echidnas are not uncommon in the bush environment from rainforests to dry sclerophyll forests to the arid zones and with their formidable spines and remarkable ability to grip the ground, even hard concrete so they cannot be disturbed, it is no wonder they are are the oldest surviving mammal on the planet today. Knowing that author Jackie French lives in the bush environment in south-east New South Wales, one can imagine her watching an echidna snuffle across her backyard on the trail and this delightful book being born as she pondered its search and brought it to life in rhyme. 

While Millie continues her dogged pursuit, which is such a steady but remarkably speedy pace,  artist Sue deGennaro adds movement and humour in her portrayal of the ants who are as clever as they are numerous.  We’ve all seen them carrying food bigger than they are but who would have thought they could manoeuvre four cupcakes and a suite of garden tools!! And in amongst the frivolity there is a lot of information about the benefits of these tiny creatures to our landscape and lives, even if we do see them as pesky annoyances in the sugarbowl! 

Having endeared us to the ants through these charming pictures, we then discover the reason for Millie’s journey and hearts melt all over again – while a lesson in life is learned. We need food to provide food.  Little readers will not only understand echidnas a little more after experiencing this book but they will also view ants in a different light and perhaps take time to observe and think about what the ants are doing before hitting them with a spray or a foot.

Extensive teachers’ notes are available as well as a poster but this copy is winging its way to Queensland for Miss Almost 2 just for the share joy and delight of the words, the rhyme, the pictures and her love of stories that is already well-cemented because of tales like this.

A frequent visitor

A frequent visitor

 

Where is the Very Hungry Caterpillar?

Where is the Very Hungry Caterpillar?

Where is the Very Hungry Caterpillar?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where is the Very Hungry Caterpillar?

Eric Carle

Picture Puffin UK, 2017

10pp., board, RRP $A16.99

9780141374352

The world was first introduced to the very hungry caterpillar as he munched his way through a menu of goodies almost 50 years ago!  Now he is back, hiding somewhere under the flaps waiting to be discovered by little fingers.  

With the bold colours and readily recognisable illustrations of the wondrous Eric Carle who has a gift of turning the mundane into the extraordinary, it’s time for little ones to have even more fun with the little caterpillar that so many of them already know and love.  And as well as recognising the familiar foods from the original story and perhaps even being able to read the words for them because of that, they can also learn what other tiny creatures inhabit the world beneath their feet and maybe tread a little more gently on this earth.

This ticks all the boxes about helping our first readers to understand the basic concepts about print that are so vital to their reading success, particularly making connections between this new story and the one they know as they learn to carry that knowledge and apply it to a new situation.  Brilliant from what might appear to be a humble board book!

Archie and the Bear

Archie and the Bear

Archie and the Bear

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Archie and the Bear

Zanni Louise

David Mackintosh

Little Hare, 2017

32pp., hbk., RRp $A24.99

9781760127510

Archie loves being a bear but people just see his as a boy in a bear suit.  Strong-willed, determined and frustrated that people don’t believe him, Archie runs away to the forest where he meets a bear who is all about being a boy.  When Archie comments on the bear’s boy suit the bear growls at him that he is a boy not a bear, and instantly there is a bond between them.  Sharing the things they love like honey sandwiches, fishing and reading they support each other until darkness falls and the night grows cold and suddenly it’s better to be who you really are.

Mackintosh’s illustrations bring each identity to life using scale to show not just the physical relationships but also the emotional ones. And despite being so small, even just a speck in some pictures, Archie’s will remains strong and large saying much about physical size and shape not defining us as people. 

This is a quirky, original story about being true to yourself that will open up all sorts of discussions about imagination, self-belief and friendships. Even though adults might not see Archie as a bear, young readers will get it as the author has climbed into their thinking and they will relate to it. Sometimes it’s not enough to be a powerless little boy in an adult-dominated world.

Discussions may even wander into the field of how each living thing has adapted to its environment, each with its own special needs met within it, and why the ending was inevitable.

Unusual but intriguing.    

All about Peter

All about Peter

All about Peter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All About Peter

Beatrix Potter

Penguin UK, 2017

10pp., board, RRP $A16.99

9780141374758

When Beatrix Potter first wrote about Peter Rabbit for five-year-old Noel Moore, son of Potter’s former governess Annie Carter Moore, in 1893 and then revised it until it was finally published by Frederick Warne in 1902, I wonder if Ms Potter could have imagined that 115 years later it would have been translated into 36 languages and sold over 45 000 000 copies worldwide.  I wonder if all those publishers who rejected it when she first submitted it to them are kicking themselves as yet another incarnation is set to introduce a new generation of little people to the wonderful characters and distinctive illustrations.

Moving away from its iconic appearance as the familiar small white-framed books perfect for little hands, this new version is a Peter Rabbit-shaped board book which introduces Peter in rhyme.  Little ones are introduced to Peter and then invited to join him as he hops, jumps and scampers through the woods with Cousin Benjamin until it’s time for sleep.  It’s the perfect introduction to this endearing and enduring cast of characters for today’s toddlers, getting them ready to meet all Peter’s family and friends and romp through Mr McGregor’s garden and the beautiful British countryside brought to life by Potter’s meticulous and detailed artworks.  

Miss 6 met Peter and his mates when she was still in her cot – now it’s time to pass the baton to Miss 2, the 4th generation of our family to be enchanted.  

Happy Days Out

Happy Days Out

Happy Days Out

 

 

 

 

 

 

Off We Go 

9781408876688

 

On the Farm 

9781408876701

Ekaterina Trukhan

Bloomsbury, 2017

10pp., board, $A14.99

Two interactive board books for the very young which take them on a journey into town or to the farm teaching them new vocabulary and inviting them to find things hidden in the illustrations.  Very young children will delight in finding things that they are already familiar with – there are peepholes and flaps galore to explore – and learning the names of the places and things that are common to them.  On the other hand. often city kids have no idea at what is found and done on a farm and vice versa – country kids may not be aware of the hustle and bustle of the city – so introducing them to the sorts of things they may find there at such an early age helps sets up their schema for when they encounter them in other stories.  Even the concepts of “city” and “farm” and where they are and how they get there can be explored, compared and contrasted, and new vocabulary built.

Great for the very young as well as those learning English for the first time. They might illustrate additional things they know as they show off their new knowledge.

Noah’s Ark

Noah's Ark

Noah’s Ark

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Noah’s Ark

Charlotte Guillain

Lesley Grainger

Bloomsbury, 2017

24pp., board, RRP $A14.99

9781408883631

No matter your choice of religion or lack of it, the story of the flood caused by rain for 40 days and 40 nights and how Noah, his family and a collection of animals survived it by living on the Ark transcends them all and has almost become part of the folklore children are expected to know. 

This sturdy board book, the perfect size for little hands is a great introduction to this ageless story with its bright pictures and simple text.  Religion and story aside, it is also a great story to start a myriad of investigations taking the learner on a journey of their fancy.  They could investigate questions such as

Where did Noah live?

How big was the Ark?

How long is 40 days?

Why did he take two of each creature?

What makes rain?

What is a rainbow?

Geography, length, time, reproduction, family trees, weather, light and colour, history, can all be explored through this one story and each would lead to a better understanding of the world around them, something they strive to do. Such a rich story will be read over and over with something new to be discovered each time .Even if this board book  version isn’t the one for your students seek out a version that is appropriate for your students, surround it with a myriad of questions and let them loose!

 
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