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:

The Little Big Book Club

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:

Jeannette Rowe

Kids Book Review

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:

Allen & Unwin 

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:

Lemonade Springs

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: 

Walker Books

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:

Lamont Books 

Hardie Grant 

National Celebration of Literacy 

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