This is a Ball, by Beck & Matt Stanton (ABC Books), ISBN: 978 0 7333 3435 1

Ready for some fun? Here are the instructions for the adults on the back of this book:

.....and that is totally true, and you will love it too.
The first time I read this book I had to use my imagination. I read it silently, to myself, no children present. That is not what this book is designed for. I got it, but I knew that I had to read it to a younger member of the family as soon as possible. How wonderful my young niece was coming to visit with her parents that evening!

We sat, cosy on the couch, and we read the book, or we argued through the book, oh what delight. My niece is shy, quiet, reserved and not very vocal. Within moments her blood had begun to boil, she was shouting, glaring at me (while we laughed) and she became so engaged with the book that she became extremely extroverted. It was exciting, it was lovely, it was loud!

I can't say that this is a story book, it isn't a book that is to be quietly read alone, it is a tool, it is a wonderful piece of interactive equipment that doesn't require batteries and it is a page turner.

But does it lose it's advantage after it has been experienced once. No. I put it to the test.
Next, we gave it to my brother, who though very confused by the book, read it to his eager daughter. She took such delight in arguing with Dada! Aunty Christina was fun but Dada... well that was something else.

You might wonder why we would encourage young children to argue with adults, to disagree, stand against them. Well, what a boring generation we will raise if they do not learn that they can disagree. This book is more than an argument on paper (that sounds a bit Monty Python!). It is a book that engages, encourages and allows children to discover their own voice in a safe way. It is okay to not agree, but it can be done nicely and with discerning discussion. And at the end, well, according to the book, there is no end, and there begins another argument.

Put this one on your shelf, and if you want to blow off a bit of steam, read it aloud to a child.

In The Lion, by James Foley (Walker Books), ISBN: 978 1 922077 13 4

I don't know about you, but there are times when I love to visit an older styled concept of picture book, but I especially like them with a new twist. This book, with lives comfortably and well read on my bookshelf, is by the talented James Foley, who is an author inside an illustrator!

Children love repetition, if it isn't boring that is, and Foley's story uses a traditional repetition, similar to the much loved This is the House that Jack Built, but with a slight bit of a risqué approach: that being, who gets eaten by the lion?

As each zoo worker comes to care for the lion, they are eaten. We know what is coming next, the anticipation and shock factor keep us rolling along with humour and jest. Slowly, those visiting the zoo catch on as well. At first, it is only a young boy who notices the horrific events, but adults behind their cameras, miss each consumption until the chef and the zoo keeper disappear in two quick gulps. What child wouldn't love this book? It is delectable!

Eventually, the problem gets bigger and bigger and soon, the lion escapes, consuming many, including other animals on it's path. No one knows what to do, after all, those in charge are 'inside the lion!' Who will stop the carnage? Who will fix this problem? Our little boy of course.

I won't reveal the ending, but I will say that our hero triumphs, as one must in a book where a lion eats people.

Foley's illustrations are humorous and animated. They offer different perspectives of the zoo, those involved in the gastronomic disaster and balances the serious and potential gore with a light, funny and almost day to day approach. His subtle hints in his illustrations, especially on the last page, open the doors to other potential scenarios that are left to our imaginations to create.

A great book for all little people, carnivores, lions, zoo keepers, dentists and small boys (& girls) who are much like the author, James Foley! Oh, and adults like us who enjoy a bit of fun from time to time without the mess to clean up.

Put this book in your library zoo and keep the gates locked....with you inside.

'Du iz tak? What is that? As a tiny shoot unfurls, two damselflies peer at it in wonder. When the plant grows taller, some beetles arrive. Could they build a tree fort?'

At first glance, you could be forgiven for thinking you were about to pick up a book written in another language, in fact, you are. But what language is it written in?

This beautifully crafted book by Ellis Carson speaks many languages to many people. It speaks a universal language using both visual narrative and a language we can't speak fluently but will quickly understand. In fact, the younger you are, the quicker you will 'get it'.
Carson takes us on a journey of the circle of life. She carries us through the pages of this book on the wings and legs of her protagonists: insects, a spider, a slug and a visiting bird. The central character, silent and consistent however, is the plant that begins to grow at the beginning of the story. 'What is that?' the insects ask, using their own language that we find ourselves emerging into as we progress through each page. The conversations get deeper, plans are made, a community forms, events happen, creatures come and go.

It is the simplest of themes, yet, the complexities that arise from it are marvellous. As the plant grows, opportunities arise, questions are asked and many go unanswered, some are answered with imagination and creativity. It is a micro world that in turn, reflects our own, through fresh, young eyes.

Carson's illustrations are strong and slightly naive in style. Their simplicity allows her to carry through the layers of intricate events happening on each page. A tree fort being built in the new plant as it gets bigger, insects busying themselves with tasks to help each other create something new. The arrival of a spider and her web being built, incorporated dangerously into the fort (some of the insects don't seem to know the potential danger). The demise of the spider and the eventual death of the plant as it reaches the end of it's life.

If we were shorter, more observant, had or took more time to watch and listen, perhaps this book is just a snapshot of what really exists out there. Young children will engage with the strong images and the visual story, they will relate to the universal language and will delight in the play with sounds and exclamations from the creatures in the story. It is a world they are closer to than most adults and to delve into this book is a journey back to a place of innocence and simplicity.

All I can say is go there, find respite, read it over and over and do so, occasionally, with a child by your side.
'Ru daddin doodin unk furt!' '
Su!' '
Su!' '
Hu ooky!'
'Unk gladdenboot!'

Enjoy!

And now....for something very serious!
I have my favourite authors and illustrators and this blog will introduce you to one who is a major influence on me as a storyteller. Most of you will knowof his work, Raymond Briggs. His earthy, gritty story telling comes mostly in the form of strip narrative or graphic novel style imagery. He is well known for his books Fungus the Bogeyman (now a popular TV series), The Snowman, and his ever popular Father Christmas which is aired every Christmas in Britain. I fell in love with Briggs' work after reading this particular book, The Tin Pot Foreign General and the Old Iron Woman. It is a slight step to the left of his usual work, not relying on his strip narrative but on full page, powerful illustrations which do not apologise for their blunt and abrupt finger pointing and character portrayal of two political figures while satirising  the Falkland War. It is so to the point and brash, it was promptly banned in Great Britain when it was published in 1984.

I have just finished reading the novel 1984, and I find it quite amusing that this book, published in the year that was so gruesomely portrayed in George Orwell's novel, should be banned because the government of the time found it offensive. Because the truth of a horrific war at the hands of their then political leader, Margaret Thatcher, was portrayed so confrontingly by a children's author. Maybe Briggs' story was a victim of the thought police.... or perhaps it was her bosom opening up and pouring out treasures to pay for the war, or even the image of her breasts shooting canons that undid its popularity in England? I'm certain it had nothing to do with the portrayal of soldiers lost, killed or injured and abandoned by their country, hidden shamefully away.

However, the book did well, as one would imagine, because of it's notoriety and so, as a young adult, I read it and, without the knowledge that it was banned elsewhere, I genuinely became enamored with the power of the story and the way Briggs portrayed the event of war to children (& adults!). I learned that picture books were not always for tiny tots nor did they have to have 'happily ever after' endings.

Recently, I showed this book to a group of adult students learning the art of book critiquing. They were unfamiliar with the story and were horrified that such a book for children should exist. It is many years since this war occurred and whilst they had heard of it, there is an attitude that books such as this are not 'safe' or 'appropriate' for children. Obviously, this is not a book directed at toddlers or younger readers and is meant, as are all stories, to be read with discernment and discussion. Adults usually respond differently than children with regard to these debates.

As for Raymond Briggs, he does not hold back on what he obviously felt, and used his art as a platform to express his frustration and anger towards the situation. Usually that is a no-no in literature, but Briggs gets away with it and carries it through with power, portraying a strong message to the reader. If you can move past the barriers that many find in the imagery, and let yourself read through to the point of the story, then this is indeed a powerful book, one that should never go out of print and should be read to all generations, and discussed! What a gift it is to be able to have a voice regarding our history, to make sure it is recorded through eyes other than that of 'Big Brother!'

Thankfully, this book is back in print as it was allowed to be republished after the death of Margaret Thatcher. It might not be a happy point in her legacy, nor a very flattering portrait of her, but it is certainly a powerful and important reminder to us all that war is a blight on our planet and that governments cannot change the truth.

Be brave, seek it out, read it and keep it forever.

The Tin Pot Foreign General and the Old Iron Woman, Raymond Briggs, published by Hamish Hamilton Ltd., ISBN: (HB) 0 241 11362 8, (PB) 0 241 11363 6

 And so, it is the season of Christmas, and with that, the season of Christmas books. However, this book is one with a difference: it is a seasonal book that is for the whole year.

On the bookshelves, snuggling in with the tinsel and Father Christmas themes and happy, 'ho-ho-ho' stories is this book by Nadia Wheatley and Armin Greder. Flight draws it's theme from the story of an ancient Jewish family, fleeing from the oppression of the government to safety. The cover depicts, at a quick glance, an almost traditional Christmas card scene, minus the colour and glitter, giant star and stable. It could be Mary and Joseph making their way to Bethlehem, but with a closer look, the Mary figure is carrying a baby, so it is a post Christmas story....or is it?

Illustrated in Greder's usual, strong, earthy tones, the darkness of night is strongly portrayed in this story. The travelling away from danger into the unknown, the unseen, the shadows. The simplicity of the images gives room for the imagination to fill in those dark spaces, to put in place what we think might be the historical story of this couple fleeing Herod's hatred.

'Tonight is the night. The family has to flee. They've been tipped off that the authorities are after their blood.'

Using mostly black and white tonal images, Greder charts our way through Wheatley's strong and minimal narrative, one that is not the expected tradition version of our modernised and sanitised Christmas story. They follow the stars, as have many travellers through history, to know  where they are heading. Soon, our traditional Christmas couple with babe in arm is confronted with colour.: 'The night's bombardment has started.'
We are immediately drawn into a page of doubt and and questioning confronted ourselves with Wheatley's direction: were there bombs in the biblical story? Of course not, so what is going on?

As the story moves on, the family are faced with danger, anxiety, loss and fear. Tanks appear on the horizon, their water runs low. they have lost everything but themselves in a scene which has suddenly moved us into our own place and time in history.

They struggle against wind and sand as they trek on foot, feeding the baby from the breast, asking God to help them make it through. 'Inshallah'. He prays on a prayer mat. 'God willing.'

The mother sings to her baby, 'Lulla lulla ... Lulla bye bye ...' 'He reckons there is enough [water] to to keep them going until noon. Inshallah.'

We journey through, with the couple and child until they see what appears to be a small town in the desert. Is this the Egypt of biblical times? No, it is a refugee camp, filled with tents for those who have nowhere else to go. Modern Egypt is still a place for refugees to flee to. The little boy grows, the family must wait among the many for the hope of help.

'One day,' he promises his mother, 'we will reach our new home.'

Flight is a powerful book, one that moves us away from our complacency of a glittery Christmas, fretting over our obligations to consumerist gift giving, grumbling about time spent with family and how tired we are because of the 'silly season'. Flight moves us away from our TV screens where we watch the plight of the worlds discarded and forgotten, the refugees and asylum seekers that have become another familiar and over whelming issue, so much so that we just blank them out of our hearts and minds because it is all too hard. 

Just like the glossy modern spin on the Christmas story celebrated by many, both religious and not the world over, we have learned to turn off the images that speak of the truth of the story and make excuses as to why we do what we do. Flight opens  a new door, to remind us of that history, the original Christmas story is not a pretty one filled with a blond haired, blue eyed baby and his pretty young mother. It is a story of fear and death, of oppression and a life that was spent fighting against oppression. How do we forget that while we dress our trees and light up our houses with cliched reindeer and wind filled Santas?

Joseph, Mary and their son, Jesus, were refugees that fled to Egypt, just as the family in Wheatley's story do. They flee with hope that they might have a future ahead of them, just as refugees do today, the world over. Carried by donkey, by truck, by train, on foot or by boat, they hope that people will hear their cries for help.

This is a book for a planet in dire need of compassion and acceptance. Wheatley's timely story reminds us that we are all in need of help, regardless of our faith or culture. That we all need to help and that while we celebrate one story, we cannot forget the one facing us right now.

Inshallah. God willing....... let us hear them.

Flight, written by Nadia Wheatley, illustrated by Armin Greder (Windy Hollow Books),
ISBN: 9781922081483

As I browsed my bookshelves during a recent studio overhaul, I saw this wonderful favourite and decided to feature it in this months blog. It is not a new book. My oldest son, now 25, found a copy on our weekly trip to our local library,he was about five years old. We bought it home. My son was excited because it was a book full of colour and stars, and I was excited because it was an Eric Carle book I had not yet discovered. It quickly became my favourite of all his books. If you haven't read this one before, I encourage you to add it to your reading bucket list. Obviously, we bought our own copy and it was and is well read and loved by myself and all of my now adult children.

Carle uses is iconic painted collage illustration style to intricately build this visual story inspired by a nonsense poem told to him by his German Oma. It was a way to teach children how to draw a star. Carle features this poem along with the star drawing instructions, written in his own hand, at the end of the book. On this page, following the poem, he talks about how he was inspired to write this story. If you follow Eric Carle on Face Book you will know he is a very personable man with a gentle and generous heart, and this shines through his work, and particularly when he adds these insights for his readers.

KRI KRA KROTEN-FUSS, GANSE LAUFEN BAR-FUSS
(KRI KRA TOAD"S FOOT, GEESE WALK BARE-FOOT)

I have always loved Carle's work, his complexity of story relying so heavily on visual narrative, his visual narrative so simple yet strong and powerful.

Seek this book out if it isn't already on your shelf or in your library. Go on a journey with Eric Carle about creation, the creative mind and the wonder of story.

Draw Me A Star, by Eric Carle (Penguin Putnam Books) ISBN: 978 0 698 11632 0

In an era of glossy covers, embossed reflective highlighting and even 'bling' on our book covers to compete with the next best thing on the shelves it is a great tactile and sensual delight to discover a book that evokes memories of favourite books of old, time stilling simplicity and finger tempting textures.

A mouthful of words I know. I think like that because I was a child of the famous Cole's Funny Picture Books, those wonderfully rich and full volumes of everything serious and funny, ridiculous, educational and challenging. Books that you went back to over and over again and, I will confess, I still do. So what a delight to my senses to dip my hand into a large envelope that arrive this morning via the postie to discover a textured, matt, minimally  coloured book for me to review.
But we must not judge a book by its cover...so they say. Well, the cover often gives a taste of what will be revealed inside, so judgement can begin at the cover.
 
Australia Illustrated by author Tania McCartney (and her debut as an illustrator) (EK Books,  ISBN: 978-1-925335-21-7), didn't let me down in any way. That old fashioned girl in me was excited by the cover but what of the inside? What of the story  it would tell? How far should that old fashioned sense of tactility go, especially for the younger reader? I couldn't wait to find out.

This new book from McCartney offers a journey for young and old and more importantly young and old together. We journey through fresh, funky and up-to-date images dancing and resting on each page with the textures and colours sampled by the reader on the cover. Even the end-papers, simple and basic, are a visually tactile delight. It was as if my brain was a little confused by the new smell of the book and at times I thought I could smell it's oldness as well.

We journey through the sections of the book discovering Australia through fresh eyes, and eyes that remind us of what we have forgotten or taken for granted. It is light, funny and insightful. We learn about each state and what it has to offer in the way of food, culture, lifestyle, people, community, environment, flora and fauna. Each state is represented well (an important thing for a Tassie girl, we are often left off the map or incorporated into Victoria). There is something for everyone, with some elements being safely understood by the adult reading to the child which cleverly makes us grown-ups feel welcome.

What I loved most of all about my Cole's Funny Picture Book is that you could discover something new each time you visited it. You didn't have to read it from front cover to end and you could spend an eternity pouring over the details of any given page. So I will describe Australia Illustrated as having an air of 'Cole-ism' to it. It is a book that takes you on a journey, to be shared with others or taken solo. It is a travelling book, to take with you as you visit the places it describes, a memory book, to remember the places you have been or even a book of hope, where you dream of going and can journey on the pages until you get there in reality.
I need to comment on McCartney's illustrations. In her debut as a published illustrator she has set the bar high. If there were ever any doubts (I'm talking about the creator here, not the audience) that she was up to the task then that has been shown to not be true. McCartney's simple yet characterful children and adults speak to us clearly and warmly about life in Australia. Her diversity and use of colour, gender, age and ethnicity represents this country so well. Each character belonging on the page and an essential part of this country. They are not token, PC placed characters, they have ownership of this journey and invite us to join them in it. McCartney's clever use of watercolour, digital design and enhancement pulls together a well balanced visual feast that we will never tire of. I am excited to see her emerge as an illustrator after many years as a successful author for children and adults and dearly hope this is the beginning of a huge feast of books from her drawing desk.
 
It is hard to pick a favourite element in this delightful book. It is a very balanced and easily read journey both as a narrative and as a visual story but there was one page that struck me, one line that really grabbed me and that would be the environmentalist in me, I can't  help it.
On the page entitled Endangered Animals, McCartney cleverly uses a gently but obvious image of a Red Cross nurse overseeing a short list of animals that are endangered in Australia. There just isn't room to feature them all but the line that states 'and this is only a small selection, which is not good at all!' grabs you and causes you to think.
Congratulations to Tania McCartney on her illustration debut and creation of this beautiful sensory book for all ages. Well done to the team at EK Books who have given this book a home in the publishing world so we might all enjoy it's delights.
Australia illustrated is being released in November 2016 through EK Books and will be available at all good bookstores.

I live in a house filled with music. Just like the athlete or artist, the musician commits to practice at every opportunity to hone their skills and perfect their craft. As my daughter prepares herself for her year twelve exams and auditions to enter the Conservatorium to study classical piano, I am treated every day to her beautiful renditions. The classes were worth it. Enduring those early 'tinky tonk' repetitive years has now paid off, however I think my daughter would like to own, just for a short while, the gloves that appear in Julie Hunt and Dale Newman's award winning graphic novel, KidGlovz.

Hunt and Newman's book, KidGlovz (Allen & Unwin, ISBN: 9781742378527, 2015), is an emotional story that connects to the Dahlian and ancient  folk tale style of story telling. Where terrible things happen, where people are captured and kept prisoner, adults are not to be trusted  and children   are the heroes and    magic and   friendship   are   the       stronger powers.

'There is a town in the mountains not far from here where people lock their pianos on the night of the full moon. It makes no difference – the keys move up and down and the air is filled with wild music.
Someone once thought they saw a white bird flying between the trees. But the truth of the matter is that it’s not a bird that flies on the night of the full moon but a pair of white gloves. I know this because they used to belong to me.'

It is the story of a child prodigy, Kidglovz, who can magically play beautiful, and is kept locked away in tortuous circumstances in order to make the biggest profit for his 'owner', Dr Eronious Spin. His piano teacher, Lovegrove, is heart broken about his circumstances and then, by chance, a young boy called Shoelace, a tightrope walker, enters Kidglovz life and soon, things begin to change for the better and for worse. Kidglovz is potentially rescued but is it into the hands of more evil, greedy adults? Friendships are betrayed, relationships are broken and Kidglovz has to learn to live a new life. And what of his magical gloves?

The emotive, soft, black and white sketched images tell the story in true graphic novel style. Newman's illustrations move through the potentially clinical story board style with warmth and gentleness. We are carried through and into the story with soft lines, dark shadows, wonderful contrast and well etched characters. With the protagonist being nine years old, the imagery sits well with the younger age group the readership starts at. With touches of humour to soften a sad story, Newman creates a wonderful visual narrative that supports Hunt's evocative story.

Whilst words and text are minimal in the graphic novel format, the process of creating a story in this style takes a long time with much planning and communication between both author and illustrator. Hunt's words, including the words that we do not read but were written as story to help direct the illustrator, have worked well with strengthened Newman's narrative, providing a strong, seamless foundation. Obviously, the seamless dance of narrative, words and pictures can only come from a strong and well balanced    team   of creators.

This is a story that is suitable for a wide age of readers and we own two copies at our house: one for me and my daughter has one in her personal collection for when she moves away. Whilst my daughter would not wish to suffer the consequences associated with the magic gloves, I know that she is able to insert herself into the story and ride the journey with Kidglovz. You don't have to be a musician to understand it though. It is a universal story for everyone.

This multi award winning book is a must for your bookshelf and your collection of 'keepers.'  It is destined to become a classic.