Review: And Everything Will be Glad To See You - Poems By Women And Girls

Review: Quickly! Quickly!

Review: Crumbs

12 Curly Questions with author Sharon Boyce

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.
I lived in Papua New Guinea twice while growing up.

2. What is your nickname?
I don’t have one.

3. What is your greatest fear?
Spiders and snakes. They’re a bit creepy, but also fascinating at the same time. From a distance.

4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
Easy to read with humour and banter thrown in.

5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Fun, cheeky, witty, open-minded, adventurous

6. What book character would you be, and why?
Charlie Bucket. Who wouldn’t want their own chocolate factory?

7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
I had an amazing holiday to New Zealand in 1993. I’d like to do that again.

8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now?
Don’t be scared to follow your dreams. You can achieve them if you put in the hard work and give it a go.

9. Who is your greatest influence?
When it comes to resilience in writing, Beatrix Potter and JK Rowling, who did not give up despite being rejected.

10. What/who made you start writing?
I was born loving books and stories and couldn’t understand how anyone didn’t like to read. I decided I would like to write the sort of books that kids would love and would hopefully want to make them keep reading as they grew up. I also had a high school English teacher who told me I should be a writer.

11. What is your favourite word and why?
I have two: autumnal – it’s rolls off the tongue and describes the colours and cooler temperatures of the autumn season perfectly, and discombobulated – it’s so much fun to say and, alas, describes my state of mind frequently!

12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Can it be a series? I’ve already read the Harry Potter series so often; I may as well keep reading it.

 

Sharon grew up surrounded by books and dreamed that one day she would be an author. She won her first writing competition when she was 13 and attributes her ongoing longing to write to her Year 8 English teacher who told her she should be a writer. That dream came true many years later when her first picture books  were released by Larrikin House. For more information, see www.sharonjboyceauthor.com.

from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/mD6fZi3

Winner: Graphic Novel Series Prize Pack: Act, Camp, Click

Our lucky winner is...

Liz Dorrington, WA

Congratulations!

You have won a copy of three fabulous graphic novels by Kayla Miller: Act, Click and Camp.

Thank you to ALL who entered.

from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/WzUtS3i

Review: A Berry Long Walk (The Wild Life #1)

A Berry Long Walk is the first in a new series (The Wild Life) by Laura and Philip Bunting.

The stars of the story are Wombat and Roo who are new neighbours. Readers are introduced to them, and join them on their first adventure together.

Wombat is a homebody who is wary of the dangers he believes are lurking in the bush, and prefers the comfort of his burrow over anywhere too far away. He doesn’t like change, but he loves eating, especially bush berries.

Roo is more of an explorer, and will give new things a go. She convinces Wombat to join her on a walk because she’s heard there are berries ‘a short walk’ away. Roo thinks it should be fun, but Wombat isn’t so sure.

There are surprises, dangers and disagreements along the way, and it's possible there might not actually be any berries at the end, but Wombat and Roo cement their friendship over the course of their journey. And Wombat even discovers new confidence.

The Wild Life series has been created with Laura and Philip Bunting’s characteristic style. They wanted to ‘apply picture book principles (e.g. fewer words, full illustrations, fun!) to a long-format children’s book’, and I think it has worked a treat.

There are lots of great things about A Berry Long Walk. The Australian characters and landscape. Plenty of colourful, appealing pictures. Positive messages. Plus a bonus map of the Gumnut Forest and the animals’ journey. Read and listen carefully for the humour and jokes, too. They can be found in both the text and the illustrations.

A Berry Long Walk is the start of a fantastic new series for beginning and newly independent readers, and is highly recommended.

Title: A Berry Long Walk
Author: Laura Bunting
Illustrator: Philip Bunting
Publisher: Scholastic, $15.99
Publication Date: May 2022
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781761126376
For ages: 6 - 8
Type: Junior Fiction

from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/Xp5tPv0

Review: The Very Best Doughnut

Meet The Illustrator: Jeremy Martinez

Name: Jeremy Martinez

Describe your illustration style in ten words or less.
Colorful, warm and endearing.

What items are an essential part of your creative space?
Music, my papers, pastels, inks, rollers, scissors, charcoals, computer, scanner and iPad.

Do you have a favourite artistic medium?
My Pentel Arts pocket brush pen.

Name three artists whose work inspires you.

Marion Deuchars, Alice and Martin Provensen, Miroslav Sasek

Which artistic period would you most like to visit and why?
Now. There is so much wonderful and beautiful art currently being created.

 
Who or what inspired you to become an illustrator?
My love for the birds and nature inspires me everyday to keep observing and creating. I really enjoy documenting nature as a photographer, but illustration in my opinion takes it to a whole different level.

 Can you share a photo of your creative work space or part of the area where you work most often? Talk us through it.
I have a large table in the middle of my workspace so I can work with large papers and I can spread out. I like having all of my art materials in front of me as it allows me to create freely instead of looking for things in drawers or shelves. I do a lot of painting an rubbing to create different textures I use in my illustrations so having lots of room really helps.

What is your favourite part of the illustration process?

For me, it’s grabbing my binoculars and camera and documenting and observing my favorite nature locations. This is a need in my creative process which usually brings about illustration ideas.

What advice would you give to an aspiring illustrator?
Keep creating and don’t take yourself too seriously.

Jeremy is a visual creator. He loves to create with shapes, letters and lots of colour. He makes fun things for children and hopes to inspire a joy of learning through art.
He also observes and writes about birds.

For more information, please visit Jeremy's website or follow him on instagram.

from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/0ZhFbdP

Review: A Little Spark

Review: Miss Understood

Little Red Riding Hood is one of the most widely recognizable stories in the world. Over the years, there have been many MANY adaptations of the folk story, from movies to books and everything in between. But, has anyone really gone and thought if it was all just one big misunderstanding? 

Maybe there is no villain, but rather a set of unfortunate circumstances and a touch of bigotry that resulted in one of the most popular stories of the last 400 years? 

Miss Understood provides us with the perception of the wolf, who is actually a lovely little old lady that just wants to visit some unfriendly friends. The book is narrated by her and involves her telling us her side of the story “I’m the wolf, Miss Understood. You think I’m bad, but I am good. Those Little Pigs told you a porker – made it sound like I’m a stalker!’

The wolf sets out to see her friends, but when she gets to the first pigs house, the pig sees her and doesn’t really feel like having visitors (as they are quite the bore) and slams the door in the wolf's face. The poor wolf then cops a face full of hay (which is really a very unsuitable choice of construction for a house), but Miss Wolf suffers from some dreadful hay fever. She tries to stop herself, she sniffs and blows, but there’s nothing she can do, ‘but ah-ah-ah-chooooo’. She tries to apologise but the pig runs off squealing lies, ‘the big bad wolf is after me! Wee, wee, wee, wee, wee, wee, wee!’ 

Similar things happen at the following houses, and afterwards the pigs really drag Miss Wolf's reputation through the mud and no one will play with her (especially little red riding hood) and the wolf is even kicked out of her knitting club with Gran! There is some great tongue-in-cheek humour with axe men, Gran and Little Red Riding Hood, and a sheep outfit. This book is really funny and super clever. The rhyme flows well and makes it fun to read out loud. It went a little over my toddler’s head and would suit a slightly older audience, one who is familiar with the original story and will get the joke. 

The illustrations were great and expressive – the comic styled characters suit the story perfectly. It really shows that we never know the full story and it’s important to look at things from all sides and not always believe the first thing you hear.

Title: Miss Understood
Author: Kathryn Apel
Illustrator: Beau Wylie
Publisher: Scholastic, $17.99
Publication Date: 1 May, 2022
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781760978310
For ages: 3 - 7
Type: Picture Book

 

from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/JNuBfqX

Review: Pigasus

Pig dreams of flying. 

It’s all she wants to do. 

But her family isn’t exactly supportive and they think she’s better off focussing on rolling in mud.

But dreams are not always so easily ignored, and Pig dares to be different, so she tries several methods to get herself in the air.

They aren’t exactly successful, but Pig won’t give up. And then something magnificent happens and changes everything.

Written in rollicking rhyme, Pigasus is a fun and joyful picture book that encourages persistence and dreaming big. 

Author Zanni Louise injects action, adventure and humour into this delightful story that is sure to have kids flapping their arms in preparation for flight. Anil Tortop brings it all to life on the page, with colourful, magical illustrations that explore Pig’s world.

Say ‘yes I can!’ to the haters and learnt to fly with Pigasus.

Title: Pigasus
Author: Zanni Louise
Illustrator: Anil Tortop
Publisher: Hardie Grant, $19.99
Publication Date: July 2022
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781760509842
For ages:  3 - 6
Type: Picture Book

from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/BCepwGs

Giveaway: Graphic Novel Series Prize Pack: Act, Camp, Click

Act is the funny and honest follow-up to the middle school graphic novel sensations Click and Camp.

Olive is excited to start grade 6: new teachers, new experiences, and a field trip to the big city with her best buds! But when Olive finds out that a school policy is keeping some kids from going on the trip, she decides to act. She’s prepared to do whatever it takes to be heard—even if it means running against Trent and Sawyer, two of her closest friends, in the student council election! With intense campaign competition and emotions running high, can Olive make a big change and keep her friends?

New York Times bestselling author-illustrator Kayla Miller crafts a genuine and inspiring story about evolving friendships, supportive family, and finding out that you—yes, you—have the power to make a difference.

Courtesy of Walker Books Australia, we have not only a copy of Act to pass on but also the sister books, Camp and Click from this graphic novel series.

For your chance to win this entertaining prize pack, tell us in 25 words or less how you support the people around you?

Email your answer along with your name and postal address to dimity. The response we like best will win all three books. Competition is open to anyone, worldwide, so long as they have an Australian postal address for delivery of the books. Please note, we cannot deliver to PO Boxes. Entries without a name and street address will be ineligible. Winners will be announced right here on our website on 26 September 2022.

Competition runs from 5.00 am 17 September 2022 to 5 pm to the 24 September 2022. Adults can enter for those aged 17 and under. This is a game of skill, not chance. The judge’s decision is final and no correspondence will

from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/hlvFszd

Review: No Words

Guest Post: Kristy Nita Brown on Independent Publishing

Junior Review: Not Here To Be Liked

Eliza Quan is the most experienced, hardworking, and slightly cutthroat journalist on the Bugle newspaper and has been for 3 years. 

Her favorite things are her grey cardigan, the Bugle, and winning. Nothing is stopping her from becoming the next esteemed editor-in-chief until Len enters the picture. 

Len Dimartile is a handsome ex-jock turned journalist and by the popular opinion “the nicer candidate”.

When Eliza’s private thoughts about the elections recent turn of events are published as a manifesto on the Bugle newspaper, she spikes a discussion on feminism and sexism at Willoughby High School. 

Suddenly, she is the controversial leader of a revolutionary movement that she never meant to start. 

As a punishment for her actions, Eliza is forced to partner with Len and establish better relationships with her peer. Eliza is starting to grab the reigns of being a feminist and standing up for what’s right, but at the same time, is she falling for Len, her alleged arch nemesis?

Author Michelle Quach has woven a beautiful novel filled with justice, feminists, and a slight whiff of romance. I really enjoyed reading this book because of the main topic at hand, standing up for what’s right, and how Author Michelle Quach was able to convey important points in a lighthearted way. And let’s be honest who doesn’t love a story about a girl boss taking over and perhaps falling in love along the way?

Title:Not Here To Be Liked
Author: Michelle Quach
Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers, $27.82
Publication Date: September 14, 2021
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: ‎ ‎9780063038363
For ages: 13+
Type: Young Adult 

 

from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/pI6moLK

Review: Plume: Global Nibbler

My friends are all very aware of my penchant for penguins. Surely, they are one of the cutest creatures in the world? Although, if you have ever participated in penguin-spotting research via live stream, you will appreciate that the little darlings are very hard to distinguish one from another… 

But now there’s Plume. And there can be absolutely no doubt at all that Plume is the most charming and delightful penguin ever to waddle the pages of a book.

Tania McCartney has a genius for creating picture books that not only engage young readers with their narrative and exquisite illustrations, but also teach - whether about geography or history, people or places. To my mind, she has an absolute gift for her unique style of ‘travelogue’ books, and children of my acquaintance return to these over and over. With Plume, Tania takes this virtual travelling experience to a whole new fun and entertaining level.

Plume made his first appearance as a global traveller in the first book Plume: World Explorer and readers fell in love with this quirky little citizen of Antarctica, who is just a bit different to all the other penguins with his love of very non-PC (Penguin Culture) activities such as sky-diving, knitting and cooking. 

It is Plume’s great interest in cooking that sparks his newest adventure.

The little gourmet with the distinctive yellow feather has tried in vain to interest his fellow penguins in trying out new taste sensations, as he savours his latest online purchases gathered from around the globe. Seemingly, his mates are far too set in their plain fishy ways, so Plume conceives an idea to tempt them.

Enlisting the assistance of the lovely Ava (from Albatross Express), he takes on her super suggestion to host cooking lessons. As a result, Plume takes off on a round-the-world gastronomic experience that's bound to set your tastebuds tingling. 

From Japan to Italy, Iran to Mexico, Morocco to Sweden, Plume and Ava sample and savour tastes and treats. Your little readers will know some of these – such as tacos or kebabs – but others will be new words and dishes to roll around the tongue: torshi, kanelbulle, fika, meskouta and flautas are just a few.

As always, Tania’s illustrations are simply divine, and her characters completely charming, especially their facial expressions. Her fun with wordplay, onomatopoeia and descriptive language will provide much rich and fruitful discussion. And – oh my goodness! – the gorgeous endpapers, frontispiece, and the scrumptious textured cover elevate this to a work of real art.

I cannot wait to share this book with some hungry little readers, and would love to follow it up with a virtual trip around the world, concluding with a feast – of course!

This book will easily be incorporated into a teaching program focused on geography or cultural awareness, but makes for a superb personal reading time share as well. I would highly recommend adding Plume to their collection for readers as young as prep right up to later primary, and I am definitely looking forward to Plume’s next adventure.

Bon appetit!

Stay tuned for Plume: Festival Seeker, out 5 October 2022 in Australia/New Zealand.

Title:  Plume #2: Global Nibbler

Author/Illustrator: Tania McCartney
Publisher: Hardie Grant Explore, $26.99
Publication Date: 5 May 2022 Aus/NZ, 13 May UK, 8 November USA/Can
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781741177671
For ages: 4+
Type:  Picture book



from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/96nQsiy

Cover Reveal: Plume: Festival Seeker

One of the most important things we can gift our children is an appreciation of culture, diversity and celebration. Plume: Festival Seeker is a culmination of all of these things, but it's also a testament to connection, especially with those who experience lives so different to our own.

Written and illustrated by KBR Founder, Tania McCartney, this is the third book in this travel series for little ones –

and it is, indeed, a celebration. 

At a time when the world has seemingly closed down, Festival Seeker entices readers to remember the joy, colour and excitement to be found in travel, celebration, connection, and the joie de vivre we've seemingly lost these past few years.

Plume: Festival Seeker is the most gorgeous children's picture book celebrating – what else? – celebrations! Throughout the year, the world is plump with astonishing festivals and Plume loves them all. Journey alongside this adventurous, colour-loving penguin as he jumps aboard the Albatross Express to enjoy a range of enchanting events across the globe.
 
Stare in wonder at the Up Helly Aa fire festival in Scotland and the freaky Day of Masquerade in Costa Rica. Get messy at the squelchy Boryeong Mud Festival in South Korea or La Tomatina tomato battle in Spain. Scatter a rainbow of colour during Holi in India or enjoy a celebration of gifts, sweets and kindness at Eid al-Fitr in Algeria. 
 
A year of wonder and excitement culminates in Plume’s favourite festival of them all – Christmas! Will his reluctant penguin friends join him for the celebrations?

Featuring a stunning rainbow-foil cover, Festival Seeker makes the perfect gift for travel-lovers and culture-buffs of all ages.

Stay tuned for a review by the amazing Sue Warren.

PRE-ORDER THE BOOK RIGHT HERE

PUBLISHING
5 October Aus/NZ
13 October UK
8 November USA + Canada

from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/EvJfVaQ

10 Quirky Questions with author Katrina Nannestad

1. What's your hidden talent?
Tickling dogs’ tummies. I’m so good at it, I have two settings – one that puts them to sleep, the other that makes them do that funny thing where they kick their back leg in the air.

2. Who is your favourite literary villain and why?
Miss Kaminski from Ophelia and the Marvellous Boy (by Karen Foxlee). She’s beautiful, polite and helpful, but she keeps getting Ophelia’s name wrong and you just know that something about her is not quite right and… Well, I can’t say too much or I’ll give the story away.

3. You're hosting a literary dinner party, which five authors would you invite? (alive or dead)
Dr Seuss because I like to think he would talk in rhyme all evening and would be totally honest about the food – for instance, if I served Brussels sprouts, he’d roar: ‘I do not like them here or there. I do not like them anywhere. I do not like those Brussels sprouts. Scoop them up and toss them out!’
Louisa May Alcott, because Little Women is one of my all-time favourite books. Beatrix Potter, because, surely, she’d be a fellow animal lover and maybe even bring a pet rabbit or hedgehog along to dine. Rachel Spratt, because I think anyone who can create a character like Nanny Piggins would be hilarious company. And AA Milne, because who wouldn’t want to have dinner with the creator of Pooh and Piglet?

4. Which literary invention do you wish was real? 
The wardrobe from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Imagine stepping through to a whole new world! Of course, I wouldn’t step through until after the White Witch had been conquered. I fancy myself picnicking in the woods rather than fighting battles.

5. What are five words that describe your writing process?
Daydreaming, daydreaming, writing, daydreaming, writing.

6. Which are the five words you would like to be remembered by as a writer?
She wrote my favourite book!

7. Picture your favourite writing space. What are five objects you would find there?
My laptop, a cup of coffee, Olive my whippet, a pencil and a piece of paper with strange notes scrawled across it, like, 'Do Brussels sprouts come from Brussels?', 'surfing goat', 'ring Mum', 'flowery swimming caps are funny'.

8. Grab the nearest book, open it to page 22 and look for the second word in the first sentence. Now, write a line that starts with that word. (Please include the name of the book!)
Before taking a breath mid-laughter, remind yourself that gulping for air too hard will result in a snort – which is fine if you want to sound like a pig, but not so great if you’re having dinner with the Queen. (The Travelling Bookshop: Mim and the Baffling Bully – it’s on my desk because I’m currently writing Book 4 in the series).

9. If you could ask one author one question, what would the question be and who would you ask?
Did you laugh a lot while writing? I’d ask PG Wodehouse, a man who wrote fabulously funny novels.

10. Which would you rather do: 'Never write another story or never read another book'?
This question freaks me out! The idea of a future without one or the other is horrid. But if I have to choose: Never write another story. Now I’m crying at the thought. And, oddly enough, I’m snorting every time I take a breath. So the advice given in question 8 doesn’t only apply to laughter.

 Katrina Nannestad is an award-winning Australian author. The Travelling Bookshop: Mim and the Woeful Wedding is out now. See www.katrinanannestad.com for more information.

from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/NY6L9eP

Review: Sadie Starr's Guide To Starting Over

Winner: Where Seagulls Dare: A Diamond Brothers Case by Anthony Horowitz

Our lucky winner is...

Norah Colvin, QLD

Congratulations!

You have won a copy of this side-splitting new middle grade fiction by Anthony Horowitz, Where Seagulls Dare: A Diamond Brothers Case.

Thank you to ALL who entered.

from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/ua2iGCd

Review: Mars Awakens

Dee was born on Mars, raised in the Davinci settlement. Food is scarce and doesn’t grow easily. There hasn’t been a boy born in many, many years. But Davinci and its inhabitants hold hope that phase 2 of the Mars mission will soon begin and supplies are on their way.

Dee is not so sure. It’s been so many years, and many generations have been born on Mars, their genes and abilities to cope with the harsh environment evolving with each child born. 

Dee just wants to focus on her work — gardening the craters to provide food for the settlement. She likes her work and her friends. She’s happy to get on with it. 

But when a strange object crashes into Mars not far from where Dee is working, everything changes.

Over at the Newton settlement, Holt sees the object crash land too. The Newtons’ don’t leave their settlement often, and when they do, they always wear protective gear for fear of the Mars environment. But the object must be investigated, and Holt is chosen to head out and find it.

So Dee from Davinci and Holt from Newton head towards the crash site, unaware of the intentions of the other. Dee isn’t even aware the Newton settlement exists, and Holt has been brought up to believe Davinci is filled with savages.

When they meet, there is fear on both sides, but when a new enemy reveals itself, Dee and Holt must learn to work together or everything and everyone they know will be destroyed.

Mars Awakens is a brilliant middle-grade sci-fi from H M Waugh. Thrilling and addictive, it explores themes like prejudice and adversity, all on the super cool setting of Mars. There are mysteries to solve, challenges to overcome and sacrifices to be made. It’s a book that makes you think about what you would do if you discovered a hard truth. What sacrifices would you make to save a friend (or maybe an enemy)?

Written in first person present tense, the book pulls you right up next to the characters. You also get to experience both sides of the fence, with some chapters written from Dee’s perspective and some from Holt’s.

If you love mystery, sci-fi, action and adventure, Mars Awakens is one for you. It’s also book one in a duology, so there’s one more instalment to look forward to.

Title: Mars Awakens
Author: H M Waugh
Publisher: Allen and Unwin, $16.99
Publication Date: May 2022
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781760526979
For ages: 10 - 14
Type: Middle-Grade Fiction

from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/i4EQWVX

Review: Writes of Passage: Words to Read Before You Turn 13

Nicolette Jones is a writer, literary critic and broadcaster, and has spent many years as the children's book critic for the UK's Sunday Times. In Writes of Passage: Words to Read Before You Turn 13 she shares 100 pieces of writing she's found inspiring.

Writes of Passage is an anthology of writing, set out in chapters by themes. They include: On Childhood and Your Past, On Equality and Justice, and On Reading.

There's poetry and prose, fiction and non-fiction, with each chapter providing a number of extracts from books, speeches, essays, films, interviews, songs, and so on. 

They range in length from a sentence or paragraph, to a couple of pages, making them easy to read, and to dip in and out of the book.

Nicolette Jones has selected pieces of writing to reflect what she's 'learned in more than a couple of decades of reviewing books for the young -- that they encompass all the big themes ... they tell us what the world is like before we have seen much of it, and they equip us for the good and the bad in it.'

The passages include those written by people like Anne Frank, Michelle Obama, Tim Minchin, Oliver Jeffers, and Michael Rosen. Each passage is followed by a short contextual statement, providing some context related to the author and the passage, or their writing more broadly.

Writes of Passage: Words to Read Before You Turn 13 would make an excellent gift, and also a great discussion resource. As suggested by Nicolette Jones, it might also be an inspiration for readers to create their own 'commonplace book' or collection of favourite quotes.

Title: Writes of Passage: Words to Read Before You Turn 13
Author: Nicolette Jones
Publisher: Nosy Crow, $24.99
Publication Date: 30 August 2022
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781788005029
For ages: 10+
Type: Non-Fiction

from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/PR2TCa8

Review: Whodunnit, Eddie Woo? Team Trouble! (Book #2)

Eddie Woo and his best mates Rusty and DT are prepping for the Triple Threat competition at school. 

It’s got academics, performing arts and sports, and they all need to excel at ALL of them to win. 

But there’s something else going on in Eddie’s life and it’s distracting him from focusing on the competition.

Mr Appleby is a close family friend to Eddie and his parents — he helped Eddie’s parents when they first came to Australia. 

Eddie and his dad regularly visit Mr Appleby at the Sunnyside Aged Care Home, but when they go to visit one day before school, they discover that the home is closing down. In only a week!

Something doesn’t seem right, and Eddie is determined to uncover the truth.

With full support from his parents (who really don’t want the home to be closed), Eddie starts investigating the Sunnyside closure with his friends. But there are some seriously sinister bad guys doing everything they can to stop Eddie from finding out what’s really going on.

Luckily for Eddie, Mr Appleby knows some secrets, and he leaves clues to help Eddie along the way. Readers will delight in solving the puzzles along with Eddie and his mates to find out the real reason why Sunnyside is closing and stop the bad guys in their tracks — all while training and competing in the Triple Threat competition at school!

Team Trouble! is book 2 in a brilliant new junior fiction series from Australia’s favourite maths teacher Eddie Woo, this one with Dave Hartley. With superb illustrations from Mitch Vane splashed throughout, it’s super engaging and perfect for junior readers.

You can definitely read book 2 without having read book 1 (Time Out!), but this series is soooo good, I recommend starting at the beginning so you don’t miss any of the fun.

Title: Whodunnit, Eddie Woo? Team Trouble! (Book #2)
Author: Eddie Woo and Dave Hartley
Illustrator: Mitch Vane
Publisher: Pan Macmillan, $14.99
Publication Date: 28 June 2022
Format: Soft Cover
ISBN: 9781760983000
For ages: 7 - 13
Type: Junior Fiction

from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/LRnZgQf

Meet The Illustrator: Olana Janfa

Name: Olana Janfa

Describe your illustration style in ten words or less.
Expressive, colourful, joyful, humorous, innocent, free, simple.

What items are an essential part of your creative space?
I mostly paint, so I use acrylic paint, brushes, timber boards, hair dryer. And music, always music.

Do you have a favourite artistic medium?
I generally work with acrylic paint on recycled timber board. 

Working with old, discarded timber gives my work interesting character and means that every piece is slightly different. 

I prefer things that aren’t perfect.

Name three artists whose work inspires you.
I have been most inspired by the Ethiopian Orthodox artwork that I saw in the church growing up. This style of art has really influenced the way that I approach colour. I also get a lot of inspiration from African and Jamaican street art.

Which artistic period would you most like to visit and why?
I would love to visit New York City in the 1970s and 1980s during the era of Basquiat. The creative energy of that time for music, art and fashion seems cool to me.

Who or what inspired you to become an illustrator?
I started painting in 2018. I met an artist on holidays, and it motivated me to start drawing and painting. I had never learned any kind of art before, not even in primary school, so I was starting from zero. I taught myself and gradually developed my own style over time. I was very obsessed with painting and did it every day, which meant I learned a lot in a short time. I recently illustrated a children’s book for Pan Macmillan called ’29 Things You Didn’t Know About Me’ by Solli Raphael. This was my first time illustrating professionally and was a really fun process. I hope I can do more in the future.

 Can you share a photo of your creative workspace or part of the area where you work most often? Talk us through it.
This is a photo of me working in my studio. Not long after I first started to paint, I cleared out some space in an old shed in the garden at my home and created my own space to paint. I love having a space at home to work. It’s quiet and peaceful and inspires me to work more, any time of the day.

What is your favourite part of the illustration process?

I really enjoy working collaboratively to understand the writer’s vision and communicate a story. My work is usually very solitary, so this is a nice change for me. Working like this allows me to approach the work differently, create new ideas and push myself into new areas.

 
What advice would you give to an aspiring illustrator?
To achieve a good outcome, the process requires open communication and a good relationship with the publisher, and I was lucky to have this in my process with Pan MacMillan. It’s important to be flexible and make changes quickly but you shouldn’t feel like you have to change your style. I feel lucky that I have been encouraged to do things my way and stay true to my art.

 

Olana Janfa is a self-taught artist based in Melbourne. Born in Ethiopia, he began painting to connect with his culture and create a sense of home. Taking stylistic cues from traditional Ethiopian Orthodox art and African street art, Janfa presents his often-humorous take on the world through themes of family, sport, popular culture and the migrant experience.

For more information, please visit Olana's website or follow him on instagram

from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/iBO1whr

Guest Post: Hina Nauman on Connecting With Nature

Review: The Very Hard Book

Are you up for a challenge?

Do you love to laugh?

The Very Hard Book is the picture book for you.

Sit in an empty room.

Be somewhere else for a minute.

Stop thinking about purple turtles.

With impossible challenges to get you thinking and give you the giggles, The Very Hard Book is joyful, quirky and bucket loads of fun.

This is a book for inquisitive and curious minds. It’s a great one for classrooms and groups, with minimal text (in the form of instructions) to read and then assess — can it be done? Why can’t it be done?

Throughout the book a bunch of colourful, quirky creatures are there to accompany readers, giving each task a go to hilarious effect.

Bright, bold and joyful, Idan Ben-Barak and Philip Bunting deliver the goods in The Very Hard Book.

Title: The Very Hard Book
Author: Idan Ben-Barak
Illustrator: Phillip Bunting
Publisher: Allen and Unwin, $24.99
Publication Date: 30 August 2022
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781760526221
For ages: 3 - 6
Type: Picture Book

from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/V1IbT38

Review: Where Do Butterflies Go At Night?

Bookish Places: Paddington Bear at Paddington Station

Statue of Paddington Bear, Paddington Station, London (Photo: Sarah Steed)

The Kids' Book Review Bookish Places posts are a chance to celebrate museums, galleries and other places with a connection to children's literature and reading. The posts are compiled by KBR's Consultant Librarian, Sarah Steed, our intrepid traveller and hunter-gatherer of amazing places!

Paddington Bear is the much loved star of the children's books written by Michael Bond, which were first published in 1958. In the story A Bear Called Paddington, he is given his name by the Brown family who met him on the platform at Paddington Station soon after his arrival from deepest, darkest Peru.

London's Paddington Station celebrates its famous namesake with a bronze statue of Paddington Bear on Platform 1, where he has a fine view of the trains. The statue was designed by British sculptor, Marcus Cornish, based on the original Paddington illustrations by Peggy Fortnum.

And best of all, you don't need a ticket if you just want to visit the Paddington statue.

Statue of Paddington Bear, Paddington Station, London (Photo: Sarah Steed)

Also at the station is the Paddington Bear Shop (the only one in the world). There you can browse and purchase all kinds of Paddington items including books, bears, toys, gifts and exclusive Paddington items. There’s also an online store for those who can’t make it in person. 

Photo of some of the items at the Paddington Shop, London (Photo: Sarah Steed)

If you're visiting London, you can follow the Pawprint Trail to see the Paddington Bear Book Bench, a statue of writer Michael Bond, places that feature in the Paddington stories and more.

Paddington Railway Station is located on Praed Street, Paddington, in London, England. It's a major station with trains serving many regions as well as Heathrow Airport. Trains on several of the London Underground lines also stop at Paddington.

Paddington Bear can be enjoyed in many ways, and whether or not you visit Paddington Station, you can join him on his adventures by reading a copy of a Paddington book. 

In-store display of a framed photo of Michael Bond with Paddington Bear, London (Photo: Sarah Steed)

Interested in taking a Bookish Places trip around the world with Sarah? Enjoy this sensational map, also created by Sarah, and check out our other Bookish Places posts here.

Paddington Station sign, London (Photo: Sarah Steed)

from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/nMrwyN5

Giveaway: Where Seagulls Dare: A Diamond Brothers Case by Anthony Horowitz

If you're after a hilarious new story about the world’s worst detectives, by the bestselling author of the Alex Rider series, Anthony Horowitz then this is the Giveaway for you!

Private investigators Tim and Nick Diamond haven’t had a case for three months and are down to their last cornflake. So when a glamorous woman comes into their office offering them a pile of cash to find her missing father, they think Christmas has come – only it turns out they are the turkeys! 

Before they know it, they are caught up in a case involving bike-riding hitmen, superhackers and a sinister far right organisation, the White Crusaders. The Diamond Brothers are in the soup and in it over their heads. 

With thrills and spills, and jokes on every page, this new Diamond Brothers novel will have young readers howling with laughter.

For your chance to win this side-splitting new middle grade fiction from Walker Books Australia, tell us in 25 words or less why or why not you would like to be a detective. 

Email your answer along with your name and postal address to dimity. The response we like best will win a copy of this new release. Competition is open to anyone, worldwide, so long as they have an Australian postal address for delivery of the books. Please note, we cannot deliver to PO Boxes. Entries without a name and street address will be ineligible. Winners will be announced right here on our website on 12 September 2022.

Competition runs from 5.00 am 3 September 2022 to 5 pm to the 10 September 2022. Adults can enter for those aged 17 and under. This is a game of skill, not chance. The judge’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/EyiYIog

Review: Swoop

Have the ever felt the woosh of air by your ear as you take a stroll in springtime?

Have you ever ducked your as a snapping sound clicks in your ears?

Have you ever avoided ‘that’ street because you know what’s waiting in the last tree on the left?

You know what I’m talking about...

Magpies!

Those beautiful but sometimes intimidating birds who stop at nothing to protect their babies. Those birds that rule the parks and sidewalks for several months of the year.

But have you ever thought about their side of the story? Have you ever wondered what it’s like for them?

Swoop is a fabulous new picture book by two AMAZING creators (Nicole Godwin and Susannah Crisp) that explores the world of magpies from the magpie’s perspective.

Magpie stands guard.
He has one job. One desire. One purpose.
Keep the eggs safe.

As intruders stroll by, Magpie does his job with style and determination. No one can fool Magpie, and he gets them every time, even when they try wearing disguises. He’s good at his job, but there are still threats he doesn’t see coming, and sometimes he has to work extra hard to protect the babies.

I adored this picture book. Absolutely loved it. It explores a topic that is soooo relatable to soooo many of us, and I just love how Crisp injects the hilarious truth of magpie avoidance into her illustrations. I mean, who hasn’t tried the old ice cream tub hat or bike helmet with cable ties trick?

Crisp’s illustrations are simply stunning. With beautiful soft colours and details galore, in only one setting (Magpie’s tree at the park), Crisp creates an entire world, with multiple characters that have stories of their own lovingly weaved into their expressions, clothing and accessories. It’s truly a delight to turn each page, meet a new character and imagine who they are and what has brought them to the park.

I adored the simplicity of this story. The text is minimal, but each word is carefully chosen and wonderfully delivered. Readers will love joining in on the big swoops that curl and loop across several pages.

I also love how Godwin lets us see things from the other side. Reading this book shows you just how important it is for Magpies to swoop, and even though most of us feel targeted for doing nothing to hurt them, there are dangers for Magpies too. They are just trying to be the best parents they can be.

But this book is not a lecture. It’s fun, joyful, funny and relatable. It’s a perfect picture book that kids will love, love, love. And after reading the fun tale, when you are ready to learn more, there are four pages packed with information at the back of the book. You’ll learn about magpie features, their cheeky and hilarious antics, magpies in First Nations culture and their status as an Aussie icon.

This book ticks all the picture book boxes, and it’s one I predict will be treasured by schools, homes and libraries alike. Do yourself a favour and grab a copy of Swoop.

Teachers notes also available on the publisher’s website.

Title: Swoop
Author: Nicole Godwin
Illustrator: Susannah Crisp
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing, $24.99
Publication Date: September 2022
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781486315697
For ages: 3 - 6
Type: Picture Book

from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/ZHi6NOV

Review: Milly And The Mulberry Tree