Tag Archives: Nicky Johnston

Mar14

Mama’s Chickens – Michelle Worthington & Nicky Johnston

Posted on by
Standard

EK Books

March 2023

ISBN: 9781922539458

RRP: $24.99

When the news about Bruce Willis’ aphasia condition first came out, my family and friends will attest to the fact that I was devastated – given that I freely admit, and have done for years, that he is my ‘Oh yeahhhhhh’ guy and always has been. But more than that, I was so terribly sorry that someone who has made his living with speaking/acting would be faced with such a loss. Now, with recent news we understand that his condition is frontal temporal dementia.

This has been a catalyst not only for this progressive disease to become wider known but for sharing to the general public that dementia is not just an ‘old people’ disease. When you get to my age, sadly you are well acquainted with the terrible-ness of dementia, with perhaps parents, older relatives and now even friends, but not so many people are aware that dementia is not confined to younger people. I know someone who, over a decade ago, was in her early 40s when she was diagnosed but, in general, it has not been so commonly known.

I’ve also been aware for some time that Michelle Worthington was diagnosed in 2021.In fact, when I heard the latest revelations about Bruce’s diagnosis, I thought – oh same as Michelle 😦 … [plus three other friends]. Since that time, her own mission became to share more information and understanding around this condition in younger people. And Michelle is one of our own – that is, she’s a Brisbane creator, whom I have met and admired for a long time. I know how immensely talented she is, and how passionate she is about sharing a love of reading and writing, encouraging learning and education, and working towards ensuring that all young people have the power to make changes in their lives.

Essentially this is a simple story. Mama is not keen on chickens but accepts them into her family life, and, of course, grows to love them. As time goes on, she doesn’t always remember the chookies’ names, or sometimes she gets cross with them but each knows the other is still there, and still loving, and will always do their best in caring.

It is a story of acceptance of disability in the sure knowledge that even when a loved one can’t always respond in the way we expect or are used to, we know they still love us and we love them.

Michelle is a remarkable woman whose example to us all is, that while misfortune comes upon many of us, it is our choice whether to crumble beneath it or rise above it. I have long had admiration for her talent and creativity as an award-winning author. Now I have the utmost regard for her as a strong, resilient woman who does her best to share valuable insight to others. It takes a special kind of courage to put aside your own feelings for the good of others. How fortunate are we to have one such in our local area who will do her best to share information, understanding and empathy with her young audience.

Of course, as with any picture book the illustrator’s sensitive interpretation of the content adds volumes and Nicky Johnston has done just that. Look for yourself at the clever juxtaposition of chooks/children as the story progresses and the gentle grace of the characters.

Michelle Worthington – you are one in a million.

Highly recommended for your readers – and discussions- from around Prep upwards.

teachers-notes__mamas-chickensDownload
Nov9

Jørn’s Magnificent Imagination – Coral Vass/Nicky Johnson

Posted on by
Standard

Exisle Publishing

EK Books

October 2022

ISBN: 9781922539144

RRP: $24.99

Last week I was in a Year 1 classroom for the day and this was my choice to share with them. As our pre-reading chat I invited the kiddos to suggest what it might be about after showing them the cover and the [gorgeous] endpapers. Art, artists, drawing were all very astute suggestions. Then I read them Utzon’s quote on the title page: “The architect’s gift to society is to bring joy to the people from the surroundings they create.” and invited their ideas about what an architect does. Most responded with a variation on the artist idea but one bright little button told us ‘An architect draws and designs buildings’ so he got an enthusiastic round of applause when I confirmed his definition.

As we read about the little boy, Jørn, and his experiments with shape, form and structure, we discussed the concept of imagination and ‘dreaming’ in the sense of the ‘what could be’. By the time we arrived at a grown up Jørn submitting his magnicent idea to a competition in Sydney, some of the more aware children were starting to put things together and certainly at the point where the magnificent building is under construction, there were many excited cries of ‘It’s the Sydney Opera House!’. Clever little cookies :-).

There was some very keen discussion following on who had been to Sydney and seen the Opera House but they were most entranced when I told them that my Dad had taken me there as a child (late 60s) onto the building site and we walked around checking it out and bringing home a piece of broken tile as a memento (WHS wasn’t a thing back then!).

We wrapped up our session by talking about the importance of imagination for creating a future that is going to be great, for improving on things as they are and how that’s not only building things but being custodians to protect things as well. I wish it had been my own class so that we could have done some follow up activities such as those suggested in the teaching notes.

Both the text and the illustrations in this charming picture book are perfectly pitched to deliver both a learning experience about an important episode of our national history, with the creation of one of the world’s most iconic buildings and this amazing ability we humans have to imagine. I congratulate both Coral and Nicky for producing such an exquisite factional narrative for our younger readers.

Highly recommended for readers from Prep to around Year 4.

Extensive teaching notes and activities available

Oct1

The Incredibly Busy Mind of Bowen Bartholomew Crisp – Paul Russell/Nicky Johnston

Posted on by
Standard

Exisle Publishing

Imprint: EK Books

ISBN: 9781925820881 

RRP: $24.99

Without doubt we (as educators) have all met a Bowen Bartholomew Crisp at some point and many of us will remember our first encounter with a neuro-diverse child before we were even fully aware of such diversity. And we also know, that these children are among our most memorable for their completely unique outlook on life and the sparky quirkiness they often display. And then there are those of us who have the daily joy of living with a child who is diverse, making our lives rich and full. 🙂

As a little boy and throughout his life, Bowen has had so much on his mind, and so very much he can share but sadly, does not always get the opportunity, as others are usually too impatient or short-sighted to value his different way of thinking. Thankfully his mum knows exactly what he needs to share his thoughts and know how much they are valued. It is not until he is grown up that Bowen’s special talent for thinking in a different way is able to burst forth resulting in amazing creativity. And as we well know, it is often just this way in real life. Thank goodness for diverse thinkers!

This is a beautifully realised picture book where text and illustrations mesh together perfectly to bring a sensitive portrayal of neuro-diverse children to younger readers. Clearly in a classroom setting we want our children to understand and embrace these differences but just as obviously this is so important for our own children in a home setting.

We can always depend on EK Books to bring us the books that celebrate differences and provide insight for young readers on a wide range of topics and as usualy, I highly recommend this delightful book to you for readers from around 5 years upwards.

Sep27

MoonFish  [Poems to make you & Think] – Harry Laing. Various Illustrators

Posted on by
Standard

moon-fish

Ford St Publishing

May 2019

9781925804256

RRP: $16.95

Sharing poetry with kiddos is one of my favourite things to do – and even the ones who kind of screw their noses up at first really get into it with the right selection. This will definitely be one of those and I know that many teachers will want to get their hands on it to add some pep to their poetry units.

Harry Laing has compiled a fabulous collection that is fun-filled with catchy rhythm and rhymes, chants, raps, word play, shape poems and more. The illustrators are a stellar cast of our best and brightest in the business, eighteen in all, making this a feast for the eye as well as the ear.

Whether it’s a yummy food poem about cheese or pizza or a city of chocolate or an introduction to some insect life like ants or termites or even a flea this has something to appeal to all children.

There will be many opportunities for kids to get up and use their hands or feet to clap to the beat and no doubt will quickly decide on their personal favourites.

If you are looking to give your poetry collection some updating or purely for the joy of it, this will make a valuable addition and is highly recommended for children from around 7 years upwards.

 

Shortlisted 2019 – Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year

Mar16

Animal Crackers

Posted on by
Standard

 

 

Now that the pile of review novels is finally getting to a stage that could be described as semi-tamed, it’s time to get stuck into plethora picture books. So here are some animal-focused ones to get into – because we all know that our little readers just love a great animal story and we love them because so often they send such positive messages.

flatcat

Flat Cat – Hiawyn Oram/Gwen Millard

Walker Books Australia

January 2019

ISBN: 9781406371543
Australian RRP: $24.99
New Zealand RRP: $27.99

“If you love something, set it free” – that was my first thought on reading this book. My second thought was the memory of buying my beloved Burmese cat, Possum, many years ago. I was determined that he would be an ‘inside’ cat but after two weeks of completely shredded flyscreens, I realised that was not in his nature and so he became an inside/outside cat and was my best friend for the eight years of his life.

Sophie loves Jimi-My-Jim and gives him everything you might think a cat could desire – toys, special food, sparkly collars, beds and even clothes. The one thing that Jimi-My-Jim is missing is freedom. He is never allowed outside and gradually he becomes ‘Flat Cat’ because he so morose at seeing the outside world only through a window. When one day by accident, Flat Cat manages to get hold of the front door keys, he is off and away and discovers a world full of other cats, life, excitement, joy and another very special cat – Blanche.  While at first the consequences prove to be difficult for both Flat Cat and Sophie, they are overcome and Flat Cat is able to pursue his new life – with the joy of the freedom plus the joy of being Sophie’s special friend.

This offers a serious point of discussion about when, if ever, it’s acceptable to reject the rules in place and certainly gives ‘helicopter’ parents an opportunity to examine their practices.

I certainly recommend it for young readers from around six years upwards – but would suggest that it could also be a valuable addition to parent information nights!

goodrosie

Good Rosie! – Kate de Camillo. Pictures by Harry Bliss

Walker Books Australia

October 2018

ISBN: 9781406383577
Australian RRP: $24.99
New Zealand RRP: $27.99

 

I really meant to get to this one sooner rather than later because I truly adore Kate di Camillo’s work. This is such a departure from her novels but is truly enchanting and endearing.

We all need friends and Rosie is no exception. She has a good life with her human, George, but is lonely without doggy companions. Sometimes it seems that she and George don’t have much in common, for example, an intense interest in squirrels. When George takes Rosie to the dog park for the first time, she is somewhat overwhelmed. She has never seen so many dogs before and she feels confronted and scared. She is even more so when Maurice, a very large St Bernard approaches shaking his toy bunny with such vigour it’s a wonder the toy’s extremities still exist. But then the tiny Fifi with her sparkly collar doesn’t seem a kindred spirit either.

It takes an unfortunate incident between Maurice and Fifi to help Rosie realise that sometimes friends come in different shapes and sizes and that we don’t all ‘click’ at first sight.

Formatted in a graphic novel style, this is a lovely reminder about unlikely friendships but moreover about overcoming prejudices and feeling anxious.

A fabulous book for sharing with young readers to kick-start conversations about acceptance and building relationships.

 

Saying Goodbye to Barkley – Devon Sillett/Nicky Johnston

barkley

EK Books

978-1-925335-96-5

$24.99

Losing our furbabies is difficult. For children who have grown up with a special pet it is arguably even moreso. Super Olivia and her trusty sidekick, Barkley, have always been a team. As Olivia carries out her amazing super-hero deeds, Barkley is always right by her giving his all. When Barkley is no longer there, Olivia feels her zest for super-sleuthing and action-heroism has also gone. But after her grieving she realises that Barkley would not want her to give up her passion in life, nor forget his extraordinary assistance. Olivia knows what she must do as a true super-hero for whom rescues are a daily event. She must rescue a new sidekick.

Spud is white, fluffy and adorable – and absolutely useless at fighting crime and uncovering dastardly plots but Olivia loves her anyway.

This is not a story about replacing one pet for another but a beautiful way of describing that eventually we can heal from our losses and find joy in other ways, events and companions.

Highly recommended for readers from around six years upwards.

 

 

Aug5

At the End of Holyrood Lane – Dimity Powell/Nicky Johnson

Posted on by
Standard

holyrood

Harper Collins Australia

ISBN: 9781925335767

ISBN 10: 1925335763

Imprint: Exisle Kids Publishing – NZ

On Sale: 20/08/2018

List Price: 24.99 AUD

 

Just before Miss Small (who really is no longer small!) came to live with me, she was absolutely petrified of storms. She would watch the sky anxiously and literally quiver with fear. While I guessed that this was symptomatic of something else, I hasten to point out it was not domestic violence and as time went by and her emotional anxiety eased, the storm ‘thing’ disappeared.

However, as one who has lived with DV and escaped, it is not only diminishing and frightening for the adult involved but has a very real impact on the children exposed to it, whether or not they are the recipients or not.

So this book with its subtle analogy was quite resonant for me for both those reasons.

This new picture book from Dimity Powell, beautifully illustrated by Nicky Johnston, provides a safe metaphor for children in just such a situation and enables caring adults to explore strategies by which these victims can begin to feel secure.

Flick lives with the fear of storms. Normally her life is filled with ‘sunshine and butterflies’ but the storms regularly appear and Flick, in her intense terror, has no escape except to hide. At last Flick seeks help to weather the storm and finds that this is the way to become free from the tyranny of the recurring fury.

Poetically written with much onomatopoeia and beautiful language it is a book worthy of sharing even if not in a ‘pointed’ way but just to explore children’s fears in general.

We are so blessed to have such quality writers for children in this country who are unafraid to tackle difficult subjects.

This book is endorsed by ActforKids, Paradise Kids, Think Equal and will be launched on 23rd September in Brisbane.

I highly recommend it for your young readers from  Prep upwards and would suggest that you also bring it to the attention of your school guidance officers/psychologists.

HL-Book-Launch-Invite