Tag Archives: Koalas

Feb3

Dorrie – Tania McCartney

Posted on by
Standard

Harper Collins Australia

February 2023

  • ISBN: 9781460760109
  • ISBN 10: 1460760107
  • Imprint: HarperCollins AU/Angus & Robertson
  • List Price: 24.99 AUD

Well you know my high opinion of the hugely talented Tania McCartney with her stylish flair for presenting her young readers with inspirational and engaging narratives, which also incorporate factual tidbits of the most fascinating kind. I grew up reading Blinky Bill along with all the time-honoured Australian classics, but, to be honest, I’ve never known much about Dorothy Wall. Certainly, for example, not that her family called her Dorrie nor that she was such a keen creative in other ways beyond her writing and illustrating.

There is no doubt in my mind that Blinky Bill remains a great favourite with young readers, thanks to new interpretations, and of course the animated TV show, despite the age of the original stories. And, following on from that, in my experience, children love to find out more about real people so I am quite certain that your littles will delight in this charming account of Dorrie’s life – which was itself rather sad in many ways.

Tania’s skill in bringing her subjects to life is absolutely superlative, both in her writing and her illustrations. In this new addition to her already outstanding portfolio, I particularly love the colour palette Tania has chosen throughout, which subtly echoes the colours of the Australian landscape, along with embellishments of flora and fauna….. and also the cunning way she has inserted anachronistic icons into backgrounds to ensure that, despite Dorrie’s story being in a different time period, the location of the setting is unmistakable. (The insertion of the Blinky Bill commemorative stamp is also a gorgeous addition!) And how utterly fitting for the final full page illustration to be that of Blinky’s story proudly displayed at Angus & Robertson’s Sydney bookstore (when I was growing up in Sydney A&R was synonymous with books and most of my birthday and Christmas books were purchased there!), given that it was that well-known publishing house who first brought Blinky to his reading audience.

Those among you who fell in love with Mamie will equally embrace with joy this new addition to Tania’s catalogue of exquisite picture books.As always, I cannot recommend this highly enough – Tania’s work has my heart always. I am looking forward to a relief day with small peeps next week to share this, and also to seeing how many ‘Dorrie’s appear in 2023 Book Week Parades *grin*. Rush out and buy your copy now!

I put together a few simple activities with curriculum links to accompany Dorrie, for Tania. You can check them out here, and they are also linked on her blog here.

RIP Dorothy Wall
Jan17

Top Koala – Jackie French. Illustrated by Matt Shanks

Posted on by
Standard

y648 (4)

HarperCollins Australia

November 2011

ISBN: 9781460754818

ISBN 10: 1460754816

Imprint: HarperCollins – AU

List Price: 24.99 AUD

Following the huge success of Koala Bare this favourite furry friend returns with enough self-confidence to power the whole country!

I am top of every tree!

Top is always best to be.

With the terrible outcome of bushfires and the dire predicament of our native animals, particularly koalas there could be no better time to use a delightful picture book to focus attention on these amazing and threatened creatures.

Once again Jackie’s lively rhyming text is accompanied by the truly beautiful watercolour illustrations of Matt Shanks as readers follow Koala to the top of everything – whether its Uluru or Parliament House or the Big Pineapple. Children will once again be treated to exposure to some of our quirky Australian animals including that favourite – the quokka with loads of laughs along the way.

Whether you have a classroom topic of animals or Australia or simply to remind your kiddos of the need to protect our fauna,  this is superb way to introduce both and your audience will definitely be clamouring for re-reads!

Highly recommended for little readers from around 3 years upwards.

Aug12

That’s Not My Koala – Fiona Watt/Rachel Wells

Posted on by
Standard

y648 (1)


Harper Collins

July 2019

ISBN: 9781474945561

ISBN 10: 1474945562

Imprint: Usborne – GB

List Price: 14.99 AUD

Hurray for the 20th anniversary of one of the most delightful concept books for little ones ever!

Teeny people will love stroking the touchy-feely aspect of each page with the shiny claws, fuzzy tummy or soft paws.

Everyone who loves to read to babies and toddlers will want this in their basket of books and it’s guaranteed to be read and re-read many times. Luckily these sturdy board books have a very long life/chew/dribble span!

If you don’t have the original copy you will definitely want to acquire this one be it for kids or grandkids – or simply a beautiful little gift for a new little human in your circle.

Highly recommended for babies upwards! If only this blog had tactile additions!

Sep8

The Gum Family Finds a Home – Tania McCartney/Christina Booth

Posted on by
Standard

gumfamily

Publisher:   National Library of Australia
Edition:   1st Edition
ISBN:   9780642279255
Publication Date:   01 August 2018

 

Tania McCartney is not only one of my very favourite author/illustrators but also one of my favourite humans. This impossibly talented woman is clever, stylish, generous, beautiful inside and out and passionate about our unique country. It took a while for this review copy to get to me but oh how worth the wait it was! And as with Tania’s other books this one doesn’t go to our library shelves or some other worthy recipient but remains firmly in my own collection.

 

A sweet family of koalas live, as they would do, in a gum tree but their home is not without its problems. High winds, busy buzzy bees, no shelter from rain and more all make for a sometimes difficult living environment and like many other families this one thinks perhaps they might look for something more congenial and comfortable. With their koala caravan hitched up they follow their black noses around some of Australia’s most glorious geological wonders in search of a dream home. Along the way they see some of the most spectacular scenery in the world but when all is said and done, they realise that their own home is special – and with just a few modifications might suit them best after all.

 

What a perfectly wonderful way to introduce kidlets to our amazing landscapes (some of which Miss No-Longer-Small and I will be privileged to see next holidays! Excitement!). I am just a little sorry I didn’t receive it in time to use it with Year 2 this term – but what the hey there’s always next term to follow up on their classroom unit! Particularly as there is a wealth of information at the end of the book about the various locations this will prove not only entertaining but enlightening.

 

Tania, you and Christina, are a dream team – and this is just beautiful as well as informative. And oh my! The end papers are just truly divine!!!! (my kiddos at school find my obsession with endpapers highly amusing).

 

Watch the beautiful Tania share this gorgeous book here.

Nov19

Tim and Ed – Ursula Dubosarsky & Andrew Joyner

Posted on by
Standard

Penguin Australia

Published: 22/10/2014

Format: Hardback, 32 pages

RRP: $24.99

ISBN-13:9780670074631

 timanded

“Same ears, same eyes. Same feet, same head” Meet Tim and Ed – they are the same – but different.

These two adorable identical koala twins are so alike – and yet, like most twins, each have their own personality as well.  They do everything together and most of the time, their Dad seems to cope very well (although it appears he is bringing up this lively pair on his own).

After a particularly strenuous day with his bouncing offspring, Dad calls in reinforcements and Aunty Pim invites Ed for a sleepover. Just Ed?  Tim is just a little put out by this development – expressively illustrated by Andrew Joyner – but is consoled by the attraction of a night with just himself and Dad. So while Ed and Aunty Pim have fun together at her place, Dad and Tim do likewise – in different ways.

Though definitely a little strange to not have his mirror-image playmate with him, Tim soon adjusts to this unfamiliar situation – and is more than reconciled when the morning brings back Aunty Pim and Ed, along with the promise of ‘..Next time Tim can come instead!”

As usual, the deft writing of Ursula Dubosarsky gives young readers a humorous take on a sometimes daunting topic – small children’s growing independence, successfully removing the worries that some of them have when faced by such a situation.

Tim and Ed manage beautifully – I wonder how Dad felt? Perhaps a follow up could look at separation anxiety in parents? 😉

A very stylish cover, delightful endpapers, a romping fabulous text (especially for read-alouds!) and joyous illustrations.

Highly recommended for young readers from around 5 years up!

timed2