Book Review: The Bowerbird by Julia Donaldson

 The Bowerbird

by

Julia Donaldson

illustrated by Catherine Rayner

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Imprint: Macmillan Children's Books

Publication date: 28th March 2023

Genre: Picture Book

Pages: 32

RRP: $26.99AU (Hardback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

My review of The Bowerbird

We are big fans of Julia Donaldson's books here at Little Squirrel's Bookshelf and we especially love her nature themed stories.

 

The Bowerbird features Bert, an irresistible little bird with a very big heart. Bert is a bowerbird and he is looking for love. He builds an impressive bower and decorates it with items he finds but he never has enough to attract the bird he has his eye on, the haughty Nanette.

 

 

I love that Julia and Catherine are bringing out books to teach children about nature and the way birds interact with each other. We fell in love with the Go-away bird who was a bit aloof and didn't interact with the other birds only to find that friends can be fun and there for you when you need help. Now we have fallen in love with Bert! He is so sweet and just wants to find a mate. We also learnt a lot about bowerbirds and how they collect things to make their bower pretty. We also meet the cunning Claude who likes to steal items from other bowers.

 

Will Bert find love?

 

Catherine Rayner’s delightful, full spread, watercolour illustrations add an extra visual dimension to this enchanting tale of finding your perfect match.

 

The Bowerbird is an enchanting rhyming story that's a delight to read and engaged the children. It is a wonderful introduction to bowerbirds and nature in general which can be expanded on with some more fact-finding. I was surprised how many different species there are!   

Our rating 5 / 5 🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦

We decided to leave some blue objects out to see if we had any bowerbirds in our area.

About the author

Julia Donaldson has written some of the world's best-loved children's books, including modern classics The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo's Child, which have sold over 25 million copies worldwide and have been translated into over one hundred languages. Her other books include Room on the Broom, Stick man and Zog, illustrated by Axel Scheffler, The Hospital Dog, illustrated by Sara Ogilvie and the hugely successful What the Ladybird Heard adventures, illustrated by Lydia Monks.

About the illustrator

Catherine Rayner studied illustration at Edingurgh College of Art and has been short-listed for the prestigious Kate Greenway Medal four times, and won in 2009 for Harris Finds his Feet. In addition to illustrating for other authors such as Michael Bond, Holly Webb and Michael Morpurgo, she has also written her own picture books, including Ernest, Solomon Crocodile, Solomon and Mortimer and Smelly Louie, which won the Peter's Book of the Year award in 2015.

Book Review: Coco Chanel - Little People Big Dreams by Isabel Sanchez Veraga

Little People Big Dreams

 Coco Chanel

by

Isabel Sanchez Veraga

Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children's Books 

Publication date: 4th February 2016

Series: Little People, Big Dreams

Genre: Non Fiction / Biography

Pages: 32 Hardcover

Source: own purchase

Dot's review of Coco Chanel

Coco Chanel had a hard life growing up in an orphanage. I understand how she worked hard to become a great designer. 

This is a great inspirational book showing how people can come from humble beginnings and still achieve great things. I definitely think this is a five star read.

Dot's rating 5/ 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the book

In this new series, discover the lives of outstanding people from designers and artists to scientists. All of them went on to achieve incredible things, yet all of them began life as a little child with a dream. The first book follows Coco Chanel, from her early life in an orphanage - where she is a genius with needle and thread - to her time as a cabaret singer, hat maker and, eventually, international fashion designer. This inspiring and informative little biography comes with extra facts about Coco's life at the back.

 

 

 

Book Review: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

 The Secret Garden

by

Frances Hodgson Burnett

Publisher: Puffin Classics

Publication date: First published 1911 my edition published in 2010

Genre: Children's Middle Grade

Pages: 340

Format: Hardcover

Source: Own

 

My review of The Secret Garden

Many thanks to Tracey @CarpeLibrum for suggesting a buddy read for this book. I had this beautiful hardcover edition published by Puffin Classics sitting on my shelf just waiting to be enjoyed.

This was my first reading of The Secret Garden and I loved it!

I'm sure everyone knows the story; after Mary's parents die from the bubonic plague she is sent to Misselthwaite Manor to live with her uncle. After living the first 10 years of her life with absent parents it's nothing to Mary to now live in the manor with an absent uncle.

I loved that the adults mostly take a back seat in this novel. They are quite often baffled by Mary but mostly leave her to her own devices (and non of them are electronic). Mary learns to run, laugh, play and take an interest in the natural environment around her. As Mary spent time outdoors I could practically see her morph from a stubborn, bitter girl to a lively, happy girl.

There is a lot in this book that will appeal to children; a  wild stubborn girl, a boy that is attuned to nature, a locked door mystery and a neglected garden that the children bring back to life.

 

The Secret Garden is a truly delightful book filled with the healing magic of nature, positive thinking and above all friendship.

Below is a quote from Sophie Dahl's introduction.

" Even the most cynical reader would be hard pressed to remain unmoved by The Secret Garden"

My edition concludes with notes on the author and the characters, plus things to think about, questions to ponder and ideas for your own garden.

 

My rating 5/ 5   ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

 

recommended age: 6 - 100 

 

Challenges: Mount TBR over on The Burgeoning Bookshelf

 

  

Book Review: Don't Fart in the Pool! by Ben Jackson & Sam Lawrence

Don't Fart in the Pool!

by

Ben Jackson & Sam Lawrence

Publisher: Indie Publishing Group

Publication date: 5th July 2020

Genre: Children's Picture Book

Pages: 28

Format: Softcover

Source: Courtesy of the authors

 

My review of Don't Fart in the Pool!

Don't Fart in the Pool is a story to be read simply for the laugh-out-loud fun of it.

 

I'm not a big fan of 'fart' books but I know they are hugely popular with children and a vast array of titles can be found in any bookstore. 

 

Jay actually thought this story was hilarious, as I'm sure any six-year-old would. 

Stan has a habit of farting in the pool when out swimming - splash around a bit and no-one will notice the bubbles. 

Only this time, after a big night of tacos, Stan was at the local pool and his stomach was gurgling and grumbling and, well, it wasn't a fart that ensued.

This is a lighthearted fun story with bright full spread illustrations and large print to encourage self reading.

There is a fun suspenseful build up to the big embarrassing moment and even when you know what is going to happen next it's still quite funny to turn the page to see the big brown stain spreading across the pool.

Moral of the story: Never trust a fart!

Jay's rating 4/5     ⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the authors

Ben Jackson was born in Tasmania, Australia, and is a successful indie author that has been writing for over four years. Ben is married to Sam Lawrence, and together they specialize in self-publishing children's books.

They have been married for several years and have traveled together between Australia and Canada. Ben is also a freelance writer that specializes in writing website content for businesses and a wide variety of different articles.

They have published a series of children's books called My Little Fart and Hockey Wars, as well as If I Was A Caterpillar and several other non-fiction books.

You can read my review of Hockey Wars at the link below:

https://littlesquirrelsbookshelf.blogspot.com/2022/10/book-review-hockey-wars-by-sam-lawrence.html 

Book Review: Cargo is Ready to Go! by Paul Dekmetzian

 The Adventures of Cargo the Army Truck

Cargo is Ready to Go!

by

Paul Dekmetzian

Publisher:SelfPublished

Publication date: 29th August 2022

Series: The Adventures of Cargo #3

Genre: Children's Picture Book

Pages: 26

Format: Softcover

Source: Courtesy of the author

My review of Cargo is Ready to Go!

Cargo is Ready to Go is book 3 in the delightful and engaging Cargo series.

In book 3 Cargo teaches children about being prepared before any outing. Cargo always checks his oil, water, fuel and tyres before he goes out. What do you check before you go to school?

The stories are narrated by Cargo which gives him a personality of his own. The book offers a great opportunity to discuss being organised and prepared before you go out and ways you can be more prepared. 

What do you need for school, the beach, going fishing or camping? Filled with full spread illustrations to complement each setting. There is much to discuss in these gorgeous illustrations. 

Cargo also talks about what happened to him one day when he wasn't prepared.

I can see these stories as an on screen cartoon series the likes of Roary the Racing car, Finley the Fire Engine or Tayo the Little Bus. Cargo had the same fun life-like feel as these types of shows. 

If your child loves everything cars and trucks they are going to love Cargo the Army Truck.

 

My rating 5/5   ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

About the author

 

Paul Dekmetzian lives in Melbourne, Australia. Between 1973 and 1981, he was engaged with the Australian Army, first as a School Cadet and then as a young Private at Monash University Regiment. This involvement sparked the interest of a lifetime.

 

 As the grandfather of eleven and an active member of the Victorian Military Vehicle Corps (VMVC), Paul has witnessed firsthand how excited people of all ages get when they see these historic vehicles, both on the road and on display.

He believes that the positive effect of engaging with this history should not be underestimated and hopes that The Adventures of Cargo the Army Truck will ignite the curiosity of a new generation of Australians.

 

Book Review: Timeless by Kelly Canby

 Timeless

by

Kelly Canby

Publisher: Fremantle Press 

Publication date: 1st Feb 2023

Genre: Children's Picture Book

Pages: 32

RRP: $24.99AU Hardcover

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

My review of Timeless

This is such a fun story about "time". We never have enough of it, time flies by, yet sometimes it seems to stand still.

 

Emit is a young boy fascinated by time. The story follows Emit as he tries to capture time as he unravels sayings, literally.

If time flies maybe he can catch it with a net or if time passes you by, maybe if he stood still he would see it go by.

 

We found it fun to think of all the sayings that involve time; too much of it or not enough of it.

 

The gorgeous watercolour illustrations are busy on the page and there is a lot to take in. In contrast the text is simple and spare which made it easy for the children to connect with the story.

 

Timeless by Kelly Canby is a story that will delight any child. We have read it over and over.

 

The beautiful illustrations inspired Dot and Jay to create their own watercolour washes.

 

 

 

Instructions:

On white paper draw the desired picture or design with a white crayon or a candle. Use a little pressure so you get plenty of wax on the paper. (you won't be able to see the design).

 

Mix poster paint with plenty of water so it's not to dark and paint over the  entire page. Your picture will appear like magic! 🖌

About the author

Kelly Canby is an internationally published illustrator and author. Kelly was born in London, but has lived in Australia since the age of three, which is probably around the same age she started playing with pencils and crayons, and it was probably only a few years after that that she decided playing with pencils and crayons was something she wanted to do for the rest of her life.

 

 

 

 

Book Review: Owl and Star by Helen Milroy

 Owl and Star

by

Helen Milroy

Publisher: Fremantle Press

Publication date: 5th October 2022

Genre: Children's Picture Book

Pages: 32

RRP: $24.99AUD Hardcover

Source: Courtesy of the Publisher

 

My review of Owl and Star 

Owl and Star is a story of how the sun, moon and stars are all connected in the universe working together.

Owl likes to watch the stars rise in the sky every night but when his favourite little star doesn't shine one night he knows he must use all his strength to help little star finds its place in the night sky.

Taken from the notion in Indigenous storytelling that everything in the universe is alive and in relationship, Helen Milroy has written a calm and tranquil tale with subtle messages about caring for the universe.

Owl and Star is filled with vibrant and enchanting full spread illustrations with bright and lively artwork featuring traditional colours pulled from the land and water.

Owl and Star is a wonderful bedtime read giving both children and adults a chance to slow down and reflect on the simple pleasures in life. Make time to stop and see the stars!

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Helen Milroy is a descendant of the Palyku people of the Pilbara region of Western Australia. She was born and educated in Perth. Helen has always had a passionate interest in health and wellbeing, especially for children. Helen studied medicine at the University of Western Australia. She is currently a professor at UWA, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Board Member with Beyond Blue and the AFL's first indigenous Commissioner.