Category Archives: Book Review

Jun16

Caillou, Potty Time by Joceline Sanschagrin and Pierre Brignaud

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cailloupottycoverCaillou, Potty Time by Joceline Sanschagrin and illustrated by Pierre Brignaud, picture e-book (board book edition), 24 pages, expected publication by Chouette Publishing – Caillou on July 12 in 2016.

Caillou’s mum has bought him a new potty. He wants to wear underpants and use his potty, but he doesn’t always make it on time.

In a sturdy board book format, this is a lovely book to share with toddlers, especially those that are just starting out on their potty journey. Caillou is a well known character that many kids love; he is quite appealing and familiar to youngsters. I like Caillou too, and I like the bright and clear illustrations in this book. The story is simple and follows Caillou’s efforts to use his potty, along with a couple of misses. It was nice that the misses weren’t a big deal, Caillou was just encouraged to try again next time. I liked the gentle reminders that he would get there. As a parent, I only wish toilet training could happen as quickly as it did for Caillou!

I read Caillou, Potty Time to my two toilet training toddlers, and they loved it. For the rest of the day they told me they were just like Caillou every time they used the potty. They also lamented that their potty didn’t have little fish on it like Caillou’s, despite having one shaped like a turtle!

This is the first book in a set of two featuring Caillou’s toilet training progress. Both board books will be available together as a pack in July.

 

*I obtained this book as a digital copy from Netgalley. I did not receive any other remuneration, and this is an honest review composed entirely of my own opinions.

Jun11

Run, Pip, Run by J. C. Jones

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runpipcoverRun, Pip, Run by J. C. Jones, paperback novel, 193 pages, published by Allen & Unwin in 2015.

On Pip’s tenth birthday her pseudo-grandfather, Sully, has a stroke and is taken to hospital by ambulance. As Pip has no other family, the police insist that they find her a place to stay while Sully is recovering. Pip is determined not to go to the ‘welfare’ people, so she gives them the slip and sets out on a big adventure that includes disguises, hiding, a psychic cat, a scruffy dog and a friendly but persistent cop on her tail.

A wonderful tale of courage, loyalty and adventure. I really got into this story, and ended up reading it all in one day. The plot moved along quickly, and I found myself completely immersed in Pip’s plight.

I loved the Australian idioms and slang scattered through the story, and Pip’s explanation of them. We use these terms in everyday speech, but they are not often translated into our literature. It made me feel very connected to the story.

I thought Pip was a particularly realistic character. She had been brought up by a grandfather figure with little money and was exposed to gambling and drinking at a young age. It seemed unusual to me that a ten year old would be studying the racing form, but it makes sense with Pip’s background. She may have been savvy with the horses, but she was typically ten in other ways! Misunderstanding the type of rehab that Sully would need, and not wanting to get her teacher in trouble, as well as managing to pick up a stray dog! She was also indignant when the papers reported her as being only nine, which made me smile. She was resourceful and full of determination, a very strong character. Matilda was also a good character. She could have easily given Pip up when she discovered her living in an empty house in her street, but she kept Pip’s secret and helped her, like a good friend should.

Matilda’s cat was an interesting addition to the cast. She helped Pip when she needed it the most, but otherwise remained rather aloof in typical cat fashion. Her psychic abilities were quite useful to Pip. I wouldn’t mind a cat like this, especially if she could help me locate my lost keys, phone, glasses, book…

Run, Pip, Run is suitable for middle primary through to lower high school students. It is a fantastic and enjoyable story, great for a range of young readers. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

* Run, Pip, Run is shortlisted for the 2016 Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year in the Younger Readers category.

 

 

Jun10

Me and My Cat by Michael Dahl and Zoe Persico

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mecatcoverMe and My Cat by Michael Dahl and Zoe Persico, picture e-book, 24 pages, expected publication by Capstone Young Readers August 1st 2016.

Cats like to have fun, and kids like to have fun, but sometimes that fun is not always the same! Learn how to have a wonderful friendship with your cat that makes both of you happy.

I liked this cute picture book which contains some great advice for young cat owners. It is a gentle story that explains that while it is great to have fun with your cat, there are some things that your cat would prefer not to do, such as swimming. There is a page at the end of the book that provides specific advice on how to treat your pet cat.

The illustrations are very cute, and appealed to my toddlers. I like it when her cat is sitting on her head while she’s in bed and when they are mountain climbing. The text does not overlay the pictures, and it is clear and easy to read. The language is simple, making it possible for younger readers to enjoy.

Me and My Cat is suitable for toddlers through to lower primary school children. It would make an excellent present for a young child just getting their first cat or kitten.

 

*I obtained this book as a digital copy from Netgalley. I did not receive any other remuneration, and this is an honest review composed entirely of my own opinions.

 

Jun9

Diary of Anna the Girl Witch by Max Candee

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diaryannacoverDiary of Anna the Girl Witch by Max Candee and illustrated by Raquel Barros, e-book, 117 pages, published by Helvetic House in 2016.

Anna Sophia has lived in an orphanage since she was six. Her early years were spent in the care of Uncle Misha in the wilds of Serbia but she knows nothing about her birth parents or her family. On the night of Anna’s thirteenth birthday she is given some small clues about her heritage, including a carved hand that can come alive! Oh, and she’s a witch with developing powers that she must learn to control. Learning about herself is not the only thing on Anna’s mind though, her best friend was adopted by a rich couple nearby, and now she is acting very strangely. Anna decides to get to the bottom of things, but she may be facing more danger than she could have imagined!

I was captivated by this story from the first couple of chapters. The plot was interesting, engaging and flowed smoothly. I knocked it over quite quickly, enjoying the action and magic. The story was a little dark, but very good. It was short enough not to be intimidating for younger readers, but due to the themes of child slavery and kidnap, it may suit more mature readers, or require some adult guidance. I think it would best suit upper primary school and lower high school students.

I was surprised by the lack of surprise and fear form Anna’s friends when some of her powers were displayed. Instead of being scared or awed, Jean-Sebastien just thought it made her kind of cool in a weird way. I don’t think that’s the sort of reaction that most people would make on discovering their friend can perform magic.

There were some illustrations throughout the book. These were done as mostly black and white line drawings, with just a small part of each picture coloured. This really drew the eye to the coloured object, emphasising it. I liked this touch.

Anna was an interesting character. Each chapter began with a diary entry written by Anna, and then the story was continued from Anna’a first person perspective. I felt like I got to know her better with the addition of the diary entries. She was kind and protective of her friends, and I liked her. She developed much more awareness of herself through the story, learning about her past and about her capabilities. She also learns an important lesson about remaining kind and good, and not letting revenge or malice cloud her heart. This is a lesson we can all take on board.

Squire, the animated hand, was a little creepy! Who enchants a carved fist? He was very helpful for Anna though, and I’m sure he makes a good companion for a witch. He’s much easier to hide than a cat or a toad. I was glad he couldn’t talk though, that would have taken it too far!

Diary of Anna the Girl Witch finishes with and ending designed to lead onto a sequel. I was left wanting to read the next book soon; it promises to be an exciting series.

 

*I obtained this book as a digital copy from Netgalley. I did not receive any other remuneration, and this is an honest review composed entirely of my own opinions.

Jun8

The Protected by Claire Zorn

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protectedcoverThe Protected by Claire Zorn, paperback novel, 254 pages, published by University of Queensland Press in 2014.

Life for Hannah is far from normal. It’s only been a year since her sister died, her father was crippled and her mother disappeared into herself. Life was crap for Hannah even before Katie died. She was being severely bullied by the kids at school, harassed, assaulted, cyber-bullied. Having a dead sister has stopped the bullying, but her wounds will take a long time to heal. Her life is screwed up as she paddles the deep waters of grief and guilt and pain. Though her days are dark, some hope seeps into her life when new boy, Josh, takes an interest in her, and she begins to build a rapport with the school counsellor.

I loved Claire Zorn’s previous book, The Sky So Heavy, but I love The Protected even more. It was a heart-rending tale of loss and survival, of guilt and hope. Tears may have been spilt whilst reading… but there were hopeful smiles too. The plot was compelling and very realistic. I read it quickly and thought about it for quite a while after I’d finished.

After the accident, Hannah’s parents were broken. Her father was physically crippled from his injuries, and her mother fell into her grief and forgot to keep living. I can’t even begin to imagine the pain of losing a child, but they still had Hannah, and she needed them more than ever. They failed her. I can’t help thinking that Katie was their mother’s favourite, and because she couldn’t move forward, she almost lost both her daughters. What incredibly engulfing pain she must have been in to let Hannah down like this. I feel sad just thinking about it. This was a realistic insight into what the loss of a child can do to the family unit.

Hannah got under my skin, she kept me awake at night, she made me feel her pain, her guilt, her grief, her burden, her loneliness. And then from the depths she made me feel hope. I felt compassion for Hannah, but I also liked her. She was quiet and studious, but she was also full of strength. She was rather distrustful of Josh at first, but I liked the way that he persisted in getting to know her for her, irrespective of what the other kids thought.

I didn’t really like Katie. She seemed superficial, egotistical and selfish, but she probably would have grown past that had she survived her teenage years. Her relationship with Hannah might have had a chance to improve beyond high school, but during their teen years, Katie was pretty mean to Hannah. She was more concerned with her image than with how her sister was coping with school, with the fact that she had no friends, with the intense bullying. How does a sister watch that and not try to help? Hannah always lived in her sister’s shadow, and even in death Katie lingered over her.

The Protected is an incredible book that should be read by all Australian high school students. I thoroughly recommend it. I am excited to see what Claire Zorn produces next!

* The Protected was the winner of the 2015 Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year in the Older Readers category.

Jun7

The Cleo Stories: The Necklace and The Present by Libby Gleeson and Freya Blackwood

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cleo1coverThe Cleo Stories: The Necklace and The Present by Libby Gleeson and illustrated by Freya Blackwood, hardback chapter book, 57 pages, published by Allen & Unwin in 2014.

Cleo is an average six year old living with her parents, having fun with her friends and learning about her world. In the first story, several of her friends have pretty new necklaces, and she wants one too. In the second story, it is her mum’s birthday, and Cleo wants to get her a really great present.

This is the first book in The Cleo Stories series. It contains two fun short stories, and is illustrated throughout. The illustrations are very distinctive and just lovely. They feel soft and gentle, and complement the story well. The stories are simple yet engaging, which is brilliant for young readers.

Cleo is a sweet little girl. I like her imagination and her sense of style. I love that she often wears animal ear head bands, as it reminds me of my own little girl. I enjoyed reading about her everyday adventures, and so did my first grader. We already have the next Cleo book to read!

The Cleo Stories: The Necklace and The Present is suitable for preschool and lower primary school children. It is good for early independent readers, but is also lovely to share.

 

*The Cleo Stories: The Necklace and The Present was the winner of the 2015 Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year in the Young Readers category.

Jun5

The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires

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MMTcover copyThe Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires, picture e-book, published by Kids Can Press Ltd in 2014.

Along with her doggy side-kick a little girl plans and attempts to construct her vision. She measures, she cuts, she twists and she builds, but it’s just not right. She becomes frustrated and upset, how can she make it work?

This gorgeous picture book reminds me so much of my eldest daughter. Trying over and over to get something just right, and then quitting because she doesn’t think she’ll ever be good enough. It’s painful to watch a child go through that, and I wish this book had been around when my daughter was smaller. It shows that even when things aren’t perfect, they can still be magnificent!

One of my favourite parts of this book is when she hires an assistant and finds a place out of the way to get to work. It is amusing and so true to life. I also like the girl’s invention, and how is turns out in the end. It’s very sweet. Some of her off-casts were helpful to others too, which was nice.

The illustrations are grand as well. The little dog is so cute! I love the apparent simplicity of the pictures, but there is really quite a lot of detail in them. The pictures of the girl becoming upset and exploding reflects my own daughter’s tantrums when things don’t work the way she expected. It was like watching a cartoon version of something I’ve seen a thousand times!

Suitable for preschoolers through to lower and middle primary school children, The Most Magnificent Thing is a book worthy of any home or public library.

 

*I obtained this book as a digital copy from Netgalley. I did not receive any other remuneration, and this is an honest review composed entirely of my own opinions.

Jun5

My Dog Bigsy by Alison Lester

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mydogbigsycoverMy Dog Bigsy by Alison Lester, hardback picture book, published by Penguin Group in 2015.

Bigsy is an energetic dog that gets up early and runs about the farm visiting all of the animals and making a lot of noise.

My Dog Bigsy is one of my favourite Alison Lester books. It is a delightful and noisy romp about the farm. Bigsy disturbs the cockatoos, Squawk!, chases the sheep, Baa! and says hello to the cat, Flip! Flap! What a loud way to start the day! This is a great story to introduce and have fun with the sounds of different words. My toddlers particularly like it when Bigsy slurps his water and crunches his breakfast.

The illustrations on every page are simple, bold and cute. I like that the background grass and bedspread appear to have been made using some fabric. Bigsy is a pretty cute dog, though Patchy Pig and her piglets are my favourite with their mud splattered tummies.

My Dog Bigsy is suitable for toddlers, preschoolers and lower primary school children. It is best read out loud to make the most of all the sounds that can be heard on the farm.

 

* My Dog Bigsy is shortlisted for the 2016 Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year in the Early Childhood Book category.

 

Jun4

Bumbling Bea by Deborah Baldwin

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Bumbling Bea by Deborah Baldwin, fiction e-book, 124 pages, published in 2014.

In a last attempt to get in with the popular kids before high school starts, Beatrice auditions for the lead in the school play. She’s sure she’s a shoe-in, until a new Japanese student interrupts her plans. Michiko is actually a good actor, and suddenly Beatrice finds herself backstage instead of being the centre of the show. Her mean alter ego comes to the fore, with snarky and sarcastic comments, cruel pranks, and behaviour that just isn’t her. Can she overcome Bumbling Bea, befriend Michiko and keep Jerri and Peter on her side?

I liked this story. It reminded me of how awkward it can be growing up and it made me laugh! The theatre can be lots of fun for kids to get involved in, but sometimes it’s taken too seriously ending up with some rather crazy antics.

Bumbling Bea was a humourous story about the awkwardness of growing up. I think every child goes through a period of something similar to Beatrice as they try to discover themselves and their place in the world. Unfortunately for Beatrice, she has a hard time keeping her inner thoughts to herself, which results in her getting herself in all sorts of funny trouble.

The production of the play was very amusing, especially the inclusion of the red balls and the principal. I also laughed when Peter tried to help Bea with her prank against Michiko and it backfired, and when Beatrice tried to give her teacher a nice leaving present. Beatrice’s mum’s cooking sounded pretty atrocious too, but it amused me that her brother would name the meals according to which country’s flag it resembled.

There were a few areas in the story that didn’t flow neatly. I even thought I might have read a chapter out of order at one point, it was a little fragmented at times. I re-read a few bits, which helped me get things clearer. Otherwise, I thought the plot was interesting, and the characters realistic. Bea’s outbursts definitely reminded me of some snarky kids from my own school days! I would have liked to have seen a bit more of Jerri in the story, she is supposed to be Beatrice’s best friend, but it didn’t read quite that way.

Bumbling Bea is suitable for middle and upper primary school children to lower high school students. It is a good book for independent readers, especially those that like to laugh!

 

*I received this book as a digital copy from the author, who asked me for an honest review of this book. I did not receive any other remuneration, and the review is composed entirely of my own opinions.

 

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Jun4

My Adventure Island by Timothy Knapman and Sarah Warburton

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adventureislandcoverMy Adventure Island by Timothy Knapman and Sarah Warburton, paperback picture book, published by Scholastic Chidlren’s Books in 2012.

“Here on my island I do what I like.” A young boy tells of all the things he gets to do on his adventure island.

My Adventure Island is a beautiful story of imagination and creativity. With gorgeous, bright illustrations on every page, you can get lost in this world where anything can happen. You can play and climb and eat ice-cream, never go to bed or shower and you can even pick your nose! The picture of the boy and his friends picking their noses while poking our their tongues is one of our favourites! I love that there are robots, dinosaurs, and sock seaweed, but I like it best when the cat becomes a tiger for a knight.

The story is lyrical and the text clear. It is wonderful to share aloud, and my kids like it. They play games like this, pretending to be and do all sorts of things. The ending is very sweet too.

My Adventure Island is suitable for toddlers through to lower primary school children, and it is a very nice book to read aloud.