Wet Weather

NZ Writer and Illustrator

Emma Vere-Jones, illustrated by Lisa Allen

The Wetter the Better

Duck Creek Press 2016   $19.99pb 32pp

ISBN 978 1 9273 0527 0                                                 

Themes: Rain/ Stories in rhyme/ Storms

Here is a wonderfully onomatopoeic celebration of the delights of a wet (wet) day seen through the eyes of two exuberant children who at first would much prefer to travel by car.  If you are reading this aloud to a group, please practise first – it is full of traps for the unwary but once mastered is an absolute delight! The watercolour images all add to the ambience of a memorable day.  

Preschool up/ Age 3 up

An idyllic famiy holiday

COMING IN OCTOBER

NZ Writer and Illustrator

Sally Sutton, illustrated by Cat Chapman

When We Go Camping

Walker Books 2016 $28.00hb 28pp

ISBN 978 1 92197778 7

Themes: Camping holidays/ Family togetherness/ Stories in rhyme

There are 28 pages here describing the sort of camping holiday it would be wonderful to think children still experience - making new friends/ cooking on the BBQ/ swimming in the sea/ boiling the billy/ peeing in the long-drop/ singing round the campfire – and not a tablet or mobile in sight.  Text that cries out to be read aloud and generous illustrations in water-colour and ink spread over every double page,

RECOMMENDED  

Preschool up/ Age 3 up

New from Lucy Davey and Cat Chapman

NZ Writer & Illustrator

Lucy Davey, illustrated by Cat Chapman

The Mystery Box & Finnigan Flynn

Scholastic 2016 $17.00pb  32pp

ISBN: 978 1 7754 3299 9

Themes: Crocodiles/ Funny stories/ Stories in rhyme/

When Finnigan Flynn finds a curious box tied up with string on his doorstep with a label that clearly states ‘Do NOT OPEN’ he naturally opens it at once and is disappointed to find nothing but a ‘shimmery sparkle of air’. But then rumble-a-jumble BAM BOOMED in the box and out came  - two crocodiles, a fox, an ox, two frocks and an assortment of blocks. They all spent a happy time together dancing and using their imaginations. Then in the way of all childhood games Finnigan tires of it all, packs everything away in the box and sends it off to another child, by post to the furthermost coast. An exuberant story full of mouth-watering words with interestingly ‘everyday’ illustrations as if to tell us magic is everywhere – we just need to look for it. I can’t wait for the beginning of term to share this with the little group of 3 and 4 year olds I talk to on Tuesday mornings. They will, I hope, love the pictures as well as the words especially UH-OH! whenever anything rather scary is about to happen.

Preschool to Year 2/ Age 3 to 6

Picture Books - Preschool

UK Writer & Illustrator

Debi Gliori

Alfie in the Bath

Bloomsbury 2015   $28.99hb 24pp

ISBN 978 1 4088 5351 1

Themes: Bath time/ Imagination

A simple story about a small rabbit with a big imagination making his bath time come to satisfyingly involving life. As well as real bubbles the bath is filled with octopi, a submarine, deep-sea monsters, crabs, whales and storms - and the bathroom floor is awash.  Just as well there is a father rabbit lurking in the background who seems very handy with a mop. The pages are covered in soft yet vibrant pastel images and the minimal text is just waiting for children to add their own bath time stories.

Preschool – Age 3 up

Picture Books Preschool p

NZ (born in Wales) Writer and Illustrator

Christopher Llewelyn, illustrated by Scott Tulloch

How Does the Giraffe Get to Work? 

Scholastic NZ 2014 19.00pb    32pp

ISBN 978 1 7754 3246 3

Themes:  Commuting/ Stories in rhyme/ Zoos

It may come as a surprise to some readers to find that the animals, like the zookeepers, only work at the zoo and actually go home every night. Writer and artist have had a lot of laughs and fun imagining this situation as the animals set out for another day’s work - the emu and rhea jogging along the motorway, a family of wolves snarling and yawning on the train (best left alone first thing in the morning) plus the tiger jacketed and helmeted on a tiny moped. The giraffe is the last to arrive – riding, rather uncomfortably, a very old and rusty bike. A great read aloud and one to which children will enjoy adding their own means of transport for other animals.

Preschool up/ Age 3 up

Picture Books Joy Cowley Award 2013

Release date 1st September 2014

Winner The Joy Cowley Award 2013

NZ Writer and Illustrator

Aimee McNaughton, illustrated by Dominique Ford I Can’t Imagine How That Happened

Scholastic NZ  2014  $19.50pb 32pp

ISBN 978 1 7754 3204 3

Themes: Camping/ Grandfathers/ Practical Jokes/ Pukekos

Meg and her grandfather go camping but this is no ordinary camping trip as they are both addicted to playing practical jokes scoring each other off through a day and a night. Then, just as they about to sit down to a good cup of tea and some chocolate biscuits they find the tables have been turned on them both  - I can’t imagine how that happened they say together. Zany illustrations and a warm good humoured story make this a book small children will demand to have read over and over again – and older ones will enjoy for themselves.   

Preschool up/ Age 3 up

Picture Book - Preschool

NZ Writer & Illustrator

Ruth Paul

Rabbit’s Hide-and-Seek

Walker Books   2014   $24.95hb         24pp

ISBN 978 1 9220 7734 9

Themes:         Counting/ Hide and Seek

A collection of small animals play gentle games of hide and seek in a very ordered grove of trees. The more simple Ruth Paul’s books for young children appear, the more details and wonderful surprises are waiting for the reader. Just the book to share with a preschool group who will want to come up with their own ingenious hiding places. There is a lot to think about and to talk about in these, what I thought were pastel pages, but now see were created with pencil and digital medium. They are charming.    

Preschool  Age 3-4

Image of Ruth -  Amy Jackman The Wellingtonian

Picture Books - Preschool

Australian Writer and Illustrator

Anna Branford, illustrated by Linda Catchlove

Lilli-Pilli’s Sister

Walker Books, Australia 2014 27.99hb         24pp

ISBN 978 1 9219 7758 9

Themes:         Babies/ Birth/ Fairies/ Families

Lilli-Pilli’s mother is about to have a baby and Lilli Pilli is convinced it will be a small sister. She tries hard to find out for sure by consulting the (Australian) birds in the forest.  She knows, of course, that boy or girl, she will love it dearly. By now Mum’s belly is so large she can no longer fly and Dad is putting the finishing touches on the crib - and then... Many children will guess the final surprise and they should enjoy such a gentle story of a happy birth in a perfect family. I think the illustrations JUST avoid being ‘cute’.  

Preschool – Age 3-4