Picture Books

NZ Writer & Illustrator

Tania Atkinson, illustrated by Viv Walker

Over the Hill to Greytown

Wai Art Press, 2013  $20.00pb 28pp

ISBN 978 0 4732 5252 6

Themes:         Greytown, New Zealand/ New Zealand history/ Repetitive stories/ Rimutaka Hill Road/ Stories in rhyme/ True stories

Around 1850, three seedling gum trees were stolen from outside the Rising Sun Hotel in Greytown.  They had been left there by a recently arrived English migrant, Samuel Oates and his companion, Fairweather, who had walked all the way from Wellington pushing a barrow over the rudimentary Rimutaka Hill  track with the trees and other goods. They had dropped in to the pub to quench their thirst. The trees were planted out in Greytown by the thieves and one can still be seen today in the St Luke’s Anglican churchyard. .

Tania Atkinson and illustrator Viv Walker have taken this great story and turned it into a nursery rhyme picture book for younger New Zealanders although older children will enjoy it as well.  On the way over the hill, Samuel Oates who for the sake of story is now travelling alone, gives rides in the barrow to a host of animals, birds and at one stop, two small children and all the time the barrow gets bigger and bigger to accommodate them. This is a wonderfully repetitive story to read aloud with much opportunity to join in. I read it to four-year-old twins last weekend who, if they don’t like what I am sharing with them simply join hands, get up and walk away. This time they sat entranced and shouted out the words as the pattern became clear to them. The charming illustrations have been meticulously matched to the story and the end pages show Samuel, his wife and children growing older as the tree and their house grows much, much bigger.

There is a great air of cheerfulness about this whole publication and the added bonus of a possible trip to see the tree in Greytown all add to its charm.

Preschool up/ Age 4 up

I was privileged to be asked to launch this book last night in Wellington (it had already been launched (twice) in the Wairarapa) and about 40 people piled into the ever-hospitable Children’s Bookshop out at Kilbirnie.

Tania and Viv are in the middle of the image. I can’t imagine what I was saying but it seems to be making them laugh and, in the case of John McIntyre, smile.

Lynne Jackett took the photo.

Picture Book (for all ages)

NZ Writer & Illustrator

Jenny Bornholdt, illustrated by Sarah Wilkins

A Book is a Book

Gecko Press,  2013  $24.99hb 40pp

ISBN 978 1 8775 7992 9

Themes:         Love of books

This is a many layered celebration of a love of books that could be enjoyed across a wide range of ages. Every statement in the book can be read many times over with a new thought occurring each time. The project was first thought of to celebrate the 20^th anniversary of Whitireia Publishing and many publishers, editors and writers were consulted.  I was at a function at Millwood Gallery, Wellington last week where we met the four children who acted as advisers during the making and creating and crafting of the book which explains why it works so well. The really charming illustrations sit comfortably on the pages and I am going to keep my copy permanently on my bedside table. On one of the pages it tells us A book smells kind of dry, like cauliflower and you know, this one really does!

When you remove the paper cover on the hard back edition – surprise – there is another, quite different but equally delightful image underneath.

Year 2 up/ Age 6 up     

Julia Marshall, Director Gecko Press, looks on as one of the advisers re investigates the book at Millwood Gallery

Moving House and Home

I am moving house in 17 short day's time so between today and around 8th December there may be a little disruption to the frequency with which I enter on this blog. But I will do my best to keep going because great new books seem to be piling up on the floor (no desk left to put them on!).  Every room has three boxes which keep being replaced as they fill up  - one for the rubbish/ one for the Salvation Army/ one for material (including books and more books) to move with me. The cat is beginning to look deeply suspicious.

I have told all my assessment 'clients' that I am not accepting any new manuscripts to look at until after 8th December when I will be sitting at my desk in my new office in my new house.  Fortunately my email (barbaram@clear.net.nz) will remain the same – if you want any more details just contact me on that address.

Maia Blog tour

The innovative Maia Blog Tour is taking place all this week.  See Friday's entry for my review of this new book from Book Island and visit the blogs on the poster above between now and November 15th. 

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An over active imagination!

Hero of the Hill by Joy Cowley

I have been doing a little research this morning on the Rimutaka Hill and also on the fell engines.  I remembered writing something about them in a footnote back in September when I reviewed Joy Cowley’s new book Hero of the Hill. I had a nasty feeling something didn’t quite equate with what I had written when I said I remembered travelling in a little fell engine to Cross Creek from Wellington.  What nonsense! The fell engines pulled the trains up the incline from the other side of the hill and I must have travelled in a railcar.  It also reads as though I was in the engine itself. It was a scary journey, it did feel very steep and I did take books to Cross Creek School but it can’t have been a little wooden train as I write. Put it down to an over active imagination and a thwarted desire to write children’s stories only vaguely based on truth!

Look at the interesting pages at the back of Hero of the Hill for the real facts (and share the story preceding them with a child).

 

 

2014 Katherine Mansfield Menton Fellowship

It was a great evening for the whole genre of 

Children’s Literature in New Zealand.

 I was so privileged to be there last night when it was announced that Mandy Hager, Young Adult writer and tutor extraordinaire, has been honoured with the 2014 Katherine Mansfield Menton Fellowship. This means she will be spending a big part of next year writing from the villa Isola Bella where Katherine Mansfield lived and worked toward the end of her life. Mandy told us she plans to spend much of her time researching for a novel about the French nun, scholar and writer Heloise d'Argenteuil, who had a sad love affair with the 12th Century religious philosopher Pierre Abelard. As well as looking mind- boggling gorgeous in a green silk dress, Mandy made a generous speech in which she said how inspiring it was going to be to be able to walk in the footsteps of the greatest New Zealand writers who have been there before her and to have the time and the freedom to work away from her usual commitments. She ended by saying how wonderful it had been to be able to say to her husband, Brian, ‘Darling – come with me to the French Riviera!’

I took this photo of Mandy in The Children’s Bookshop Kilbirnie last year. She is talking to Ruth MacIntyre and in the background are David Hair (back only!) Geoff Palmer and Fleur Beale. 

 

Fiction - 10 and up

NZ Writer

Philippa Werry

Lighthouse Family – Coastal New Zealand 1941-42

My New Zealand Story series

Scholastic 2013  $18.99pb         240pp

ISBN 978 1 7754 3147 3

Themes:         Deafness in children/ Lighthouse life/ World War Two

Living in New Zealand in the early 1940s was a scary business for children and even more so for the adults who tried to keep the worry of the of threat of a Japanese invasion away from us. However for Frances, who lives in a lighthouse on an island where she is the only girl, has much more to worry about – including her young brother Stephen who is deaf and it seems she is the only person who can make him laugh. Writing a book far into a series that already has at least 26 titles is not easy but there is a freshness and interest about Lighthouse Family that I found particularly addictive and the attitudes and the prejudices of the time blend neatly into the story. Frances can be added to the writer’s growing list of appealing and likeable heroines. The extra fact pages, photos and timelines make it a useful resource for any study on Living in a Lighthouse.

Year 6 up/ Age 10 up