New from Dawn McMillan and Ross Kinnaird - anothr zany picture book

NZ Writer and Illustrator 

Dawn McMillan, illustrated by Ross Kinnaird

Squeakopotamus

Oratia 2016    $19.99pb  32pp

ISBN 978 0 9475 0611 7

Themes: Pets/ Size/ Stories in rhyme  

The children think they want to keep their very large hippo- like pet.  Mum and Dad are not so sure - it is the food and the size that is the problem.  It’s a scary feeling too if you wake in the night and discover your new pet is licking his lips and obviously hungry. Could it be that he actually wants to eat YOU? Fortunately nature intervenes and provides a happy ending for everyone. Another totally zany story from this inventive team and I want to start reading it to children ASAP.   

Preschool up/ Age 4 up

Note: This was published on October 6^th but my copy has only just arrived – caught up in the postal system somewhere.  

Nose Picking! Not for the faint hearted adult.

Australian Writer and Italian Illustrator (living in Australia) David Hunt, illustrated by Lucia Masciullo The Nose Pixies ABC Books (HarperCollins Australia) 2016 $25.00hb 32pp ISBN 978 0 7333 3487 0

Themes: Cautionary tales/ Nose picking

Oliver, aged about five, has a really rather disgusting habit. He simply cannot keep his fingers out of his nose and having extracted what he can find there he – well I needn’t go in to details.  One night his dad decides to tell him a story which has quite an effect – he tells the story of the Nose Pixies who, because of Oliver’s habit are now going home empty handed every night after coming to mine for the nose gold that keeps their cities running. It’s gross. It’s not for the faint hearted adult looking for a gentle bedtime story. It’s been a top of the pops hit with every child I have read it to so far.  And the perfect pictures  (with much to look at and explore) match the story in every detail.

Preschool up

An underachieving pig wins through

NZ Writer and Illustrator

Stephanie Thatcher

The Other Brother

Scholastic NZ 2016  $18.99pb 32pp

ISBN 978 1 7754 3382 8

Themes: Achievements/ Brothers/ Kindness/ Pigs

It’s not easy to be an underachiever in a family with three brilliant older brothers who are sporty, arty and just simply -  clever. Bertie, the other brother tries his hardest to match them but it takes a wise teacher to show him there are other (and maybe far more satisfying) ways of being brilliant. A ‘moral’ tale but a very palatable one and a story that reads aloud well and leads to lots of discussion and many spin offs.  .      

Preschool up/ Age 4 up

Marine Life - Children's Picture Book

NZ Writer and Illustrator

Marion Day, illustrated by Jane Thorne

Spiny Sebastian Starfish

AM Publishing NZ 2016  $19.99pb 32pp

ISBN 978 0 9941 3053 2

Themes: Marine life/ Marlborough Sounds, NZ

One morning while he was simply minding his own business and searching for food on the sea floor, Sebastian Starfish found himself hooked, dragged to the surface and thrown into a smelly bucket of bait.   This began a long and anxious journey for him until, at last, he was reunited with his friends. Small children will enjoy identifying the different emotions on Sebastian’s ‘face’ from terror to surprise to, at last, real happiness when he was returned home.

This picture book, the first of a planned series, is available from selected bookshops and from the writer who lives and creates her stories in the Marlborough Sounds. Go to: marionday@xtra.co.nz   

Preschool up/ Age 4 up

A very small climber

NZ Writer and Illustrator

Juliette MacIver, illustrated by Link Choi

Henry Bob Bobbalich

Scholastic 2016  $18.99pb 32pp

ISBN 978 1 7754 3322 4

Themes: Adventurous children/ Anger/ Climbing/ Fathers and sons/ Stories in rhyme

Henry Bob Bobbalich was a small boy with a great sense of adventure especially when it came to climbing  - walls/ trees/ cliffs – nothing was too tall or too difficult – he could scale them all. However this didn’t suit his unimaginative school teacher who felt the boy should be concentrating on matters closer to the ground and Henry lost his spirit. It took his father, a small girl falling from a cliff and a large elephant to turn his fate and for him to be able to listen to the voice inside his head and to follow the sort of life he knew was right for him. Interesting illustrations from Link Choi an Auckland based artist who specialises in producing picture books for adults (this may be his first picture book for children?) and whose prints are available for view on the net. One of the charms of the book is you are really not quite sure where and when it is set. Children will have their own ideas.  As she did in Grasshoppers Dance  (Scholastic 2015) Juliette MacIver has a wonderful way with words  (They read palms and the Psalms, applied balms they had made…) which makes it a pleasure to read aloud.

Preschool up/ Age 4 up

(Is it really a week since I entered anything on this Blog?  Put it down to the school holidays and an avalanche of writers wanting their work assessed! BM)

A dinosaur for a grandpa?

AVAILABLE on May 2nd

NZ writer and Illustrator

Richard Fairgray and Terry Jones. Colouring by Tara Black

My Grandpa is a Dinosaur

Penguin Random House Picture Puffin  2016  $19.99pb  32pp

ISBN 978 0 1435 0719 2

Themes: Perception

Why does nobody but Wanda notice that her grandpa is a dinosaur?  He has a tail. He is green and scaly. He is enormous. But no one believes her. A story for all those who see so much that adults (and some children) don’t (or can’t) told with minimal text and generous ‘cut and come again’ illustrations. The story of the writer and illustrators is almost as unusual as the narrative – please Google to find the background including the fact that Richard Fairgray is almost totally blind.

Preschool up/ 4 years up

Bob Graham's Latest Picture Book

TO BE PUBLISHED EARLY IN AUGUST 2015

Australian Writer and Illustrator Bob Graham How the Sun Got to Coco’s House Walker Books 2015 $28.00hb 32pp IBSN 978 1 4063 5900 8 Themes: Cultural differences/ Sunrise

The sun rises very slowly over polar bears and fishermen, over a plane high in the sky, through rural towns and big cities, deserts and frozen forests til, at last, it shows its wintery light through Coco’s bedroom. It stays with her all day (just sometimes hiding behind a cloud) and then, at the end of her day gently goes off on its continuing round. This is exactly the sort of book we have come to expect from Bob Graham – full of wisdom and insight and with his trademark illustrations to support its theme.

The book is endorsed by Amnesty International UK because it reminds us that this world belongs to us all and we all have the right to enjoy life, freedom and safety. 

Preschool up/ Age 4 up

What's in a constellation?

NZ Writer & illustrator

David Elliot

Henry’s Stars

Random House New Zealand  2015  $19.99pb 32pp

ISBN 978 1 7755 3824 0

Themes: Constellations/ Farmyard animals/ Perception/ Sequels

Henry the pig is overcome with excitement when, looking up at the starry sky, he sees the Great Pig in the Sky as clear, as clear. He can’t wait to share the news with the other animals in the farmyard but to his annoyance no one sees a pig – they see a horse or a sheep or a cow. A wonderfully understandable story for even the youngest listeners about how we may all see things differently – but who is to say who is right.  The story is filled with David Elliot’s cheerful illustrations of this endearing group of animals as they ponder these ideas.

Just published, Henry's Stars is a ‘companion’ volume to Henry's Map, which was  one of the US School Library Journal's Best Books of 2013.

For more information abut the writer/illustrator who in his time has been a teacher, a gatekeeper at the London Zoo, a dishwasher in the Antarctic  and a … go to www.davidelliot.org

 Preschool up/ Age 4 up

In 2014 David was awarded the Storylines Margaret Mahy Award for his lifetime contribution to children's literature.  

Picture Books

NZ Writer and Australian Illustrator Brett Avison, illustrated by Janine Dawson

Ducks to Water Bryn and Oscar series Five Mile Press 2015   $24.99hb 32pp ISBN 978 1 7600 6606 2

Themes: Dogs/ Ducks and Ducklings/ Farm life/ Problem solving/ Series/ Stories in rhyme

In this, the final in the Bryn and Oscar (the dog) series, the author and illustrator take us back to Mum and Ted’s farm where the duck pond has dried because of a blocked drain.  With no water to swim in the newly hatched ducklings force Oscar into playing the part of surrogate mum. All the children I have shared this with so far have ‘got’ the joke of the personality changes this causes. There is plenty to look at and enjoy as well as the very funny story.  There are drains and cranes, gooey mud and spouting, swishing water plus plenty of farm implements and vehicles. This is an Australian production and boys and girls with sharp eyes will note the differences in the landscape and some smaller (and endearing) things like Bryn’s sunhat.  This is a sturdy, square hardback production with strong, shiny pages and a pop-up of the ducklings which should last for a while.

Please Google the author’s name for details of the other three books in the series – all equally enjoyable.

Preschool up/ Age 4 up

A Bigger Digger is now in its 9th edition

With the river rising what are pigs to do but fly?

Milkie the cow has a big problem