Deadly reads

Saltwater series. Magabala Books, 2012.
(Ages 3-5) Aboriginal themes, Readers, Warmly recommended. This series of four titles is aimed at indigenous and non indigenous children, with their short sentences, range of words and bright attractive illustrations. They are levelled so will be easily selected by teachers and parents. Written and illustrated by Aboriginal authors and artists, the stories are culturally sound and appropriate, with illustrations that clearly reflect our Aboriginal heritage. The words used have been specifically chosen to expand the child's vocabulary, increasing in complexity as the stories proceed.
Claws, eyes, flippers ill. by Dub Leffler (ISBN 978 1 921248 74 0
shows the similarities and differences between two animals, the crab and the turtle. Each has eyes, and these are quite different, and each have arms, but in one they are called claws and the other, flippers. In four short sentences, the similarities and differences between these two Australian coastal animals is shown, with clear, colourful illustrations that not only show where they live, but also how we might see them.
Animals move, ill. by Dub Leffler (ISBN 978 1 921248 75 7)
Four animals, a crab, dolphin, bird and fish are shown moving within their environment. Four short sentences give the name for their movement, and the illustrations show the animal in its environment and how we might see it.
A beach for us to play by Nola Turner-Jensen, ill. by Maggie Prewett
(ISBN 9781 921248 76 4)
The family on the beach shows the reader all the things they are doing on the beach, looking at shells, flying a kite, playing with a bucket, building a campfire to make damper, swimming and then fishing which results in a crab and a fish to cook and eat. Each of the things to do is shown with bright illustrations while the short sentences bring the story to a close with a shared meal. A happy sharing family using their environment to have fun and catch food.
I have ... by Nola Turner-Jensen, ill. by Maggie Stewett (ISBN 978 1 921248 77 1) Maggie shows us parts of her body (arms, legs and toes) and these are contrasted with those of animals she sees in her environment. When she says that she has arms, the turtle says he has flippers, so leading the reader into making sure that they have an understanding of the correct terms for the animal's appendages. The humour in the last page will not escape the reader's attention.
Fran Knight