Tag Archives: animals

Mar18

Tabby, Tabby, Burning Bright by Emily Martha Sorensen

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TabbyTabbyBurningBrightCoverTabby, Tabby, Burning Bright by Emily Martha Sorensen, e-book picture book, 27 pages, published in 2016.

The tabby cat has swallowed a flashlight, and everywhere he goes, he emits a yellow glow from his mouth. He uses his newfound ability to his advantage, as a distraction and for fun. How did he get the flashlight to start with?

Tabby, Tabby, Burning Bright is a silly rhyming story that made me chuckle. Each page has just one line of text with a cute illustration. I liked the way the cat was drawn, and the picture of Mum chasing him with a broom was funny. Whilst the story is reasonably short, some of the words were difficult for young children, such as ‘ire’ and ‘conceit’, but it didn’t reduce the enjoyment we got from this book. I just prepared for my first grader to ask for their meaning. My sons loved this story, asking me to read it again and again!

Suitable for lower primary school students and preschoolers, it is a good one to read aloud, and listen to the rhythmic flow of the text.

 

*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.

Mar15

The Land Without Color by Benjamin Ellefson

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landwithoutcolorcoverThe Land Without Color by Benjamin Ellefson and illustrated by Kevin Cannon, paperback, 168 pages, published by Beaver’s Pond Press in 2015.

For his birthday, Alvin is given a special pocketknife, which comes in very handy when he finds himself transported to another world. The Kingdom of Color does not live up to its name; when Alvin arrives, the colour has been leached from the land and its inhabitants. With his new friends, Permy the squirrel and Ronaldo the mouse, Alvin sets about discovering the cause of the colour loss and how to recover it.

A fantastical adventure with dragons, goblins, man-eating plants, talking animals and free ice-cream and candy for all! The Land Without Color is a wonderful lollop through a magical world that will appeal to a wide range of children. It is well written with good description and some black and white illustrations scattered through the book. Character development was really good, and I got to know Alvin as I followed on his adventure. Though only twelve, he is brave and compassionate with a well developed sense of right and wrong. I liked him a lot, however, Permy was definitely my favourite. The dragon with two heads was an interesting creature, long necks and a giant coiled body. I liked that one head was blue and the other red, and the blue one could breath ice cream instead of fire. That’s a pretty nifty trick!

Junk food is extremely bad for the residents of the Kingdom of Color, as it is the conduit for the colour loss. It also results in a loss of energy and drive, whereas eating vegetables and fruit gives the people back their colour and energy. The message was clear; “Eat Your Vegetables!” I liked this as a theme, and I thought it was well executed. At first the message was subtle, but it became quite strong by the end, and was reinforced through the story. I hope it works to help kids eat veges and fruit!

The Land Without Color is suitable for middle and upper primary school students. Adults will most likely enjoy sharing this book with their child too, I did! This book is the start of a series, with the next book, The Great Sugar War, expected out in late 2016.

 

*I received this book 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.

Mar11

The Perfect Shade of Green by Brian Barlics

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perfectgreencover copyThe Perfect Shade of Green by Brian Barlics and illustrated by Gregory Burgess Jones, e-book, published by Black Rose Writing in 2014.

Cami is a chameleon who likes to stay green. Even when her friends change colour, she just wants to be herself, her green self. No need to change, because Cami is perfect just the way she is!

This is a delightful rhyming tale about being yourself, and making no excuses for it. Cami is a strong character that likes the way she is and wouldn’t change it for the world. I’m always encouraging my kids to be themselves, and this book was a good starting point for a conservation about being ourselves and being proud of ourselves.

Each page is filled with gorgeous illustrations. My children loved pointing out the ‘hidden’ chameleons, and they liked that Cami was wearing a pink, frilly skirt. I love the rainbow chameleon!

The Perfect Shade of Green is a beautiful picture book suitable for preschoolers and lower primary school children. The lyrical text definitely lends itself to being read aloud, so it is also a great book to share with youngsters.

Feb17

Elphie and Dad go on an Epic Adventure by Hagit R Oron and Or Oron

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elphieElphie and Dad go on an Epic Adventure by Hagit R Oron and Or Oron, e-book, 25 pages, published in 2016.

Dad needs to go to the shop to get some milk, but Elphie doesn’t want to go. To make the trip more fun, they pretend that it is an epic adventure.

This is a simple story of turning an ordinary chore into something exciting. Considering he was the one to suggest the epic adventure, Dad was way too cautious on the journey. Elphie wasn’t allowed to do much, which resulted in him becoming bored and doing something actually dangerous. I suppose this is a lesson for parents to give their kids some space to be kids. Foster their imaginations, and let them take ‘safe’ risks. Once Dad gets into the adventure, they both have a lot more fun!

The illustrations are simple line drawings in colour. They are also clear, which is great for young children. However, I just don’t understand why Dad and Elpie have no shirts on. Dad is wearing a tie, and Elphie has a cape, but no shirts. The female elephants are wearing shirts, but not the males. This felt wrong to me. My kids also asked why Elphie and his Dad weren’t fully dressed.

Elphie and Dad go on an Epic Adventure is suitable for lower primary school children and preschoolers.

 

*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.

Jan5

Dr Hedgehog and the Post Box Rescue by Jerry Mushin

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IMG_6058Dr Hedgehog and the Post Box Rescue by Jerry Mushin, paperback picture book, published by Sweet Cherry Publishing in 2014.

Martin Mouse has disappeared again. His mum is very worried, so she calls Dr Hedgehog to help search for Martin.

This simple picture book is part of a series covering the mishaps of Martin Mouse and his saviour, Dr Hedgehog. Each book is able to be read independently of the other books in the series.

The plot is basic, the language simple and the text large, great for early readers to try. I read this book to my younger children, and they all seemed to enjoy the story. My eldest child, at eight, thought it was much too easy for her.

The illustrations are large and clear, though I wasn’t keen on the image of Dr Hedgehog. I normally find hedgehogs rather cute, but Dr Hedgehog is actually a little scary. Maybe it’s the spines coming through his doctor’s coat, or his grumpy expression throughout the book. Even when the rescue is complete and he can finally go home, he still doesn’t look happy. This kind of spoilt the book for me, though my kids didn’t seem to mind, and asked for a re-read.

Dr Hedgehog and the Post Box Rescue is suitable for preschoolers and children in lower primary school.

*I received  this book for free through Goodreads First Reads Giveaways.

Dec2

The Cow Tripped Over the Moon by Tony Wilson and Laura Wood

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IMG_6057The Cow Tripped Over the Moon by Tony Wilson and illustrated by Laura Wood, paperback picture book, published by Scholastic Australia in 2015.

Everyone knows the rhyme ‘Hey Diddle Diddle’, it has been a popular nursery rhyme for many years. The cow in the rhyme gets to jump over the moon, which is quite an impressive feat, and must have taken a lot of practice to perfect. In The Cow Tripped Over the Moon, the cow is on her training journey to make it over the moon. There are many attempts with trips, mis-jumps and wrong turns, but surely she must get it right in the end?

I had never considered the effort the cow must have put in to be able to jump over the moon, but I’m so glad that this author did. This book is hilarious! All my kids love it, and I love reading it to them. When the dog laughs so hard that he pukes, I thought my kids might do the same! The cow getting stuck in a sand dune was pretty funny.

The lyrical text just rolls off the tongue, and is complemented by humourous illustrations on every page. The cow even gets to wear sweatpants and a sweatband for her training! The text is clear and simple, making it easy for young readers to read on their own.

The Cow Tripped Over the Moon is a fantastic book for reading aloud. Though suitable for children from toddlers through primary school, it is especially good for preschoolers and lower primary school children. My kindergartner likes reading this one independently too.

 

* The Cow Tripped Over the Moon is shortlisted for the 2016 Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year in the Early Childhood category.

Nov29

Little Jakey’s House by Richard Edgley

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IMG_6039Little Jakey’s House by Richard Edgley and illustrated by Kalpart, paperback picture book, 28 pages, published by Strategic Book Publishing and Rights Co. in 2014.

Little Jakey’s House is the first book in the Little Jakey series, which follows a small black panther called Jacob. In this book Jakey has started out on an adventure and is looking for a home of his own. He looks in bushes and trees until he finds just the right place for him, with protection from the rain and wind, and a place for a cosy bed.

This is a simple and engaging story with beautiful full-page illustrations. There is a lot of detail in the illustrations; they really capture what is happening in the tale. Little Jakey is very cute! Quite a lovable character actually, and perfect for kids.

The layout of Little Jakey’s House was good for my kindergartner, as there was plain black text on one page, while the opposite page was filled with an illustration. She found this made the book very easy to read because it was so clear. It was also at a good level for her to read herself, just a few words she wasn’t sure of. She really enjoyed reading about Jakey finding his house, and is keen for more Little Jakey stories.

I also sat down and read this to my toddlers. Throughout the story they kept pointing to Jakey and saying “meow”! They seemed to enjoy it quite a lot, but got a bit fidgety towards the end. I think it was maybe a little long for them at the moment. T1 still asked me to read it to him again later though.

Most suitable for preschoolers and lower primary school students, Little Jakey’s House is a promising start to a new series. Myself and my kids are looking forward to the next title, Little Jakey Goes Swimming, which is coming out soon.

 

*I received this book 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.

 

Nov13

Aussie Christmas Books for Children

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With Christmas only six weeks away, it was time to pull out some of our Christmas books. We have a pretty good selection of Christmas themed books and I wanted to share some of the Australian ones here.

IMG_3000Our absolute favourite Christmas book, What Does Santa do When it’s not Christmas? is by Australian author and illustrator Heath McKenzie. It is a perfect picture book for sharing aloud and is sure to make you laugh!

IMG_5824Other humourous rhyming books for an Aussie Christmas include There Was an Old Bloke who Swallowed a Present and There was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Star, both by P. Crumble and Louis Shea. With hilarious illustrations and a familiar cadence, these are great for young children.

IMG_5827For some Christmas carols with an Aussie twist Colin Buchanan has it covered with Santa Koala (to the tune of Waltzing Matilda), Aussie Jingle Bells and The Twelve Days of Aussie Christmas. The latter also has a list of things to spot in the pictures throughout the book. Fair Dinkum Aussie Christmas is a collection of songs by Bucko & Champs which can be sung to the tunes of some traditional carols. Possibly the most popular Australian Christmas song is Six White Boomers by Rolf Harris and Bruce Whatley; it is certainly our favourite! We also like The Twelve Cats of Christmas by Kevin Whitlark. If you’re more of a dog lover, you may prefer The Twelve Dogs of Christmas!

IMG_5829IMG_5833It wouldn’t be Christmas without reading An Aussie Night Before Christmas on Christmas Eve! I love the idea of Santa arriving in an old ute.

Fans of Diary of a Wombat won’t be able to pass Christmas Wombat by Jackie French and Bruce Whatley. That wombat sure does like carrots!

IMG_5830We have a picture book called Santa is Coming to Sydney. Santa takes the whole night to make his special deliveries to Sydney children before flying home… it’s probably nice for kids in Sydney to read about Santa coming to their city, but my kids weren’t really impressed, as it made it seem like Santa would only be visiting Sydney. I do like that Santa uses Santa-Nav to get around though.

IMG_5836If you’re looking for something to keep the kids entertained, you might like to try Where’s Santa? In Australia by Louis Shea. There are literally hundreds of things to spot in this Where’s Wally?-esque book. The humourous illustrations will keep the kids busy for hours!

We also enjoyed The Australian Twelve Days of Christmas by Michael Salmon (my favourite version), Tea and Sugar Christmas by Jane Jolly and Robert Ingpen, and Christmas in Australia by John Williamson and Mitch Vane. We borrowed these ones from the library.

What Aussie Christmas books do you like to read with your kids?

 

 

Nov11

Pin the Tentacle on the Octopus

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We made our own version of Pin the Tail on the Donkey for our beach themed party; Pin the Tentacle on the Octopus!

Using a piece of scrap cardboard, I painted an octopus with only seven tentacles. I gave her a lovely big smile, and A thought she should have a little crown too. We used some glittery paint for extra effect.

IMG_5641

Streamer tentacles.

While the octopus was drying we cut some lengths of crepe paper streamers up in various colours to use as the missing tentacle. Each child could choose one, and using a piece of blu-tack on the back of the streamer, stick it to the octopus picture during the game.

I’m sure most of you have played a version of this game at some point, but if not, it is played like this; each child stands in front of the picture, is then blind-folded and spun around gently three times before trying to stick or pin the tail/tentacle onto the picture. The child that gets their tentacle closest to where it’s meant to be is the winner. A scarf tied around the child’s eyes can suffice for a blindfold.

Example of where to place the tentacle.

Example of where to place the tentacle.

This is a fun game for younger children and can be done with as many players as there are available tentacles (or tails).

 

Sep20

Nobody’s Story: The Golden Locket by Stephanie Mayor

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GoldenLocketcover copyNobody’s Story: The Golden Locket by Stephanie Mayor, e-book, 220 pages, published by This Story is Mine Publishing in 2014.

Stephanie finds herself alone in the world when her parents mysteriously disappear. Her only companion is her cat, Angel. Whilst holding a golden locket that belonged to her mother, she accidentally pops open the clasp, and the locket transports her and Angel into a very different world to the one they were living in. This beautiful new world is called Metilia, and is a land of kingdoms, castles, princes and talking animals. Stephanie and Angel embark on the most exciting of journeys, traversing the seas with Prince Aidian to the Silver Isles. They encounter diverse vegetation, an evil presence, a dragon and some terrifying man-eating sea creatures. They also take on the nasty Familians, the people of another Kingdom who enjoy plundering, hurting and killing to get what they want.

I loved The Golden Locket right from the start. It captured my imagination and reminded me of the fantastical adventures I dreamt of having as a child. Such wonderful adventures, discoveries, and animals that can talk! The story is written with such detail, the land and the characters came to life as I read. The scenery was divine, the characters interesting, and the travels exciting. Though if I were travelling through Metilia, I might prefer to avoid some of the nastier creatures such as dirwins! I liked that we were introduced to some of the history and legends of Metilia, Camtra and Famila during the book. The story also contained some romantic elements, but it wasn’t overly soppy or forced. Romantic notions within the story were fairytale-esque with nothing explicit, good for younger readers.

Angel is such a sassy cat. She is feisty, rude and opinionated, but also brave and loyal. Dedicated to protecting Stephanie, she also comes across as over-protective and paranoid, but I liked her a lot. She has such a huge personality, just as I imagine a cat would if they suddenly had the ability to talk. I really liked Stephanie as well. She is strong, intelligent and caring, with plenty of charm, whilst also being quietly spoken and gentle. She is often apologising for Angel’s brash nature, but she loves the cat dearly.

There were many other characters in the story, all of whom were well developed. Prince Aidian, as the main male character seemed to complement Stephanie well, they have similar values, though rather different pasts. He is sincere and generous to all those he meets, and he genuinely cares about Stephanie and her quest. Being a Prince, he is of course somewhat protective of her, but she still gets to be herself with him. I particularly enjoyed the banter between the animals and people, with many of the horse’s and Angel’s comments making me laugh. Muddle the donkey was a memorable character that added a little bit of absurdity to every situation.

The Golden Locket is suitable for children in middle to upper primary school and beyond. It should be especially appealing to fans of fantasy adventure. It is the first book in the Nobody’s Story series, and I am very much looking forward to the second book to see what adventures Stephanie and Angel have next.

 

*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.