Monday 23 April 2012


Hansel and Gretel: the graphic novel

Author: Donald Lemke
Illustrator: Sean Dietrich
Publication Details: Stone Arch Books, Minneapolis, 2009
ISBN: 9781434208637 (pbk.)
Series Title: Fairy Tale Series

Hansel and Gretel live with their stepmother and father, the woodcutter. As the woodcutter doesn’t earn enough money to feed the whole family it is decided that the children will be left behind in the forest. In the forest Hansel and Gretel discover a house made from sweets. The house is owned by a witch. How will the children escape and will they ever get home? This story is a fast paced suspenseful classic fairy tale. 

Genre: Traditional, Graphic Novel
Age: 5 years +

Source: goodreads


English Talking Book - Hansel and Gretel





Genre: Traditional, Talking Book


Molly and her Dad

Author: Jan Ormerod
Illustrator: Carol Thompson 
Publication Details: Little Hare, Surry Hills, 2008.
ISBN: 978073314605 (hbk.)

Molly lives with her mum, while her dad lives a whole plane ride away. Molly loves to tell stories about her dad as he is unknown to her. One day when Molly’s mum has to go away her Dad comes to look after her. Molly is unsure what to call him and she is initially frustrated by her quirky father. The story and illustrations tenderly shows what an interesting energetic character Molly’s father is and how she comes to love him.  

Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction, Picture Book   
Age: 5 years +


Activities and Teacher’s Notes:

Source: The Little Big Book Club, goodreads

My Aussie Mum

Author: Yvonne Morrison
Illustrator: Nicola Bright
Publication Details:  Scholastic Australia, Gosford, 2009
ISBN: 9781741692297 (hbk.)

This Aussie Mum - of three children - is a supportive, loving, fit and active mother. She makes time for herself as well as doing things for her family. Her days are like those of so many other Australian mum’s, “She cooks and cleans and goes to work and always makes things right.” It is an energetic, fast paced, humorous rhyming story that highlights many Aussie sayings. 

Genre: Picture Book, Rhyming Stories
Age: 3 to 5 years olds


Sources: Reading Time, Get Ahead Kids, Lamont Books


My Dad

Author: Jeannette Rowe
Illustrator: Jeannette Rowe
Publication Details: ABC Books, Sydney, 2004
ISBN: 978073314247 (pbk.)
Series Title: My Series

Genre: Toddler Book
Age: 0 – 5 years

My Dad is a warm charming book that reveals things that boys and girls enjoy doing with their Dad. Every activity included will be familiar to the children reading the book. Each page encourages the child to participate with the repeated words “My dad” followed by a flip page that reveals half of the picture to create a suspenseful guessing game.

Author Links:

Source: The Little Big Book Club


My Family

Author:
Illustrator:
Publication Details: Brimax Publishing, Scoresby, 2008.
ISBN: 9781742111599 (hbk.)
Series Title: My World

Genre: Simple Concept, Board Book
Age: 0 - 5 years

The My Family book is a filled with photographs of a toddler’s family. The repetitive sentences are easy for toddlers to understand. It is a sturdy board book with flaps that introduces the concept of family. 

Source: Google books, QBD, Wheelers, Love reading 4 kids 



The Little Refugee

Author: Anh and Suzanne Do
Illustrator: Bruce Whatley
Publication Details: Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest, 2011.
ISBN: 9781742378329 (hbk.)

Anh Do and his wife Suzanne have written a richly detailed, compelling story about Anh's family. His family escape by boat from war-torn Vietnam to Australia, they encounter pirates and the story shares Anh's experiences of his early life in Australia. The hardships that Anh and his family face are communicated in a touching yet uplifting manner.

Genre: Autobiography, Illustrated Storybook,
Age: 8 years +


Activities and Teacher’s Notes:

Source: Kids Reading Guide, goodreads, Kids Book Capers, Allen & Unwin


Tom Tom

Author: Rosemary Sullivan
Illustrator: Dee Huxley
Publication Details: Working Title Press, Kingswood, 2008
ISBN: 9781976288983 (hbk.)

Tom Tom is a preschool boy living in an remote Aboriginal Community. He is surrounded by a large extended family. Tom Tom likes to visit his grandparents, play in the water of Lemonade Springs, paint and pretend play. This book richly details aspects of his community from housing to family. It is a gentle and insightful story.

Genre: Picture Book, Contemporary Realistic Fiction
Age: 5 years +

Activities and Teacher’s Notes:


Source: Magpies Magazine, The Little Big Book Club


Mirror

Author: Jeannie Baker
Illustrator: Jeannie Baker
Publication Details: Walker Books, London, 2010
ISBN: 9781406309140 (hbk.)



Mirror depicts the day in a life of two boys and their families. One family lives in Australia and the other in Morocco. On the surface the countries are worlds apart – the differences are glaringly obvious – however through the detailed photographed collage illlustrations the readers discover that the families lives are a mirror image. This is a detailed smooth flowing story that the reader can pore over and always discover something new in the illustrations.

Genre: Wordless, Picture Book
Age: 2 & 3 year olds, 4 & 5 year olds, 5 years +

Activities and Teacher’s Notes: 

Source: Magpies Magazine, Reading Time, Kids Book Reviews


Family Forest

Author: Kim Kane
Illustrator: Lucia Masciullo
Publication Details: Hardie Grant, Prahran, 2010.
ISBN: 978192156470 3 (hbk.)

This is a unique, thoughtful story about a little girl who introduces her blended family to the reader. The witty illustrations wordplay the text to help visualise the relationship the girl has with her family and shows her humourist character. The little girl summaries that, “While some kids have a family tree…we have a family forest!” 

Genre: Picture Book
Age: 3 to 5 year olds, 5 years +

Activities and Teacher’s Notes:

Sources: Magpies Magazine, Read Plus, goodreads 



Let’s go, baby-o!

Author: Janet McLean
Illustrator: Andrew McLean
Publication Details:  Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest, 2011.
ISBN: 978174237 564 9 (hbk.)

An energetic, delightful story about a baby and its cousin playing a repetitive rhyming action game. The game includes looking out the window at the baby’s grandparents, siblings and pets working and playing in the back garden. It is an engaging read aloud story with action packed illustrations that encourage rich discussion about the 
wordless story seen outside the window. 

Genre: Picture Book, Rhyming stories
Age: 0 - 5 years

Sources: Reading Time, Magpies Magazine, The Little Big Book Club, The Book Chook, Kids Book Review