Imagine... it's Christmas Eve and you're tucked up in your bed when something wakes you. It's Santa Claus leaving something special for you. What would you do?
Lie there quietly? Pretend you're still asleep? Or jump up and pepper him with questions like, "Did you read my letter?" "Did you wipe your shoes?" and make him choose between cats and dogs. Would you offer to play your recorder, follow him up the chimney and hitch a ride in his sleigh? Because that's what happens to the little girl in the story - she wakes up and there is Santa, right at the end of her bed!!!
While the text is written entirely in the little girl's incessant and numerous questions - and anyone with experience of a curious child demanding answers now, will hear her - the story is carried in the warm 'fuzzy' illustrations that hover between dream and reality so the reader is transported along on the adventure - because who wouldn't want to be - but left wondering if indeed, it really happened. Santa's expressions are many and one wonders if he is pleased to have company on his trip or if he wishes she had stayed at home - or maybe he is glad that she is such a chatterbox and he doesn't have to answer! .
We know little ones always have lots of questions, and they often from left-field or places that only a child's mind goes, so how much fun would it be to ask them what they would ask Santa if they found themselves in this little girl's situation. And then have them imagine what Santa's answers would be.
Stories like these not only reignite the excitement of Christmas that is building in our little people but also the joy in sharing stories with them as we are drawn into the magic and imagination.
Delightful.
Themes Santa Claus, Questions.
Barbara Braxton
Clementine's Christmas by Annie White
New Frontier, 2024. ISBN: 9781923145061. (Age:3+) Recommended.
Three wonderful romps with Clementine walking, having a bath, and finding a treasure have been published for younger audiences to much hilarity (Clementine’s walk, Clementine’s bath and Clementine’s treasure). A very large, energetic dog, Clementine loves her family and wants to help with their Christmas preparations. We meet the family putting up the Christmas tree, decorating the room and sitting the presents, already wrapped and named, under the tree. Granny sits in the background knitting while Clementine looks on. As the family takes the children upstairs to bed, Granny finds that she has lost her purple wool. Clementine helps Granny find it, wrapping everything with purple wool. Granny finds her ball of wool, and in picking it up joyously pulls over the tree and all the presents. Together they put back the tree and the decorations, while Granny puts the names onto the presents. All good fun, readers will love laughing along with the mayhem on each of the pages, predicting the rhyming word at the end of each four line stanza.
Kids will love predicting what might happen on Christmas Day after Granny and Clementine have put things back together again, and laugh with the family as each receives the present with their name on it.
The verses are accompanied by lovingly drawn illustrators, showing a close family getting ready for Christmas, the day when many families spend time together.
Young reader will love spotting all the accoutrements of Christmas shown in the illustrations.
Clementine will win lots of hearts, and the inappropriate presents received by family members will cause much mirth.
The teller of small fortunes by Julie Leong (Malaysian Chinese American fantasy author) is one of those rare books that plods along at the same rhythm and pace as Laohu the mule, who is a full on important character himself as he pulls the wagon with "Teller of small fortunes" painted on the side, accompanying our hero Tao in her constant travels from village to village. It is a tale of travel, small adventures and of friendship. It is a grown up version of the coming home stories of childhood. It is about leaving home, finding home and returning to home.
In this Euro/Asian rural, medieval fantasy world, our main character Tao is an immigrant. She is an outsider who is distinctly different in appearance and language to those who she meets on her travels. She is Shinn but she speaks Eshteran - the language of the world that she visits. Her..."foreign features - dark,hooded eyes;tawny skin;and black hair twisted up into a loose bun..." mark her as an outsider but she explains to suspicious villagers that she meets on the way that she comes from the faraway empire of Shinara as a humble traveller and teller of small fortunes. It is not apparent what Tao is escaping from but it seems that she has a power beyond what she is prepared to display and is in someway marked as special. Whether she is escaping danger or expectation from her past or a responsibility or acceptance of her true self is a question. She is solitary, lonely, defensive and bristly, keeping to herself until other travelling companions are thrust upon her. Together with Mash, an ex-mercenary, Silt, an ex-thief, Kina, a baker and a magical cat, Tao encounters danger and learns to trust and believe in family. Her past is chasing her and choices have to be made.
The teller of small fortunes is a refreshing read in its quietness and gentleness. There is fierce emotional content but it is tempered by Leong's warm, steadying authorial voice. The characters and their relationships with each other are slowly and carefully revealed and developed. There is no lack of humour to boot.
This is the outstanding prequel to R.A Spratt's bestselling series about the circus-performing pig who is also a brilliant nanny. Packed full of wit and vocabulary to die for, this delivers on all the levels that the original series is loved for. Beginning with her life as a young piglet in a teeny tiny sty along with thirteen identical fourteen-uplet sisters (and one black-sheep brother) we learn the intricate details of how she came to be a circus star and then eventually a nanny. Readers love the complete wackiness of these stories and this is no exception - there is a ringmaster who dishes out chocolate cupcakes laced with a sleeping tonic, a Russian bear who is the most spectacular ballet dancer and an elephant with an atrocious memory. R.A Spratt is wonderful at not writing down to her younger audience - she gives them everything, including complex jokes and references that make these books a delightful read for both children and adults. There is an entrance point for everyone and multiple levels of understanding that demonstrate just what a master of language she is. There is wonderful tragedy and unbelievable immorality, reminiscent of A Series of Unfortunate Events. At the end of the book is a glossary of her siblings, a translation of useful Russian phrases (for translating Boris) and a recipe for emergency chocolate muffins. Those already familiar with Nanny Piggins with adore this prequel, but it is also a wonderful introduction to her (and R.A Spratt) and will no doubt lead new readers to the rest of the series.
Themes Pigs, Circus, Humour.
Nicole Nelson
How plants talk by Helena Harastova and Linh Dao
Albatros, 2023. ISBN: 9788000068114. (Age:6+)
How Plants Talk is a beautifully illustrated board book for early primary school aged children. There is a touch of humour throughout as the plants communicate with each other as new situations arise such as a worm entering the root system, a caterpillar munching on leaves, travelling by night in a car, repotting and pruning, being fed nutrients, and finally settled and healthy in a flower shop. The clever use of speech bubbles draws the reader’s attention to the plants sharing their thoughts and the delightful illustrations are an added appeal as is the opportunity to ‘Life the Flap’. The highlighting of key concept words is helpful for the reader but the complexity of the text and information at times will need an older reader to explain in detail what is happening.
Themes Board Book, Lift the flap, Plants, Facts, Humour.
Kathryn Beilby
When Santa got stuck in a gum tree by Jackie Hosking. Illus. by Nathaniel Eckstrom
When Santa got stuck up the chimney, He began to shout. You girls and boys, won't get any toys, If you don't pull me out.
But what happens when Santa gets stuck in a gum tree?
He flew too low, and Ho! Ho! Ho! got snagged on the branch of a tree.
While the reindeer and sleigh land safely, there aren't any children to help out so how is he going to be rescued? Luckily, it's not long before a group of familiar Australian animals gather to help, and each has a go but it proves a task too hard. Bilby is too small, as was Wombat, but what about Emu? While Cockatoo flies off to fetch him, Koala is sure he can can help because he can climb but the tree is tall and there are gum leaves to eat... Even Kangaroo can't jump high enough...
Is Santa destined to stay stuck forever - or does Owl have a suggestion?
With its clever rhyming text and hilarious illustrations, this is a uniquely Australian story that is going to appeal to all ages, especially if they are invited to suggest solutions to Santa's problem or speculate on how the children will feel if there is nothing special under the tree in the morning because Santa is still stuck in the tree!
While our young ones are quite prepared to accept Christmas in its northern hemisphere guise of snow and ice, hot meals and stories around a blazing fire, and even Santa dressed in a warm furry suit (it does get cold at night despite the daytime temperature), stories that depict the Australian situation are always welcome and this one is one of the best - right up there with All I Want for Christmas is Rain and Christmas Always Comes.
Shout it out! Yoga therapy for emotional resilience by Loranine Rushton & Adele Vincent. Illus. by Andrew McIntosh
Little Steps, 2024. ISBN: 9781922833228. (Age:6+)
This book is for children who may be experiencing big feelings leading to frustration and responses to situations that may not be quite as they want. Jasmine is having one of those days where all is not going as well as expected. She tries very hard to change her way of responding and thinking and some important yoga poses and techniques are helping her to get through her day.
The long text is broken up by the use of larger font to emphasis key words. The illustrations show images of Jasmine initiating the yoga poses and in the final pages are the individual poses clearly shown with supporting instructions.
This picture book may be a resource for all who struggle with negative feelings and the yoga may help contain or refocus their feelings.
Themes Big Feelings, Children, Yoga, Emotional Resilience.
Kathryn Beilby
The thirty-one legs of Vladimir Putin by PS Cottier and NG Hartland
This quirky little book will readily draw you in. It looks like a collection of short stories, with each chapter headed with a person’s name and a country; but these are not authors’ names, they are the names of 16 different Putin look-alikes, one of whom has only one leg. It is such a bizarre premise, inspired by news reports of Putin substitutes standing in, on occasion, for the Russian president when he has more important business to attend to. Yes, one of the Putins has only one leg!
Each Putin substitute waits, on the ready, for the time when he will required to assume his post, appreciating the regular stipend in the meantime, and sometimes even running a side business exploiting his fortuitous resemblance. Or maybe it is not so fortuitous, as some come to realise; perhaps there are unknown persons ready to attack the president; certainly there are those ready to vent abuse at him in local encounters.
The idea of these men waiting their time, in different places around the world, but waiting in vain for an event that never comes, reminded me of the absurdism of ‘Waiting for Godot’. This little novella, for all its apparent simplicity, explores similar themes of identity, purpose, and meaning of life. As one continues to read, the stories do connect in an overall story arc, with the characters in the first two stories also bookending the last, and the reader recalls elements of story that recur. It’s clever and fun and will leave you thinking about it all afterwards.
The two authors seem to meld together; it’s not possible to distinguish one voice from another. It’s a truly collaborative effort. The originality of the idea and the competence of its execution have made it a worthy winner of the 2024 20/40 prize presented by Finlay Lloyd Publishers, alongside the non-fiction Tremor by Sonya Voumard. Past winners of this prize have also been excellent; see Ravenous girls by Rebecca Burton and Ladies’ rest and writing room by Kim Kelly. The books are all beautifully presented with intriguing covers and inside book flaps to hold your place. Any of them would make a perfect Christmas present for a book lover.
Themes Identity, Body double, Fake, Vladimir Putin.
Helen Eddy
18,000 holes in the universe: Snack attack by Adam Wallace, Lisa Foley and James Hart
18,000 Holes in the Universe: Snack Attack is an energetic and imaginative story that combines adventure, humour, and just enough chaos to be healthy. Creatively written by Adam Wallace and Lisa Foley, and brought to life through James Hart’s vibrant illustrations, this book follows the fearless GOLF Squad - a group of resourceful kids - as they tee off into another wild and wacky adventure.
This time, the stakes are even higher as the squad dives into Snack Attack World, a deliciously dangerous land filled with larger-than-life snacks. Readers will be captivated by the surreal setting, featuring giant pizza slices, gooey melting marshmallows, and even an erupting volcano of popcorn. The quirky, food-themed obstacles add both comedy and suspense, making every twist in the story unpredictable and exciting.
The heart of the story centres on the kids’ mission to rescue their beloved Grandpa Galileo, who’s trapped in this zany golf universe. Adding to the tension is Grandpa’s brother, Great Uncle Goof, whose villainous plans to demolish the land threaten everything. Armed with their magical golf club - a versatile and imaginative tool that can morph into whatever they need - the GOLF Squad must work together, think creatively, and act courageously to save the day before time runs out.
Perfect for readers aged 7-12, 18,000 Holes in the Universe: Snack Attack is a fantastic pick for kids who love fast-paced action, offbeat humour, and imaginative escapades. It’s a celebration of creativity, teamwork, and perseverance, with just the right mix of silliness and excitement to keep readers turning the pages. Fans of adventure stories, crazy worlds, and snack-filled chaos won’t want to miss this delightful journey!
Themes Themes: Humour, Golf, Friendship, Adventure, Teamwork, Problem solving.
Michelle O'Connell
The too-tall tales of Alma T. Best: Out of bounds by Katherine Collette
When you're 12 years old and 6 foot tall, people ask the most annoying questions. The Number One Most Annoying Question according to Alma T. Best is, 'Do you play basketball?'
Uh, no. She hates basketball.
Alma lives in Shellsville, a town known for its sewage treatment plant and their basketball team.All her friends are looking forward to moving to Point Elizabeth High School, but Alma has won a scholarship to Holy Grace, an all-girls college that is also the biggest rival of the Basketball team.
When Alma arrives at the new school with the size 11 runners her mum purchased that do not fit in, rather than admit to living in Shellsville she makes up a story about living on a Peach farm far away from the sewage plant.What ensues is a true testament to the fact that one small lie can have long reaching consequences.
During a project to create a fundraiser for a Mother’s Day stall, her group decides to sell peach jam and Alma must produce the peaches.Rather than coming clean, Alma perpetuates the lie with theft, and more lies including failing to tell her family that she is on the basketball team.Alma is a smart, resourceful and well-read student but her need to continually make up stories and add to her lies impacts her whole life until she is caught out and must come clean.
The story is about fitting in, friendships and lengths one will go to fit in and be included but the constant lies and theft and the fact that in the end Alma really faces very few consequences and all is forgiven feels too neat and easy.This is a book that will appeal to readers who like Dork Diaries, BSC and other friendship stories, the inclusion of basketball will also appeal to the more sport orientated readers, however it isn’t one that would be one I would reach for due to the lack of consequences for Alma.The story was enjoyable, and I am looing forward to the next book in the series to see if Alma has learnt her lesson.
While it wouldn’t be a book I would reach for I do think that it will gain popularity in the school library and is one that is worth having, especially as it would lead to conversations about the consequences of lying and theft.
Themes Friendship, Sport, Lies, Family, Humour.
Mhairi Alcorn
Augustin and the hot air balloon by David Metzenthen
Ford Street Publishing, 2022. ISBN: 9781925804966. (Age:10+) Highly recommended.
Augustin is a poor boy who lives in a barn. Celine is a rich girl who lives in a mighty palace. Together they escape into the sky . . . Only to land in a world of terrible trouble and dangerous secrets!
Augustin is an 11-year-old goatherder who is worried about starving to death during the coming winter, and when he sees the Montgolfier Brother’s hot air balloon ready to fly he decides to become the first person to be in the basket. He hopes to land far away in a warm country with plenty of food and achieve fame as the first person to make that type of flight.
Little does he know that another child has the same thought and is none to pleased to find him along for the journey. Celine lives in the palace with Marie Antoinette as her mother’s close friend. As the journey continues the two become unlikely friends as they use their life skills and unique understanding of their corner of the world to survive.
I first read this two years ago and reread it to complete the review, both times I have been engaged in the story and the history embedded in both the story and the chapter headings. This is a history novel, told from the perspective of children living in very different circumstances but is so much more than that, it is an adventure story about unexpected friendships interwoven with historic fact.
This is a book that would appeal to young readers who enjoy historical novels, adventure stories or just want a fun read about two children. It would work as a read aloud or class novel just as well as an independent read. I would highly recommend this book to teachers and students alike. Teacher's notes are available.
Themes Friendship, History, Adventure, French Revolution.
Mhairi Alcorn
Why your parents are hung-up on your phone and what to do about it by Dean Burnett
Penguin, 2024. ISBN: 9780241679593. (Age:11-16)
Neuroscientist Dean Burnett has attempted to provide a fair and honest account for both adults and teenagers in the use and/or overuse of mobile phones. This reasonably weighty paperback is not for the faint-hearted but for those parents/carers/educators and their teenage children to read together.
The text is highly accessible and uses a questioning technique throughout, graphic images, bold headings, speech bubbles plus ample white space. The contents page begins with some basics about the book beginning with information about the author, what the book is about and how to get started.
The chapters include ‘Are phones bad for your health?’, ‘Back in my day, we didn’t have phones’ which may not be quite true for teenagers and their parents these days, ‘Who are you talking to?’, ‘You shouldn’t be looking at that, ‘No Phones in class!’ and ‘Mobile Hotspots’. Within these chapters, consideration is given to such points as the social side of phone use, misinformation, the use of a phone as a listening tool to help focus, instantaneous communication between children and parents as well as the unfortunate and disturbing phenomena of cyberbullying. In the final pages are acknowledgements, resources and an index.
This book may be a beneficial addition to a secondary school or home library but would certainly benefit from a shared read and discussion between a trusted adult and teenager.
Themes Mobile phones, Parents, Teenagers, Screentime.
Kathryn Beilby
(Be smart about) Screen time by Rachel Brian
Little Brown, 2024. ISBN: 9780316575546. (Age:6-10) Mobile phones, Online Safety, Technology, Devices.
Rachel Brian, the creator of Consent (for Kids!) has written another book for children, this time providing advice for younger users of screen time. This graphic-style non-fiction book is presented with eight short chapters in large blue and black accessible text with speech bubbles, bold headings, humorous characters and graphic organisers for visual guidance. Marble the cat also has wise sayings spread throughout.
For young children the excitement of more freedom on screen time sometimes overrides the potential problems that may occur. This book explains many concepts of screen time in simple language including the dangers of trolls, bots, bullies, violence, misinformation and inappropriate images. The book also shares the enjoyable social side on screen time as well connecting with safe people. There is an emphasis on setting boundaries and staying safe.
(Be Smart About) Screen Time! is a worthwhile read between a trusted adult and child. It gives important information about a world of technology that can be quite daunting for inexperienced users.
Themes Mobile phones, Online Safety, Technology, Devices.
Kathryn Beilby
The songbirds of Florence by Olivia Spooner
Hachette, 2024. ISBN: 9781869715144. (Age:16+ - Adult) Recommended - for lovers of wartime romance.
If you love war-based stories involving the participation of women in conflict, this is for you. For many New Zealand servicemen the conflict and pain of serving in Egypt and Europe during the Second World was far removed from their lives in New Zealand. For some there was no return. For the women who volunteered to provide a supportive role in the WAAC there were many times when they wondered what they had done. Nicknamed the Tuis (after a New Zealand songbird), they were often serving in roles to provide emotional and practical support to soldiers when they were away from the frontline. For Margot her service enabled her to be more than a wartime widow and to eventually explore freedom and new love, and for Addy it was a chance to allow her personality to flourish and to be adored. But their service in wartime was not easy or removed from the anguish of war. Their friendship though was a powerful glue that enabled them to stay whole when everything around them was falling apart.
With more than a hint of the horrors of war as well as the romantic ups and downs of life for service personnel, this is also a war story that demonstrates the impact of the struggles for New Zealanders in wartime (removed from their service in combination with Australian service personnel) and also for the women who served in support roles. This romance and war service saga also details how the war shaped women’s independence and their changing roles in society. It also demonstrates the rocky path to romance during wartime conflict. This is a book for romance novel devotees, but with a wartime setting. It is relatively gentle in its approach and the horrible experiences of war are mostly a backdrop and not as confronting as some war-based fiction.
Themes World War II - New Zealand service, historical fiction, romance, WAAC (Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps), World War II - Egypt, World War II - Italy.
Carolyn Hull
The hullabaloo about elephant poo by Dee White & Christopher Nielsen
This story, sure to attract lots of attention with twin themes of elephants and poo, bolstered by its pages of laugh out loud illustrations, will be one that children ask to be read over and over again. Wonderful cheeky rhymes will entice readers to predict the rhyming words and repeat the verses with the reader.
And to be able to talk about bottoms and behinds and poo will strike a chord with all readers. Surprisingly elephant poo has a number of uses. Cleaned and separated, small nuggets can be ground for coffee, while it can be mulched for the garden, and prepared, can be used to make paper, while burning some of it is a good mozzie repellant, concluding that;
There’s really no need for the hullabaloo Elephants are awesome and so is their poo.
Lots of wonderful alliterations will entice the reader to look at all the images of bottoms in the story while watching the uses the poo is used for and kids will be enchanted with the bright images before them, showing the elephant in a pile of different poses. An elephant on the loo will cause much hilarity, prompting children to think of elephants in other unusual places, not necessarily having a poo. And readers will love the use the pairs of words for themselves, adding more as they read.
Great fun for the readers and the listeners, Hullabaloo about elephant poo is a verse story to read often, remarking on all the uses the poo can be made for, while examining the meaning of the word hullabaloo, and listening to all the different words used for behind. Lots of elephants inhabit the first endpaper while the last gives children a snakes and ladders game to play. Teacher's notes are available.
