Peace by Miranda Paul and Baptiste Paul Illustrated by Estelí Meza

Peace by Miranda Paul and Baptiste Paul Illustrated by Estelí Meza

Published March 2021 North South Books

Blurb:

Peace is on purpose. Peace is a choice. Peace lets the smallest of us have a voice.

From a hello and pronouncing your friend’s name correctly to giving more than you take and saying I’m sorry, this simple concept book explores definitions of peace and actions small and big that foster it.

Award-winning authors, Baptiste Paul and Miranda Paul, have teamed up with illustrator Estelí Meza—winner of the ‘A la Orilla del Viento’ the premier Picture Book Contest Award in Mexico—to create an inspiring look at things we can all do to bring peace into our lives and world.

I like when a book can make me reconsider what something means.  

If I think of ‘Peace’, my basic thought is, calm, and not fighting.  But this book looks at Peace as a much bigger concept.  It looks at all of the little things we can do every day, to create that sense of peace, in our everyday lives and in the wider community. 

The rhyme is great, and this rhyming text makes it an engaging read, that will appeal to even the youngest of readers (or listeners, as the case may be). 

It is simple, with one statement on each double page.  In a classroom setting I can imagine that it would work well to focus on different pages, and different ideas,  and then talk about ways we can implement them every day. 

The one page that struck a note with me, was the page ‘Peace is pronouncing your friend’s name correctly’.  I recently saw an interview where the person who was interviewed spent his whole life having people mispronounce his name, and how grateful he was when someone got it right or asked how to say it correctly.  I think that will resonate more with adults than with children, as young children will more often than not hear a name, not have to read it and then try to pronounce it.

There is a great authors’ note at the back of the book, that gives an insight into another aspect of peace, and how it has an impact on not only people, but animals and nature.  After reading the authors note, you will want to go back and look at each page more closely. 

The tree, with what I assume are the children’s names on it, is a nice touch also. 

Thank you to NetGalley and North South books for the opportunity to review this title.

Hello Design by Isabel Thomas and Aurelie Guillerey

Hello Design by Isabel Thomas and Aurelie Guillerey

Published November 2020 Penguin

Blurb:

A design can be as small as a toothbrush . . . or as BIG as a skyscraper. Every design starts in someone's imagination - an imagination just like yours. Travel through one day and discover how the world around you has been designed - even though we don't always realise it! Question HOW everyday items have been designed, and WHY they look the way they do. Guaranteed to make you see the world a little differently, pick up your pencil and imagine your own designs. What will you design? With facts and questions to inspire all budding designers and get creative minds whirring - and featuring iconic designs from the enthusiasts at the V&A.

I have been waiting for this book to come out all year. I loved the sound of it, and it hasn’t disappointed me.

Engineering and design are a big focus in schools, but when we think of design, we might think of big or obvious things like cars, clothes and houses, when in fact, design is everywhere.

This book looks at the story of everyday objects, and makes you realise that designers have created pretty much everything around you. From your toothbrush, to your lunchbox, even this very book. 

The book is broken up into daily activities, and the elements of design are discussed.  Why something was made, who was it made for, how have designs may have changed over time.

There are also task/question boxes.  For example:

What differences can you spot between the way your home and your school are designed?

Design the perfect lunchbox or playground game.

This book is published in conjunction with the Victoria and Albert Museum, the world’s leading museum of art and design. At the back of the book there are Credits pages, giving credit to the actual designers whose items in the V & A collection inspired some of the illustrations in the book.

Hidden Planet by Ben Rothery

Hidden Planet by Ben Rothery
October 2019 Penguin UK

Blurb:

A beautiful crossover book for all ages, this is the book natural-history illustrator Ben has wanted to read since he was a child. Simple text will provide an insight into these lesser-known birds and animals - some endangered and some less so - told from the perspective of a detail-obsessed illustrator.

'This is my love letter to Planet Earth; a celebration of her hidden species, from the bold and the beautiful to the interesting but ugly. And while not a complete list, I hope that these few give a glimpse of the outstanding diversity of nature' - Ben Rothery

Animal lovers behold.  

This is an absolute beauty of a book.  

The book is impressive before you even open it.  

It's large (h378mm  x  w280mm )...and that lion!

I will admit to not having actually read all of the text.  I can't get past the illustrations, they're breathtaking, as you can see from some of the internals below.  There is a good deal of information in this book though, with each animal having 5-6 paragraphs of text, and because of the books size, I can just see kids, and families pouring over the pages on the floor or around a table.

There are plenty of animals you will already know and love (lions, zebras, koalas) and then there are some you may see and read about for the first time  (clouded leopards and pangolins).  There's also general information about a variety of animals under topics such as camouflage, dimorphism and hidden abilities.

Hidden Planet is the title of this book so the hidden theme runs through all of the sections in the book.  There's an introduction explaining this at the start of the book:

Hidden Planet

When we think of something as being hidden, we normally imagine a creature that is out of sight or cleverly disguised as something else.   Perhaps it is cunning, shy or sly.  Maybe it is small or comes out only under the cover of darkness. It may live deep in a rainforest or in a cave, bury itself in the sand or spend its life high in the treetops.

There are also hidden relationships between species that might seem otherwise unconnected.  For many years, humans have invented fantastical stories to explain these connections.  One more secret of Planet Earth can be found in the unexpected abilities and behaviours of some of the creatures we think we already know.

The creatures in the is book are hidden in some of these ways.

This book will appeal to animal lovers, art lovers, and lovers of beautiful books.  

If butterflies are more your thing, Ben Rothery has you covered there too...look out for Sensational Butterflies.

Home Sweet Home by Moira Butterfield and Clair Rozzite

Home Sweet Home by Moira Butterfield and Clair Rozzite
September 2019 Egmont

Blurb:

What makes a house a home? How is your house similar or different to others around the world? 

From tents and huts to bobbing boats and apartments high up in the sky – they are all wonderfully varied, but there is something that makes them all special . . . 

Meet a variety of families throughout the book in this wonderful celebration of different cultures. Discover gers in Mongolia, tree houses in Japan, apartments in Italy, eco houses, canal boats and much, much more.

I am always looking for new books that fit in with the curriculum in some way, and this book is perfect for Foundation HASS, Geography: 

Inquiry Questions

• What are places like?
• What makes a place special?
• How can we look after the places we live in?

The places people live in and belong to, their familiar features and why they are important to people 

Apart from the obvious link to the curriculum, this is an interesting and engaging book in it's own right.  It has a feature that I Hadn't thought about before, but I love it, and will be sure that I point it out when showing this one to schools.

I just assume that when teachers use a book in the classroom, especially with a particular lesson in mind, they will stop and ask questions relating to what they can see in the illustrations, to connect and engage with the students.  You should never assume though, because this might not come naturally to some.  So that's what I like about this book. There is a question prompt for every page.  You can see some what I mean by looking at some of the internal page images below.

For example, the first image below, looking at roofs.  It asks the questions: What does your roof look like? Do you know one that looks different to yours?

Mind Blown by Dan Marshall

Mind Blown by Dan Marshall
Published November 2019 Bloomsbury

Blurb:

Delightful illustrations and beautiful design bring to life some of the hardest to believe and awesomely real facts you'll ever see. Prepare to have your mind blown -

Did you know space is only an hour's drive away? Did you know there is a jellyfish that is biologically immortal? Or that of all life that has ever existed on Earth, 99.9% of it is extinct? Dan Marshall's slick new book is packed to the brim with facts that will BLOW YOUR MIND.

This book did exactly what it says on the cover.  It blew my mind.  I love facts.  I can't say that I retain everything I read, but I love them.

This book is not a children's book (and I will get to why in a sec), but it almost could be, and for fact loving teens and adults it's a winner.

Simply designed, all in black and white, with text on one page and an accompanying illustration (in black and white) on the opposite page.  You can see some examples below.  The tone is light, the topics are broad, and there is humour in the writing.

But it's the facts...wow.

A few of my favourites:

• When you shuffle a deck of cards, that exact order has never been seen before in the history of the universe.
• There are more tigers living in Texas than anywhere else in the world.
• If there was hole right through the Earth, it would take 42 minutes to go from one side to the other.
• The world's nine richest men have more wealth than half the people on Earth.
• Oxford University is older than Aztec civilisation.

I won't go into the science and reasons behind these facts, that's what the books for, but trust me it's all there.

Now you're asking, why isn't this book OK for kids?  Well it will be for plenty of you, it's just the one little fact on page 173:

• Pigs' orgasms can last for up to 30 minutes.

Depending on the age of the child, that may bring up more questions than you were ready to answer.

Fauna by Tania McCartney

Fauna by Tania McCartney
Published November 2019 National Library of Australia

Blurb:

Did you know that platypus have retractable webbing on their hind feet to enable an easy transition from swimming to digging? That kangaroos can’t sweat and that the cassowary has no tongue? In Fauna - Australia’s Most Curious Creatures, readers are constantly introduced to facts that delight, amaze and induce sheer wonder at the clever design and adaptability of our much-loved native fauna. 

The information on each individual species is presented in small ‘bites’ to hold the interest of younger readers, while the information taken in total gives a comprehensive summary of each species, including breeding and feeding habits, physical characteristics, habitat and other unique and quirky features. Fauna also has a strong conservation message with an ‘extinction roll call’ and a rating for the vulnerability of endangered species. 

The stylised illustrations in Fauna are lively, colourful and informative, highlighting facts that lend themselves more to pictures than words e.g. the actual size of crocodile teeth, or the mechanics of the echidna’s beak. There is also humour in the illustrations – is that kangaroo with dark glasses actually from a different kind of mob? Readers young and old will be delighted and informed by Fauna.

I love Tania McCartney's work, so I was pretty sure I would love this...

Now it has arrived and I absolutely love it.  It's just my kind of information book.  Beautiful to look at, with bite sized facts across each double page spread.  The information includes the straight forward facts that you would expect what the animals look like, where you can find them, what they eat.   Then there's the quirky facts, like, the Western Grey Kangaroo smells like curry. Or that echidnas can carry the world's longest flea, which can get to 4mm long.

Kids love anything that shows the 'actual size' and that's in here too...actual size of joeys and puggles, actual size of an echidna's spines and the actual size of a crocodile egg to name just a few.  

I personally have a thing for collective nouns, I love them...and guess what they're here too. There's a collective noun for each of the featured animals. I did not know that a group of echidnas is called a flock...now I do.

There is a more serious content included, and  we can see the current conservation status of each animal, from those that are extinct EX to those that are of Least Concern LC.  There's also a list of extinct, critically endangered and recent extinctions in the back.  

And finally...though I could go on, at the back there's a double page of Early Curiosities, with paintings that show early impressions of our unique fauna, along with some initial misconceptions, it also talks about how, to indigenous Australians,  these creatures were not so odd at all.

Just Desserts by Charlotte Ree

Just Desserts by Charlotte Ree
Published October 2019 Pan MacMillan Australia

Blurb:
You'd butter believe this is the only baking book you'll need this Christmas!

Instagram sensation Charlotte Ree is famous for her simple and delicious sweets ... and her love of puns. Her easy, user-friendly creations are designed to taste amazing, rather than just look pretty (though pretty they most certainly are!).

Just Desserts showcases 30 of Charlotte's most popular and delicious cake, biscuit, slice and dessert recipes in one outrageously gorgeous little package. Featuring essentials, such as chocolate brownies, shortbread caramel slice and chocolate-chip cookies through to show stoppers, such as layered berry pavlova and chocolate ganache & blackberry bundt, Just Desserts is the ideal gift for the baker and sweet-lover in your life - even if that's YOU!

I got may hands on this beauty a few days ago.  

Not the kind of book I normally share, but it is gorgeous.

I have been lucky enough to sample the decadent Nutella Thumbprint Cookies, and they are as good as they look!

Check out my Instagram stories for a flick through, so see just how lovely the book is on the inside, even the end papers are stunning.

I plan to post a finished product as some point... I am thinking Charlotte's version of one of my favourites...the Kingston biscuit!

Little People, Big Dreams - Zaha Hadid by Ma Isabel Sanchez Vegara illustrated by Asun Amar

Little People, Big Dreams - Zaha Hadid by Ma Isabel Sanchez Vegara illustrated by Asun Amar
Published October 2019 Quarto UK


Blurb:
When Zaha Hadid was a little girl, she grew up in Baghdad, Iraq surrounded by music. She was a curious and confident child, who designed her own modernist bedroom at nine years old. As a young woman studying at University in Beirut, she was described as the most outstanding pupil the teacher had ever met. With her spectacular vision and belief in the power of architecture, she founded her own firm and designed some of the most outstanding buildings in the world - including the London 2012 Olympic Aquatic Centre.

This inspiring book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the architects life.

This is a series that has grown and grown in our store, and it's always exciting to see who turns up on the covers. I was happy to see Zaha Hadid, as I am familiar with her, thanks to another picture book called, The World Is Not a Rectangle by Jeanette Winter.

ISBN: 9781481446693

Any book that opens our eyes to talented and interesting people, is a good book, and this is no exception. Zaha Hadid had a vision and a passion, and she didn't let the convention of straight lines stop her from creating ground breaking architecture. It's the sort of book that makes you want to go out and learn more, and that's what I did. I encourage all readers of this book to research the buildings Zaha created...prepare to be amazed.

I think it's easy to dismiss these titles as simplistic, but I think they are a great introduction to influential and interesting people in our world, and in our history. They're a starting point, encouraging readers to find out more.

The ABC Book of Seasons by Helen Martin, Judith Simpson & Cheryl Orsini

Seasons come ... seasons go ... sun shines ... winds blow ... rain falls ... plants grow... 

From the bestselling creators of THE ABC BOOK OF CARS, TRAINS, BOATS AND PLANES comes a glorious hardback picture book which celebrates the joys of each season. 

From Autumn's 'red, yellow, brown leaves' to Winter's 'sparkly cold snow', the text also introduces children to the concept of weather and its changing patterns.

This book is perfect for sharing. The illustrations are bright and clear and the text is simple. There’s scope to talk about what’s happening on the page, and then opening discussions to what happens during the seasons where there readers live. 

There are also little adjuncts to the seasons too, such as looking at windy days in autumn, asking the general question of “What moves in the wind?’ and matching up animal mothers and babies when talking about Spring.

This book is Australian, so it’s identifiable for most readers that experience four seasons. There are surf lifesavers on the beach, backyard cricket and native flowers. There is a mention of snow in winter, but in Australia it does actually snow…it just depends where you live. The book begins and ends with the same image and text, and the circular image simply shows the cyclical nature of the seasons, with the text ‘Seasons come…seasons go…Sun shines…wind blows…rain falls…plants grow.’

While not every book has to 'fit in with the Australian Curriculum' this one does, so for those that are interested, here's where I think you can use it.

Science / Foundation Year / Science Understanding / Earth and space sciences

Daily and seasonal changes in our environment, including the weather, affect everyday life

Humanities and Social Sciences / Geography / Year 1 / Geographical Knowledge and Understanding
The weather and seasons of places and the ways in which different cultural groups, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, describe them.
Comparing the Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People’s seasonal calendar for the local area with one students are familiar with, such as the four-seasons calendar derived from Europe.

Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops

These two books are a bit off track from what's normally on my reading pile.  These books are not for children, and they are not fiction.  They are a written by Jen Campbell who works in an antiqaurain bookshop, and over the years she has experience more that a few odd comments from customers. Now all of these very funny, some times bizarre conversations have  been published in two entertaining volumes Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops and More Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops.

I laughed out loud before I even opened the first book because right there on the back cover we have this gem:

'Do you have this children's book I've heard about?  It's supposed to be very good.  It's called "Lionel Richie and the Wardrobe." '

I can hardly read that out loud without laughing even now and the book is full of classics like that.  I have a feeling the book may have more appeal to people who work in book shops and libraries.  Those people who don't surround themselves with books every day may not find  the question "Did Beatrix Potter ever write a book about dinosaurs?' as funny as I do, but the question "Do you have and pop-up books on sex education?" might get a laugh.

So, if you work in a book shop or a library you have to find either one of these books and have a read.  Guaranteed to make you smile, even if your day has been full of your very own interesting customers!

All the Buildings In New York by James Gulliver Hancock

I am not sure why this book has landed on our shelves, as it’s not really a children’s book, unless your definition of a children’s books is ‘a book with lots of pictures and very few words’, because that’s what this book is.

The book is by Sydney born James Gulliver Hancock, who like many Aussies has spent a great deal of his life travelling.  When he arrived in New York he says how familiar everything seemed to him, growing up with American TV shows and movies.  I particularly like this idea that “Newcomers to New York City really want to own it, to make up for all the years they’ve missed living here.”  As a way to connect with the city, he has made it his ambition to draw ‘all the buildings in New York’, and this book is, as the title suggests

 All the Buildings* in New York

*That I have drawn so far.

Each illustration is accompanied by it’s address, and in some cases there are additional pieces of information thrown in, such as the year the building was completed, who designed it or the fact that Patti Smith once worked at the Strand Book Store on  828 Broadway.  Some of the buildings are famous landmarks, like the Empire State Building, while other illustrations represent residential buildings, all beautiful and unique in their own right.

While the book may be new, the project is not, so if you would like to see more from James Gulliver Hancock, visit the blog link below.

http://www.allthebuildingsinnewyork.blogspot.com.au/

 Have a look at this book if you:

• love New York
• love movies and TV shows set in New York (the book even includes the Cosby House)
• love architecture

I love this book basically because it’s interesting and different, and while it may only appeal to a small percentage of children, it will appeal to a large number of adults. 

• side note: he also illustrated Underworld: Exploring The Secret World Beneath which I read and loved last year.