Frozen - The Essential Collection - Book Review

The Frozen mania that exists in my house is SO profound that even I let out a shriek of joy when I opened Frozen: The Essential Collection. Embarrassing? Yes but also true.

There is just something about Frozen that little (and some big) girls love!

My own 3 year old has proudly worn her 'Elsa dress' for 2 months straight (in the interests of hygiene we now own 2 exactly the same) and, to be honest, I'm just relieved that it isn't pink.

Anyway, you can understand my excitement when I opened my Frozen package.

The Essential Collection contains 2 Frozen books, lyrics to all the songs (in case you hadn't realised that it is called "Let It Go"), lots of stickers and generally far more information about Frozen than anyone but a small girl could possibly want to know.

 It also has a "Let It Go" sing-a-long clip... for any little girls out there not already singing it continuously on their own.

Is this book MORE about the movie?

Well, yes.

Are we all a bit sick of Frozen?

Quite possibly but our daughters really aren't and there are worse things in life than a movie where the true love is between sisters, and the handsome prince turns out to be WAY less desirable than the nice guy who works for a living!

In all seriousness, if you know a Frozen-loving little girl (and if you know any girls under the age of 10 you probably do), this is the perfect Christmas present for them. Truly!

Who'll love this: All those Frozen-mad little girls out there
Cost: $29.99
Publisher: Penguin Australia

Sticker books and the kids who love them...

When Wildman was small I never understood the attraction of sticker books, after all what kind of preschooler wants to sit and stick stickers for hours?

Despite my scepticism, other parents raved about them:

 "Oh little Tommy just loves them"
or
"They're so fantastic for fine motor skills"
or
"He sat there sticking for 45 minutes!" (clearly very appealing to a Mum).

I did try to get Wildman to play with them but he would just stick the stickers on the wall for about 2.3 seconds (yay - not) and then lose interest leaving me to spend the next half an hour trying to pick them off without damaging the paint.

Fast forward a few years and I now find myself the Mum of a 3 year old girl who LOVES sticker books. She spends ages carefully sticking them in exactly the right places then telling me stories about the scene she has created.

Its all been a bit of a shock really.

Most recently we have been trying out the Peppa's Halloween Sticker Activity Book (which Penguin very kindly sent in a box of books for review). We aren't a family that embraces Halloween but this book is spooky, cute and very age appropriate.

Princess particularly loved the page where you need to stick jigsaw puzzle shaped pieces on to complete the scene.

I think Peppa's Halloween could do with a few more pages that were just scenes that kids could stick Peppa and her friends on to, rather than all the stickers being needed for the activities, and Princess definitely wished it had a few more stickers in the middle for her to play with, but the overall activities were fun and achievable for a 3-year-old.  

And I got to drink a whole cup of tea in peace while Princess was busy with Peppa!

Who'll love this: Peppa fans.
Cost: $7.99
Publisher: Penguin Books Australia

 

Hello from Nowhere by Raewyn Caisley and Karen Blair - book review

It is incredible that a picture book can give you such a sense of the isolation, stunning beauty and mateship of the Australian outback, but that is exactly what Hello from Nowhere does.

It starts with the lines; "Eve thought that living in the middle of nowhere was better than living anywhere else in the whole world." and by the end of the book I was convinced that she might just be right!

In fact Eve lives at a truck stop called Nowhere with a population of 5, somewhere on one of the great empty stretches of road in the middle of Australia.

Eve is never bored - she plays with animals, chats to tourists, runs and feels the magic of the outback. The only thing Eve feels like she is missing is her Grandma who thinks that Nowhere is "the back of beyond".

When Eve finally persuades Grandma to come and visit she gets to show her just how wonderful Nowhere is.

I really liked this book - it feels like a tribute to the Australian outback and the people who live there. The pictures are stunning and the story is told so simply but has such a wealth of feeling, you can really tell how much Raewyn Caisley and Karen Blair love Australia.

This is a great book for learning about kids who live different lives from ours, for remembering that kids can make their own fun, and for appreciating the beauty of Australia.

Who'll love this: Its a great present for children who overseas and for grandparents to give their grandchildren, plus its just a wonderful story with lots to talk about.
Cost: $24.99hc
Publisher: Penguin Books Australia 

The Very Hungry Catepillar (cloth book) by Eric Carle - book review

Everyone loves The Very Hungry Caterpillar, right?

There is something about the story and, in particular, the illustrations that just grabs you and draws you in. 

Kids love the repetition of the food and the idea of just eating and eating, grow-ups love the lesson about life evolving and nature, and everyone loves the stunning butterfly picture at the end.

Well now there is a The Very Hungry Caterpillar book for babies and it is divine. Seriously, if you are looking for a gift for a new baby this is it!

The story isn't the same because the book it is just a few pages long, but the cloth version is absolutely true to the feel and emotion of the original. Soft, colourful and incredibly tasteful, this is the most lovely present for the newest little someone in your life.

Plus it comes in a gorgeous gift box with dots. So much love!

Who'll love this: People (especially grandmas) looking for a classy present for a new baby.
Price: $19.99
Publisher: Penguin Books Australia 

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner - book review

If you like the idea of Doctor Who crossed with an angsty romance (and I do) then this is the book for you.

Set in the future These Broken Stars is sci-fi but it is definitely not at the extreme end and you don't have to be a sci-fi fan to love it. Like in Doctor Who, humans are still humans, but we have discovered ways to travel the universe and of terraforming planets to make them inhabitable (and profitable).

In some ways this view of humanity's future is slightly depressing and I really hope that, by the time we have the capability of exploring the heavens, we are a little less superficial and wealth obsessed than the ruling class in These Broken Stars but it certainly provides an interesting background for the story.

Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen are both passengers on a luxury mock-Victorian cruising spaceship but their lives couldn't be more different. Lilac is the only daughter of the richest man in universe and Tarver is a hero returned from the brutal frontier wars. When they are suddenly thrown together on an uninhabited, mysterious and deadly planet sparks fly but they need to work together to have any hope of surviving.

It's a really entertaining and exciting story that I certainly found hard to put down.

If you were going to criticise this book I guess you could say that the romance is slightly cliched -Lilac is rich, beautiful and sassy, while Tarver is handsome, poor, heroic and unimpressed by her wealth but, and let's be totally honest here, there is a reason that model of romance is so popular and that's because it works.

And things are not as 'Mills & Boon' as they might seem, the further you get in to this book the more you discover that both Lilac and Tarver have unexpected depths, and there are certainly twists and turns that I never saw coming!    

One of my favourite things about this book is the way that each chapter begins with a short section that is clearly Tarver being questioned by some kind of official. It is intriguing and definitely keeps you turning the pages as you try to figure out what on earth is going on.

Teenage girls will love it!

Who'll love this: Teenage girls
Cost: $18.99
Publisher: Allen & Unwin

To Get to Me by Eleanor Kerr, illustrated by Judith Rossell - book review

To Get to Me comes from a very, very simple idea but it is so cleverly executed that the end result is brilliant.

Everyone who has friends or family who travel or live overseas knows how hard it can be to explain to small children about the world, all the people and places in it, and the different ways of travelling around it. Well, it isn't hard any more!

From buses to camels, from a ferry to a chairlift, To Get to Me is a story about getting from one side of the world to the other, and all the things you would see along the way. It is very simple, with bright and engaging pictures that young kids will love.

This is the kind of book that, when you read it, makes you go "Oh, that's such an obvious idea, I could have thought of that' but the more you read it the cleverer the idea and execution become, and anyway you didn't think of it... Eleanor Kerr did!

Who'll love it: 2 year olds, and preschoolers who have family overseas.
Cost: $19.95 ((hc)
Publisher: Random House Australia

Let's Paint! by Gabriel Alborozo - book review

"Are you keen to paint pictures but afraid of making mistakes?"

Let's Paint! is a very sweet book that aims to help kids explore and embrace their creativity, however messy and imperfect.

It is ideal for kids, particularly boys, who don't do much craft because it pushes the idea that ANY idea is a good one and that in the end your painting might not be perfect but it doesn't matter because the important thing is to just have fun and give it your best.

Alborozo is a very gifted artist and you can really feel how passionate his is about helping kids use art to express themselves (he also worked in the props department on the Star Wars and Matrix movies).

This would be a fun book for a preschool or day care centre - it would be a great activity to read and discuss the book together and then send the kids off to create a painting (or two) of their own.

Who'll love it: kids aged 3-5.

Cost: $22.99

Publisher: Allen and Unwin

  

Yoo-Hoo, Ladybird by Mem Fox, illustrated by Laura Ljungkvist- book review

I love Mem Fox, I really, really do.

I love her books, her passion for children and reading, and the fact that she agonised for years about the placement of a comma in Possum Magic. So, I was reasonably excited to get her latest book, Yoo-Hoo, Ladybird.

As it turns out, the thing that I ended up liking best about the book wasn't that it was by Mem Fox, it was that someone had finally created and clever and age appropriate 'finding' book for very young readers.

My kids love 'finding' books.

You know the ones where they sit on your lap and together you scour the pages looking for the illusive little bus/doll/Wally or whatever. In that moment of togetherness, concentration and then triumph, parenthood is like what I pictured it would be before I had children. Bliss!

The illustrations in Yoo-Hoo, Ladybird are bright, colourful and clear, plus they are full of things that are familiar to young children. There isn't too much text (so you don't get distracted from finding the ladybird) but what there is rhymes, has lots of lovely repetition and engages little minds from the very first phrase; "Ladybird loves to hide."

The level of difficulty is perfect for small children, say 2-year-olds, to start looking with Mummy or Daddy helping and then progress to finding the ladybird by themselves. Its also really nice that the answer is revealed in such an encouraging way on the next page so you can find it next time.

To be honest, I didn't think that you could do a good finding book for such young children but here it is and it is awesome!

Who'll love this: 2 and 3 year olds
Cost: $19.99
Publisher: Penguin Books Australia



  

Seadog by Claire Saxbuy, illustrated by Tom Jellett - book review

Seadog is a lovely story about a crazy, joyous mutt who loves the beach.

The illustrations are scratchy but so full of life, colour and exuberance that you will find yourself smiling as you look at them.

If you children love the beach, they'll really enjoy watching Seadog jump in the waves and chase the seagulls - it really makes you realise that what dogs want to do at the beach and what kids want to do at the beach are really very similar.

I also really love the way the narrator (presumably Seadog's young owner) accepts all the things that Seadog isn't and relishes what his dog is!

The rhyming text has lots of repetition and it is definitely the kind of book that kids will love and want to be read over and over again until they can recite the story with you.
 
Who'll love it: Kids aged about 3 to 5, perhaps slightly more boys than girls.
Cost: $19.95
Publisher: Random House Australia

Bertie by Pamela Allen - book review

Not many Australian parents will get through the early years of reading to their kids without coming across at least one book by the incredible Pamela Allen. In fact, it seems that most of us can recite large chunks of our children's favourite Pamela Allen book with no trouble at all!

In Bertie, Pamela reintroduces Bertie, the little boy from Bertie and the Bear. If you read the book from one end Bertie is happy (and so is everyone else) but if you start from the other end Bertie is sad (and so is everyone else).

It's a great way to introduce a young child to feelings and emotions, and perhaps you can decide together whether you are feeling happy or sad, and read the appropriate part of the book.

As always Pamela Allen's artwork is incredible - clean and clear but absolutely full of life.

The repetitive text will really appeal to young children (and get stuck in their parent's heads!) and I'm sure that if you start at the 'sad' end by the time you are finished reading you'll be happy again.

Who'll love it: All two and three year olds
Cost: $19.99 (hardcover)
Publisher: Penguin Books Australia 
  

The Saddle Club by Bonnie Bryant - book review

When I was at school The Saddle Club series was BIG!

I was a little bit old for them but my younger sister embraced them with all the enthusiasm that a 9-year-old, horse obsessed girl can muster (pardon the pun).

Years later, when I was a book publicist, I had the absolute delight of ringing my sister and telling her that I was looking after The Saddle Club author, Bonnie Bryant, at the Brisbane Writer's Festival. Brilliant.

So I think it is great that Random House have re-released The Saddle Club books with bright, modern new covers. After all, horse crazy little girls haven't changed that much in the last 15, oh fine, 20 years have they?

And I'm sure that a whole generation of young girls will fall in love with Stevie, Carole, Lisa and all the folk at Pine Hollow Stables!

The new editions have two of the original stories in each book and they only cost $12.95 so they are really good value.

Who'll love them: Horse crazy girls who are in primary school.
Cost: $12.95
Publisher: Random House Australia 

AFL range - book review

I am not at all that in to AFL. In fact, I'm so not in to it that when I started getting books from Penguin's new AFL series I had to ask my husband; "Is AFL the one with short sleeves...?"

Apparently it's the one with no sleeves!

But, if I was in to AFL (or had a child who was), I would love this new series...

Embracing the idea of 'get'm young' the series includes everything from AFL - My First Numbers Book (one stripey sock, two rugby boots, three whistles etc), to AFL - Game Day (a touch and feel book about going to a match) and then moves on to the AFL Sticker and Activity Book, Mascot Manor Colouring In Book and Doodlepedia (full of doodling fun and footy facts).

The finishes are classy and the books have obviously been created by someone who knows and loves AFL. So, although they aren't my idea of a good time, if you are in to AFL you are going to seriously love these books.

Who'll love them: Current and future AFL fans.
Cost: Range from $4.99 to $14.99
Publisher: Penguin Books Australia

Penguin Australia Children's Classics - book review

 I am an absolute sucker for a hard cover book so it stands to reason that these gorgeous little editions of classic Australian children's stories really float my boat!

If you add in their timeless and absolutely classy covers, how great they look lined up on a bookcase (books that look pretty together also make me really happy) AND the fact that they are new editions of some of Australia's best loved children's fiction you are definitely on to a winner.

I really love the Penguin Classics adult range but these are even better!

My only criticism is that, in amongst a bookshop full of bright book covers with with flashy photos these might get a little lost and only appeal to 'booky' type kids and adults. It's hard for me to say because I was a 'booky' kid and am now an adult.

The stories range from Hating Alison Ashley to A Fortunate Life and everything in between, and they are a great way to introduce your kids to some of your favourite books from your childhood!

In a nutshell, the stories are classics that have stood the test of time and the covers are gorgeous!

Who'll love it: Booky type kids, girls who love beautiful things and grown-ups.
Cost: $19.99
Publisher: Penguin Books Australia   

The Lost World Circus: The Last Elephant by Justin D’Ath – book review

The Last Elephant is the first book in a new series by long-time kid’s author Justin D’Ath.

In the series, The Lost Circus, earth has had a terrible pandemic of an illness called Rat Flu. Most of the animals we know today have either become sick and died or been killed to prevent the spread of the infection.

All except the animals in Captain Noah’s Lost World Circus.

It is a clever premise. It leaves masses of room for adventure, goodies and badies, and encounters with exciting animals but it also seems like it could potentially happen.

And if that doesn’t seem exciting enough the hero, Colt Lawless, seems to be developing super powers as a side effect of being infected with rat flu (but saved by his vet mother) when he was a child.

I really liked The Last Elephant. It has really appealing messages about protecting and respecting animals, as well as about government abusing people’s fear and becoming corrupt and powerful and the people’s ability to fight back.

But most of all it is just an exciting adventure story that has you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

Who’ll love it: Kids aged 8 plus, and it will really appeal to boys who love an exciting adventure.

Cost: $14.99

Publisher: Penguin Books Australia  

Jandamarra by Mark Greenwood and Terry Denton – book review

I’m finding it really difficult to find a way to talking to my four year old about Aboriginal history because, no matter how you explain it, it is tragic and so unfair and that’s hard to explain to a little person who has only just learnt about sharing and being kind to other people.

The story of Jandamarra is another example of that tragedy.

A good person caught between two cultures Jandamarra becomes an outlaw and commits terrible crimes. 

The crimes committed again him and his people are equally horrible.

Interesting and really sad, this story highlights the impossible position of the Indigenous people once white settlers came but in a way that is accessible for children.

The book doesn’t make anyone into a hero or even take sides (although it is sympathetic to the Indigenous people), it just tells a story of Australia’s history.

The insights into Aboriginal culture and beliefs are amazing: “They rubbed him with a magic stone to make him fearless and invisible. They hid his spirit in the stone and placed it in the water.”

Terry Denton’s illustrations more than do the story justice, with what seems like just a few lines he manages to capture so much emotion, as well as the stunning landscape of the Kimberley.

This book is easy to read, but not easy to read (if you know what I mean) but I would recommend it very highly.

Who’ll love it: Teachers and primary school aged kids will find it fascinating.

Cost: $29.99

Publisher: Allen and Unwin   

Max & George by Cori Brooke and Sue deGennaro – book review

This book is beautiful – both to look at and its story.

It is sweet and tender and perfect for anyone who feels little anxious.

Max has a best friend George. George lives in windows, car windows, shop windows, the windows of Max’s house, anywhere there is a window.

George wears the same clothes as Max.

When Max feels happy so does George.

When Max feels anxious so does George.

Luckily they are VERY good at cheering each other up.

When Max starts school he is very worried but luckily George is in the school windows too. But what will happen when Max makes a friend?

The pictures of Max and George are perfect for Cori Brooke's story – you can see how much they love each other. 

They give a real sense of Max’s anxiety and you can see how reassuring he find’s George’s presence in every window.

Beautifully illustrated, this is a lovely story about friendship, being brave and growing up.

Who’ll love this: It will especially appeal to 3-5 years olds who get anxious, but everyone will love it.

Cost: $24.99

Publisher: Penguin Books Australia

Pip and Posy: The Little Puddle by Axel Scheffler – book review

Nosy Crow, the publisher of Pip and Posy, have done a brilliant thing. When you buy any of their picture books you can use a smart phone to scan the QR code in the front cover for a free audio reading of the book.

Remember those audio books we all had as kids - ‘when you hear this sound *ding ding ding* turn the page’ - well Nosy Crow have turned all their picture books in to one of them and it is free when you buy the book. Genius!

Pip and Posy is a new series written and illustrated by Axel Scheffler, the illustrator of The Gruffalo.

They are very simple stories for very young children. They have lovely bright pictures and they are about every day things.

In The Little Puddle Pip goes to play at his friend Posy’s house, he is having such a good time that he forgets to go to the toilet and has an accident.

In The Super Scooter Posy snatches Pips scooter so she can ride it but then has a nasty crash because she has never ridden a scooter before.

These books aren’t complicated or tricky but I really like them because they are about events that happen to all kids.

I also love the audio book thing – brilliant idea.

Who’ll love this: Children aged 1 ½ to 4.

Cost: $12.99 (plus a free audio version to download... bargain!)

Publisher: Nosy Crow, distributed by Allen and Unwin

Open Very Carefully by Nicola O'Byrne, words by Nick Bromley - book review

This book is a sure fire way to create craziness before bed!

It starts off as the Hans Christian Andersen story of the Ugly Duckling.

But then the ugly duckling realises that a crocodile has snuck in to the book!

Chaos ensues as the crocodile tries to eat all the letters (he especially loves the Os and the Ss).

The duckling asks the reader to rock the book to put the crocodile to sleep. While he's sleeping the duck gets a crayon and draws a tutu on him.

That persuades the crocodile to find another book to live in but how can he get out of this one?

Getting the reader to shake the book doesn't work so the crocodile decides to eat a hole in the back cover (obviously).

This book is so clever and definitely designed to be read out loud.

I particularly love the way it directly addresses the kids reading it, and how it plays with the words and structure of books.

The amazing thing about Nosy Crow books is the unbelievably high production values - the paper is always lovely and thick, and any embellishments (such as a hole in the back cover so a crocodile can escape) are incredibly well done.

Who'll love this: Kids, particularly boys, age 3-5 who are looking for more than just a story.
Cost: $22.99
Publisher: Nosy Crow, distributed by Allen and Unwin. 

The Princess and the Peas by Caryl Hart and Sarah Warburton - book review

A funny tale for royally fussy eaters everywhere ...

This book is BEYOND cute.

It is divine.

The story is so clever and the pictures have so much character and life.

Honestly, it is brilliant and all four-year-old girls should have a copy.

"Lilly-Rose May was a sweet little girlie,
Her eyes were bright blue and her hair was so curly."

Everything is wonderful is Lily-Rose May's world until one day her Daddy tries to feed her peas. Lily-Rose May won't eat them so her Daddy calls the doctor who, using the story of The Princess and the Pea as evidence, announces that any girl who is pretty, polite and allergic to peas must be a princess.

So Lily-Rose May gets packed off to the castle to learn to be a princess. She loves the jewels and dresses but it turns out that there is something worse to eat than peas...

The book is hilarious and has a brilliant message about eating food you don't like.

And the best thing ... the rhyme actually rhymes and the rhythm is perfect for reading out loud.

Love it!!!

Who'll love it: Little girls aged 3-5, plus me and my husband!
Cost: $22.99
Publisher: Nosy Crow, distributed by Allen and Unwin. 

Stories for Five, Six, Seven and Eight Year Olds, edited by Linsay Knight - book review

Let me start by clarifying - this isn't a review of one book, it is a review of four books all called Stories for Five, Six, Seven or Eight Year Olds and all edited by long time children's book publisher Linsay Knight.

I personally don't really like short stories - I find them frustrating and want to know the rest. Except there isn't any 'rest'.

Books of short stories are however brilliant for kids because they are manageable, satisfying and if the child likes one story in the book it encourages them to sample the others.

And these books are particularly good examples of short stories for kids.

Carefully selected, the stories are written by some of Australians best-loved children's authors including Paul Jennings, Andy Griffith and Morris Gleitzman.

Some of the stories are funny and some are thoughtful, some are written in first person and some are written in third but the best thing about them is that, because each book is specifically written for a certain age group, they are age appropriate in content, font size and reading ability so they are an easy and safe choice for parents.

The illustrations are by Tom Jellett, and the number of them varies with the reading age group, for example Stories for Five Year Olds has lots of pictures but Stories for Eight Year Olds only has one or two per story.

Aiming a book at a single year in a child's life is a risk for publishers, by being so specific they limit the readership. BUT it does mean that the book can be tailored to the needs and interests of that age, rather than trying to be all things to all people.

Who'll love this: Kids struggle to get through a 'whole book', and parents who are trying to introduce new genres to their children.
Cost: $14.95
Publisher: Random House Australia