Fiction Age 6 up

NZ Writer & Illustrator

Victoria M. Azaro  Super Saffron (New Edition)  W4 Ltd 2014  $24.99pb 292pp

ISBN 978 0 4732 7066 7

Themes: First person stories/ Funny stories/ Omnibus editions (3 books in one)

I have been a fan of Saffron for over five years now since she first appeared in 2009 in a much slimmer volume.  Saffron, I guess she is about nine or ten years old, is a small girl who knows exactly where she is going, has an opinion about everything and yet, underneath, is as vulnerable and loving as anyone. Saffron travels the world with her family, takes over when her baby sister is born and suffers the daily questioning of her other small sister, Sage (soon to appear in her own book I read). It is a decidedly quirky, unusual family to which she belongs. Available from some bookshops or go to www.saffron-sage.com     

 

Year 2 up/ Age 6 up

Fiction Age 6 up

Swedish Writer and Illustrator

Rose Lagercrantz, illustrated by Eva Eriksson

My Heart is Laughing

Gecko Press 2014   $19.99pb 119pp

ISBN 978 1 8775 7951 6

Themes: Bullying/ Friendship/ One parent families/ Primary school life/ Sequels (stand alone)

We first met Dani in My Happy Life (Gecko Press 2012) and she loses none of her charm and exuberance in this new title. Living with her Dad in a one parent family, sad because her very best friend in the whole world, Ella, has moved away, Dani has a lot to worry about. No wonder she finds it hard to make new friends at school all of which ends in pinching (of flesh!), bullying, throwing of sauce bottles (some of which explodes in the long suffering (and large) teacher’s face and the general mayhem created by unhappy children. This is a wonderfully easily accessed story (it is translated by Julia Marshall) with really charming illustrations that mirror completely what we are reading in the text. {Please look at the expressions on the faces – perfect!) Apparently the writer and illustrator who are both Swedish, meet in a coffee shop at the beginning of the process where Rose (the writer) reads the story aloud to Eva (the illustrator) who then takes the script home and works on creating the images. Rose is not allowed to see the pictures until they are finished but then, as she says, she always feels they are even better than she could have imagined and she is happy.  I think this would be a great read-aloud.

Year 2 up/ Age 6

Last Thursday night (May 22^nd) I went to a very enjoyable evening hosted by Paper Plus at Porirua (great NZ Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults displays) and National Library. Julia Marshall spoke to us all about the new (and exciting) titles Gecko Press will be publishing (or have just published) over the next few months.

Picture Books and Fiction Age 6 up

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Belgian Writer and Illustrator

Annemie Berebrouckx

Bernie (and) Flora

Book Island, Raumati, Wellington   2012   $19.99pb    36 pages

ISBN 978 0 9876 6961 2

Themes: Flowers/ Friendship/ Love

The friendship between Bernie the bear and Flora the duck goes back a long way as does their love of the beautiful flowers in Bernie’s garden. Then one morning Flora arrives at Bernie’s house to find all the flowers have vanished – who could do such a thing? A gentle and colourful story that explores the nature of friendship and love with subtle touches of humour.  

 Preschool up / Age 4 up

Irish Writer and Belgian Illustrator

Lorraine Francis, illustrated by Pieter Gaudesaboos

Sammy and the Skyscraper Sandwich

Book Island, Raumati, Wellington   2012   $24.99hb    16 pages

ISBN 978 0 9876 6960 5

Themes: Board books/ Food preparation/ Healthy food

Sammy is so hungry that although he begins by making a very large sandwich it is just not enough to satisfy him. He goes out into the city to find more and more delicious ingredients and to make the sandwich grow and grow. There is much to look at and the laminated pages encourage much touching as well.  With an emphasis on healthy foods, a wide age range of children will enjoy the idea of making their own skyscraper sandwiches (and, depending on the ingredients, eating them).

Preschool up / Age 4 up

 

Dutch Writer and Belgian Illustrator

Dirk Nielandt, illustrated by Marjolein Pottie

Sir Mouse To The Rescue

Book Island, Raumati, Wellington   2012   $24.99hb    52 pages

ISBN 978 0 9876 6962 9

Themes: Friendship/ Funny stories/ Short stories 

 

Mouse is dressed in armour and carries a sword. She is a knight.  Dragon doesn’t have any of these things – she is just Dragon and she and Mouse are friends. This is a very clever look at stereotypes, at how opposites often attract in friendships and how we all (mice, dragons and human beings) are a combination of many personalities. Great to read aloud and to follow up with some of the suggested activities on the website. (See below) Also perfect for emerging readers to enjoy on their own.  

Year 2 up/ Age 6 up

I have only just come across Book Island, a new publishing firm based in Raumati South, their first three titles published in November last year and their publisher Greet Pauwelijn. Greet has created many spin offs to accompany the books and you can find out about them, the publishing firm and the publisher by visiting www.bookisland.co.nz

I will most certainly be looking out for further titles published by this firm.

Note to new writers:

Yes, I know the idea of another source to which to send material is really exciting (and especially when you see the high quality of the first three titles), but I have to tell you that, because all the books published by Book Island are translated, they do not accept any unsolicited manuscripts. 

 

Fiction Age 6 up

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NZ Writer & Illustrator

Sally Sutton, illustrated by Dave Gunson

Diary of a Sea Lion

Scholastic   2013   $16.50pb    50 pages

ISBN 978 1 7754 3153 4

Themes: Auckland Islands/ Fish nets/ Hooker’s sea lions/ Sealers

She’s a cry baby, a bit of a wimp, scared to go into the water – even a rock pool – but this young sea lion pup can tell amazing stories to her cousins and to all the other pups gathered on the beach on one of the Auckland Islands. This is such an endearing and entertaining story

(I’ve woken five minutes early every morning for the past four days just to finish it) and while the readers are laughing and sympathising they are also taking on board much about the life of sea lions living around the Auckland Islands back to the hunted days of the 1800s. This is a book that will make adults laugh just as much as the children at whom it is aimed – often for quite different reasons.

We need more New Zealand books like this for this age group.

Also just recently published (and written in the same format and in the same breezy style) is Diary of a Frog ISBN 978 1 7754 3152 7

And in 2011 Diary of a Pukeko ISBN 978 1 8694 3975 0 and last year (2012) Diary of a Bat ISBN 978 1 7754 3101 5  

Year 2 up/ Age 6 up

Fiction - Age 6 up

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Australian Writer &  Illustrator

Susan Halliday, illustrated by Tom Jellett

Marcy: Lost Dogs

Ford Street Australia 2013           $12.99pb           56 pages

ISBN 978 1 9216 6574 5

Marcy Series Number 2/ Book 14

Themes: Easy-to-read/ Grandmothers/ Self confidence/ Series

Armed with a clipboard of essential tips for new dog owners, Marcy and her friend Bella walk the neighbourhood trying to match suitable homes with lost dogs from the local ‘pound’.  Easily read, funny and with a strong message of good pet ownership, this is just one new title in a very full series that I have only just come across.  For teachers wanting to get younger children ‘hooked’ into an attractive series I think these books would be well worth considering. There is a companion series Toocool with a male main ‘lead’ although Marcy and Bella also appear in them.    

Year 2- 3/ Ages 6-7