One Word From Sophia by Jim Averbeck illustrated by Yasmeen Ismail

One Word From Sophia by Jim Averbeck illustrated by Yasmeen Ismail
August 2015 Simon & Schuster

Blurb:

Sophia tries varied techniques to get the giraffe she wants more than anything in this playfully illustrated story about the nuances of negotiation. 

Sophia has one true desire for her birthday. But she has Four Big Problems in the way: Mom, Dad, Uncle Conrad...and Grand-mama. 

Will her presentations, proposals, and pie charts convince them otherwise? Turns out, all it takes is one word.

When this book came in last year, I thought it was new. It isn't,  it came out on 2015.  Once again, proving that I don't know everything, and I don't know every book on our shelves.

Anyway, I loved the cover, and that's what drew me to read it...a girl in a tutu standing on a giraffe's head.  It becomes clear in the first two pages why there's a giraffe on the cover.  You see, Sophia has One True Desire, and that is to get a pet giraffe for her birthday.

In order to achieve this one true desire, Sophia has to convince four people:

Mother, who was a judge,
Father , who was a businessman,
Uncle Conrad, who was a politician, 
and Grand-mama who was very strict.

And so begins Sophia's quest to convince the four.  There are long-winded reasons, diagrams, charts slideshows and graphs, and after each presentation she's given the brush off, being told her presentation was verbose, effusive and loquacious...

I love the language used in this book, so many words that mean 'using too many words'!...and then there's Activist, Quadruped, Respondents, Revise and Warehousing...all of which are explained in the glossary at the back of the book.  

All of this rich language wrapped up in a book that will appeal to every child who has wished for something big....and the power of one little word...

Greta and the Giants: Inspired by Greta Thunberg's stand to save the world by Zoe Tucker illustrated by Zoe Persico

Greta and the Giants: Inspired by Greta Thunberg's stand to save the world by Zoe Tucker illustrated by Zoe Persico

Published December 2019 Quarto UK

Blurb:

This inspiring picture book retells the story of Nobel Peace Prize nominee Greta Thunberg - the Swedish teenager who has led a global movement to raise awareness about the world's climate crisis - using allegory to make this important topic accessible to young children.

Greta is a little girl who lives in a beautiful forest threatened by Giants. When the Giants first came to the forest, they chopped down trees to make houses. Then they chopped down more trees and made even bigger homes. The houses grew into towns and the towns grew into cities, until now there is hardly any forest left. Greta knows she has to help the animals who live in the forest, but how? Luckily, Greta has an idea... A section at the back explains that, in reality, the fight against the 'giants' isn't over and explains how you can help Greta in her fight.

When I started reading this I was surprised, as I expected it to be a picture book depicting the life of Greta Thunberg.  I have read a number of books about Greta recently for middle grade and older readers, so I thought a picture book would be a great addition to this collection.

That is not what this picture book is though.  As the blurb states (which I obviously didn't read properly), this is an allegory (a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.).  Once I got my head around the fact that this wasn't a narrative non fiction title about Greta, I was most impressed.  It's the perfect starting point to talk about this amazing young activist with young readers.

Greta and the Giants is a story about a girl standing up to the giants that come into her forest and start chopping down the trees, and destroying the habitats of all who live there.  This is a young children's picture book, and as such it has a positive and happy ending...not necessary a reflection on what is happening in the real world, but for this age group, a satisfying conclusion.  It emphasises the importance of speaking up, and how one voice can become many.

There are notes in the back of the book about the real life Greta, as well as notes on what we can do to help battle climate change.

I think Greta's words, "No one is too small to make a difference" will inspire a younger generation to use their voice and start to make a difference.

~ Thanks to NetGalley for the reading copy

Writers Read Podcast by LiTracey

I have been very fortunate to be invited to participate in a new Podcast, developed by teacher and literacy expert Tracey Grice.

Tracey has come up with an ingenious idea of interview authors, not about their writing, but about their reading life.  It's called Writers Read, and the first episode is out now.

In each podcast Tracey will interview an author, and talk to them about what their reading life is like, what book got them hooked, what do they read now, where do they read...  The authors will also choose one of their books to read from, the plan is that this reading will have the listeners on the edge of their seats, desperate to get hold of that book and see what happens next...

My part in this venture is called Rebecca Recommends, and I will talk about some of the other books the author has written and hopefully get listeners excited about those books too.

The first episode featuring Jackie French is out now, the Auscast Network and iTunes versions will be live within the next week.

In the meantime, enjoy the first episode of Writer's Read on Sound Cloud.

Make sure you follow us on Facebook  too.

Here We Are: Notes For Living On Planet Earth by Oliver Jeffers

Here We Are: Note for Living on Planet Earth by Oliver Jeffers
Published November 2017 by Harper Collins

Blurb:

The exquisite and thought-provoking new book from the multi award-winning, internationally best-selling picture book creator of Lost and Found, Oliver Jeffers. 

Well, hello.And welcome to this Planet.We call it Earth.Our world can be a bewildering place, especially if you've only just got here. Your head will be filled with questions, so let's explore what makes our planet and how we live on it. From land and sky, to people and time, these notes can be your guide and start you on your journey. And you'll figure lots of things out for yourself. Just remember to leave notes for everyone else… Some things about our planet are pretty complicated, but things can be simple, too: you've just got to be kind.Here We Are is the utterly heartfelt new book from Oliver Jeffers. We're glad you found it.

So here's one from last year, that I am sure everybody knows about...but I love it so much I thought I would write this post anyway, because I want to make sure everyone knows about this book.

I have no words for this book really, I simply loved it.  It feels like Oliver Jeffers has let us into his lounge room where he is talking to his new son about the world...and that's pretty much what it is.  Oliver Jeffers wrote this for his son, and we are so fortunate that he turned it into a book and shared it with the world because it is beautiful.

I have already given it as a Christening gift, it's must for new parents, and I think it could (should) be a valuable resource in the classroom too.

It is a look at the world we live in, but more than that, it's about the kind of person we should strive to be in this world...  

There are quotes in the back of the book, one of which is from Oliver Jeffers' Dad:
"There are only three words you need to live by, son: respect, consideration and tolerance'"   - Truer words have never been spoken.

There's a Bear on My Chair by Ross Collins

There's a Bear on My Chair by Ross Collins
Published June 2015 Nosy Crow
 
Poor Mouse! A bear has decided to settle in his favourite chair, and that chair just isn’t big enough for them to share. Mouse tried all kinds of tactics to move Bear, from glaring at him and scaring him, to luring him with a pear, but nothing works. Eventually, Mouse gives up. Once Mouse has gone, Bear gets up from the chair and walks home. But what’s that? Is that a Mouse in Bear’s house?!

With echoes of Dr Seuss, this joyously illustrated picture book by a multi-award-winning talent is perfect for sharing.

My favourite type of picture books, are those with stories told in rhyme, and this one is a stand out.

The cover of this book sets the scene beautifully…there is the title There’s a Bear on My Chair… and an angry looking mouse, pointing to the very happy bear sitting in a chair, leaving no question as to whose chair that might be! 

The book is full of lovely language and glorious rhyme, and the way illustrations depict the increasingly frustrated and angry mouse are comic gold, especially as nothing seems to affect the bears calm and happy demeanour.

More reasons to like this book…end papers, different front and back (I love endpapers that start the story!)  and an ending with a satisfactory twist.

If you want to have a 'look inside' this book CLICK HERE

 

Looking-Glass Girl by Cathy Cassidy

Looking-Glass Girl by Cathy Cassidy

Published March 2015 Penguin Books

'It happened so quickly . . . I was falling, falling, falling into the darkness.' 
Alice nearly didn't go to the sleepover.  Why would Savvy, queen of the school, invite someone like her?
Now Alice is lying unconscious in a hospital bed. 
Lost in a wonderland of dreams and half-formed memories, she's surrounded by voices – the doctor, her worried friends and Luke, whose kisses the night of the fall took her by surprise . . . 
When the accident happened, her world vanished – can Alice ever find her way back? 
A wonderful modern-day reimagining of Lewis Carroll's timeless classic.


2015 is the year of Alice, 150 years since the publication of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, so it’s not surprising that we are seeing some Alice spinoffs  out there.

Cathy Cassidy is an extremely popular author for young teenage girls, and her re-imagining of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland has everything you would expect from a Cathy Cassidy, friendship, bullying, growing up, boys and family.

The Bad Guys by Aaron Blabey

This little novel made me laugh out loud.  It’s basically the story of a big bad wolf who feels that he and some of his friends have been misjudged, and now is the time they are going to redeem themselves and become heroes. 

First lets meet these bad guys, each has their own rap sheet describing their criminal activities.

Mr Wolf –

Criminal activity includes: Breaking in the homes of old women, Impersonating old women, attempting to eat old women

Status: Dangerous DO NOT APPROACH

 

Newspaper Hats by Phil Cummings and Owen Swan

Newspaper Hats by Phil Cummings and Owen Swan
Published July 2015 Scholastic Australia

Grandpa remembers many things from long ago, but he has trouble remembering his granddaughter, Georgia.

In this moving story, a little girl helps her grandfather reach his memories through the simple act of making hats from folded newspaper.

A gentle yet powerful story about the love and memories that bind families together.

I had heard Phil tell this story before it was a book, more than once, and it made me cry…more than once.  I even told the story to other people and it made them cry, so consider yourself forewarned.  In saying that, I know many people who have read this books and didn’t cry, and like it is with many picture books,  we often see our own stories within the pages, and different stories mean different things to different people.  That there is the beauty and magic of a picture book.

Mr Huff by Anna Walker

 

Mr Huff by Anna Walker

Published July 2015 Penguin Books
 

Award-winning and much-loved author and illustrator Anna Walker gives us a gentle, poignant, affirming and wise picture book sure to delight all ages.  Mr. Huff is a story about the clouds and the sunshine in each of our lives.
 

Bill is having a bad day.

Mr Huff is following him around and making everything seem difficult.
 

Bill tries to get rid of him, but Mr Huff just gets bigger and bigger!
 

Then they both stop, and a surprising thing happens . . .

 

Tinklers Three Book 1: A Very Good Idea by Meredith Badger

The Tinklers are not your normal family. 

Their father is a tightrope walker, and their mother rides a white horse…in the travelling circus. 

This leaves the Tinkler children, Mila age 10, Marcus age 8 and Turtle age 3 left at home…alone. For any adults reading thinking that this is not the responsible type of parenting we want portrayed in books for children, fear not...there is indeed a mature adult (Mrs....) who lives in the building and keeps a watchful (but distant) eyes on the three Tinklers.

Because they live alone, they have come up with some interesting rules, some of them quite reasonable, such as:

‘Breakable things must be kept on the top shelf in the kitchen’ 

others more peculiar, such as:

‘ You MUST NOT keep BISCUITS in the BATH’. 

On this particular day the Tinklers decide that they would like to go from their house to the clock tower…without touching the ground, what unfolds is very funny and at times very clever, but you will have to read the book to see if they make it! This will be a great new series for newly independent reader who wants something a little bit different. 

There are three books out so far in this new series.

Carnivores by Aaron Reynolds and illustrated by Dan Santat

The Blurb:

...it's lonely at the top of the food chain. It's difficult to fit in when plant eaters can be so cruel—just because you ate a relative of theirs that one time! What's a carnivore to do? Aaron Reynolds's roaringly funny text is perfectly paired with Dan Santat's mouthwatering illustrations, creating a toothsome book that's sure to stand out from the herd.

So, here's my favourite picture book of the year.  It is more than a little bit wicked, but then, they are my favourite kind of books.  The humour starts right with the cover, it might not be clear at first glance, but it becomes clearer when you see the back of the book...the animals are packed like meat!

Reminisent of the 'vegetarian sharks' in the animated movie Finding Nemo, the lion, wolf and shark in this picture book are suffering from a bit of guilt.  The trio love meat, but are starting to feel guilty, so they form a support group, and try to forgo their meat eating ways.

My favourite line in the book is from the wolf, when trying his hardest to eat only berries proclaims...

 

“Every single berry bush seemed to have a bunny inside.”

So, it's not going to be everyone's cup of tea, but I dare anyone with a sense of humour not to laugh out loud at some point when reading this one.


Carnivores food pyramid

Mr Mo supports Movember

The blurb:

Mr Mo is one of the nicest and most helpful residents in all of Dillydale. Then one day, he visits the barber for his regular snip, and falls fast asleep in the chair. When he wakes he discovers his mo is long gone - and so too are his manners. All of Dillydale is thrown off kilter, but as Mr Mo's moustache starts to grow back, the balance is restored.

As I mentioned in my forts post for November, I can't actually participate in Movember in the moustache growing capacity, but that doesn't mean there aren't other ways to support the cause.

Which brings me to Mr Mo, a brand new hardback Mr Men title, released especially to support Movember.  As the blurb states, Mr Mo is the nicest person in town, he has the best manners, and he is kind...he is a gentleman.  These attributes are in part due to the fine moustache Mr Mo sports, and when he accidentally gets it cut off he becomes thoughtless and rude. 

 

As his moustache grows back, his kindness returns, and he encourages the other men in town to try growing their own Mo's.  The result is noticeable better manners and a lot of marvelous moustaches!

 

Do you remember Ant and Bee?

When I first saw this book on the shelves I had a bit of a flashback to my childhood.  I don't actually have a concrete memory of having the books, but I knew that I had read them

These books were originally published in the 1960s and 70s, and they have just been reprinted for a new generation to enjoy.

They are only tiny (h95mm  x  w120mm), and each book introduces a new set of words.  In the first book, Ant and Bee, we have 3 letter words.  In More Ant and Bee there are 4 letter words and 3 letter words.  In More and More Ant and Bee 5 letter words are added to the 3 and 4 words.


They are designed for adults and children to share, the main body of the text is printed in BLACK, and is designed for an adult to read.  The 3, 4 and 5 letter words are printed in RED, for the beginning reader to attempt.  For each RED word there is also an illustration to accompany it.

The truth of the matter is that the stories may not set the world on fire, but the concept is great and I do think that beginning readers will revel in the fact that there is a way for them to read part of the story.

Robert Irwin Dinosaur Hunter

Now I have to tell you that I have had quite a few eye rolls when I show librarians this new series.  The general consensus seems to be that the Bindi books were bad enough, and no one wants poor Robert on the shelves.  These feelings are obviously all about the Irwins, not so much about the books themselves, and while they may not change your life they may be just want certain reluctant readers need.

This new series by Robert Irwin is about…Robert Irwin, and his obsession with dinosaurs.  In the first book he has the opportunity to work on an archaeological dig in about 40km outside the Queensland town of Winton.  While on this fossil finding expedition, Robert finds himself travelling through time, back to prehistoric Australia, where he gets an up close and personal look at the dinosaurs he loves.

This book is perfect for dinosaur loving boys, who won’t read anything but information books about dinosaurs, because basically this book is an information book about dinosaurs.  Yes, there is the story about Robert going back in time, but the bulk of the text is Robert telling us all of the things he knows and then learns about these dinosaurs.  At a glance the other books in the series seem to send Robert all over the world, but I like the fact that the first book starts with an Australian dinosaur.