Tag Archives: Penguin Australia

Mar6

Hello, Emma Memma – Emma Memma

Posted on by
Standard

Penguin Australia

  • February 2023
  • ISBN: 9781761341045
  • Imprint: Puffin
  • RRP: $19.99

We no longer have anyone little enough to be a Wiggles fan in our family – in fact, just recently I was recalling taking my oldest grandson to see the colorful four at the Kingaroy Town Hall (cost $5, and we all sat on the floor – circa 1997) but the last time I saw them, The Kid was around 3, so back in 2008.

Even so, not withstanding my lack of recent experience, you would need to have hibernated for a long time if you are not aware of the vivacious Emma Wiggle and her impact – along with the salient fact that she has now left the group.

What I did not know however, was anything at all about Emma Watkins, the person. A talented performer from the age of three with a love of dance embracing ballet, Irish, hip-hop, tap and contemporary, Emma has studied performing arts, film and media and has a Master in Media Arts and Communication. She is passionate about sign language and advocating for the deaf community, has completed her Diploma of Auslan and is currently studying a Diploma in Interpreting – while also undertaking her PhD focusing on the artistic and affective integration of sign language, dance and film editing. PHEW!!!!!!

Now her first book, written with her husband Oliver Brian, in a magical new series engages a whole new audience, as she transforms into her new persona of Emma Memma. It is going to delight not only her fans from her Wiggles chapter, but most definitely enlist a legion new ones who will love this exuberant new character with her trademark curls and orange and pink butterfly hair adornments. And true to her passion, Emma’s book is acccessible via Auslan, and is vividly visualised by illustrator Kerrie Hass, who has most emphatically brought Emma Memma to life in her drawings.

I defy anyone, small or big, to read this and not feel a buzz of happiness and pure fun. I foresee a real following for this character, and from what I can ascertain, it is very well deserved. Highly recommended for your tiny peeps from around 2 to 6 or so.

Check out the Q&A with Emma here.

Feb20

All Four Quarters of the Moon – Shirley Marr

Posted on by
Standard

Penguin Australia

July 2022

  • ISBN: 9781760899554
  • Imprint: Puffin
  • RRP: $16.99

On the last day of her old life, Peijing makes moon cakes with Ah Ma for the Autumn Festival. The following Peijing and her family, Ba Ba, Ma Ma, little sister Biju and Ah Ma, move to Australia and their new lives begin. Moving house is always a time of upheaval but when that move is relocating to a whole new country, where everything is so very different, it causes a huge impact and can put an enormous strain on a family. And it does in this case.

Peijing is the big sister but more than that, she feels a great sense of responsibility for all her family, all of whom are finding things difficult in their new country. Really, her only escape from her worries, is Little World – a miniature paper world she has created with the help of Biju. It is their refuge and their joy, although one which completely bemuses their parents.

When things start to fall apart for the family, Peijing finds herself even more anxious. Ma Ma is not herself, with an inertia that speaks of depression – the unknown quantity of Australian life making her feel even more homesick, Ba Ba is, at first, a fish out of water no longer having to wear the suits and work seven days a week as he did in his old life, and Ah Ma, is becoming confused and even forgetting who she is. Peijing and Biju, while embracing their new situation and adapting quickly to everything from school to food to clothes, are finding it difficult to reconcile all this with their adults.

It is, essentially, the story of every immigrant family, I would think, as former habits, customs, language and culture are left behind and new ones are imposed. Told through a combination of realism, traditional myths and stories, narrative and story-telling, it makes for a beautiful exploration of the immigrant experience and the sharing of the Chinese traditional culture. There is so much to explore with readers here: family life and traditions, siblings, respect and honour, cultural differences, culture shock, assimilation, mythology, symbolism and imagery, and personal growth.

I could see this being a particular useful addition to a Year 6/7 reading program whether as a whole class novel or in literature circles. Highly recommended for discerning readers in Upper Primary.

100100898_104217Download
Jan20

Willa and Woof 3: Grandparents for Hire – Jacqueline Harvey

Posted on by
Standard

Penguin Australia

January 2023

  • ISBN: 9781761043338
  • Imprint: Puffin
  • RRP: $12.99

It makes me very happy that my first review for 2023 is for my lovely friend, and über-talented creator, Jacqueline Harvey for #3 in her latest sensational series. Jacqueline has a sublime knack for creating character with whom readers can immediately connect, empathise and love, and Willa – along with her ensemble cast – is no exception.

I particularly love that in this latest, Jacqueline addresses an issue that many schools have finally begun to realise can be problematic and upsetting for children – the ubiquitous Grandparents’ days and events. To be sure, the intention behind these functions originally was very sound: a desire to embrace the older generation and include them in their grandchildren’s lives. But as time goes on, it is more and more apparent that many kiddos are living quite removed from their grandparents, whether physically, or in other ways.

Clever little Willa conceives of a plan for her own school Grandparents Day to solve this problem for her fellow students and, at the same time, draws attention to situation at the local retirement village whereby the residents’ outings are threatened due to lack of funding. I love that Willa’s is constantly inventive and problem-solving – to be sure, sometimes she encounters obstacles but always she remains optimistic and positive. Along with the whole dearth of available grandparents, outings at risk, Willa also has a mystery to solve about her beloved four-legged friend, Woof. The lovable wolfhound has developed a very out-of-character habit of running away, not to mention stealing food and it is quite a conundrum to Willa and her family for some time. Astute little readers will pick up on the doggy vibe and predict the reason for Woof’s naughtiness, I am sure. The course of canine true love does not always run smoothly!

I’m sure smart librarians and teachers will already have clued up to this new series but for those who haven’t – or if you are looking for new books at this start of the year to tempt a newly emerging reader in your circle – you cannot go wrong with these. I also had quite the giggle with the reference to Willa’s teaching reading the class one of the Kensy & Max books – well played Jacqueline! also I think this is my favourite cover so far!

Goes without saying – my highest recommendation – what are you waiting for? Go buy it now!

Such a fun night back in 2021!

Dec22

Meerkat Christmas – Aura Parker

Posted on by
Standard

Penguin Australia

October 2022

  • ISBN: 9780143777229
  • Imprint: Puffin
  • RRP: $19.99

Seriously, I’m always so in awe of creators who can do both the text and the illustrations – for someone who yearns to have even a smidgin of creativity it seems a little unfair -haha!

This is another title I shared with numerous classes over the closing weeks of Term 4 – again from Prep upwards to Year 3 and once again it was received with tumultous applause – even the older children loved the rollicking rhymes and the oh-so-cute illustrations.

We all had lots fun talking who had or had not seen meerkats yet (many in my neighbourhood have gone to Australia Zoo), where meerkats live, why does EVERYONE love them so much and imagining other funny antics they might get up to. They totally loved the reveal of the pups pyramid-ing their way to form a Christmas Tree and there was much laughter all round.

And what do I love? I absolutely adore the endpapers (as everyone knows, they are a passion of mine) and I love that the rhyming text flows naturally with rhythmic grace and ease and never sounds forced or discordant (which frankly, annoys me often in books by ‘award winning’ authors whose scansion leaves much to be desired) – this is just fabulous and the top reason for it being such a joy to read aloud!

This is truly an adorable addition to your Christmas bookshelf and for a little person in your circle particularly would make for a beautiful gift under the tree or in their wee stocking.

Highly recommended for small pups from around 4 years to 8 years old.

Dec21

Christmas Goodies

Posted on by
Standard

Zola and the Christmas Lights – Melina Marchetta/Deb Hudson

Penguin Australia

October 2022

  • ISBN: 9780143777649
  • Imprint: Puffin
  • RRP: $19.99

For the entirety of the delightful What Zola did On… series, Melina Marchetta consistently delivered such beautiful and meaningful messages to young readers around diversity, community, empathy, friendship and family, all without once becoming preachy or tedious. It truly was joyful to read each new instalment. Now Zola has her very first (and let’s hope, not last) picture book and once again Zola’s story embodies all that made the chapter books so special.

Before school finished up I had the pleasure of sharing this gorgeous book with at least five different classes from Prep to Year 3 and all not only loved it, but also keenly participated in predicting and postulating. It was a highlight of my last few weeks of casual teaching.

Best of all for the very diverse population of children with whom I shared this, there was not one who could not identify with some aspect of this Australian celebration, from my sweet girl who so excitedly told me ‘we have a lantern just like that for Ramadan and my mum wears [that]’ i.e.a hijab, to the ones who could talk earnestly about some people finding it hard to buy groceries, to the ones who had already put up Xmas decorations. We really did have such fun and such richness from it.

Of course the narrative is beautifully illustrated by Deb Hudson, whose work enhanced the chapter books so ably but now explodes into a perfect riot of colour and detail.

It’s not too late to pick up a copy and share with your own little people – and enjoy the talk about what our various celebrations mean to us all.

Highly recommended for readers from 4 years upwards.

Dec21

Peace on Earth, good will toward all

Posted on by
Standard

Emily Gravett: Meerkat Christmas

Whatever, and however you celebrate I wish you all safe and happy holidays, from me and The Kid. Many thanks to all who follow and bother to read my reviews – which are haphazardly posted at best – and I’m thrilled to see that this year the blog has had well over 10 000 views!!!! Wow!! 2023 marks a decade since I decided to start collating the reviews I was doing in one place ,and began Just So Stories, and there have been many, many changes in my life since then. It looks like my full-time teaching days are over but will still need to keep earning somehow for a while to support The Kid so new adventures await.

Not only do I want to thank you all but also the wonderful authors, illustrators, creators and of course the publicists at various publishing houses who let me play in their world. I have a couple of Christmas reviews to write up and post today, and then about twenty more to catch up on (!!) after the festivities are done.

I do hope your own celebrations are filled with joy – The Kid and I will be in our happy place for three days (very like Kev in that illustration!) and ours will be slow and salty.

Dec2

The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents[ film tie-in edition] – Terry Pratchett

Posted on by
Standard

Penguin Australia

November 2022

ISBN: 9780552578929

Imprint: Corgi Childrens

RRP: $16.99

Twenty years ago the late, great Sir Terry Pratchett won the Carnegie Medal for his 28th book in the Discworld series, the first written for children, so it is utterly fitting that finally this extraordinary, absurd fantasy should be brought to life – and brought to a new generation of readers in a filmed version.

Just in case anyone is unfamiliar with either Sir Terry’s work, Discworld or Maurice ….

…allow me to give you a little insight. This is a book that has everything I most prize in my reading: ridiculous humour and sparkling wit, twisted fairy-tales, quirky characters, talking animals, rats even more intelligent than their usual intellect and a happy ending. Maurice is a wily shyster of a cat, who is cannily manipulating a band of rats and a gormless youth to fleece villagers of ‘rat plagues’. Both cat and rats have intelligence out-ranking that of humans, can speak and even read and write (a little) following their consumption of mysterious magic rubbish from the university of wizardry. Just as they reach a more or less mutual decision to end their rather unscruplous con-game, they come upon a town in which a far nastier deception involving the manipulation of rats and the greed of individuals is taking place. Needless to say, after nail-biting adventures and narrow escapes, the unlikely comrades do indeed, rout the real ‘rats’ from the town and earn their place in its society in a wholly unprecedented rat-human symbiotic partnership.

It had been a long time since I had read it and I fell in love with it all over again. With the newly minted animated film due for release before Xmas, this is going to make a perfect stocking stuffer for youngsters from around 8 years upwards and definitely one to have on your shelves when school starts back in 2023.

Given my love of this series, Sir Terry Pratchett (whom we lost the day after my Jen. I used his quote at her farewell) and rats (I do miss my own ratty girls) this gets my highest recommendation. Hopefully it will spark a passion for Pratchett, that is shared by readers all over the world, in your kiddos.

BOHEMIAN RAT-SODY

Is this the rat life? Is this rat fantasy?

Bought from a feeder bin, escaped from reality

Open your eyes, look up to this guy and see

I’m just a poor floof, I need no sympathy

Because I’m squeezy tum, tiny toes, little ears, little nose

Anywhere the cheerios doesn’t really matter to me, to me

Mama, just bought a rat

Went to buy the cat a bed

To a snake, he would be fed

Mama, life has just begun

Cuz now I’ve gone and saved a floof today

Mama, ooh, didn’t mean to make you cry

If I’m not back again this time tomorrow

Call the vet, call the vet,

For I’ll be there with the ratters

Too late, what have I done?

To the pet store one last time, got 10 more and they’re all mine

Goodbye, everybody, I’ve got to go

Gotta leave you all behind and face the floof

Mama, ooh, I don’t want them to die

I sometimes wish they’d never been born at all

I see a little silhouetto of a rat

Boople snoot,

Boople snoot,

Will you watch his boggle eyes go

Chocolate chips and icing,

Very much enticing, Meep!

Can I free-roam? (Can I free-roam?)

Can I free-roam? (Can I free-roam?)

Can I free-roam, let me go, oh mumma no-oh-oh-oh!

No, no, NO NO!

I’m just a poor rat, nobody loves me,

He’s eating dinner, with his whole family,

Spare some roast beef for this baby rattie?

Easy come, easy go, will you let me go?

Groomer! No, we will not let you go

(Let him go) Groomer! We will not let you go

(Let him go) Groomer! We will not let you go

(Let me go) Will not let you go

(Let me go) Will not let you go

(Let me go) Ah, no, no, no, no, no, no, no

(Oh power groomer, power groomer) Power groomer, let me go

Beaa-eaaaar-z-Bear has Calcifer on his side you see, you see, you see

So you think you can stop me cause I’m pink eyed?

So you think you can scritch me and leave me this high?

Oh, hooman,

Can’t do this to me hooman,

Just gotta scritch me,

Just gotta scritch me right ‘round here

Floofing really matters, anyone can see

Floofing really matters,

Floofing really matters to me

Anywhere the cheerios

Nov30

So long Picture Book Month 2022

Posted on by
Standard

Well it was a bit of a mammoth effort and one I haven’t undertaken for a few years but a new PB review posted each day of the month – whew!! Thanks for anyone who played along with me :-). Hope you discovered some treasures for your collections!! and of course, thanks to the publishers who are kind enough to let me read voraciously for them :-).

Now SO many others to catch up on – about 18 piled up from biographies to MG novels – lucky holidays are imminent!!

Nov27

Thank You, Teacher from The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Posted on by
Standard
  • Penguin Australia
  • August 2022
  • ISBN: 9780241585566
  • Imprint: Puffin
  • RRP: $12.99

They tell me Xmas is rapidly drawing closer – but what is even closer than that is the end of the school year. Most of us are now mid-term so that dreaded moment of finding a gift for your child’s teacher is nigh, and while, of course we don’t mind endless scented candles, bath bombs, potted succulents and so on, what would be really appreciated is a generous voucher to the nearest bottle shop -ok ok, so maybe not everyone wants that.

If you do have a small person and want to show your grateful thanks to their teacher, this is just the sweetest gift with Eric Carle’s inimitable artwork and some simple text that will resonate. Not having a small person any longer – The Kid is gearing up for her final year of school, and as her teacher is me, it would be quite redundant really – this is a gift for a special friend who just also happens to be one of the most superlative teachers I’ve ever had the privilege to know.

And really – for the small price of $12.99 – you could afford to bung it in with a bottle of something to enjoy as well.

Don’t miss out on getting this – and though I say it makes a lovely gift, it certainly won’t hurt to add it to your library or classroom collection as well. I think the kiddos will love reading it and telling their own teacher what it is they love about her or him.

Nov24

Busy Betty – Reese Witherspoon. Illustrated by Xindi Yan

Posted on by
Standard

Penguin Australia

October 2022

Imprint: Puffin

ISBN: 9781761047480

RRP: $19.99

Oh, I’m a huge fan of Reese!.. and I can easily imagine her as a little girl just like Busy Betty. This is pure good fun and kids will love the joyousness of it as much as they relate to the getting into scrapes – albeit, with the best of intentions.

Betty has been busy ever since babyhood and her exuberance and spontaneity can often lead her astray. When she realises her much-loved dog, Frank, is smelly and in need of a bath, she just has to get it done before her bestie Mae arrives for their playdate. But the bath plans are de-railed by one problem after another until both Betty and Frank are in a shocking mess. Luckily best friend Mae, is a little more practical and can see the bigger picture and pretty soon the two girls have turned the disaster into a complete success story.

It’s a delightful exploration of enthusiasm, teamwork and accomplishment to which small children will immediately make connections to their own adventures, mishaps and successes.

I think I speak for a lot of people who are a bit sceptical of the plethora of ‘celebrities’ turned authors but Reese’ association with literature, promoting reading and story-telling have established her credentials for now branching into her own writing. The colourful cartoon style illustrations pick up beautifully on the joyful tone throughout the book and kiddos will enjoy discovering the details in these.

Highly recommended for your youngsters from around Prep upwards.